Stinky Diapers!

I have been getting SO many questions about stinky diapers. Although I have addressed this issue in pieces in parts of my blog- I wanted to take a minute to talk about this issue in more detail.

The best advice I have is to check out the diaper manufacturer’s website for washing instructions and tips. Every diaper is different and has different needs.

I think that much of the stink problem can be attributed to detergent residue. It is SO important to find a good detergent that works with your water type. I can’t offer much advice about this except to experiment until you find what works best for you. I found this article on the Country Save website particularly interesting.
http://countrysave.com/announce.php

Try stripping your diapers. I would recommend using Dawn dish detergent (the plain, original blue kind). Add ½ T. to your top loader or ½ t. to your front loader. Just include it in your washing cycle every week or every other week.

I have previously posted on this blog washing instructions for cloth diapers. If you are having problems with stink, try adding a cold rinse cycle before and after the wash. Rinsing diapers before the wash cycle will help to remove some of the pee before the diaper is washed with soap.

Microfiber is another stinky culprit. It is a super absorbent material, but has no antibacterial properties. It can hold stink miraculously well. While most pocket diapers can not hold up to bleach, inserts can. Try washing just your microfiber inserts with a capful of bleach. Yes, we can all agree that bleach can be yucky stuff- but in the winter when the sun is not an option bleach may be necessary.

I have had specific questions about stinky FuzziBunz. I found some helpful information in the FAQs section of their website.
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/faq.php

Also check out the BumGenius website:
http://www.bumgenius.com/help.php
They recommend using bleach once a month.

Also check out these articles from the Knickernappies Blog:
http://knickernappies.blogspot.com/2010/11/dont-just-accept-that-your-cloth.html
http://knickernappies.blogspot.com/2010/09/tips-for-dealing-with-stinkies-how-to.html

Hope you all will find this helpful!

Switching to Cloth for Moms

Wow, I can’t believe I’m writing about this! Let me take a deep breath…

Although this blog is intended to provide support for those of you who are or would like to try using cloth diapers, I want to talk briefly about a mommy related issue…menstrual pads. So we take care to be attentive to what we place on our baby’s bottom, but what about our own bottom??

For months after hearing firsthand stories about the joys of cloth menstrual pads I avoided the subject. How could the plastic from the few pads I use once a month have a significant impact on the trash in our landfills? I am ashamed to say that I used this as an excuse for so long. Plastic is plastic and no matter how much of it I put in my trash can it still takes lifetimes to decompose (if it ever really does decompose).

After a horrible incident with a plastic menstrual pad that did not perform as expected (how embarrassing!) and months of dealing with a guilty conscience (all that plastic!), eventually I came to the realization that just like cloth diapers, it doesn’t hurt to try.

So I took the plunge and bought my first set of cloth menstrual pads. My first thoughts were “hmm…this is interesting, and strangely comfortable.” How nice it was to have cotton against my skin instead of plastic. I’m sorry to Always brand who has spent billions of dollars trying to make plastic feel like cotton, let’s be honest- no matter how the plastic is “weaved” it still feels like plastic!

I LOVED that cloth pads make virtually no noise! How I hated waking in the morning and walking into the living room feeling and sounding like I had a plastic bag between my legs. And I can’t express how exciting it was to go into a public restroom and not feel humiliated by the sound of the plastic pad package opening and the horrible sound of the pad being “ripped” out of my panties. The only noise a cloth pad will make is when it is snapped into place- and even then it is a quick and simple “snap” noise.

Cloth is so much more absorbent and I have never had a leak. Reason enough to switch to cloth!

I think we are all aware of the horrible reports about how tampons and cloth pads can affect our health so I’m not going to get into this. If I’m honest, it’s not the reason I switched anyway.

Before I conclude I need to talk about the most intimidating part about cloth pads, washing them. Just like with cloth diapers we have been trained to be terrified to touch the products which come out of our bodies. It’s the reason I avoided trying cloth for so long. I knew that washing the pads required soaking them in a tub of water before wash day and the thought of that just grossed my out. Well, just like with diapers, it has become a normal part of my day for a week once a month. It’s totally no big deal!


Let’s talk about washing cloth pads. Here’s how it works:
• I collect the used cloth pads in a zippered mesh laundry bag (the kind that you can throw in the washer).
• After a day or two of collecting I place the now filled laundry bag into a bucket with cold water. I usually add some sort of soap to the cold water like a little bit of laundry detergent, some dawn, oxygen bleach, whatever suits my mood.
• After the pads have soaked overnight I take them out of the bucket, letting the water drain and then throw them into my washer. I dump the “blood water” outside- often in my garden (not with edible plants). The iron content makes them happy : ) just make sure the neighbors aren’t looking- that could be embarrassing and require much unnecessary conversation!
• I wash the pads with the rest of my “whites” laundry. I wash on hot with some grapefruit seed extract and an extra rinse.
• Either hang the pads to dry or take them out of the laundry bag and put them in the dryer with the rest of the laundry.

There are a number of types of pads to choose from, many of the companies are small businesses that make custom pads to order. I have a variety so that I can choose based on my mood.

My favorite brand is Sckoon, they have a design that allows you to use the outer wrapping more than once and just change the insert (much like Grovia diapers). I like that with these I can adjust absorbency according to my needs and they sell irregulars for a discount on their website.
www.sckoon.com

Making it through the night!

I’ve had lots of questions about making a diaper last overnight without leaks. This was a huge struggle for us as we tested out the cloth diapering waters, but found success after some trial and error. I think some basic knowledge about fabrics will help you greatly.

First of all, think about absorbency. There are a number of different fabrics that are used in cloth diapers. The type of fabric you choose (or the combination of fabrics) can make a big difference in absorbency. Here are some examples of fabrics used in cloth diapering and some information regarding each:

Cotton: Super inexpensive, although it offers the least amount of absorbency. While cotton will absorb liquid, a basic cotton (like a prefold) is not quick to absorb and will sometimes lead to leaks. If you choose cotton, try material like flannel or terry-cloth as a topping to help “catch” the liquid right away. Remember that this fabric needs to be washed several times in hot water before use to maximize absorbency.

Types of fabric weaves-
• Jersey: a basic cotton knit fabric that has a flat surface.
• Terry-Cloth: a looped pile fabric that is either woven or knitted. Very absorbent and used for towels, etc. French terry cloth is looped on one side and sheared pile on the other.
• Sherpa: is made from a heavy knit terry that is napped, tumbled, and tip-sheared, resulting in a pebble-like, fleecey texture.
• Fleece: a pile or napped fabric with a deep, soft, woolly-style surface.
• Flannel: is plain or twill weave with a slight nap on one or both sides.

Microfiber: More expensive than cotton, but less expensive than other materials. Microfiber is very absorbent and because of it’s terry like surface it catches liquid quickly. This is a good middle of the road option and works great in combination with other materials. Beware that microfiber can be bulky on baby. A note to those looking to save money: we purchased a package of microfiber car washing cloths at Target and used them in Nora’s diapers. They were super cheap and held up well. Now that Nora is out of diapers we use the cloths for cleaning and dusting : )

Hemp: This is a great diaper material- but will not work on its own. Hemp is one of the most absorbent fabrics and multiple layers can be used without added bulk. Because not all types are quick absorbing (terry-cloth and fleece will absorb quickly, jersey will not), you will need to put a quick absorbing material on top of the hemp- ex. microfiber insert on top, hemp doubler below. One of the greatest features of hemp is that has antibacterial properties. I swear by hemp doublers for getting through the night. They can be pricy, but you will only need a few.

Bamboo: This is the “other” super-absorbent material. It is more absorbent than cotton and absorbs quickly like microfiber. While bamboo once seemed like an eco-friendly, antibacterial option the FTC is now claiming that because of the way it is processed it is no longer eco-friendly, antibacterial or biodegradable (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/08/bamboo.shtm).

Hopefully this information about types of fabrics and absorbency will help you make the right choices for overnight.

In addition to these things, also think about the cover you are using- does it fit correctly? Is the insert placed correctly inside the cover? Also note that if your diapers have built up residues on them they may have decreased absorbency. See my section about washing diapers for some info on stripping diapers.

The nighttime system that worked for us was a sized pocket diaper with a hemp doubler, microfiber insert on top, hemp doubler below. We very rarely had problems.

I have also heard great things about wool covers. These often work great for nighttime because the cover literally wraps baby’s legs in wool- it’s hard to get liquid out of that tight a closure!

I’m also including two links below, one is about detergent residue and the other is about stinky diapers. Enjoy!!
http://countrysave.com/announce.php
http://knickernappies.blogspot.com/2010/11/dont-just-accept-that-your-cloth.html