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View Full Version : So, now I've got my CD, what do I do?



Melanie2
01-05-2003, 03:54 PM
I've read that depending on the fabrics, you should wash them in a special way before using them? The ones I just rec'd are my bumkin's all in ones, but I will be getting some unbleached cotton fitteds and a cotton/hemp fitted.

Also, some people mentioned spraying something (bac-out) on poopy diapers then putting them in the pail until you wash them. Do you do this? Where do you get it?

When you say you add stuff to your diaper pail for order (tea tree oil, baking powder) do you just throw it in the liner with the diapers?

Thank you ladies!


(aka Melanie - who's very glad she wasn't the only one who couldn't
figure out how to log in)

BethG
01-05-2003, 04:40 PM
Bumkins AIOs should be ready after 2 washings in warm or hot. You should dry them in between washings.

Hemp may need 2-4 washes on hot, again being sure to dry in-between washes.

Unbleached cotton, I have read, can take many many washes on hot to prepare them. Some people need to turn up their hot water heaters to adequately prepare them. This is one reason I ordered my unbleached prefolds from naturalebaby.com, since you can get them pre-washed for free if you buy a dozen. If the unbleached fitteds happen to be Kissaluvs, they will be ready after about 3 hot washes.

I use liners, so I usually don't pre-treat. If for some reason the poop missed the liner (it happens) and it was messy, I spray the diaper with Zout (which is a miracle product as far as I'm concerned). If Sarah happens to have diarrhea, I don't TOUCH them, but I then add Biz to the wash cycle and let them soak for a couple hours. My washer has a soak cycle you can turn on, but you can do the same thing by lifting the lid after it has agitated a few times and just let it sit a couple hours. My diapers are all very clean. When washing, make sure to NOT USE TOO MUCH DETERGENT. This is deadly to your diapers and causes more problems than almost anything. I use 1/4 of the recommended amount of Tide and have no trouble.

I don't add anything to my pail. I used to add a 1/4 cup baking soda, and I got too lazy so I stopped. :) If the pail really stinks, I wash. It's usually not bad.

Happy CD'ing!,

sparkeze1
01-05-2003, 11:06 PM
I washed my Bumkins AIOs once before using them and I don't know if it really mattered. Make sure you secure all the velcro tabs, and they will last longer if you wash and them then inside out (fasten them backwards).

Hemp needs to washed on average 6-8 times before they reach full absorbancy. Of course you don't have to wash them that much before you use them for the first time, but probably twice will do. Just realize that they won't be at maximum absorbancy yet. One thing that you can do with hemp that you can also do with unbleached diapers is boiling them. One boil for about 10 minutes should help out a lot. Most places that sell unbleached diapers say that the hot water heater needs to be turned up when washing them, and they need to be washed several times with the extra hot water. Boiling them should help break down the coating, then you should probably wash them in the washing machine a couple times.

Detergent, detergent, detergent...we have been having a big problem with soap buildup! We were using 1/4 cup of All F&C but now we're down to 1/8 cup. Hopefully that will help with that problem, but I would suggest to you that you use very little detergent! As Beth said earlier, you don't need a lot.

If you use baking soda, tea tree oil, or some other means for odor, you can just sprinkle it in the pail liner. With tea tree oil, only use like 2 drops. It smells really strong and a little goes a long way! There are also recipes for making your own deodisks online. I haven't done it myself but if you did, you would tape those to the inside of the pail (not liner).

BethG
01-05-2003, 11:10 PM
Welcome back! :)

sparkeze1
01-05-2003, 11:10 PM
Oh and the Bac-out, you can get it at a lot of health food stores, otherwise I know Earthbaby.com sells it, and I'm sure there are other online sites.

Are you CD a newborn? My DS has about 1 poop every day or two so I rinse them out by hand, then put it in the pail so I don't use anything (sometimes Zout though! :)). For a newborn, almost all dirty diapers are poopy though...

sparkeze1
01-05-2003, 11:18 PM
Thanks! I did what you suggested and it worked! Yay!!:)

Melanie
01-06-2003, 09:03 PM
First off, Thank you thank you thank you for all of the suggestions! The only people I know IRL who CD'd is my mom, and you know it's changed quite a bit since then.

I'd prefer not to turn up my water heater for safety reasons, so I may try the boiling thing. I don't have too many that I've ordered, so it shouldn't take too long.

Wow - 6 to 8 times! I think I will try the boiling tips for the unbleached & hemps. Do you think this is a bad idea if they are fitteds, though? I'm wondering about the other materials used in them like elastic, snaps or velcro.

When you use the clothes dryer for the non-wool diapers (cotton, unbleached, hemp, AIOs) what setting do you use?

I also use All F&C...I will make a note to use barely any. I believe we have hard water here (just moved), so I don't think I'll be trying any of the natural soaps. Do any of you use vinegar and/or baking soda at some point in the cycle?

I will check the local HFS for the bac-out. I wonder if they charge more for tea tree oil than Target? Right now I'm not sure what we're going to do for a pail, since I Have the diaper champ which should work for cloth dipes anyhow, but we're doing a mix of cloth & disp. I am also an avid Zout user, but I'm worried about the soap build-up in the diapers b/c I tend to over use it.

Ds is 14 months old today! He's 97% BF and just begun embarking on the world of finger foods (he's picky about textures and would never eat baby food) so he's barely pooping these days even with probiotics.

Mommy to Jonah

egoldber
01-06-2003, 10:37 PM
Which diapers did you get specifically? We can give better advice then. My unbleached Kissaluvs and unbleached Motherease diapers just needed regular washing in hot about 2-3 times to be "ready". Unbleached fitteds tend to be made form fabric that has already been pre-washed to some extent and don't require quite as much preparation as unbleached prefolds do.

My water is moderately hard. I found that All F&C was "OK". I used Tide when I was at my in-laws over Thanksgiving and found that worked MUCH better, so I switched to Tide.

I do two wash cycles. I do a regular cold wash with 1/4 the recommended amount of detergent. My washer has a soak option, and I set that option, which inserts a two hour soak. I then do a second hot wash cycle with just a smidge of detergent. If the diapers have a strong urine smell when I put them in the washer, I add a 1/4 cup baking soda to the cold wash. If I still notice a smell after the cold wash is done, then I add a Downy ball with vinegar. This seems to happen about once a week or so.

Zout is not a soap/detergent, so don't worry about build up. If I notice any stubborn stains, I add a half-capful of Biz and that works really well.

HTH,

sparkeze1
01-07-2003, 02:29 AM
As far as boiling fitteds goes, I just bought several fitteds from Jen at Mom & Me Creations (you should check them out, I got one early and I wish I could start my stash all over again!) and she told me I could boil these fitteds, which are made of hemp topped with microfleece, to get maximum absorbancy quicker than several washings. So I imagine the elastic, snaps, etc would be okay.

My wash cycle is not as complex as Beth's...simply because we use coi-op machines! Otherwise I'm sure I would do everything she does. It's also why we probably have a bigger problem with soap buildup since I don't do an extra rinse. We wash on hot with a little All F&C and 1/2 cup of baking soda. We have very hard water and it seems to help. Then we dry on the regular setting, which I think is hot. With the soap build-up lately we washed everything on hot twice with no detergent and it was all smelling SO much better! So I'm thinking that if I'm just going to go on one rinse I'll have to do this periodically. But maybe the reduction on detergent will help too, we'll have to see. I do want to switch detergents though - I'm thinking Tide myself.

If your DS is barely pooping...well CD will be easier! But the poop gets a little grosser the more solid foods they eat. My DS is probably about 90-95% BF on the average day and even with that small amount of solid food the poop changed! Once he ate way too much banana and got constipated and then the poop was really gross...but that's another story! :)

Are you planning to slowly phase out the disposables or continue them part-time? I continued to use disposable at night for the first month but after getting used to DS's huge butt it was weird to see him looking so skinny! But one night I took the plunge and no leaks! So we decided to go completely cloth. I think we may have a few disposables laying around somewhere but we haven't used them in weeks.

Melanie
01-07-2003, 07:54 PM
I have/ordered:
Bumkins AIO
Cotton & Hemp "Cricketts" fitted
Organic Cotton Fleece Crickett Doubler
ME Unbleached Sandy & Liner
ME Unbleached One-size
ME All in one (says unbleached liner)

Do you have to 'prepare' covers, too? Do you treat your covers (aside from wool) specially? I ordered an ME rikki wrap & air-flow, neither I can find what they're made of (I'm still waiting for shipment).

Thank both of you for the washing tips!

I put Ds in the Bumkins today just to see how they fit and they look perfect, not at all bulky like I thought. Had to take him out, though, b/c they're not washed yet and I don't need any leaks deterring Dh!

Mommy to Jonah

egoldber
01-07-2003, 09:04 PM
With these diapers, I would just throw them in the washer 2-3 times in warm or hot and you'll be good to go. They will continue to get more absorbant as you wash them, but they will be fine.

I didn't mean to make my wash routine sound complicated! I think it's simple. I wash once in cold with a soak cycle. I then wash again on hot.

Sometimes I add other stuff, but usually not.

There is generally no need to prepare covers. I wash my covers along with my diapers and I hang them to dry. Putting covers in the dryer will age them faster.

HTH,

Melanie
01-08-2003, 02:04 AM
I have a washer/dryer in my garage so I will try Beth's system. I washed our new dipes tonight and used barely any detergent and there still were suds at the beginning of the second rinse! This is eye-opening...I think our detergent is going to last us a lot longer now.

If all goes well, I'd like to phase them out completely, but we haven't started yet, so I'm being realistic! I'll probably start with daytime to see which work well, then when I figure that out, go nighttime and then out & about. When I *finally* get my other two orders I'll only have enough for 6 diaper changes, and that's IF all systems work for us. I have one package of disp. diapers that we bought recently, and I'd like to make them last twice as long. I tried Ds' Bumkins AIOs on him today, and he looked so cute in them! They didn't look any bulkier than his disp., but I suppose using a PF or fitted with a cover will be a bit bulkier. They're in the dryer now, so hopefully tomorrow will be day One!

Edited to add: thanks for the tip, I checked out their site and like most WAHM there's nothing in stock for us! I'll check again later.

Mommy to Jonah

sparkeze
01-08-2003, 02:58 AM
She usually doesn't have diapers in stock. They're made to order so if you're interested you can order one from the site and I think it takes a couple days for her to send it out. But you know, I just placed a LARGE order with her yesterday so it might take a little longer if she finishes mine first! :) But she said she would be done with my order by Friday...not bad with 3 kids!

About whether the system works for you or not... unless you're planning to not wash them so you can return them you might as well use them, even if you don't like them at the beginning, at least until you get different ones. And you never know...ones you don't especially like at the beginning may grow on you! I think when I first started I had enough to CD for half a day, then I did it again when the ones I had were washed, and it wasn't until almost a week had gone by that I was CDing most of the time. It's kind of hard to give up the disposables when you're anticipating a poop! But it's very nice to not have to go out and buy diapers regularly. And be throwing bags of dirty ones away all the time!

Melanie
01-08-2003, 09:28 AM
Did you get the MM or Hemp fleece? I was surprised to see them more than AIOs...they must be good. When you buy from random WAHMs...is there a favorite cover that you use?


Mommy to Jonah

sparkeze
01-09-2003, 02:44 AM
I got the MM fleece. I love fleece in diapers! It really helps keep DS's skin dry. I suppose one could just use fleece liners but they always get crumpled up in there and with DS trying to escape during the entire diaper change it's hard to keep the fleece liner positioned correctly. But, I've never seen any other babies who are as hard to change as DS! At playgroup all the other babies may kind of roll to the side, but that's the extent of it. My DS squirms and wiggles away and crawls away leaving me to see his cute bare butt! :)

But anyways, back to diapers... the Mom & Me fitteds are a little pricey but there's an added bonus! The diaper itself is abosrbant enough to use without the doubler during daytime (unless you have an extremely heavy wetter) so you could use the doubler in something else, maybe another fitted that's not so absorbant, or in a PF, or to add to your nighttime combo. The doubler is huge, it covers the entire surface of the diaper! I have one right now, and I've used it with the doubler, and without and it's worked great both ways. Both the diaper and doubler are covered with the MM fleece btw. I've tried putting the doubler in a snappied PF when I ran out of diapers (but actually the PFs are growing on me!) and I really liked how it turned out. Also, I use Fuzzi Bunz at night right now, and to be quite honest, I don't really like them. I've only had one leak but they don't really fit DS well. In the morning, he always has red marks on his back and thighs, but if I loosen the snaps, it leaks. I'm thinking about using these to replace the FBs too. So after my order comes I'll have 9 of these (yes, 9!). I wanted to replace my whole stash with them, but maybe if I sell a lot of diapers I'll buy more. Shouldn't they hire me as a promotor for these?

As far as covers go... I'm in the process of incorporating wool covers but as of yet, my favorite covers for everything are Motherease Airflows. I tried Bummis SWW & snap, prorap, and a couple fleece ones, but I just haven't found anything better than the ME. I can use one all day long, over and over, and it doesn't smell at all! And every single one of my diapers (some are quite bulky!) fits in them. So I would heartily recommend them!

egoldber
01-09-2003, 09:43 AM
I agree. Airflows work over anything: fitteds, prefolds, even my bulkiest nighttime diaper concoction!

HTH,

Melanie
01-09-2003, 04:31 PM
Oh good! If I EVER get my order from Motherease there's an airflow in it. For Heaven's sakes they are slow! I know, I'm just used to the instant gratification of the internet, and it's only been 10 days, but still. I ordered over $50 just so I'd get them sooner. =)

I'd prefer the less-bulky the better since Ds is just starting walking, so I think I'm going to steer clear of the wool covers for now. Thanks for the tips on the Fuzzi-Bunz, I've heard similiar from other people too, it makes me wonder why they are so popular.

I will try the Mom & Me's, but I think for cost sake, I'm going to have to focus on some prefolds now. I wish that vendor still had prewashed unbleached ones, but I've heard good things about baby textiles, too. I tried my snappi out on a stuffed animal, now if I could just get Ds to lay still. hehehe



Mommy to Jonah

egoldber
01-09-2003, 07:35 PM
I like my FuzziBunz just fine. My problem is that Sarah is about to outgrow the medium and a large is waaaayyyy too big. I have ordered a Petite Toddler size (which is supposedly in between). I have that works because I have found the FB to be best and least bulky for me for nighttime.

I have heard a number of people complain about the length of time of getting orders from Motherease, although I don't remember it taking so long. Remember it comes from Canada, so shipping takes a tad longer.

HTH,

sparkeze
01-10-2003, 12:29 AM
Beth - what do you stuff your FB with for nighttime? I've been using 3 large Joeys in a large FB and it's actually not as trim as I expected. When DS lays on his side his upper leg is hanging in the air because of the bulk in between his legs. I've gotten much more used to it, but it looks kind of funny.

Melanie - Mom & Me Creations also sells Samuel's Soakers which are a nighttime weight hemp prefold. They're more pricey than CPFs (well, all hemp PFs I've seen are) but it's definitely cheaper than a FB! I've heard a lot of good things about them but have not tried them myself. Until last week I had never used a PF but when I got my free snappi I tried it and it was fairly easy. It takes longer to put on since DS keeps crawling away, while I'm begging and pleading for him to stay still for just 30 seconds! But I think I will get faster with practice - after using it a handful of times I'm already faster than the first time.

Melanie
01-10-2003, 04:34 AM
Thanks for the tip. I still haven't ordered from them...I'm sort of hoping my Motherease will get here sometime this MONTH so I can try out my covers first. I'm sooo impatient...

I tried my Snappi out on a stuffed animal who held perfectly still, and it seems easy enough. Now if Ds will just hold still... Luckily he still fits on his changing table so he can't crawl away, just contort until he's standing our tush-up. Occasionally, giving Ds something he's not usually allowed to play with keeps him temporarily occupied during a change. Stuff like lotion bottles, hairbrushes, etc., not scissors! LOL!

I got my Cricketts today. =( Way too small. For some reason I ordered medium which is up to 25 lbs. and Ds is 23 lbs. Sigh..another LONG wait in the mail before I get to try them.

Good news is that our first try at CDing with our Bumkins AIO was successful.

Mommy to Jonah

egoldber
01-10-2003, 09:13 AM
I use either a regular (not premium) prefold or 2 joeys or 1 Joey and FB insert. I don't need 3 Joeys at night for my DD, she doesn't wet that much. It's not as trim as a disposable, but trimmer than my other nighttime solution, which is a ME Sandy with a Sandy liner and one Joey all topped off by a ME Airflow cover. Talk about a huge butt!!! :)

Melanie
01-10-2003, 10:06 PM
Have you tried a Sandy without a cover? Someone told me they do this at night (I can't recall with or without liner/soaker) and they never have a wet bed.


PS My Motherease order finally got here today! I ordered on the 31st...so I guess 10 days isn't bad b/c of the holiday. They look nice and thick...off to the washer they go. I got all unbleached so I guess it will be a while. Am I assuming correctly that the covers only need 1 washing to go?

I'm getting a SugarPlum and missed out on the SOS for today. I could only stay home SO long waiting for those things to go on sale. Oh well...Dh will freak when he sees I spent $80 to do a return anyway...hehehe...yep, it's addicting, and I don't feel I'm overbuying at all...we'll still only have enough for 2 days when I get all my stuff.

Mommy to Jonah

egoldber
01-10-2003, 10:11 PM
You DEFINITELY need a cover with a Sandy. While the Sandy is very absorbant, I can't imagine not using a cover. Now, that being said, many CD mamas are into letting their babies going coverless at home and changing them at the first hint of wetness. That's not me.

And you really don't need more than 2 days worth. Most people do laundry every 2-3 days.

HTH,

sparkeze
01-11-2003, 11:00 PM
Sandy's w/o a cover? Wow, even when I have it on DS for 2 hours during the day it would get everything wet w/o a cover. They're pretty absorbant, but not THAT absorbant! I don't think a Sandy's would be close to making it through the night for us. My DS nurses practically all night (maybe 6-8 times?) so he's a pretty heavy wetter - but just at night. Otherwise he's just an average wetter.

I think for Sandys, even though they're unbleached, 2 washes should be fine. Covers just need one washing. I hope you like the Airflows!

BTW - I'm seeing signs of addiction!

nohomama
01-12-2003, 12:09 AM
I have never washed my covers before using them and have never seen a need.

egoldber
01-12-2003, 12:25 AM
Moved my question to a more appropriate thread. :)