Cloth Diapering 101

[papal]

>Fleece covers can usually be used only once before they have >to be washed.

Karen, why is this? I did not know this and I have sometimes put Leela in the same SP fleece cover the whole day.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

to me, they smell like pee when they get pee on them. I guess it would depend on how absorbant the diaper is and how long after the baby peed that you change it. If it doesn't wick all the way out to touch the cover then it wouldn't need washed yet I guess.

It may depend on the way the cover is made. AngelWraps has an inner fleece liner, that may be why it smells right away for me. Righteous Baby is one layer, but it feels damp to my touch, especially if it was over a prefold.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[daisymommy]

Laundry Day

Before you wash your diapers…
-Remove any snap-in soakers from your fitted diapers—this will keep the snaps from tearing out of your diapers.
-Close all velcro closures on your covers, or fold them back onto the laundry tabs. Otherwise they will snag everything else and create a “diaper chain.”
-Remove any inserts from your pocket diapers so they can get fully clean.

Recommended Detergents
Use any regular detergent that does not contain built-in fabric softeners (such as Dreft or Ivory Snow). Some (but not all) people get a build up on their diapers with “Free and Clear” formulas. All-Natural detergents are usually not strong enough to get your diapers completely clean. DO NOT use any fabric softeners, as they will create a waxy build up on your diapers and covers, making them repel wetness rather than absorb it. Also, bleach and Oxy-Clean will weaken and destroy diaper fibers very quickly. Many moms like: Tide, Gain, Era and Sunlight.

Washing Method
#1 First run a cold wash/cold rinse adding in only ½ cup of baking soda to the water. This will help keep your diapers from staining, will remove odors, and neutralize acidity levels.

#2 Second run a hot wash/cold rinse adding in no more than half the normal amount of detergent. If you have hard water, add a Downy ball half full of white vinegar. It will open up in the final rinse cycle, and soften them.

Now, open the lid and take a whiff. Smell a diaper up close. Does it smell fresh? If not, run another cold wash/cold rinse with nothing else added to the water (not even detergent). This is just to rinse out the diapers once more.

Drying your Diapers and Covers
Hang to dry…
-Polyester (PUL) and nylon covers
-Pocket diapers and All-in-One outers*
-Reusable pail liners
Machine Dry, on high heat…
-All other fitted diapers, pre-folds, inserts, fleece liners, cloth wipes, etc.

Notes:
Dry pocket diapers and AIO shells in the dryer once a month to “seal” them and keep them water proof. I prefer to wash my fleece covers with clothing. This keeps them from piling, and attracting fuzz. Wool covers require special care. See manufacturer’s instructions.

Preventing & Removing Stains
Lay your diapers out in the sun for a day and they will naturally bleach right out! Or pre-treat diapers with stain remover spray before tossing them into the diaper pail.
Desitin diaper rash cream will leave grey strains on your diapers. Use something (such as Balmex or Aquaphor) that does not contain any cod-liver (fish) oils.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Everyone has their own routine for washing, so maybe several people can reply to this and add their routines. I copied Beth (egoldber) when I started out and then tweaked it to fit my machine settings and experiences. I use the fake Tide detergent from Costco.

These are the instructions I typed up for DH when he became a SAHD.

How To Wash Diapers

Unstuff any Fuzzibunz and unfold diapers as you put them in. Close any velcro tabs. Spray any poop with Zout. DO NOT put any wool covers in the washer, ever.

First Step: SOAK
put in detergent halfway up to the first line on the cup. (NEVER use fabric softener)
put in the diapers (including fuzzibunz), but not the covers or pail liner.
set the washer to:
- cold wash
- cold rinse
- second rinse
- high water level
- regular agitation
- SOAK on the dial

The washer will agitate and then stop.

LET IT SOAK for at least one hour. Longer if there is a lot of poopy diapers. As long as you want to if you are going out or busy.

SECOND STEP: PREWASH
Turn the dial to prewash and let it run through. (this agitates for 4 minutes and spins out the water but does not rinse)

THIRD STEP: HOT WASH
Turn the dial to regular wash. Add just a touch more detergent, just enough to cover the bottom of the cup. Put in the covers and the pail liner turned inside out. Let it run all the way through spinning.

Take out the pail liner and hang it up to dry.

FOURTH STEP: extra rinses
Turn the dial back to rinse so that it goes through two more rinses. Every other wash time, or if the Joeybunz are feeling crispy, run through two more rinses. You can also check the water of the last rinse and if there are still suds in it, run more rinses.

FIFTH STEP: extra spin
turn the dial back to spin and spin it again. This helps them to dry faster

SIXTH STEP: drying
Hang up the Fuzzibunz and the covers (including the fleece covers), put the rest in the dryer on medium heat. Once in awhile, put the plain white (Green Earth and ProRaps) covers in the dryer, especially if they have been leaking. After the dryer stops, take out what is dry and start it up again.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[daisymommy]

Out and About with Cloth Diapers

The only thing different about using cloth diapers versus disposables when you are out of the house and in public, is once you change your child’s diaper, you don’t lighten your diaper bag load any. You still carry around the same number of diapers with you—only now one is wet and sealed in a plastic bag. And unfortunately for you—but happily for your baby, you can no longer put off changing him for 3-4 hours while you hit “just one more store.” Cloth is not quite as absorbent as disposables (as cloth diapers lack that nasty gel inside them!), so your wee-one will need to be changed every 2-3 hours max.

In the beginning, I used cloth diapers at home and disposables when we left the house to go shopping or out running errands. I just couldn’t imagine how to deal with cloth in public. Then I finally bit the bullet, and made the switch. And you know what? It’s really not that big of a deal!

Road Tips:
•Pack “All-in-Ones” or pocket diapers. This makes changing just as simple as a disposable.
•If you do go with a prefold or fitted diaper in a cover, add a doubler to increase absorbency and buy you some time between changes.
•Carry a “wet bag” or Ziplock bag with you to store the used diapers in until you get home.
•Pre-moisten cloth wipes, and carry them in a plastic travel wipes case, or ziplock bag. Or, if you think you will forget to use up the wet cloth wipes before they smell musty, then simply use disposable wipes when you are on the go. You can toss them in the restroom trash can, or put them into your wet bag along with the used diaper. You don’t even have to pick the dirty wipes out when you get home. Just toss it all into the wash! That’s right, disposable wipes can go into the washer and dryer, and come out looking like a dryer sheet. Then just throw them away when you are putting the laundry away.
•Get a diaper bag that is big enough to hold 1-2 cloth diapers depending upon the age of your child. You can always have some extra back-ups in the car if needed. Unfortunately, those little purse size diaper bags that used to easily hold 2-3 disposable diapers just aren’t going to cut it now.

Reusable wet-bags:
Bummis size small nylon tote bags at www.naturalbabies.com (or most other cloth websites).
www.happytushies.com makes adorable bags with cloth-outer prints, & with zipper closure
www.Lilbunz.com sells zip-up waterproof bags in cute prints.
OR Sassy makes blue baby powder scented diaper trash bags. Wal-Mart, 50 for $2.50

[daisymommy]

The Diaper Pail

It is recommended that your dirty cloth diapers not sit for more than 2-3 days before being washed. Any longer than that, and odors will set in and become difficult to remove. The favored cloth diaper pail is a Sterlite 28-quart trash can with a flip top lid. This pail will hold exactly 2-3 days worth of diapers.

Line your pail with plastic kitchen trash bags, or invest in a reusable waterproof pail liner that you simply toss into the wash with your diapers. These are economical and kind to the environment. Bummis nylon totes have a drawstring design that allows you to simply pull up on the string, drawing it closed, and transport your diapers to the washing machine.

I do not recommended that you soak your diapers in a “wet pail.” This old fashioned method can be dangerous with small children around. The sitting water breeds bacteria, it wears down the fibers of your diapers more quickly, and it is messy since you really need to change the dirty water each day. I recommended using a “dry pail” method. You simply toss your wet/dirty diapers into the pail, and shut the lid. Voila! Simple.

Before You Pail It
There are obviously a few steps between taking a dirty diaper off your child and tossing it into the diaper pail—but not many! Fleece liners that you can cut out yourself will help BM to peel off more easily. Or buy disposable flushable liners. Then shake off any solid waste into the toilet and flush. There is no need to dunk and swish your diaper (or fleece liner) unless it is a particularly messy one. You may want to keep a pair or rubber gloves in the bathroom for these occasions. Breastfed babies have very watery BM that dissolves like sugar in water. There is no need to wash it off before pailing it.

One nifty device that I’m glad I bought is called a Mini Shower. It hooks up to the water supply line behind your toilet. It looks just like a mini hand held showerhead on a hose. It is small and discrete, and hangs on the side of your toilet tank. You use it spray off your dirty diapers into the toilet, keeping your hands much cleaner.

But What About the Smell?
I can honestly tell you that your cloth diaper pail will smell much less than a pail full of disposables. You have already removed any solid waste, rather than wrapping it up into a little bundle and storing it away until trash night. Also, urine reacts with the gel and other chemicals in disposable diapers to make a horrid overwhelming smell. The only time I smell anything coming from my cloth diaper pail, is when I am emptying it into the washer. If you do find that your pail smells, you can shake some baking soda over your diapers, or toss a dryer sheet in the pail.

Tip: If you have a particularly messy diaper that looks like it may leave stains, spray some stain remover onto it before tossing it into the diaper pail. I highly recommend Zout.

[daisymommy]

Cloth Diaper Web Links

Information to answer all your questions, research, and facts.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kfegelman/index.htm
A wealth of information all about cloth diapers…everything you need to know!

http://www.thediaperhyena.com/index.htm
All kinds of articles on why to switch to cloth, folding techniques, getting started, and eveything else you need to know. Click on the links on the left of the webpage. Run by a Christian mama!

http://diapershop.com/questions.htm
Great funny articles from a cloth diapering mama to answer your questions.

http://www.dy-dee.com/html/Folding/folding.html
Prefold-diaper folding techniques with pictures

http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp
Cloth diaper reviews, tips, and more


Shopping for Cloth Diapers:

http://www.lilbunz.com/store/
Great place to shop for cloth diapering supplies…FREE shipping too!

http://store.naturalbabies.com/products/
Super place to shop for all your cloth diaper needs…flat rate shipping, lots of variety

http://www.kellyscloset.com
Good place to shop for cloth diapers…FREE shipping

http://www.darlingdiapers.com
The best cloth wipes!

http://www.sugarpeas.com/
My favorite hemp diapers (2 size system), great fleece and wool covers

http://www.lucyshopechest.com/store/Default.asp
The cutest custom made fitted diapers, All-In-One diapers, covers, and cloth wipes. She also makes adorable hand made clothing. Good prices too.

http://www.puddlecatchers.com/
One-size diapers to save you money!

http://www.Motherease.com
Affordable diapering system with One-size diapers

http://www.lizscloth.com
2 size diapers to help save you money

www.Kissaluvs.com
Kissaluvs fitted diapers outlet store

Proraps covers “seconds” (nothing wrong with these!) 1-800-397-8594

Other Online Community Message Boards with Cloth Diaper sections:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions
Cloth diapering message boards. A huge community of cloth-diaper moms who are truly experts, and will answer all your many questions. Scroll all the way down to the bottom, under “Natural Family Living” to the Diapering category

[parkersmama]

Rashmi,
I reuse fleece covers during the day as well. Sometimes she might wear one in the morning and the same one in the evening and wear it again once or twice the next day (we use them more when we are at home vs. going out). I let them dry the same as wool covers and have never noticed any smell problems at all. I wash them with our regular clothes washing (kids stuff...no fabric softener). The only fleece covers I am currently using are from SugarPeas but I have some one-layer and some two-layer and neither ever smell.

[mudder17]

Okay, what if you have a front loader? Soaking is not an option on these, AFAIK. So far, all I've had to deal with is BF diapers. So what I've done seems to work just fine. I'm kind of wondering what I might have to change when I deal with solids.

Here's my routine:

Cold wash with tide and chlorox 2 maybe once a week. Then I remove the fleece liners. I wash the rest on hot with a second rinse, using a tiny bit of tide and, if it smells kind of funny, I'll add baking soda. I'll add vinegar to the softener dispenser if I use baking soda. If there is a stain (usually there isn't, except on the AIO's, for some reason), I'll spray it with Dreft or Shout stain remover (is the dreft stain remover a problem for diapers?).

Dry on medium heat (normal setting).


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya
born 22 February 2004

http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya

[daisymommy]

Eileen,
Just wanted to remind you that if you are removing the fleece liners from your wash load before washing with hot water, then the germs and bacteria are not getting killed. Be careful! There is no reason to remove them. Just wash everything together till it's all done, and toss into the dryer on high heat to further kill any remaining bacteria.

HTH,