Friday, December 9, 2011
Leaks
Quick note:
With pocket diapers, you have the option to use a combo of different inserts. Babies will usually be able to use only 1 microfibre or natural fibre insert up to about 5-6 months. When your diaper starts to leak, it will be because the baby's bladder is bigger and it's time to move up to two inserts (or a 2 or 3 fold insert) and never look back. My favorite combo is the microfibre on top of a natural fibre. Microfibre wicks away the moisture the fastest and the natural fibre holds it the longest. A three fold hemp insert is perfect overnight for your bigger babies - it goes HOURS and HOURS.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Dry Pail vs. Soaking
So, when stockpiling dirty diapers before laundry day, what do you do with them? Do you put them in a pail with some kind of solution or vinegar or do you just throw them in a bag or bucket?
PLEASE - do a dry pail.
Soaking: this is an antiquated method that makes one feel like they are making a step toward cleaning the diapers - but it is actually creating a breeding ground for bacterial growth. The amount of sanitizing solution - or vinegar needed to keep the bacteria away is so much, it isn't worth the effort.
Dry Pail: not only is this a more sanitary option, it is also EASIER. Take a soiled diaper of any kind, throw it in a pail and put a (non-air tight) lid on it. Don't leave them for more than 3 days. If a diaper is really soiled (either with pee or poo), you can hand rinse it in a sink and wring it out really well and stick it in the dry pail.
Tip 1: A diaper sprayer on your toilet can help eliminate unwanted crusties. I recommend taking the inserts out of a pocket diaper before make it a big soppy mess.
Tip 2: Flushable liners that you lie in the pocket diaper are a really nice way to deal with the majority of the poop. (I sell these, of course)
Tip 3: My favorite new step in dealing with dirty diapers - the RINSE CYCLE! After 2 days, I throw all the diapers in and do a quick rinse/spin cycle and throw them back in the diaper pail - it buys me some time and the pail doesn't get quite as stinky.
Stinky diaper pail: they sell sprays to eliminate odors, and cleaning after laundry day is a good idea and if you are using a diaper pail liner, you can wash it - so that's nice. My tip is have some kind of non-toxic room spray in your laundry room. After every time I open the lid, I give a spritz or too and the odor goes away really quick.
Please post your comments!
PLEASE - do a dry pail.
Soaking: this is an antiquated method that makes one feel like they are making a step toward cleaning the diapers - but it is actually creating a breeding ground for bacterial growth. The amount of sanitizing solution - or vinegar needed to keep the bacteria away is so much, it isn't worth the effort.
Dry Pail: not only is this a more sanitary option, it is also EASIER. Take a soiled diaper of any kind, throw it in a pail and put a (non-air tight) lid on it. Don't leave them for more than 3 days. If a diaper is really soiled (either with pee or poo), you can hand rinse it in a sink and wring it out really well and stick it in the dry pail.
Tip 1: A diaper sprayer on your toilet can help eliminate unwanted crusties. I recommend taking the inserts out of a pocket diaper before make it a big soppy mess.
Tip 2: Flushable liners that you lie in the pocket diaper are a really nice way to deal with the majority of the poop. (I sell these, of course)
Tip 3: My favorite new step in dealing with dirty diapers - the RINSE CYCLE! After 2 days, I throw all the diapers in and do a quick rinse/spin cycle and throw them back in the diaper pail - it buys me some time and the pail doesn't get quite as stinky.
Stinky diaper pail: they sell sprays to eliminate odors, and cleaning after laundry day is a good idea and if you are using a diaper pail liner, you can wash it - so that's nice. My tip is have some kind of non-toxic room spray in your laundry room. After every time I open the lid, I give a spritz or too and the odor goes away really quick.
Please post your comments!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Stripping Diaper Funk
All cloth diapering parents will eventually complain about a funky smell that they can't seem to wash out of their diapers. It goes beyond the ammonia smell of pee - it's a smell that as soon as the baby pees in the diaper, makes it seem like the diaper was not even clean to begin with!
I have scoured the website, and explored numerous options and found success in this:
Degreasing for Stripping as well as LOTS of water!
Stripping is the term used for a process that parents will use every few months to strip their diapers of all (potential) build ups of detergents and build ups of human waste.
Urine especially, has a greasy component to it that is not commonly removed by detergents - including the chemical based kinds. Detergents are made to dissolve dirt and clean cloth, but detergents are not strong degreasers.
Their is a tip on the web to use Dawn - that detergent has a degreasing component, and since it is a chemical based detergent, it should be used VERY infrequently.
Anyone who is familiar with my blog, knows that I love the Soap Exchange and they have a product that is a fabulous degreaser and non-toxic. It is their All-Purpose Solution (so fabulous you can use it to clean your whole house too!).
Here is how I strip my diapers:
Step 1 - COLD wash no detergent
Step 2 - HOT wash with 2 Tbps or 3 capfuls of All Purpose Cleaner
Step 3 - A full rinse cycle (warm, hot, cold doesn't matter, though hot is best)
Step 4 - dry your diapers as per usual.
Check it out and give me your feedback!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thoughts for New Parents:
Listen to your instincts. They rarely betray you. Plus, living with NOT listening to your gut is never fun.
Listen to the advice of others but know you don’t have to use it. A well-intended friend or stranger might just be the thing to give you the resources you need to be a better parent. Or, it might simply be a way to connect with someone through their experiences.
Discern when “advice” is really criticism. Have the grace to forgive and not take it to heart.
This is your turn! We can make choices for our families that work best for us practically, and that bring us the most joy and reward. Others have had or will have their own turns, so we don’t have to make the exact choices that they made, even if they are our own parents.
Go easy on yourself. Make plans and have ideals of how you would like to create and love a family but don’t be disappointed if you respond differently to certain circumstances. There are no perfect parents.
In my life, the key is to put God first, and in His wisdom and love I will create an atmosphere of peace and exuberant joy in my home that my children will always remember.
Listen to the advice of others but know you don’t have to use it. A well-intended friend or stranger might just be the thing to give you the resources you need to be a better parent. Or, it might simply be a way to connect with someone through their experiences.
Discern when “advice” is really criticism. Have the grace to forgive and not take it to heart.
This is your turn! We can make choices for our families that work best for us practically, and that bring us the most joy and reward. Others have had or will have their own turns, so we don’t have to make the exact choices that they made, even if they are our own parents.
Go easy on yourself. Make plans and have ideals of how you would like to create and love a family but don’t be disappointed if you respond differently to certain circumstances. There are no perfect parents.
In my life, the key is to put God first, and in His wisdom and love I will create an atmosphere of peace and exuberant joy in my home that my children will always remember.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Cloth Diaper Mythbusters/ Excusebusters!
I will be posting a series on Cloth Diapering Myths. Shoot me your questions and I can see if it fits the category and get you an answer! I want to demonstrate that there are no viable barriers to switching to cloth!!
Myth #1 - the start up costs are very high!
False! Affordable Baby Gear got started for this reason alone. 2-3 months worth of disposable diapers will get you into cloth no problem. The buy 15 and get a free gift deal is enough to do cloth, and the $170 diaper package is all you would ever need and some of the bells and whistles that make it a little easier.
Myth #2 - it will make my already busy life more complicated!
False! There are the same number of diaper changes in a day with a good quality cloth that you have with a disposable. Unlike disposables, if a baby poops, and you have a liner and clear the poop, if they haven't peed, you can keep using the diaper. The only real lifestyle change is the laundry, and it is SO much simpler than one thinks. Because I have a child, I do laundry every 2-3 days anyways, so it hasn't changed my laundry habits, it's just one extra load on laundry day.
Myth #3 - using cloth diapers when you go out is inconvenient and messy.
False! First of all, babies often get to a stage where they can go quite awhile without a change. I know of lots of babies that poop during a nap, so they don't always have a poop when they are out. I haven't had to change my daughter on a trip out in months! Anyway, even if you do, change the diaper as per usual, tuck it in a small wet bag, throw it in your diaper bag and deal with it when you get home. It's not a stress or an inconvenience any more than changing a cloth diaper at home.
Myth #4 - my baby will get a rash.
Not unless you are using the cloth diapers incorrectly. Cloth diapers need to be washed with only certain types of detergents (you can use them on all your clothes, and they don't have to be an expensive buy), so if the diapers have a build up of any type of detergent, especially the chemical-based ones, it can cause a rash. It can also cause a rash to have a baby in a wet or soiled diaper for too long - just like disposables. As well, most disposables have had harsh chemicals used to make them, so they are often a worse offender for rashes.
More coming soon.... Let me know what your concerns are and we will see if they are myth or fact!
Myth #1 - the start up costs are very high!
False! Affordable Baby Gear got started for this reason alone. 2-3 months worth of disposable diapers will get you into cloth no problem. The buy 15 and get a free gift deal is enough to do cloth, and the $170 diaper package is all you would ever need and some of the bells and whistles that make it a little easier.
Myth #2 - it will make my already busy life more complicated!
False! There are the same number of diaper changes in a day with a good quality cloth that you have with a disposable. Unlike disposables, if a baby poops, and you have a liner and clear the poop, if they haven't peed, you can keep using the diaper. The only real lifestyle change is the laundry, and it is SO much simpler than one thinks. Because I have a child, I do laundry every 2-3 days anyways, so it hasn't changed my laundry habits, it's just one extra load on laundry day.
Myth #3 - using cloth diapers when you go out is inconvenient and messy.
False! First of all, babies often get to a stage where they can go quite awhile without a change. I know of lots of babies that poop during a nap, so they don't always have a poop when they are out. I haven't had to change my daughter on a trip out in months! Anyway, even if you do, change the diaper as per usual, tuck it in a small wet bag, throw it in your diaper bag and deal with it when you get home. It's not a stress or an inconvenience any more than changing a cloth diaper at home.
Myth #4 - my baby will get a rash.
Not unless you are using the cloth diapers incorrectly. Cloth diapers need to be washed with only certain types of detergents (you can use them on all your clothes, and they don't have to be an expensive buy), so if the diapers have a build up of any type of detergent, especially the chemical-based ones, it can cause a rash. It can also cause a rash to have a baby in a wet or soiled diaper for too long - just like disposables. As well, most disposables have had harsh chemicals used to make them, so they are often a worse offender for rashes.
More coming soon.... Let me know what your concerns are and we will see if they are myth or fact!
Monday, June 20, 2011
What's the dif?
Cloth diapers have a HUGE amount of variations, but it's usually in the following categories:
Size
Style
Material
As I only carry pocket diapers (except the prefold system), those are the three categories I have used to describe the differences and similarities of our diapers. The choice comes down to function, yes, but mainly personal preference in style and material.
Size
Style
Material
As I only carry pocket diapers (except the prefold system), those are the three categories I have used to describe the differences and similarities of our diapers. The choice comes down to function, yes, but mainly personal preference in style and material.
Monday, June 13, 2011
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