Putting Together The Perfect (Fluffy) Baby Shower Gift

I love putting together new baby gifts for friends and family members! Whether your friends plan to cloth diaper, they already cloth diaper, or you are trying to convert them to cloth diapering, putting together a fluffy baby shower gift is always appreciated. For baby #4, my favorite welcome gifts came from my cloth diaper expert moms: new diapers in fun prints, accessories I never knew existed, or a gift card to put to use however I needed once the baby arrived! No matter what your budget, no matter the mom, there is always an appropriate fluffy gift ready to be given (and well received)!

Gift Idea #1: Cloth Diaper Newborn Package … Help a new baby get a great start in cloth! I loved prefolds, snappis, and covers as my newborn cloth diaper of choice (Bummis has a newborn pack but you can put your own together as well), but I recently gave a mom friend a small stash of Kissaluvs fitted size 0s and a couple of cute covers from Thirsties.  Rumparooz also has the cutest newborn diaper 2-pack – pocket diapers, super cute and intended for preemie to twelve pounds – great colors, great designs! You could also choose one or two diapers that the new baby can “grow into.” Do you have a favorite diaper for your little one? Share the love and introduce her to something that will come in handy down the road!

Gift Idea #2: Cloth Diaper Accessory Must-Haves … Buy one or buy an assortment. As a mom new to cloth diapering, I appreciated getting cloth diaper accessories that I didn’t know I needed until I saw them. One of my favorite cloth diaper accessories were diaper liners – I received stay-dry diaper liners made by Bumgenius as well as flushable diaper liners and fleece liners from Bummis.  Diaper doublers were also a welcome gift – they came attached with a little note that they would probably come in handy at night. (And oh, how handy they have been!)  Cloth wipes (some were even handmade!) and Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion are another great combination. Large pail liners (you must have two) and small wet bags (3 will do) are practical gifts but they can also be fun if you choose fun colors and prints.

Gift Idea #3: Fluffy Gifts For Non-CD Moms … Just because your friend doesn’t plan to cloth diaper, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge her in some fun, eco-friendly baby gifts. Mustela Physiobebe No-Rinse Wash is an amazing product to give your baby a little waterless bath. The laundry that you love for cloth diapers is also great for all of baby’s clothes and blankets – why not get the new mom some Charlie’s Laundry Soap or GroVia Tiny Bubbles phosphate free laundry detergent. Diaper rash creams such as CJ’s Butter or GroVia Magic Stick, are cloth diaper friendly but can be used by anyone.  Organic cotton burp cloths, sleep sacks, or gorgeous bamboo muslin swaddle wraps from Aden & Anais are great gifts for all moms and their babies! Who knows, maybe your thoughtful gifts might inspire your friend to test out some cute cloth!

Gift Idea #4: The Fabulous Gift Card. Who doesn’t love getting a gift card?! The ability to pick and choose her own favorite diapers and accessories for a new bundle of joy is always a welcome gift!

I am hoping that buying baby gifts for others will help curb my appetite for new fluff for my own little one! Happy Baby Gift Shopping!  

By Erin Brighton, MPH, M.Ed.

Putting Together The Perfect (Fluffy) Baby Shower Gift

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Why is Fleece an Important Component to Your Cloth Diaper?

Many moms may not realize that fleece revolutionized the diapering world. Without fleece, I may have never invented the modern cloth diaper, FuzziBunz. Fleece is found in many cloth diapers today because it really is a wonder fabric. It's really a simple concept, but worth explaining in simple terms.

Fleece, by nature, allows moisture to pass through it. It's not very absorbent. This means your baby will stay dry when wearing diapers with an inside fleece layer. When baby urinates, the moisture passes through to the inside layer, where it is absorbed by a microterry, hemp or other absorbent material(s). The fleece layer, of the most part, stays dry against baby's skin. By staying dry, it keeps wetness off baby's skin and may make for fewer diaper and moisture irritations on your baby's private parts.

Because fleece allows moisture to flow through it, it does require some special care. First of all, fleece often allows soap to build up on it. Soap scum build up will create a layer of gunk on the diapers, not freely allowing urine to pass through to the absorbent layers below. Minimal soap and detergents with clean-rinsing agents should be used when washing diapers with fleece. Only some detergents are manufacturer-approved to wash with fleece diapers, including FuzziBunz Cloth Diaper Detergent, Rockin' Green, Allen's Naturally and Charlie's Soap. Also, it's important that no fabric softeners are used with fleece and that you avoid diaper creams, ointments and Vaseline-based products. If you must use ointments for a medical reason, either put a layer between your baby's bottom and the fleece or use disposables until the treatment is done.

As you can see, fleece is an important fabric used by many cloth diaper manufacturers who recognize the fabric's special powers. Just be sure to treat your fleece with TLC so it doesn't compromise the function of your cloth diaper investment!

Known as the “Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper,” Tereson Dupuy invented the cloth diaper that started the entire modern cloth diapering movement more than a decade ago. She later turned her invention into what is known today as FuzziBunz cloth diapers, a popular brand of cloth diapers since 2000.  As an inventor, business owner and mom to three, Tereson has many years of personal and professional experience in the cloth diaper industry, and she's excited to work with The Cloth Diaper Whisperer to offer her perspective on cloth diapering trends and insights. She can be found online at www.FuzziBunz.com

Why is Fleece an Important Component to Your Cloth Diaper?

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Repelling: What I Did Wrong

Our finances suddenly became very tight (and that's still an understatement at that) over the last two years, we started cutting on what we could. While it might have been a great idea, I shouldn't have scrimped on one thing:

Laundry Soap. I started making homemade soap to save money. It still got my clothes clean and the diapers didn't stink. As far as I was concerned, it worked and saved us money. That is where I went terribly wrong.

I didn't notice the build up on my son's Happy Heinys and no one had worn the bumGenius 3.0s in a while (he is 32 lbs and 20 months old and grew out of them around his first birthday) so I didn't realize how much buildup had accrued. One of the main ingredients in the soap is a wax-like soap. Buildup was inevitable.

When my second daughter arrived in September, I was so excited to get her in the bumGenius 3.0s I had waiting. They looked so cute but they leaked EVERY TIME. I was getting frustrated with clothing and diaper changes all the time. I must have changed diapers AND clothes (and my clothes too) every hour or two. The inserts were barely wet! I almost tossed the 3.0s...but I couldn't part with them yet- that would be an even bigger waste! There was another solution.

We have a great Real Diaper Association in our area and I went to get advice from the group leader.

Apparently, BG's suede-like fabric is REALLY sensitive to laundry detergent. She's personally had problems and around the 2 year mark, most people find that their BG's get a lot of build up and start repelling. She gave me an Anti-Repelling and Buildup Recipe.

• Separately soak covers and soakers (I used my diaper pail and a five-gallon bucket)
• Fill with HOT water. Add ½ Tablespoon of Charlie's Soap (I'd assume Rock 'n Green will work too) and a generous amount of baking soda.
• Stir and let sit for 1 to 4 hours (if it's really bad, soak them overnight). I soaked them for 6 because I couldn't find time to get them in the washer (I have three kids...I'm busy.)
• Wash again on HOT in the washing machine. Don't add more soap. Run a rinse or two.

If the build up is really bad, she also recommended turning the diapers inside out and scrubbing the backside of the suedecloth to force the build up out.

And like magic, the diapers stopped leaking and even the Happy Heinys work better! They feel different too. I know that sounds silly but I can feel the difference. That's how bad it was.

I now use Charlie's Soap on everything. My stash is saved and so is my life from disposables or having to purchase a whole new stash!

By Jillayne T.

Repelling: What I Did Wrong

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Washing Cloth Diapers Away From Home? Yes You Can!

Earlier this year our family traveled down to Orlando , FL for a week to attend a wedding. The thought of spending money on disposable diapers that I could instead spend on new fluff, just killed me…so I made the decision to cloth diaper on vacation. This decision was made easier due to the fact that we were staying at my sister’s house, thus giving me access to her washing machine. To keep travel costs down, (don’t you just hate those new per bag charges!) I somehow managed to pack not only myself and two kids in one suitcase, but also a days worth of diapers. This was in addition to the days worth that I packed in my diaperbag. I considered taking prefolds and/or flats and covers due to their small size, but ended up turning to my faithful BumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers.

I was pleasantly surprised when my sister didn’t mind when I asked her if I could use her washing machine every other night to wash diapers. She knew that I had made the switch to cloth diapers, and was more than happy to let me use her washing machine. I had asked her about it before we left on vacation, as I wouldn’t think of throwing my fluff in someone else’s machine without asking first. Cloth diapering while away from home did take some planning, but I did work out a system that worked great for us the week we were away.

I chose to take only one type of diaper to keep things easy. The BumGenius 3.0 is the diaper I depend on overnight, so it was an easy choice to take with me on vacation. I also took a medium size Planet Wise Wet Bag to store the wet/dirty diapers in. Knowing that I wouldn’t have my diaper sprayer with me on vacation, I decided to use Bummis Bio-Soft Flushable Liners to aid in clean up before washing my diapers. The liner, along with any solids, simply fell into the toilet after I removed it from my son at changing time. I then tossed the diaper into my wetbag until it was time to do laundry. When it came time to wash the diapers, I did the old dunk and swirl in the toilet to remove any residue left behind, then proceeded with my normal fluff wash routine. (A cold water wash to rinse, followed by a hot water wash with a double cold rinse using Charlie’s Soap to clean the diapers.) Because I had packed two days worth of diapers, I did fluff laundry every other day once my son was down for the night. By doing this, I would have a two day stash of clean diapers by morning (minus the one he was wearing). To make diaper changes easy, I placed a liner in each diaper after I stuffed the pockets, so they were ready to go when I grabbed one.

We had a great vacation, and I felt a sense of accomplishment by keeping up with my cloth diaper routine while away from home. The only thing I did differently (other than twice as many fluff laundry loads as usual) is I did use disposable wipes instead of my usual cloth wipes. For this trip, I found it easier than trying to stuff even more cloth in my already over-packed bags. I’ll never forget changing Brendan’s diaper while he laid in the stroller parked next to Cinderella’s Castle at DisneyWorld . The other memorable diaper change while on vacation took place during the flight home. About half way through the two and a half hour flight, I checked Brendan’s diaper and found it to be dirty. I made my way back to the bathroom where the changing table was and found the messiest diaper we had the entire trip. Of course, trying to change a diaper on a tiny changing table in a cramped airline bathroom presented quite a challenge, but ten wipes later, it was mission accomplished. It was worth the work though, as I have no doubt in my mind that had he been wearing a disposable diaper, I would have been cleaning up a major blow out. My BumGenius 3.0’s had saved the day.

-- By Katrina W.

Washing Cloth Diapers Away From Home? Yes You Can!

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You Want To Put WHAT In My Laundry?!

We've all been there, and if you haven't - you will: You visit family for the weekend and your 7 month old goes through three days worth of diapers in roughly 5 ½ hours.

Or, you're at a friend's house for dinner when the weather turns bad, leaving you and your cranky newborn with nothing but a bag full of wet prefolds.

Or, as was my case, a day trip to your hometown 3 hours away turns into a to-night stay (as it turns out, even a woman whose children are well into their 20s is able to accommodate a baby in their home!).

So what do you do? The thought of running out spending unnecessary money on disposables and forcing your baby's pampered bottom to endure hours – or days – away from its precious fluff is unbearable! There simply is no choice: you must wash your diapers. And you must wash them now.

The first thing to keep in mind when washing diapers in a strange place is the ever-important detergent (after getting permission of course). Gently ask your host what kind of laundry detergent is used in the machine to wash the family's clothes. Hopefully it's on the The List! If not, I recommend the following:

Do: Check labels on any detergents or cleaners your host may have. Be sure there are no non cloth diaper friendly ingredients. If so, run a rinse cycle with a cloth diaper friendly detergent (or wash a load of towels) BEFORE putting your diapers in the wash! This will help remove the residue from the “bad” detergent this is lurking in the washing machine's crevices.

Worse case scenario? If you have no other detergent available simply ask for some vinegar or baking soda. The water in the wash will work to get all the “yucky” out while the baking soda or vinegar will remove the smell.

Don't: Wash your diapers with detergents that contain the following – Pure Soap, Enzymes, Fragrances, Dyes, Brighteners, and Fabric Softeners. Not exactly easy, is it?

TIP: Put a small amount of your usual detergent in a resealable, airtight container in your diaper bag! PLEASE be certain that it is sealed tightly and not accessible by your child! Having this with you at all times will greatly reduce the woes of washing at someone else's home. I now keep a tupperware container of Charlie's Soap with me always.

Once you're done washing, a whole new problem comes up – drying! Of course line drying in the sun is recommended, but obviously this isn't always feasible. However, if you insist on not using the machine and there isn't clothesline available to you, there's always my tried-and-true method... there's a shower curtain isn't there?

Washing your cloth diapers at someone else's house really isn't something to be afraid of. However, I will just have to take this moment to brag a little bit. I do all my diaper washing by hand, which makes it loads (pun intended) easier on-the-go. Sure it's time consuming but once you get your hands wet (I'm on a roll!), it's a breeze!

But I do admit during my stay away from home, my diapers took advantage of the luxury of a washing machine. Which brings me to my final bits of advice:

Do: Check the washing machine after you finish.

Don't: Leave your super-soft bamboo fitted just sitting there in the washer, all alone, with no baby butt to fluff up ever again.... sigh.

-- By Christine D.

You Want To Put WHAT In My Laundry?!

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Cloth Diapers from the "Newbie" Perspective

I am a cloth diaper “Newbie.” I wear that title with pride and passion. Though I’m a Newbie I’m already a lot of other things…obsessed, in love, ready to sing from the hilltops!

If there is a “typical” cloth diapering mom (which I’m quickly learning there isn’t) I certainly don’t fit the profile. If you know me well you know that I care about the environment and have made some big changes to my lifestyle to live a greener life, but I don’t advertise or preach it. My family was surprised that I would move to cloth diapers, but might have expected it. My extended circle of friends is shocked, curious and a little grossed out! I’m comfortable with the role of being a cloth diapering trendsetter amongst my peers and determined to create some converts.

With a little research (okay hours, but who’s counting when it’s so much fun) I was able to quickly choose my first cloth diaper purchases to get me started on my trial. The obvious first picks were the popular Fuzzi Bunz and bumGenius. With those two brands I was able to try out Snaps vs. Velcro, Fitted vs. One-Size and Pocket vs. All-in-One. I purchased a 2 pack of sized Fuzzi Bunz, a bumGenius One Size 3.0 and a bumGenius Organic All-in-One One Size diaper. I threw in a Happy Heinys One Size pocket diaper as well, after reading some reviews, to have a direct comparison to the bumGenius pocket. Armed with my mini-stash and a very willing 4 month old (did she really have a choice?) I got to it.

There are a couple of universal hurdles, myths and fears that I think makes everyone nervous with cloth diapers. I think these are the main reasons why people are resistant to even trying cloth diapers: poops, laundry, leaks and diaper rash. I used these issues as the basis for my testing and tackled each one head-on: I encountered the first cloth diaper hurdle when I got my first poop. I took it straight to our utility sink in our laundry room and rinsed it there. Considering that every poop in a disposable had resulted in a blow-out, I was very accustomed to rinsing out my daughter’s clothes. Rinsing the diaper was much easier and a lot less icky (a very technical term when testing cloth diapers). I have since purchased the bumGenius diaper sprayer which has made poop diapers even easier to deal with. Score one for the cloth diapers!

The second hurdle for cloth diapers…laundry. Dare I say, I love washing my cloth diapers! Twisted, right? I set up two small, inexpensive laundry baskets, one in the baby’s room and one in the laundry room. These are shallow, plastic laundry baskets that are open to the air without any bag or liner. I like that I don’t have to reach into a damp, stinky pail on laundry day and I can just wipe the basket out when empty. As long as I do laundry every other day I haven’t found there to be any smell. I do a quickwash cycle with cold water and Charlie’s Soap and immediately follow with a hot, longer cycle, again with Charlie’s Soap and an extra rinse cycle. Super easy. Score two for the cloth diapers.

My next test, and probably the most important to me, was keeping my daughter dry and rash-free. Each time I took off her diapers I would pat her little bottom to see how wet or dry it was. It was dry every time! The insert could be soaked, but the part of the diaper touching her body was dry and her skin was perfect. And, I must say, I have put these diapers through the test. I have left one on her for up to four hours during the day (I say with embarrassment) and I use a bumGenius overnight with a doubler without any leaks or rashes…ever! Now, I’ve lost track of the score, but the cloth diapers are definitely the winner!

I really wanted to love this cloth diapering thing and I wanted it to work for my family. I was so worried that something: leaks, inconveniences, rashes, etc would make me give up. I put them through so many tests: changed them on the go, taken them on vacation, left them on much longer than I should, used them overnight, cleaned the poops, done the laundry, used them for long car rides and they have far surpassed my expectations. They are greener, better performing and gentler for my baby than disposables. And don’t even get me started on how cute they are!!!

-- By Jennifer G.

Cloth Diapers from the "Newbie" Perspective

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Charlie’s Soap: Uses Galore

Many of us already know Charlie’s Soap does wonders for cloth diapers… I LOVED Charlie’s Soap until my horribly hard water got the best of the situation and sadly I had to find another alternative for my cloth diapers. However, I didn’t give up on my Charlie’s and continued to use it on my regular laundry as well as numerous other applications.

When Charlie’s Soap says “Cleans everything from false teeth to diesel engines,” it truly does. Here’s a hilarious video I found, compliments of Charlie’s Soap available on YouTube.

As nearly all of you know, in addition to my little man Ilyas, I have two older girls, now ages 4 and 3 whom I’ve lovingly named Hurricanes Aaliyah and Halimah. Honestly, it’s amazing my two little girls are capable of wreaking havoc and disaster in 5 minutes or less! While they love to dress up and look pretty, they’re not afraid of getting down and dirty.

Unfortunately, as a result, everything within their arms reach is messy at the end of the day: sliding glass door, coffee table, walls, etc… Thus, I’m very thankful for two things, Charlie’s Soap and prefolds (oh, and the Magic Eraser too – so make it three)!

Honestly, Charlie’s Soap has done wonders for my coffee table (which functions as the girls eating quarters, desk, platform for dolly diving, etc…). Charlie’s Soap has cleaned what no other cleaner was capable of doing! It also works amazingly well in the bathroom and even washing the car. I grab a prefold and a spray bottle with some Charlie’s Soap laundry powder diluted in water and off I go. Rather than a multitude of cleaners I’m able to use this nifty “soap” for everything; and it truly works!

Now… for those using Charlie’s Soap with your cloth diapers, there are a few things you need to know. It does not disinfect your diapers, but in all fairness, no detergent was designed to disinfect (especially diapers). Therefore, it’s important to disinfect your diapers on a regular basis to avoid a buildup of bacteria that can cause adverse skin reactions and/or horribly stinky diapers.

If you’re using micro-terry fiber inserts then you will definitely want to bleach the inserts at least once a month (or more often as needed). Take the cleaned inserts only (NOT the pocket diapers themselves) and run them through a hot water wash cycle with approximately ¼ cup of bleach. For those of you adverse to the use of bleach – you can opt to use vinegar instead – but you would need at least 1 cup of vinegar for it to be effective. Follow up with a rinse or two just to err on the side of caution. *Again, this is only for the inserts ONLY.

If at all possible, put the inserts out in the sun. The sun will whiten and brighten the inserts, as well as remove stains (works best when inserts are wet)… also if you’re able to sun the inserts all the time, this would be highly recommended as the sun’s UV rays naturally kill bacteria too, which will prolong the time between your disinfecting sessions.

- By Serena

Charlie’s Soap: Uses Galore

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Product Focus: Charlie's Soap

The Not-So Nutshell about Charlie’s Soap
Charlie Sutherland, Jr. while working for the local textile mill was instructed to create an oil for the knitting machines. It worked fantastically. Unfortunately, the oil was getting everywhere and making a big mess. Management said, fix the oil problem; make us a cleaner that clears up the oil, or we'll drop the oil and you. Through trial and error, he came up with what is essentially the Grandpappy of Charlie's Soap All Purpose Cleaner in 1976. Back then it was called 1001 or SPC-2069.

Long story short, Charlie eventually ended up taking over the little soap company that had been created to provide the cleaner to the textile mill. The mill started using it to clean thousands of machines that were destined for China, sort of the instrument of our own demise, we were. Literally tons of soap was used and as the workers were now in the stuff up to their knees, they started to realize that it was getting their own clothes clean, and not just the machines they were working on. So they started stealing it. When we finally cleaned the very last exported knitting machine, the textile workers, who had come to call it Charlie's Soap (named after Charlie Sr. who was delivering the soap) insisted they still be able to purchase the soap; they were hooked!

Although we had lost over 90% of our business after the last machine as cleaned and shipped… the employees wouldn’t let us die! They used it liberally, and told their friends who then told their friends. Now, as a result, we have outlets all over the country and even the world; all as a result from little bubbly soap in a drum in some guy's garage.

What’s in Charlie’s Soap?
Charlie’s Soap is made from a special blend of coconut oil based surfactants, and a water base. The All Purpose Cleaner also has a special solvent that helps loosen surface stains. The Laundry Liquid, which came years later doesn't have that solvent and is reformulated to be thicker and more effective for washing clothes. The recent addition, the Laundry Powder is the same as the Laundry Liquid but we use high-grade fine washing soda instead of water as the base. All of the products work on the same principle. You don't have to destroy surfaces or even stains to clean properly. You just have to effectively break the stains' hold on surfaces. Our blend of surfactants goes in and very gently, breaks that bond and dirt just falls off. You don't have to be toxic to do it, and in our case, you can do it with a very earth-friendly product. In our Laundry products we don't have to add perfumes, fabric softeners or brighteners; the product simply goes in there, removes the soils causing the problems and you have fresh smelling clothes that feel and wear as if they were brand new.

Why choose Charlie's?
First off, it works. Spray, pour, sprinkle it on, rub in, let it sit and rinse away, and no more dirt. We lose sleep making sure that it is the best and safest cleaner that money can buy. Sure you can use super harsh, caustic or acidic chemicals to clean, but why would you want to go through the pain of donning a chemical exposure suit just to clean the tub? Use Charlie's Soap and you and yours are clean, really clean, safely. Another good thing to focus on this day and age is just good ole' “Made in the USA.” We formulate, blend, and package all Charlie’s Soap products in North Carolina and we plan to keep it that way. Additionally, we're just really nice, down-to-Earth people and truly take the time to talk to customers if they have issues.

Product Focus: Charlie's Soap

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Fluff Friday 33 *** CLOSED ***

Welcome to this week's giveaway!

What would you will win:
3-Charlies Laundry Powder 80 loads
What to do? Simply leave a comment telling us which detergent do you use to wash your diapers and how it works for you. Don’t forget to leave a way for us to contact you if you're the winner. You don’t need to have a blog to win, but be sure to leave your email address if you don’t have one.

When? You should leave your comment before Thursday, June 18th at 8pm EDT.
What else to know? You can make ONE comment PER DAY. If you want to get more comments there are several ways to do it:
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Have questions?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, June 19th. It is the responsibility of the winner to contact us to claim their prize.

Who can participate? US Residents and Canadians* are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we haven't heard from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will choose another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner. We promise to do our best to get in contact with the winners. *Canadian winners will be responsible for shipping costs.

Good luck, and don’t forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

Fluff Friday 33 *** CLOSED ***

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The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Answers: Any detergent advice for someone using an HE washer?

This question was posted by Shannon on January 4th. (Shannon: You get one EXTRA entry on the giveaway cause your question got chosen).

We just purchased an High Efficiency (HE) washer machine last summer. I honestly thought I would NEVER purchase an HE machine. We had been needing to purchase a new machine for months. We didn't purchase a new machine until the old machine literally died in the middle of washing cloth diapers. Yes, really!

So, the hunt for a washing machine was on. We currently had a stack able washer/dryer as the space was super small. Being that Riley was just a newborn we decided to go on-line when Sears was having a big sale. My husband insisted that we purchase a HE machine- I was dead set against it. Why you ask? I have heard HORROR stories of people who used cloth and would always had odor problems. I also had this image of diapers not completely cleaned- still having traces of bm (number 2)! Much to my husband's disappointment we purchased a stack able thru Sears on-line.

Well- to make a long story short the transaction was a nightmare! We arranged to have the old machine hauled away and the other one completely installed. Three guys showed up and they informed me that they couldn't install as the valves weren't easily shut off?? So, they left the machine on our deck and it proceeded to rain...for 2 days. Normally I would have covered the machine but I just had Riley and I even asked them if it was Ok to leave uncovered and they said YES. Hubby was traveling and when I told him what happened he was so upset that he called up Sears to have it taken back. Essentially the machine was ruined as it was exposed to the elements.

Fast forward- we decided to purchase local and the sales person assured us that an HE machine would work just fine. Also, I didn't realize that the dryer could stack on top of the machine. The transaction and installation went perfect. Now, the inaugural load. These were done by my 11 year old and Scott (hubby). They were so excited to try the new machine out that they proceeded to get a huge mound of laundry done. (This excitement has unfortunately ended and I am doing all the laundry- except for my son Hanz who folds/snaps/stuffs all the diapers!)

So it was my first time to do Riley's diapers and I was bracing myself for a disaster of icks when the load was done. I set it to a regular load with a pre-rinse and an extra rinse cycle and added Charlie's Soap. At the end of the cycle I opened the door and inspected EVERY diaper/insert. PERFECTLY clean. No odors, no traces of bm. Hurray!

We use the Charlie's Soap powder for our entire clothing and cloth diaper laundry and have never had an problems with odor or build-up. I do every week and half or so wash the inserts and wipes (not diapers) in hot water and add half cup of bleach. (I know the dreaded B-word.) I know many prefer not to use bleach so you can wash with bac-out stain/odor remover.
Now if you reading about Charlie's Soap on-line there are a few people who say that baby has received a diaper rash from using Charlie's. The rash is actually not caused by the Charlie's itself but can be caused from 2 things:

1) By using other detergents in the washing machine- We HIGHLY recommend to use one detergent for your clothing and cloth diaper laundry. You don't necessarily need to use Charlie's but once you find a detergent that works great for cleaning your diapers make sure to convert your entire laundry. By switching back and forth with detergents you are essentially creating a scientific experiment with the both detergents.

2) We HIGHLY encourage disinfecting inserts, etc every 10 days or so. Bacteria build-up (usually lurks in inserts) will cause diaper rash. As Charlies isn't a disinfectant it is recommended to disinfect every 10 days or so with bleach or bac-out.

Here is a list of HE safe detergents recommended:
Charlie's Soap
Allen's Naturally-For high efficiency washers use ¼ of the recommended amount."
Country Save
Planet
Nellie's

If your baby develops any rash when using a detergent please discontinue using and evaluate your washing procedure before continuing using the product. (Kelly's Closet,Inc, DiaperShops.com,The Cloth Diaper Whisper cannot be reasonable for any occurrences when using a detergent product.)

A statement from Charlie's Soap:
Manufacturers Note: "We have found that by following proper procedures with our detergents... we have remedied nearly all the problems. We know there can be a problem with hard water with our detergents" -Charlie Sutherland

(Cloth Diaper Whisperer Note: If you do have hard water and use Charlie's Soap adding a small amount of Calgon water softener should eliminate any problems.)

For more information on how he machines work visit the following link and download this PDF document.

The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Answers: Any detergent advice for someone using an HE washer?

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What is detergent residue?

Detergent residue is honestly the #1 reason why cloth diapers will leak. I can't stress enough that using the correct detergent is the absolute key to cloth diapering success.

So what is this term- detergent residue? Detergent residue is a film left behind from certain detergents and additives. You cannot see this residue and you won't notice anything until you start having problems with leaks.

The major cause of detergent residue is the use of free and clear detergents. Free and clear detergents are the WORST detergents to use on cloth diapers. What? Are you serious, you ask! Over time (usually a few weeks) using a free and clear detergent on cloth diapers will leave a waxy coating on the diapers. Pocket diapers are especially vulnerable to this as the residue actually "clogs" the pores of the fleece or suede cloth (the part the wicks moisture away) and make the diapers leak. Customers have emailed me in a panic thinking it is a defect in the diapers when actually it is a detergent problem.

Now if you have used a free and clear detergent, don't panic. First of all discontinue using it. This includes discontinue using it for your clothing AND cloth diapers. We HIGHLY recommend using one type of detergent for your regular laundry and cloth diaper laundry. If you switch back and forth you are literally creating a "scientific experiment" in your washing machine. Residues from the previous detergent will react with the next detergent and then deposit on your diapers.

Next, you need to "strip" your diapers. I know this sounds harsh but it is really quite simple. Wash your diapers in hot water with no detergent and add Oxiclean Versatile Powder (the regular version). You may need to do this routine 2-3 times, drying in between cycles.

Finally, choose a detergent that is suitable for cloth diaper laundry AND clothing laundry. We highly recommend Charlie's Soap, Allen's Naturally, or Fuzzi Bunz Detergent by Vaska.

Now my husband was a big Tide with bleach user. When I wanted to try out Charlie's Soap he said to me , "There is no way that natural stuff is going to clean like Tide." I asked him that we should try it for a week. We have never turned back. The Charlie's Soap gets all our clothes clean (and better than Tide) and we have never once had any problems with my son's cloth diapers!

Don't use vinegars, essential oils, sodas, or laundry boosters in your wash load. We believe and know that using less is so much better. Occasionally you can use regular bleach on inserts (not on pocket diapers, covers, or similiar product).

Stay tuned as next week we will fill you in on the #2 reason why cloth diapers will leak.

-Picture courtesy of Diaper Jungle . A complete resource of cloth diapering fun!

What is detergent residue?

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