Try Cloth Diapers Risk Free

Try Cloth Diapers Risk Free
Showing posts with label Rockin' Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rockin' Green. Show all posts
Two years ago when I made the decision to switch to cloth diapers, I had no idea how it would change other aspects of my life. I remember back to when I was pregnant with my second son and was asked on a pregnancy forum if I was going to use cloth or disposable diapers. I quickly replied disposable and went on with life without really thinking about it. At the time, I was completely unaware of today’s cloth diapers, as I’m sure many women are. When I thought of cloth diapers, the old school prefolds and flats with pins and plastic pants came to mind. I wasn’t going to deal with that – along with all the poop. Yuck! However, my mind changed quickly soon after Brendan was born and I began to see the cute cloth diapers that other babies from that forum where wearing. I followed a link to Kelly’s Closet and to the bumGenius pocket diaper. I was intrigued by how simple it looked, and liked the idea of a reusable diaper that would eliminate the weekly trips to the store to buy diapers for two children. Upon the arrival of my first fluffy mail from Kelly’s Closet, a bumGenius one-size sample pack, I was 100% on board with cloth diapering. Little did I know how this decision to purchase my first fluff would change my life.

After using cloth diapers for a few months I began to think about why I was using cloth on my children, but continuing to use disposable products for myself each month. I began doing a little research into women’s personal hygiene products and was alarmed at some of the things I read. Again on the same forum, I followed a link to a WAHM who makes cloth menstrual pads or “momma cloth” and fell in love with the beautiful fabrics she had available. I placed an order and haven’t used a single disposable product since then. I shouldn’t have been so surprised, but several of the things I had read about switching to cloth were true for me. My cycles really did seem lighter, and I was much more comfortable using cloth. I really wish I would have discovered momma cloth before I had children. It sure would have made the post partum period much more comfortable. As for cleaning my momma cloth, I simply store it in a small wet bag and wash it with my cloth diapers, or if it’s not fluff wash day, I’ve been known to wash them with towels now that I use Rockin Green detergent with all of my laundry.

Speaking of Rockin Green…that’s another product that has changed life in our home. In the past I was oblivious to all the additives in laundry detergent. I was far from living a green life. It’s not that I didn’t want to; I was just unaware of how I could make a few changes in order to live a greener, healthier life. After trying a bag of Rockin’ Green with my fluff, I feel in love with the detergent. If it was able to get the diapers clean and smelling so fresh, I just had to start using it on all of our clothing, towels and sheets. Even with Brendan’s sensitive skin, we haven’t had any problems at all using either Classic or Hard Rock in a variety of scents. (I just LOVE the new Smashing Watermelons and Rage Against the Raspberry!)

Cloth diapering also led me to discover my new favorite hobby – yarn. I love crocheting wool shorties and longies for both of my sons. My oldest son still has accidents some nights and beautiful, breathable wool is our answer to keeping his bed dry at night. As much as I enjoy crocheting in the evenings, I shudder to think that I may not have discovered this wonderful new hobby, had it not been for my decision two years ago to switch to cloth diapers. It’s kind of amazing how one small decision affected my life in so many ways. Have you ever stopped to think about how has cloth diapering changed your life?

By Katrina W.
Originally posted on 7/19/2010
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How Cloth Diapering Changed My Life

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This week's Fluff Friday winner is Kyra Yonan!


She will receive:



CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!

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Fluff Friday 180 WINNER!

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Fluff Friday 180
1 Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Laundry Detergent
1 Magnetic Laundry Scoop


a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Fluff Friday 180

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This week's Fluff Friday winner is Missy Konig!

She will receive:
1 bag Rockin' Green Femme Rock
1 pack(3) Pink Daisy feminine pads

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!
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Fluff Friday 167 WINNER

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Fluff Friday:
1 bag Rockin' Green Femme Rock
1 pack(3) Pink Daisy feminine pads a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Fluff Friday 167

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This week's Fluff Friday winner is Lisa de Melogue!


She will receive:
1 Bag of Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent, 1 Magnetic Scoop, 1 Bottle of Shake it Up

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!
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Fluff Friday 163 WINNER!

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Fluff Friday:
1 Bag of Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent, 1 Magnetic Scoop, 1 Bottle of Shake it Up a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Fluff Friday 163

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In the scheme of things, I am still new to cloth diapers. We started back in November using them at home, and started full-time (sending them to day care also) about a month later. I know many people who have used them for years, across multiple children. But the fact that using cloth diapers means washing them as often as every other day, by now I am starting to feel like a pro!

Say I have used them solid for 5 months, that's as many as 75 loads of diaper laundry I've done! It took me quite a few of those loads to figure out a routine that will last the long haul - in fact, I still don't know if I'm out of the woods yet. I have experimented with rinses at the beginning, at the end, and more. But here's what I have been doing for several weeks that seems to pass the sniff test (aka - they smell clean when I am done, and don't smell like ammonia after they are peed on!):

* As a diaper is used, I rinse it in the sink or with my diaper sprayer in the toilet before putting it into the bag. This means, taking out the insert, running it under the water and squeezing it out once or twice, until the water is coming out clear. I fix the laundry tabs on the cover, if it's aplix. Then I put the pieces in the bag. I do this with all the day care dipes at once in the evening before bed.

* I do laundry every other day. Since everything is in the bag and has been rinsed and fixed, I simply dump it all into the washing machine with a scoop of Rockin' Green, and start a hot wash cycle. (I have a standard top load machine with no bells or whistles). Once the tub is filled, I stop the cycle, swish everything around to make sure it's all good and soakin, and let them soak as long as I have time for (this has been a game changer!), even overnight if I have enough diapers to get by. When I am ready to start the cycle, I push in the dial and let it go. My machine does a cool rinse on this cycle, I believe. Once it's totally done, I turn the dial back to a short, cold wash cycle and let that run through also. I don't put any detergent in this time. Finally, when that's done, I put the inserts in the dryer and hang up all the covers/shells to dry.

* During the week I do this process in the evening so that all those shells are dry by in the morning to be packed up for another day.

And that's it! Not a lot of labor, and effective. For now at least!

Guest writer Jessica W. also blogs at tangledupingreen.blogspot.com.
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Finally, a wash routine that works for me!

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I am a 28 year old stay at home mom of two beautiful boys, ages 2 and 4 months!  We have been cloth diapering since my oldest was about 9 months old and we love it!
Since my oldest, Bennett, was already 9 months old when we began cloth diapering, we only had a stash of bumGenius OS, Smartipants OS, a few petite FuzziBunz, some OS fitteds, and some WAHM OS AI2s.  When we found out we were pregnant with number 2 and my oldest son was still in cloth diapers, I had to make a decision.  We obviously needed more cloth diapers, but I wasn’t sure what to buy!  I researched and just couldn’t decide what to use.  Should I buy some newborn diapers for our baby to wear for a short time?  I mean, I knew he would be a big baby (and he was!  8 lbs, 10 oz!) and he wouldn’t wear newborn diapers for long.  I didn’t know if I would like prefolds and covers, but that seemed to make the most sense.  Amazingly, we were very lucky to receive some newborn prefolds, fitteds, and Bummis and Thirsties covers from a couple of friends.  I also bought a couple of Lil’ Joeys AIOs….you know, for pictures!  :o)
When our second son, Donovan, was first born, I tried the Lil’ Joeys and also prefolds and covers and I just couldn’t get into them.  There was just so much going on and the diapers were frustrating me, honestly.  I decided to use disposables with him and stick with cloth for my 2 year old.  A few weeks later, when things slowed down and we got into more of a routine, I pulled the prefolds back out and I fell in love!!  How easy were these things?  You just lay them in the cover, fasten it up, and you’re good!  He didn’t move much, so they didn’t budge and it was awesome!! 
I love how it has worked out with my boys.  My oldest is now almost 2 ½ and potty trained pretty easily (thank goodness!), so he is wearing underwear during the day, just in time to pass on his OS diapers to his little brother, who is about 16 lbs.  They’ve worked so well for both kids and I’m so happy that I bought them.  I never really liked the bulkiness of OS diapers on my son when he was a newborn, so this has worked out perfectly.  I know many people do it and love it, but I can’t imagine buying a whole set of diapers for each size. 
My 2 year old is still using a OS bumGenius stuffed with two Smartipants inserts at night.  Some nights he stays dry, sometimes the thing is drenched.  But it’s no big deal, because I am washing my infant’s diapers every 2-3 days anyway!  Our wash routine is this:  cold rinse, hot overnight soak with Rockin’ Green Hard Rock Barenaked Babies formula, finish the wash in the morning, cold rinse, and dry!  SO incredibly easy.  I really think it’s easier than taking the bag of nasty smelling disposables out of the Diaper Genie and taking it to the dumpster!!!
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Passing Down the Diapers to Little Bro

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Last year my husband and I had the opportunity to travel on a mission’s trip to the third world country of Guyana. It is the only English speaking South American country. My husband had been once before we were married but this was my first time and we now had a seven month old baby boy. We were there to share the gospel and teach young Christians about the Word of God. We were not with a team but on our own. We lived among the locals on a dock of a river.

I had been cloth diapering since my son Gideon was a couple months old so I decided when were planning our trip that I would be taking my cloth diapers with me. I had tried to find out as much information as I could before we traveled to Guyana about what the people of the country do with diapering and asked people who had been before but nobody knew. However I did discover that most of the trash was put into their local river and that played a big part in my not wanting to add my diapers to the river trash! So I packed my 20 bumgenius diapers and disposable wipes (this was before I switched to cloth wipes). Boy did they take up a lot of room in our two suitcases, but it was worth it to me.

When we arrived in Guyana we were there during the rainy season, meaning that pretty much everyday you could expect at least one torrential down pour. In addition to that Guyana is very, very hot! So that makes for very humid weather. I remember a couple days after we got there, we were at a family’s house that had a baby about my son’s age and I asked what they did for diapers. She told me that they did pampers and it would only take me a couple days before I would go buy some disposable ones too because my diapers would never dry. I of course told her that they would dry fine and I’m sure she thought I was just a crazy foreigner.

A couple days after we arrived in Guyana I decided it was time to give washing my cloth diapers a try. It was definitely not easy and it was a long process. The way you get water where we were staying was from a great big tank, that was on a tower to the side of your house, water came through little pipes to your “shower” and the kitchen sink. Sometimes it was warm since the temperatures were so high but you definitely didn’t get hot water. So not having the resources of a washer in Guyana I had to do my best with what I had. First I boiled a pot of hot water and placed all my rinsed diapers in a big tub. Then I placed some diaper detergent on the diapers and poured the boiling hot water on top of them. Then I “stirred” them the best I could with a stick and left them to soak till the water wasn’t so hot. Then I would take them out one at a time and scrub and rinse them with the cold running water. Then I would do my very best to wring as much water out as I could before taking my basket of diapers outside to the clothesline to dry.

Now if I could get them out there while the sun was shining for a while usually they would dry fast. However some days the sun didn’t shine and it rained or all of a sudden a cloud would dump rain on my almost dry diapers. So the days that I couldn’t hang them outside I would hang them inside and with the humidity it would take up to three days for them to dry. Now I knew why most of the locals didn’t mess with cloth diapers—it was frustrating. We were down there for two weeks and my cloth diapers survived and so did we! I now have a much better appreciation for my washer machine and how it saves me from so much work.


Stephanie Shelor is a stay at home wife and mother, married to the love of her life Joshua. They now have two little ones under the age of two—Gideon (18 months) and Tirzah (2 months) and are loving cloth diapering. Her blog is joshuaandstephanie.blogspot.com
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Cloth Diapering in a Third World Country

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My oldest daughter is almost four years old, and my youngest is nine months, so that means I've been in the middle of a love affair with cloth diapering for four years.  Four years of fluff and experimenting with laundry soap. I can proudly say that by this time, we have a routine, a favorite diaper and all of the stress and confusion of diapering has long since faded away.

I remember that when I made a decision to use cloth, I did a little research and was immediately flooded with information and options.  Some people swore by prefolds because they were the cheapest.  Some people said that All-In-Ones were the best option because they were lower maintenance, even if they took longer to dry than Pockets.  Some mamas swore by Country Save Detergent and some of them used,Tide-gasp!  My head was swimming and I felt like maybe I wasn't smart enough to cloth diaper.  There were just too many options and opinions to make a real decision about how to go about keeping my baby clean and dry.

In the end, I purchased an enormous stash of every kind of diaper imaginable.  I stressed about washing them in the right detergent at the right temperature and whether to line or machine dry.  I was thrown into a panic when my daughter woke up one morning with ammonia stinkies.  "Oh god!" I thought. "Not the dreaded ammonia stinkies!"

Over time, I have realized that all of my planning and stressing was totally pointless.  I realized that everybody has different advice and swears by different diapers and detergent not because they want to confuse new mamas, but because there really are a number of combinations that work. After four years of cloth diapering experience, what works for us is a stash of mainly Fuzzibunz and bumGenius with a generous helping of prefolds, (which double as barf blankets for my insanely reflux-ey babies.) 

The diapering accessory that I value about all else might just be the diaper cover.  We're a Thirsties family and our covers have saved the day on more than one occasion.  There are occassions where I wake up to realize that I put every single diaper I own into the wash to soak last night and then forgot about them.  Occasions like when I totally forgot to pack the five diapers I assembled this morning for an all day trip to the zoo.  I have been known to stick a couple of folded one-sies into a diaper cover, or one of my husband's old t-shirts.  I have folded a receiving blanket and placed it into a cover, and you know what?  All of these makeshift diapers worked just as well as my original stash of fancy assorted have to have it designer diapers.  Even the one-sies stuffed into a Thirsties cover. We went for hours without a single leak.

While I prefer to snuggle my baby into a sized Fuzzibunz or a bumGenius One Size, I have also learned to relax about which brand and make of diaper I'm using.  There is no ultimate diaper that is universally praised above all others, by all mamas. The best way to diaper is with an open mind and a willingness to try new things.  The ammonia stinkies can always be fixed, (especially with the aid of Rockin' Green, in my opinion), the thirty-five dollar diapers still get pooped in, (not that the cuteness and softness aren't totally worth it), and you'll survive... even if all you have at your disposal are a hand towel and a pair of plastic pants.  Don't be afraid to experiment and try not to get overwhelmed by options!  Everybody eventually figures out what works best for them.  Happy diapering!


BIO:  Amanda is a mommy to two amazing girls.  She lives in Pittsburgh where she can be found either biking or baking, depending on the weather.  She blogs, often and with enthusiasm, at http://www.demandablueblog.blogspot.com.
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Relax! Thirsties, or something, will save the day.

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Even the most seasoned cloth diapering parent will run into a washing issue with their cloth diapers at some point.  Often, either due to what many call the “stinkies” or as a result of leaking caused by build-up on their diapers.

Both the stinkies and repelling (build-up of soap/creams or oils that cause leaking) are good candidates for stripping.

Stripping cloth diapers isn’t as fun as it sounds, but it can be simple if you let it.  While an Internet search will yield thousands of remedies, many telling you to put your diaper through a rigorous routine that normally involves ingredients that sounds like they belong in a Hogwarts lesson- it can be simple.

Just “Rock a Soak.”

For the many Rockin’ Green Detergent users this involves soaking your diapers in 3 scoops of RnG overnight.

It should be noted that your soak routine could differ slightly depending on what your problem is.

If your diapers have “barnyard” stinkies you probably aren’t getting them clean enough.  To remedy the smell and start “fresh” you can simply pre-rinse your diapers, wash them, rinse again, then follow the Soaking instructions.

Once your diapers are done soaking, rinse them once or twice then dry them.  You might be surprised at how dirty your water looks after the soak!

If your diapers are suffering from the strong, nose hair burning smell of ammonia, 
You can also rock a soak.  Once you have washed and soaked your diapers, I would also prescribe a 30-60 minute soak in Funk Rock: the ammonia buster.  I have done this myself to rid my diapers of strong ammonia stink caused by my toddler and it worked!  As a bonus, my diapers and inserts looked brand new!  After your Funk Rock treatment give them another wash or just a hot wash with no detergent, then let dry.

Repelling…. This is something that unfortunately happens to the best of us and can cause quite the headache!  To get rid of the build-up on your diapers in a safe and easy way, rock a soak as directed above.  Instead of rinsing once or twice, end the soak by doing a few hot washes with no detergent.  At minimum I would do three.  If you have a top loader just stop the washer before the requisite cold rinse since it is the hot water you want.  You can even crank your hot water heater up for the occasion.

It should be noted that you can also rock a soak in your bathtub, a large utility sink, or even a wash tub if you have one! 

Even though this process is time consuming (8-10 hours overnight, plus 2-6 hours the next day depending on how many washes/rinses you need) it is not labor intensive.  The Rockin’ Green is doing all of the work for you! 

Have you rocked a soak?  What were the results?

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Got The Stinkies? Just Rock a Soak!

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When I was pregnant and spent countless hours researching which cloth diapers would make up my initial stash, I thought choosing what to wash them with would be the easy part. Was I wrong! I expected there to be a quick solution that I could add to my registry, but one web page led me to the next, and the next, which all seemed to be filled with conflicting information. At first I thought any mainstream “Free & Clear” detergent would suffice until I stumbled upon different detergent charts. Then after reading glowing reviews on Charlie’s Soap I decided on that, until I kept reading and saw that it gave some babies horrible rash. Expecting clarity after more research, I became more confused. I didn’t want my new diapers to get a bad case of the stinks, and I definitely didn’t want my newborn to have a red bum!

I finally decided on Country Save as it seemed like a safe bet. It worked great for the first few months when we were living in our old house with an old washer that probably used more water than I’d care to admit. Then we moved to a home with a smaller washer, but the same amount of diapers to wash…then came the dreaded stinks that I had read about.

First I tried stripping with just load after load of hot water. The success of that was very short lived. I picked up some blue Dawn and again, noticed a slight improvement but not worth all the time and water it took. About this time I had seen more and more about Rockin’ Green and read positive reviews; I did an overnight soak (this was before Funk Rock came out) and switched to using that as our detergent but it just didn’t work for us.

I decided I needed to boil all my prefolds and microfiber inserts – another “tip” I had read about online – so I went to a discount store and picked up the “diaper cauldron” as my husband calls it. After boiling several small batches for 15 minutes each I was very pleased with the results…until about a month later when the stinks gradually made a comeback.

I didn’t want to have to resort to baking soda and vinegar, but I caved. I would sprinkle two tablespoons of baking soda in the diaper pail (which helped my daughter’s room smell better) and bought a Downy ball and filled it with ¼ cup vinegar. I always do a cold pre-wash, followed by the hot wash with detergent (this is when the Downy ball would be added too), and a cold rinse. This added more work, but I was convinced it would be worth it. It wasn’t.

As a die-hard CDer, I couldn’t resort to using Tide even though I had read that it worked well on fluff. That stuff wasn’t even allowed in my house! After a severe inner struggle, I decided to buy some original powder Tide. It felt weird putting it in my shopping cart, like I was doing something illegal. I even had a coupon, something that hasn’t happened with me and laundry detergent in a long time. But, I was desperate, so don’t judge me!

Well, it worked – and continues to work! I use about half the recommended amount and it hasn’t give my daughter a rash either. After this whole ordeal I’ve learned that just with cloth diapers, what works for some may not work for others, and what you think you’d never do may just be now what you’d never do without.

Ann J. is a cloth diaper fanatic with a 14-month-old daughter who has the cutest diaper butt on the block!
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The Laundry Diaries: Uncensored

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If washing CD's is THE reason, or even A reason that you won't even consider CDing then I am here to let you know that it really is not that much more work.  I have a stash of around 16 CD's and I wash every other day.  That seems like a lot, but once I got my "washing system" down, it is just another part of the day that I don't even blink an eye at.

First, the set up.  Next to my changing table I have a Rubbermaid trash pail that I line with a diaper pail liner (you can get these at any CDing website).  When I take the diaper off, and there is only pee in it, I pull the insert out (if it is a pocket diaper) and throw it into the pail.  If there is poo in there, I just place that in the toilet and flush.  When Sam was exclusively breast feeding his poo was entirely water soluble so I would throw the CD straight into the pail as it will wash right out in the washing machine.  There have been times where I have done the toilet dunk and that works (I don't get disgusted easily in this regard).  Now that he is on solid foods I have ordered a diaper sprayer and can’t wait for it to get here! I keep some baking soda on his changing table and sprinkle that in the pail after a poopy diaper.

When it is time to wash, I take the pail liner filled with the dirties and place them in the washing machine.  This has been a trial and error process and I have learned a lot from following Diapershops.com on Facebook.  The method I use is what works with our HE front load washing machine and our very hard water.  First things first, I use Rockin' Green CD laundry soap in Hard Rock and love it and absolutely adore their 2 sided, magnetic laundry scoop!  I start with a warm/warm cycle and use half of the recommended amount of Calgon water softener along with half of the small side of the scoop full of Rockin' Green (remember, I have a front load machine so I generally use, at most, half of the recommended).  Once the first cycle is complete I run a second cycle on hot/cold with half of the large side of the scoop full of Rockin' Green.  The keys to this cycle are: to pause the cycle once the machine fills with water and add 2 pitchers full of HOT water through the detergent port and let it stay on pause for as long as my machine allows in order to soak and to add an extra rinse to the end of this cycle.  That's it for washing, it may seem like a lot but like I said, I HAVE IT DOWN.

On to drying.  I do not put anything with PUL (the diaper covers, pail liners) in the dryer to help them last longer.  I like to dry my CD's outside so that they can sun in order to get any stains and smells out.  The sun acts as a natural bleaching agent.  I do put my inserts, prefolds, doublers, etc. into the dryer for a brief amount of time so that we do not get "crunchy diaper syndrome."

Once dry, I stuff my pocket diapers with their liners and place them all into their drawers and that's that.  No folding.  Stuffing yes, but that isn't necessary, I just do it so that I don't have to stuff when I am changing him.  And honestly, most of the time the clean diapers lie in a pile in front of the changing table for a while before being put away.

A few key notes:
    •    Do not use dryer sheets with your CD's, they can cause build up which makes them repel
    •    Bleach is not recommended on CD's
    •    Check with your CD manufacturer's website as to their washing recommendations


Well, that is all I really have to say about washing.  I promise, it isn't nearly as bad as it seems.

Happy Cloth Diapering!

By: Michelle P.
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The Science of Washing Cloth Diapers

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This post is continued from Bemoaning Ammonia Part 1 posted on February 1st, 2011.

I have also tried some other tricks and solutions to fight the dreaded ammonia smell that I’ve gleaned from my research and/or conversations with other moms.  With my new routine I really don’t feel that any of these are necessary, but if I have the time or the notion I will play around with them occasionally. 

  1. Spraying diluted Bac-Out on diapers-I made a solution using distilled water and Bac-Out in a spray bottle to spray on particularly stinky diapers and inserts when they aren’t going to be washed immediately.
  2. Rinsing every diaper after a change-Let’s face it, this might have been possible when my daughter was immobile, but she hits the ground running after a diaper change so this really isn’t something I could stick to, nor do I believe it’s that effective.
  3. Adding water to front loader-I certainly don’t want to be a slave to my laundry, but if I do happen to catch it I will add some hot water to my wash cycle to allow the diapers to really swish around in there.
I am a true, self-professed cloth diaper lover and addict, but the idea of ammonia being an inescapable  part of cloth diapering was very unsettling to me.  Furthermore, the painstaking routine of weekly or even monthly soaks, stripping and bleaching just didn’t sit well with someone about to have a newborn and toddler in diapers. I can truly say I am in love all over again.  I refuse to get cocky or rest on my laurels because ammonia has tricked me before and I’m sure it will trick me again.  However, at this time I feel adequately prepared to tackle it with two very good solutions and several tricks of the trade.  In sharing this I hope it will help other moms out there, frustrated with the smells, rashes and time-consuming solutions. 

Disclaimer: The opinions are of the blog contributor and not of The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. We recommend reviewing the manufacturer’s washing instructions before using any product on your diapers.

By Jennifer
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Bemoaning Ammonia Part 2

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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
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Why is Fleece an Important Component to Your Cloth Diaper?

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Several months ago I was struck with some terrible ammonia stink in my diapers and my usual routines were not working.  It’s amazing how much this stressed me and occupied my mind.  I am terrified that something unfixable will come between me and my cloth!  My typical solutions (bleach soak, hot water stripping, Rockin Green soak, etc) just weren’t cutting it because they either weren’t working, were too time-consuming and/or were only temporary fixes.  I was desperate to find something that was easy and worked, not temporarily, but all the time.  I didn’t want a band-aid; I wanted a real fix.  In my research I found countless numbers of moms struggling with ammonia so I know I’m not alone, but in this case misery does not love company.  I didn’t want to hear other horror stories; I wanted to hear that this is something I can overcome easily and quickly. 

In my trial and errors I think I have come up with some solutions.  Two of them seem incredibly reliable and, dare I say, easy.  I am eager to share my findings because I know other moms out there are struggling with this.  We love our diapers, but the ammonia smell and rashes just aren’t acceptable.  I feel confident in the new routines, but I have to tell you, I’ve always got my eye out (or rather my nose) for that evil stink.  Every diaper that comes out of the washer gets a search and pat-down that would rival any airport security measure!

1. BioKleen Bac-Out:

I have had Bac-Out sitting in my laundry cabinet for months, but I was wary of trying it. I don’t like additives or complications in my wash routine because 1) I relish simplicity and 2) the more involved the wash gets the more room there is for error, build-up or the like.  I started with a good, overnight soak in hot water with ¼ cup of Bac-Out.  Now, I don’t want to have to do this all of the time.  Since I have a front loader, doing soaks (in bleach, Bac-Out, Rockin Green, whatever) is annoying, messy and difficult, but I wanted to tackle this problem head-on so I figured a soak would get me on track.

After the overnight, a full washing and lots of rinses I figured my diapers were back to square one, smelling fresh and free of odor and build-up. Now I started experimenting with a daily routine to maintain this freshness, avoid having to do any big soaks and, most importantly, avoid ammonia.  I started by adding ¼ cup of Bac-Out to my initial rinse (which I do on the “Quickwash” cycle on my front loader with warm water).  I then washed with my normal routine (hot wash with 1 tablespoon detergent, and another Quickwash for my rinse after that).  When things seemed to do well with this routine for a week or two I reduced the Bac-Out to about 1-2 tablespoons.  So far this has worked perfectly and my diapers haven’t had any odors coming out of the washer. 

2. Rockin Green Funk Rock:

At about this time Rockin Green was launching their new product, Funk Rock, aimed to combat ammonia.  I decided to give this a try as part of my wash routine as well.  Instead of my Bac-Out I used the recommended 1 tablespoon of Funk Rock in my initial Quickwash rinse and then washed as normal.  Using only this method (no Bac-Out) for about a week or two the results were equally as good.  My diapers smelled perfect coming out of the washer and we haven’t had any strong ammonia smell when my daughter is wearing them. 

Months later, I am still testing out these two methods by using one or the other additive, exclusively, in my rinse cycle for a week or so and believe they are just about equal in terms of results.  However, I have found Funk Rock to be a bit pricey to use with every wash and the bag is quite small.  If I poke around online I can find Bac-Out on sale for less than $6 for a 32 oz bottle.  If I use 1-2 tablespoons per wash I end up getting several months of washing out of one bottle. 

Stay tuned next week for Part #2!

By Jennifer
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Bemoaning Ammonia Part 1

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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.
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Repelling: What I Did Wrong

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There was a time, I'll admit, when I did not know what I was doing. Yep, me. The cloth diapering mom who can get stains out, get funk out, freshen up my diaper Velcro, who knows just the right diaper & doubler combination for leak proof nights, can perfectly strip my diapers, uses only the best detergent and cloth wipe solution...did not always know "everything". As a matter of fact, when I first began cloth diapering, I didn't know anything.

Once upon a time, I had three brand new, beautiful and bright, soft & fluffy FuzziBunz for my 15 month old daughter. That's it, just three diapers to start out with. When it was time for wash day, I did what any "normal" person would do, and threw them in the wash with some lovely Purex detergent. Washed, dried, stuffed and used again. I loved it so much, I bought more! Until I had 16 Fuzzibunz in my stash. A few weeks into this, I began to notice an awful smell the minute the diaper was soiled. So awful my husband refused to change the diapers anymore. A few days later, they began to leak. Leak so bad I could put my daughter in a fresh diaper and load her in the car. Drive 2.6 miles down the road to church, and by the time I took her out of the car her pants were completely wet. By this point, I hated cloth diapering, but would not stop after all the money I had spent on diapers. I had no idea what I was doing wrong (HA, like I said...I didn't know anything...) so I finally asked a fellow cloth diapering friend what she thought about my issues. She advised I do some stripping and that if it didn't help, to do some research. Stripping? I had to figure out what that meant first!

I pulled out the washing instructions from KellysCloset that they send in every fluffymail package and read about stripping- and tried it. Tried it again, and again, and again. Nothing was working, I knew that the instructions said not to use regular or free & clear detergent, but my friend used it and never had a problem, so I ignored it and continued using it. I eventually became worn out and tired of cloth, tired of the leaks and the stink and all the stripping I was doing trying to get rid of it. So, I got rid of my beloved stash, and went back to disposables.

Six or so months later, I became pregnant. I don't know why, but I began think about cloth diapers again. My husband said "No way, not again", but after discovering TCDW Blog and all of the support and advice on the TCDW and Diapershops Facebook pages, I knew there was hope. After all, if cloth diapering was working for thousands of other moms, I had to be doing something wrong. After endless hours, and hours, and hours of reading my brains out about diaper care, I figured it out (like it was that hard...), my detergent ruined my diapers! You see, cloth diaper laundry is a little tricky. It's easy, but it's also a pain sometimes. You can't "just wash" your diapers like I thought. You have to: " Run a light wash, cold. Run a heavy wash with detergent, hot. Extra rinse, hot." Line or hang drying is best, but you can use a dryer, just don't use dryer sheets. Then the most important "rule", use a good detergent! I like to say, INVEST in a good detergent.

As a new cloth diapering mom, I never would have thought that washing my diapers in regular detergent would literally ruin them. But since I did know now, I decided I was going to use cloth with this next baby, and I was not going to ruin them or have a hard time with them! I was going to do everything right, starting with the purchase of our favorite, life-saving diaper detergent, Rockin Green. Yep, Rockin Green has spared me from having any funk or leaks with my new stash, it smells yummy, and I feel so secure knowing that I am not going to murder( R.I.P old stash) my new soft, fluffy, and beautiful Fuzzibunz. P.S- Don't take the laundry directions lightly! Every rinse counts- literally! If you have to, (I had to...) stick the directions somewhere in your laundry room!

Lesson Learned (the hard way...),
Shay P.
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The Importance of a Good Detergent (and following directions!)

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You know your water is special when Kim, from Rockin' Green, says, “Wow.”

Let me start by saying that I already suspected we had very hard water . Water hardness is a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium in your water – that's the (usually) white crusties that collect on the side of the pot if you start the pot of water boiling for dinner but get distracted by Thing 1 pinching Thing 2 because Thing 2 looked at Thing 1, “Like this, mom, and it made me feel so mad!”. If this sounds familiar (the white ring around the dishes, not the whiny Things - I can't help you there), you probably have hard water. If you've seen The Great White Crusty in your pans, coffee pot, and on your faucets, you can rest oh-so-much better tonight knowing it's also on/in your diapers. If you're not sure if I'm being sarcastic, here's a hint. The Great White Crusty (mineralization) does not increase the absorbency of your diapers.

I called the city water department and found that while the water hardness in our city “depends on several different factors”, it's roughly 600-800ppm (parts per million). For reference, anything over 200ppm is considered very hard. I was told that if I didn't want to ruin the diapers (I had to admit this was my reason for calling before the man would give me even a ballpark number, because, you know, it “depends on several different factors.” Sigh.) and all of our appliances to boot, the city strongly recommends installing a water softener.

Water softeners are a great idea in areas like ours, as long as the softened water only goes to the major appliances (water heater, AC, dishwasher, washing machine). You don't want it hooked into your drinking water supply, though; it has been shown in multiple studies that people who live in areas with (and drink) hard water have fewer cases of cardiovascular disease. See, there's always a silver lining!

That doesn't help my diapers, though, and not just because they conspicuously lack that little “je ne sais quoi” in the way of a cardiovascular system . Many of us are 1) renting or 2) unable to afford a new water softening system. So what can we do?

I called Kim at Rockin' Green. “600 ppm? Wow.” Here are the tips she passed on to me (along with my liberal interpretation):
  1. Cold rinse or wash without detergent: The more yuck you get out of diapers with that initial rinse/wash, the less work the detergent needs to do, once you add it. Less detergent = more money for more fluff.
  2. Fill and soak: It takes 15 minutes for the detergent to complex (bind) with the calcium and magnesium in the water so it can work properly. If your wash cycle is right at 15 minutes or less, you aren't getting the full effect of your detergent.
  3. Use more than the recommended amount of detergent: Yes, I said more. If you use the lowest recommended amount of detergent, the detergent is going to be spent on complexing/binding the calcium and magnesium, with no oomph left to actually clean your laundry. You MUST use more than the recommended amount of detergent, or use an additional water softener.
  4. Use Calgon Water Softener: If you don't want to use extra detergent, you can add a full dose of Calgon. Borax and washing soda are cheaper, but they bind with calcium and magnesium to form a solid. In your wash water. When your washer goes through the spin cycle, your diapers are going to filter out these tiny, ashy, solid particles. That's eventually going to “clog up” your diapers and cause them to repel. In contrast, the complexes formed between Calgon and calcium/magnesium will stay in solution (stay dissolved). When you spin your diapers, all of that calcium and magnesium exits, stage left, along with the water, soap, and... well, all that other fun stuff you get in baby diapers.
  5. Get a custom batch of detergent: How's that for customer service? If I can get enough moms together in my area, Kim is willing to make us a custom batch of Rockin Green. I'm not sure what she'd call it – Industrial Rock, maybe.
What finally worked for us? I wash diapers in the evening, every 2nd-3rd day.
  1. Cold wash (or sometimes just a rinse) diapers using the large load size setting, NO detergent.
  2. Change the load size to small, add 4 tablespoons of Rockin' Green detergent, and fill with hot water.
  3. Agitate for about 5-10 minutes.
  4. Soak overnight.
  5. In the morning, change the load size back to large, and the temperature to warm. Finish filling the washer (don't add any more detergent) and wash as normal, adding in the automatic extra rinse.
No more stink (unless I don't allow for an overnight soak – a few hours just doesn't cut it), and we're completely done with repelling issues.

Is it fair that we, already under attack by The Great White Crusty, have to spend a bit more (on extra detergent) to get our diapers clean? Maybe not, but hey, all of those extra minerals in our drinking water means that we (and our babies) will have healthier cardiovascular systems at the end of it all.

Areas of the U.S. with ultra hard water include the borderlands of the Southwest US, from Texas to Los Angeles, as well as parts of Kansas and Florida (particularly areas that draw some or all of their water from local streams – something that is generally done seasonally by municipal water suppliers. Hence, your ultra hard water could be seasonal, adding yet another layer of complexity).

Since the issue of hard water can be a bit more complicated, depending on your area and the type of hardness, I highly recommend taking the guesswork out of your laundry routine. Call your city water department or local extension office for a ballpark water hardness measurement. Then call your local extension office or favorite detergent company for a custom laundry recommendation.

Call today, and tell us how hard YOUR water is! Are you surprised?

Author: Angie S. is the mother of two, Andrew (7), and Kate (8 months). She's passionate about chemistry and cloth diapers.
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Attack of The Great White Crusty

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