Super-Pooper: One Mom’s Battle

Let’s talk about poop. More specifically, let’s talk about cleaning poopy diapers. If you’re pregnant or squeamish, stop reading and use the time to add to your wishlist on Kelly’s Closet. Okay, if you’re still reading then you, like me, have tried a million ways to deal with poopy diapers. I’m an expert on the practice since my adorable 2.5 year-old poops three times a day. Yes, you read that right –three poopy diapers a day. There may be a ploppable poop once a month. Yes, once a month. If the average child poops once a day, then that would be 1,000 poopy diapers for the last 33 months, give or take. I have had approximately 3,000 poopy diapers for this one child, give or take. (Sidenote: Please don’t worry about my son, he is ridiculously healthy and happy.) My son is efficient at processing his waste, which means that I have had to figure out how to process those dirty diapers.

Let’s talk options.

Diaper Sprayer: Some moms will tell you this is optional. For me there is no option. I have a bumGenius diaper sprayer and would have stopped cloth diapering without it. I am an expert on water pressure and gripping techniques. If I use flats or pockets, then the sprayer and I have no issues. The singular surface is a cinch to spray with no real places for any poo to hide. Frustrations arise when I use Sloomb or Bamboozle fitteds at night (because, yes, of course, one of his poops always happens in the morning before he really wakes up) or my GroVia AIOs. Those diapers have layers upon layers and the non-ploppable poop covers every crevice of the diaper. Even for this expert sprayer, those diapers become a daily dread.

Disposable Liners: I use Bummis Bio-Soft Flushable Liners in either size. The large ones I always have to fold over, but that often is helpful when using flats or the fitteds or GroVia AIOs because I can wrap the flat or the inserts with the liner, which can cut down on poop getting into each crevice of the diaper. The liners don’t catch all of his poop; they just don’t (have I mentioned he is a champion pooper?), but they significantly cut down on the spraying frustration when dealing with those diaper styles that aren’t as easy to spray. The problem is that, unlike other moms who can predict when their lovely children are going to require a liner, my child poops all day, every day, when I least expect it. Disposable liners in every diaper is an expensive option.

Reusable Liners: I made my own reusable liners out of some fleece. I love them for when I have to use them, for example, when I need to put anything stronger than CJs BUTTer on his sore bottom. As a daily option for battling the poopy diapers, they end up being just another layer that I have to negotiate, adding another surface I need to spray. I’m sure they would be helpful for more *ahem* contained poops as they certainly are affordable and help keep your diapers stain free.

SprayPal: (Please note: I’ve only had the SprayPal for one week.) With my frustrations from the AIO and fitted diapers, I figured that the SprayPal would be the best solution for me. It would contain the diaper while I sprayed the heck out of all the layers. While it does just that, my unrelated simultaneous switch to all flats with covers and pockets, which I can expertly spray, seems to render the SprayPal more of a nuisance than a help. I can spray the diapers cleaner with the SprayPal, but it takes forever to get the diaper in, get it snapped, spray, get the diaper squeezed and into the diaper bag. Then, I always have trace amounts of poop on the SprayPal itself, which means I’ve just created another item for me to clean. Adding more work to my day is not what I was looking for. If I were using my fitteds and AIOs, I know that even with the extra work, I would love the SprayPal, but at this point it is adding to my problem rather than solving it.

Do you have a super pooper? What are your solutions? Do you use your SprayPal? How do you make it work for you?

Bio: Emily Robbins currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and two sons: Harper (2.5 years) and Caedmon (8 months). She has been cloth diapering since Harper fit into OS at about four weeks old. She is taking a year off from being an English teacher to hang out with her fluffy bottomed boys.


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Super-Pooper: One Mom’s Battle

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Learning How to Wash Your Diapers

One of the biggest problems that cloth diaper users face is simply getting them clean. There are so many factors that go into washing diapers: He or traditional washing machine; front or top load machine; hard, soft or average water; synthetic or natural fibers. Then of course there’s one of the biggest factors—your detergent. All of these factors can easily scare off a person from trying cloth diapers, but after you establish a good (aka working) wash routine (and it really isn’t as hard and scary as is sounds), washing your diapers is no big deal.

The first thing you need to figure out is what type of water you have. Kelly’s Closet sells a water test strip for under a dollar, and you can find kits at any home improvement store. You simply run the strip under your water for a few seconds and compare the color to the enclosed chart. Knowing what type of water you have aids you in determining how much detergent you will need and if you will need any additives to soften your water. If you water is hard, you most likely will want to add Calgon (a water softener available in the laundry aisle) and use slightly more detergent than directed. If it is soft, you will want to use slightly less detergent.

The next step in calculating your perfect wash routine is to figure out your washing machine. I have washed diapers in both a traditional top load machine and a HE top load with no agitator. Both properly cleaned my diapers, but I had different routines with both. With a fancier HE machine with more options, you will have to play around with the different wash cycles to find out which works best for washing diapers.

To properly wash cloth diapers, you want to first run a rinse cycle with no detergent (having sprayed off any solids beforehand). This gets some of the “yuckies” out of the diapers before they are actually being washed. My traditional washer didn’t’ have an option for just a rinse cycle, so I simply turned the dial to the rinse part of the wash cycle and started the machine. It would fill up, agitate for a few minutes and then spin and drain. My HE machine has a rinse and spin cycle, but I actually prefer doing a “quick wash” in warm water since I can’t select the temperature for the rinse and spin cycle. Doing the initial rinse in cold is fine, I have just found that I get less stains pre-rinsing in warm.

After the diapers are rinsed, you will want to run the longest wash cycle in hot water with the appropriate amount of detergent (and Calgon if you have hard water). In the traditional machine, I simply choose the longest cycle on the normal wash setting in hot water. I normally would use the “medium” load setting. You want enough water to cover your diapers, but don’t want too much that the diapers are floating and not able to agitate against one another. Most HE machines don’t allow you to select the load size, so you will have to try out the different settings to see which one gives you the right amount of water. The rule of thumb when washing diapers is to have them look like a stew in the machine and not a soup.

Determining the amount of detergent to use depends on what type of water you have and how many diapers you are washing. You may have to increase the amount if you have hard water or decrease if you have soft. Many will argue that only using a few tablespoons of detergent will never clean diapers, but I haven’t had any issues in the 14 months that I’ve been washing diapers.

After your wash cycle is complete, you will need to run one additional rinse to insure all of detergent has rinsed out. My HE has an option for an extra rinse. In the traditional machine, I just did the same as the initial rinse.

A few tips I have found out along my way: rinse poopy diapers as soon as possible to help to avoid stains and rinse overnight diapers to help prevent stink buildup. Also, wash every 2-3 days.

All of these factors and steps may seem like a lot, but it really, truly isn’t. There will be some trial and error in the beginning of your cloth diapering journey (I had barnyard stink from not using enough detergent), and it may get stressful (especially if you are trying to figure it out in the first sleepless weeks after bringing home your newborn like I did), but it is worth it in the end! Once you figure out your routine, you will wonder why everyone doesn’t cloth diaper.

I will share my wash routine, but remember, there are many different factors that affect everyone’s washing routine differently. I have a Samsung HE top load machine with no agitator and a glass lid (so I can check on the diapers). I have slightly hard city water. I wash Monday, Wednesday and Friday, usually consisting of 14-18 diapers (pockets and inserts) and cloth wipes. Monday’s there are a few more.

1. Run a quick wash, warm water, no detergent (37 mins)
2. Run a wash cycle on the “deep clean” setting, hot water, prewash and extra rinse option with 2 ½-3 ½ T Rockin Green Hard Rock plus 2 T Calgon (1:47)

My washer has a “my cycle” button that allows me to program the wash cycle. It saves all of my options, and I just have to hit the one button and start.

Bio: Jamie is a SAHM to her 14 month old daughter (and a boy due in September) a Marine wife, and a knitter/crocheter in her free time.


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Learning How to Wash Your Diapers

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Conquering the Beast

Let’s talk poop. It’s a beast but everyone does it, including babies. Since we’ve started to cloth diaper on an island in the Caribbean things have gotten trickier than in the states. There has to be a way to do it and I am determined to find out how.

Captains log Day One: The island received me with open arms, but I didn’t tell her we were going to cloth diaper. So far we are still on good terms. We’re easing our way into things. The island universe hasn’t caught on yet that we’re transitioning from disposables to cloth, so no known horrific incidents occurred. We’ll hope this continues.

Day Two: My diaper sprayer doesn’t attach to our British toilets. $50.00 just went down the drain (pun intended). It wouldn’t be such a big deal, but I thought we were safe and forgot to put liners in the diapers… twice. Poop everywhere. Oh the horror! The carnage! Poop water was everywhere! I had a ten month old clinging to my leg as I struggled to swish and shake that nuisance out of my gorgeous Bumgenius 4.0 in Mirror. Something so beautiful should never have to go through something like that. I then watched in horror with my hands soiled in the miscreants morning load as that said miscreant reached for the toilet. It was all in slow motion but I couldn’t move fast enough. I couldn’t stop him. I scrubbed his hands down to the first layer of the epidermis after and stored that demon diaper in it’s wet bag. I’m determined to concur. I will avail. “Never give up, never surrender.”

Day Three: Another pooh incident. After “letting” the baby play in the toilet for a bit and washing his hands with two different kinds of soaps, I set him in his crib to finish the dirty job. I then had to clean the bathroom to get all that poo water off of my walls and floors. Yes. It was THAT BAD. I’m at a loss as to what to do. I used a liner this time, but with how wiggly he is it shifted and poop still got on the diaper. It’s sticky and I’m pretty sure it hates me. I’m bringing in the big guns and using gloves this next time. This swishing in the toilet is just plain messy and unrealistic.

We also did diaper laundry on the island for the first time! Yay! That didn’t go so well either. My inserts from the poop massacre the other day would not go away, even with sunning them. I used twice the amount of recommended detergent and still had to wash it a second time with yet again, twice the amount of recommended detergent. I then went to the grocery store to see if they had the original tide, and to my relief they did! Before I commenced my happy dance I glanced down at the price. For a container that could wash 16 loads, it was $44 EC! That is nearly $20 USD! Now I must search this blasted island for a detergent that won’t void my warranties, although I may have no other choice but to use my All Free and Clear. Oh, joy.

Day Four: I’m ashamed to admit we used disposables for the majority of the day. But I wasn’t too bummed that he pooped in a disposable and that made for easy cleanup. Huzzah! Hashtag SorryImNotSorry. We shall see what happens this week.

Day Five: I’ve gotten smarter. He took the kids to the pool two times today. The first time they all used their towels. The second time they used their towels only a little bit and got water all over the seats in the car. That’s code for: he pooped twice today. The first time the poop landed all on the liner, the second time only a little bit got on the liner and the rest on the diaper. But, just as I said, I’ve gotten smarter. I used rubber gloves this time. Minimal splashing and the poop was successfully expelled. I’ve gotten smarter. I am so happy right now. And the stains from the other day went away with an extra wash and some good old sun. On another note, but slightly related, I have a ninja baby. May God have mercy on my soul.

Summary: Always be smarter than the poop.

Bio: I am a mother of one adorable boy. My husband is attending medical school at St. George’s University on the Caribbean island of Grenada. After shipping a bunch of disposable diapers for the first term, running out, and then spending 4 times the amount on diapers here than in the states, I decided to pick up some cloth diapers while visiting the folks for the holidays. Little did I know that I would get addicted and buy a bunch of adorable patterns and colors. I tried it out while we were in the states, but cloth diapering is a bit different in a third world country. And by that I mean it’s practically the same.

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Conquering the Beast

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Detergent Confessional

I have a confession to make. I don't use Rockin' Green. It's the premier detergent preferred by cloth diaperers everywhere. It's not that I don't want to use it. I do, and have in the past before, but it doesn't work for our family. It gave my daughter a terrible rash.

Cloth diapers are supposed to have decreased rash. Once I started using cloth diaper friendly detergent, we battled this ridiculous rash for months (seriously, like 5 months). I stripped, and stripped to no avail. I used tea tree oil. I bleached the inserts. I boiled the inserts. I sunned the diapers. We changed diet, used cloth-diaper friendly ointments, and even had prescription creams. Nothing helped. I was crying, literally, for answers. Were disposables my only option?

I stumbled upon the solution accidentally. I had a sample of Country Save detergent and decided to use it. I didn't notice a major change until I went back to the Rockin' Green. The rash got worse. Much worse! It dawned on me that when I was using regular soap (and got ammonia build up and stinky diapers) that we didn't have a rash. Maybe the detergent was the problem.

Rockin' Green is a great detergent and the testimonials of its effectiveness are littered throughout the internet, but I have a daughter with strange skin. She doesn't have eczema or anything out of the norm with her skin. But get this, she's also allergic to Aveeno products. It put little red bumps all over the places I rubbed lotion. Crazy! I mean, who can't use Aveeno?

The story ends without a diapering solution because my daughter was ready to potty train before I could figure out how to clean the diapers so they wouldn't hurt her skin. But now I'm using the diapers for baby number two. I don't want to take any chances that he might also have her skin sensitivities. So with this, I have had to experiment with a wash routine that gets the diapers clean but doesn't irritate my baby's skin.

Wash routines can't be over-taught because every situation is different and I think it is likely to change. You can't hear too much about options because once you think you've mastered cleaning, some problem comes up.

Here are the steps at our hard water, Arizona house:

1. Rinse and Spin cycle with half a capful of Calgon water softener.
2. Deep steam high efficiency wash setting with half a scoop of Country Save. I add the pre-wash, extra rinse, and extra spin option.
3. Every other wash, I use the regular wash setting with 1/4 cup BacOut to help with stains and smells.

I buy Country Save at Sprouts, Calgon at Walmart, and bought the BacOut off Amazon.

I want to try RLR and might include a packet or two in my next Kelly's Closet order because I hear it brings used diapers back to bright white and I would love to freshen up the batch for little brother.

Bio: Alicia is an 8th grade English and Drama teacher and is a pretty crunchy momma. She shares her Arizona home with a wonderful husband, energetic 3 year old, sweet 2 month old, 1 crazy dog, and 7 happy chickens.

Detergent Confessional

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Learning the Ropes for Round Two

I cloth diapered my daughter starting from 3 months until she was potty trained. I am now cloth diapering my newborn. The cloth diapering isn't new, but the house is. We've moved since my last cloth diaper change and I've had to create a new storage routine. The biggest difference is that the baby's room is upstairs and the washer and dryer is downstairs. At our previous home, the bedrooms and washer were on the same floor. So what's going to work?

I still had my diaper pail, which is just a lidded trashcan. It became a laundry hamper once we finished diapering. Now it's all set up with a pail liner in it ready for dirty dipes. There's a perfect spot for it in the upstairs bathroom and the diaper sprayer is hooked up to that toilet. The changing table is upstairs as well. So the best choice is for most of the diapering to take place upstairs.

But what about downstairs? I don't really want to run up and down the stairs each time I change a diaper. (I guess I could call it my post-partum exercise.) I also didn't really want another pail and sprayer. Plus the downstairs bathroom is most often used by guests.

At first there would just be a little stack of soiled diapers on the bathroom counter until I ran them upstairs. This obviously was an unsightly solution. What we eventually did was hang a wet-bag from the doorknob and keep them there until laundry day. It's worked nicely. I know it isn't going to last forever, though. Right now the diapers don't have much of an odor. And the newborn sized diapers make it easy to stuff in the little wet-bag for laundry every other day. The diapers are going to get bigger and the smells are going to be stronger. So we'll see what works once solid foods are introduced.

Once the diapers are clean, there's a basket upstairs and downstairs for them. There are also dry cloth wipes next to each basket of diapers. So far just sink water is my wipes solution (even out in public). There are also disposable wipes for my husband. He really likes not using cloth wipes, so I'm not making it a big deal. But I've seen him use a cloth wipe, so we're making progress to not having to buy anyone.

I think diaper organizing is like laundering cloth diapers. It's changing, getting better, trying to new things, and making the most of what you have.

For now it all seems to be working.

Bio: Alicia is an 8th grade English and Drama teacher and is a pretty crunchy momma. She shares her Arizona home with a wonderful husband, energetic 3 year old, sweet 2 month old, 1 crazy dog, and 7 happy chickens.

Learning the Ropes for Round Two

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No Washer, No Dryer, No Problem!

I never set out to hand wash. When I found out I was pregnant with my first son, I was determined to cloth diaper not only to save money but I knew how horrible disposables were for my child as well as the environment. Shortly after becoming pregnant, I moved into a small apartment with two washers and two dryers located in the building across the parking lot. I was still determined to cloth, but started to doubt my ability to keep up with the laundry, as well as taking into account the cost of the machines. Diaper services seemed like an option but I still felt I was defeating my purpose of saving money. In fact, when I looked up the cost of diapers versus the cost of the diaper service, it was so close that I decided to use disposables.

Fast forward four months and my husband had lost his job, so I decided to take a look at cloth again. People at some point in our history were without disposables and washing machines, so what did they do? I was determined to find a way to switch to cloth! After looking around the web and coming across some information on the 7 Day Hand Washing Challenge, I decided to dive in head first and exclusively hand wash my diapers. I was so gung ho and excited to say I was making it work despite the obstacles in front of me. So here I am, 6 months later and still going strong. It struck me recently about how difficult it was for me to find information and support from other hand washing mamas, so here is my routine.

The Diapers: I initially went into my local fluff store and asked what is cheap and easy? I was directed to Osocozy prefolds and Thristies covers. I later acquired a few EconoBum covers as well. These are the only diapers I have used, so I can only speak on hand washing those, but I am sure any prefold and cover would be just as simple. Side note- Since I had to prep the prefolds with no washer and dryer, I boiled them in a soup pot for 30 to 40 minutes and never had issues with repelling or absorbency. I have 9 covers, and 18 prefolds total.

The Detergent: I have only used Rockin Green, but so far I have had no problems so I say; if it ain’t broke don’t fix it! I did switch to Hard Rock after realizing we had hard water, but I have yet to see a major difference.

The Equipment: I literally said to my husband, “Go to Home Depot and get me a 5 gallon bucket and a sturdy plunger with a longer handle.” I have seen women who have drilled holes into their plungers to help the water move through, which I think is a great idea. I have not been able to do that and I think it works just fine. I also have enough extra baby hangers to hang everything on to dry.

The Routine: My wash bucket also serves as my diaper pail, so after a change, the diaper gets rinsed off in the sink or toilet depending on the severity and thrown in the pail. I try to wash every day, the smaller the load the better. I dump the bucket, put the detergent in and fill it up with very hot water. I add in the dirty diapers and start to agitate with the plunger. I do it for 5-10 minutes, dump and fill again with hot water and agitate for another 5 minutes. If they are really dirty I will do another hot cycle, otherwise I do luke warm water, agitate 3-5 minutes, dump and repeat 2-4 times, depending on how sudsy the water is. When they seem good and rinsed, I hand rinse and wring out each item separately and hang to dry over the bath tub. Sometimes a fan will speed up the process but I think it makes the prefolds a little stiff.

I think clothing diapering without a washer and dryer is completely do-able. Don’t feel discouraged if your situation is not ideal. I am very happy that I decided to find a way to save money when we really needed it. It takes time and effort, but it can be done!

Bio: Ashley Focht lives outside of Chicago with her wonderful husband, 9 month old son, and two cats. She loves being a stay at home mom and spreading the word about cloth diapering!

No Washer, No Dryer, No Problem!

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Eeeek! My diapers are Repelling!

So, you think your diapers are repelling? Well, let’s pause for a minute and take a look at the facts.

What is Repelling? Repelling is the term used to describe a cloth diaper that has become water repellant and no longer properly absorbs liquid. A diaper that is truly repelling will be properly fit to your baby. The diaper will leak, however the insert will be nearly dry.

Can I test my diapers to see if they are Repelling? The only way to really know if your diapers are repelling is to use them. Dropping water on the diapers when they are not in use is not an effective way to test for repelling. Some fibers used in cloth diapers require the pressure of baby’s bottom to allow for proper absorption.

What causes Repelling? Repelling can be caused by many things including the following. There are other possibilities that can add to or cause your diapers to repel, but this list covers the main problems.

• Using too much laundry detergent that allows for detergent to build up and leave residue on the diaper
• Not using enough laundry detergent to clean the diapers properly.
• Using laundry detergents that contain perfumes, dyes, softeners, whiteners or brighteners, enzymes, or other fabric enhancers. These ingredients can leave a residue on your diapers that can cause repelling.
• Using diaper creams that are not approved for cloth diapers, or not using a liner when you do use non cloth diaper safe rash creams.
• HE (high efficiency) washing machines that only use a small amount of water might not be able to properly rinse the diapers to remove any residue.
• Washing diapers that haven’t been completely rinsed of the poo.
• The water in your home is extremely hard or soft. Hard water can leave a build up of residue on your diaper. Extremely soft water, on the other hand, may not be able to rinse the diapers properly, causing build up.

How do I stop my diapers from Repelling liquid? Well, unfortunately, there is no perfect answer to this question. Every situation is different, and depending on the underlying cause, the solutions may differ. You will hear a lot of veteran cloth diaper mama’s referring to ‘stripping’ their diapers. This is when you switch up your normal wash cycle to either prevent your diapers from repelling or to fix diapers that are already repelling. Here is a list of things that you can do to strip your diapers:

• Try switching up the amount of detergent you are using. Use less detergent and more water in your wash cycles. One exception to this is if your diapers are coming out of the dryer still stinky, you may need to use more detergent to better clean the diapers.
• Use a product specifically made for stripping diapers. RLR Laundry Treatment is a popular choice to strip diapers. Kelly’s Closet sells RLR in small packets and all you have to do is add the RLR into your hot wash cycle to deep clean your diapers!
• Dawn Dish Soap (the original Blue kind) works wonders at removing detergent buildup. Try adding one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular machines) to your hot water wash cycle.
• Add an extra rinse cycle or two. Sometimes the biggest problem with repellant diapers is that not all of the detergent is rinsed off of the diapers. The best way to know if you need an extra rinse is to peak into the washer to check for soap bubbles. If there are lots of bubbles, you probably need an extra rinse.
• If the buildup on your diaper is really tough, it may help to gently scrub the insides of your diapers a bit with a soft tooth brush while they are wet and soapy.

Remember, every situation of repelling diapers is different, so you may have to try a few of the tips listed above. If you still have problems with your diapers after stripping them, contact the manufacturer for advice. Happy washing and happy stripping! (That is, diaper stripping!)

(It is always recommended that you follow washing guidelines specified on your cloth diaper warranties as well as the usage guidelines in your washing machine warranty.)

Bio: Tara Yousef lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband, silly 17-month old son, and sleepy 2 week old daughter. She enjoys cloth diapering, baking, crafting and everything in between!

Eeeek! My diapers are Repelling!

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Washing in Cold (and other cloth laundry experiments)

Let’s be honest – using cloth diapers brings out the adventurous side in people. Had you never taken that first leap, despite the naysayers, you itty-bitty kiddo wouldn’t be wearing fluff today. With the myriad of choices available in the cloth diapering world today, there is something thrilling about building up a stash, measuring up the different options against each other and experimenting on what works best for your family.

There is someplace where even the bravest of cloth diapering adventurers quake in their boots, however: the laundry. When finally, after a few tweaks to the system, we manage to find a laundry routine which gets those adorable diapers squeaky clean, we are loath to “mess things up” by trying anything new.

For me, this has changed – and it all began with cold water.

Where I grew up, it is actually pretty common to wash everything in cold water. The hot water in a washing machine is generally not hot enough anyway to kill germs, and cold water is just as effective at cleaning dirt. It is also much cheaper to wash with cold water. When it came to my diapers, though, I initially stuck pretty staunchly to the washing recommendation to “rinse cold/wash hot”.

Examining the care instructions for my bumGenius pocket diapers one day, though, I noticed that they are recommended to not be washed at temperatures above 100 ̊F. Higher than this, and the PUL might be damaged. I was pretty surprised by this, as 100 ̊F is really only warm water, not hot, and certainly not hot enough to disinfect.

And so, I decided to experiment. I washed my diapers on cold.

You know what? They came out as fresh smelling and clean looking as always. I line dry everything, including my diapers, and trusted that the sun’s UV rays would give a finishing, germ-blasting touch to my diaper-cleaning process.

I decided to put on my big girl panties (they are the next step up from cloth trainers) to continue my test for a couple of weeks just to observe how effective washing on cold really was. Eventually, they did start to smell the slightest bit musty, but this may have been due to the fact they were almost due for another monthly dose of bleach (which is also recommended). I ended up reverting back to my warm-washing routine (as I feel it may perhaps still help the laundry detergent work a bit better), with the occasional cold water wash thrown in every couple of days. It saves me a bit of cash, is better for the environment, and works for me!

Here’s what I’ve learned in the end. First off, whilst washing in cold might not be for everyone, I don’t think it is worth not using cloth diapers just because hot water might not be readily available. So, if I head to family for the holidays, or on a camping trip with the kids, I’m not so bothered with the idea of the odd cold water wash if that is more convenient. I can easily throw them in for a good warm clean when I get home again.

More importantly, though, I’ve been reminded that being willing to mix things up a bit is half the fun on this cloth diapering journey. I hope I haven’t come all this way just to lose the trend-bucking, adventurous spirit which led me here in the first place. So, if it means playing with my laundry routine a bit, trying out a new laundry detergent or experiencing a different diapering system than I am used to, all just for the thrill of the adventure, I am game.

Let the experimentation begin!

Bio: Belinda Lamprecht currently lives in Africa with her husband, working for an international missions agency and raising her two kiddos, one who joined the family through adoption and one…ahem…the old-fashioned way. You can read more about their experiences at www.reaboka.wordpress.com

Washing in Cold (and other cloth laundry experiments)

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Out with the old, in with the new!

Washer and dryer, that is! After four years of cloth diapering, we finally made the switch from our "ancient" top loaders to a new HE front loading set. Excited was an understatement the day they arrived! And then, diaper laundry day came. "Ummm where do I begin?", "Am I suppose to change what I normally do?" , "Am I going to run into smelly diapers because of these things not using as much water?" , just a few of the issues I had to figure out. Dreading it, as it took me so long to find what worked for us with the old set!


Trial and error, right? I tried every combo imaginable! Rinse, rinse, wash, rinse. Wash, rinse,rinse, rinse. Rinse, rinse, rinse, wash, rinse. But as I feared, my diapers still had an odd smell to them before I would even dry them! Hot water, cold water, warm water, homemade detergent, different diaper detergents, and nothing. Finally after about a month I figured out a new washing system to along with the new washer! Our system now is cold water rinse, hot water wash with detergent, hot water rinse, cold water rinse, cold water rinse. Phew! I do end up rinsing a bit more than I did with the my top loaders, but I don't mind! I'm thankful to have our new washing system down and perfectly smell free diapers again! Green and energy efficient!

Shay is a stay at home mom of four children, cloth diapering for four years, a foster mom, and a regular TCDW blog contributor. When she's not homeschooling, changing diapers, or snapping pictures, she spends time blogging about their journey in the foster care system, family, cloth diapering, and raising kids. You can follow along at http://www.busybudgetmom.blogspot.com

Out with the old, in with the new!

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Making your own detergent

One of my new years resolutions was to begin being more thrifty and earth friendly. After having made my first batch of homemade laundry soap- I was hooked. It cleaned so well, and smelt so good! Could I possibly make my own diaper detergent? Surely you need a lab, some sort of scientific background...who can just whip up diaper detergent? After a lot of research, and I mean a lot- no way I'm going to ruin my stash by using something on my diapers that I shouldn't, I finally found, tweaked, made, and used homemade diaper detergent! It has been a few weeks now, over 20 diaper loads and we have had no buildup issues (you actually don't even use real "soap"), no odor issues, and no leaking. Actually, it's been pretty perfect so I thought I'd share! :

What you will need:
-baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
-oxygen cleaner (sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate)
-washing soda (sodium carbonate)
-A lidded jar or tub to keep it in.

Mix equal parts of all three ingredients, put into your container. That's it! I love that this is not a huge recipe, you can make however much you want to make or however much can fit into your jar. Use 2TBS for a medium-large load, and 1TBS for a small load. They do not come out smelling like lemons and watermelon, clean is not a scent. They smell like nothing, and they are clean! I am no expert, all I know is this has been working for our family, our budget, and our diapers!

**Disclaimer: Be sure to check with diaper manufacturer's to see if homemade detergent that contains these ingredients are safe to use on your diapers.

Shay is a stay at home mom of three little girls, a foster mom, and a regular TCDW blog contributor. When she's not homeschooling, changing diapers, or snapping pictures, she spends time blogging about their journey in the foster care system, family, cloth diapering, and raising kids. You can follow along at http://www.busybudgetmom.blogspot.com

Making your own detergent

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Captain Fluff Goes On Vacay!

A few weeks ago Captain Fluff went to visit his grandparents in Smalltown, USA. In Smalltown they have nothing and it’s pretty secluded so Captain Fluff really enjoyed himself. However, because it’s so secluded, they have super soft well water and Captain Fluff is used to using hard city water on his superhero diapers. Luckily for Captain Fluff his grandmother was able to help and give some hints about washing his diapers in this new water.

Captain Fluff’s mom had packed some samples of EcoSprout detergent so they were all prepared when Captain Fluff’s diapers needed to be washed. Instead of putting in the normal 4 tbsp of detergent like is needed in his hard city water, we were able to use only 2 tbsp of detergent in the super soft well water. After just two short washes, Captain Fluff’s diapers were squeaky clean and ready to be aired out in the beautiful sunshine.

There was just one little problem. Captain Fluff didn’t have his diaper drying rack! Not to worry, Captain Fluff’s grandfather was there to save the day! His superhero grandfather covered the bed on his truck and Captain Fluff was able to have all of his diapers dry in the nice, hot sun. And do you want to know an added benefit of all that sun on Captain Fluff’s diapers? They were so bright and white when they were dry that they all looked brand new!

One last tip to all traveling superhero moms: Don’t get discouraged! There is always a way to get the diapers clean and there is always another superhero parent, or grandparent, hiding just around the corner to help you out just in case you need it :)

Katy is a first time mommy to Captain Fluff and is expecting a superhero daughter before Thanksgiving. To see more pictures of Captain Fluff and his superhero diapers, check out Katy’s blog at http://thehenings.blogspot.com.

Captain Fluff Goes On Vacay!

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Cloth Diaper Lessons Learned the Hard Way

I love, love, LOVE me some cloth diapers.

I have too many to count (ok...I could totally count them, but I am kind of afraid to - I might have to admit I have a real problem if I find out how many I actually own!). I have every accessory under the sun. I cloth-diapered my son as an infant and a toddler, and cloth-diapered my daughter from birth.

In the past three years, I have learned a thing or two about cloth diapers. Mostly, which ones I like the best, which hold up the longest, how to wash them properly...that sort of thing. But the lessons that stick with me are the ones that I had to learn the hard way.

So, I'm hoping I can help you out here.

Here are a few cloth diaper lessons I learned the hard way.

1. Bring the diaper bag in from the car after a day out with baby. Specifically? BRING IN THE DIRTY DIAPERS. And then, throw them in the diaper pail. This little step takes only a few extra seconds.

You know what takes a lot longer than a few seconds? Power-washing poop off a diaper that has been balled up for weeks in a wet bag in the back of your car.

Some might just throw the diaper away. But not when it's a bumGenius! In your favorite color! That you thought you lost! And were excited to find when you *finally* cleaned out the back of the car, until you realized, "OH. There's something...in there..."

(I suppose this is would be a good advertisement for wet bags...they can really hold in the stinkies).

2. Always turn the diaper sprayer on the LOWEST SETTING when you go to squirt poop off a diaper.

A really messy diaper doesn't necessarily require fire hose-pressure from the diaper sprayer to get it clean.

Seriously - trust me on this one. Don't make this mistake. Unless you want to be like me, cleaning poop splatters out of every single crevice in your bathroom and then needing to take a shower afterwards, too. It's really not fun.

3. If you are using diaper cream (even cloth diaper safe cream!), use diaper liners.

I have an assortment of cloth diaper-safe creams that, on occasion, I use on my daughter. Well - a few weeks ago, she had a rash and I was using cream with every diaper change. And I got lazy. It said on the container, "Safe for Cloth Diapers!" and so, I decided to forego the liners and just put the diaper on her bare/creamed bottom.

MISTAKE.

A week later and all of my diapers are leaking/repelling. So fast-forward to now - several weeks down the road - diapers have been stripped (more than once) and I am *still* having issues with some of them.

So, here's what you do instead. Buy some disposable liners. Or, buy some reusable liners (you can make these yourself, and it's super duper cheap). USE A LINER EVERY TIME YOU APPLY DIAPER CREAM. And (I think this is just as important), if you are using reusable liners - throw the dirty ones in their own wet bag and wash them separately from your diapers. I can't say for sure, but I think that washing liners covered in diaper cream with all of your diapers is likely to cause repelling issues (all that diaper cream floating around in your washer!).

4. If something's not working for you, change it. Cloth diapering should make your life easier, not harder.

If you are sick and can't get to the laundry, use disposables for a few days (but throw that last load of dirty diapers in the laundry first...trust me...a diaper pail with three-day-old dirties, ummm, stinks).

If you can't sun your stained diapers every day (or even every week), let them have stains (in my experience, they'll come out whenever you do find the time to sun them).

If you are tired of spraying poop out of your dirty diapers, use disposable liners (hey, I think I'll take that advice myself tomorrow).

Cloth diapering should fit your lifestyle - not make you feel guilty or overwhelmed or overworked. There are no rules for cloth diapering!

But seriously, take it from me - turn that diaper sprayer down.

My name is Carrie and I am a Stay at Home Mom to two beautiful children, Jack and Claire. I like horses, tea, and getting fluffy mail.

Cloth Diaper Lessons Learned the Hard Way

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Vinegar and Baking Soda, the new Mr. Clean

When I first found out I was pregnant, many thoughts went racing through my head. There were so many different things that were not allowed from cleaners to medicines to jumping on trampolines (because that is something I do ALL THE TIME, I kid, I kid). As soon as morning sickness started to go away and I could stay away from the toilet for a prolonged amount of time, I started looking at Earth friendly household cleaners that were pregnant lady safe. I found a few and they seemed to work great but they were very expensive. It was at this time I started looking at cloth diapers. I was set on it from the get-go but dear hubby was not. He was very against it. I kept learning all I could about diapers while I researched other environmentally friendly household cleaners.

How many of you know vinegar and all its uses in the home? What about baking soda? I found out early on these are the only cleaners I need in my house. Vinegar is a wonderful disinfectant and it also doubles as a window cleaner. I keep a spray bottle of half water, half white vinegar under the sink and use it to spray down the counters in the kitchen, bathroom, and many other surfaces. It also cleans windows to a lovely streak-free shine. And for those of you wondering, the vinegar smell goes away after a minute or 2. What about baking soda? Shortly before my husband and I moved out of a house we were renting we began cleaning all those hard to reach places. One of them was not so hard to reach but often forgotten about: behind the knobs on the stove. Of course that area was covered in a nasty, sticky, grease. Anytime my husband would scrub it, it just smeared. I broke out some baking soda and made a paste with some water and it cut straight through the grease. Dear hubby was blown away. He told me afterwords he didn't think it would work but he figured he would let me try it. One victory for the wife :D

That was all while I was pregnant and cutting down on chemical cleaners. As we got nearer to the due date, I kept pushing cloth diapers since it would be another way to save money and hopefully would keep diaper rash far from our little man. My husband still said he would rather not. I managed to talk him into using reusable bags for groceries (at first he thought those were crazy as well) so I knew I would win with the diapers eventually. It took about 5 months after our son was born for him to crack. I just kept mentioning how much money we would save every time we bought diapers and finally! The moment I had been waiting for! I got approval to get the diapers. I think the thing that made him snap was when I showed him the diapers I wanted and had him pick out a print he liked. He found one really liked so I told him I would order 2 just for him. With that he caved. Little man is now almost 1 and in cloth diapers full time. We also plan on buying most, if not all, our produce from the local farmers market once it opens up (this weekend). We are also trying to find a nice line clothes drying rack so I don't need to use the dryer that much. I can't say my want to go greener and cut back on our carbon footprint goes back to cloth diapers because it goes back to the little bundle of joy those diapers save the butt of. Using cloth diapers full time makes me think all the other things we could do to cut back would not be that hard. If I can cloth diaper, I can do anything :)

By: Jessica M.

Vinegar and Baking Soda, the new Mr. Clean

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How I saved my diapers...and my sanity

Let me begin by saying that back when my (now) cloth diaper mentor told me that she was “obsessed” with cloth diapers, it only solidified my (then) opinion of her being crazy for using cloth. I gave them a try however, and five months in I have discovered the true meaning of being crazy for cloth. Or, if you ask my husband, perhaps just crazy.

It started when I noticed a small greasy looking black smear on the inside of one of my diapers. When I washed it again, the smear spread and soon the inside of that particular diaper looked very dingy. The same thing happened to a different diaper a few days later, and then another. I was truly perplexed. What was happening to my diapers?!?!?

Using my inner Sherlock Holmes, I traced the source of the problem to my diaper sprayer. I discovered that there were small black particles occasionally coming from the sprayer that were getting stuck on the diapers. When they went through the wash, it was creating a greasy smear. Hmmmm…

I told my husband the problem and expected him to immediately jump into action. Sure, he works full time and is also getting his master’s degree. And sure, it happened to be the weekend before his final exams. But these are my diapers we’re talking about!! What could be more important?!?!

So when he failed to immediately address the problem, I took the sprayer (and the toilet) apart myself. I ran water through all of the hoses. I filled buckets full of water and carefully strained it so I could show him the black specks. I stomped around the house and used the following lines: “This is RUINING the diapers! RUINING them!”, “Don’t you care that each of these diapers costs about $20 and now they look awful?”, “For every diaper that gets these smears on them, I will be completely justified in buying a new one” (I thought that one would get him…) and the ever popular, “If it was your computer that was broken, you’d have a repairman here by now!!”

None of this nagging appeared to be getting through to him, so I did the only thing I could do: I called my dad. Who also did not see the enormity of the problem and suggested that I wait until Monday and call the water company.

So that is exactly what I did. And on Monday, when they transferred my call to the county engineer and he asked me to explain the problem, is when I truly began to understand just how ridiculous I was acting. Here’s a script of the conversation:

Me: “There are small black particles coming from the water lines of our toilet. When they get rubbed together they smear.”
County Engineer: “Are you seeing them anywhere else?”
Me: “No, just in the toilet”
CE: (long pause) “How did you notice them?”
Me: “Um, well…we…we cloth diaper our son and we…have this, sprayer…like a little hose that we use to, um, spray the diapers off. And the stuff is getting on the diapers.”
CE: (painfully long pause, whereas I have no doubt he is wondering if I am joking and / or if I am a crazy hippie) “It sounds like there’s a rubber piece that is disintegrating and it’s coming through the hose.”

And eureka! Just like that the problem is solved! Except…my diapers still look dingy.

So maybe I am a little crazy…and maybe I did get a little worked up over some small black spots. And I’d like to say I learned my lesson about not being overly obsessive about the diapers…but I think my husband would say I didn’t. Especially after he recently found me in the laundry room at midnight with a toothbrush, baking soda, and some Dawn happily scrubbing those black marks away…

Kelsey Esber is a first time mom who really does try not to be so uptight about things. Just don’t mess with her diapers!

How I saved my diapers...and my sanity

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A Cloth Diaperer's Best Friend

The washing machine. It’s sort of like a cloth diaperer’s best friend. So when it’s taken away, a novice cloth diaperer might be a bit concerned. And believe me; I was.

When I first began my adventure in cloth diapering, I had a great set up. I lived in a basement apartment, and the washer and dryer were right smack in the middle of the apartment. Two months into this adventure, however, I moved. The washing machine was no longer right in the middle of my home. In fact, it was no longer in my home. Thankfully, I didn’t have to resort to a laundry mat; my apartment complex had a laundry facility. But I did have to go out the back door of my apartment, down a flight of stairs, and over to the basement of the apartment building next door. Not terrible, but not ideal – especially with a little one at home.

I was not going to give up though. I was determined to make it work, even if it did mean $2.25 every time I washed and dried a load. It also meant pre- and post-rinsing were no longer so convenient. That would mean an additional four quarters every time I rinsed. So I started developing a system – a system I am still perfecting.

Here’s how I’ve made it work so far. I have a wet bag in my little guy’s room and a wet bag in the bathroom. Throughout the day, I toss the dirty diapers in his room. At the end of the day, I lug the bag down the hall to the bathroom and dump the diapers in the tub. I run the water on hot and give those diapers a rinse; then I plop them in the bathroom wet bag. After a couple days of this routine, I’m ready to do laundry.

On laundry day, I dump all those diapers back into the tub for one more rinse. Then I put them (one more time) back into the wet bag and make the trek to the washing machine. Since I’ve already rinsed, I just do a normal wash. When they’re done, I empty the machine, and haul the diapers up to my back porch, where I hang them on my drying rack to air dry. By pre-rinsing by hand and air drying outside, I only have to spend a dollar per load.

So far, the system is working. It’s a little extra effort, and I will confess that whenever I’m spending time at a family member’s house, the bag of dirty diapers finds its way into their convenient washing machines. But overall, I really believe that I can make cloth diapers work even without a cloth diaperer’s best friend close by.

Bio: Aimee is a new mom and a new cloth diaperer. To learn more about her attempts at green and ethically living, check out her blog at www.littlechoices.org.

A Cloth Diaperer's Best Friend

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Laundry Day *GASP*

Every other day is laundry day in my household. At least when it comes to the diapers. I always try to get it going first thing in the morning because, well, lets face it, I can be a forgetful mama. I manage to get the diapers in to soak and then continue with my busy day. Next thing I know, 3 hours have gone by and my diapers are still soaking. I rush in to put them in a spin cycle so I can get them actually washing but again life gets in the way and I don't get the wash started for another hour after that. Then with any luck I will hear the washer finish the cycle and not too much time will elapse before they get put in the drier. Then the real fun starts...

My son has to be doing what-ever I am doing when I am doing it. That includes folding clothes and stuffing diapers. I try to save this task for when he is either down for a nap or down for the night but some times it just doesn't happen that way. So I sit down on the couch with the laundry basket of diapers by my side and attempt to get them stuffed in a timely manner. Then my little man decides to help momma. He runs over and tries to topple over the laundry basket to get to the goodies inside. When that fails, he leans over the top and tries to grab them out and take off running around the house with either the pocket diaper shell or the microfiber insert. If that plan fails, he will reach up and grab one of them I already stuffed and precede to run around the house with it. I have to say, I got lucky with the last batch of diapers I ordered. One of the pocket diapers had a different design so the opening for the insert is done kinda oddly. I have decided I don't like using those diapers so I always keep it out so I can give it to my little man to play with while I am trying to stuff the rest of his diapers. So far it has worked like a charm. He can take off running with it and I don't need to worry about if I need to hunt that diaper down and take away his toy so it can get ready for use.

I'm sure people could look at what I go through every other day just to keep my son in diapers and say its too much work or not worth it. I would say it gives me the chance to sit at home and play with him while I get something done. It is a little bit of work, I'm not gonna lie, but is it worth it? Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

By: Jessica M

Laundry Day *GASP*

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One Lucky Laundress!

Our family took a trip last week. Determined to stay in cloth, I packed up every last thing resembling a diaper that I owned, along with some flip disposable inserts as back-up, and took to the road/ boat. There were a few things on the agenda, some doctor’s appointments, errands, grocery shopping, and a quick trip to see my sister in another town while we were at it. I knew it would be a few days until we hit my sister’s house, where we could wash our diapers, so we did our best to make what we had last until then, using a handful of disposable flips to get us through.

At any rate, this post is about laundry…so here we go. I AM SPOILED! HUMBLED! Incredibly lucky in laundry! Please don’t hate me, but its true!

I knew from reading other posts that I had it pretty easy, but didn’t realize quite how easy until I was forced to use my sister’s system. She cloth diapers, and boy is she far more dedicated than I think I would be! My sister has a very small, energy efficient, low water consumption, euro-style washer/dryer (dryer element doesn’t work though, so she has a separate dryer also). She coached me through her routine, which varies, as she said she never seems to be satisfied with how clean her diapers are and has frequent battles with “funk”. The necessary routine involves a couple full heavy wash cycles, often an overnight soak in there somewhere, adding extra water whenever possible, and as I discovered, a pretty small load size to be “successful”. Even then, I am certain I could see the difference in brightness in just that one washing. All the same, my diapers were “clean” and ready to get me through the rest of the trip.

Neither of my sons has ever really had a rash. Maybe a bit of chapping for a very short-lived period, but nothing to ever be concerned about and nothing that lasted. Well, it seemed I had to change much more frequently to avoid him chapping up a bit after our little visit. Hmm. In addition, the diapers son had pooped in still had some staining, a problem I have not had at home thus far…

When we were close to home, but still a day away, I was running out again, and we were stopping overnight at my sister-in-law’s. She had washer, and was willing, so I threw our diapers in one more time. Alas, I forgot my “special” detergent! With apprehension, I dribbled just the slightest amount of hers into the washer, and crossed my fingers. My diapers came out looking better than at my sisters, but I had a sense of dread, and couldn’t wait to get them home and back through my own system. Sure enough, I have had a few leaks and more rashy bum than ever. My diapers are now in my own washer, getting stripped with dawn.

So, how can I be so lucky? In my two diapering experiences, I have had an old but trusty top-loading washer (safe for a good dawn wash), apparently great water, and only struggled a bit with son #1 and the dreaded wet diaper funk and buildup. Since then I have learned the wonders of dawn, the benefits of the “right” detergent, an occasional stripping, and the blessing of a top-loading washer. Son 2 has been a breeze.

To encourage those of you who might be daunted by the prospect of cloth diaper laundry, and see all the stories of horror as I have, I would like to offer my own routine as a positive possibility. You just MIGHT get as lucky as I now know I am! I will keep my fingers crossed for all of you.

My strategy…

• Cold prewash (bf poop and all), sometimes with a small spoonful of detergent, sometimes not.
• If my diapers have been sitting extra long or seem extra dirty, I might do a cold wash cycle with soak instead of the prewash.
• Full heavy hot wash cycle with Charlie’s soap or Rubymoon
• Follow with an extra rinse cycle.
• Hang-dry shells, machine dry inserts…if it’s any consolation, my dryer is not as wonderful as my washer…nothing EVER gets dry with one cycle, not diapers, not baby clothes, nothing…but I will not complain!

My wash routine is easy, my diapers sparkly clean. I have had little to no staining in the diapering of 2 boys, in spite of the lack of Alaska sunshine for sunning diapers. I am lucky, and now I know it. It is easy for me to love cloth…for some of you, I commend your dedication and am in awe now of your love! Keep it up wonder-moms!

Lynnette Wright lives in remote Alaska, and is the lucky stay-at-home momma of boys ages 2 and 2 months. An originally reluctant convert to cloth, when not being entertained by her two boys, she likes to research new tricks and find deals on new diapers to “test” so that she can be a more fully educated advocate of cloth to others!

One Lucky Laundress!

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Preparing for Battle

The time has come. I am arming myself with the essential weapons in preparation of the coming battle. The war begins May 21st and I anticipate a difficult skirmish which will last 7 long days. This battle takes place annually and is known by the name of The Flats Challenge. It will go down in history as an attempt by the cloth diapering community to forever squash the misconceptions about cloth diapering for low income families; families without access to a washer or drier; and to education those who already cloth diaper about the challenges that families in such positions face when considering cloth diapers.

Prepare yourself. These are the necessary tools and weapons.

• Essential weapon #1: 5 diaper covers per child. We will be using Grovia.
• Essential weapon #2: Prepared flat diapers.
• Essential weapon #3: Diaper sprayer (which is now allowed under the new rules of engagement for this year’s challenge).
• Essential weapon #4: Camp style washer. This is simply a 5 gallon bucket with a plunger used to agitate the diapers making hand washing easier.
• Essential weapon #5: Detergent.
• Essential weapon #6: A drying rack.
• Essential weapon #7: A willing spirit and a ready smile.

Training begins this week. Here are some training tips which will help prepare you for battle.

• Training tip #1: Practice washing your diapers with a camp style washer to test how long it will take you to clean the flats so you will not be caught off guard and run out of diapers.
• Training tip #2: Test how long it will take your covers and flats to air dry in your environment. Babies don’t like wet diapers.
• Training tip #3: Practice smiling in the mirror when your children are running around naked and screaming so you are prepare for almost anything.

God speed and may the fluff be with you.

Mindy Hill is a Drill sergeant to her two fluff privates, age 2 1/4 and 7 months. She enjoys challenging herself and educating herself about the challenges of cloth diapering. She has the upmost respect for those fighting real battles. You can follow the upcoming battle at happilyhillafter.blogspot.com.

Preparing for Battle

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Do as I Do

It is the sound of happy splashing which once again alerts me to impending disaster. I hurriedly rush to the bathroom to find “Destructo”, his shirt sleeves wet up to the elbows with toilet water, educating a family of rubber duckies how to swim in the porcelain pond. It is a regularly repeating scenario of late, and I again swoop in to avert a potential crisis.

“Destructo, we don’t put hands in toilets,” I calmly explain to my 11 month-old son. I see the accusation in his eyes, and revise my previous statement. “Okay, you don’t put hands in toilets, but Mommy is allowed to.”

I can tell he doesn’t think this sounds very fair.

“Only when I am spraying your diaper off, okay? The toilet’s not for playing. It is only okay to put your hand in the toilet if you are cleaning a diaper.”

I can anticipate already that next time I catch him it will not be duckies being thrown into the throne, but Thirsties.

Apparently, I am not being a fantastic example to my littlest Munchkin in the “Great Toilet War of 2012”, but I feel privileged that I get to be a role model for my kids in other areas of their lives. Cloth diapering has definitely afforded me the opportunity to share with my kiddos about real life issues in a tangible way that they can understand.

In an increasingly throw-away society, I demonstrate to my kids the benefits of re-using with every load of diaper laundry. They are absorbing, as quickly as a hemp doubler (now there’s a simile only cloth-mommies will get), the values of making do, being resourceful and trying to avoid waste, which, considering the way our planet and economy are doing, are never bad lessons to learn.

“Pass me the yogurt, please,” I ask my 8 year old daughter, as together we change Destructo’s diaper. She giggles when I smear the thick white goo (Greek style, in case you were wondering) across the little white bumps on little man’s tushie, which I suspect may be a yeast infection after a course of antibiotics. Sure enough, it clears up within a few days! Coconut oil is for eating, and for hair (my daughter was adopted, and has the most amazing, black mass of curls) but also for using in the place of diaper cream overnight. The cloth diapering community is awash with so many of these long forgotten home remedies, and it is exciting to see them being resurrected and to share creative, old-fashioned approaches to problems with my kids.

To be honest, until we entered the cloth-diapering community, I had never given much thought to the laundry detergent we use. Now, though, I not only ensure our diaper detergent is environmentally friendly, but try to stick to safer alternatives to our other cleaning, too. I have been introduced to the wonders of baking soda and vinegar, and every time they excitedly watch this volatile (but gentle) cleaning combination fizzle, I know that my kids are learning that it is the little choices we make that can have a big impact on the world.

I don’t mean to over-exaggerate when I say that cloth diapering has helped me to learn new things and make better choices as a Mom, which I am now privileged to pass on and demonstrate to my kids.

And let’s be honest here; my son’s hands would have been down the toilet even if he was wearing disposables, right?

Bio: Belinda Lamprecht currently lives in Africa with her husband, working for an international missions agency and raising her two kiddos, one who joined the family through adoption and one…ahem…the old-fashioned way. You can read more about their experiences at www.reaboka.wordpress.com

Do as I Do

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Becoming a Crunchy Mama

When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, there were many things to talk about and decisions to make. Thankfully, this is how our discussion on diapers went:

Me: So I’m planning on cloth diapering, is that OK with you?

DH: Yep, sounds good.

For us, there are a number of reasons we wanted to cloth diaper, economy, health of our baby and protecting the environment are among some of the reasons. Luckily my best friend had cloth diapers both of her little ones before me so I knew that modern cloth diapering was much different than when my Mom did it. I’m so proud to say that to date, my precious baby girl has never worn a disposable diaper (although we do use the occasional gRefills in our cloth diapers).

I have to admit that I’ve become another cloth diaper fanatic, spending probably way too much time researching and learning about cloth diapers. Unfortunately for me, I don’t live in the US or any other country that actually has modern cloth diapers. My parents were able to bring us some cloth diapers when our little one was born, and I’ll definitely be adding to my stash this summer when we visit our home in the US.

Being and expat though, has led to other issues, such as finding an appropriate cloth diaper detergent. One thing I’ve discovered living abroad is that we in the US have OPTIONS. In other words you can find just about whatever you want, and have 10 options to boot. Not so much where I live. There really isn’t any commercial detergent that I can use that is safe for us let alone our diapers, which means I had to come up with a solution by doing a bit of research and making my own.

I’ve been able to successfully find a detergent recipe that I feel good about using on our cloths and diapers, even without finding Borax here. All that hard work and research to make detergent (which in itself is actually really easy to make…3 ingredients, grate, mix, done!) led me to many great websites about green living and homemade cleaning/beauty supplies.

One of the first projects I worked on (after the detergent) was an all-purpose cleaner made of vinegar and orange peels. It was convenient to make because at the time hubby and I were eating about 6 Satsuma oranges a day. This cleaner is a miracle worker and as an added bonus, I felt safe using it while I was still pregnant. Now my cleaning supplies consist of our orange cleaner as well as lots of vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and a few essential oils.

I’ve also been finding was to take better care of myself, including making my own face wash, shampoo and conditioner and hubby and I have been incorporating more Green Smoothies in our diet to help get in our fruits and veggies.

While there are plenty of ways I’m not as green and “crunchy” as I’d like to be, I know I can continue working on them one at a time. And having an adorable baby girl is great motivation. Knowing how easy, fun and cute cloth diapering is for us makes going crunchy that much easier too!

Bio: Elizabeth is baby wearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding, cloth diapering crunchy mama to her beautiful 2 month old daughter. She and her husband are international teachers and world travelers, currently living in Brazil.

Becoming a Crunchy Mama

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