Preparing To Cloth Diaper Before Baby

Aside from buying cloth diapers (obviously), there are some things you can do to prepare for cloth diapering while you’re still expecting.

1. Put receiving blankets and thin baby wash cloths on your registry. Many people may not buy you cloth diapers because they’re not familiar with them or doubt you’ll actually use them. Some may simply make a mad dash to the nearest chain retailer hoping that you’re registered there. Receiving blankets are familiar, cheap and can easily be put to work as flat diapers. And those ultra-thin baby wash cloths? They make great wipes!
2. Learn about flats. Flats are probably the most intimidating of cloth diapers. I remember when I received my first one as a freebie with an order and I thought, “What am I supposed to do with this?” But once I learned some folds on YouTube (including the pad fold--duh!), I realized that if I could use prefolds, I could use flats. Flats are so easy to clean and take very little time to dry. You can even use them as inserts in your pocket diapers.
3. Print out cloth diaper care instructions and put them on your washing machine. Make it easy for others to help you with diaper chores by printing step-by-step instructions and any important warnings (e.g. “No fabric softener!”), putting the paper in a sheet protector and posting your instructions in plain sight. You can secure the sheet to the top of the washing machine with magnets or tape it to the wall directly above.
4. Scope out local sources for cloth diaper safe detergent. You can find many different brands of cloth diaper safe detergent online, but there may be a time when you need diaper detergent NOW. Familiarize yourself with what common detergents are safe and check out the detergent aisle in stores you frequent. And if someone offers to run an errand for you, it’s helpful to know exactly where to direct them!
5. Have a cloth diapering intro session. Spend some time with dad or anyone else who will be in your home regularly to help you out after baby comes, showing how each diaper is used and going over washing instructions.
6. Talk to your day care provider about cloth diapers. See whether you’ll be able to use cloth at day care or if there are special rules. If they have already been using cloth diapers on other babies, ask about what kinds of diapers they are familiar with and how they like them.
7. If you get a non cloth safe diaper cream, hide it! Don’t even keep it in the baby’s room. This way other caregivers won’t find it and use it. If you have a cloth-safe diaper cream or barrier like CJ’s Butter that may be unfamiliar to other caregivers, label it with a sharpie so they know what it is.
8. Get dryer balls. Did you know you can’t use dryer sheets with cloth diapers? Dryer balls help prevent static, make material softer and can reduce drying time.
9. Prepare to hang dry. Cloth diapers with elastic and waterproof lining hold up better if they are hung to dry. Figure out where you might be able to hang dry them in your house and get some clothes pins if you don’t have some already. Research space saving drying racks to find one that will work for your home.
10. Have disposables (or disposable liners) handy, just in case. Give yourself a break, mama. You’re doing a lot, and if using something disposable for one change, or overnight, or for a day gives you the break you need, by all means do it. You can put another cloth diaper on when that umbilical stump falls off, or when the laundry’s done, or when baby’s not with the sitter.

Bio: Amber Elbon lives in the Seattle area with her creative husband, curly-haired one-year-old boy, and sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.


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Preparing To Cloth Diaper Before Baby

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Did I Ruin My Diapers

With the many advances in cloth diapering technology the options are endless these days. This brings new excitement and ease to diapering our little ones, but it also makes many parents nervous. Once the initial unfamiliarity of cloth disappears, new feelings emerge. With the excitement of diapering a little one seems to come a fear of messing up.

Almost every day I come across a a cloth diapering mama on the Facebook group boards concerned that she will or did ruin her diapers for a variety of reasons. Daddy used the “wrong” detergent. Grandma used a “non-cd safe” diaper cream. Mama herself mistakenly put a cover in the dryer instead of line-drying. The good news is it is very, VERY hard to ruin a diaper! I think you almost have to TRY to ruin a quality diaper. But let’s address the common fears here.

Common Fear #1: I used the “wrong” detergent!
Don’t be afraid! If you used a non-cloth friendly detergent, one (or even a few!) washes won’t do much permanent damage. At worst, the enzymes may cause a minuscule amount of wear to your materials. If it was a fabric softener, just refrain from adding it in the future. Maybe there is little build-up, but a few hot washes should get rid of anything left behind. Some even find that a “non-safe” detergent is the only thing that will work for their specific situation. So you used the wrong detergent? Switch, and all will be well!

Common Fear #2: Oh no! Grandma used a diaper cream that isn’t safe for cloth!
Fret not! A little classic elbow grease and just a little drop of blue Dawn will tidy that diaper right back up. Use a toothbrush or other small brush to scrub, scrub, scrub. Rinse the diaper out and then add it to your usual wash cycle. To prevent having to scrub in the future, use a cloth-safe cream or a liner! Coconut oil has so many uses you’ll want to buy it in bulk!

Common Fear #3: My husband put the pockets and covers in the dryer… and with a dryer sheet!
In a perfect world we hang our diapers out on the line on a cloudless day, comfortable heat, and no humidity. They all hang picture-perfectly and come down smelling of the sun and a little bit of joy. In reality, sometimes we just don’t get it quite right. If the diapers went in the dryer on high heat just once, they are most likely alright. Generally heat can cause unnecessary wear and tear on the elastic and PUL/TPU (waterproof) materials. Most manufacturers do recommend line drying or no/low heat if you need to dry your diapers. If you used a dryer sheet just once, you likely won’t notice any difference. If it happens several times, you may need to wash some of the build-up out with a few simple hot washes.

Common Fear #4: Oopsie! I prepped a hemp insert with my normal wash!
It’s true, unbleached cotton, hemp, bamboo, and any other natural fibers should be prepped by boiling them or several hot washes on their own or with towels/linens. This rids them of natural oils. If washed with your normal routine, those oils can get on other diapers and cause repelling. Really though, one most likely won’t cause trouble. If it does, again, a few hot washes should wash that trouble right out!

Bio: Lynette is currently a SAHM to two sons, age 22 months and 2 months. She has cloth diapered both since birth and enjoys all things eco-friendly.


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Did I Ruin My Diapers

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Wool 101 - How to Care For and Lanolize Wool Diaper Covers

Caring for wool doesn’t have to be scary. When you first receive your wool covers you’ll need to wash them and lanolize them. This is a two step process. Once you begin using your wool you should only need to wash and lanolize them every 3-4 weeks. You will need a gentle wool wash or baby soap and some lanolin. Some of our favorite wool washes include the Eucalan wool wash or the GroVia Wool Wash Bar. For lanolin we prefer the Sheepish Grins solid lanolin or the GroVia spray lanolin.

How To Wash Your Wool Covers:

1. Fill a small sink, bucket, tub or basin with lukewarm water and about a tablespoon of wool wash. Be sure to mix the wool wash in with the water to evenly distribute the wash. Add your wool to the water being sure that the water covers your wool. The water should appear to be a little cloudy at this point.
2. Gently saturate the wool and move it around in the water. You may want to turn your wool inside out at some point. Gently hand wash your wool until you feel like the dirt and grime is gone. It may be necessary to do this process 1-2 times with fresh water if your covers are really soiled.
3. Gently squeeze the excess water from the wool and set it aside for the next step; lanolizing.

How to Lanolize Your Wool Covers:

1. Start with clean wool covers (following the steps above).
2. Fill a small sink, bucket, tub or basin with lukewarm water.
3. In a separate cup or bowl add boiling hot water, a teaspoon of lanolin, and a few drops of wool wash (or gentle baby wash). The lanolin should dissolve in the hot water and you shouldn’t be able to see any clumps remaining in the wash water. Add to the sink of warm water and wool.
4. Gently saturate the wool just like you did during the first wash being sure to get all areas of the covers wet. You’ll want the lanolin to soak into the entire cover. Now let it soak for at least 15-30 minutes. Letting your wool soak overnight (or for about 8-10 hours) will produce the best results.
5. After soaking remove your wool covers and gently squeeze out the excess water by hand. The best way to remove the most water is to lay your covers between dry towels and gently press the water out of the cover.
6. Lay flat to dry and then your diaper covers are ready to use. Depending on your climate, the temperature, and humidity; your wool diaper covers may take a day to dry.

You will want to repeat this process every 3-4 weeks. You will know when it is time to lanolize your wool if they begin to leak or smell of urine after they are dry. You will also want to wash and lanolize wool covers if they become soiled with poop. Otherwise, just air dry your diaper covers between uses and allow them to dry.

If you have questions about wool diaper covers or washing wool feel free to contact us for assistance.

Other wool resources:
http://theecofriendlyfamily.com/2009/09/all-about-wool/
http://www.clothdiaperrevival.com/2013/01/back-to-basics-how-to-prep-use-wool.html
http://www.theinquisitivemom.com/2013/02/nifty-nappy-printable-instrucitons-for.html#.UV3IHZPVUpg
http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/how-to-lanolize-your-wool-a-quick-video-guide/
http://paddedtushstats.com/2013/03/06/the-quick-and-easy-way-to-wash-and-lanolize-wool-cloth-diaper-covers/

Wool 101 - How to Care For and Lanolize Wool Diaper Covers

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Keeping Up With Cloth

As a mother of three little girls four and under, I am constantly strapped for time! Cloth diapering when I had two little ones seemed much easier than it does now, because recently I've found myself not having time to deal with the diaper laundry! There are times when I have wanted to give up completely, but cannot stand the thought of my lovely FuzziBunz stash not being used. I had to make this work, I love our cloth!

I ended up making my diapers their own schedule! Crazy maybe, but I had to dedicate two mornings out of my week for "Diaper Care Day!" When I will wash, strip, sun dry, and re stock our stash for the week to come! Our oldest two girls love helping me hang and stuff the fluff, it becomes a family thing!  It works perfectly for our family now, there is never "the last clean diaper" in our house!

Cloth diapering is great and has transformed our family, but it's obvious that it does take time and a little bit of work to keep up! Sure, it's not as easy as taking off a disposable and tossing it in the trash, but the savings, both money wise and green wise, is definitely worth it! So if your feeling a little overwhelmed or strapped for time when it comes to caring for your cloth, mark one or two mornings (or nights! whenever works for you!) to get it done for the next few days, and keep on a schedule so that it never comes down to having one more clean diaper and a pail of dirty diapers while your walking out the door to work! It works and it's worth it!

By Shay P.

Keeping Up With Cloth

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Storing soiled diapers

Soiled diapers: How do you store your diapers? Diaper Pail? Hanging Pail? Wet bag? What do you do use for on-the-go storage? Any tips/tricks for eliminating diaper pail and/or wet bag odors?

I wash diapers every 2-3 days, depending on how many she goes through. I wash when I am down to 2-4 diapers, so I have enough diapers to get me through washing. To store my diapers I use and trash bin with the foot lever lid, The 42L/13Gal size.

It fits the pail liners in it perfectly, I use either a Planet Wise Pail Liner or the XL Bummis one. I have two liners that I rotate with diaper washes. After I am done changing the diaper I pull the insert out of the pocket and place it on top of the inside of the diaper, fold in half and place in the bin. Now this works great if the diaper is not pooped. In that case I through the wipes and the insert in the bin and take the diaper to get the poop off, it then goes into the bin with the rest of them. I try not to get the diaper super wet and keep it folded in half to keep most of the water inside the diaper. I pull the inserts out right away because I am washing my hands any way and it makes throwing them in the wash way easier.

For odor control I sprinkle a little baking soda in the bottom of the trash bin before I put the liner back in. I do this about once a month or so. Every 2 or 3 months I also take the bin and rinse it out with water and soap and let it sit in the sun for a few hours.

When I am out I have a medium planet wise that I keep either in my purse or diaper bag, depending on how long we plan on being gone. For two of my other children I used a gallon Ziploc bag, it worked and did its job, but the wet bag is easier to wash out and holds up better.

- By Angela S.

Storing soiled diapers

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Product Focus: Northern Essence

We offer natural handcrafted soaps, lotions, baby products, healing salves and so much more! Come try our famous Diaper Rash Salves, Creams and Wipes Solutions, they were formulated to be safe to use with all Cloth Diapers! We carry specialty products for the nursing mother and allergy sensitive babies & children. Come and see our full line of Wool care products, including many other products for you cloth diapered babies needs. We are always working on new and exciting products for the entire family!

Some of our products:
Northern Essence Whipped Baby Lotion - Baby Bliss
Northern Essence exclusive...you will love this rich and creamy lotion! Try our Exclusive Baby Bliss Scent that everyone raves about(a baby powder scent with just a touch of sweetness!). Perfect for a quick baby massage, absorbs fast! Use it for your little one, give it as a gift or even use it for yourself (I do!) Made with wonderful ingredients such as: Shea Butter, Grapeseed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil. All wholesome goodness, whipped to perfection...for your perfect little one!

Northern Essence Soothing Buttermilk Baby Bath
We've teamed up Buttermilk and added some soothing ingredients for a wonderful baby milk bath! A WINNING COMBINATION TO SOOTHE, RELAX AND COMFORT your lil' angel! Just perfect for baby's precious skin. So gentle and pure, unlike store bought detergent-based "baby baths". Only the BEST for YOUR LITTLE ONE. Great for the whole family!!

Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve
Our Diaper Rash Salve has always been one of our top sellers. Our Diaper Salve contains only ALL NATURAL ingredients such as Healing Calendula Infused Oil, Therapeutic Emu oil and natural un~refined Shea & Cocoa Butters! Contains NO lanolin or petroleum. Carry one in your diaper bag and have one near your diaper changing station!! Safe to use on Cloth Diapers!

Northern Essence Diaper Dust
Finally, a diaper powder that you can put on a baby's bottom and not feel guilty about it! Our diaper dust is talc-free and will not cause yeast infections. Great for heavy wetters, especially for use during naps and bedtime! Also works well for providing protection from diaper rash.

Northern Essence Better Butt(er) Cream
Finally a cream that you can use when your baby has a yeast infection and it WILL NOT irritate it! Safe to use on cloth diapers. Contains no Essential Oils, only conditioning oils and butters including: Hemp Butter, Shea Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil and many more. It also contains GSE (grapefuit seed extract) in it, we triple whip it to give it a fluffy appearance and super smooth texture.

Northern Essence Tea Tree Oil/Lavender Free Wipes Solution
This is natural wipes solution but without the Tea Tree & Lavender Essential Oils. Made with the same gentle ingredients...including a very mild glycerin soap, THERAPEUTIC calendula, and gentle Apricot Kernel Oil, plus we have added other beneficial essential oils for a baby's skin! Use it to gently clean and wash baby's bottom, can also be used for the entire family! We keep ours in a wipes warmer, ready to use for diaper time or quick clean-ups for hands and face. Has a clean fresh citrus scent.

Northern Essence Pure Liquid Lanolin
100% pure top grade liquid lanolin. Free of solvents, fillers, excipients, preservatives, chemical additives and colors.

About the owner:
We are located in a rural town in Northern Georgia. We have 5 children that range in age from 20 down to 4. My husband has been a Police Officer for over 22 years and I am also a former Police Officer that decided to take a large career change to stay home with our children and become a WAHM! Our middle son has suffered from sever eczema since he was a baby. After many oral medications and medical creams, we came upon Northern Essence products. We began using them and soon fell in love! In 2004, Northern Essence was for sale and I has recently left my Police career. I decided to purchase the business and have been enjoying it ever since. We have expanded into many different products that cater to the natural mom/family. We are looking forward to many more years to come.

Product Focus: Northern Essence

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Mission Organization: Cloth Diaper Storage

When I began cloth diapering seven months ago, I had two little ones in diapers. My oldest son, Ian, was 26 months old, and my youngest, Brendan, was 3 months old. After much research into the world of cloth diapering, and the multitude of options I found, I chose to begin with a stash of 24 one size Bum Genius 3.0 pocket diapers. These diapers fit both boys, and easily stacked into my existing diaper stacker that hung on the wall of the nursery. After a few months had past, my two year old began to outgrow the bumGenius diapers. Refusing to go back to disposables, I added 6 Large Thirsties Fab Fitted diapers and 3 Thirsties Covers to my stash. Now that I had 24 diapers for my infant, and only six for my toddler, I found myself doing laundry every day, thus the need for more large diapers. I preferred the pocket style diaper over the fitted diaper, so over the course of the next few weeks, I purchased 12 Large Fuzzi Bunz to get my toddler through potty training.

As you might imagine, I could no longer fit all the diapers into my diaper stacker. I found myself stashing diapers in any and every empty drawer I could find…not the best method of organization when I searching for a diaper with a wet, wiggly child on my hands. At about the same time, I ran across a fabulous idea for cloth diaper storage on a pregnancy and parenting forum that I regularly post on. This cloth diapering momma had purchased a toy storage unit with individual plastic bins, and instead of putting toys in the bins, she stored her diapers in it. I had the exact same storage unit in my son’s room, so I found new homes for his various toys, and moved it into the closet in the nursery. The diapers fit perfectly, and there is a bin for each diaper style, as well as accessories such as inserts, doublers and my cloth wipes.

To save time during diaper changes, I stuff all of my pocket diapers after washing them, and then separate the ones with overnight hemp inserts by using a specific color diaper. This makes it easy for anyone (my husband, babysitter, grandma etc.) to differentiate the different types of diapers without having to peak inside the pocket. Not only has this diaper organization worked well for us, but I also get to enjoy looking at all of the cute fluff each and every time I go into the nursery to change a diaper.

By: Katrina W.

Mission Organization: Cloth Diaper Storage

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What's that Smell?

No one enjoys pooh-pourrie! However, when your little one hasn’t had a bowel movement and the malodorous smells emanating from the diaper singe your nose hairs – clearly you have a problem with the funk!

Before discussing how to solve this stinky dilemma it’s important to understand the source of the problem. The two main culprits causing stinky diapers are detergent and/or hard water residue and bacteria.

Detergent residues can build-up and lead to stinky diapers in addition to repellency, leaking and wicking issues. For those with [untreated] hard water, detergent and minerals are being deposited onto your diapers, causing some of the more offensive smells. Stripping is the only way to correct stink problems caused by residue and/or hard water.

There are numerous recommendations for stripping diapers. This is a topic that could provide days worth of posts. Ask a number of people how to strip – and you’ll get a number of responses. However, it’s very important to consider what type of cloth diaper(s) you will be stripping as some processes are not good or safe for all cloth diapers. All in one’s and pocket diapers require a bit more care and caution as to not cause damage to the PUL and elastic. Flats, prefolds, and most inserts are easier to strip as the cotton and/or hemp fibers can tolerate alternative methods such as boiling water. Ultimately the best advice is to keep it simple!

With that in mind – the simplest and usually safest way to strip detergent residue from nearly all diapers is to wash your diapers in hot water (with no detergent); followed by a cold rinse (warm rinses, if an option on your machine do work best at residue removal). Continue the hot wash and cold rinse cycles until no bubbles or cloudy water remain. (I would post alternative methods but this post would be much longer than it already is!)

For those with hard water and mineral buildup, you will need to add a non-precipitating water softener (such as Calgon or Spring Rain) to the initial hot wash and to the initial cold rinse. Non-precipitating water softeners work to suspend the residues and mineral deposits in the water and prevent them from being re-deposited until they are rinsed away. (Note: Non-precipitating softeners also work relatively well for those with iron deposits in their water supply.)

Maintenance/Prevention: Add an additional rinse after your wash. If you notice your detergent not rinsing thoroughly after the additional rinse then you may consider adding vinegar to your rinse cycle. Vinegar serves a number of purposes; it works to restore the pH balance to your fabrics washed in highly basic/alkaline water, aids in removing residue deposits from detergents as well as mineral deposits, and naturally softens fabric and alleviates static cling. A little vinegar goes a long way, so a ¼ cup should work well.

Some diaper manufacturers do not recommend the use of additional vinegar or baking soda. I personally believe they discourage the use of additives altogether because most people are unaware of the appropriate amounts to use and using too much can be damaging to your diapers or even compound stink issues. However, I could be wrong.

Bacteria is the second most common culprit. Wet and soiled diapers are a natural breading ground for mold and bacteria. This is why it is especially important to wash your diapers frequently and use the hottest temperature possible. While most detergents are capable of thoroughly cleaning your diapers, some are not strong enough to rid your diapers of any residual bacteria. In all fairness, it’s not the detergents fault. Most, if not all, detergents were designed for laundering typical household laundry not heavily soiled diapers.

If bacterial residue is causing your stinky diapers you will need to disinfect them. This process seems simple but is a bit tricky as the methods for disinfecting will vary greatly depending on what type(s) of diaper(s) you have. The more acceptable cloth diaper friendly disinfectants are oxygen bleach, vinegar, tea tree oil, and grapefruit seed extract. Lastly there’s the B word: bleach. [I can hear some of your gasps!]

Again, keep it simple! It would be best to consult with your diaper and/or laundry detergent manufacturer for their recommendations regarding disinfecting. Disinfecting all in ones and pockets are more challenging than prefolds because special care must be made for the PUL.

Oxygen bleach does an excellent job at disinfecting when combined with very hot water and a bit of time to allow the compound to properly kill bacteria. Vinegar is also another option to disinfecting diapers; however since a larger amount is required to be effective (usually around 1 cup) it may not be the best option for all in one and pocket diapers. For effective disinfecting you would need to add it to your regular wash cycle (not the rinse cycle as previously recommended for detergent residue problems).

Tea tree oil is a natural essential oil with antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties; therefore it also works great for diapers with yeast and mold problems. Although some will not recommend using this for all in one and pocket diapers you may still use this option so long as you use it sparingly (a few drops should suffice) and implement a very hot wash (or two) and an extra rinse to ensure the oil residues are thoroughly rinsing out.

I’ve also discovered grapefruit seed extract. It has antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic and antifungal properties. It’s excellent for laundering because, unlike tea tree oil, you do not have to worry about the oil residue. This option is also ideal for use during and after a nasty viral infection, such as Rotavirus.

Bleach is often recommended as the last stitch effort when all else has failed or when you want an immediate solution. I know, I know – bleach is typically considered the mother of all evils in the cloth diapering world but ultimately, it does get the job done when nothing else works. bumGenius is the only cloth diaper manufacturer I know of who approves of the occasional use of bleach, even for their all in one and pocket diapers with PUL! Of course 1 or 2 tablespoons is more than enough to be effective. I would personally recommend using the largest volume of water your machine can accommodate and allow the bleach to dilute in the water before adding the diapers. Since it is best to err on the side of caution, follow up with a hot water wash (no detergent) and an extra rinse.

Post contributed By Serena

[Disclaimer: Every caution has been taken to provide the readers with the most accurate and safe information as possible. Please use your discretion before taking any decisions based on the information in this blog. The author and/or blog owner will not be held liable if you suffer any loss or damage as a result of using the information provided in this blog.]

- Thanks French Toast Girl for giving us permission to post her "smelly diaper" image.

What's that Smell?

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