One Piece: Cloth Diapers

Showing posts with label Cloth Diapers. Show all posts

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

September series of Cloth Diapers

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Thursday, 18 August 2011

August collection of cloth diapers

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Monday, 4 July 2011

How to wash Cloth Diapers

How to wash Cloth Diapers

If you use cloth diapers on your baby eventually you'll have to wash them. Don't worry, you CAN have fresh, clean diapers with a minimum of effort! Washing cloth diapers requires a little more care than washing clothing, but it's easy once you find a routine and a detergent that work for you. To find your perfect routine, start with a couple of basic steps then try different variations to fit your circumstances, or whenever you want to try something different. The proper detergent is essential for washing cloth diapers, so be sure to pick a good one. Finally, browse our tips and tricks for more ways to make washing your cloth diapers easy!

Do you Know the Right Way to Wash Cloth Diapers?

If you ask one hundred families how to wash cloth diapers you'll probably get ninety-nine different answers. What works for one family may not work for another, so how do you know which routine is the right one? Actually, the only "right" way to wash diapers is what works for your family. Your laundering routine will depend on what kind of diapers you have, what kind of water you have, what kind of detergent you use, what kind of washing machine you have, and other variables.

To help you find a routine that works for you we've compiled a list of basic rules to get you started. Once you've mastered those you can experiment with some variations, and incorporate our tips and tricks too. Soon you'll be an expert and everyone will be asking YOU how to wash cloth diapers!

How to Wash Cloth Diapers - New Diapers

We know you're itching to get your new fluff washed and on your little one, but before you start up the washer take a moment to read these tips:

Try the diaper on your child before washing; use a wipe or other barrier to keep the diaper clean in case it doesn't fit.
Remove any construction marks with plain cool water - detergent or heat may set the marks.
Remove inserts from pocket diapers. Ensure all buttons to be unbutton before washing the cloth diaper

How to Wash Cloth Diapers - The Basics

These are the bare-bones basics; follow these rules and you'll have a good start in creating a washing routine that you'll love.

Remove as much solid matter as possible if your child is not exclusively breastfed.
Place soiled diapers in the diaper pail.
Wash every 2 or 3 days to avoid smells and excessive staining.
Start with a cold rinse.
Wash in hot water.
Use the highest water level your machine allows.
Use 1/4 the amount of detergent recommended by the manufacturer.
Rinse in the warm water.
Do an extra final rinse.
Hang outside for extra freshness and to bleach stains.
Do NOT use bleach or fabric softeners, including softener sheets.

How to Wash Cloth Diapers – Variations

This is where it gets tricky, or fun, depending on your perspective. Start by trying one variation for a while and if that one doesn't work, try something else.

Add baking soda to the initial cold rinse to fight stains and odors.
Use 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar in the final rinse to soften your diapers and remove odors.
Try adding 1/2 C lemon juice to the wash cycle to help remove stains.
Bac-Out has been said to help eliminate odors and stains.
A sunny window will work as well as hanging outside if you can't hang your diapers outside.

Tips and Tricks for Washing Your Cloth Diaper

Finally, some hints to help you wash your cloth diapers with ease. If have a great tip or trick not listed here please let us know so we can add it.

Don't wash more than two dozen diapers at a time.
Avoid Desitin and other zinc oxide diaper creams as they will stain your diapers.
Use flushable diaper liners with zinc oxide rash cream, or to make it easier to get rid of solid matter. Avoid laundry "soaps" as they may leave a residue on your diapers. (Dreft and Ivory Snow are detergents and OK for diapers)
Avoid detergents with "brighteners" or "enzymes" as these will break down your diapers and may cause a rash.
Take a "sniff test" after washing. If your diapers smell like detergent do another hot rinse, or try stripping to get all the detergent out.
Use a Downey ball to dispense vinegar in your rinse cycle if you don't do an additional rinse.
Apply lemon juice to stains before sunning to help get rid of stains then rewash those diapers before use.
If your diapers are "crunchy" after drying outside toss them in the dryer on the fluff cycle for 10-15 minutes to soften them up.
Running an extra spin cycle will help your diapers - or any laundry - dry faster.

All things considered, it's just as easy to wash cloth diapers as it to do any other laundry. In fact we think it's easier to wash cloth diapers than our delicates - and with all the bright colors and prints on our diapers it's a lot more fun too!

Laundering Mistakes!

Chlorine Bleach - Yes it is great for killing germs, but it is bad for cloth diapers, covers and your family. It will actually eat away at the fibers in your diapers, leaving holes and frayed edges. It also decreases their durability and absorbency. It may adversely affect the waterproofing in certain cloth diapers. Baking soda and oxygen bleach are great whiteners to use in its place.

Pure Soaps - Pure soaps are the more natural choice in the world of cleaners, but will leave a residue on your diapers and covers similar to the soap scum you find in your tub. Soap scum on diapers makes them repel moisture rather than absorb it. It is also harsh on the laminates used in your diaper covers, making them absorb rather than repel water. The best choice for washing your diapers is to use a natural clothes detergent.

Fabric Softener - This product is equated with super soft and fresh smelling clothing, so it is only natural that you would want to use it on your cloth diapers. This would be a serious mistake. Fabric softener, either in liquid or sheet form, leaves a water-repelling residue on your diapers, making them less absorbent and useless in the very purpose that they serve. It also coats your diaper covers and can deteriorate their water-proof laminate.

Happy Cloth Diapering !!!!

Sunday, 3 July 2011

First Step before using cloth diapers

Prewash Enough Times Before Use

For new cloth diapers, this is extremely important. Prewashing is needed to “prep” the diaper, especially the insert or soaker.

How to prewash:

Wash diapering items in warm or hot water by hand or by washing machine, using very little cloth diaper-friendly detergent or baby detergent
Wash separately from existing diapering items
Repeat prewash as necessary

Number of prewashes needed : 1 to 3 prewashes

More tips:

For a new diaper stash, prewash 3 times before first use.

Use Appropriate Detergent

Detergent could make or break your cloth diapering journey. Yes, it is THAT critical. Wrong detergent, too much detergent, or insufficient rinsing could lead to buildup the diaper fabric, resulting in leaks. Note these:

Use detergent without softener to prevent buildup (Also no enzymes to prevent diaper rash and no bleach to preserve the lifespan of the diaper).
Alternatively, use detergent designed specially to wash MODERN cloth diapers. (Some detergents state that they can be used on cloth diapers, when they are actually referring to traditional cotton nappies.)
Use 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended amount for each load. If you have a smaller load, use even less detergent.
Rinse thoroughly. Consider adding an extra rinse when using the washing machine. If washing by hand, ensure that there are no more soapy bubbles at the final rinse. (Agitation bubbles burst quite fast; soap bubbles stay around longer.)
Preferably use baby detergent for long lasting cloth diapers lifespan.

Saturday, 2 July 2011

All about Cloth Diapers

Why Use Cloth Diapers ????

Cloth diapering today is not what it used to be. When many parents think of cloth diapers, they think of flat diapers that need to be folded and fastened with diaper pins, and then covered with plastic pull on covers. Generally, they also think that the clean-up involved with using cloth diapers would be tedious and messy. It seems as though many parents have missed the total evolution of the cloth diaper that has occurred over the past decade or so. New choices in materials and high tech fabrics are causing an increasing number of parents to reconsider whether disposable diapers are the best choice. We have options now that provide us with cloth diapers that are elasticized so that they are fitted and snug, waterproof in many instances, breathable, and manageable with velcro-like closures or snaps. They are just as easy and as convenient to use as disposables. Of course, it is not just their functionality and convenience that has been affected by this evolution either. Cloth diapers available today are absolutely adorable, available in a variety of gorgeous colors, prints, and luxurious textures and fabric. That is a big selling point for many parents because there is nothing cute about a disposable diaper. Quite simply, cloth diapers are convenient, cost effective, healthier for our children, and better for the environment. I feel as though the real question parents should be asking themselves is, why use disposables?

Cloth Diapers Are Cheaper Than Disposable Diapers...

As a general rule, it is almost always cheaper to reuse than to buy new every time. This is no different with cloth diapers. Most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained those diapers are gone. They can’t be re-used. So a significant chunk of our hard earned money has gone to buying what is essentially garbage. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 3 to 8 hundred dollars. At a minimum that is about a 1200 dollar savings. But wait! Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children and your savings doubles and even triples. Of course, it is difficult to make any hard and fast statements in this regard because of the varying costs of diapers, electricity, water, and detergents. Yes, cloth diapers will usually mean an extra one to three loads of laundry a week, but if everyone were to weigh the extra costs of their electricity, water usage, and detergent, I think they would be pleasantly surprised. These costs are infinitesimal compared to the cost of expensive disposable diapers.

Cloth Diapers Are Healthier For Your Baby...

What should be of serious concern to all parents are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children. Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers.

Cloth Diapers Are Better For The Environment...

According to the Sustainability Institute, eighty percent of the diaperings in the United States are done with disposables. That comes to 18 BILLION diapers a year, just in the U.S. alone! These throw-away diapers require thousands of tons of plastic and hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. After a few hours of active service, these used diapers are trucked away, primarily to landfills, where they sit as neatly wrapped packages of excrement, entombed or mummified, undegraded for several hundred years. The idea of a "disposable" diaper is a myth; the ramifications of which will stay with us for centuries to come. They are the third largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers. The urine and feces in disposable diapers enter landfills untreated, possibly contaminating the ground water supply. When you consider the unnecessary depletion of our valuable forests, the huge volume of garbage created, the toxic air and water pollution, and the potential health risks to children, it is very difficult to comprehend how washing and reusing cloth diapers could ever be considered an inconvenience. They are a rewarding investment all around - a financial investment, an investment in our children’s health, and an investment in our planet.

What is the difference on usage wise between disposable and cloth diaper?

Many people misunderstand that cloth diaper works like conventional white cloth nappy - after 1 time pee, have to change. It is not true! Cloth diaper works like a disposable; except it can be reused over & over again. You only need to change it after 4-5hrs or more often if your baby is a heavy wetter or if he/she poo poo.

Cloth Diapers Are Every Bit As Convenient As Disposable Diapers...

The options available today prove that cloth diapering doesn't have to be inconvenient. Cloth diapers nowadays are fitted with elastic in the legs and back area and have easy hook and loop closures or snaps. Many different fabric choices and absorbency levels allow parents to choose the best diapering system for the individual needs of their child. It just can't get any easier. There is no time like the present to make a firm commitment to your child, to your pocket book, and to your planet. Start using cloth diapers today!

How do I use my One Size Cloth Diapers?

Put the insert in your diaper. Hold the insert in one hand and place inside the slot. Align the front edge of the insert with the top edge of the snap strip.
Using one hand to hold the front of the insert in place, stretch the diaper and smooth the insert flat as you pull your other hand out of the diaper.
We suggest changing as often as every 3-4 hours and adding more inserts to the pocket during nap and night time.
Adjust the diaper sizing by choosing the right snap setting on the front of the diaper. Your diaper arrives snapped down to the "large" setting; fully unsnap the front of the diaper. To use the "medium" setting, snap on the second row of snaps. To use the diaper on the "small" or "extra small" setting, snap on the bottom row of snaps.

What makes Cloth Diaper Better ????

OUTER LAYER

The outer layer is made of PUL which is waterproof and breathable. It can be washed and does not get deformed. No plastic cover is needed.

INNER LAYER

The Soft Micro Fleece inner layer pulls away moisture, keeping baby dry, comfortable and rash free.

INSERT

Insert is made of super absorbent microfiber. It is more absorbent than regular flannel and dries much faster.

POCKET

The patented pocket-style opening enables parents to customize the absorbency to fit each baby