Tips and Why Cloth?

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Tips and Why Cloth?

I am still working on this section :)

I am going to try to list as much useful information as I can here! Please let me know if there is something you think I should add. I love customer feedback!

LINKS

Top 10 Reasons to Cloth Diaper

Diaper Line ~ Sposie Math

Help! I'm new to cloth diapers.

The Diaper Jungle

WHY DO I CLOTH DIAPER?

There are a few reason why I cloth diaper our son. Here they are:

    Environment - I think it is horrible how many disposable diapers go into the landfills. I like the fact that I can do my part to keep our share of disposable diapers out of the trash by using cloth. My son's poop and pee will go where it belongs, in the toilet!

    Save - I will start by saying that I have not saved as much as I could. I like to try new things. So I do tend to buy more than we really need. I am always wanting to find the perfect diaper. I only carry diapers I have tried and like. I hope to be able to carry all of the ones I like to save others money too! I am going to be able to use all of these diapers for the next one and will save all over again!

    Health - My husband and I both had sensitive skin as babies. The only diapers that worked for us were Pampers. Guess what? For a while, Pampers were the only thing that worked for our son. We would cloth diaper our son at home and had to send him in disposables to day care. The cycle started over again. He got a rash. It would clear up in cloth at home and then get out of control in disposables at day care. My son's pediatrician wrote a note for him to be able to wear cloth diapers at day care. He has been rash free for a few weeks now! He has his one year appointment on March 4th. I hope to be able to post that his pediatrician gives us a note saying he needs to stay in cloth at all times.

Plus, how nice is it to see a adorable baby in a cute, fluffy, soft diaper!?!?!??

HOW DO I WASH MY SON'S DIAPERS?

Let me just say that what works for me may not work for you. Things that could make a difference: top or front loading washer, hard or soft water, water restrictions and more. I have an LG he washing machine and use Planet detergent. I hope to carry it in my store one day!

Here is what I do:

Spray - Scrape
    You only need to do this once your child starts solids. You can get a diaper sprayer or something similar if you like. I just use a wash sink and get as much of the poop off the diapers as I can. If you would like a sprayer, I can always order one for you :) You can also use a spatula to scrape the poop off. Just make sure you mark it ;)

Short cycle - cold water - heavy soil level - no detergent
    This takes 38 minutes on my washer. I use this as my rinse. You want to use cold so that you do not set in any stains or lock in stink in your diapers. This is just to get the majority of the pee and breast milk poop out of the diapers before the real wash.

Sanitary cycle - hottest water - heavy soil level - extra rinse - about 1/3 a cap of Planet 2x he detergent - 20 drops of TTO Lavender mix
    This takes 2 hours and 8 minutes on my washer. The sanitary cycle is the only thing that got rid of my stink issues. You never want to use as much detergent as they say you should. You typically want to use 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of detergent suggested. Too much detergent can cause buildup issues and lead to leaks. I use the Tea Tree Oil and Lavender mix to fight any possible yeast and bacteria that might try to invade. If you would like this mix, I can always order it for you as well :)

Short cycle - warm/cold water - heavy soil level - 10 drops of TTO Lavender mix
    This takes 38 minutes on my washer. I use this as an additional rinse. I take all the wet bags out before I do this last cycle so that nothing gets trapped in them. I add the 10 drops just to be sure that everything got a fair share. I am most likely over doing it...but it makes me feel better.

Dry - 30 minutes - low heat
    My wet bags are already hanging to dry. I do not put them in the dryer. I use low heat so that I do not kill the elastic. After the 30 minutes are up, I pull all the pockets and covers out and put them on the drying rack. The covers do not need to go in the dryer since they will dry fast on their own.

Dry - 20-40 minutes - medium heat
    I dry all the inserts, doublers and wipes on medium until they are dry. I then stuff all of my pockets and fold all my wipes.

WHAT NOT TO DO!

Use Bleach -
    This will void your warranty on the diaper. It will also break down the elastic and is hard on PUL (the waterproof layer in most diapers).

Put Wool in the dryer -
    This will shrink the soaker and misshape it.

Use Detergents that are not safe for diapers -
    Not all free and clear detergents are really free and clear. If you use a regular detergent you will get buildup that will cause your diapers to repel and leak. Let me know if you have questions about what you want to use. If your diapers start to repel you will need to strip them. To strip them you use a table spoon of regular dawn on a hot wash. Then rinse until there are no more bubbles.

Rinse on Hot -
    This will lock in the smell and set stains. You can get the stains out by sunning...but the stink is a little harder to get out. You might need to strip them.

Use diaper creams that are not safe for diapers -
    This could cause them to repel and leak. If you need to use a prescription cream, use a liner with your diaper. You can make them with a thin layer of fleece or buy them. I can order some for you if I am out. I use them and wash them with my diapers and have no problems.

Use fabric softener -
     This will cause the diapers to repel and leak. It is also possible that the softener that you use on your clothing can coat your dryer. It can then be passed to your diapers. You might want to use a diaper safe alternative if you have problems.

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