Stripping Diapers

Cloth diapering in northern Canada is about the same as cloth diapering anywhere else, with one notable exception: line drying is not an option 5 months out of the year. We just don’t get any direct sunlight, so even when the temperatures are conducive to line drying, the sun isn’t strong enough to deodourize or remove stains. Thus, when my dipes started to stink on a few days ago, I broke out the ole computer and looked up cures.

Today, I tried the Dawn Dishsoap method. IT WORKED!!! No more stinky diapers! And how did I do it? Well, it goes something like this:

1. Wash diapers in HOT water with one to one-and-a-half tablespoons of original formula blue Dawn dishsoap.
   
2. Rinse in HOT water 3-5 times. This is important, as you need to get ALL of the detergent out of the diapers (and it will also remove any previously accumulated buildup). To ensure that you’ve rinsed enough times, peek into the washer just as it’s finished agitating, but before it’s started the spin cycle. See lots of bubbles? Rinse again!


3. Dry as usual. (Like many Canadians, I have a drying rack inside to combat the dry air in the house. Drying laundry indoors is WAY cheaper than a humidifier!)

Not only did this method get rid of the stinkies, but stripping your diapers can help if you’re finding that they don’t have quite as much absorbency as they once did.

**Note from Heather: this method of stripping is safe for all types of diapers and is recommended by many manufacturers, BumGenius and Knickernappies included. It does require the use of original blue Dawn dishsoap.

--Written by Alannah

The Cloth Diaper Learning Curve

It is said that a child learns more in their first five years than at any other time in their life. I think the second biggest learning curve comes when you become a new parent and even more so when you make the decision to use cloth diapers!

Not knowing anyone else that used cloth, I began researching my options in the middle of my pregnancy. I combed the Internet as if I was compiling information for a thesis - comparing and contrasting products, reading hundreds of reviews and expert articles. Learning all the ‘CD’ terminology, I felt as if I was immersed in a new language!

When I was satisfied that I’d become a mini-expert myself, I ordered a whole set of prefolds and covers. When they arrived I looked up the various folding techniques, tried them on my teddy bear, found the easiest one and feeling smugly confident, put them away ready for when baby arrived. Ha...little did I know, that I was just on the bottom rung of the learning curve!

When my small 6lb 2oz bundle of joy arrived I wanted to put her in the cloth diapers from day one, but try as I might, the origami that had been so easy on teddy was impossible on this fragile little baby. They were just too bulky, cumbersome and I began to fret that my boxes of prefolds would go to waste. It took two months until she grew big enough for them to fit comfortably and I was confident in the whole process. Phew...at least we were beginning the cloth journey and I moved a step up in my learning!

But the learning curve is a steep climb and I was not done yet! I started out using pins but as soon as my babe started to wriggle I knew I had to get an alternative which thankfully came easily in the form of the marvellous Snappi’s - these made me feel so much like a pro! But then I found that the liners, which I had initially ditched because of their inability to contain poop from a breastfed baby, were a necessity after 6 months and I had to order many more so that diapers were easier to clean. I also went through a range of about 4 different diaper covers before I found the one that really worked for us in the form of Thirsties. Then when I decided to use cloth at night, the research began again into Pocket Diapers and through trial of a selection we found our favourites to be Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heiny’s and Knickernappies.

So nowadays, when cloth diapering seems like second nature, I look back on the journey and admire the view from somewhere near the top of the learning curve!

--written by Terri H.

Cloth Diapering on a Budget

In these turbulent economic times, the cloth diapering industry has actually seen a boost in sales. Why? Simple – using cloth rather than disposables saves money.

However, with the amazing array of diapers and accessories that are now available it can be easy to get carried away with purchases and end up spending a small fortune on a diaper stash! Whilst I sometimes peek enviously at the stashes of multi-coloured, fabulously designed diapers that some people display, it’s not an option I can afford. Instead, I have learned that with a few strategic purchases all my cloth diaper needs can be satisfied and I have saved $1000’s when compared to the cost of disposables.

I think the first word in budget cloth diapering has to be ‘Prefolds’. Prefolds have so many advantages, with the main ones being that they are inexpensive, easy to clean and quick to dry. They are so durable that many mothers report that they last through several babies and then get recycled as household cloths! I have about 30 prefolds in the size my baby wears now and this is enough to always have some ready with a routine of washing every 2 days.

The next money savers are One-Size Diapers. These one-sizer’s usually come as Pockets or All-in-Ones and since most claim to fit babies from 7-35lbs they will usually last for the duration of their diaper life. Since they are more expensive, I have saved on the amount I need by only using my pocket diapers for night time, long journeys and when baby goes to Granny! By trying a few different ones I have found those that I like best and I recommend trying one of each type before splurging on just one brand.

Another potential cost cutter is the One-size Cover. Both Thirsties and Wonder Wraps offer a range of one size covers and although I have not tried these yet, I love the regular Thirsties covers so I think the one-size version will be an investment for my next baby on the way!

Spending on cloth diapers usually requires one major purchase which psychologically can seem to be an expensive outlay when compared with disposables which are usually bought on a weekly basis. I found that online cloth diaper calculators to be a great way of showing me how much I would be saving and further convince me that for my budget, cloth is the way to go!

--Written by Terri H.

Cloth Advocacy

My, what bright eyes you have! My, what porcelain skin you have! My, what a fluffy bottom you have! These are all comments that my five month old daughter might receive on any given day and they are all quite true. The secret is that my daughter was not born with that adorable, fluffy bottom. We can only attribute that cuteness to our love of cloth diapering. Revealing our secret normally leads to a conversation where I resolutely extol the virtues of cloth diapering.

The manner of questioning usually goes something like this. Is it hard? No, cloth diapering is actually a piece of cake. Everyone from my husband to my sitter joined me in this cloth diapering adventure. Using pocket diapers or all-in-ones usually takes away the initial fear friends and family have of using a cloth diaper. They are very similar to disposables and are virtually fool proof.

Is it a lot of work? Well, clearly it is more work then taking off a disposable and putting it in the trash. However, the benefits make it worth the extra effort. It feels great not to lug out garbage bags laden with dirty diapers to the trash every day. It also feels great to pull off the diaper and see a sweet baby bottom without a diaper rash! In addition, it feels great to not have to spot clean all of the baby’s cloths because she does not have blow outs in her cloth diapers! So although there is the extra load of laundry every couple of days, laundering the baby’s clothes has become much easier.

Is it expensive? There is an initial investment to make, but once you make it, you will be saving money. You can generally reuse cloth diapers on more then one child and the savings grow exponentially the more you use them. However, even if you only use them for one child, you will see savings over buying disposables. Where can I find them? Well, let me tell you about this wonderful website called http://www.clothdiaperoutlet.com/...

--Written by Angela M.

My thoughts on pockets

My thoughts on pockets. I love them. I love the stay dry aspect. All the ones I've tried are dry to the touch and I have to pull the insert out to feel that he's wet! I don't mind stuffing them and I don't mind pulling out wet inserts. It's just baby pee. My baby's pee to be exact. I love that you can customize absorbency as well. I've tried a few and these are my thoughts on them.

Happy Heiny's- I absolutely LOVE the cow print and also the monkey print. These are favorites of my six year old daughter (which is really important...LOL!). I have both snaps and velcro and like each one for different reasons. Snaps because they don't cause diaper chains in my dryer, velcro because its a bit more adjustable and easier to put on a baby who is attempting a fast break. They fit my chunky thighed baby well and work great for the daytime. I haven't had as much luck with them at night, but I think that might be an insert issue. I plan on ordering a SuperDo to try in them.

Knickernappies One Size-I love that these are made in Oregon (where I'm from) and I like the smooth front. I have a hard time getting the snaps on the side adjusted, but they do fit well and we haven't had a leak with them. I think with time I might get better at the side snaps. I have had good luck with rise snaps not popping open. They come with two fantastic inserts-the LoopyDos and we LOVE those. They absorb really well! They are such a great value because they come with two inserts and I've had great luck using the smaller LoopyDo to boost absorbancy for nighttime or inside a pocket if we are just hanging out at home and I know I will change him relatively soon.

FuzziBunz-No complaints on these at all. I have a very big 6 mo old and he fits on the tightest setting, so these will last us until potty learning. The one I have has been washed tons of times and it still looks brand new. I haven't tried them at night, but I'm guessing with the right inserts, they would be great!

--witten by Krista B.

My Cloth Diaper Journey - A "newbie" perspective

Right now I'm at the beginning and really loving it. I bought one (or a couple in some cases) of every kind and am starting to see there are positives and negatives to each kind of diaper and within that positives and negatives in each brand. This is my take on it so far.

AIO/AI2s:
Bum Genius: They stay dry to the touch, even at night. I love this part. They work great at night when stuffed with a Loopy Do, even for my nursing all night supper soaker. They are made out of a soft and comfy waterproof material that is soft to the touch. I could see how these would be perfect for people who are not positive they want to cloth diaper or for daycare/grandparents/reluctant partners. They do take some time to dry, though, so I turn them inside out so the soaker inside dries. I love that you can stuff these with extra absorbency at night, but they work fine alone for the day. The only problem I'm having is they seem to be a bit smaller than my other mediums and I don't think they' will last my chunky monkey as long. They don't come in snaps and I often end up with diaper chains in my wash and dryer, but usually from other diapers attaching to them.

Bum Genius Organic: I love the snaps. I love the onesize aspect and the fact that the snaps stay shut when trying to put them on my son. I love the fact that they are organic cotton. I'm not as big a fan of the fact that they are wet to the touch (though my son doesn't seem to mind) and they take a really, really long time to dry. They would make a very simple diapering system if you are interested in only cotton by your child's skin and had enough for the extra drying time.

SposoEasy: Like the organic aspect. I prefer the snaps over the velcro. These are easy, quick, convenient and dry a lot faster than the BG ones. The soaker is only attached at one end, so they don't have to be turned inside out to dry either. I haven't had luck with these overnight, but for days and for tossing in the diaper bag, these are great!

GroBaby System: Very soft to the touch, wonderful velcro, great snaps. I could see how someone might like this system with the ease of just snapping liners in and out. These would be pretty economical and would work for one-sized diapers as the snaps are awesome and don't pop open when I put them on him. I like variety, though, and I think this is best suited for someone who just wants one system and nothing else.

--written by Krista B.

Velcro or Snaps?

With all the cloth diaper options out there, it is tough to decide what will work best. Choosing between snap and Velcro closure is no exception. I am a big fan of both and each kind has its advantages & disadvantages.

In my opinion, Velcro is the faster, easier choice & I’ve found that other family members (even my husband) and day care providers prefer these. The Velcro is more closely constructed to disposable diapers & getting a good tight fit is generally pretty easy. If you aren’t going to be the only one changing baby’s diaper, then it might be a good idea to keep some Velcro diapers in your stash.

While snap diapers may not be quite as fast to get on, they are better choice for longevity. Velcro tends to wear out faster with all the washing that the diapers require. If you are hoping to use your diapers for multiple children, snaps are probably the way to go. Snaps are also better for sneaky little fingers that like to take diapers off as it is not as easy to get the snaps apart as it is Velcro.

Both kinds of diapers are wonderful & the most important thing to remember is that no matter what kind of cloth diaper you use, it will always be better than disposables J

--Written by Missy Zanotto