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Cloth Diapers?

lliang_chi

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Mar 13, 2008
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Mayer, yest TotBots is a tongue style AIO.

Kunzite, LOL about your boys smelling like VS body spray. OMG, my DH is super sensitive about perceived girly stuff. Example: I bought a pair of baby legs that are striped : orange, turquoise/green, blue and yellow and he was like "This is girly. Don't put them on him anymore." Then he bought a sippy cup that's lavender and yellow. So I of course gave him the same "This is girly" line that he gives me all the time. Petty? Yes, did it feel good, DEFINITELY!
 

lliang_chi

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Mayer, yest TotBots is a tongue style AIO.

Kunzite, LOL about your boys smelling like VS body spray. OMG, my DH is super sensitive about perceived girly stuff. Example: I bought a pair of baby legs that are striped : orange, turquoise/green, blue and yellow and he was like "This is girly. Don't put them on him anymore." Then he bought a sippy cup that's lavender and yellow. So I of course gave him the same "This is girly" line that he gives me all the time. Petty? Yes, did it feel good, DEFINITELY!
 

PilsnPinkysMom

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Oct 11, 2008
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We went to the Great Cloth Diaper Change record breaking event today (our local Denver one), and I thought of all of you mamas! Anyone else go to an event in their city?
 

mayerling

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Mar 4, 2010
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Hi, PPM! It's nice to see you on the boards :wavey:

There were no Real Nappy Week events in my city (in the UK) :(sad , but I'm participating in some competitions on FB in hopes of winning some CDs.
 

lliang_chi

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PPM, how fun you went to an event in Denver. TBH, I didn't look too hard in Chicago as I knew I'd be busy this week/weekend.

Mayer, good luck winning some new fluff! I think I've been able to salvage our diapers for another year(?) and I might do a re-vamp if Ethan's not potty trained after that.
 

Kunzite

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PPM - So cool! I really wanted to go this year since, fingers crossed, it's the only year all three are in diapers! Too bad I spaced it :((

I just ordered the new BG print Irwin even though we have plenty of diapers! Sigh. I just can't resist a cute diaper!
 

megumic

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Mar 8, 2009
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Hey CD mamas. Any tips for using CD at daycare? C starts next week and they've agreed to CD. I've already purchased nice sized wetbags....any other suggestions?? Are pockets or prefolds easier for them (we don't use snappis...just trifolded)?
 

lliang_chi

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Meg, pockets for sure, hook & loop is the easiest for them. But snaps work too. The best is to get snaps that have 3 per wing, two for the waist and one for the thigh. Daycare doesn't always snap all of Ethan's buttons, so with more, I feel that he has a better shot of the diapers staying on. Pack LOTS of changes of clothes in the beginning as they get used to them. And Ethan goes through 5-6 diapers a day, being changed every 2 hrs. I like to keep 7 there
 

lliang_chi

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Meg didn't answer you about prefolds. You can totally do that too, I did in a pinch, but my daycare definitely preferred pockets. We didn't use snappis either just folded into the cover.
Buy at least 3 wetbags: 1 to take to daycare, one that's in the wash, and one to toss in your diaper bag if you need to take him to the doctor or whatever.
Ask if your daycare can mark the color/print of the diaper when your baby has a BM. It's usually on a form: time, BM or Wet, Ointment etc. Just have them put "GRN, BLU, owls, monkeys" etc, so you don't get "surprises" when you're unpacking the soiled wet bag.
 

mayerling

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Is it worth using cloth wipes if you don't have a diaper sprayer? Is it even possible?
 

lliang_chi

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Mayer, I don't use cloth wipes, but we use fleece liners which end up getting pooped on. I just shake the poop into the toilet. The sprayer definitely helps get the stubborn poop off the fabric/diaper/wipes, but I don't think it's necessary, per se. Maybe instead of running a since cold water rinse at first, you can run a cold water wash & rinse (double rinse) to get stubborn poop off. Then wash as normal (hot + extra rinse).
 

mayerling

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LC, I thought that non-breastfed poop isn't water-soluble and can't go in the machine... :confused:
 

lliang_chi

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Mayer, yeah, solid food poop isn't as soluble as breast-fed poop. I do have a sprayer so I get a good amount off. Also if you dump the poop early enough it'll come off pretty easily. It's pretty much the equivalent of throwing post-blowout clothes in the wash. People do it.
 

tammy77

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Jun 23, 2011
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Hello Ladies!

I've tried to read through the whole thread, but I think pregnancy brain has officially set in...it's frustrating! :oops: So I apologize if I'm rehashing, and I'm sure I am with some of my questions.

A good friend of mine CD's and has convinced me to give it a try. Apparently she purchased hers via a co-op that bought them from China for her baby that's due in September. I don't have a link, but they're called "Alva All in Ones". She said that her friend has used them for a year without problems, but I'm leery since they're SO affordable (like $5.25 per diaper with inserts).

That said, what would be the best option if you were recommending CD'ing to a newbie? I don't own a W&D, so we'll need to purchase enough to let us wash EoD at minimum (probably what I'd prefer anyhow). Also, is it feasible to do cloth if you have to use community machines? I know I'd have to do a hot wash then a second cycle to rinse. I'm 99% sure I'd also get the little hand held sprayer for the bathroom so we can get away with just two washes per load. I'm also struggling to find a good balance between quality and affordability. I don't want to spend tons of money just in case we don't stick with it, but I also don't want to have poor quality diapers and end up either 1. giving up or 2. replacing them and wasting the money that we spend on start up.

I hope all of that makes sense and I'm 100% open to all suggestions! I looked at different types and I *think* that I'd like the AIO style or the pocket. I want to go with the best set up for our W&D situation. Thanks SO much for any help!
 

lliang_chi

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Tammy, I think Bella used Alva's for her older toddler. I remember she said they were reasonable but not her "bullet proof" solution if you get what I mean. For a newborn, you won't need to worry about bullet proofing until they get old enough for seriously wet diapers (like 6-7 months old). I think your biggest challenge is going to be the community washer/dryer situation. Diaper washing requires 1st a rinse cycle (to get the urine out), then a hot wash & rinse cycle, then a subsequent rinse to thoroughly remove any residual detergent. So if I were you, I'd plan on doing laundry either early morning when no one else usually puts things in the wash.

In terms of what kind of diapers to get: I would think buying pockets and enough pockets such that you can line dry the covers and dry the inserts on high heat. That will allow you to dry your inserts quickly and in one shot. I have a mix of AIOs and pockets, plus I dry my covers with everything else, and i have to dry on medium heat and run the dryer a few times. THe high heat will wear the PUL.

Pail liners, you'll need at least 2.
 

Bella_mezzo

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:) By the end I had almost 20 Sunbabies in my rotation and they were great and had super cute patterns. They were not my toddler overnight solution, but were great for daytime and would have worked for a younger child overnight I think:)

I haven't used the Alvas but heard that they are as good if not better than the Sunbabies.

More than that, we had to wash diapers in our building's communal laundry room and are on a tight budget.

B was poop potty trained when we met him, so we were only dealing with pee diapers, but it was still pretty intense to wash.

We would thoroughly rinse a diaper in our bathroom sink, wring out as much water as possible and then throw in our Fuzzibunz hanging bag.

Then 2-3 times a week (depending on how old B was, how many diapers he used, and how busy we were) we would take our hanging bag to the laundry room, dump into the laundry sink, rinse thoroughly with hot water and then fill the sink to soak with hot water and oxyclean.

After a 1-2 hour soak, we would rinse in the sink, wring out, and then do a regular wash cycle with just a little detergent.

Then we popped them in the dryer. it worked great and we never had permanent stink issues or had to strip our diapers. Every once in a while we would need to do a second wash and/or put a tad of bleach in the soak or wash.
 

tammy77

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Jun 23, 2011
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Thanks, Bella and LC!

I'm leaning towards looking on ebay for some fuzzibunz (sp?) or bumgenius AIO/pocket but I want to learn a LOT more about them before I buy to make sure I ask the right questions. Otherwise it looks like I might go with the Alva pockets since everyone's said good things about them. I realize they aren't going to last as long as the others I mentioned, but since I could buy three Alva for the price of one of the others, I think that's okay. I just wanted to make sure that they actually work well. The other option is to go with something like this: http://www.diaperjunction.com/bumgenius-4.0-deluxe-diaper-package.html since it has the sprayer, wet bag, etc. and I'll need everything. I just don't know if it's a good deal/idea. :confused:

Regarding washing, I'm a little worried now. After talking to my friend, I thought that a system of rinsing with the sprayer, then a cold wash cycle followed by a hot wash cycle with minimal CD safe detergent would suffice. I don't have the option of doing just a portion of a cycle, so I need to figure out if I can find a solution that will work with what we have.

I'm going to try to wade through a few pages of this thread a day and thanks again for all the input. It's an overwhelming process!
 

Bella_mezzo

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Tammy, that washing should be more than enough as long as you really spray out the diapers. Bac Out can also help with stink/stains.

We only did 1 wash in the machines (and our hot water in the washers is dubious at best) and our diapers were great.
 

tammy77

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Bella_mezzo|1367600528|3439667 said:
Tammy, that washing should be more than enough as long as you really spray out the diapers. Bac Out can also help with stink/stains.

We only did 1 wash in the machines (and our hot water in the washers is dubious at best) and our diapers were great.

Oh great to know! I do plan to spray the diapers pretty well, hopefully that keeps the odor down as well between washes! I'm so excited to not have that gross disposable diaper stench in the house. :knockout:
 

Octavia

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Hi CDing mamas! My LO isn't due for quite awhile yet, but I'm already trying to figure out what to do about diapers. I like the idea of cloth, while my DH is a bit hesitant. His main hang-ups seem to be the amount of time and work required and the fact that he gets squeamish about the idea of poopy diapers in the same washer that his clothes go into. I've assured him that there will be many, many poopy things aside from diapers going in there on a regular basis, but he just gave me this half-skeptical, half-frightened look. I don't think it will really sink in until our little poo machine is here and producing, so to speak. My main concern is cost -- I know we will be doing a lot more laundry anyway, but our water and sewer rates are really high here IMO and I'm kind of afraid of the cumulative impact of all those extra soaks and rinses. For those of you on municipal water, how much change did you notice in your bills when you started washing baby stuff (including diapers) at home?

Anyway, I've been toying with the idea of using a diaper service, at least for the first few months, so we can see how things go. That way, DH has some time to ease into the whole washing machine thing with onesies, sheets, etc and the time commitment is minimal. The one in my area seems to have mostly good and a few really bad reviews. They say they use eco-friendly detergents and cleaning methods, but I don't really know how to verify that... The cost is about $22/week for 80 diapers and that decreases as the kid gets older and needs fewer of them. Thoughts? I think I remember somebody, maybe Haven, using a service? My best friend uses cloth and washes at home and thinks I'm crazy for considering a service, but I'm just hoping to get some more opinions.
 

lliang_chi

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Octavia, yes Haven does use a diaper service. Not sure if she's still using it or not. Typically diaper services use prefolds + covers. So if you think you'd want to use the more modern style diapers (pockets, AIO, etc), it'll be a bit different than a diaper service. Good news, it'll be easier, not harder to switch from prefolds. Re: your DH being squeamish, :rolleyes: men can be such babies. And yes, the baby will be making plenty of poop, either in diapers, or on clothes (via blow outs if you use disposables), on changing pad covers, not to mention spit ups. Personally, I can't say too much re: the water bill etc. But I will say that I run my washer EVERY DAY. Sometimes twice or three times a day if I'm doing sheets/towels on top of diapers and clothes. Diapers are washed every day, Ethan's laundry once a week, my delicates once a week, sheets/towels (aspire to once a week), colors twice a week, and whites once a week.
 

phoenixgirl

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Mar 20, 2003
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Tammy,

I'm currently using Alvas and I've used all the major brands, so I wanted to tell you what I know.

What I like:
The price! Obviously.
They're roomy. You won't outgrow them like you might FuzziBunz or Rumparooz.
The quality on the PUL and elastic is just as good as everything else I've tried.

What I don't like:
The inserts are thin. I use a prefold or a Charlie Banana Medium/Large insert (4 layers of microfiber versus 3). I also add a hemp doubler overnight.
I don't mind that they're made in China or "China cheapies" or whatnot, but I don't like that they allow other resellers to brand them as their own and resell them for $10-$20 each. I bought a bunch of Diaper Rite pockets for $10-$12 each only to discover they were almost definitely just rebranded Alvas.
The website is hard to navigate.
The cut can vary. I thought I had gotten some with bad elastic but it turns out they're just a more generous cut.

This website explains the difference in the cuts. I've just ordered through her, actually (have also ordered through the Alva website and a FB coop -- I figure this way I can give somebody in the US business without paying the rebranded prices or dealing with the unknown of a stranger on FB). http://www.superstash.net/alva-classic-solid-colors.html

Let me know if you have any more question!
 

Octavia

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lliang_chi|1367721027|3440536 said:
Octavia, yes Haven does use a diaper service. Not sure if she's still using it or not. Typically diaper services use prefolds + covers. So if you think you'd want to use the more modern style diapers (pockets, AIO, etc), it'll be a bit different than a diaper service. Good news, it'll be easier, not harder to switch from prefolds. Re: your DH being squeamish, :rolleyes: men can be such babies. And yes, the baby will be making plenty of poop, either in diapers, or on clothes (via blow outs if you use disposables), on changing pad covers, not to mention spit ups. Personally, I can't say too much re: the water bill etc. But I will say that I run my washer EVERY DAY. Sometimes twice or three times a day if I'm doing sheets/towels on top of diapers and clothes. Diapers are washed every day, Ethan's laundry once a week, my delicates once a week, sheets/towels (aspire to once a week), colors twice a week, and whites once a week.

Thanks, LC. I think if it was just a matter of throwing diapers in with the rest of the wash, I'd be less hesitant about laundering them at home, but the extra soaking and rinsing is what gives me pause. As far as styles of diapers, the service does use prefolds. I haven't really investigated the styles too much, I'm holding off a bit until we decide on a daycare and find out what their policy on cloth diapers is. If they require cloth diapers to be of the easy to use/no extra work variety, we'll probably have to buy our own and wash at home, in which case it would make sense just to do all the diapers. If they allow prefolds, that could sway us toward the service. But if they don't allow cloth at all, it's trickier because I don't think it would be cost-effective to use the service for fewer diapers as well as have to buy disposables for weekdays. So it's still up in the air. I really just want to be mentally prepared for the costs and I'm not even sure how to do that...
 

lliang_chi

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Mar 13, 2008
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Octavia, call around and ask daycares if they take "reusable diapers" or "washable diapers". I found people conjure images of prefolds and safety pins. They don't really know the covers and other easy-to-use styles we know. When I was calling around all the daycares we were serious enough to tour said they took cloth, so you might be pleasantly surprised.

PhG, thanks for the link for that Alva retailer. I think I'm going to pick up some diapers. Do you have an opinion on the Kawaii brand? THe Alvas are snaps only and J and daycare all prefer velcro.

~LC
 

mayerling

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Mar 4, 2010
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Ladies, I'm trying to troubleshoot and I need some advice. I think I'm dealing with ammonia build up; my CDs smell fresh when they first come out of the machine but they smell of ammonia right after the first pee. I think the reason is that I'm not washing them often enough.

For reference, this is the wash routine. I wash once every four days which isn't often enough. I know I should probably wash more often (and I will from now on) but it's difficult because I don't have a dryer and I live in a country with next to no sun so I have to line dry the diapers in the house and the whole cleaning process takes 24-48 hours.

Anyway, I put them in the machine and I do a warm rinse (30C), then I do a full hot wash (40C) and then 1-2 cold rinses (0C). I have a European machine so I have to select temperatures - I can't just say 'wash on HOT'/'rinse on COLD'/add more water/etc. Anyway, from what I've read white vinegar should get rid of the ammonia build up. Is that right? When do I add it, during the first rinse or during the hot wash? How much? Is there anything else I should do? HELP! :errrr:
 

Kunzite

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May 17, 2009
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Octavia, I used to live in your area and a good friend of mine has been using that diaper service for over a year and loves it. She wanted to do cloth but was much like your DH and didn't want to do any poop laundry. I can't say I get it, but it works for them. As for water usage, we lived north of the city so our rates were likely very different, but with our HE machine our water bill increased about $3 a month when we added in diapers and baby clothes. When we called daycares in the area all of them were okay with cloth diapers, every one of them. That said, we used all pocket diapers with snaps and they still managed to get it wrong sometimes! O would come home with the fleece sticking up out of the back of his pants, only partially snapped, snapped on the largest waist setting, etc :lol: Changing diapers was the task the infant room ladies would outsource to helpers when they'd get busy. The other thing (and I'm not sure if this was a state policy or daycare policy) was that they were required to change cloth diapers every hour instead of every two hours. Since we were using a stay-dry diaper we were able to convince them to do 2 hours.

mayerling, if my diapers get a little funky I just wash them with extra detergent and do a few extra rinses. This link has just about everything you would ever need to know about cleaning diapers:
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a39487648/psa_what_detergent_should_you_use
 

tammy77

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PhoenixGirl, thank you SO much for the comprehensive review of Alva diapers and the link! I know I need to make a decision and get my stash started soon. I'm literally dreaming about diapers because I roll the ideas around in my head so much these days. :rolleyes: I was just about ready to take a leap and buy a Bumgenius "kit" that I linked earlier, but it's so expensive compared to the Alvas that I just can't see the value.

Another question - I read somewhere that the minky aren't as good at preventing leaks as PUL. Is that true or is it okay to buy them? There are so many cute minky designs, but if they're going to be a headache I won't even try them!

Thanks again, ladies!! :bigsmile:

ETA: Okay I just went nuts on that website! :lol: I picked out 13 super cute diapers and the total came to $72.00! :shock: I know I'll need to get additional inserts since they just come with one microfiber insert each, but at less than $6 per diaper I think I'm okay with that. Thanks again, Phoenix!! I can't wait to get them! ::) I still might get the kit of 18 BG's with the sprayer, etc. but I think 30 diapers is a good number.

Oh! Does the Tall/Standard/Trim thing really make a difference? I hope not because I have a hodgepodge on the way...
 

tammy77

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Jun 23, 2011
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Okay yet another question...

Microfiber vs Bamboo inserts?

I bought 10 newborn size of the bamboo terry inserts to use as doublers. I have no idea if it was a good idea or not, but I'm assuming that I can use them for something! I'm super excited to have an order placed and can't wait for them to get here! :appl:
 

lliang_chi

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Mar 13, 2008
Messages
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Tammy, when your bubs is just a wee baby, you don't need to worry too much about doubling up the insert. The baby is so small, they just can't "fill up" a diaper with just 1 insert. Plus you're changing them liek ever 5 mins anyway. Once Baby gets to like 6M old, that's when they can be some serious wet diapers. Especially over night. So, long way of saying, you don't have to sweat the inserts right now. But FWIW, hemp is the super most absorbent. I don't have any hemp inserts, but some mamas swear by it. Ethan is a moderate wetter so we just double stuffed with micro fiber and that was enough.

Mayer, not sure what to tell you about ammonia. In a chemistry theory, vinegar makes sense to me. Maybe can you run a test with just a single diaper and see what happens? I'd hate for you to run it with a whole wash and it goes wrong , and then you'll need to strip them all. Today I tested "lazy stripping" with Dawn. I ran 2 hot wash-cold rinse cycles. First with Dawn. The second with soap nuts. DH probably uses too much detergent and I just want to stay on top of any repelling issues.
 
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