Bulletproof steps to clean!

Hello all!

Sorry this post is going to be "boring" - but hopefully really helpful!  We've had a lot of questions recently about getting rid of stink - both ammonia and "barnyard" funk.  While there are several options (RLR, blue Dawn stripping, bleach, etc.), I have found a fool proof method that really works for us - no matter the stench.  *We do have a "normal" washer, not an HE one...*

Without further ado, here is our bulletproof plan:

1. HOT wash diapers (wipes, inserts, wet bags, etc.) with 1 T. safe cloth diaper detergent.
2. HOT wash diapers (and all) with 3 T. detergent.
3. HOT wash diapers (etc.) with NO detergent and 3 drops of lavender essential oil.

This usually takes 4-5 cycles until everything is squeaky clean.  I don't do all 12-15 cycles at once - just go through steps 1 - 3, use the diapers, repeat steps 1 - 3, use the diapers, and repeat until they are no longer stinky.  This really works!  Once they are no longer stinky, I go back to our regular wash routine.  Curious about that?  Here it is:

1. HOT rinse
2. HOT wash with 3 T. detergent (currently Country Save)
3. Extra rinse

A note about lavender essential oil: it is a natural antiseptic/anti-fungal, safe for cloth diapers, and found at most health food stores or vitamin shops.

More questions?  Feel free to ask!

DeeTergent

We are always having mama's on the CDA Facebook page ask about diaper detergents (so if you're here, and not there, definitely come join the fun!) Many detergent names come up, and what works for some, doesn't work for others. It's no secret that washing diapers can be a frustrating science experiment (for some!)

I happened across DeeTergent and had never seen them mentioned on our Facebook page when those detergent questions came up. I was thrilled when Dee agreed to a review and, quicker than I could imagine, I opened the mailbox and smelled a delicious Strawberry Shortcake smell....mmmmmm...It was also a flashback, as I had a toy growing up that smelled like this scent added to DeeTergent. Every time I've done laundry, I have little flashbacks! :-)

**This is where I should state that my youngest (my only one in diapers) has a super sensitive bottom. Even some "unscented" CD friendly detergents mess with his poor bottom, so I was very nervous using the scented on his diapers. As I washed the dirty diapers, I prepared for the worst by getting out fleece liners and the super-strength creams to fight off any rashes that would show up within a couple hours of the clean diapers being on his bottom...

DeeTergent got my diapers incredibly clean smelling - and FEELING. There were still some stains from a major poop, but the sun took care of that in a couple hours. But the feeling....I haven't felt our diapers this...clean since they were new!

I think the secret (well, it's smack on their "About" page, so not really a secret!) is that DeeTergent contains NO DETERGENT. DeeTergent is filled with "earth derived ingredients" - pH balancing ingredients, all-natural chelating ingredients, and biodegradable surfactants.

I had to look up "all-natural chelating ingredients", and in doing so, remembered why science/chemistry was never my strong point! But I learned that chelating ingredients are added to laundry products to remove affects of calcium, magnesium, and iron which cause hard water (since we have ridiculously hard water at our house, this could be why I felt such clean diapers after using DeeTergent!) For those unsure what biodegradable surfactants it just means that the ingredients break down better.

Back to my washing experience...

My husband works in a car parts warehouse and I tried DeeTergent on his greasy work clothes. While the stains on his clothes will be there until the end of time, his clothes too felt cleaner - I could tell such a difference!

I was simply floored by the difference my clothes and diapers felt. Even after using this "detergent" for a few weeks, I'm floored (and for those who are wondering how many times I really got to try this in a "few weeks" - our house is a laundry machine, so, my full size bag I received, I've just about emptied!) :)

I will say that after a few washes, my sensitive skin started to get a little itchy, but I think that was mostly due to the scent added. Today in our wash, I'm re-trying with DeeTergent, but adding an extra rinse cycle to see if that helps. But, I've always been sensitive to anything that isn't "Free & Clear."**

And what about Caedmon's fluffy bottom?

I was able to put away the diaper creams and "emergency use" fleece liners. Not even a hint of a rash - even with the Strawberry Shortcake scent!! I was so excited that I could have a yummy smelling "detergent" option, that worked amazingly well AND left his bottom rash-free!

DeeTergent is not lacking in the scent department! Go try and make a choice! Yum! I wish there was the Willie Wonka Smell-a-vision or whatever...seriously.

Be sure to stop by the DeeTergent Facebook and Twitter pages and let Dee know CDA sent you!

If you take advantage of this generous offer, let us know what scent you get!

**edit - I spoke with Dee and she said that I was the first person to ever report a reaction to DeeTergent, even with sensitive skin - I'm wondering now if the itchy feeling was just dry winter skin???

12 Days of Clothmas - Chubby Cheeks Diaper Soap - Day 3

A couple months ago, I had the chance to test some new detergent from Chubby Cherubs. I was hesitant as we had just finished battling a monster of a rash thanks to some scented detergent (that was promised to be safe for sensitive skin). I decided I would use the unscented on our diapers to test it out and save the scented for clothing.

The fantastic folks at Chubby Cherubs Cloth Diaper Naturals were just getting their detergent line running and sent two sample bags - one said "Butt naked" and one said "Regular". Without thinking, I used the "Butt Naked" on our diapers thinking that would be the unscented.

My diapers came out so fresh and clean. Some of the testers were raving that stains disappeared - that did not happen to me after the first wash, but it did after the 2nd wash! Seriously - stains when in, amazingly white diapers came out!I went on their Facebook page raving about how great the detergent worked, and even better the "Butt Naked" was gentle enough for my sensitive skinned kiddo!

THEN I was was informed that the "Butt Naked" was scented...the "Regular" was UN-scented!!

I had noticed a faint scent when I opened the bag of detergent, but assumed that it was just the scent from the "Regular" that had rubbed over in shipping.

Needless to say, I was floored that I had been able to use a scented detergent on my little guy with no reaction from him whatsoever!

I'm always on the lookout for great detergents and Chubby Cheeks Diaper Soap is definitely at the top of my list!

Right now, Chubby Cheeks Diaper Soap is on sale! Normally, a 45/90 load bag retails for $13.50, but you can get it for $9.50, and for $6.00 more, you can double your order!

Giveaway Ended

Disclaimer: I received 2 sample bags of detergent to test and was asked to share my thoughts. All opinions are my own and honest.

RLR Laundry Treatment

We all know that horrible nasty smell that diapers get after being used A LOT. They get a build up detergents bacteria and more. I seriously wanted to either barf or pass out in the mornings when I changed my son's diaper. It smelled so bad (we had 4 diapers that where used only for night time purposes). We had tried all different ways of stripping our diapers and have had some pretty good success but I found myself having to strip them a lot more than I really should have been. Plus, the smell kept coming back! I don't know if there will ever be a way to get a diaper immaculately clean and have it stay that way wash after wash but I found something for me that has done wonders to my diapers.

Allow me to introduce you to RLR Laundry Treatment.
This is not a detergent but a treatment. Here is what the Nappy Shoppe has to share about RLR:

"RLR Laundry Treatment is a laundry additive that enhances fabric quality. It is not a soap, bleach, bluing agent, or detergent. It can be used on both white and colored fabrics without harm. RLR contains no phosphates or perfumes and is a biodegradable product. RLR added to the wash removes all the residue trapped within the fabric and suspends it in the water. The unwanted particles are prevented from being redeposited and are washed away in the rinse cycle. RLR was made with the intention of being used once a month to help clothing appear vibrant and clean."

I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to work with the Nappy Shoppe in reviewing the RLR and putting it to the test on my diapers. Here is a quick look at the product:

You can get RLR in a '2 pill pack', a canister (equal to 11 loads) or a pouch( 1 load). I received the 2 pill pack. The come in a simple little canister like you would get out of a quarter machine. They are wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap so they wont pop open. The powder had a dingy tint to it, it almost looked like sand from the beach but no where near as grainy.I did a good rinse on my diapers in cold water to get out any yuck that was in them. I even threw in as many clean diapers as I could while still having some left over to use on my baby. After the rinse I filled the tub up with HOT water and added the RLR treatment. I let it agitate for a couple of minutes and then stopped it to let it sit and soak. The picture above shows the dingy water...gross, especially since most of those diapers were CLEAN to begin with.Here is a progression of agitation. The top left is about 5 minutes into the wash, then top right is about 7 minutes, bottom left is about 9 minutes and bottom right is about 11 minutes. Depending on how much build up you have on/in your diaper will affect how soapy and sudsy your water will become. I have seen some diapers with so much build up in them that the owner has had to stop the wash cycle to scoop out suds into a 5 gallon bucket to prevent their machine from overflowing! Luckily mine were not that bad. The above picture is the last one I took of the wash with RLR. There was quite a bit of suds. Hard to believe there was that much build up in my diapers!

After the wash was done the diapers did look a lot brighter and cleaner.

My thoughts on RLR Laundry Treatment:
AMAZING! Are you satisfied with my response or do you want more? I had heard a good amount of times about RLR and people liking to use it on their diapers but I could never find it. They say you can get it at your local grocery store like Walmart but I 1) don't like Walmart and 2) wouldn't be able to find it in my Walmart even if I tried and they did happen to carry it. So I looked around online and found quite a few different placed that carry it. I contacted The Nappy Shoppe to see if they would want to do a review and giveaway and they did! So anyways, I am so thrilled I was able to test out the RLR. It did wonders to my stinky diapers. They don't stink anymore. I will be making purchases of RLR when ever my diapers start to stink. I have gone at least 2 months now with out my diapers getting stinky. They also look a lot brighter and not as dingy. AND the best part of all is that this stuff is so cheap! Its only $3.35 for a 2 pack which will last you a long time. You can do it once a month to keep your diapers from getting build up or you can do it as needed (as I do). I really recommend checking out RLR if you are having some problems with stink.

Drying Time

There are not many options for me as far as drying my diapers at our place. I can always bring my diapers over to my parents house which is only a couple of miles away and take advantage of their huge line but sometimes loading up the boys and diapers doesn't work that well. So I have to get creative with how I hang up my diapers at my house. I did at one point ( during winter) have a piece of ribbon up in the hallway tacked to a door frame on each side of the hall. That worked out great for drying my covers and shells. Everything else went into the dryer (prefolds, inserts etc). However I was getting tired of having to duck under the line to leave my home. So what was next...



The yard baby gate offers a good amount of space to hang up the diapers on. I just drape them over the top and then I can also clothespin some of the inserts to the lower part of the gate if the top won't fit them all. I also took a cheap metal curtain rod that I found in our closet and put it through the holes on the gate for an additional drying area. This worked great for my covers and shells. Later in the day after I had taken this pictuer it started to get dark out and we had a few sprinkles so I ran outside and pushed all the items across the top of the gate into a basket and then the too the curtain rod off and put it in the hall way between two door frames to let them finish drying. Everything else went into the dryer to finish up drying.

I also finally bought a Drying Rack which has been wonderfully handy to have. I wasn't sure how well I would like it because honestly, I love to look at my diapers all lined up nicely on a clothes line rather than climbing up a ladder type of thing. So here are my diaper covers and shells on the rack in front of the sun and fan to dry. I was going out for the day and didn't want to leave them outside at our apartment (as we are 'not allowed' to have clothes lines) and well, we live really close to other people. If I know I am going to be home for the day I stick the rack out on our cement slab patio and let them do their time in the sun. I have seen a few different times questions about what to do when you take your diapers down off the line and they are stiffer than stiff. What I like to do is take a wet wash cloth and throw it into the dryer with all my stiff items ( usually prefolds, and inserts and AIO's) then I turn the dryer on for about 10-15 minutes. What this does is put some moisture back into the stiff items to loosen them up and then they dry out and are nice and fluffy!

What do you like to do to keep your diapers from getting stiff or to bring them back to the fluffy goodness they should be?

Soft Bottoms Detergent

Finding a detergent that is safe for cloth diapers is work in itself. You want to protect your wonderfully built stash and not have to worry about using a detergent that is going to ruin your diapers. I have problems finding detergents that are good for me to use because my toddler breaks out in major rashes from certain brands. So when I was contacted by Selestial Soap to review a couple of their products I was rather hesitant. Number one, I didn't want to worry about my diapers getting ruined because of a bad detergent. Number two, I really really didn't want my son's poor bottom to turn into a tomato! I decided to give it a try and do the review.

They sent me their new product called Soft Bottoms. This is a detergent that is 100% natural. It is safe and gentle on baby's extra sensitive skin. There are no dyes, scents or brighteners, it is super concentrated, hypo allergenic, deep cleaning, leaves no residue, non toxic, no surfactants, and is non-sudsing. Plus its CLOTH DIAPER friendly! This comes in an 8 ounce bottle that will do 10 loads of laundry/diapers.

The other product they sent me was their Selestial Sun. This is a natural bleach alternative made with water and hydrogen peroxide. This is also diaper friendly. There are no dyes, fragrances, non-toxic, no phosphates, no optical brighteners, no chlorine bleach, degradable and is not tested on animals.

What did I think?

Over all this worked pretty well with washing my diapers. I did notice after a couple of washes that my diapers were smelling sort of funny. I like to give products that I am reviewing a good time frame before making any judgements on performance. That is why I continued to use the Soft Bottoms detergent. The smell did disappear after that one washing. I' m not sure if it was just the other detergents that I had used coming out that was causing the smell or what but it did go away and that was all that mattered. Stinky diapers are not fun at all. Another thing with the Soft Bottoms detergent was that I didn't notice much as far as my son's skin acting up because of this detergent. His bottom did not turn into a bright red tomato! Woohoo!

The Selestial Sun that I was sent is a nice alternative to bleach. I can honestly say that I have NEVER used bleach on my diapers...I think in the almost 5 years that my hubby and I have been married I have never even purchased bleach. I don't like the smell of it, I don't like that if you get on little drip on your cloths they are going to end up with white spots all over them and its not the safest thing to have around. So having the Selestial Sun to use (especially in the winter) was nice. You just add a little bit to each load of diapers to help keep them from getting major dark stains.

Eco Sprout Review

Eco Sprout is a newly developed detergent made by a WAHD (work-at-home-dad)! He was frustrated with all the detergents he tried as nothing was getting rid of the ammonia smell. He set out on a mission to find a solution. His requirements:

• Environmentally friendly
• Biodegradable
• 100% natural

Each batch of Eco Sprout is handmade and close attention is paid to each mixing. You can read more about how Eco Sprout came to be here.

I was originally sent sample backs of Warm Vanilla Sugar and Lavender Chamomile to try out. The first test came in the first soak (highly recommended by the creator of Eco Sprout). I allowed the diapers to soak over night in a machine filled with hot water and 3 Tablespoons of Eco Sprout. When I checked the washer in the morning, I was confused, as I didn't see any proof of the detergent "working" to pull out the funk and grime. I continued to wash per the directions. And, even though there was no visible proof in my washer of the detergent doing anything miraculous, the proof came out of the dryer. My diapers smelled so clean and fresh! I thought my diapers were getting clean with my regular detergent, but it turns out, I had just grown used to a not-so-clean scent!

This detergent worked perfectly on the diapers for my youngest. Not only did his diapers come out super clean and fresh smelling, the diapers didn't smell once he peed in them (another thing I had grown accustomed to!) The detergent did not leave a rash or seem to irritate his skin either.

My toddler however, got a horrible rash. I immediately contacted Eco Sprout, sad, and confused! They immediately shipped me a sample of In the Buff, their unscented detergent, to try for my toddler, as well as their seasonal scent, Cinnamon Sticks. I was also informed that all their detergents had since been switched to the formula for sensitive skin, so it not only works great, it should work great for everyone, no matter the skin type!

I re-tried my toddlers diapers in In the Buff with much improvement! His diapers came out smelling perfectly clean. I was worried about putting his nighttime diaper on him, but knew this would be the true test. Two things: 1) no rash this time! (Woohoo!!) and 2) no ammonia smell the next morning! #2 was huge for us, as Benjamin's diapers reek! Nothing we have tried has worked. We had pretty much decided this was something we had to live with as long as he was in a diaper for 12 or so hours. I was so excited to discover that it didn't have to be that way! More will be purchased for our diapers for sure.

I tried out the Cinnamon Stick scent on our clothes and it worked so well, even on my husband's work clothes (he handles car parts and his clothes get very greasy and dirty). They came out also smelling fresh and clean.

Eco Sprout comes in 6 scents (including unscented) and three sizes:

• a 2oz sample for $1.75
• a 24oz bag (24/48 loads)* for $7.98
• a 48oz bag (48/96 loads)* for $13.98

*Eco Sprout is safe for top loading and HE machines.

Disclaimer: I received 5 samples of Eco Sprout detergent in varying scents to review. All opinions are my own, and you may have a different experience.

My Washing Station

As you might be able to tell I like to try out new things. I have tried multiple detergents for washing my diapers and have found some to work better for me than others. Every one has different experiences, especially with washing depending on what machine you have, what type of water you use, the amount of detergent you use, if you rinse every diaper or just the poopy ones, wet bag or if you soak them in a bucket. Everyone always has a different suggestion for doing something

So in the above picture you see some different items. I have:
-Allens Naturally detergent
-Dropps Baby
-BumGenius detergent
-Dawn dish soap
-Baby Bum Drops

I don't have a close up of the Allens Naturally but it is my first choice that I reach for. It contains Water, Alkylarylethoxylate, Triethanolamine, Linear Alkylaryl Sulfonate, Sodium Chloride. I find that my diapers come out smelling the most fresh after using this detergent. A quart will do 32 loads of regular laundry in a regular machine or about 128 loads of regular laundry in a HE machine. You would use less then the recommended amount when washing cloth diapers. A quart runs around $20.00 and you can also get it in gallon size and purchase a pump to attach to the bottle.

The next laundry detergent I discovered when buying my baby clothes laundry detergent was Dropps. I seen it on the shelf at my local grocery store (Meijer) and you can now get it at Target as well. I read the package to see what was and was not in it. I got home and pulled up the website online and emailed the company asking if it was safe for diapers. (The package says that it is!) But I wanted to double check and make sure. They emailed me back and said that people use it on their diapers and it is diaper safe. I also pulled it up on pinstripesandpolkadots.com to see what they recommend for this detergent(they say safe). This detergent comes in 20 packs and runs about $7.00. If you go to their site you can get a $1.00 off coupon. I have found this on sale at my store for 4.99 quite often. They come in little clear capsules and for diapers I toss just one pack into the load. The coating is completely biodegradable so you don't have to search for it when your done with the wash. I like using the dropps but I think my son gets a reaction to it, but I'm not really sure if its the Dropps or not.
Then I have bumGenius cloth diaper detergent. I found this at a local baby boutique so I picked it up. This is developed with partnership with Country Save and bumGenius. The scoop it comes with is developed specifically for cloth diapers measurement. It will do 66 loads in a front loader and run about $12.00 a box. This is not my favorite detergent to use. I find that my diapers will still stink after using it. I dont know if its my water, machine or just the fact that my boys pee reaks but I don't think they smell all that fresh after washing with this.

I also had pictured the blue Dawn which I use for stripping my diapers. Then there is the baby bum drops by Knickernappies. You dissolve one bit in a cup of HOT HOT water. I put it in a spray bottle so that I will last longer. Then I just spray my wipe and I'm good to go. Plus I really like the smell of them. They run about $12 a box. I have been using mine for about3 months and have only used 2 bits. These will last really long!

I have tried the Rockin' Green detergent and thought it worked pretty good. I would want to use it frequently to see how it really works. I know there are a lot of other great detergents available to use for cloth diapers that are safe. I would love to hear what you use and love or have tried and didn't work for you. Share with us in the comment section below.

Stripping the Gunk and the Funk

If you’ve been in the cloth diaper world any amount of time, there is a good chance you’ve heard the term “stripping” in reference to your diapers. You are probably wondering why? How? What?!

Let’s start with the WHAT. Stripping diapers is basically what it sounds like: removing something. Here, we are talking about removing the gunk and the funk that has built up either due to detergent or diaper creams.

WHY do we need to remove these things? This gunk and funk can leave your diapers stinky and, even worse, leaky! If you are experiencing either of these issues, then it is time to strip those diapers. You don’t want to remain so frustrated with your stinky, leaky diapers that you stop using them altogether.

But, HOW, you ask? Place your diapers in your washer and run a cold rinse as normal to clean off your diapers. Next, fill up your washer with hot water. Your water needs to be very hot for this, so turn up the hot water heater (and make a note of this so no one gets burned the next time they jump in the shower!) or boil some water to pour in your washer while it is filling. Note: Do not add detergent, just water. Finally, rinse your diapers over and over and over (and over...and over...) with hot water. You want to continue rinsing until there are no more bubbles remaining in your water. When the bubbles are gone, your diapers are stripped! Bleach does not produce suds but can cause a nasty chemical burn if not rinsed out. Dawn also can cause a chemical burn if not rinsed well.

Plain water may not help your stinks, though, and you may have to resort to some additives. One product you probably already have on hand can strip diapers easily: Baking Soda (add 1/2 to 1 Cup to your hot water and rinse, rinse, rinse until all bubbles are gone). Original (blue) Dawn dish soap is another great solution for stripping diapers that many people have in their kitchens (add a couple of squirts and rinse, rinse, rinse). If neither of these products help, there are others that you could try: Bac-Out, OxyClean and RLR are the most popular - add any of these to your wash and, you guessed it, rinse, rinse, rinse!

What if you try this and your diapers are still stinky? It could be that build-up isn’t your problem. It could be that you aren’t using enough detergent. Try adding more detergent to your wash load and see if that helps the stink disappear. Problems can also arise if you have heard that vinegar is good for cleaning diapers and you live in a hard water area. While vinegar is great for cleaning diapers, it does not mix well with hard water. If you desire to continue using vinegar in your wash, you should add some Calgon to soften your water, or just discontinue using the vinegar altogether.

On the Bummis web site you can find some more great information about what they suggest for cleaning your diapers. If you go to any of the Major cloth diapering companies pages you can find great tips for washing and caring as well.

Terra did a strip with some Rockin' Green and here is what she found:

This was a rinse on cold and then 16 hours and 45 minute soak in hot water and 3Tbsp. of Hard Rock Smashing Watermelons.

Started soak at 315pm
First picture at 330pm
Second picture at 640pm, after 30 seconds of agitation
Final picture at 8am, after 30 seconds of agitation (normally, I'd close the lid and just let it do its thing, but I had to get a picture!!)

Pretty gross what you can get out of what you thought were clean diapers right?

Here is what I am currently doing:
My diapers are reaking big time. My boys would pee in them and instant stench. After doing a wash on Saturday I smelled my diapers and I about fell over on the floor. I had just finished doing my normal washing routine and they smelt so nasty! So frustrating. So today I am stripping them. I did a full rinse cycle in cold water to clean out the yuck. Then I added Blue Dawn dish detergent. This is great for helping remove build up residue from your diapers. Then I am rinsing, rinsing, rinsing on HOT water over and over again until there is no more suds left in the water. After that I will rinse a couple more times just to be sure. Then I will smell one or two, yes, feel free to call me strange but I want to make sure the smell is gone! I will then throw them out on the line if its nice out or else toss them in the dryer. I always hang dry my covers and shells. It saves on the velcro and elastic.

I will also use this method when stripping my diapers if they are not as bad but need something to help with the stench:
-rinse in cold water, wash in HOT water with 1/2 cup soda, wash with regular detergent. (my main detergent is Allen's).Then I will do a rinse with some vinegar. Then into the dryer or on the line they go.

There are so many different ways to take care of your diapers and everyone has their own ideas and methods that work best for them. We would love to hear what you do to strip your diapers! Post your suggestions in the comments below please!

Bac-Out Bio Clean

My sister in law recently had a bad experience with one of her diapers. I asked her to share a little with us about her experience with Bac-Out stain and odor eliminator. Here is some information about Bac-out from Bi-O-Cleans website:

Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator

Eliminates the most difficult, organic stains, odors and waste the way nature intended. Bac-Out is a very unique blend of natural living enzyme cultures and botanical extracts, with more strains of cultures for more effective performance than commercial brands. Great for carpets, upholstery, laundry, bathrooms, diapers, drains, septic tanks, garbage pails and chutes, pet runs and kennels. Even eliminates pet and mildew stains and odors. Removes coffee, berry, blood, mustard, tomato stains, and much more. Contains no plain enzymes, alcohol or perfume cover-ups. Preferred by professional carpet cleaners for tough stains and odors.

From Dana:

Let me show you an example of what this awesome product can do with a mix of Rockin’ Green Detergent. My dear son ate tons of blueberries this day and when I went to change his diaper this is what I found! Yeah I know YUCK! I sprayed the poo off and rinsed like crazy and did not know what the heck to do with it. So I asked for some advice and I did not really come up with any that worked.

So I decided to use BAC-OUT. I sprayed it like crazy and I put it in the machine with all of my other diapers and a tablespoon of Rockin green and…BAM! STAIN GONE! Bac-out has been my lifesaver! I use it on every poo diaper and my diapers come out clean every time. This is the CLEAN diaper after my remedy…

Bac-out is a stain and odor eliminator; all natural, non toxic, and biodegradable! It has Live Enzyme cultures & Lime peel extract cleaning power! Made by Biokleen products! You can get it at any health food store. Mine came from Harvest Health foods in Hudsonville, MI. It is priced around $8 - $10 for the 32 FL OZ size bottle! You can spray on and leave it on there is what I do with it until I wash my diapers. The directions say to spray it on and let it set for 5 mins and then rinse it out. I leave it on for a more powerful stain removal!

The ingredients include: Natural enzyme-producing cultures, food-grade lyme extracts and stabilizers, vegetable-based surfactants, and filtered water!

AWESOME product and I do not know what I would do without it and I would recommend it to anyone!

Getting down and dirty… with cloth diapers

Lorissa, one of my possible blog contributors shares with us her methods of getting her diapers clean.I won’t lie – before I had make the decision to cloth diaper, one of my main concerns was the laundry. Would I be able to handle the smell? Would it use up an inordinate amount of water, and cause my water bill to skyrocket? What is this thing called a diaper sprayer, and do I really need one? Would I need to use a specific type of detergent? What about stain removal? What if the diapers start leaking? So many questions! Luckily, I like to do internet research, so it was off to my favourite cloth diapering sites to find the answers.

So what exactly do you need in order to care for your cloth diapers properly? To store dirty diapers in before laundry day, a diaper pail is a must. You can definitely go fancy and buy a cloth diaper pail that has a locking lid, but I found that a simple garbage bin with a snap lid works equally as well (The one I have is a Mistral 6 gallon Multi Purpose Can with Locking Lid, which I found at Walmart for $7.99). You can use either a pail liner or a large wetbag inside, to help keep the smells at bay. To save time on laundry day, unstuff your diapers (if they are pocket diapers) before tossing them in the pail.

Next up, good cloth-diaper friendly laundry detergent is a must. These are formulated especially for cloth diapers – which means they contain no phosphates, brighteners, or other additives such as citrus essential oils. This is key to avoid wicking, leaking and repelling issues with your diapers, otherwise, you will need to strip your diapers (not a fun chore at all, especially when there are better things for you to be doing!) in order to get them back to normal. If you do find that your diapers are leaking or repelling, try switching detergents first, or using more/less detergent. If that doesn’t do the trick, try washing them in hot water (no detergent), and watch the rinse cycle for soap bubbles. Repeat, repeat until there are no more bubbles. If this still doesn’t work, washing with Dawn dish soap in the sink will often clear everything up, as Dawn will cut through any oils/dirt remaining in the diapers.

Now, about cleaning poop off and avoiding staining. If you are anything like me, and get the heebie-jeebies about cleaning poop off (you mean, I may have to actually do some pre-cleaning before putting the diaper in the pail? Eewww!!!). Well, there are definitely ways around this. Some people swear by diaper sprayers, but so far I have not needed one, and would rather save the money for more cloth diapers, LOL! Using a fleece liner or a disposable liner to catch the poop makes clean up easy, and if you are lucky, no poop will actually get on your diaper. If you’re not as lucky, most stains will come out in the wash, but if not, placing them in the sun for an hour will fade the stains out. An interesting fact I learned: it’s not actually the light that does the fading, but the UV rays. So this means that even if it is overcast, the stains will still come out. Ditto if you place them inside your house next to a window. Neat-o! Happy cloth diaper washing!

Living in an area with hard-water, I looked for a detergent that worked well for hard water, and found Claudia’s Choices, which is a Canadian company. We also use Rockin Green Hard Rock. (How do you know if you live in an area with hard water? Check out this cool map: http://www.espressotec.com/store/pc/ic_descaling.asp )

Come laundry day, simply empty your pail liner or wet bag into your washer. Note that if you have a HE washer, there are a couple of things to note. HE washers are just that – high efficiency. Which is great for your regular clothing, but for cloth diapers, it can be tricky. Since the key to getting diapers clean is enough water, you need to ensure that enough water is used. You can “trick” your washer into using a bit more water by soaking a couple of towels and putting them in with your cloth diapers – this way, the machine “thinks” the load is heavier and dispenses more water. Another benefit of having an HE washer is that you don’t need to use as much detergent.

Our wash routine looks like this: 1 ½ tablespoons of detergent, Heavy Duty Wash Cycle with an extra rinse. Everything gets hung on the clothes rack to dry. (Using the dryer may cause the elastic in your diapers to wear out sooner). We have enough diapers to last us 2 ½ days, so we usually wash every 2^nd day. If you are lucky enough to have a large diaper stash, you can go 3 days between washes, but I wouldn’t suggest longer than that, otherwise smells or stains may start to settle in.

(FYI: Since beginning our cloth diaper journey, we haven’t noticed a significant increase in our water bill -hurrah!).

Rockin' Green Detergent Reveiw

This week I am declaring

DIRTY DIAPER WEEK!

Sounds exciting right? Trust me it won't stink! haha Sorry, I had to say it.
Keep an eye out all week long for great tips on stripping diapers, different kinds of detergents that are cloth friendly and much more!

ROCKIN' GREEN sent me three sample packs of their detergent to use and try out. Now let me say I was pretty excited about this because I had seen some major soaks going on at other blogs where the water is black after an overnight stay with the detergent in a tub full of hot water. So of course I had to try it out...

So I poured half the pack into my tub with HOT water to get ready for my big soaking experience.
Ohhhh bubbles, and the clear water.
Almost every single one of my diapers in my tub. I had some prefolds out to use while rockin' away.
The water afterwords...I was expecting more I guess. But then again maybe this was a good sign that I am doing the right stuff to take care of my diapers because the water wasn't gross. It is still pretty dingy though.
Here are some FAQ's Rockin' Green has answered on their site about their detergent:

Rockin’ Green comes in several different formulas- so there is something for everyone!
* Soft - this formula is designed for those that have sensitive little ones or soft water.
* Classic - this is the original formula, and is great for those with moderate hard water, or just those that are battling with stinkies. Comes in unscented and scented varieties.
* Hard - This formula is designed for the most troubling of water types.

All Rockin’ Green formulas are designed with the same great ingredients, and work for all water types. Most people do great with the Classic formula, so when in doubt start off with that formula.


Ingredients

Rockin’ Green is made of safe, phosphate free ingredients which makes it good for the planet and gentler on your little ones. Everything is made with love, and put to the test every single day on my own families diapers and laundry. So you know that I expect only the best from everything that I send out the door.

Ingredients: sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, biodegradable surfactants, natural fragrance oils (if scented is chosen)

Please take great care to keep Rockin’ Green away from pets and children.

My Experiences with this product:
-I only received three sample packs to test out so I only got 5 washes and 1 soak out of the packs. It kind of makes it hard to really get a good test run but over all I enjoyed using it.
-I couldn't really smell the 'flavors' of the detergent but I think if you use it full time you would be able to smell it better.
-I liked doing the soak and seeing how much funky stuff came off of them.
-I like that they offer this detergent for different types of water (hard, soft or regular)

Rockin' Green also comes in some awesome scents like Orangevana, The Green Tea's, Rage against the Raspberries, and Smashing Watermelons. Sounds yummy right! I got the Raspberry, watermelon and Motley Clean.

Would you like to BUY some Rockin' Green for yourself? Check out their list of retailers here.

**This review is of my own opinion and my experiences will differ from yours. I was not paid to write this review, I was provided by Rockin' Green three sample packs to try.**

Night time Diapering: Drybees Fleece Pocket Diaper

Okay tonight is the last night of my night time diapering series. I hope I have been able to show everyone some different ideas for night time diapering. Its so hard to figure out what to use. I will end tonight with my favorite night time diaper. I use this diaper on my E-man. It s the Drybees Night time Fleece Pocket diaper.

Here is some information about the diaper from the Drybees website:

These diapers are made with the same well loved diaper pattern as other DryBees Diapers. Made with Heavy Weight Malden Mills Windpro Fleece
these diapers are perfect over night and heavy wetter diapers.
Where other night time diapering systems have failed - DryBees Fleece Pocket Diapers have been the answer for many families, including my own.

DryBees Fleece Diapers feature our specially milled suede cloth.
Milled in the USA specifically for DryBees. Leg Casings keep a snug yet gentle fit against your baby's leg to help keep them as DRY as can BEE!

Because of the nature of the fabrics used to create DryBees Fleece Pocket Diapers you will find they are more bulky than your typical PUL pocket
but are an amazing solution for night time and heavy wetting babies.

Here is the front of the diaper. I have the yellow!

Here is the diaper opened up.
Here is the front of the diaper opened up.
Here is the magical part of the diaper...the super soaker, aka...SuperDo by Knickernapies.
This thing can hold a lot of pee!

My experience with this diaper:
- I LOVE THIS DIAPER! We have had this diaper for a while now and my toddler is a massive superdooper heavy wetter. Take your heavy wetter and multiply it by 20 and that's how much my kid pees. Okay maybe not that much but you got my point. He pees a lot. So in this diaper I have never had a leak!
-So super soft, washes up great and is really cute.
-Extremely bulky. It gives my little guy the biggest butt ever but its so worth it and it doesn't seem to bother him at all!
-The pocket is easy to stuff and easy to remove. I like that I dont have to pull the insert out through the front of the diaper like I do on his other diapers.
-This is a pricey combo...19.95 for the diaper shell and 12.95 for the insert. But worth every penny. I might even get a set for my infant to have.

Cutey Baby "Thats a Wrap" Diaper

So recently while grocery shopping at my local Meijer store I came across a diaper called Cutey Baby...who would have thought that you could buy a cloth dipaer at a grocery store that usually specializes in diapers like Huggies and Pampers! I had to check them out. They had adorable prints for both boys and girls as well as wet bags. The wet bags ran about $10.00 and were about the size of a Planet Wise Medium wet bag (for size comparison). The material seems really nice and looks like it will hold up well. I am hoping to purchase one soon to try out. They also had a 2pk of inserts that are specially made for this diaper. Is made of microfiber and has a soft fleece lining on the top for going against baby's bottom.

So on to the diaper; I was actually surprised to see the empty slots on the shelf where the diapers were supposed to be hanging. The wraps were pretty picked over, but they did have a nice selection left. These wraps come in three sizes: Small (5-12), Medium (10-30) and Large (25-40). I purchased the medium to try on my boys. I paid 13.99 for this wrap which is a little more than a regular cover would cost. I did not purchase the inserts that Cuteybaby made specifically for this diaper. Their website says that you can use any type of insert or prefold with this wrap.The sizing on this medium diaper kind of worried me because it's supposed to fit 10-30 pounds. I was thinking it would either be way to small on my 28 pound toddler or way to big on my 13 infant. After getting home I threw it in the wash with my other diapers and waited. After I took the diaper out of the wash I decided to use it first because I was curious how it would work. Mainly because of the way it is made. The outside is made of a waterproof polyester that is laminated to prevent leaks and the inside is a soft fleece that wicks moisture away from the baby's bottom. There is a hole in the middle of the wrap that you stuff the inserts into. Because I didn't buy their inserts I had to come up with something of my own so I used a microfiber insert on the bottom with a insert that I picked up at a garage sale that I think might be home made but I'm not positive. It's made of flannel and has a fleece layer on top for against baby's skin. So with it stuffed I put it on my little guy and put it to the test. I was thinking that with the front of the diaper having the fleece lining coming down more that he would pee all over it but when I pulled it up he actually was not on the fleece liner but on the inserts. After 2 hours I decided to change him and for the next time we used the diaper on him I used a microfiber with a hemp on top. This time he truly put the diaper to the test with a major EBF poopy explosion! I was so afraid to look inside and see a huge mess. But after I took it off I was so surprised to find that the fleece liner actually contained the poo really well. It all went under the lining and onto the inserts. With that said, who wants to stick their fingers into that hole and pull out the inserts??? Not me! Which is good because with this diaper you dont have to! You throw it into the wet bag as is and the inserts come out in the wash. Very handy. However my toddler has yet to poo in this diaper, mainly because its usually on my infant, but I'm not sure how cleaning it would go. I don't have a diaper sprayer yet but I think that if you were to spray the poo it would all get caught up underneath the fleece liner. So you would almost have to remove the inserts anyways to clean up the mess.

Okay on to the fit of this diaper. I was actually quite happy with the way it fit my infant. With it fitting 10-30 pounds with no way to adjust the rise of the diaper I really thought I would have problems with this. However it fit great and we have not had any leaks yet. The front of the diaper velcro's shut. He had just enough of a gut so that it wasn't lose on him. There wasn't to much bulk in the front, I guess it just depends on what you stuff it with. I really like the Green Tribal print I purchased. On the back of the diaper is their label with pink flowers but its not to overwhelming on a boy. The rear of the diaper isn't to bulky either. It probably looks bigger than it really is in the picture, but it will also depend on what you stuff it with that will determine the final bulk. In the last picture I show the leg area of the diaper. There is a little bit of a gap between the diaper and the leg, and this was on my chunky 3 1/2 month old. When I put it on my skinny toddler there was no gap.

I didn't get any pictures of my toddler in this diaper but he has worn it a few times. It fits him really well as well. I have had no leaks as of yet with this diaper and hopes it continues this way. I might eventually purchase a few more of these wraps because they have some really cute prints, especially for boys and its hard to find cute boy prints. Over all I would say this is a good diaper, the only issue I have with it is the Velcro tabs. They are already curling and I am thinking I'm going to need to replace them already. When I looked online at their site says this diaper has removable Velcro tabs to prevent wear in the laundry but I can't find them on my diaper...

Bummis Cotton Prefolds

Bummis Organic Cotton Prefold Diapers

Made of 100% certified organic cotton twill!

A little about Bummis prefold diapers taken from Bummis website:

Introducing our new ORGANIC Cotton Prefold diapers! These are a totally affordable luxury. Made of 100% certified organic cotton twill, they are wonderfully thick and thirsty. They come in a gorgeous unbleached colour and are incredibly soft. And the more you wash them, the softer they become!

Our ORGANIC Cotton Prefolds are available in 3 sizes:

• Preemie: 2 - 4 kg (4 - 9 lbs) - 2x6x2 ply (perfect fit with a Super Brite Newborn!)
• Infant: 3 - 9 kg (7 - 20 lbs) - 4x8x4 ply
• Baby: 7 - 18 kg (15 - 40 lbs) - 4x8x4 ply

These cloth diapers should be washed and dried 3-5 times before using to remove the natural oils and waxes. Please expect an approximate shrinkage of about 20-25% after completing the pre-washes.

Each half dozen cloth diapers comes in its own beautiful organic cotton packaging bag with a colourful snap closure.

Our ORGANIC Cotton Prefold diapers are made in Pakistan. We are currently working with our supplier on obtaining SA 8000 certification in social accountability.

I've been using the Bummis prefolds on my newborn and have been quite pleased with how well they work and how much moisture they hold. The only time they have leaked was because I didn't have part of it tucked into the cover correctly! There are many different ways you can fold the prefolds, and you can also use a snappi or pins with them to hold it together. I prefer to just lay it in the cover and secure it on with just the cover. However, if your cover is to big you might find that the prefold slips down below the butt. I typically hang dry the prefolds on a clothes line to dry, mainly for the natural sun bleaching option, which works wonders on EBF baby poo! The prefolds get softer and softer after each wash. I have tried a few different brands of prefolds and have to say that so far the bummis are my top favorite. They seem like they will last forever and not break down over time due to washing and regular use.