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Showing posts with label Washing Cloth Diapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washing Cloth Diapers. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 0 comments

Our Favorite Cloth Diaper Accessories!

Part of the joy of cloth diapering is how simple and easy they are to use. Once you have a solid wash routine down and have learned the fastest way to get your favorite brand on a rolling, wriggling, tiny human, you are good to go.


However, as many parents have learned over time, there are some great cloth diaper accessories out there that can make your cloth diaper experience even easier. With input from many moms, we’ve put together Nicki’s Diaper's list of favorite cloth diaper accessories. These are the items that the Nicki’s Diapers moms are ordering for their littles on a regular basis and loving!
Spray Pal Diaper SprayerSpray Pal Splatter Shield - New Design!

Newborn poop is wonderful! (Who thought you’d hear that?!) The waste from an exclusively breastfed baby doesn’t need to be removed before washing. Just change the diaper and throw the diaper in the diaper bag until wash day, no extra work required.
And then you start solids….oh my! The new colors and textures are a whole new experience and must be removed before washing. You could try the dunk and swish method, but who likes to experience that? A Spray Pal diaper sprayer easily attaches to your toilet for a no-touch solution to poop removal. Pair it with the Spray Pal Spray Shield, and you avoid any excess water or waste making its way out of the toilet. So simple and easy to use!


Imagine Biodegradable Liners

Another option to avoid the poop dilemma once your baby is on solids. Just lay the liner inside the diaper. Once soiled, shake the diaper contents, Imagine Liner and all, right into the toilet. No dunk and swish needed.



You’re already washing your cloth diapers, there’s no reason not to use cloth wipes as well. Unlike commercial wipes, they are chemical free and so soft on baby’s bottom. The cute prints and super gentle flannel of the Nicki’s Diapers Flannel Wipes can be paired with your favorite wipe solution to save you money and give you a safe and chemical free wipe option.


LuSa Organics Diaper Wipe Concentrate

Speaking of cloth wipes, why not use a wipe solution that will not only clean baby, but also has healing powers as well! The LuSa wipe concentrate is easy to prepare ahead of time by mixing with water and contains a soothing mix of oils, aloe vera juice, and witch hazel combined with essential oils. No chemicals and free of synthetic scents.


Planet Wise Wet Bags

While these are definitely one of our favorite cloth diaper accessories, they have so many other uses around the house as well! We love that they come in three sizes so we can choose which one to use based on our day, and the wet-dry option is perfect for keeping things organized in the diaper bag. Try keeping your wipes and diaper cream in the dry section for easy access and dirty diapers contained in the wet section. We’ve also been known to use these for beach trips, Spray Pal storage, and keeping our mama cloth organized.


GroVia Mighty Bubbles Laundry Treatment

While a good wash routine will keep your cloth diapers clean and stain free, sometimes your diapers could use a little boost. Grovia Mighty Bubbles removes any buildup in your diapers including urine or detergent and it's just so easy to use. Just throw one pod in the washer with your diapers and it dissolves completely and works it’s cloth diaper cleaning magic.


Snappi Diaper Fastener

Let’s face it, nobody wants to use diapers pins on their baby anymore! Don’t worry, the Snappi Diaper Fasteners are our favorite easy solution for securing flats, prefolds, and fitteds. The grip hook teeth take no time at all to hook onto the diaper and are reliable for even the wiggliest littles. They take just three steps to secure and we love that they come in a toddler size too, giving you extra stretch as baby grows.


Nicki's Diapers Bamboo Doubler

Wouldn’t it be great if none of our babies were heavy wetters? The reality is that whether you have a heavy wetter or not, there are times where you want a little extra protection from leaks. For us, that’s the grocery run that is never actually fast or the long car ride to Grandma’s house. Why do we love Nicki’s Bamboo Doublers for this? They come in two sizes, are made from a combination of bamboo and organic cotton, can be used in any diaper type you can imagine, and are oh so absorbent!


CJ's BUTTer Shea Butter Balm - 2 oz Jar
You feel terrible when your baby ends up with an angry, red, bum, but you need to make sure to protect your diapers at the same time. One of our favorite cloth friendly diaper creams is CJ’s BUTTer. Our moms have used the healing solution for diaper rash, eczema, dry skin, wind burn, and even stretch marks! The shea butter is so smooth, soothing, and gentle enough for even sensitive babies.



I have to admit, there was a quick discussion about whether these were a cloth diaper accessory or not, but everyone quickly agreed that these cute leggings are definitely one of our favorite accessories to pair with cloth diapers! Think about it, you have a new baby and you’re learning the ins and outs of cloth diapering. Babies poop, a lot! With all of those diaper changes you could be pulling pants on and off, or you could try Imagine Baby Leggings. They’re so cute, keep baby’s legs warm, protect from scraped knees once they’re on the move, and make diaper changes so easy. If you live in a colder area, they are great to layer under pants in the winter to make sure baby’s legs stay warm and protected while you’re holding or wearing them.

Do you have other favorite cloth diapers accessories that we didn't mention? Send us a comment and let us know!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 5 comments

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Washing Newborn Diapers

Anyone who has ever had a new baby knows just how much laundry they produce. It still amazes me after 3 children, just how many tiny pieces of clothing a tiny little person dirties! You might be overwhelmed at the thought of adding in cloth diaper laundry. Here is the good news: Washing newborn diapers is EASY! And when I say easy, I mean that I'd rather wash the 12-15 diapers/day that my 3 week old is putting out than the 2-3 diapers/day that my almost potty trained 2 1/2 year old is putting out! Here is what makes it so easy:
  • The poop! If baby is exclusively breastfed, there is no need to do any spraying, scraping or dunking to get rid of the poop. While the bright yellow poop (or the hot mustard explosion as my husband calls it) may look, well.. disgusting, think of it as the consistency of yogurt. It's water soluble and will rinse away when you do your first rinse or cold wash in your wash routine.
  • The smell! Better yet, the lack of smell! I'm not getting all high and mighty by telling you my kid's poop doesn't stink. I'm telling you that newborn poop doesn't stink! Breastfed poop is generally void of a foul odor, which means you are less likely to have to deal with stinky diapers!
I have 2 places I store dirty diapers. I have a dry pail with a Planet Wise Pail Liner in Emmett's nursery and a Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag in our bathroom. My 2 1/2 year old's diapers get thrown into the bag in the bathroom (convenient after spraying off a #2) and my newborn's diapers are in the pail (poop and all!). On wash day, I empty both of these into my washer and throw in the liner and bag. I do a cold rapid wash followed by a hot wash with detergent and an extra rinse. All covers and pocket shells go on a folding drying rack and inserts, prefolds and fitteds get tumble dried.
Special Considerations
  • Stains- It's true that the bright yellow poop does seem to stain cloth diapers. The good new is that even with a stain, they are clean. The other good new is that breastmilk poop stains fade over washing and sun out easily!
  • Meconium- I've had quite a few people ask me about meconium poop and how it washes out. This was honestly one of my biggest concerns before embarking on this journey! Emmett passed most of his meconium while we were still in the hospital. I didn't use any liners with the cloth diapers during that time. All of those diapers were stored for 2 days in our wetbag before being washed and all came perfectly clean!
  • Detergent Sensitivities- I don't have to tell you just have sensitive a newborn's skin may be! If you find that your little one is getting a rash or reaction only where their diaper touches, they may be sensitive to the detergent you are using. Make sure you are using something free of additives and free of fabric softener. Although specially advertised to be for babies, Dreft detergent is not a good option for cloth diapers. Also make sure you are rinsing your diapers well after the wash to ensure all detergent it out!

Friday, December 3, 2010 5 comments

10 Things I Have Learned While Cloth Diapering TWINS

1. Do research and be Picky:
There is nothing more annoying than spending money on 12 of the new "it" diaper only to find out that the: fit is not good for your baby. The diaper doesn't absorb like it was supposed to. The fabric isn't as soft as you thought it would be. In doing the research on different types of cloth diapers you can explore all the pro and cons for each type and get a idea what is right for your personal situation, it might be time consuming, but it is worth it. There is a particular diaper that everyone seems to LOVE, I decided to get each of the twins one...thank goodness I only got 2. I ended up hating them after the very first use. Tip: Choose a number of different diaper you like, then buy one or two of each brand. This way you can try a bunch of different kind and find out the ones you love and the ones you hate. Without breaking the bank!

2. Diaper Rash Cream and Cloth Diapers don't mix:
Diaper Rash cream will cause you diapers to leak. It take A LOT of elbow grease to get it out of the diaper. I learned this the hard way. Now if I have to use a rash cream, I either use a 100% cloth diaper safe cream ( like Earth Mama Angel Baby) or a just simply put a fleece doubler in. That way, my babies are getting the relief they need but is isn't hurting the diaper!

3. Never under load or overload the washer:
I have a top loader, and I have learned my lesson! A underloaded washer results in a HUGE waste of water, and time. A overloaded washer results in the diapers on top not getting completely submerged in the wash, thus leaving them stinky because they were not properly cleaned. I have found it is best to have a load that consist of 12-24 diapers, that way they still have room to rub up against each other to get a nice deep clean! Hint: Don't have enough diapers for a full load but MUST do the load? It simple toss in a clean hand towel or two!

4. Organization is key:
Having twins I wash a average of about 50 diapers a week! There have been nights when I have just been too tired to go and get them out of the dryer to stuff and fold them. That can create a viscous cycle of leaving the diapers in the drier or on the clothes line until they are needed, and lets face it that is not convenient. With so many diapers my husband and my self have created a system. In the evening, once the diapers have been dried weather from the clothes line or the drier, we put all the diapers, inserts, doublers, and covers in a basket. While watching t.v or chatting with each other about the day, we stuff all the pockets, fold all the prefolds & snap and prepare all the diapers and covers for the next day. That way when I need a clean diaper it is quick and easy to grab one and know that is ready to go!

5. ALWAYS clean a soiled diaper as soon as possible:
There is nothing more nasty than forgetting about a soiled diaper for a day or two. Without giving details, I have too learned this the hard way. I can say I love my diaper sprayer. It cleans the diaper quick and easy, right in the toilet. All you do is flush and TA DA! The diaper sprayer quickly became a must have in our home!

Hint: Once a soiled diaper has been cleaned to the best of your ability, soak for about 15 minutes in hot water. Then with a stiff bristled brush ( like a fingernail brush) using only hot water scrub the diaper. This will help prevent stains and get the diaper even cleaner in the wash.

6. Line Drying and Sunning Cloth Diapers works wonders:
Recently I was having ummm...well a stinky issue with some of my diapers. A friend suggested line drying them! So I did. Not only did the diapers dry incredibly fast, but the stink was gone, and bonus the sun removed 99.9% of the stains some of them had.


Hint: No outside line? Me either. It's easy to make one. The dollar store sells clothes line cord and clothes pins. I made my clothes line on my deck, tying to one post at one end of the deck and the other at...yup you guessed it, the other end of the deck! You can make yours where ever you want by simply tying the cord to a tree, a post or what ever you have, then tie the other end to what ever you can! Then you are ready to line dry!!!

7. No matter how careful you are with laundry soap there still might be detergent build up in your dipes:
I opened the dryer, and YUCK a blast of stink! It was horrific. After some research I discovered it was detergent build up. I learned that adding too much soap causes this hideous smell. I started using hardly any detergent.

Hint: Can't seem to get rid of that nasty smell not matter what you do? Try this: Soak 12-24 diaper in a HOT wash for at least a hour (when doing this I do it over night). Once your soak is complete continue you was cycle with no detergent. After cycle is complete, rinse again. The water from my washer empties into a tub sink so I was able to see the water, I was shocked to see after 3 rinses the water was still coming out with suds. When the water no longer had suds. I dried the diapers...NO STINK!!!

8. A durable large wet bag can be your best friend:
When cloth diapering, it can get stinky between washes. My cloth diapering top 'must have' Item is my wet bag!! When we first started cloth diapering, I thought ' we don't need to spend money on a wet bag' Whoa was I wrong. Plastic bags don't cut it. I have amazed us how a horrible stinky room can suddenly be fresh by simply zipping our wet bag!!! Our wet bag it very large and can easily zip with 18 diapers (BumGenius) in it!

9. Prefolds and Covers are fantastic option:
For my husband and my self prefolds are indispensable! Nothing is easier, dries faster, or is as trim. Prefolds. They are a wonderful 'go to' choice. While I'm at home it's easy! Grab a prefold, a snappi, and a pair of wool longies! This is a perfect combination for fall!

Hint: Don't have Wool? First of all, I highly recommend looking into wool as a possible option for your family, you be so happy you did! But, if you don't have wool and feel wool just isn't for you. Try this: cover your prefold with a Flip cover or a Bummis Super Whisper wrap or Super Brite...or your favorite cover!

10. Cloth Diapering is Addicting!:
When I first started cloth diapering nearly 5 years ago. I had 5 AIO's, 12 prefolds, and 8 diaper pins. I had just started out and didn't know about ALL the different types, styles,and brands of diapers. In 2008 out when we found out I was pregnant with the twins we started buying our cloth diapers...The addiction had not set in yet! I started by buying 24 indian prefolds, then 24 more prefolds...enter addiction!!! My twins are now 1! I am very proud of their stash!!

We currently have:
  • 20 Pocket Diapers
  • 25 Fitteds
  • 5 AIO's
  • 10 covers
  • 52 Regular Prefolds
  • 48 Newborn Prefold ( I still use these as boosters)
  • 20 Fleece doublers
  • 10 Knit wool covers - longies - shorties - skirties - diaper cover styles
But.....I still want more....Have you seen the Bummis Easy fit Prints?? Or the BumGenius Prints! *my heart quickens!

By Guest Blogger - Britni : Mama of 3! Cloth Diapering twins!