Winter Sunbathing

Tucson winters are amazing. Lately, we’ve been blessed with sunshine & 70s. This means our days have been spent at the park or in our front yard soaking up the winter rays. The diapers have also been spending many an hour outside sunning themselves on the drying rack. Unfortunately, due to some wicked morning sickness, the diapers haven’t been making their trek outside before 3 pm or even later. So, the heat of the day is beginning to fade and the sun’s rays disappear just as quickly. I’ve learned a couple of tricks to make use of the winter sun. Hopefully some of these tips can translate to those of you that live where you really have winter!

• I set up the drying rack close to a wall that has been drenched with sunlight for a majority of the day. In this case, I’m looking to use the heat radiating from the wall to help dry the diapers, since oftentimes the warmth of the day is quickly slipping into a cool evening.
• My GroVia soakers and Thirsties AIOs take more time to dry than pocket inserts and prefolds. Anything that is backed with a waterproof layer means that it dries from the top down. To help speed up drying, I prop both diapers on their sides. This way, the heat of the wall and the remnants of sunshine can dry on both the inner layers and outer layers of the diapers. It really helps!!

Note the sunny wall. And I can't help but brag about my white diapers. Ahhhh....I love sunny Tucson winters!

• So this tip rarely works for me, but getting diapers out during the warmest part of the day mainly noon-ish or so is best. I wish I could get moving on laundry sooner, but it takes my nose and stomach quite some time to calm down before I can get myself near the pile of dirties. Ugh.

So I’m not against using the dryer for my diapers. I just never really think to use it since I’m in the habit of line drying them. Following the above winter drying methods, I’ve been able to avoid using the dryer. It’s a way for me to cut back on energy and keep my diapers from excessive wear. So for those of you with a 'real' winter…here’s hoping that Puxatony Phil doesn’t see his shadow tomorrow!

{CW wishes you all a very happy Groundhog's day. He's psyched to watch the news tomorrow to see if Phil sees his shadow or not.}

Washing Tips

My last post was about washing routines, care, and instructions. Now I’d like to discuss some tips that I’ve learned when it comes to washing & drying cloth diapers. A common theme that runs through all the tips will be trial and error. It’s normal in the beginning to have washes not turn out clean diapers. Find what works for you! Different machines, water types {hard/soft}, detergents, and diaper brands will all create different wash routines for different people. And from my experience sometimes even a good wash routine may fail. My biggest problem…broccoli. The boys love it, but when served at dinner, I expect horrid diapers in the morning. I now know that a pre-rinse with the sprayer before putting the diapers in the pail does a lot of good. And I also can tell when our water softener needs more salt, because more soap is needed. So be flexible with your wash routine, and hopefully these tips will make wash day so easy it won’t even feel like a chore!

·         Detergent Amount: Use enough detergent. How much is enough? Your diapers should not have any stink smell when coming out of the washing machine. If they smell stinky, re-wash. It’s also a good idea to check if there are any suds in the final rinse cycle. Too many suds means too much soap. Run another rinse cycle, and use less soap next time.

·         Proper load size: Too many dirties and too few diapers will create havoc. Too many and they won’t come clean. Remember, HE machines don’t use a lot of water. Too few diapers, and they can’t “scrub” against each other very well when washing. There isn’t a magic number, but 18 diapers is a good number to work with. Have I washed more than 18 and less than 18 in loads? Yes. It’s all about being flexible. Adjust soap and wash cycles as needed.

·         Rinse: Rinse the poo! A diaper sprayer is a must. Rinse all the poo off that you can. Less poo on the diaper while in the pail, means less poo in the pre-rinse cycle, and hopefully no poo in the wash cycle. {Please note that breastfed poo is exempt. This rinses away without the need to spray in the toilet.} Rinsing also helps to keep staining at bay. {Confession Alert! I rinse during naptime and after bedtime. Too many “helpful” hands and people in the bathroom while I work. I flick what comes off easily into the toilet and close the diaper up until rinse time. Gross, but effective.}

·         Trick your washer: I have read about, but never used the “Towel Trick”. It consists of adding a towel in your load during the sensing part of the cycle {the beginning} and removing it before the water & soap is added. I have often times poured large bowls of water over a load before the pre-rinse to make the diapers heavier. HE machines go by weight to determine how much water to use. My reasoning is that half dry diapers are only half as heavy. So pouring large bowls of water will make them heavier, and then more water will be used by machine. It’s ok if the water drains out, this is just to get your diapers wet and heavy not to add water to the cycle.

·         Hang dry: Hang drying means less wear and tear on your diapers. Lint is the breaking down of fabrics. Anything that is microfiber hang dries in my house. No need for it to be soft and fluffy since it never touches skin. Pockets and covers are also air dried. Anything that is cotton and touches skin gets dried on low heat for 15-20 minutes before hanging out. Or a good shaking out helps soften up the fabric after air drying.

·         Sun: The sun is the best sanitizer and stain remover. Be sure to Practice Safe Sun.

·         Large Stash Size: This is probably the least mentioned and most important tip when it comes to washing diapers. It is essential to have a good size stash {over 24, closer to 36 + diapers} to keep your diapers functional. Repeated washing of a small stash will wear out your diapers faster. I guarantee it! You will not save money by having a small stash, because they will wear out quickly and you will have to buy more. A large amount of diapers will keep them rotating through less frequently, and will make them last longer. The diapers will then wear and tear at a slower rate, and since they will last longer you will get your money’s worth. They’ll be sure to last for more babies or will be acceptable condition to sell to others. As with any fabric, repeated washing & drying will wear out the item. Think of your fav shirt. You’ve probably had it for years and wear it in high rotation in your wardrobe. Does it have holes? Is it frayed? Is it super thin and faded? Yes, yes, and yes. You love it, but it’s not a “functional” shirt to wear outside of the house. At least mine isn’t. The same will happen if you have too few diapers. Be sure to invest in your diapers and make them last through potty learning and then some!

~~Tonya~~

Practice Safe Sun

Here in Tucson, we are experiencing an incredible heat wave. As I was driving home last night from a fun diaper consultation at 10 pm {too many diapers to look at and so little time!}, it was 100 degrees on my car’s thermometer. So, when I say incredible heat, I really mean intense, awful, searing heat. This time of year not only do we need to protect ourselves, babies, and pets from the heat, but our diapers as well. I do sun my diapers, and I have blogged about the benefits of using the sun to get stains out here. But this time of year, it’s best to sun your diapers for a shorter period of time and early morning is best. I also do not have my covers/shells in direct sunlight. Honestly, I’ve never had a stain on a cover/shell and have never needed to put one in direct sunlight. However, if you do have a stain on a cover/shell, sun it briefly and early in the morning. Look at the care instructions on your diapers. Most of them say to hang dry or to tumble dry on low heat. At this time of the year, a dryer on low heat has to be cooler than the 110+ degree heat we’ve been experiencing here. That’s not a fact, just my wacky, unscientific opinion. I have no idea how hot dryers get, but 100+ degrees is blistering hot here in Tucson. Ack!! {Where are my monsoons?!} And do not underestimate the value of sunning your diapers indoors when it is too hot to have them outside. The UV rays can still work their magic indoors. Finding a sunny window in the afternoon may be a good alternative if you don’t get a chance to wash and dry your stash in the early morning hours. Today I put my diapers out for only 30 minutes at about 9 this morning. {I got a late start on my wash today.} Take care of your diapers and make your investment last!!

My little Wildcat is too cool!

I should mention that I'm sponsoring a giveaway {ends 7/5/11} over at Times for Keeping. Erin's a sweetheart of a gal, and she recently gave birth to her second baby girl. Her precious little doll tested out a GroVia newborn AIO. You can read her review here. And if you are looking to purchase GroVia newborn AIOs, Green Baby Elephant LLC has them in stock!!

Upcycle Masterpiece

When BW was born, my mom passed along to me the prefolds that she used on me as a baby. I tucked them away in BW’s closet and forgot about them. While cleaning out the closet come springtime, I rediscovered them. They are soooooooo soft. Unbelievably soft. And virtually stain free. Then it hit me. I can repurpose these into burp cloths for baby EB!



washed and ready for sewing



I had to do hardly any prep to get the old prefolds ready to transform into stylish burp cloths. My first step was to do a long soak in Rockin’ Green. I did this for two reasons. 1. When held up to the light, the center was slightly yellowed. I wanted to try to get rid of any urine stains. 2. I wanted to remove any detergent residue, and have them washed up in a gentle soap for my nephew. After the soak and washings, they looked great. There was hardly a stain left. And sunning helped clear it up. Rockin’ Green really helped get out those old stains! The next step was to find a fabric to sew down the middle. That was easy. Nina has loved monkeys since she was little. CW had the final say between the two monkey prints, and he picked out the better of the two. And the last step was to sew the flannel down the center of the prefolds. I was able to do that while the boys napped one afternoon. {For some odd reason, I find it relaxing to sew.}



my upcycle masterpiece! Ta-Da



I was able to repurpose and add some pizzazz to my prefolds. So now they’ve become super cute burp cloths. Plus if Nina needs to use them as a diaper for EB, she can do that in a pinch. Yay for upcycling for a baby gift!

~Tonya~

Using Cloth on a Newborn

I decided while still pregnant that I was going to try cloth diapers with my second baby. It was something that I had always contemplated after my first child was born. However, I did not feel as I had enough information about how they work and many other details that many of us Mommies require before making a big purchase.
Then my sister had her second child and began to cloth diaper. I was able to see first-hand all of the ins and outs of the cloth diapering world.  Learning how to wash, stuff, and put them on an actual baby helped immensely!
With this pregnancy I was all about being prepared early, as my first child was a month early and I was not ready.  As I packed my hospital bag I also packed a bag for my new baby that included about 8 of my 12 newborn AIO Grovia's.  I had prepped them the week before and loved how tiny and cute they were!  I also packed some liners in anticipation of my baby's first poopie (meconium).

I wondered what the nurses and doctors would think about the cloth diapers and if anyone would flat out refuse to use them. I wondered if there would be that nurse that would put a disposable on my baby in an effort to discourage me, and make her life easier.
Boy was I wrong! The nurses were intrigued by the tiny cloth diapers and soon my son and I were the talk of the 4th floor labor and delivery ward! My nurse came in and asked to borrow one of the diapers to show off at the nurses’ station.  Everyone commented on how adorable and easy they were to use! Every time there was a shift change I would get the same questions.  How do you wash them? How much are they? What made you decide to do cloth? The list went on.
I love having the newborn size Grovia and Fuzzibunz.  Totally worth purchasing!!! They fit so well and do not rub on his little belly button as it heals. There is very little bulk and fit under a onesie perfectly. Newborn's little legs are so skinny and newborn size diapers are trim and don't keep them from scrunching their tiny legs up into the fetal position. I used liners while in the hospital waiting for the meconium. It came out with the liner so easily.  The only downfall  I found was that no one but me snapped them tight enough. I think they are afraid to put them on too tightly since they don't stretch like disposables do. But trust me, you will know when you have put them on too tight, because they won't snap : -)

Once we arrived home from the hospital it was time to wash them...I was dreading this, and I don't know why.  I was worried about stains.  The first time I washed them I forgot to rinse them first.  Not a big a deal. However, I have, through trial and error found a certain method to washing newborn AIO's.  I snap them on the loosest snap after a diaper change and throw them in the wet bag. Once I am in the laundry room I go through and turn them inside out while still snapped. The ensures that the outer covers will not take precedence over the inner liners.  This has helped tremendously to get all the poop out and most of the stains out with one wash.  This also greatly reduces the time in the dryer!
I had heard about the sun being a natural stain remover, and I can honestly say that they were true! Now, that said the sun has not come out where I live since my son was 3 days old.  So, on the first sunny day that we have you can bet money that I am going to "sun" all my diapers!  The stains are minimal, but I still would like them gone : )
After a week of using cloth diapers I feel like I have a pretty good handle on them and a newfound love! I am no longer anxious about changing them while away from home, washing them, getting stains out, or dealing with leaks. We use the GroVia's and Fuzzibunz during the day and the Thirsties at night. I have both the Thirsties Duo Diaper & Duo Fitted.  I like them both the Thirsties diaper and fitted equally and never worry about leakage with them! They hold a lot!  They are much bulkier than the newborn size GroVia & FuzziBunz diapers. My husband and I have had quite a few laughs from them, and love them all the more! If you are worried about the bulk then stick to the newborn size until your child grows bigger.
Also, our son was circumcised and I continued to use cloth. We just use a liner and a gauze pad with Vaseline and haven’t had a problem. I did decide to use a disposable to see the difference during the healing time....WOW night and day difference! He leaked terribly out of all four disposables that I placed on him.  The poor little guy woke up during the night completely wet through a sleep sack and a swaddle!!! Unheard of with cloth! Never again disposable for me!

If you are nervous about taking the plunge into the world of cloth diapering a newborn, I urge you to give it a try. I promise it is easier than you think.  Your baby will thank you!  And I think you will thank yourself!

~~Nina~~

P.S. Many more posts on newborn dipes are to come! Nina will be reviewing each diaper much more thoroughly as soon as she gets the chance.

Sun Tan Part 2

Oh, oh it’s magic. Sort of.  *Full disclaimer* Before looking at the before and after pictures, I must confess that this GroVia booster not only enjoyed a weekend of our wonderful sunny weather here in Tucson, but was used and washed as well.  The extra washing was done on accident, as my sweet hubby used it since I didn’t tell him otherwise.  But the washing did help work out the nasty blueberry stains. Yay!

{Note: The loose threads are circled to prove that this is the same booster. And I apologize about the lighting in the after pic. Fluorescent lighting stinks.}

As you can see, the stains are almost completely gone.  With another wash and “tanning session” it will be stain free.  Honestly, staining doesn’t bother me.  However, I do like to keep my dipes looking as nice as possible, especially since these are going to be passed on to my soon to be born nephew. EEEE! I’m excited to meet him. 

~~Tonya~~

Sun Tan

The hot, Arizona sun is great for drying cloth diapers.  Even when it’s not so hot, the sun here is still great for sunning your dipes.  Drying your diapers outside will save you money by not running your dryer, and the UV rays are a great way to kill any germs and remove any odors  that may be lingering on your diapers.  But wait there’s more! {I watch too many infomercials.} The sun will naturally bleach out stains!! To good to be true?! In this case, it isn’t. It doesn’t even have to be hot outside for the sun to work its magic.

For the record, I do use the dryer to dry my diapers.  Anything that is cotton {mostly my GroBaby/GroVia’s}  goes in the dryer for about 20 minutes on medium heat.  I found that this helps keep the diaper from getting stiff and rough when drying in the sun.  I have tried air drying and then putting in the dryer for a bit to soften, but that didn’t work for me.  My BabyKicks 3g pockets also go in the dryer to help soften them before air drying.  I also add my cloth wipes {WHAT?! Cloth Wipes? That’s crazy talk you say? We’ll discuss this later} to the load.  By the time 20 minutes are up, the wipes are pretty much dry.  Why don’t I dry them outside? Not enough room on the drying rack.  Plus, they dry quickly with what needs to go in the dryer.  What doesn’t go in the dryer? Shells/covers, empty pockets, microfiber inserts, and hemp inserts. Yes, I threw in a huge amount of cloth diaper verbage.   We’ll cover it all in a future post.

Blueberries are often on the menu for breakfast in this house, and the end result is well…uh…nasty.  Even after a good soak and wash, there is some staining on this GroVia booster.  The picture below is proof of that.  No worries though.  I’m putting the good ol’ Arizona sun to work.  Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight and it’s going to have to go back outside in the morning. Oh well.  No rest for the wicked or is it weary? Who knows.

Perhaps  you aren’t lucky enough to have Arizona sunshine.  Some of you are still in the throes of winter, like those in North Dakota.  Don’t fret.  Laying your diapers in the sun even inside can have some benefits.  It will take longer for stains to be removed, but it is better than nothing.   If this isn’t working for you, a little elbow grease and lemon juice may help.  After applying the lemon juice allow it to dry in the sun.  Wash the diaper again to remove the juice.  This should help to remove the stain.  If you do live in a place where there is little sun, and you are a victim of chronic staining, I have three options for you.  One is to get over it!  Harsh, I know. But seriously, stains happen.  Know that your diaper is clean, and don’t worry about what they look like.  The second option is to use fleece.  I have yet to have a diaper with fleece hold a stain.  FuzziBunz, Thirsties, and BabyKicks are all pocket style diapers that use fleece.  Third is to use a diaper sprayer.  A diaper sprayer attaches to your toilet to spray off the poo into the pot.  Prompt rinsing of the diaper will help keep the stain from being held in by the material. 

So, if you’re ever driving by and you see a drying rack full of cloth diapers, stop by and say “Hi!” Just kidding.  I don’t open the door to strangers.  I have to set a good example for my boys.  J

P.S. After I sun the booster a little bit longer tomorrow, I'll post a pic of it.

Maybe you live in a HOA and are not allowed to have a clothesline to hang out clothes.  Use a drying rack instead.  I live in a HOA and move my drying rack all over my backyard to follow the sun.  I even put the diapers out in the front yard by the door to get the last remnant of sun in the late afternoon.  I do have a courtyard, which makes it a little more difficult to see my stand of diapers out by my front door.  

~~Tonya~~