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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/7/2007 10:47:48 PM
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W.O.F.
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I just use the fold them yourself and pre-folds. I don't do disposable liners, because in my opinion they kind of defeat two reasons we use them : to reduce trash, and to reduce cost.
HOWEVER...I have used doublers..and the most absorbant are flannel with a terry cloth middle (I have made them by taking 4 layers of flannel and sandwiching an old towel between the four layers )....and most doublers can be used as inserts in pocket diapers.
The main thing is...DO NOT EVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER on your diapers...it reduces the absorbancy of the diapers. Also if you can...hang them outside to dry in the sun...it kills a lot of germs as well as naturally bleaches them.
You can use clorox/bleach...but it should only be used about once every other month and ONLY 1/4 cup as the hot water increases the strength of the chlorine....and yes..they should be washed in hot water...you can run them through a rinse cycle of cold water prior to washing them..then wash them in hot and then rinse in cold. Adding vinegar to the rinse water softens them and balances the ph level (about 1/2 cup of vinegar to the final rinse).
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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/8/2007 7:41:42 AM
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W.O.F.
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AMEN AMEN to the dry pail method...we don't do wet pails either. I don't soak mine in the washer...I just run a cold water rinse on them and then wash as normal...but then...my diapers are flat so....
We also use cloth wipes rather than disposable...I buy the pack of 10 cloths for 5 dollars or so at Walmart and then cut them in half and use my maching to zig zag stitch the raw edge to keep them from unraveling. I just get mine wet with water out of the sink when I need to change a diaper...when we go out...I just get them wet and put them in a ziploc container. I have never done the baby soap thing...don't have anything against it...just my kids had very tender bottoms and plain water sworked just fine.
You can use liquid vitamin E to retard bacteria growth for 14 days if you want to pre-wet them. You can take 3 capsules and squeeze them into about 2 cups of water. It also makes baby's skin very very soft  .
the nice thing is that after baby is toilet trained...those washcloths are just the right size for little hands and faces, misc. spills, etc. It saves a lot of wear and tear on the bigger full sized cloths and they dry faster so they can go into the dirty cloths faster too.
they are also great to soak with witch hazel and use on any sore hemmorhoids or scarring from episiotomies or scarring from small tears....
we also use them to wrap around frozen condiment packages (like ketchup etc from fast food places) to make great boo boo packs for bumps and bruises.
_____________________________
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/8/2007 10:22:45 PM
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W.O.F.
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ChelseaRae
Thanks guys! You are fantastic!! Pics would be great Sarah, it is so nice to have other moms who use cloth to talk to, everyone here thinks I'm nuts!!
So what do you wash your diapers with? I read that you only add a tablespoon of soap, is that enough? Can I use Borax with them? Thats what I use to get stains out of her clothes and it works great. I use fragrance free detergent..and I use the full amount for a load of clothes. I DO add a 1/2 cup of borax (or baking soda) as it is a natural disinfectant and fungus fighter....I do a second rinse most of the time...but especially when it is the once every 8 weeks bleach time.
quote:
For fold it yourself and prefolds, you just have a flannel (or whatever material) piece of cloth, fold it, fasten it.. with a pin? and then put a cover over? I'm a little confused as to how those work, are they a lot of work? I guess they would be easier to clean and dry, how many of those cover things do you have? Are they plastic? I kind of think that would be bulky...
you buy them at the store...the fold them yourselves are flat pieces of either birdseye material (picture HERE) or sometimes cotton gauze (not medical gauze...but fabric gauze)...you have to fold them a certain way...I'd have to show you  to explain.(HERE are some possible folds..but not the one I use...it is the KITE fold that she is going to post soon) Pre folds are just diapers that you by that are sewn together to make them 3 to 4 layers deep and you just put them on the baby and pin in place. You then can use a cover (rubber pants, or velcro cover or wool cover) if you want. You can also just fold the diaper into thirds and lay into a velcro or snap cover. HERE are some pictures of prefolds...(I haven't bought this brand ...they just have good pictures!) and HOW you use them...
You can make prefolds out of flannel...just take two 18 inch squares of flannel and place two to four more layers of about 4 inches wide 18 inches long in the middle of ONE square and stitch this in place by sewing straight seams down each side...then place this on top of other 18 in square with right sides together (meaning pad is on the OUTside..and stitch around all four sides LEAVING a 2 inch opening to turn diaper outside right..then stitch that opening closed. You can also make the pad in the middle out of terry cloth (a hand towel folded in thirds is great for overnight diapers).
Old receiving blankets make good flat diapers as well....
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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/8/2007 10:29:46 PM
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W.O.F.
Posts: 1891
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forgot to answer the cover question.
I tend to use vinyl/rubber pants...they are easy. I usually only need about 6...unless they have a major blowout poopy..they can be reused for several diaper changes (about 2 covers a day) and we wash diapers about every 2 to 3 days...so...it depends on how often you wash your diapers.
I have used velcro covers..and there again....about 2 to 3 a day is good....
You just toss them in with your diapers in the wash...HOWEVER...they must be air dried if you use rubber pants...but turn them inside out and they are dry in a couple of hours..even in the house!
Here is the brand I use....I usually buy them at walmart.
I also, in the warmer months...just double diaper baby and leave the covers off when we are just at home.....
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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/9/2007 1:29:49 AM
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GlassMoonWaltzes
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Sarah,
Just when I already thought you were super mom...I now find out you are amazing super duper mom--cloth diapers too...WOW..I am impressed.
To all(including you, Sarah), I am just asking this out of CURIOUSITY, not judgement, what are your reasons for using cloth diapers...
I've done childcare a lot, but I've never had my own kids, so that was never really a decision for me (when you take care of other people's kids, they make that choice, of course).
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/9/2007 1:42:20 AM
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GlassMoonWaltzes
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quote:
I am cheap
LOL!!! I thought it was something about babies' skin or something....
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/9/2007 2:32:26 PM
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NuthouseMama
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those are nice diapers Chelsea. Thanks for letting me know about the link Sarah
Sandy
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/9/2007 7:27:27 PM
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Auben
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What kind of cloth diapers do you use? Do you like them?
I used a mixture of velcro types (several different brands), prefolds for them as infants, and eventually we found a bunch of Motherease one-size diapers at a garage sale cheap. I really liked the Motherease. They went from 10lb to over 30lb. I'm potty training my youngest right now so I sold most of them and gave the rest away. There were other brands I liked too.
If you use pocket diapers what do you use as inserts? Do you use any liners?
I tried one pocket diaper and didn't care for it. People that I know who use them buy prefolds and fold them and fit them in. I think several online stores also sell specially made inserts. You could probably make your own.
I did use liners. The motherease came with a snap-in liner and before that I made my own my folding a washcloth (cheap walmart variety) in thirds and then sewing them down the sides. Some I topped with some fleece to keep their bottoms drier.
I am thinking that I could probably sew some inserts and liners, what kind of material are they made of? What do you find the most absorbent?
Terry cloth (like the washcloths) will work, diaper flannel (they sell it at fabric stores) will work, buying infant prefolds will work (and make extra diapers). Chinese cotton or hemp prefolds are the most absorbant I hear, but I found the triple washcloth to work just as well. When I made prefolds I just bought 1 yard of flannel with a cute pattern, and another yard or two of diaper flannel. Then I layered and sewed it.
I've heard of people making diaper covers by shrinking old wool sweaters down, cutting and sewing the edges. A friend of mine does that. She buys the sweaters at goodwill. I personally don't like wool. It makes me itchy and always seemed to hold a smell. I probably was just not using the right cleaner at the right time or something. I've made a few covers from fleece. Those are good for home use but if they get pressed down in a stroller or car seat they can leak so I didn't like them for overnight or out and about.
< Message edited by Auben -- 9/9/2007 7:33:31 PM >
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Tamara
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/10/2007 8:54:56 PM
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W.O.F.
Posts: 1891
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an ignoble beginning
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we use them because they are cheap, and for the most part, are better the environment, and my kids all have very sensitive skin (not to mention that studies have shown babies diapered in cloth are less likely to develop thrush of the behind)
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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/11/2007 12:42:21 PM
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TammyIsBlessed
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We use them at home.
Though currently I am using disposables on my 27 month old. We will start potty training soon and I've found it easier to train them once their used to feeling dry. My first didn't care if she wet herself because she was used to the feeling from using cloth diapers. Also - at this age they go through way less diapers so the cost difference isn't as high as it was at the beginning.
My MIL sewed me the diapers. I think there's 10 layers of diaper flannelette sewn together in a diaper shape, then there's 3 rows of velcro to make it virtually one size fits all. They've fit our babies from 2 weeks old to 2 yrs old so far with no problem!
We do it mainly for cheapness reasons. And it's truly no messier than changing a disposable diaper. We just dump them right into a diaper pail instead of a garbage can.
We do use disposable liners but we buy them for really cheap at Walmart. We're definitely still saving money using them.
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I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. Helen Keller
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/11/2007 4:31:37 PM
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W.O.F.
Posts: 1891
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an ignoble beginning
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TammyIsBlessed
We use them at home.
Though currently I am using disposables on my 27 month old. We will start potty training soon and I've found it easier to train them once their used to feeling dry. My first didn't care if she wet herself because she was used to the feeling from using cloth diapers. Also - at this age they go through way less diapers so the cost difference isn't as high as it was at the beginning.
kids are sooo funny and soo different....don't EVER let anyone tell you they understand kids when it comes to potty training...
mine all trained better because they didn't like feeling wet....and wanted out of the diapers...lol...but your kids and my sil's kids were the opposite...they needed to feel the dryness of disposables before they'd train well.....
_____________________________
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Cloth diaper questions - 9/12/2007 11:40:03 AM
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NuthouseMama
Posts: 934
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From: Just north of nowhere
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I used motherease with my oldest. I liked them a lot too, my only complaint was that they are a little bulky. Pretty good other than that.
Hubby is on board with the switch back to cloth! This time around we decided to get bumgenius one size. I get to order them on friday when we get paid WOOHOO!!
here's a question for you...wet or dry pail? What kind of pail do you use? I saw some plain ol trash cans at walmart I was thinking about getting for dry pail storage. Do you rinse out the can everytime or every couple of times?
Sandy
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Formerly: Blessedmamaofmany. Still blessed. Just crazier.
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