The Inside Scoop! The Skinny on Laundry

I don't know if you know this, but there is a lady over at Bummis who I like to call the cloth diaper laundry whisperer. Seriously, she knows her stuff inside and out, and I often say I wish I could bottle her knowledge up! So everyone, please join me in saying hello to Shirley (hello Shirley!).

We know so many of our customers struggle with hard water conditions. And the minerals in hard water can lead to premature wear and tear on diapers. Short of installing a water softener, there isn't much that can be permanently done to affect your water. If you do want a trick to combat those pesky minerals - check out Calgon (look for it at your grocer's). Calgon, added to the wash cycle, will bind to the minerals and help your detergent work more efficiently. There will still be some mineral deposits from the rinse cycle, but not nearly as many.

Did you know there are other ways you can help your diapers live a long and happy life? Check out these four Red Flags.

Cloth Diaper Laundry Routine Red Flags:

• Diaper Laundry Delay - Waiting to wash too long between laundry days - the microbes will start to eat the natural fibers - optimal timing is to wash every other day. 
• Bleach - Oxygen (aka Oxiclean and its like), chlorine or otherwise - weakens fibers. Did you also know? Oxygen bleach not thoroughly rinsed out will again weaken fibers once the diapers are put in the dryer.
• Heavy Agitation - The more the fibers rub against each other, the more weakening will occur. Avoid the 'heavy agitation' cycle on your machine. 
• Overdrying - In other words, drying the fibers past the point where there isn't any moisture left to come out. Try to line dry when possible. And, if you will use the dryer, use a low heat setting and remove diapers as soon as they are dry.

Just one of the above will cause diapers to wear out before their time (along with the usual suspects: soaking, too high of heat in the washer/dryer). Two, three or all four of the above? Yes, your diapers are going to look old far before their time.


 

No More Microfiber!

I'm always thrilled to host guest bloggers. Their varied perspectives and experiences offer further insight into the world of cloth diapering!

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Rachel. Loyal readers will remember her DIY post from last fall. 
Enjoy! 

No More Microfiber!

Folding a Flat Diaper to Stuff a Pocket Diaper

I purchased high-quality yet inexpensive flat diapers from Itsy Bitsy Bums in the fall. As much as I tried to channel my grandmother by using flat diapers and pins on my daughter, it just didn't work out for us. I hated to waste the diapers, and I loved how easily and quickly the flats could be washed and dried, so I decided to stuff my pocket diapers with flats. I love it! 

The flats and pocket shells can both air-dry in just a few hours. Not to mention hanging your diapers on the line instead of using the dryer saves even more energy (and therefore saves you more money). Cotton is a natural fabric that doesn't hold on to smells and laundry detergent as easily as microfiber, meaning you are less likely to need to strip your diapers. 

Here is a quick tutorial on how to get that big square of fabric in to your pocket diaper. 

Begin with a clean flat diaper (clearly it doesn't need to be ironed). 

Fold it in half. 

Fold it in half the same way (horizontally) again. 

Fold it in half the other way, tugging a bit to make it nice and taut. 

Slide the folded flat inside your pocket diaper. 

That's it, you're done! You can adjust your last fold if you have the rise set higher on your one-size diapers. I recommend putting the thickest part at the front of the diaper for most babies. 

You can also use a prefold to stuff your pockets. I use an infant-sized trifolded prefold inside of mine. Prefolds will take a few more hours to line-dry, but otherwise they work well as a microfiber alternate. 

Enjoy stuffing your diapers with an inexpensive, natural material!

I also find that flats are also excellent to use in the kitchen and around the house. In fact, I purchased a dozen to keep in the kitchen and we reach for them often! They are great for cleaning messy hands and faces, wiping up the pet's water that your daughter splashed on the floor, or drying the dog's paws as he comes in on a rainy day. They are very absorbent and durable, and super easy to clean. 

Editor's note - Also consider using your pocket diaper as a cover over a flat or prefold, essentially creating your own All-in-Two system!

• Fold the flat or prefold into a rectangle as Rachel described above; aim for a size that covers the majority of the inner of the pocket diaper.
• Lay the prefold or flat into the shell, and secure diaper around baby.
• At diaper change time, simply change out the prefold or flat for a new one!
• If the pocket's inner fleece is wet, hang to dry to use at the next diaper change. Rotate two pocket shells through one day, then toss both into the diaper pail that evening. 
• If poop gets on the fleece, then toss the entire diaper 

This is also a great option if you are exclusively a pocket diaper user, but want to start the potty training process. Consider - a pocket diaper's wicking layer keeps baby feeling dry, but provides very little feedback to connect the physical sensation of wetness with the physiology of urination. By putting natural fibers against the bum, it now provides that feedback. Who needs training pants when you can buy a dozen flats for $14.95! Oh, there you are. 

DIY: How to Shorten Prefolds

Thank you to my friend Rachel over at Reluctantly Green for allowing me to pass along this fantastic tutorial!

One note I would like to add - while I tend to harass my friends for content to publish here, don't hesitate to contact me if you have something you've written about cloth diapering and would like to share!

From the Desk of Rachel S.

How to Shorten Prefolds

My daughter is 16-months-old with a skinny waist and short rise, but big thighs! This means she requires the width of a premium-size prefold, but the rise of an infant prefold. How to solve this problem? I trimmed the rise of my premium prefolds! This is super easy and really makes the prefold nice and trim because you don't need to fold down the rise. 

I originally found instructions on Karen's Cloth Diapering Site, but decided to take step-by-step pictures because that's what I like to follow. She sews the cut-off piece onto one edge of the prefold for a built-in doubler - great idea! 

Materials 

• Premium Prefold (any brand)
• Scissors or Rotary cutter
• Marking pen
• Straight edge (I used a large picture book, but if you have a ruler that would be great)
• Sewing machine (you will be using a straight stitch and a zig-zag stitch)

Instructions

Begin with one Premium size prefold. Measure your baby (from the top of her butt in the back to just below her belly button in the front) to determine the rise length that you need. Or, measure a diaper that already fits perfectly.

Use a straight edge to mark where you want to cut your prefold. Mark with a fabric pen or your child's magic marker. 

Cut along your line. 

It should look like this: 

Take your prefold over to the sewing machine. You will begin by using a straight stitch. Sew about 1/4 inch from the edge of the prefold. Use whatever thread you want. I used blue so it would show up in the pictures. On the other prefold that I trimmed, I used white. 

When you're finished, it will look like this: 

Now you're going to use a zig-zag stitch on the edge. Set your machine for a tight zig-zag (short length) that is wide enough to cover the area (long width). 

You'll want your zig-zag to be along the edge of the prefold, so make sure you position it in the machine accordingly. Stitch along the edge of your prefold. 

You'll end up with something like this. Hopefully your sewing skills are a bit better than mine so yours turns out straight! 

If you want, trim a bit on the edge to get as close to the zig-zag stitch as possible. It will look especially wonky in the thickest part of the prefold because you had to cut through so many layers. Remember, the diaper will be under a cover so it doesn't need to be perfect. 

That's it, you're done! Go put the diaper on your adorable baby! :) 

I used the extra pieces to make doublers. One I just stitched along the edge. For the other, I cut off 1/3 of the strip and stitched it over the other thin part of the prefold, making it thick all the way across.