Post about a Post

Today there was supposed to be a post featuring the breakdown of what will be our new arrival's newborn diaper stash. However, LB decided it would be fun to hide my camera cable. So the post is coming...soon....So stay tuned.

The Poo Factor

"I just don't think I could handle dealing with the poo..."

I cannot count the times I have heard that as a response to our family's choice to cloth diaper. You may even be thinking that to yourself.

The idea of cleaning human waste is not a delight for anyone and because I cloth diaper does not mean I get my jollies off of cleaning poo into a toilet. We use flushable liners at our house to try to avoid as much poo scraping as possible.

This reason for not wanting to cloth diaper has always made me think to myself "You have a baby....poop is going to be a part of your life no matter how hard you think you are trying to avoid it." And it is true. If you choose to go the disposable diaper route...your new baby is going to blow poop out of their diaper and into their clothes. It is only a matter of time. It happened ALL the time when we used disposables on LB as an infant. So I had to deal with poop all over her clothes...sometimes all over me. Then what do you do with those poopy clothes? You put them in your washing machine...HMMMM.

Even during a regular poopy diaper change with a disposable diaper you still have to wipe the heinie and smell whatever delight your beautiful angel has left for you.

I also find it interesting for those out there who opt for disposables for the "poo factor"...Did you know you are supposed to dump that poo in your sposie into your toilet too? Thats right...it says so right on the side of your pack of diapers. No joke. Go look.

Straight from the Pampers website:

Waste removal

As the Pampers bag recommends, you'll want to dump bowel movements in the toilet. Then just roll the diaper into its backsheet, using the tape or fasteners to keep it closed, and dispose of it in the trash.


Now I understand that probably 98% of people do not do this...or even know they are supposed to. But even the big name sposie companies have to put that notice on their diapers...because globally it is considered a MAJOR health issue to dump human waste into landfills.

Using that logic, the only thing that makes disposable diapers more convenient is the washing factor. You can toss them...don't have to store and wash them. The END.

Personally I enjoy the fact that ALL the poo that ever occurs in our house goes straight into the toilet (minus freak bathtime poo incidents..haha). It keeps our house smelling much MUCH better than it did when we had even the best of disposable diaper pails.

Bottom line (and keep in mind I DO understand that cloth diapering does not work for everyone): I have a very difficult time hearing the "poo excuse" as a final answer for people not giving cloth diapering a chance. I will smile and nod my head...maybe bring up the fact you wash poopy clothes and it is no different, because I refuse to be a "preachy, attack dog cloth diapering mom", but just know deep down below that smile...I think your reason is lame sauce.

Time Warp & Giveaway WINNER

I am not sure if it is this aweful cold that is running through our house or the craziness of the end of summer....but I would have SWORN to you yesterday was August 31st. I even almost missed turning in my leave report at work because of it....So I apologize for being a day behind on the giveaway winner.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our first giveaway...You rock my socks off.

And now without further adoo.... our winner of the $20 Sugar Dipes giftcard (decided by random.org) is.......

Comment #78 - Diaper Dad
Liked Adventures of Granola Mom on Facebook!



Yahoo James....Anyone else think its cool to see a dad win? Cus I do.

Keep your eyes peeled for some more exciting giveaways coming your way....and for some blog posts....if I ever recover from this blasted illness.

Sugar Dipes Giveaway/Official Blog Launch

Living in Bismarck, ND where there are no local cloth diapering resources, online cloth diaper stores are very important. In response to that, here is our first feature store:

I met Sarah Neutzel  of Sugar Dipes when I placed a custom order from her site for some Nifty Nappy Peachy Keen Pocket Diapers. She is wonderful to work with and has a great selection of products in her store. She also runs great specials that can help your keep your stash budget under control.

Sarah started cloth diapering her daughter at 20 months after trying every kind of disposable diaper on the market to combat her daughter's skin reactions to diapers. Its never too late to start. In her own words:

"I am very passionate about cloth diapers. If you would have told me this 2 years ago, I wouldn't have believed you. I had a very different opinion about cloth diapering. My grandma cloth diapered her 7 children, my mom cloth diapered my sister for a short time (pretty much until she pooped). So my feelings toward cloth diapering was I will stick to disposables."


She opened Sugar Dipes to serve as an outlet for her passion for cloth diapering. Her goal is to spread the word about the ease of modern cloth diapering. She does consulations with parents interested in cloth and also does "diaper parties" complete with hostess rewards.

To help spread the word about this pretty little blog, Sarah has been kind enough to offer up a $20 gift certificate (good for one year) to the store. Here's how to enter:

Manditory Entry:
Follow the Adventures of Granola Mom blog ----------->
Head on over to Sugar Dipes. Browse the store. Then head back here and post about what you would use your $20 toward.

Additional Entries (make sure you post on this thread each time you do one of the following)
- Like Adventures of Granola Mom on Facebook
- Like Sugar Dipes on Facebook (tell Sarah I sent you)
- Tweet about the giveaway (worth 2 entries, please post them separately and leave a link to your tweet)
- Tell me why you cloth diaper or why you would like to try it.

Make sure you leave you e-mail address with each entry so I can contact the winner (use the granolamom at hotmail dot com format for your protection from spammers). Winner will be announced 9/1. Happy giveaway-ing!

Also...to help you keep up to date with other giveaways across the interweb...we have added Giveaway Scout to the sidebar. Yey for giveaways!

Camping in Cloth....

..in a tent nonetheless.... without a toilet, running water, electricity....In ND our camping during the summer months is very important. So if you choose to cloth diaper, just know that taking those adorable diapers camping is realistic.

Here's what we packed:

- 4 GroVia AI2s (+1 we put on right before we left for the campsite)

- 1 Kawaii One Size Minky Pocket Diaper (double stuffed for her overnight)

- Our GroVia XL wetbag

- Cloth wipe container

- Thirsties Booty Luster wipes spray

-Each diaper had a diaper liner folded in it, rather than taking the whole roll.

Look how nicely everything fit in our bag....we were still able to fit PJs, bathing suit, swim diaper, and two changes of clothes.

So how difficult was it? Not any more difficult than cloth diapering at home. Not any more difficult than had I taken disposables. I hung the wetbag in the tent, and just tossed in the wipes and wet diapers after rolling them up and velcroing them like you would a disposable. But what about the poo diapers? I dealt with one, and the flushable liner is really what made this camping friendly. The "poo-ie" liner got tossed in a plastic bag, tied shut, and thrown in the garbage. Then the dirty diaper went straight to the wetbag. Easy peasy.

 Here is LB in her fluff hanging out in the tent.

Granted, we only camped one night, but I wouldn't imagine a whole weekend wouldn't be any more difficult as long as you were prepared with enough diapers. We will be going camping over Labor Day weekend...3 nights...I will blog about a longer trip upon our return.

Final verdict: Camping with cloth = very doable without much additional effort.

Speaking of Washing....

What  you need to know about caring for that adorable fluff....

General Wash Instructions:
1) Wet diapers can just be tossed into your diaper pail or hanging wet bag until laundry time.

2)  What about the poo? If its breastfed poo, don't worry about it. Just toss the soiled diaper into your diaper pail. Formula poo or once you baby starts solids need to be dumped/rinsed in the toilet and flushed before you put the soiled diaper in your pail. A diaper sprayer or flushable liners make this task a little easier.

3) Make sure your detergent is cloth diaper safe.


4) Washing: We wash our diapers here every 2-3 days depending on how ambitious I am feeling. My pail liner, diapers, and cloth wipes hit the wash together. I run a cold/cold prewash with no detergent and then a hot/cold wash cycle with an extra cold rinse. Your diapers should come out smelling fresh (no hint of stinkies). If you still have some stank, an extra rinse cycle may take care of it. Rinsing out detergent is very important with cloth diapers. If you are still experiencing stink and/or repelling issues, a good stripping may be neccessary (which we will discuss below. 2-3 drops of tea tree oil can also help with smell issues and is anti-bacterial. Don't be afraid to experiment with your wash routine. How you need to wash your diapers can affected by your type of washing machine, type of diapers, and detergent. My method is a pretty standard reccomendation and works well for us.

5) Drying: Line drying diapers is the best...for a few reasons. 1. it saves 50-60% on energy costs. 2. line drying in the sun will "sun out" tough stains on your diapers or liners. 3. line drying will extend the life of your diapers. And 4. line dried laundry smells delightful. Now we live in ND....so when winter comes, goodbye line drying. I would have icesicle diapers. Diapers can then be hung to dry inside or dried in the dryer.  Diapers should dry on medium heat in 60-90 minutes. Diapers or covers containing PUL (the waterproof layer) are best allowed to air dry or dried on low. If your PUL starts to be leaky it can be dried on hot to reseal the PUL. This should only be done about once a month. Make sure you check the care instructions on your specific brand of diaper to extend the life of your diaper.

6) DO NOT use fabric softener in the wash or dryer sheets. They will cause repelling issues and are just down right icky. They contain toxins and will coat you washer and dryer. Wool or synthetic dryer balls work wonders in the dryer. They speed drying time, help with static, keep your diapers soft, and keep the toxins off your clothes. We have 4 lavender scented wool dryer balls that bounce around our dryer and I LOVE THEM. If you feel the need for fabric softener in the wash 1/2 a cup distilled white vinegar is an option. I have also heard baking soda works. Both our cloth diaper and regular detergent contain baking soda, so I have never experimented with natural fabric softener in the wash.

Prepping:

When you first recieve you cloth diapers in their pretty, brand new packaging, most will contain oils or  from the manufacturing process that repell water so they need to be prewashed or "prepped" before you put them on your baby's bum to ensure optimal absorbancy/effectiveness. Think of running water over a brand new, unwashed wash cloth or towel. The water just beads off and doesn't absorb into the cloth. It is the same with cloth diapers and inserts.
Some cloth diapers require more prep than others. Generally your diaper's manufacturer will have prepping instructions so make sure you check. 3-5 washes is a general prepping reccomendation. Diapers become more absorbant over time. To prep, toss them in with your towels, other cloth diapers, child's laundry. If a new diaper leaks when you try in on your baby....inadequate prep work is usually the culprit. This happened to me with our GroVia diapers. Simply wash it a few more times and try again.
The worst part of prepping is the anticipation of getting that adorable fluff on your babies bum.

Stripping:

Got a case of the stinkies? Does your diaper REAK as soon as it gets wet? Having leak issues with a diaper that has always worked well in the past? Build-up in your diapers is to blame. Build-up happens when residue left by detergents, oils or other substances remain in the fibers of your diaper/insert. No worries...easily fixed. Strip those babies.

Make sure you wash your diapers before putting them through the stripping proccess as stains may set if you don't. You don't need to dry freshly washed diapers before stripping them.

The WASH Method:
Wash: Run your stinkeroos through a HOT wash cycle with NO detergent.
Rinse: Rinse your diapers again and again with the hottest water you can muster from your machine. During each rinse cycle, check to see if there are soap bubbles on the top of the water. Rinse until you don't see any more bubbles. It can take up to 4 or more rinses to get all the build-up out so don't get discouraged.

Not Working?
If your stripping process didn't make a difference with the stinkies...it could be because you aren't using enough detergent when washing. Try running a wash cycle, upping your amount of detergent.


The need for troubleshooting happens. If you are having problems let me know and we will find an answer.

Accessorize....

You have all your cute fluff....but what else do you need to make this venture work?

Essential:

Diaper Pail: There are "cloth diaper pails" you can purchase, but to make it work in ND, we went to Target and bought this garbage can for $10. It works wonderfully. This is a "dry pail" system that involves a pail liner and just dropping the diapers in. When you are ready to wash the diapers you just throw everything (diapers, inserts, and pail liner) in the wash. The diapers do not need to be soaked before washing. You also have the option of using a hanging wet bag instead of a pail.

Pail liners: You can use extra large wetbags or cloth diaper pail liners. It is best to have at least two so you have one to use while the other is in the wash. Again, to make it work in ND we purchased two laundry bags at Target (pictured, $4 a piece). We also have a GroVia large wetbag that is much more waterproof. We like all 3. Again, when you are ready to wash your diapers, take the "bag" to the laundry room and dump it all in.


Cloth Wipes: You can also use disposable wipes, but I have personally found it is more of an inconvenience to keep disposable wipes and cloth diapers separate so we switched to cloth wipes. That way, everything gets thrown in your diaper pail for the wash. BONUS: another money saver! 24 wipes is a good number to have on hand. You simply spray the wipes with water or wipes solution and they are just as effective (if not more) than disposable wipes. You can also soak your cloth wipes in water or wipes solution, but the water should be changed daily. Flannel wipes are common, but other materials are available. You can sew your own to save even more cash. Another cost effective option is using baby washcloths.

CD Friendly Diaper Rash Balm: Cloth diapers significantly cut down on diaper rash, but if it does happen, you need to make sure you have a cream that is diaper friendly. Grandma El's, Earth Mama Angel Baby, and GroVia Magic Stick are all formulated specifically for use with cloth diapers. California Baby is another option that is available at Target. There are others you can use such as Lansinoh Rash Ointment and A&D Zinc Oxide with a fleece or disposable liner. Using non diaper friendly rash cream can cause your diapers to repell moisture and leak. On the DO NOT use list are: A&D Original, Desitin, and Bourdeaux's Butt Paste, and Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment.

CD Friendly Laundry Detergent: This is VERY important. Most detergents have enzymes in them which is not good for your cloth diapers or baby's lil bum. Using detergents with enzymes, dye, and other nasties can lead to buildup and stinkies in your diapers and severly affect their "function" (i.e. absorbancy). We use a homemade mix at our house and are currently testing Lulu's in the Fluff Glamour Wash which are specificially for cloth diapers. We also use Arm & Hammer Essentials Free for our other laundry to keep our washer clean of other detergent "nasties". All Free & Clear and Purex Free and clear are options available at local grocery stores and supercenters.

Wetbag: You have to have somewhere to put your soiled diapers when on the go to keep the smell and moisture in. They are also useful when using cloth at daycare. Wetbags come in a variety of sizes with different closure options. Most people prefer wetbags that have a zippered closure. Planetwise are notoriously quality wetbags. We have an Itsy Ritzy Wet Happened (pictured) bag that I ordered during one of our diapers.com orders which is also nice. They are also great for wet swim diapers and other items.


Nice to Have:
(these items are optional, but make life a little easier)

Flushable Liners: These allow for moisture to pass through to the diaper but "catch the poo", making clean-up just a litte easier. After a diaper change, the liner simply hits the toilet with the poo. We use Bambino Mio liners and they are wonderful.

Diaper Sprayer: These are like kitchen sink sprayers, but attach to your toilet water line and are used to help rinse the poo off a soiled diaper. We do not have one. I am looking into a DIY project....more to follow on that. There are several name brands on the market you can buy. If the poo idea grosses you out, this may be a good "invest for success" option. There are mothers I know that claim this to be the best $30 CD investment ever.

Snappis: No more pins for prefolds. Snappis just make it easier. Plain and simple.

Pail Freshener: Now I can't consider this an essential, because you can get by without it. But pail freshener sure is NICE to have. We have Citrus Circles Diaper Pail Deoderizers which are disks that you just drop in your diaper pail and last up to 4 weeks. We also have Arm & Hammer deoderizers that I found at Target in the baby section. There are also a variety of powder fresheners you can order.

When you do any online shopping you will find more "nice to have" accessories. Purchase at your leasure if you think it is going to help your cloth diapering experience.