GroVia Diapers: A Review!

I started out cloth diapering with simple prefolds, one snappi, and econobum covers. Since the beginning of my cloth diapering journey I have constantly been trying new things out. I know when I first started I had no clue what to get or where to start, what was good, etc. I will say what is good for one person is not what is good for everyone, you have to find your own groove and what works for you. The same goes for different babies. What works for one of your children may or may not work for the next, so I am a firm believer in experimenting and trying a little of everything, then when you have your next baby (if you have another baby) you will already have one or two of everything you tried before to try on them. For instance I didn't think that what worked for others may not work well for us. I got a BUNCH of sunbaby diapers (china cheapy) They worked alright, but as I tried more (Alva, JCTrade, OsoCozy, etc) I realized that while they worked OK, they were not what was best for my son. So I sold all except a few that I keep on hand for laundry day and my future children, then I invested in other things that work better for him.

 

GroVia

 

GroVia is a cloth diapering company that makes a wide range of products. I love their wipes and the mighty bubbles laundry aid for stripping so I thought, why not try their diapes? I recently got a GroVia diaper and snap in insert (AI2) from Mama's Emporium. When I first tried it out, I will admit, I HATED it. It has a mesh inner and is water proof, then there are snaps you snap the insert into. The insert is kind of small and funny shaped, and because I have a boy who is a heavy wetter, I wasn't loving it! I tried it a few more times and hated it more and more with each turn! Then I won a GroVia Organic Cotton Booster from a Mama's Emporium raffle. I thought "Great, something for the stupid Grovia that doesn't work!" My husband urged me to prep them and try just in case, since I got it for free from the raffle, it might make me love my GroVia or it may make no difference and then there was no harm done! Well I tried it and LOVED it! My son had a massive poopy right after I put it on him and the booster contained the poop and he wasn't soaked like previous times! There wasn't even a slight leak. I was over the moon! I tried it another time and, like I've mentioned before, he is a heavy wetter, we still had no problems. We won a two pack and have only used the one.

 

Final Verdict/Bottom Line?

 

Final verdict is I love GroVia, but only with the organic cotton booster. I have heard they work better for girls but I have no complaints once I used the booster. You can buy them online at Mama's Emporium. Try them with the Organic Cotton Booster or not, but if they don't work for you alone, try them with, it may just work better than you thought it would! 

GroVia Mighty Bubbles: A Review!

So I have been trying different things for a while, and I honestly have been meaning to review a bunch of the things I have tried but I've got so caught up with trying awesome stuff, work, family, and much more, that I haven't gotten a chance. I wanted to review BacOut next but I recently tried these and love them so much I just HAVE to gush about them!

 

I'll start off by saying we have hard water so we strip frequently anyway, usually about twice a month. We have also been struggling with ammonia lately so we have been stripping more often. The methods of stripping vary, as discussed in a previous post of mine. I have used a few different methods to strip and for the longest time my go to was RLR. RLR powder is $1.74 a packet making it affordable, but a little pricey if you are doing it often. You use one packet per strip unless you have an HE washer, then you only use half a packet. However, at Mama's Emporium you can buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles for $8 for a pack of 10 packs or $14 for 20. That makes them $.80 a pack for 10 or $.70 a pack for 20. This is a super great deal because one pack does it all. It is HE safe, neutral, has no alcohol or ethers, no ammonia, and is phosphate free. Unlike RLR, the ingredients aren't top secret, they are printed right there on the back of the package. All you have to do is pop it in your washer with your diapers, wash on hot with no detergent, and do an extra rinse. No other detergent is needed, although I prefer to wash my diapers with detergent before I do it.
If you are using an enzyme free detergent like most cloth diaper safe detergents, Rockin Green and EcoSprout (my favorite!) come to mind, you will need to use them regularly, because of the enzymes, and it's a good idea to use them every 6-8 weeks anyway just to make sure your diapers are at their freshest and most absorbent.

 

 

Here I took a picture of it next to the bag and the cup holder of the high chair to show it's size.

Where can I buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles?

You can buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles at Mama's Emporium A delightful store in Aurora, CO ran by a fellow mom who is dedicated to bringing you the best products at the best price. She even has an online store that I frequent! She offers layaway, wish lists (with 10% back on all completed wish lists!), and registries.

Bottom Line

Love them! They are more affordable than RLR and strip better. So far it's really helped with our ammonia issues, as well as our hard water build up. I plan on using them occasionally to keep my diapers at their freshest and most absorbent. They can be purchased at Mama's Emporium online or in Aurora, CO. I give it a 5/5 for functionality, affordability, and ease of use.

This review has been done in partnership with Mama's Emporium. If you are interested in helping me bring a review or giveaway to my blog, please email me at blueturtlesweetie@gmail.com!  

All About Accessories - Wet Bags/Pail Liners!

I bet, if you are new to Cloth Diapering, you're wondering "what do I do with the dirty diapers until I do laundry?!" When I first started I thought you washed diapers after each change. I thought for sure I was missing something because of how much water and detergent I was going to waste! Come to find out you don't! You wait until you have a full load to do! I do diaper laundry every other day. So if I do it Monday, I don't do it again until Tuesday. Sometimes I do it more often if my son goes through a lot of diapers, like if he has diarrhea, or when he was a newborn.

So where do the dirty/wet diapers go when you are done changing a soiled diaper, until laundry day? Well there are options. You can do an open pail, a closed pail, or a wet bag! In this post I'll explore the pail/pail liners vs using a wet bag. I will admit I am not to familiar with pails or pail liners because I have never done anything but a wet bag!

 

Wet bag 

 

I personally like wet bags. I don't like to look at or smell dirty diapers. Wet bags are simple, they are waterproof bags that you stick your diapers in and zip them closed. Then when it's time for laundry I open the bag, take out the diapers, separate the inserts from the diapers (you can do this as you put diapers in the bag if you would like, but I just do it as I'm tossing diapers in the laundry), pull the bag inside out, and toss it in the was with the diapers.

You can get by with one wet bag, but I have three. I have two large Planet Wise wet bags, and one small Super Green Label wet bag for when we are out and about. I use one wet bag and when it is in the was I use my second one. All my wet bags have little handles you can hang them from and I love that. Super Green Label's bag is the perfect size for the diaper bag and fits 3-5 diapers depending on type. The large PW wet bags hold an entire day to two day's worth of diapers, once again depending on the type and how often you change.

If you are trying to be more economical you can use large zip lock bags or plastic grocery bags or even trash bags!

 

Open Pail  

 

 

An open pail is just that, an open pail for diapers to go in. You can use a pail liner (like a wet bag that doesn't close), a plastic trash bag you dispose of every laundry day, or you can just put the diapers straight in the pail. A lot of people use kitchen trash cans with a pail liner or plastic trash bag. It holds plenty. You're probably thinking "Well isn't it gross? Doesn't it stink?" I personally don't want to see my dirty diapers. But I have been told by people who do it that the open air helps it not to stink. You can always try it for a bit, and get some Scentsy to make sure that you have some good smells going just in case. You can also use a pillow case as a pail liner. Planet Wise and many other companies make pail liners that are washable as well.

 

Closed Pail

 

A closed pail is the same as an open pail just with a lid on it. That way you get less smell and don't have to see your diapers. Plus it can help keep kids out of your dirty diapers! I've been told a closed pail makes them smell worse when you take them out and open the pail. I've also heard the same about wet bags and yes, when I do diaper laundry it smells, not so pleasant, but it's never bothered me too much and the smell comes out, it's only a moment. I don't smell things unless the bag is open. 

I Recommend

Super Green Label Large wet bags for at home and small/medium wetbags for on the go/in the diaper bag. You can find them here.
 

Bottom Line
 

I do recommend the Wet bag system, but as with most things in cloth diapering, it's whatever works best for you and your family! You may want to try all of them and see which works best for you!

All About Accessories - Fasteners!

So now that you know all about the different types of cloth diapers, you may want to know more about cloth diaper accessories. There are many accessories and many options you may want to consider before deciding for sure, just like you want to consider each type of cloth diapers before deciding which one is right for your family! Hopefully this post will give you a good idea of what you would like to try. Just like with each type of diaper, diaper detergent, etc, I recommend you try a variety to decide what you want to use. Just because something works for me doesn't mean it will work for you, and just because something works for your friend, your mother, your first child, doesn't mean it will work this time around! Each baby is different and you kind of have to find the right groove for you! For this post I would like to stick to fasteners!

 

 

Fasteners 

 

Diaper fasteners are very important if you are using or planning on using flats and prefolds! While you can fold them in such a way that you won't need a fastener I highly recommend having one on hand, or two, or three. I like to have one upstairs and one downstairs, as well as one spare. There are a few different options for fastening but I'm going to stick to the more popular three options.

 

Diaper Pins

 

Diaper pins are what our grandmothers, and in some case mothers used! They are simply safety pins that pin the diaper. Pins aren't used as much anymore because you can poke the baby or yourself very easily. They can be a little difficult because you have to un pin them, pin them back, and close them all on a wormy baby. I have not ever used pins because I don't like the idea of a sharp needle anywhere near my sweet baby or my clumsy fingers! Pins may enable you to get a tighter fit and are harder for older babies/toddlers to remove. I honestly do not know anyone who uses pins anymore but I know they are still available!

 

Snappi

 

I use snappi fasteners on my kiddo. Snappis are very user friendly and easy to learn, although it can be difficult to get a snug fit with some folds. It is possible to scratch yourself or the baby with the underside of the snappi but I have never had this happen and I think it might be difficult to do so.

 

A snappi fastener:

 

 

A Snappi fastener's underneath

  

 

 

Boingos

 

Boingos are two part fasteners. I have not tried them but I have heard good and bad things about them. Hopefully I will be trying them soon and can do a review for everyone! Some things that may be more difficult is you have to keep track of two separate pieces, you also have to fasten and unfasten two fasteners. I have heard some say they are easier than snappies and let's face it, they are way cuter than snappis. I'll know more when I try them! 

A set of boingos. One goes on each side so it's like the snappi without a bottom part that hooks to the crotch area.

 

So as you see there are a few different options to use as fasteners. You could try each and every one of them, or you can just try one and see how you like it and go from there. Whatever you do I hope you find what you need and that you have fun doing it!

I got my fasteners at Mama's Emporium! You can find them on her website: 



Click here to visit Mama's Emporium


UPDATE: I have since tried boingo fasteners. I like them but I prefer the snappi. They are very functional and quick to use, I just prefer the snappi because even if my little one is squirming and rolls around, it stays hooked and I just pull and snap. With boingos you kind of have to start over again. Honestly though I use both now.

Bottom Line

I use a mix of Boingos and Snappis. I prefer the snappis but I prefer either to pins.

First Things First, the Lingo!

Cloth Diapering is an awesome hobby, one that comes with lots of funny terms and abbreviations that are kind of hard to get the hang of right away. I learned a lot hanging around the boards on BabyCenter and asking questions, observing, and, I'm not gonna lie, googling! I still don't know all the abbreviations and terminology but I learn more all the time! I figured I would share what I know and I'll keep adding when I think of more!

AIO - All-In-One are fitted diapers that are waterproof on the outside. This outside water proof layer usually consists of fabric that has a PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) backing, polar fleece or wool. These are great for people who like the convenience of disposables, for daycare, the babysitter, grandma's house, etc. They are a lot like disposable diapers because they are only one piece and the soaker/insert is usually sewn into the diaper. 

AI2 - All-In-Two AI2s are a lot like AIOs except the soaker/insert is not attached to the diaper at all. Usually they don't take as long to dry as AIOs.

Aplix - Velcro closure.

CD/CDing - Cloth Diaper/Cloth Diapering.

China Cheapies - cheap (affordable) diapers that are usually one size pocket diapers that are meant to go from birth to potty training but don't fit newborns too well. They are very affordable but shipping can take a while because they are literally coming on a slow boat from China.

Contour Diapers - Contours are preshaped diapers with no elastic like other diapers have. They are held together with diaper pins, snappis, boingos, or other fasteners. They aren't waterproof, so you have to have a waterproof cover. There is no folding required and they are generally cut and sewn into an hourglass shape.

Covers - Covers can be very different. There are different styles, shapes, colors, closures, etc. The purpose of a cover is to be a waterproof layer for diapers that aren't waterproof. They usually have elastic to give them shape and fit and fasten with snaps or Velcro and some pull on like pull-ups. They are usually made from PUL (Polyurethane Laminates), waterproof nylon, fleece, or wool.

CPF - Chinese Pre-Fold. CPFs have heavy duty stitching, mostly made of twill, stay nice longer, may pill more than other prefolds, soft but not the softest,  and it takes 7-10 hot wash cycles to make them usable and absorbent. I've never actually used these.

Diaper Service - a service that picks up, cleans, and delivers fresh diapers to your door eliminating the laundry part of cloth diapering for you.

Doubler - A doubler is an absorbent soaker that can increase how much a diaper can hold. They are great for long car trips, overnight, or heavy wetters.

Flats - a big square or rectangle of material, usually Birdseye cotton, that are folded and secured with a fastener like a snappi or diaper pins. They are not waterproof and need a waterproof cover on top of them. Flats are the most old fashioned diaper, the original cloth diaper. They dry really fast and fit children basically from birth to potty training. They are one of the more economical choices.

Fitted Diapers - Fitteds are a lot like disposable diapers, similar to AIOs. They are already fitted with elastic and fasten with Velcro or snaps. They aren't waterproof and need a waterproof cover to keep them from leaking. 

Hemp - hemp is made from the inner bark of the hemp plant. It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbency and natural anti-microbial properties.
 

 Hook and Loop - Velcro closures.

GN - Gender Neutral.

IPF -  Indian Pre-folds. Indian Pre-folds are a type of pre-fold. Unbleached diapers wash up quicker (in as little as 3 washes), softer cotton, may wear out faster than CPFs, Lighter weight thread is used so the thread can wear out faster than the fabric.

Liners - Thin layer of cloth, paper, paper towel, etc that is placed in the diaper to make it easier to clean. There are disposable liners that go strait in the trash, flushable liners that can be flushed down the toilet, and washable liners such as fleece that are great for when you need to use regular diaper rash cream or something else that may affect the use of your diapers. Liners make it easier to clean up the poop and pee and protect the diapers from stains. 

Longies -  Wool Soaker that has long legs that form pants. They are very warm and absorbent so they are great for winter time. They can also be called soaker pants, soakers, or sweater pants. Can be made of fleece or wool.

NB - Newborn.

OS - One Size diaper that usually fits a from birth up until about 35 lbs.

Pre-Folds - The next step up from flats, pre-folds are rectangular or square shaped diapers that have to be folded. The main difference between flats and pre-folds are that pre-folds are thicker in the middle. They have three panels usually, the middle one being thicker than the outer two. Must be secured with a snappi, diaper pins, or other fasteners. The measurements are usually something like 3x6x3  which stands for how many layers are in the different sections: 3 layers on the left and right outside panels, and 6 layers of fabric in the middle section. Pre-Folds are more economical and are not waterproof so you need a waterproof cover over them. They are not a one size option, you have to buy different sizes. Preemie is usually the smallest and used for newborns. Infant is usually used for newborns, stuffing pocket diapers, and babies until about 15lbs.

Pockets - Diapers with pockets in them. They have a layer of waterproof material on the outside and on the inside is a stay dry material like suedecloth, microfleece, etc that wicks away moister. Inside the pocket these two layers form will be a soaker, doubler, insert, etc and the liquid gets wiked away from the skin and soaked into the insert, soaker, etc. They are similar to AIOs or AI2s in that once they are "stuffed" you can just put them on the baby. I like to stuff mine with a trifolded pre-fold. A lot of China Cheapies are pocket style diapers. They are waterproof and do not need a cover and come with fasteners already so you don't need diaper pins, snappis, etc. The absorbency of the diaper can be customized by adding more or less inside the pocket. Pockets can also be used as covers when a pre-fold is fastened on the baby and the pocket diaper is put cover the pre-fold. 

PUL - Polyurethane Laminate, a waterproof material used to make diaper covers/wraps, the outer of many pocket diapers or AIOs and the insides of wetbags. PUL needs to be sealed when you first get it and periodically to maintain waterproofness and prevent delaminating. To seal it you just have to put it in the dryer and dry it on high heat.

RLR - RLR is a

 laundry additive that softens the water and helps remove/prevent build for people who have hard water.

Snappi - a type of fastener used instead of diaper pins. You should have 1-2 at least of these. They don't get dirty and if they do they can just be wiped off with a baby wipe but they are easy to rip, stretch out, or loose!

Soaker - Either the absorbent part of the diaper that absorbs the moisture or a wool diaper cover. The first may be sewn inside the diaper, partially sewn to form a flap, snapped in the diaper, or you can just lay it in the diaper or stuff a pocket with it.

Stalking - Waiting for a product to stock. Sellers on Hyena Cart will make x amount of diapers and stock them on one day, and the more popular ones sell out almost immediately. People ask for stalking help to have better odds at scoring items on HC.

Stripping - Removes buildup of detergent, oils, minerals, and/or hard water. If you are using a cloth diaper safe detergent and avoiding rash creams, you probably won't need to strip but it is good to periodically strip the diapers anyway. Doing extra rinses to make sure your diapers get completly rinsed and using water softener like Calgon can greatly decrese the need to strip your cloth diapers. If you are using a detergent that does not rinse clean or that does not work well in your water, you may need to strip your diapers much more often.

Wagon - Going on the wagon is when you are trying to not buy anymore diapers. Cloth diapering is very addictive and can get expensive depending on what you are into so a lot of people go on the wagon to try and save some money. Not many people aer actually able to stay on the wagon long term.

WAHM - Work At Home Mom. This is usually used as "I got a great WAHM custom cover and I'm in love with it!" It describes a diaper made by a mom who makes and sells diapers.

Wet Bag - used to hold dirty and wet cloth diapers, usually when out of the house. I use wet bags in the house because they lock in the smell, zipper closed, and are completly waterproof. It's good to have 2 to switch out on laundry day! I turn mine inside out or else it will hold water.