Eco-Bottom Liners by EcoSprout: A Review

I've always said I wouldn't use liners. It seemed like an added step that would take more work. It also seemed like it would be easier to just use disposables if I needed rash cream that wasn't compatible with cloth or something. And then I used too much of a diaper rash cream that is CD safe. I'll admit in my zeal to heal my poor baby's bum after a rash from a disposable, I slathered the stuff on. It smelt good and it seemed to be helping but a little goes a long way and I probably hurt his bum more than I helped it. So I stripped my diapers and decided to try these liners.

What are liners?

You can read more about liners in my old post about rash creams and liners here. There are reusable, washable liners but I feel that kind of defeats the purpose. I do have some and use them occasionally but they repel and you have to wash them separately from your diaper laundry, making extra work. There are also disposable liners like these ones. You could also use them for the babysitter or dad who don't want to spray diapers. It's great if you're pregnant and you don't want to spray dirty diapers or rinse them by hand.

Why Did I Choose Eco-Bottom?

I chose these because they are made by EcoSprout. I trust EcoSprout. I use their detergent on my son's diapers and our clothes and I know that they would never put anything in their products that will hurt my baby. And they are a great value! You get 100 sheets in a roll! I liked that they were made of bamboo and I liked that they are flushable. I can dump them in the trash or toilet. They are biodegradble, non-toxic, fragrance free, dye free, chlorine free, flushable, and breathable. Now that I've used them I love them and would buy them again and again.
 

What Do You Use Them For?

Liners can be used for all sorts of things. Some people use them so they can use non cloth diaper safe creams and lotions down there without causing repelling. Some people use them when they think baby is going to poop or every change to protect the resale value of their diapers. It keeps diapers from being stained and keeps them in excellent condition.

Where Can You Buy Them?

You can buy them here at Mama's Emporium. They are very affordable and the roll lasts a long time!

Final Verdict?

I love them! I plan to use them often in the future. I also plan to keep them on hand for when the grandparents watch the boys. I would recommend them to anyone. I think they are great and they don't do anything to my baby's sensitive skin.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Over at Super Green Label the owner Dianna is giving away a FREE wet bag! All you have to do is like this facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/SuperGreenLabel and comment on the giveaway status! I have one of her wetbags and LOVE it! Plus if you don't cloth diaper you can use it at the beach, pool, in the diaper bag for soiled clothes, or whatever! Just toss it in the wash and it's all clean! Super easy! They are waterproof and keep all the stink in! It would also make a great gift! Don't forget, Christmas is right around the corner!

OsoCozy AIO: A review!

I'll be honest, I was hesitant to start using AIOs. I've heard they are super absorbent and very convenient, but take FOREVER to dry and let's face it, if you are in this for saving money, as most are, and, infact, I am, the price can be very hard to swallow! When I found the OsoCozy diaper brand I fell in love with their products. Each time I have been skeptical because they are budget priced and I've heard time and time again you get what you pay for, but it's not true with this line! So far I haven't truly disliked anything I have tried from them! Their fitteds are our overnight solutions and I just adore the stay dry better fit prefolds! So I finally bit the bullet and tried the OsoCozy AIO!

 

 

 

 

The Pros

 

I really liked how absorbent these are. No, you can't leave them on for hours on end, but they are great for outings when you don't want to change them as much, and they are great for nap times. They really hold a lot of liquid.

These diapers are also really easy. They close with a hook and loop closure just like a disposable diaper and there is no stuffing, snapping, folding, fastening, or anything else involved! They are perfect for daycare, beginners, middle of the night changes, and daddies! My husband loves that he doesn't have to stuff them like our pockets or fold and secure them like our prefolds. Instead he just puts it on exactly like you would a disposable diaper! Easy peasy!

 

 

The Cons

 

Honestly the only con I could find is that they take a long time to dry. There really is no avoiding that since they are so absorbent, so of course they not only soak up pee, but water from the washer. These puppies went through once with the rest of the diaper laundry and THREE more times by themselves, that's right, by themselves! For a total of FOUR runs through the dryer! Do I have time to wait and not wash clothes because the dryer is taken by one diaper? No. I'm a working mom with two jobs, a blog, two wonderful boys, a husband, a dog, and a house that all need my attention! I do not have time to let diapers dry for hours, I generally have at least a load of regular laundry and a load of diaper laundry each day, sometimes two or more loads of laundry and one of diaper laundry! I just don't have the time or dryer space.

 

Bottom Line

 

These are great for daycare, babysitters, when mama is sick, or nap times. Would I use them all day every day? No. Am I totally in love with this diaper? Eh. I'd rather just use OsoCozy fitteds. They are a little cheaper, really absorbent, and don't take nearly as long to dry! If one took me so long to dry, how long would a huge load of nothing but AIOs take me to dry? Do I hate them? No. Will I never use them again? No. I will keep them on hand for sure, and probably use at least a couple times a week for naps and such but I do not foresee myself reaching for them first. I do plan on buying more OsoCozy fitteds to add to my stash over time and I may buy a couple more AIOs and just keep them aside for when my husband feels sick or I'm sick or whatever. (My husband works nights so he is the one who watches the boys while I'm at said two jobs, bless his soul.)

 

Would I recommend them?

 

Yes, yes, and YES! If you already like AIOs, I would recommend them. If you want to try an AIO, I would recommend them. Honestly, they are great diapers, they just aren't right for our entire stash!

 

Where can you buy them?

 

You can find OsoCozy AIOs and other OsoCozy products at Mama's Emporium!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

I now have a facebook page and a twitter for the blog! Check me out and click like and follow!

 

Twitter

 

https://twitter.com/ClothLovingAnna

 

Facebook

 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cloth-Diapering-a-Hobby/369767526444079

 

 

I want to get a lot of followers! Invite your friends, ask questions, interact with myself and others, and have fun! I will strive to answer all questions quickly and completely! Hope to see you there soon!

A Post All About Wipe Solution!

So have you decided to cloth diaper yet? Have you decided to cloth wipe? The reasons to use cloth wipes are much the same as the reasons to use cloth diapers, saving money, convenience of not having to do both, saving the environment, they're cute, and sensitive skin. This may sound like a review from my cloth wipes post but bear with me! Or skip to the recipes, either way is fine with me! 

 

If you've decided to use cloth wipes, you may be wondering...

 

You may be wondering what solution to use for your cloth wipes! So I figured I'd post some recipes and recommendations! Enjoy and please leave comments with what you use, have tried that didn't work, have tried that did work, what you want to try, etc.

 

Water, water, water

 

A lot of people who cloth diaper and use cloth wipes use...ready for the big magical solution? WATER! That's right, plain old water. Some people use warm water from the tap. Some put filtered water or bottled water into a peri bottle. Some people boil water then cool it and use that. Whatever. The point is you can just wet your cloth wipes or baby's butt and wipe. Do I do it? No. I prefer a bit of soap of some sort in my solution.

 

Booty Bits

 

Soap bits, booty bits, and wipe boots are all names for these cool little cubes of premade wipe solution in a glycerin base that you dissolve into warm water, making solution! They are great because it's premade, you don't have to collect supplies, measure, and make the solution, all you have to do is drop a cube into some hot water and stir! This is what I use almost exclusively. 

 

Recipes for clean tushes!

 

Most cloth wipe solutions have a few things in common. Of course they all have water in them. They also usually have some sort of soap and some sort of oil. Some may even have essential oils in it as well. The essential oils are usually for the smell but some have antibacterial/germ fighting properties. The soap is obviously to clean, and the oil is to help keep the baby soft and moisturized. It also helps to "carry" the solution, meaning give it a smoother delivery. Here are some recipes I have found online that sound like they would work well. I have no experiences with these so you will have to try them for yourself!

The great part about all of this is you can experiment and find something that works great for you! You can design your own, adjust amounts of ingredients, use different essential oils, play with combinations, use scented baby oil or different scents of

soap and/or shampoo, different teas, etc. Try a few and play around, see what you come up with and leave a comment telling me about it! You might try adding aloe, witch hazel, or other soothing ingredients. Tea Tree oil and vinegar are both renowned for their antibacterial properties but vinegar should not be used if baby has a rash or is raw, because it will burn and cause discomfort. I honestly don't feel comfortable using vinegar on my baby's bum so I have tried not to include any of the recipes I found online that have vinegar in the ingredients, but vinegar can be a powerful ally in defeating and preventing thrush/yeast so it may be worth adding just a tiny bit to your solution occasionally. 

 

The Most Basic Solution
 1/4 cup baby oil

1/4 cup baby wash (any kind!)

1 cup warm water

 

A Soothing Solution 

1 chamomile tea bag

1 Tsp honey

1 cup water

Boil the water, brew the tea in it, add honey, use as solution. Should sooth a raw read bottom.

 

Soothing Lavender 

1 chamomile tea bag
1 Tsp oil
1 Tsp baby bath or shampoo
1 drop lavender oil
1 cup hot water
Brew tea bag in boiling water, add ingredients. If it were me I would put in a couple more drops of lavender but it can be adjusted depending on how strongly you want it to smell.

 

Lavender Tea Tree Solution 

 1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs baby shampoo
8 drops tea tree oil
16  drops lavender oil
3 cups water
Don't forget you can adjust how much of each essential oil you put in depending on how strong you want them. For instance if you aren't fond of tea tree oil try cutting that in half. If you want it not to smell as much, cut both in half, etc. Play with it and find what you like best!

 

Dry Skin Solution

1 Tbs Baby Oil (try scented baby oil!)

1 Tbs baby soap of your choosing

1 Tbs baby lotion

1 cup water

 

Good luck! Let me know what you find that works!

A Post All About Covers

It recently came to my attention that, while I've posted all about all sorts of diapers that aren't waterproof and require covers, I haven't actually posted about covers. I get A LOT of questions about what covers I would recommend, which are the cheapest, the sturdiest, etc, so I figured I'd do a post.

 

What are Covers?

 

Covers are water proof covers you put over diapers that are not waterproof such as fitteds, prefolds, and flats. Covers are not absorbent whatsoever, they just act as a waterproof barrier between the diaper that absorbs and the rest of the world! The diaper (absorbent part) goes against baby and the cover goes on after the diaper. Some diapers such as pocket diapers and AIOs don't need covers as they have the waterproof layer built right in already. Covers do not need to be fastened with fasteners such as a snappi or boingo, they usually fasten with snaps or velcro/hook and loop/aplix. They can come in sizes or one sized. They are usually made with PUL.

 

I Recommend

 

Super Green Label Covers found here

Rumparooz Covers found here

Econobum Covers found exclusively at cottonbabies.com

 

Covers May Be Right For You:

 

If you are planning on using a diaper that is not water proof such as fitteds, prefolds, or flats.

 

Bottom Line

 

You need covers if you are going to be using any sort of diaper that is not water proof such as flats and prefolds. You do not need a fastener for a cover but you may need one for your flats/prefolds, although you shouldn't need one for fitteds.

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!