Mama's Emporium Is Doing a BIG Giveaway!

Mama's Emporium is about to hit 1500 fans on facebook! Check out her facebook page here! The owner of Mama's Emporium is a WAHM who works very hard to get her customers the best products for the best price. She also provides customer service that I, as a customer, would say goes above and beyond!

 

To celebrate this huge milestone, Mama's Emporium is doing a huge giveaway! The giveaway ends Sunday, January 27th at 8pm MST and is AWESOME if you ask me! There are 10 prizes up for grabs in this giveaway! The prizes are:
One of Five (5) Packages of GroVia Organic Cotton Terry Cloth Wipes (12 ct) OR

One of Five (5) bottles of CJ's Carcass Cleaner Wipe Solution!

 

Like Mama's Emporium on Facebook and let her know that Anna from Cloth Diapering, A Hobby sent you!

 

Enter to Win this Giveaway Here!



 

While you are on facebook entering giveaways and liking Mama's Emporium, make sure to like Cloth Diapering, A Hobby on facebook!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Stink!

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

 

Myth #3: Cloth Diapers Stink

 

Oh my do I hear this one a lot! When talking to new moms or moms to be who are curious about cloth diapering, the number one question I get is "Well don't they stink?" People assume that they stink when you change them, they stink when you are waiting for them to be washed, and they probably stink after they come out of the wash, just a little. People think that because they are pooped in you will never be able to get them completely clean and they will stink at least a little bit. They think stink is normal, but it's not. It doesn't happen to everyone but if it does happen to you, it can be fixed! It could take a little bit of experimenting, but you can figure out your stink problems and get rid of them once and for all, if you ever have stink issues in the first place! There are two main kinds of stink I've heard of, and that is Barnyard or "dirty" stink, and Ammonia stink. I've also had people who say they are worried about the smell while they store their diapers that are waiting to be washed.

 

Storage Until Washing

 

One thing that people think is that cloth diapers must smell while they just sit there waiting to be washed. There are plenty of ways to store your diapers while you are waiting for wash day, and if you experiment around you can figure out just what works for your family! First off, you rinse, dunk, or shake all the poop out before you do anything. See my blog post "So What Do You Do With All the Poo?" to see different ways of getting rid of the poop. So it's not like your diaper is sitting in a bag with poop in it. Some people choose to rinse wet diapers out too, especially if they have had ammonia issues (which we will talk about later!). Then you can either store them in a wet bag, or keep them in a pail. Some people use large zip lock backs instead of a wet bag, or put each diaper into a plastic grocery bag and tie it tightly. Whatever works, works I say! I have done the plastic bag thing while out and about and never ever ever have I smelt the smell through the bag. I've also used a wet bag, which is made of PUL which is waterproof on the inside, and a cute fabric on the outside with a zipper closure. I use both Planet Wise brand and Super Green Label wet bags and have never had a leak or a stinky smell come from either! It might stink for a second when you open the bag, but once you toss the diaper in there, you zip it back up and can't smell it anymore! A lot of people also use pails. You can get a Rumparooz pail liner from Mama's Emporium and a trash can from wherever. The pail liner is washable so you can toss it in the wash with your diapers. I've heard this open air system, where air is allowed to get to the diapers, actually keeps the stink away better than the wetbag system. I plan on trying it just as soon as I can convince my hubby! This is because the air helps inhibit bacterial growth which causes the smell.
Another thing that can help keep your diapers from smelling while you wait to wash is not waiting too long to wash. I wash every other day and have gone as long as three days when the need to wait was dire, but I wouldn't go longer than that, and I would still stick to every other day. If you must wait three or more days to do diaper laundry, rinse all the diapers off after each use, wet or dirty, and I suggest you get some BacOut from Mama's Emporium. It smells like limes and not only is it a great stain remover/preventative, but it will help keep the stink away and make your diapers smell like limes until you wash them. It doesn't hurt your diapers either.

 

Barnyard or Dirty Smell

 

The most common smell issue I hear about is that diapers just smell icky after each wash, or maybe not icky, but just weird. If you are washing your diapers and they come out of the wash or dryer smelling like anything, there is something wrong. Something that can be fixed, as any smell issue can be fixed. This one is actually a super easy fix usually. Usually a barnyard smell or a dirty smell usually means there is a problem with your wash routine and/or detergent. Most of the time it means you aren't using the right ammount of detergent and you need more. This is especially important if you have hard water. I've struggled with this because we have VERY hard water and very old pipes. It can also be that you aren't using the right detergent. Different detergents work for different people and it depends on your washer, your water, and your personal preference. I started out using BumGenious detergent but didn't love it so I tried a bunch. I liked Rockin Green till we got very stubborn ammonia issues, so we switched around until we found the one we liked. Remember, liquid detergent doesn't work quite as well as because it doesn't rinse out as cleanly and easily as powder detergents and that can cause repelling issues in your diapers, which you can read about in another Myths and Misconceptions post called "Cloth Diapers Always Leak". Some people find Free and Clear powder detergents such as All Free and Clear or Tide Free and Clear work great. Others find that Cloth diaper detergents work wonderfully and they don't always work for others. I have heard about using original tide on your diapers but as my son has a sensitivity to tide we haven't used it. I've considered trying and making sure it all gets rinsed out but I found something that works so I don't need to bother. I suggest you experiment with different detergents and amounts. I also suggest stripping in between trying a new detergent. So if you are going to stop using what you are using now and try a new detergent, strip first! I have had the best results using GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can read about in my review of them. We use 4tbs of EcoSprout detergent in our wash cycles and it has turned out to be great. We had to experiment with going from 2tbs to 3, and then from 3tbs to 4. But once we found the right detergent and the right amount, the issue was no longer an issue!
You may also want to adjust your wash routine. I found what works best for us is a cold rinse cycle, so I'm not washing the diapers in water that has a ton of poop and pee in it, then a hot wash on heavy setting with detergent, and then a hot wash on heavy setting with no detergent to make sure all of the detergent gets rinsed out.

 

Ammonia

 

Ammonia is a smell that you kind of know when you smell it. It will smell like a strong cleaning chemical or just very strong urine but worse than that it will burn your eyes and nose as soon as you get a whiff! It seriously burns to smell it! You may also notice a rash on your child. Ammonia is really bad and unfortunately, all to common, especially for overnight diapers because  the urine sits in them longer. Some good things to do to prevent ammonia is to rinse each diaper, even the wet ones, before putting them in your pail or bag. You can also spray each diaper with a spritz or two of BacOut to make it smell like limes and neutralize bacteria. You could also try adding a presoak to your laundry routine. If you already have ammonia however, you will have to strip the diapers to get rid of the ammonia. I had stubborn ammonia issues and I tried everything. I tried a strip with bleach, a strip with RLR, washing multiple times each load, a presoak with detergent, a presoak with RLR, all sorts of stuff. I couldn't get rid of it. Finally I tried GroVia Mighty Bubbles from Mama's Emporium and it worked! If you have a lot of buildup you may need to do it two or three times but these little packs really got rid of our ammonia. Then we changed our detergent and wash routine to what it currently is and we have not had issues since! I'm also finding I have to strip less and less compared to what I was before.

 

Bottom Line

 

Bottom line is, cloth diapers do not need to stink! If you are having stink issues, you can cure them! You just need to experiment and find a wash routine and detergent that works best for you, and you may need to strip your diapers. I suggest anyone having any smell issues strip first before adjusting anything. I use GroVia Mighty Bubbles and have never been disappointed with them. Please don't give up if you have stink issues! You can fix them! There are plenty of ways to prevent stink issues though, such as storing them correctly, rinsing diapers well, and using BacOut on every diaper before putting it in the pail or wetbag. 

A Brand New Giveaway!

So the Trainers giveaway is over, but Mama's Emporium isn't done! I am once again participating in another giveaway being put on by Mama's Emporium! You can find it here.

 

This is an AWESOME giveaway with a cool twist: you choose! That's right, if you are the winner you choose either a $15 gift certificate to Mama's Emporium or a GroVia One Size All in One Cloth Diaper and get this, you can even choose the print! (choices are choice of surf blue, cloud grey, bicycles print, or robots print!) The best part about this giveaway is how EASY it is to enter to win! There are pleanty of entries and you can do as little or as many as you want. I think it took me 5 minutes to do ALL the entries, plus you can tweet about the giveaway every day for even more chances to win!

 

Want to be updated whenever I find awesome new giveaways to enter? I don't always post them on my blog, but I do make sure to tweet them! Follow me on twitter to see all the awesome giveaways I enter! I also have my twitter set to post directly to my facebook page now, so if twitter isn't your thing, don't worry! You can still get all the awesome giveaway news by liking my page!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth #2: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

 

Today we are going to talk about another myth of Cloth Diapering. That they always leak. This is simply not true. Yes, cloth diapers can leak. They can also repel liquid, but if you are taking proper care of your diapers, cleaning them correctly, changing as often as is needed, and getting the right fit, you shouldn't experience leaks.

 

An Improper Fit

 

One of the leading causes of leaks, and what I would look at first when troubleshooting leaks, is the proper fit. You want the diapers to be snug enough to keep the contents in while loose enough to not leave marks on baby's legs and waist. You should take notice of when and how much the leaks are happening, and where they come through. For instance if I don't use the correct snap setting on my son, I will get leaks out his belly and legs. If I am using the proper snaps but not the proper hip snaps on diapers with hip snaps, I get leaks out the legs because while the waist is the proper fit, the legs are too loose causing leaks. Sometimes some diapers just will not fit right on a baby's body. This is one reason I don't suggest stocking up on one brand or type before baby gets here, or buying only one type to try. I suggest trying many different brands and types of diapers because what works on one child may not work for another. Even what works on your first cloth diapered baby won't always work on your second or what did work for your first few cloth diapered children won't always work for the next. Also, as your child grows and change you may find you get different fits from diapers that did fit well or didn't fit so great before. If you think fit is the issue, try experimenting with the fit, how tight or loose you have it, the rise, how long it is, etc. They try experimenting with different brands or types.

 

Repelling

 

Repelling happens when something is introduced to the diaper that causes it to repel. This can be caused by hard water buildup, where the minerals in the water build up in your diaper, making them not as absorbent. This can also be caused by detergent buildup, when you are using too much detergent, not the right detergent, or not rinsing enough and the detergent builds up, causing the diapers to not be as absorbent. It can also be caused by using non cloth diaper safe rash creams or too much of any diaper safe rash cream which can also cause your diapers to become not as absorbent. If you think repelling may be your issue, try taking a clean, dry diaper, and pouring some water on it. If it rolls of, you have repelling issues. If it's absorbent, it could be either starting to repel, or that may not be your issue. If you think repelling may be an issue, try striping the diapers. If you think it's because of a rash cream, use liners in your diaper when you use cream. If you think it may be a detergent issue, try switching your detergent, using less, and/or rinsing more. To strip I recommend GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can find at Mama's Emporium. You can also find flushable liners at Mama's Emporium, I suggest EcoSprout flushable liners. I also suggest using CJ's BUTTer rash cream and EcoSprout Detergent, all of which can be found on Mama's Emporium. If you think hard water buildup is the problem, try using GroVia Mighty Bubbles to strip once a month. I have VERY hard water and that is what I do. LOVE it!

 

Not Enough Absorbency

 

Another issue you can run into is that you don't have enough absorbency for how much your child is wetting. Some children are light wetters, others are medium/normal wetters, and others still are what I call super heavy wetters. My son is a super heavy wetter. He eats a lot and is very hydrated, so he pees a lot. Therefore, I need extra absorbency in his diapers. You might try adding a booster to your diaper if you suspect this may be the problem. Anything made of natural fibers like bamboo and hemp works great and can be right next to baby's skin. Synthetics like microfiber should not touch baby's sensitive skin. Any type of diaper can have a booster added for extra absorbency. Pockets are especially easy to add absorbency to though, you just stuff more or less depending on your needs. I like to stuff my pockets with an OsoCozy Better Fit prefold. If I need even more absorbency like for nap times, I add a bamboo insert or two either inside the pocket or inside the diaper. For my GroVia AI2s I found my son was too much of a heavy wetter for them, so I added two GroVia boosters and it did the trick! You can find all sorts of boosters to add extra absorbency here. When in a bind, anything can really be added. You can always add a prefold, flat, receiving blanket that has been stripped, flour sack towel, etc to give your diaper the extra boost.

 

Not Changing Enough

 

One thing that can be a little difficult to get used to when switching to cloth is how often you sometimes must change your child. Depending on the child, you may need to change as often as every hour and a half to two hours, or as little as every four. I encourage you to pay attention to when your child wets or soils the diaper and change as soon as possible. Just because the baby isn't uncomfortable and the diaper isn't completely full, doesn't mean a rash cannot occur, or that it's good for your little one to be sitting in that. Even with disposable diapers, just because it's not full doesn't mean it doesn't need to be changed. I am of the belief that no child should have to sit in a diaper for 6 hours or more unless they are asleep. It just cannot be comfortable or healthy, in a disposable or cloth diaper. I know sometimes if my son sleeps a little longer than usual for a nap, he will leak. If you don't change the baby soon enough, they will eventually leak. Obviously this makes a mess for you but is also not very good for the poor baby. So if you think this may be your issue, try to change your little one a little sooner. If it's happening to the point of you needing to change every hour or less, I would suggest adding more absorbency because your baby is probably a heavy wetter. You should still change after every diaper is used, but this will keep it from leaking out.

 

Bottom Line

 

The bottom line is if you do run into leaking issues, there are ways to fix them. Try troubleshooting before you give up, and do not let the fear of leaks keep you from trying. Cloth diapering can actually prevent blowouts and other leaks as long as you are using them correctly. Find and use a good wash routine and detergent, use liners when you use cloth, strip if you think there is buildup, change your baby often enough, use the right absorbency,  and experiment with fit, type, and brands of diaper until you find what works best for you and your little one. Leaking doesn't have to ruin cloth diapering for anyone!

I'm taking part in a giveaway!

Go enter the giveaway here http://www.facebook.com/#!/MamasEmporium?sk=app_228910107186452&app_data for a chance to win a GroVia cloth trainer! Much softer and more effective than pull ups, GroVia Trainers are the reusable alternative to expensive pull ups and other training pants! People who like my page on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cloth-Diapering-a-Hobby/369767526444079 for an extra chance to win! A special thanks to Mama's Emporium for putting the giveaway on!

Myths and Misconceptions: Babies With Sensitive Skin..

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth/Misconception #1

 

Today we are going to talk about one of my least favorite myths about cloth diapering. It's my least favorite because it's just so not true and not only does it discourage people from cloth diapering but it discourages people from cloth diapering who would probably benefit the most from doing it!

 

Cloth Diapering Will Irritate Babies Who Have Sensitive Skin and Will Cause Rash

 

One of the reasons we started cloth diapering and cloth wiping were because my little one has VERY sensitive skin. Every diaper gave him a rash, some more so than others, and wipes especially did it. Every kind of wipes besides pampers sensitive gave him a terrible rash. Yes money was another huge issue but the skin was the biggest reason. I couldn't stand seeing my little one's tush all raw! In all my research I've found a lot of great stories about moms switching to cloth and it helping clear up their rash problems. But recently I've heard a lot of moms tell me on the Internet and in person "My child's skin is too sensitive for cloth diapers, they cause rashes!" This is simply not true.

 

Stay Wet? Not if You Use Something Stay-Dry!

 

One reason people give for them causing more rash is that they stay wet. This also is not true. Yes if you are using prefolds or flats, baby will feel wetter sooner. But you don't have to have a prefold/flat up next to baby's bum! While prefolds still worked for my son we noticed he did still have a little bit of a rash when using them from feeling the wetness, so we switched to pockets. I LOVE pockets, especially rumparooz, because they have a stay-dry layer that sits next to baby and takes all the wetness away, drawing it into the absorbent material inside! You can stuff pockets with prefolds, flour sack towels, flats, or inserts. Whatever works, plus you can customize your absorbency. You can also buy stay dry prefolds. OsoCozy staydry prefolds are my favorite prefolds, and they give us a great fit too. So baby doesn't have to be wet and feel wet!

 

Timely Changes Changes Things!

 

Another thing that can help with the wetness issue is if you change baby often enough. I won't lie, you will probably need to change your baby more than if you were using disposables. But it's so worth it. The natural fibers are so much more gentle on your baby's skin than the scratchy rough paper of disposables! Just try wrapping one disposable around one knee and one cloth around your other knee. You will be able to see quickly just which one is more comfortable. As long as you change your baby often enough, baby won't be irritated by urine. It is suggested you change a cloth diaper baby anywhere between ever 2-3 hours or more if you have a light wetter and/or a very absorbent diaper.

 

Chemical Stay-Dry is Not the Same, so Irritating!

 

Last but not least, disposables tend to dry babies out. Why is this? Because there is gel inside the paper lining that is made to absorb the wetness, soaking it up. That is why a disposable diaper swells when wet. And that's why if you accidentally run one through the washer, you find beads of gel all over everywhere. Not only can the chemicals irritate baby's sensitive skin, but the gel won't discriminate against urine and skin moister, it draws it all out and absorbs it all. This is very drying to baby's bum and it causes rash and irritation.

Does That Mean Your Baby Will Never Get A Rash?

Not always. My son has had a few rashes since starting. One was due to ammonia buildup which we have since solved, and the others have all been due to being sick and/or teething. We find if you use LuSa Organics Booty Balm with a disposable liner (I like EcoSprout), both of which you can buy here at Mama's Emporium, things clear up pretty quickly, even the nastiest of teething rashes! Using an Amber Teething Necklace we got at Mama's Emporium as well has also helped tons with how much the little one drools while teething and makes things much easier on him and me! If you don't want to mess with liners, I suggest CJ's BUTTer which you can also buy at Mama's Emporium. CJ's can also be used as a nipple cream for nursing moms, for dry skin, eczema, and even as a preventative at every diaper change, every day, or just after the bath to keep baby protected.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is I encourage all mama's with children who have sensitive skin to at least try cloth. Don't just try prefolds either, try pockets, AIOs, AI2s, and other kinds. Maybe try more natural fibers like bamboo and hemp. Experiment till you find something that will work for your baby. I'm sure if you play around, change baby plenty, and use creams as needed, maybe even use CJ's as a preventative every so often, and you and baby's skin will all be much happier!

So "What Do You Do With All The Poo?"

One of the first questions people inquiring about cloth diapering ask me is, what do you do with all the poo? A lot of people give the reasons of not wanting poop in their washer or not wanting to have to touch the poop as main reasons they do not cloth diaper. It's an interesting question, but like so much that has to do with CDing, it has many answers and the answer will depend on you and what works best for your family!

Did you know: You are supposed to dump poop in the toilet from disposable diapers too?

I didn't know this until I started cloth diapering. I didn't believe it was true, so I went out and looked at the back of a disposable diaper package. Sure enough, it says clear as day that you should dump poop and/or rinse the diapers in the toilet before throwing them away!! How many of us REALLY do that? I know I didn't when I used disposable diapers with my oldest! But it does make sense! Think about it, all that poop is just sitting in landfills, polluting the air and land. And what happens if a garbage barge sinks in the ocean with tons and tons of trash on it, then what happens to the poop in all those diapers? I shudder to think of it! So now that I know better, I do better, and I dump poop from disposables into the toilet when we use them. I still much prefer using cloth tho!

Different Ways to Get Rid of the Poo

Like I said there are a few ways to get rid of the poo. The goal is to get it in the toilet without making a huge mess and getting it all over yourself obviously. It's super easy and there are multiple effective ways but one might be easier for you, so maybe try them all!

Dunk and Swish

The dunk and swish is what our grandma's most likely did. This is what I did during the newborn stage. It's fairly simple, hold the diaper by one end and dunk it repeatedly in the toilet water. Flush, and while it's flushing hold the diaper in the running water from the side of the toilet, and continue to dunk until satisfied. Then put it in your wet bag, pail, etc, and you're done! While this is effective for some poop and not other, it is generally great in a pinch or a bind, or when you are just getting started before you invest in anything else!

Spray or Peri Bottle

A lot of people use those little peri bottles that the hospital sends home with you or a spray or squeeze bottle of their own (recycle an old ketchup bottle or something!) filled with either warm water or wipe solution. You then hold the diaper by one end into the toilet and use the bottle to spray water directly on the poop, pushing it off into the toilet, flush and done!

Sprayer

Diaper Sprayers are a very popular option these days. They can be a little pricey, or you can make your own using simple and cheap items found at your local hardware store and YouTube tutorials. I'll be honest, you don't need one. They can be convenient, yes, but I bought one in a co-op and never used it. It hasn't even been hooked up. You just really don't need them and if money is tight, you can totally skip! But while they can be convenient they can also be messy. It is my understanding that a lot of people need to adjust the water pressure to a lower setting because with the recommended setting you get "spray back" meaning poopy water sprays all over you and the bathroom. But once you get that figured out it usually isn't a problem. It's usually just a matter of figuring out the right pressure, and angle to spray at. Sprayers hook into where the toilet water comes from in the wall. So it is using the clean water that would be fed into the bowl.

Detachable Shower Head

Now, for stubborn poops, I use my shower head, and my husband tends to use it for all poops. It has the convenience of a sprayer with the ease of it already being hooked up! Like most bathrooms, my toilet is right next to my bath tub. So all I do is grab the detachable shower head, turn it on low, and spray the diaper off into the toilet. The shower head never touches the diaper or poop and I have never had a problem with spray back. It's already there so it doesn't cost any extra, so if you are wanting the ease and convenience of a sprayer, this may be a great solution. It's also awesome if you don't want to mess with the plumbing and you don't want to worry about asking your landlord if it's ok to use a sprayer.

Spatula

Some people like to keep a separate spatula that does not get used in the kitchen (I've also heard of people using bottle brushes) in the bathroom to scrape the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. This is completely feasible, cheap, and an easy way to quickly get everything off into the toilet without having to dunk and swish, dunk and swish, and without risking spray back from sprayers. I have never tried this method but I have heard it is very successful as long as you keep the brush or spatula clean. I am a very busy mom, I have two jobs, two kids, a dog, a husband, and a house to take care of and I don't like the idea of another thing to clean but that is just me. I've heard it's very little and very easy upkeep, I just don't want to bother when I already have a system that works fine and was free.

But what do I do when I'm out?

This is a very good question, and I honestly need to do a blog just about cloth diapering when away from the house and all the challenges that come with it! When I'm out and about I always just throw the diaper into my wet bag and save it for when I get home. Some people do this at home as well and only spray right before going in the wash, but I prefer to spray as they happen so they aren't stinking up the wet bag anymore than usual. So you could dunk and swish, or carry a spatula in a big zip lock bag, or you could bring a peri bottle full of wipe solution or water with you. It's really up to you. Like I said, you could also just toss it all in the wet bag and rinse when you get home!

I Don't Want Poop in My Washer!

I honestly don't understand this sentiment, especially with parents of newborns or very young babies. Has your child ever leaked out of a diaper or had an explosive episode? What did you do with the sheets from the bed? Chances are you took those crib sheets and tossed them in the washer, while gagging, choking, and reminding yourself how much you love your kids! And what about when your child is sick and spits up? Straight in the washer, right? The clothes that they wear when poop leaks out your diaper? Yep, straight in the washer. So poop and pee has already been in your washer. Your washer gets clean, and gets rid of the poop and pee, that's what it was made to do! So how is a load of diapers every few days any different than a load of nasty icky sheets and clothes? The only difference is you don't have a screaming baby to bathe while everything is in the wash!

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is, try them all, see what works for you. I started off with the dunk and swish, moved to a peri bottle, and now use the shower head as a sprayer sometimes. I'm very happy in the routine we have developed, and once you find the right routine you will be too! I hope this has answered questions about the process of getting the poop off of the diapers. Remember, you could just throw the diapers in without rinsing them and do a couple rinses in cold before you wash, but I don't recommend that. You can also just use flushable liners and pull them out and dump them in the toilet.