Cloth 101: Wet Towel Trick

Sometimes finding a good laundry routine for a front loading or high efficiency machine can be a little tricky. Today, we'd like to share with you a couple of our tips specifically for this type of washing machine.

• First, a full load of cloth diapers is 12 - 15 cloth diapers or covers and inserts. Putting more than this in a load can keep your diapers from getting as clean as they need to be. Your diapers need room to move around freely to get as clean as possible.
• We recommend washing every other day, regardless of what type of machine you have. This prevents bacteria growth and stink issues.
• If your little one is eating solid foods or drinking liquids other than water, formula or breast milk, we recommend rinsing your diapers before you put them in your wet bag or pail. This will also help to prevent staining and stink issues.
• If you are still having issues getting your diapers clean and you have a front loading machine, we suggest our "Wet Towel Trick". To 'trick' a high efficiency machine into adding more water to your laundry cycles, try adding a saturated towel (or two if they are small) to the beginning of your wash routine. Let the towel go through all the wash cycles (hot, cold and rinses) to make sure the machine adds the most water possible to every cycle.

Cloth 201: Diet changes can mean laundry changes

As your child grows and their diet changes, their output changes as well. For a cloth diapering parent, this sometimes means that you have to adjust your laundry routine as well.

We often hear from parents that are confused because their laundry routine that has worked well for many months suddenly is not working, and they are battling with issues like stains or smell.

If your little one has recently started trying new, solid foods after being exclusively breastfed or formula fed, the diet change could be the cause. You may need to adjust your laundry routine using one or more of the following troubleshooting tips:

• Rinse your diapers well right after use, before placing in your pail or wet bag.
• Instead of using a pre-wash cycle at the beginning of your washing routine, use a full cold wash with detergent to eliminate all the yuck before the hot wash cycle also with detergent.
• Add bumGenius Odor Remover to your routine. For best results, spray bumGenius Odor Remover after rinsing your dirty or overnight cloth diapers before placing in your pail or wet bag. bumGenius Odor Remover quickly eliminates the source of odor-causing bacteria in cloth diapers.

Cloth Diapers 201: What is Hard Water?

If you call or live chat with Cotton Babies customer service for some troubleshooting assistance, many of the questions we will ask revolve around your laundry routine. How often you wash? What detergent are you using? How much detergent do you use? How many cloth diapers do you wash in a load? Do you have a high efficiency machine or a traditional machine? Do you know if you have hard water?

What is hard water? Hard water is water that has high mineral content. This is different from region to region based on what types of minerals are in the ground where you live and what your water sources are.

Why is it important to cloth diapering? The level of hardness in your water can affect how well soaps, shampoos and detergents work. It can determine how much soap or detergent you need to use to get your dishes, hair and laundry clean.

How do I know if I have hard water? There are a couple of ways. First, there are hard water maps that will tell you generally if you have hard water or not. Another more specific way to find out is to check with your local water utility company. My water company has a place on their website where I can fill in my zip code and it will tell me the water hardness in grains per million. I have 7 grains per million, which is considered hard water. If you water company doesn't have a website, the information should be available with a simple phone call.

If I have hard water, what do I do? If you discover you have hard water and are having issues with stink, there are a couple of changes you can try. First strip your diapers so you have a fresh start. Next, try using a little more than the recommended amount of detergent in each load to make sure your cloth diapers are getting clean. If you find you have really hard water, adding Calgon water softener to your cloth diaper loads (and other laundry) may help your detergent work more effectively.

I thought I had hard water, but it's really soft! If you find out you have soft water and are having leaks, this may be due to detergent buildup. In this case, you will want to strip your diapers to start fresh and begin using slightly less than the recommended amount of detergent in each wash cycle. This will help prevent detergent buildup. Soft water may also mean you need to add an extra rinse to your laundry routine to make sure all the detergent is out.

If you have further questions, give us a call at 1-888-332-2243 or live chat with us at www.cottonbabies.com

Have you had issues with hard or soft water? How did you adjust your cloth diaper laundry routine?

Cloth Diapering 201: How To Strip Your Diapers

It doesn't take much time in cloth diapering circles before you encounter the term "stripping". What exactly is "stripping" your cloth diapers, how do you do it and how do you know when you need to perform this task? No worries, we're here to help.

Stripping in the cloth diapering community refers to the removal of detergent, diaper cream or other items that may leave residue in the fibers of your cloth diapers. One analogy is to think of kind of like stripping paint from a piece of wood furniture.

There are several reasons you may encounter along your cloth diapering journey where we would suggest stripping your cloth diapers. Here are a few of the most common:

• Using a detergent that has enzymes, scents or brighteners. These ingredients can cause build up in your diapers, which can lead to leaks. New to cloth diapering? You can read more about detergent choices in this article.
• A caregiver accidentally uses diaper cream without a fabric barrier. No, it's not the end of the world, but yes, it can be somewhat stubborn to remove.
• You're beginning to experience leaks and there is no change in your child's diet or input.
• Your child has been diagnosed with a yeast infection or other type of communicable rash.
• You're having trouble with stinky smells in your diapers, even after washing.
• You need to switch laundry detergents. Maybe you've discovered your child's skin is sensitive to a particular brand, in which case you want to remove all residue and start with a clean slate.

So now that you know the situations in which we recommend stripping your cloth diapers, how do you do it? For bumGenius, Flip and Econobum products, we recommend this method:

• Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) of original liquid Dawn (blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup regular, liquid chlorine bleach in the wash cycle.
• Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are rinsed clean.

If you are using other brands of cloth diapers, we recommend checking with that manufacturer for their recommendations.

The other frequently asked question is "How often do I need to strip?" There really is no rule or guideline for this. We have found that those who live in hard water situations tend to get detergent buildup faster than those with softer water. Also, if you use a detergent that has enzymes or brighteners, you may find you need to strip more frequently than if you use a detergent completely free of these ingredients. If either of these situations apply to you, you may need to strip your diapers once every 3 or 4 months. We do not recommend using bleach more than once a month, so please keep that in mind if you are stripping your diapers on a regular basis.

If you have more questions on this topic or need more personalized recommendations, e-mail us at contactus@cottonbabies.com or call us at 1-888-332-2243. We're always glad to help you.

Cloth Diapering 101: What is Odor Remover?

What is bumGenius Odor Remover?
bumGenius Odor Remover is an all natural formula designed to remove odor in diapers, diaper pails, clothing and more. It quickly eliminates the source of odor causing bacteria in cloth diapers. It is non-toxic, biodegradable and completely free of chemicals, oils, detergents, perfumes and solvents.

How do I use it?
bumGenius odor remover comes in a convenient spray bottle, perfect for putting near your diaper pail or laundry facilities.
It quickly eliminates the source of odor-causing bacteria in cloth diapers. First, remove waste from your cloth diaper. Next, from a distance of 6-8”, spray directly onto soiled diaper, lightly covering the soiled area. (Please do not spray on baby.)
For best results we recommend spraying every diaper, cover and insert. Do not soak diapers. Always store diapers in a dry pail.

Why should I use it?

As your little one grows, you will likely find you need to adjust your laundry routine to curb the smells you encounter as their diet changes. Adding bumGenius Odor Remover is a quick, easy addition to your laundry routine that yields immediate results.

Kristen, a Cotton Babies customer, said it best,

"We previously used cloth diapers and after spending all the money with the diapers, pail, liners, wet bag...etc... I just couldn't bring myself to buy this spray, because really, it was just one more expense. The smell of amonia would seep through the pail and into her room inevitably every time. This time...we bought it. It's a God-send. It's wonderful. No smell. It's perfect. I love it and am recommending it to everyone that I know that cloth diapers."

While it is designed to eliminate the odors in diapers and diaper pails, it also works great on pet urine, trash cans and more! I personally keep a bottle near my washing machine for any kind of stinky laundry. I even use it in my school aged sons' tennis shoes.

bumGenius Odor Remover comes in a 8 ounce spray bottle for only $5.99

Cloth Diapers 201: Help! My diapers stink!

A question we get frequently in our customer service e-mail and phone calls is how to get rid of "stink" in cloth diapers. Keep in mind that as your little one's diet changes, their output changes. Sometimes this means that a laundry routine that has been working well for you suddenly seems like it's not working.

If you experience stink issues that you haven't had before, one of our first questions is, "Have you changed something in your laundry routine?" What we have learned over the years here at Cotton Babies that not every detergent works well for every customer, which is why we offer a variety of cloth diaper safe detergents for purchase. Factors such as water hardness or skin sensitivities can mean that your best friend's go to detergent or the "it" detergent of the moment may not work well for you.

One common reason for sudden stink is a change in detergent. Unfortunately, the best way to find a detergent that works for you is trial and error. We recommend trying a small package or sample size of a detergent to make sure it works well for you and your little one before committing to the value size.

If you haven't changed your detergent, our next question is, "What is your laundry routine?" Another common issue, especially with newer high efficiency machines, is that your diapers aren't being rinsed enough to remove all the urine or all the detergent.

If you are having "stink issues" we recommend changing to the following routine:

Wash a full cold wash/cold rinse cycle with recommended amount of detergent.

Wash a full hot wash/cold rinse cycle with recommended amount of detergent.

Run a second cold rinse cycle.

If this is your routine, you have a high efficiency machine and your diapers still smell, we recommend this little tip. To 'trick' a high efficiency machine into adding more water to your laundry cycles, try adding a wet towel (or two if they are small) to the beginning of your wash routine. Let the towel go through the entire laundry routine to make sure the machine adds the most water possible to every cycle.

If you are still having odors after trying these basic troubleshooting methods, give our customer service team a call at 1-888-332-2243. We can talk you through your laundry routine and give you some tips specific to your routine and little one's needs. We want your laundering routine and cloth diapering journey to be successful. We'll be glad to help you find the products and routine to ensure your success.

Cloth Diapers 101: How do you wash cloth diapers?

Ahh, a topic all cloth diapering parents have to learn at some point in their cloth diapering journey. Yes, cloth diapers do take a little more effort than some other types of laundry, but the extra TLC (tender loving care) can help your cloth diapers reach their full potential.

Think of it this way, if you spent $100 (or more) on a pair of jeans that you wanted to wear every other day for two (or more) years, you would follow the manufacturer's suggested care to give them the longest life possible, right? Cloth diapers are much the same.

For bumGenius, Flip and Econobum diapers, we recommend the following basic routine:

• As you would with the rest of your laundry, separate your diapers into like materials. Wash natural fibers separately from synthetics.

• Wash the entire load on cold with a laundry detergent recommended for cloth diapers. Washing once on cold water is important to remove leftover "yuck" from your diapers.

• Wash the entire load again on warm or hot (100F/40C) - also with detergent. We do NOT recommend the sanitize cycle, as it is too hot.

• Do a second rinse.

• We recommend that you line dry your diaper covers, pocket diapers and anything made with hook & loop closures. Inserts and prefolds can be tumble dried on a medium heat setting.

I hear you asking, "But what detergents are recommended for cloth diapers?" Generally speaking, you want a detergent without brighteners, scents, dyes or fabric softeners. You can read more about these additives in Jenn's post Good Detergent / Bad Detergent. Want to save time and skip the research? 

Please keep in mind that each type of cloth diaper may vary sightly in their recommended laundry routines, so please read the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Keep them handy, because as your child ages, expands their diet (as well as their output), your laundry routine may need to be altered slightly.

As always, if you are having trouble finding the laundry detergent or routine for to fit your needs, give us a call at 1-888-33-BABIES (1-888-332-2243) and we'd be glad to help you find a solution that works for you.

Things I learn about cloth diapers - while traveling internationally

I've done quite a bit of traveling for business. Everywhere I go, I look for cloth diapers and how other cultures handle diaper care. Diaper care is an important issue in other parts of the world too, so I'm just as interested in what people put on their baby's bottom as I am in how they take care of it after it's dirty.

In every bathroom, in every country, I notice the toilet design, what's on the wall, whether or not there is toilet paper, how many years it might have been since the toilet was cleaned... (you get the picture). One thing seems to be consistent (other than a lack of toilet paper).... most bathrooms have a bidet sprayer on the wall.

This has been true in Egypt, France, Germany, England, India... everywhere I've been recently that isn't part of North America! People using cloth diapers in these areas rarely call us with stinky diaper problems, but in the United States, stinky diapers are all the mamas seem to chat about on the diapering forums! I think we are, as a culture, missing something important in our diaper care. It all started when cloth diaper businesses started recommending that parents leave poop in the diapers, instead of dunking and swishing to rinse them out. That recommendation was the popular thing to do when Cotton Babies first started. It's true, you CAN leave the poop in the diapers if you want, but it's going to take more than a few washes to get your diapers clean because the first wash or two is just diapers swishing around in brown, poopy water.

So, parents using cloth diapers in foreign countries are telling me that it is EASY to take care of their diapers and they can't understand why Americans have such a tough time washing diapers. What's the difference? They spray every diaper out in the toilet using the bidet sprayer on their bathroom wall. Every diaper gets rinsed. Their diapers don't sit in a diaper pail full of poop and pee for days before getting washed.

What's the lesson to be learned?

You need a diaper sprayer. Your American toilet didn't come equipped with a bidet sprayer and chances are, you don't even know what one looks like. Save yourself hours of headache and buy a bumGenius Diaper Sprayer for your bathroom. Install it and use it to rinse out your diapers. Ignore the advice from the websites who say you can leave big kid poop in your diapers for days and still expect to easily get them clean. You can't - and you shouldn't. Breastfed baby poop does wash out... don't get me wrong... but once you introduce solids, that poop changes (you'll know when it happens). When it changes, you need to rinse it out. A diaper sprayer makes it really, really easy.

So simple, so easy, so not "deep".... but essential to every cloth diapering parent.

Have you tried one?

Something Stinks in Here

We all have those days, those loads, those diapers...

Those days - weeks really, when too many days squeeze in before you get the diapers washed again. Those loads - that sit too long before they get dried. Those diapers - that explode with a knock-you-on-you-butt ammonia smell the minute urine hits them.

The stinkies have hit again.

But today I am not going to detail all kinds of stinky remedies. I am only going to give you the easiest one.

Two steps:
1. Follow your usual washing routine, but add in 1/4 cup of bleach.
2. Add a lot of extra rinsing. A LOT.

Every now and then I run my diapers through 3 or 4 wash loads in a row with no detergent. It does wonders for preventing build up and keeps things fresh.

Laundry in a Minute

I deal with a mind boggling amount of laundry each week. Having nine people in the house will do that to a family, especially when those nine people include a spitty baby, a daddy who gets really dirty in his work, a three year old who loves to play in the sand, and a little princess who loves to wear multiple outfits each day. Adding in the multiple washes suggested for cloth diapers can make me feel like I am getting backed up even further. Here are some ways that I stay on top of things, maybe they can help you too.

1. Sort clothes. I have two hampers (light and dark) in the laundry room and the kids can sort their clothes as they bring them downstairs, and so can I. Grabbing a load of laundry to throw in is easier that way. All family clothes and towels except my husband's work clothes go in here. No special baby laundry, it all goes in the same place.

2. Throw sheets directly in the washer. They don't get sorted. Sheets always seem to back up my system more than anything, so I don't strip any beds unless the washer is already empty.

3. Start wash as soon as I am done with my morning shower. That way I feel like I am getting something done even if the rest of my day is unproductive.

4. Don't start any (normal laundry) loads after 3pm. This gives me time to make sure everything gets dry and gives me a fighting chance at getting to fold it. I usually fold a couple loads at a time while either indulging in a little television or a book on CD.

5. Now we get to how the cloth diaper washes fit in. The CottonBabies recommendation for washing cloth diapers is to do a cold wash, a hot wash, and then a second rinse. I like to start the diapers about dinnertime in the cold wash, start the hot wash before I go to bed. Then when I get up I do that final rinse when I would normally start laundry.

So maybe that has made things seem a little complicated. Let me break it down for you. Pick a time when you are not doing laundry and, well, do laundry - the diapers. It will take you less than five minutes to get them started, and less than two minutes to start them again. Starting that last rinse is just a couple minutes too. Time yourself sometime and see how long it actually takes you, you will be surprised!

And after drying I no longer fold my diapers. I toss the covers in a drawer, stuff the pocket diapers and all the rest of them go in a big hamper.

Your washing machine is like your willing servant. You only have to take a moment to give it some instructions (load it) and send it to work (start it) and then you get to go do something else. That is multi-tasking at its finest!