Cloth Diapers

[Kacylf]

I had a new dcg start in August, she was 13 months at that time. Her parents told me they used cloth diapers and while I had never used them before, I was open to trying. I changed her diaper every 1.5hr (unless she had a bm of course). I think her diaper leaked once. Dcp said I was doing everything fine and it was great. The problem now is that for the last couple weeks her diaper has been leaking all the time!! The are the same diapers so I don't know what changed! I can't even go an hour without changing her diaper. Yesterday I changed her and not even 10 minutes later her pants were wet. Does anyone know any reason this would be happening? Like I said, this is my first experience with cloth diapers so I don't know much. Dcp really want to stick with cloth diapers but they are driving me crazy!

[daycarediva]

Have they stripped the diapers? Maybe they used fabric softener or some kind of diaper cream (which will ruin the wickability of cloth diapers) or is dcg drinking more? Do they grow with the baby (same need to size up with cloth as with disposables)

[Blackcat31]

I had a new dcg start in August, she was 13 months at that time. Her parents told me they used cloth diapers and while I had never used them before, I was open to trying. I changed her diaper every 1.5hr (unless she had a bm of course). I think her diaper leaked once. Dcp said I was doing everything fine and it was great. The problem now is that for the last couple weeks her diaper has been leaking all the time!! The are the same diapers so I don't know what changed! I can't even go an hour without changing her diaper. Yesterday I changed her and not even 10 minutes later her pants were wet. Does anyone know any reason this would be happening? Like I said, this is my first experience with cloth diapers so I don't know much. Dcp really want to stick with cloth diapers but they are driving me crazy!

What type of diapers is she using?

All in one, pocket? Do they have a protective cover?

Like Diva said, the most common reason for leakage is not properly stripping or washing the diapers.

Build up can occur causing the diapers to lose their absorbancy.

[LysesKids]

I had a new dcg start in August, she was 13 months at that time. Her parents told me they used cloth diapers and while I had never used them before, I was open to trying. I changed her diaper every 1.5hr (unless she had a bm of course). I think her diaper leaked once. Dcp said I was doing everything fine and it was great. The problem now is that for the last couple weeks her diaper has been leaking all the time!! The are the same diapers so I don't know what changed! I can't even go an hour without changing her diaper. Yesterday I changed her and not even 10 minutes later her pants were wet. Does anyone know any reason this would be happening? Like I said, this is my first experience with cloth diapers so I don't know much. Dcp really want to stick with cloth diapers but they are driving me crazy!

I agree that the diapers probably need to be stripped... I ask that my daycare mommas do it every few months just to avoid the leaking issues, plus if the diapers aren't washed correctly, after awhile the ammonia smell can appear and that is something I absolutely hate

[Kacylf]

Have they stripped the diapers? Maybe they used fabric softener or some kind of diaper cream (which will ruin the wickability of cloth diapers) or is dcg drinking more? Do they grow with the baby (same need to size up with cloth as with disposables)

I'm not sure about stripping the diapers, but I will ask them about it! She drinks about the same amount here (2 cups of milk and 2 cups of water throughout the day). She drinks from the small take n toss tumbler cups so it's not like she's drinking a huge cup full. They are the snap ones, but we have been snapping in the same place since she has been coming so maybe we need to adjust and snap at a different place.. I have just been following the parents lead since I have never used cloth before.

[Blackcat31]

Great resource:

http://www.kellyscloset.com/Cloth-Diaper-Information_ep_34-1.html

[Kacylf]

I agree that the diapers probably need to be stripped... I ask that my daycare mommas do it every few months just to avoid the leaking issues, plus if the diapers aren't washed correctly, after awhile the ammonia smell can appear and that is something I absolutely hate

I think they must not be washed correctly because they have that smell!! I thought it smelled weird but I couldn't figure out what it smelled like but that's it!

[Kacylf]

What type of diapers is she using?

All in one, pocket? Do they have a protective cover?

Like Diva said, the most common reason for leakage is not properly stripping or washing the diapers.

Build up can occur causing the diapers to lose their absorbancy.

I'm not sure what they are called but I think they are pocket ones. There is the actual diaper with the snaps and a liner thing inside the diaper. No other cover. I'm thinking they must not be washed properly!

[daycarediva]

I would tell the dcm- the diapers aren't as absorbent, they are also starting to smell even dry. Time to strip them!

It's really easy- I always just washed them in SUPER hot water (like a sanitizing cycle on the washer), 1/2c or so of color safe bleach and a good squirt of dawn (the blue kind), then you have to wash them a couple more times with no detergent or anything to completely clean them.

You should NOT be able to tell that they were ever peed on.

[happymom]

Don't put dawn in the washing machine. You can use dawn on stubborn oily stains (from diaper creams, etc) on diaper and rinse, rinse, rinse before putting in the machine.

www.fluffloveuniversity.com is a great resource. You can look up a good wash routine based on the water minerals in your area and the washing machine you own. There could be several issues with her wash routine if they are ammonia smelling that can be easily fixed with a good mineral strip (soak diapers overnight in a tub of hot hot water with 3 grovia mighty bubbles pods and a bleach soak should fix it).

Since you mentioned odors, stripping SHOULD help, but she could also have started out-peeing the absorbancy of the diapers and might need an extra soaker pad.

*I am cloth diapering a 13 month old currently. With my first son I had been given bad information about washing diapers (it's really common actually) and my diapers REEKED of ammonia after about 6 months of use. Then I'd strip them and they'd be clean for a few months and I'd do it all over again. Now that I have a proper wash routine and maintenance my diapers every few months with a 30 minute bleach soak and an extra pod of mighty bubbles, I've never had to do an overnight strip and don't think I ever will.

[daycarediva]

Don't put dawn in the washing machine. You can use dawn on stubborn oily stains (from diaper creams, etc) on diaper and rinse, rinse, rinse before putting in the machine.

www.fluffloveuniversity.com is a great resource. You can look up a good wash routine based on the water minerals in your area and the washing machine you own. There could be several issues with her wash routine if they are ammonia smelling that can be easily fixed with a good mineral strip (soak diapers overnight in a tub of hot hot water with 3 grovia mighty bubbles pods and a bleach soak should fix it).

Since you mentioned odors, stripping SHOULD help, but she could also have started out-peeing the absorbancy of the diapers and might need an extra soaker pad.

*I am cloth diapering a 13 month old currently. With my first son I had been given bad information about washing diapers (it's really common actually) and my diapers REEKED of ammonia after about 6 months of use. Then I'd strip them and they'd be clean for a few months and I'd do it all over again. Now that I have a proper wash routine and maintenance my diapers every few months with a 30 minute bleach soak and an extra pod of mighty bubbles, I've never had to do an overnight strip and don't think I ever will.

Um, why not Dawn? I only had to strip my diapers before we moved due to hard water, but Dawn was the advice I was given on a CD forum years and years ago and it worked like a charm!

[happymom]

They sound like best bottoms or grovia? The soaker pad snaps directly into the the waterproof cover?

Check the elastics to make sure they still are springy and check the waterproof layer to make sure they don't have any holes/tears/cracks.

She will only need to strip the actual absorbent cloth part.


**I had some diapers go bad (I have a rotation of diapers that only get used for daycare and never at home) and I have my daycare girls write down whenever there is a leak and which color diaper it was. Then I can assess the diapers at home, and take them out of the rotation if they have a flaw. I had several diapers where the waterproof layer had cracks/runs in it and they were not reparable. I had to replace.

[happymom]

Um, why not Dawn? I only had to strip my diapers before we moved due to hard water, but Dawn was the advice I was given on a CD forum years and years ago and it worked like a charm!

It's very bad for your washing machine. It strips the lubricants from the moving parts. For hard water, you should use a water softener in your wash -- I live in Utah, we have very hard water. I use 1/2 cup of borax in my prewash and my main wash to keep hard water build up away.

[lthomas06586]

There's diaper stripper you can purchase on Amazon that can be used to keep the build up down we cloth diapered one of our boys and also I've had daycare kids who were also cloth diapered

[happymom]

Rockin' green is no longer recommended for cloth diapers. For stripping use RLR, mighty bubbles or homemade stripping agent of borax, washing soda and calgon.

A few years ago there was TONS of very bad information for washing cloth diapers. People (myself included) were told you can't use mainstream detergent to clean diapers, that you should only use 2 tablespoons of detergent or it will cause soap build up, that you need to do extra rinses and use as much water as you can...dawn to strip diapers...etc, etc...so much unproven information that people took a circulated around the internet!

http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/cloth-diaper-myths/mythbusters-cloth-edition/

Now I wash one "quick" cycle with line 1 of tide powder and 1/2 cup borax, followed by a long "white" cycle with line 3 of tide powder. Every few months I boost with an extra wash cycle with might bubbles. That's it. No stripping, ever.