Trial and Error

Eric and I have decided to give cloth diapers a trail run. We went to the baby boutique yesterday, where the owner gave Eric the 411 on cloth diapering. He asked a lot of question and the owner came back and answered each and everyone to the best of her abilities. I let Eric decide on what diapers we would try out. He really liked the all in one, one size fits all diapers - exactly the ones I liked (all though they are a little bit more expensive, he liked that you could size them to fit your baby and that we wouldn't have to buy new sized diapers every couple months.) We went with the Happy Hiney micro-fiber brand.

The owner explained exactly how to take care of them:

WASH:

1. Wash the diapers (only diapers) on warm or hot (with a 2nd rinse).
   
2. Use a tablespoon of "special" detergent. ( for a full load - around 18/20 diapers) or regular powder Tide. (no Dreft or All and Clear detergents)
   
3. If the diapers ever smell like pee - we can use little bit of vinegar.
   
4. If they ever stain (which they are not suppose to at all) because of a really "good" poop - we are suppose to wash it and then put the diaper in the sun, which will take out the stain.
   

DRY:

1. dry diapers on low (so they don't lose their elasticity).

(They are never suppose to leak, if they do, it is because we use too much detergent. Which is causing the micro-fiber not to soak up the "waste". If this happens, we have to "strip" the cloth diapers.)

Stripping Diapers - from happyhineys.com

Build up refers to residue left by detergents, fabric softeners, and other substances used to clean diapers. In rare instances, baking soda will react with certain minerals in water and also cause build up. If you notice a decrease in the absorbency of your diapers, build up may be the culprit.
Stripping is the process of removing residue from your diapers. To strip diapers:

• Hand wash your diaper with regular dish soap to remove any oils.
• Put a small amount of dish soap on the fleece layer.
• Rub vigorously or use a medium bristle scrubbing brush to scrub the fleece.
• Turn the diaper inside out and repeat.
• Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.

You may use this method at any time you notice repelling or as a preventative measure once a week. If you are still having problems, try these special cleaning agents to strip your diapers:

• 2 scoops of Oxyclean in a very hot wash
• 1 ball of RLR (found at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle hanging on a clip) in a hot wash

Claire new Happy Hineys are currently in the drier, so they will be going on her shortly. Wish us luck!!