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Cloth Diaper Advice – Mailbox Mondays 3/21/11

by Maria on March 21, 2011

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask you to add your opinions.

Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or Fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.

I didn’t receive any submissions this week, but as you all know, I will always answer questions via email. I thought I’d summarize two emails I received this week, since others may be having the same issues, and see what you all think!

M. has a 6 month old, 22 lb baby who has a pretty high rise. She was looking for one-size pockets with a high enough rise to cover his crack! She doesn’t have too many commercial diapers, but did recently win a Best Bottom diaper in a giveaway.

The highest rise diapers I have are the Bumgenius 4.0, Flip, Fuzzibunz Perfect Size Medium and Thirsties Duo Diaper Size 2.

I grabbed a few of my diapers to compare and found that the Bumgenius 4.0 unsnapped is a smidge bigger than the Best Bottom unsnapped, by about an inch. The BG 4.0 and FB medium are about the same size when stretched, but the FB is actually a smidge bigger when folded. The Thirsties size 2 is very similar to the Bumgenius.

How about you guys? Have you found a diaper with a nice, high rise?

A. received a few used diaper covers, but they smelled like smoke. She did a soak and triple rinsed, but they still smelled smoky. She was looking for a way to get the smell out without damaging the diapers.

That is definitely something to remember to ask, whether you’re buying used dipes, or from a WAHM. Is this a smoke free home and do you have any pets (if you have pet allergies.) That said, it’s something I always forget to ask!!

The two things I thought to try were baking soda or vinegar. Soak the covers in a tub with water and a generous helping of baking soda, then rinse rinse rinse or do the same with vinegar. I’ve heard about people using “oxyvin,” or oxyclean and vinegar, to strip really icky diapers. The oxy clean and vinegar create a chemical reaction (use caution!!) to clean the diapers.

How about you all, have you had to get smoke smell out of diapers? What worked?

{ 17 comments }

Cloth Diaper Advice/Mailbox Mondays 3/14/11

by Maria on March 14, 2011

in Mailbox Mondays

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask you to add your opinions.

———————

Today, I just want to ask for your advice. Are you happy with the info I provide here (the site in general?) Are there features you’d like me to add?

I know everyone likes a good giveaway, but I want the site to be a resource for you, not just a place to get free stuff.

How about the YouTube videos, are you finding them helpful? Are there videos you’d like me to add to the ChangeDiapers YouTube channel?

I do have a list of diapers I’d still like to review, but since I don’t really “need” any more diapers, it’s hard to justify the budget expenditure!

Are there any diapers you’d like to see me review? You can check my archive of cloth diaper reviews of course, in case I’ve already done it. Or, are there diapers you’ve seen reviews of, but you still want more information, close-up photos of specific features, etc.?

Let me know y’all! (Me pretending to be southern, ha.)

{ 8 comments }

Mailbox Mondays 3/7/11 – Selling Used Diapers

by Maria on March 7, 2011

in Mailbox Mondays

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask you to weigh in your two cents.

Edie says:

Hi Maria!
I began cloth diapering my daughter when she was 8 months, and started her stash with both pockets and prefolds + covers. Now that I seem to have figured out my laundry routine and resolved stink issues with the microfiber inserts I’ve found that I definitely prefer my perfect fit Fuzzibunz over the prefolds. So now I have a dozen and a half prefolds, a handful of covers, and a couple Snappis just sitting in a closet gathering dust. Do you have any tips and pointers on selling used diapers and specific sites that you prefer to use? Is there any cd selling etiquette that I need to know? I would love to fill out our supply of pocket diapers, but I need to sell some diapers first!
Thanks,
Edie

Great question! I have only sold a few diapers myself, so I’ll give you what information I have, then ask others to weigh in too.

The first place that comes to mind is diaperswappers. There is a Facebook page dedicated to fluff swapping, but of course the name has slipped my mind. (Fluff Swappers! Thanks Tamara!) I have done my selling through a cloth diaper group on Cafemom, and many online cloth diaper groups have FSOT (for sale or trade) sections. Some diaper companies allow sale/trade posts on their Facebook pages, but check with them before posting!

The biggest hurdle to selling cloth diapers is that you’re an unknown seller. Buyers/traders rely heavily on Feedback from other buyers to ensure that the seller will follow through, and items will be as expected.

To get the most for your items, and to make sure the buyer knows what they’re getting, be thorough and honest in your description. Make sure your diapers are clean, then go over them inch by inch, noting any wear or damage. Take as many photos as you can of the front, back, inside and outside of the diapers, the inserts, closures and close-ups of any damage or stains.

Be reasonable in your pricing, and consider pricing the diapers to include shipping costs. It’s a great idea to include delivery confirmation when you ship. You can easily ship first class online at http://www.paypal.com/shipnow and postage is generally under $3.00 per diaper.

Be sure to also package your diapers well. I have received diapers that were mailed in a manila envelope only, and the envelope was torn (luckily the diaper didn’t fall out or get torn/damaged.

So how about you guys? Give me your opinions on selling used diapers, and where to do it. Both buyers and sellers perspectives are helpful!

{ 11 comments }

Mailbox Mondays 2/28/11 – Stuffing Diapers With Microfiber & Hemp

by Maria on February 28, 2011

in Mailbox Mondays

On Mondays, I answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post, and ask you to weigh in your opinions.

Sandi says:

Hello Maria. We double-stuff our pocket diapers because our son’s a pretty heavy wetter. Sometimes I’ll have two types of inserts go into a diaper- standard micro-fiber (or whatever comes with the diaper) and then a hemp insert (usually Knickernappies brand). Would it matter which insert I put closest to baby’s bottom? Usually the hemp insert is thinner so I put that on top.
Thanks,
Sandi

Hi Sandi. Hemp and microfiber are a great night time combo; we use Knickernappies Superdo inserts and they were a lifesaver!

I’d actually recommend putting the microfiber closest to the baby and hemp underneath. The reason is that while hemp is very, very thirsty, it doesn’t absorb as quickly as microfiber. Liquids can be absorbed into the microfiber quickly, then locked away in the hemp underneath. This seems to be the one two punch to keep baby’s tush dry all night!

That said, nothing bad will happen if you do the reverse!

How about you all? If you use two insert types in your pockets, which do you put on top?

{ 3 comments }

Mailbox Mondays 2/21/11 – Prepping Diapers & Stinky Pails!

by Maria on February 21, 2011

in Mailbox Mondays

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post, and ask you to weigh in your opinions.

Julie says:

Hi Maria!!

First off I just want to say I LOVE your blog! It was one of the first cloth diaper related blogs I came across when I was pregnant and looking into cloth diapers. I had a couple of questions for you.

First off, I started my cloth diaper stash with a big purchase so it was easy to just throw all of the items in the wash to prep them all together. Nowadays, I find myself buying one or two diapers or inserts at a time and I would hate to run a laundry load for just a couple of items. Do you have any suggestions for prepping just a couple of diapers or inserts at a time?

Also, my daughter was exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, but now that she is almost 9 months and eating solids, I am finding that her diaper pail is getting MIGHTY stinky. I do try to spray the poopy diapers with my sprayer but that doesn’t really seem to be helping. Any other suggestions?

Thanks so so much!

Sincerely,
Julie J.

I really appreciate hearing that you enjoy the blog, and find it helpful! You really have no idea how warm & fuzzy that makes me feel!

If I get a new diaper that doesn’t have special prepping instructions (if it’s made of microfiber, microfleece, PUL etc.), I throw it in the wash with my other diapers once, then use it. Things like organic cotton and hemp usually need to be washed at least three times before using, and will continue to gain absorbency for up to 10 washes.

The problem is that they need to be washed separately, since the fibers contain natural oils that could be deposited onto your other diapers, and cause them to repel. Check with the manufacturer/the product packaging, because some companies send natural fiber products partially prepped. As annoying as it is, and wasteful as it seems, you really do need to wash them separately to protect your other diapers.

I have heard of people boiling hemp prefolds/inserts to remove the oils faster, but I haven’t tried that myself! I would definitely suggest exercising caution if you try that, and I am not responsible for any burns or fires that may occur, eek! “Ma’am, what were you doing when the fire started?” “Errr, well, uhh…I was just…uhh…boiling my…hemp.”

As far as your stinky pail goes, my first two suggestions would be to keep the pail open a crack, and to wash more often. You’d think keeping the pail closed tightly would keep the smell in better, but I find that letting the air circulate means less stink. Washing no more than every 2-3 days, and washing the liner each time helps quite a bit as well. Wahmies pail liners have a swatch of fabric at the seam, where you can add a few drops of essential oil to help with the odor. If yours doesn’t have that feature, several WAHMs also make pail powder that you can use to eliminate odors and add scent.

How about you? How do you prep new diapers when you only have 1 or 2? How do you combat pail stink?

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