I Signed Up For the 2nd Annual Flats Challenge!

Apr 25,2012 / By Maria / 7 Comments

In case you missed the announcement, May 21-27 is the 2nd annual flats challenge, hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.

I did not participate last year. It is the week of my son’s birthday, and I was also pregnant/sick/exhausted. The idea of mastering flats & hand-washing diapers for a week made me feel nauseated (more so than usual, hee-hee.) When Kim announced that she’d be hosting the challenge again this year, I immediately thought I’d support it, but wouldn’t participate. No way, no how! After all, it is again my son’s birthday week, and I have two super-soaker boys in diapers now! My little guy is 4.5 months old right now and still wants to be held/worn all the time. I am honestly struggling with meeting his needs, while also meeting my older son’s needs (mostly constant feeding, LOL!) and getting my daughter to and from school and activities, getting her homework done etc. I am completely overwhelmed with keeping up with junk cleanup, dishes, cleaning and the constant laundry. Washing diapers for 2 is a lot, even with a washing machine. The other day my husband remarked that the laundry room looked empty without diapers hanging, LOL.

I also don’t have enough flats to use, and I assume I’d need to use my tub to wash, which would be an extra hassle to deal with the kids and running up & down the stairs. I don’t know if I even have enough places to hang up that many flats! Excuse after excuse, I know! It sounds crazy, but the idea of using & hand washing flats for a week ramped my anxiety up 10 notches and made me feel physically ill.

Then I started thinking about what it would be like if this was my reality and it made me want to try! I took a deep breath, hit the submit button on the sign up form, and ordered some flour sack towels to use as flats. Eek!

Since then, I found out that we are allowed to use a diaper sprayer this year (it wasn’t allowed last year) and we’re not limited to the # of covers we use (the limit was 5 last year.) I only have a couple of wipeable covers, since I sent what I wasn’t regularly using to my friend. I was concerned about keeping covers clean, and I was also concerned about my older son freaking out that he couldn’t have the diaper he wanted!

I’m going to try to limit the # I use, especially since I don’t need more to hand wash! I have a utility sink in my laundry room that also has a sink sprayer. So I figure I will just be washing flats constantly, all day every day that week. However many I can fit in the sink at a time.

You’re also allowed a night time diaper of your choice, but you’re encouraged to make flats work for you. So, I ordered two hemp babies flats to use inside a pocket diaper at night. Hopefully that will be enough absorbency!

I’ll be writing more about my thought process as I imagined doing this out of necessity, and I’ll also be posting about the hemp babies flats and flour sack towels I bought, as well as comparing them to the Diaper Rite flats I’ve already posted about.

I’ll be tweeting with the hash tag #flatschallenge, and I’ll be blogging daily about my experience! Want to join me? Read about the challenge and sign up!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I will receive a small portion of the sale. Thank you!

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Cloth Diaper Advice – Mailbox Mondays 4/23/12 – Cloth Safe Rash Creams

Apr 23,2012 / By Maria / 6 Comments

If you have a cloth diaper question, have it answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, and get other Moms’ opinions too!

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.

Sadie says::

Hi Maria

I’ve been scouring your blog posts and archives to try and find if/where you review diaper rash creams for cloth diapers. I know enough to know that some of the normal kinds (desitin) aren’t good for cloth but I dont really know why (what to look for in other brands) and what you should be using instead. My hubby and I are expecting in 4 months (our first) and have committed to cloth. I’m working on my registry and want to make sure to add the right items for cloth diapering. Thanks so much!
Sadie

Congratulations on the baby! If you’re ever looking for something, you can click the review archive link at the top of the page, and skim my reviews by category. My site has a search box, but I usually have better luck going to Google and typing “change-diapers.com rash cream” (or whatever.)

You can use zinc based, or medicated rash creams if you need to, just use a fleece liner between baby & the diaper. In general, you probably won’t see a whole lot of rash with cloth, though that’s not to say it won’t happen.

There are several cloth-safe creams out there, including Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Grandma El’s, GroVia’s Magic Stick, Motherlove Diaper Rash & Thrush Salve, Thirsties Booty Luster & CJ’s (among others). Many moms have luck with plain old olive or coconut oil. With any of these, be sure you are using a very small amount, or use a fleece liner.

For me, one application clears up any redness, and if one of my boys isn’t feeling well, a preventative layer serves as a barrier against acidic or just repeated bowel movements.

What is your favorite rash cream?

This post contains affiliate links.

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Dritz Diaper Pins – Are All Pins Created Equal?

Apr 3,2012 / By Maria / 1 Comment

Even with “modern cloth diapers” like pocket diapers, Velcro closures and snappis, there’s still something to be said for the simplicity, portability and affordability of diaper pins. I bought a 6-pack at Babies r Us for $2.99 ($1.00 a pair) long ago, but I wondered if the pins sold by cloth diaper stores were any different or any better. So, I bought a pair from Cottonbabies which are made by All Together Diaper (makers of OsoCozy) for $1.00, and a 4-pack (2 pair) of Dritz Diaper Pins from Diaper Junction for $1.29. The Cottonbabies pins look exactly like the Babies R Us pins, except that the Babies R Us pins have “China” stamped on the reverse of the head, and the head doesn’t have the angle the Cottonbabies pins have.

The Dritz pins are a little different:

The Dritz pins are curved, and have “locking heads,” which I figured was the same as all diaper pins (like the ones from Cottonbabies on the right) where you have to push it in and past an obstacle to open it. When I got them, the first one opened just fine, but I struggled like heck with the second one, until I realized what “locking head” actually meant!!

Rather than a plastic head attached to the pin, the Dritz is all metal (like a regular safety pin) with an additional plastic head attached that slides up and down.

To use the pin, you have to slide the plastic head up, open or close the pin, then slide the plastic head back down to lock it in place. The slight curve of the pin makes it even easier to use, and they seem to be sharper as well. I didn’t have much trouble at all getting them to glide through multiple layers of a hemp prefold, while the other pins had to be poked through soap first!

It will not open with the plastic head slid down. I don’t know if long term the metal vs. plastic will make it more durable, or if the additional moving parts/sliding plastic head will make it less so. At $1.29 for 2 pair they are very affordable! Prefolds, flats (a dozen Diaper Rite flats are $17.50) or even flour sack towels, plus a couple diaper covers can even be used with or without pins or snappis, and you can start putting aside the money you save on disposables to spend on “fancier” diapers!

FTC compliance: Although I paid normal retail prices for the pictured items, this post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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Cloth Diaper Advice – Mailbox Mondays 4/2/12 – Hand Washing Cloth Diapers

Apr 2,2012 / By Maria / 3 Comments

Need cloth diaper advice? Every week, I answer a question asked by a reader, and give other readers the chance to weigh in.

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.

Aislinn says::

My little girl is due in a week and a half, and I can’t wait to start cloth diapering her! I’m from Florida but live in Asia right now. I have no washing machine or dryer, but I do have a house helper who does our laundry by hand. Our CD stash is mostly prefolds & covers with a couple of pocket diapers plus some additional inserts (microfiber and hemp).

I am looking for any and all advice you might have on hand-washing diapers! What’s the best process? What detergent should I use? How often should I wash?

I need to make sure I understand this well enough to try it myself and then teach it to someone else in another language I’ve only been learning for 6 months! Thanks so much for your help.

Hand washing won’t be as easy as using a washing machine, but it can be done! The key to successful hand washing will be similar to machine washing: using enough water, hot enough water, enough detergent (but not too much), agitation and thorough rinsing.

Several moms I know have to pay to wash their diapers, so they partially hand wash them (pre-rinsing and such) to save money. Last year, Alyssa wrote a guest post on cloth diapering without a washing machine, and she details her wash routine there. Hannah used flats while traveling to Italy, and while she had access to a washing machine, flats do well with hand washing since they are a single layer (they will dry quickly too.)

The prefolds and covers will likely be much easier to keep clean that microfiber (the shape of the fibers tend to grab oily material more than natural fibers) but they’re not impossible to hand wash; they will just require more agitation and rinsing.

I don’t know what detergents you have available in Asia, but stay away from anything with bleach, fabric softeners or optical brighteners if at all possible. Often, less expensive store brands have fewer additives than premium brands.

Have you hand washed cloth diapers? What was your wash routine!

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Diaper Junction Has a Cloth Diaper Service!

Feb 29,2012 / By Maria / 1 Comment

Everyone knows that Diaper Junction is one of my favorite places to buy cloth diapers, so I wanted to share their big news with you!

Diaper Junction’s New Diaper Service!
Do you live in Virginia Beach near Diaper Junction? Did you know that Diaper Junction has branched out and has expanded their offerings to include a Cloth Diaper Service?

Diaper Junction is located on the south side of Hampton Roads. Their Virginia Beach Cloth Diaper Laundry Service serves most areas of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.

About Diaper Junction’s Cloth Diaper Laundry Service: (from DiaperJunction.com)
As your favorite family-owned and operated cloth diaper retailer, Diaper Junction has been serving the cloth diapering community both locally, and virtually via the World Wide Web for more than 8 years. With over 10 years of cloth diapering experience, Diaper Junction is ready to embark in the next phase of serving our community and is proud to now begin offering a Cloth Diaper Laundry Service!

Throughout the years we’ve been committed to providing families with the cloth diapering options and support they need in order to use cloth diapers with success. Through our new Laundry Service we’ll be able to reach more families and add even more convenience for those who want to use cloth diapers.

Have questions about the service? Have questions about using cloth diapers? Not a problem! We provide support via phone and email and we even offer demonstrations to teach you how how to use our diapers and make the most of our service.

Need help making the transition from laundering your own cloth diapers to using our Laundry Service? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Whether you want to use the service temporarily and then begin laundering your own, use the service part-time, or you want to use the service full time, we’ll walk you through it every step of the way.

One Stop Shop!
We have a large in-stock supply of cloth diapers and all the accessories you’ll need! Stop by and shop our warehouse. Better yet, Diaper Service customers get free product delivery. Just order online and we’ll deliver your items on your delivery day!

Affordable Rental Options
We do not charge a flat weekly rate. Why pay for more diapers than you need? You only pay for the amount you order. Our “pay only for what you actually need” philosophy is perfect for those who only want to cloth diaper part-time or simply do not need a laundry service full-time.

We also offer a variety of packages to get you started. Want to just give our service a try? Sign up for our Test Drive Package. Want to take the plunge with great savings!?! We offer an all inclusive Deluxe Starter Package at a huge discount or you can start using our Cloth Diaper Laundry Service part-time for as little as $13 per week, including pick up and delivery!

Serving the community
We are extremely proud to tell everyone that we have teamed up with Chesapeake Service Systems, Inc to wash our diapers. CSS is a local non-profit laundry facility that employs adults with disabilities, autism and other intellectual disabilities. We are happy to support this organization in their mission to provide work opportunities in an environment that will stimulate development, improve the health and quality of life, as well as providing a sense of worth and dignity to this very special group of people.

To read more about Diaper Junction’s new Cloth Diaper Service and their prices please visit DiaperJunction.com.

FTC compliance: I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

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Category : Cloth Diapering

I Signed Up For the 2nd Annual Flats Challenge!

Cloth Diaper Advice – Mailbox Mondays 4/23/12 – Cloth Safe Rash Creams

Dritz Diaper Pins – Are All Pins Created Equal?

Cloth Diaper Advice – Mailbox Mondays 4/2/12 – Hand Washing Cloth Diapers

Diaper Junction Has a Cloth Diaper Service!

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