Homemade Disposible Wipes Tutorial

Here is a SUPER easy and cheap way to make your own wipes for home use. Store bought wipes generally contain all sorts of unnecessary chemicals and ingredients and depending on the brand can feel too wet or too dry for your little ones bum. Its all a matter of preference but whats great about making your own is that YOU control what goes in and how moist you want them to be! The tutorial I originally came across said to use baby oil, baby lotion and baby wash in the solution but I am skeptical to leave behind a soapy residue on my baby's tushie. Therefore I modified the original solution to better suit my needs and also is definitely cloth diaper friendly.

Supplies:
• Container ( The Better Homes 7.5 cup square container at Walmart is PERFECT! )
• Bounty 'Select-a-Size' Paper Towels
• Cutting Board
• Non-serrated knife

For the solution:
• Water
• Tea Tree Oil
• Coconut Oil

After you round up your supplies you can begin. Unwrap your roll of Bounty Select-a-Size paper towels. Apparently it is important to use this specific brand of paper towel as the off brands don't hold together or clean as well as this kind.

 Cut it in half using a sharp non-serrated knife and cutting board.

Your roll should now look something like this. We will be using one half, put the other away for later use.

Now you need your container. The one I used it from Walmart. It is a 7.5 cups square air tight container by Better Homes. Seriously, its a perfect size. If you can't get your hands on this exact one, any container will do as long as its airtight so it will keep the wipes from drying out. Squeeze the paper towel roll into the container.

To make your solution mix 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil and 1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil into 2 cups of hot water. The pour the liquid solution into the center of the paper towels within the container.

Put the cover tightly on the container and flip upside down. Keep it upside down until the wipes are completely soaked.

Open the container and removed the cardboard center. Pull the end up through the center and enjoy your cheap, cloth diaper friendly homemade wipes.

Figuring out a wash routine

I know we all have our own routines, but I thought it might be helpful to anyone new to cloth to see the routines that we have found work the best for us.  So here you go!

TOP LOADER (Dee & Ashley)
1. Separate soaker from shell (cover & insert/prefold - whatever type you are using) and throw in machine.
2. Rinse Diapers. (if you are exclusively breastfeeding you can skip this step)
2. Do a full cycle with cold water and 1/2 the amount of detergent you would normally use.
3. When this cycle finishes, run a cycle with HOT WATER and your regular amount of detergent.
4. When this cycle finishes, run a cold rinse to be sure they are rinsed completely.
5. Dry your diapers! I dry my soakers/inserts in the dryer and hang my covers/shells.

IMPORTANT TIP: Do not stuff the machine full.  If there is too much in one load then there isn't enough water to rinse the yuckies out - thus you will be left with ammonia smelling diapers - NO FUN.

FRONT LOADER (Jessica)
Front loaders can be extremely tricky and definitely take some getting used to. I did at least 5-6 loads before finding a routine that really worked well. Try my routine to start and it may just save you some headaches :)
1. Separate the soaker/insert from the shell (I like to do this as I throw them in the pail)
2. Load diapers into machine.
3. Set your washer to do a full rinse cycle on cold.
4. Once this cycle finishes do another rinse cycle on cold but this time set it to NO SPIN. (This causes the diapers to be soaked and heavy which will trick the washing into using more water on the actual wash cycle, HE washers use less water and it is determined by the weight of the clothes)
5. Now do your full wash cycle with detergent on hot with an extra rinse (you can use the 'whitest white's or 'sanitize' settings, but I heard 'sanitize' is too hot to use every time)
6. Dry your diapers! You can dry anything that does not contain PUL in the dryer, or you can hang dry it all.

What is YOUR wash routine? Feel free to leave a comment with any tips and tricks you'd like to share!

Cloth Diaper Friendly Rash Creams and Detergent

Diaper rash cream and laundry detergent. These are two things that I feel are the most unknown when you start cloth diapering. No one told me I needed to use special creams and detergents but boy did I learn fast! (FYI, Desitin is a PAIN to scrub out of a cloth diaper!)

In the beginning I tried to use diaper liners as a barrier to lay between my normal diaper cream and the cloth diaper. What a fail that was! Liners are very thin and their sole purpose is to make cleaning up a messy poo diaper easy. Take my advice now and just don't even try it unless you want to ruin your beautiful fluff. Take a little bit of time and research the different kinds of cloth diaper friendly rash creams. There are plenty out there and you may like one more than others. Some creams can be a little costly. One of my all time favorites is CJ's BUTTer. A 4oz tube (about the size of a tube of Desitin) can run you about $9. One of the things I LOVE about CJ's is all the scents. You can buy this cream in a jar, tube, stick or spray bottle. They also sell body wash, shampoo, lotion, cloth wipes solution and more! CJ's is worth every single penny, I promise! Some other popular brands that are CD safe are California Baby, Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Grandma El's and Grovia Magic Stick. California Baby is also available in-store at Target and Babies R Us as well as other retailers which makes it a plus :) At this moment I am all about using straight Coconut Oil as rash cream and plain ol cornstarch as powder. The coconut oil at $8 for a 16oz jar is a great deal!

For some people, choosing a detergent is as easy as picking the store brand Free and Clear formula and calling it a day. I ended up going with a CD safe detergent called Charlie's Soap. Apparently there is a percentage of people who have severe problems with this formula though. For me it worked ok. I did try a WAHM made formula but after terrible customer service I switched methods again and tried Ecos Free and Clear (bought at Whole Foods). This formula did pretty well for me too but then my AMAZING friend starting making her own detergent after I converted her to cloth diapering and I have been using it ever since. You can check out DeeTergent on Facebook and don't forget to check the discussions tab for available scents and pricing.

Pinstripes and Polkadots has two fantastic resources as well! Check out these links for charts on cloth diaper friendly diaper rash creams and laundry detergents. They use a four star rating system to grade products, provide notes and list of ingredients in each product. This site also explains what ingredients to look for that are a clue to know whether a cream or detergent is cloth diaper friendly.

Have anything to add? Please feel free to leave us a comment below <3

Cloth Diapering Through a Hurricane

I have lived in South Florida now for 7 years but I have only been living in South Florida with a child for 2 years. Just recently Ashley asked me what my plan was regarding cloth diapers and the hurricane that is evidently headed our way. Opps! Hadn't thought of that! With only a few days left and Hurricane Emily seemingly headed straight for us, I guess I better think about it now.

My plan is to use gDiaper disposable inserts with the diapers I already have. I will make sure all the diapers are clean prior to the hurricane hitting so that will be one less worry. I was never a fan of gDiapers but when I was going to vacation I thought to try them with my own covers while we were traveling so I didn't have to carry poopy diapers on the airplane or in our luggage. Worked like a dream! You can use these inserts with pretty much any diaper, it just lays on top. I have used them in AI2 systems in place of the cloth soaker as well as pocket diapers. For pockets I just remove the cloth insert and lay the disposable on top of the inside. I realize that using these inserts may still result in a diaper or two being soiled in some way or another but even with the trace amounts of urine or poo that may make its way to the cover, they can easily sit in a pail for a week or more with no adverse affects.

Right now you can order the gDiaper disposible inserts on Amazon. I got a pack of Medium/Large that has 128 inserts for only $29.12 using Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save. Amazon Mom is free and give you free two day shipping which means I will get my diapers on Friday and the storm is said to hit on Saturday. Subscribe and Save give you an additional percentage off and can be canceled at any time. Less than $30 DELIVERED is a GREAT deal considering this same pack is normally $52 retail, not including shipping.

If you are really opposed to my idea you could always go pick up a pack of disposables and call it a day. I definitely believe that disposable diapers have their place and hurricane/disaster situations are justifiable to me! Do what you think is right for you and your family. However I do encourage you do go with a more natural disposable and preferably one that is eco-friendly, free of chemicals and/or biodegradable like Broody Chick, Seventh Generation or Nature Babycare.

So if you live in South Florida and are bracing for Hurricane Emily this weekend, better buy some disposable inserts or eco-friendly disposables right this second! Don't worry if you don't end up needing to use them this time. They will still be usable next time around, or use them out and about, while traveling or wherever. I love them :) Also don't forget to put together a Hurricane Preparedness kit for the whole family now that you have your babies bottom covered. (And PLEASE don't forget about your pets!)

If you have any tips or advice for cloth diapering through a hurricane please feel free to leave us a comment letting us know!

-Jessica

What chemicals are in disposable diapers?

Before becoming a cloth diapering parent, I never asked myself this question. If you would have asked me while I did use 'sposies' I probably would have said paper and cotton fluff. Naive, huh? Well the truth hurts, literally! No us, but our poor defenseless babies :(

Because I can't figure a better way to say it I would like to quote an article on livestrong.org

Dioxins

Most disposable diapers are bleached white with chlorine, resulting in a byproduct called dioxins that leach into the environment and the diapers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the EPA as highly carcinogenic chemicals. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to dioxins may cause skin reactions and altered liver function, as well as impairments to the immune system, nervous system, endocrine system and reproductive functions.

Sodium Polyacrylate

Sodium polycarbonate is a super absorbent chemical compound that is used in the fillers of many disposable diapers. It is composed of cellulose processed from trees that is mixed with crystals of polyacrylate. This chemical absorbs fluids and creates surface tension in the lining of the diaper to bind fluids and prevent leakage. Sodium polyacrylate is often visible as small gel-like crystals on the skin of babies and is thought to be linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems. This chemical was removed from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome concerns. As it has only been used in diapers for the last two decades, there is not yet research on the long-term health effects of sodium polyacrylate on babies.

Tributyl-tin (TBT)

Many disposable diapers contain a chemical called tributyl-tin (TBT). According to the EPA, this toxic pollutant is extremely harmful to aquatic (water) life and causes endocrine (hormonal) disruptions in aquatic organisms. TBT is a polluting chemical that does not degrade but remains in the environment and in our food chain. TBT is also an ingredient used in biocides to kill infecting organisms. Additionally, according to research published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, tributyl-tin can trigger genes that promote the growth of fat cells, causing obesity in humans.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Disposable diapers frequently contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These include chemicals such as ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene and dipentene. According to the EPA, VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system as well as cancers.

Other Chemicals

Other chemicals often used in disposable diapers include dyes, fragrances, plastics and petrolatums. Adhesive chemicals are used in the sticky tabs to close the diapers and dyes are used to color and make the patterns and labels that mark diapers. Perfumes and fragrances are used in some disposable diapers to help mask odors.

Kind of shocking huh? If your child is in diapers 24/7 for two and a half years that's 912 days or approximately 21,900 hours that your child has been constantly exposed to these chemicals. Shocking statistic isn't it?

-Jessica 

Cloth Diapering Support for Broward County and surrounding South Florida

By creating this community, our goal is to educate and assist families with their cloth diapering journey whether they are new to the process or a long time veteran that is looking to help others. We will show the benefits to cloth diapering not only for your baby, but for the environment as well.

Things you can learn through South Florida Cloth Diapering:
• How can I get started?
• What kind of diaper should I use?
• What detergent should I use?
• How do I wash a 'cloth diaper'?
• Cloth diapers are so expensive, is there a cheaper option?
• What are the benefits of cloth diapering?
• What about when I'm out and about, what then?
• Can I use cloth diapers while on vacation?
• and much much more!

If any of these questions appeal to you, then South Florida Cloth Diapering is for you. Please head over to Facebook and like our page. Any and all questions can be posted to the wall or you can email us at info@southfloridaclothdiapering.com

-Jessica