Monday, November 25, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Please Stop Cleaning Your Diapers with Unicorn Farts and Love
(Update/Revision to my original post on cloth diapers from long ago. I've lived and learned.)
I admit it. When I first started using cloth diapers, I read until my eyes almost fell out of my skull. I read about the different systems. I read about the different materials. I learned brand names. I pinned awesome stashes to my Pinterest and daydreamed. I saved recipes for homemade cloth wipe solutions. I learned terminology like "gussets" and "soakers" and "woolies" and "wing droop". And of course, I read about cleaning them.
I read, and read, and read, and everything I read said similar things. It warned against the damage that improper laundry soap could not only do to your diapers, but do to your baby. It screamed, "NO ADDITIVES!" and made those who used Tide admit to it with a bit of defeat in their posts. It told me that bleach was the devil, and offered substitutes like vinegar and hot water and lots of sunshine! It reminded me that blue dawn was the solution to stripping my diapers of yuckies and that too much dryer time will be hard of my PUL and elastics.
I used my cloth diapers, some microfiber, some natural fibers, by following these rules for a while. More than a year passed and I had no issues. My diapers were washed according to the rules, dried in the sun, and looked and smelled like nothing- which is ideal.
And then suddenly, they didn't. No amount of washing or sunning was bringing my dingy diapers back to life. No amount of stripping was getting rid of that very faint odor. I went through my list of How-To's and attempted to get this 'blah' out of my diapers, and nothing worked. And then, my daughter's diaper area started getting red.
My older daughter used disposables and didn't have rashes, so this slightly raw skin was new to me, and not acceptable. I didn't let her sit in her diapers for long, because as any cloth parent knows- you really just can't do that. Their quickness to fill prevents cloth diapers from being on for too long even if you wanted. So even though the longest stretch she kept a diaper one was two hours, my poor baby was getting irritated.
This is when I realized that something wasn't right with the wash routine.
Against all advice from the professionals, I washed my diapers with All Free and Clear. I bleached them. And 'lo and behold, my diapers were back to actually feeling, smelling, and looking clean. Her rashes started clearing up.
So here's my advice. I'm no professional, so take this as you will.
WASH YOUR DIAPERS. Actually wash them.
First, it has to be noted that all washers are different. But despite that, you have a routine that works for your washer for your normal clothing. It may not work for someone else with a different washer, but it works for you.
Wash diapers with whatever laundry soap you use for clothing, so long as there is no fabric softener in it because that WILL affect how your diapers work. But the rest of it? No problem. Your diapers are only made of cloth, like your normal clothing. Clean them like you would clean really dirty laundry. use the correct amount of laundry soap. If your normal laundry soap doesn't irritate your baby's skin when they wear the clothing washed in it, use it on your diapers, too.
And use bleach. BLEACH your diapers. Bleach, bleach, bleach. Do not fear the bleach! You are dealing with feces, people. Regular bleach, not color-safe bleach, when used properly, will not ruin your diapers. Color-safe bleach will not disinfect. Here's how you can do it:
1.) Start filling your washer with cold water. Bleach is not as affective in HOT water, so make sure you use cold.
2.) Pour about half a cup of bleach into the water. Let it disperse. If you have a big stick, or hanger, or something similar, stir the water around like you're making a giant pot of diaper soup. If you're scared to bleach, start out smaller and try a little less. Once you see that the diapers are not ruined, add more the next time around.
3.)Once the water is almost full, start dumping in your diapers. The bleach will be diluted enough not to affect the colors of your diapers- minky or PUL.
*Note- Some diaper manufacturers will void a warranty if you use bleach. That's something to consider. However, the cost of not bleaching a diaper that NEEDS to be bleached may be more than losing a warranty. That is your choice completely, however, it's becoming well-documented now that bleach is NOT going to harm your diapers when used properly.*
I know that that diapers are huge investment, so we're hesitant to do anything that may affect them negatively. I know it's not our fault, because we hear different wash routines from different sources. Diaper manufacturers say one thing, our washing machine manuals say another, detergents will tell you another, cloth diapering websites will tell you something else, our grandmothers who also used cloth diapers have an entirely different idea of proper cleaning.
Here's what it comes down to. If you diapers smell dirty, look dirty, and perform as if they are dirty--- they are dirty. Your teaspoon of "cloth diaper safe" detergent is NOT cleaning your diapers. The reason for the stink you are confused about? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your baby is getting ammonia burns? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your diapers are looking dingy or stained? You're not washing your diapers well enough. Although stains alone don't mean that your diapers are actually dirty or needing to be disinfected, you most likely don't enjoy putting a diaper back on your child with the remnants of a skid mark still on it. You can get rid of those!
Please. If you're struggling with your diapers, try throwing all the rules out the window for a week or two. Try PROPERLY disinfecting your diapers with bleach, and then thoroughly washing them with effective laundry detergent. Add a laundry booster to your cycle. Rinse well. And dry, either line drying in the sun, or the dryer if you really just don't want to be bothered with hanging them up that day. Your diapers will handle it. They won't self-destruct or fall apart in your hands any more than they would have otherwise.
Think about how many times you wash and dry your clothes--- and how often you find that your clothes fall apart because of it. If your clothes fall apart, it's because they're cheaply made, not simply because they were washed and dried. The same will apply to diapers.
Here's a very short run down of some products that you can find in your local Walmart, food store, wherever it happens to be that you buy your laundry products from, and some other ideas for cleaning and stripping. They are all OK to use on your diapers.
1.) Bleach. Disinfect your poop-catchers, people. PLEASE.
2.) Washing Soda. AKA- RLR laundry booster. Sodium Carbonate, and the base for probably every laundry detergent known to mankind ever. Will help strip your diapers and keep them from stinking.
*Side note- I've heard that the sodium carbonate you can find in the pool section of the store is actually more effective/stronger, and you'll be able to use less and achieve even better results. But many people use plain old washing soda and are able to keep their diapers smelling fresh.*
3.)Borax- Laundry booster extraordinaire. Helps clean and bleach your diapers, and works better in hot water.
4.) Oxi-Clean- Stain remover. Add some to your laundry to brighten and remove tough stains.
5.) Other stain removal techniques: Sunning, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice
6.)Get Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out if you have stink or stains that really won't go away. This is natural, gentle, and contains live enzymes that will eat away at organic waste and bacteria. You may not find this at your local store but tons of online stores sell it. It works for stripping diapers and helps fight stains and odors.
In conclusion, take this information, go forth, and actually get your diapers good and clean. Disinfect those puppies like there's no tomorrow. Reclaim your love of cloth diapers again and lose the frustration and the barn yard smells from hell. Watch your little one's rear-end clear up and no longer suffer from ammonia burn rashes. Be excited for diaper laundry again. Clean your diapers!!!
I admit it. When I first started using cloth diapers, I read until my eyes almost fell out of my skull. I read about the different systems. I read about the different materials. I learned brand names. I pinned awesome stashes to my Pinterest and daydreamed. I saved recipes for homemade cloth wipe solutions. I learned terminology like "gussets" and "soakers" and "woolies" and "wing droop". And of course, I read about cleaning them.
I read, and read, and read, and everything I read said similar things. It warned against the damage that improper laundry soap could not only do to your diapers, but do to your baby. It screamed, "NO ADDITIVES!" and made those who used Tide admit to it with a bit of defeat in their posts. It told me that bleach was the devil, and offered substitutes like vinegar and hot water and lots of sunshine! It reminded me that blue dawn was the solution to stripping my diapers of yuckies and that too much dryer time will be hard of my PUL and elastics.
I used my cloth diapers, some microfiber, some natural fibers, by following these rules for a while. More than a year passed and I had no issues. My diapers were washed according to the rules, dried in the sun, and looked and smelled like nothing- which is ideal.
And then suddenly, they didn't. No amount of washing or sunning was bringing my dingy diapers back to life. No amount of stripping was getting rid of that very faint odor. I went through my list of How-To's and attempted to get this 'blah' out of my diapers, and nothing worked. And then, my daughter's diaper area started getting red.
My older daughter used disposables and didn't have rashes, so this slightly raw skin was new to me, and not acceptable. I didn't let her sit in her diapers for long, because as any cloth parent knows- you really just can't do that. Their quickness to fill prevents cloth diapers from being on for too long even if you wanted. So even though the longest stretch she kept a diaper one was two hours, my poor baby was getting irritated.
This is when I realized that something wasn't right with the wash routine.
Against all advice from the professionals, I washed my diapers with All Free and Clear. I bleached them. And 'lo and behold, my diapers were back to actually feeling, smelling, and looking clean. Her rashes started clearing up.
So here's my advice. I'm no professional, so take this as you will.
WASH YOUR DIAPERS. Actually wash them.
First, it has to be noted that all washers are different. But despite that, you have a routine that works for your washer for your normal clothing. It may not work for someone else with a different washer, but it works for you.
Wash diapers with whatever laundry soap you use for clothing, so long as there is no fabric softener in it because that WILL affect how your diapers work. But the rest of it? No problem. Your diapers are only made of cloth, like your normal clothing. Clean them like you would clean really dirty laundry. use the correct amount of laundry soap. If your normal laundry soap doesn't irritate your baby's skin when they wear the clothing washed in it, use it on your diapers, too.
And use bleach. BLEACH your diapers. Bleach, bleach, bleach. Do not fear the bleach! You are dealing with feces, people. Regular bleach, not color-safe bleach, when used properly, will not ruin your diapers. Color-safe bleach will not disinfect. Here's how you can do it:
1.) Start filling your washer with cold water. Bleach is not as affective in HOT water, so make sure you use cold.
2.) Pour about half a cup of bleach into the water. Let it disperse. If you have a big stick, or hanger, or something similar, stir the water around like you're making a giant pot of diaper soup. If you're scared to bleach, start out smaller and try a little less. Once you see that the diapers are not ruined, add more the next time around.
3.)Once the water is almost full, start dumping in your diapers. The bleach will be diluted enough not to affect the colors of your diapers- minky or PUL.
*Note- Some diaper manufacturers will void a warranty if you use bleach. That's something to consider. However, the cost of not bleaching a diaper that NEEDS to be bleached may be more than losing a warranty. That is your choice completely, however, it's becoming well-documented now that bleach is NOT going to harm your diapers when used properly.*
I know that that diapers are huge investment, so we're hesitant to do anything that may affect them negatively. I know it's not our fault, because we hear different wash routines from different sources. Diaper manufacturers say one thing, our washing machine manuals say another, detergents will tell you another, cloth diapering websites will tell you something else, our grandmothers who also used cloth diapers have an entirely different idea of proper cleaning.
Here's what it comes down to. If you diapers smell dirty, look dirty, and perform as if they are dirty--- they are dirty. Your teaspoon of "cloth diaper safe" detergent is NOT cleaning your diapers. The reason for the stink you are confused about? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your baby is getting ammonia burns? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your diapers are looking dingy or stained? You're not washing your diapers well enough. Although stains alone don't mean that your diapers are actually dirty or needing to be disinfected, you most likely don't enjoy putting a diaper back on your child with the remnants of a skid mark still on it. You can get rid of those!
Please. If you're struggling with your diapers, try throwing all the rules out the window for a week or two. Try PROPERLY disinfecting your diapers with bleach, and then thoroughly washing them with effective laundry detergent. Add a laundry booster to your cycle. Rinse well. And dry, either line drying in the sun, or the dryer if you really just don't want to be bothered with hanging them up that day. Your diapers will handle it. They won't self-destruct or fall apart in your hands any more than they would have otherwise.
Think about how many times you wash and dry your clothes--- and how often you find that your clothes fall apart because of it. If your clothes fall apart, it's because they're cheaply made, not simply because they were washed and dried. The same will apply to diapers.
Here's a very short run down of some products that you can find in your local Walmart, food store, wherever it happens to be that you buy your laundry products from, and some other ideas for cleaning and stripping. They are all OK to use on your diapers.
1.) Bleach. Disinfect your poop-catchers, people. PLEASE.
2.) Washing Soda. AKA- RLR laundry booster. Sodium Carbonate, and the base for probably every laundry detergent known to mankind ever. Will help strip your diapers and keep them from stinking.
*Side note- I've heard that the sodium carbonate you can find in the pool section of the store is actually more effective/stronger, and you'll be able to use less and achieve even better results. But many people use plain old washing soda and are able to keep their diapers smelling fresh.*
3.)Borax- Laundry booster extraordinaire. Helps clean and bleach your diapers, and works better in hot water.
4.) Oxi-Clean- Stain remover. Add some to your laundry to brighten and remove tough stains.
5.) Other stain removal techniques: Sunning, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice
6.)Get Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out if you have stink or stains that really won't go away. This is natural, gentle, and contains live enzymes that will eat away at organic waste and bacteria. You may not find this at your local store but tons of online stores sell it. It works for stripping diapers and helps fight stains and odors.
In conclusion, take this information, go forth, and actually get your diapers good and clean. Disinfect those puppies like there's no tomorrow. Reclaim your love of cloth diapers again and lose the frustration and the barn yard smells from hell. Watch your little one's rear-end clear up and no longer suffer from ammonia burn rashes. Be excited for diaper laundry again. Clean your diapers!!!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Ornaments- Santa's Key and Reindeer Food
I was posed with the question of how Santa was going to get in the house if we didn't have a chimney, and told Kayla that we leave him a key, or course. I wanted to go out and find some ornate, over-sized key to hang on the door but since we are running out of time (and money) before Christmas, I went a different route.
I had some spare glass ornaments left over from my last post.
Added some glitter:
We'll tie them with some pretty ribbon and leave them on the doorknob outside.
I had some spare glass ornaments left over from my last post.
And I had these charms for jewelry:
So she picked the key she wanted Santa to have and we just plopped it in.
And wrote on the ball "Santa, here's your key!"
I told her that he uses Christmas Magic to make the key bigger, so that only HE can use it and no one else. When he's done he'll shrink it back to size and leave it in there for next year.
We also made Reindeer food ornaments. I know the idea is to leave some on the ground to attract them to the house, which we'll do anyway. But I couldn't resist putting some in a ball in pretty layers. I don't thinks Kayla cares. I told her that the Reindeer will see the glitter in the ball from up in the sky and come down to our house. She bought it. (sucker!) ((Just kidding)).
We'll tie them with some pretty ribbon and leave them on the doorknob outside.
Yay!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
How to make Friendship Bracelets.
I'll do my best to explain each picture.
Before you can make elaborate bracelets, you need to just know how to make each knot properly. How you tie the knot determines how it looks, and you can't just knot it any way you want. If you don't get the simple knots down, the bracelet ends up looking off because of backwards knots, too much tension or too little tension, etc.
So here are the very first steps!
Step 1: Pick out your colors (and when you know more styles, pick out which design you want to do).
Step 2: Cut your threads. For this, just cut 18 inches or so worth. You're just learning the knots right now so you don't need a lot.
Step 3: Fold it in half.
Step 4- Make knot at the top
Step 5: Secure it. I like to safety pin mine to my pants. =)
Step 6: Arrange your colors so they're symmetrical or mirrored.
(Blue, Yellow, Green, Red, Red, Green, Yellow, Blue)
GETTING STARTED!
Depending on the style of bracelet, you'll either start in the center, or on the left.
For this, just start on the left. I'm making a Chevron bracelet here, which is basically looks like this:
So you start with BLUE, going towards the center.
Cross the Blue OVER the yellow like this:
Move on the the green string. Remember to knot it twice.
Go to the RIGHT side of the bracelet.
Since we are now going towards the LEFT, the Blue string needs to still be knotted OVER the yellow, but this time you have to make sure you are pulling the blue towards the left.
The picture below is what it will look like when you complete the first row, up until the middle knot. You have three completed knots on each side.
Repeat those steps with Yellow, then green, then red, repeat repeat repeat.
You can make one big knot at the bottom if you want when you are done, braid it, make two separate braids, pretty much do anything you feel like doing when you are done. You could also just tie it directly onto your wrist if you want.
If you get the basics down, you can do so many other patterns! Once you get the hang of this I can post a more detailed tutorial of more difficult patterns!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Made some Ornaments!
I haven't had a second to update in a while, but these are just too pretty to not share.
Step 2:
Clear glass ornaments from A.C. Moore, crayon, and a hair dryer. And it's SO pretty!!
Step 1:
Then blast it. They melt. Swirl around, easy-peasy.
We also did these:
Pledge floor cleaner and glitter!
Just pour floor cleaner into the ball, cover the whole inside, pour out the remainder. Add glitter, shake!
And just some pompoms. =)
Monday, September 24, 2012
New Endeavors
House closing is this Friday.
Aside from the slew of other things I could write about this summer, I'll stick with the future for now.
Aside from the slew of other things I could write about this summer, I'll stick with the future for now.
Brian and I have been talking about money. Although we'll be in about the same position as we were before with bills, we also know all the repairs and maintenance on this place will be ours alone to deal with. So I need to start adding to the income somehow.
I'm stubborn and I know it. I like being a SAHM. I know that pretty much every person (maybe it's more so women? I don't know, I'm sure dads feel the same sometimes, too) wishes they could spend their time watching the children grow up. I know I'm not special. But I will admit one thing: This feels like what I'm supposed to be doing. I graduated high school. I graduated college. I've had some jobs. I've had hobbies. But the thing I love the absolute most is being able to raise my kids and take care of the house. I'm sure there are some women out there who cringe to think that I find happiness is something this simple. But it's true. I just want to be a housewife and SAHM. If money weren't an issue, I would probably have a few more children. I think Brian feels the same way. Sadly, it's the money situation that is ruining any hopes for a future family we might have.
Anyway, I have this massive creative energy that is burning me from the inside out. I swear I actually feel anxious sometimes, as if I'm supposed to be doing something, anything, crafty or creative and it's being contained. I want to so badly be able to turn this weird drive into something financially productive. Whether it be sewing something, painting something, building something, decorating something, I don't care- I just KNOW that I should be taking this energy and putting it to better use than I have been.
I just don't really know where to start. My problem is that I've always started a project or teaching myself something, but usually get distracted and lose sight of what I wanted. The other problem is the same problem as above: money. If I wanted to get started making something, I'll need to invest a little bit of money first. Money we don't really have.
So Brian mentioned to me the other day that I should sell some of my canvas paintings. And Brian never supports any of my shenanigans. He lets me do what I do, but he'll playfully roll his eyes or sort of ignore me when I come home with bags from A.C. Moore. But this time, it was HIS idea. So it means something.
I've painting a couple of things for my daughter's rooms. They are nothing too special- I didn't do it to impress anyone except my 4 year old daughter and myself. So I did them quickly and they're very basic, but so are many nursery paintings sold. With more effort and time spent on them, I think I could do something pretty nice. I have no formal art training, but even as a child my dad says I drew all the time. He was sure I would grow up and do something with drawing. I'm years from that point in my life, but still have held on the a basic idea of how to draw and paint. With practice, I'd be pretty good.
So my first plan- to get started on these paintings. I'm going to look around at nursery bedding sets, and get ideas on themes that seem to be popular and then come up with some designs to match.
I also am trying to think of simple sewing projects that I can get better at. Boppy covers and soft soled shoes, come to mind. On my more ambitious days, I work out the process of making high chair/shopping cart covers. I bought mine for 60 dollars- and by the looks of it, they can't be made with more than 5 bucks worth of cotton fabric, a little bit of batting and some elastic. I've looked at the seams and have gotten a decent idea of how to draw up a pattern. I think I could also do nursing covers. I'm also confident that I could make things for around the house- ruffled shower curtains, for one. I can sew rectangles.
I don't know about cloth diapers, although my dream would be to make and sew cloth diapers for a living. I love the idea of picking out patterns and fabric. I love the idea of stocking up and having a shop and doing what the hyenacart sellers do- release them at a certain time of the week, have giveaways on Facebook and a following of people who love my stuff.
On a less creative note, I've also been trying to convince Brian of the benefits of buying things from co-ops and reselling them. People appreciate American sellers for China diapers for several reasons, and when you can buy them for less than 4 bucks and sell them for 8 or 9, that's a decent profit. He's not entirely convinced of that idea. I think the next co-op, I'm going to order some just to resell and see how they do. If I can resell a few, then I will most definitely look into it. I can also get Ergos for about 40 bucks, and they resell new on ebay for sometimes 80 or more.
Brian thinks I should just work for Target for 12 hours a week so we can get a discount. Even just the idea of that makes me sad. I swore I'd never work retail again once I graduated- back again? Not sure they could pay me enough to deal with that.
Well, we'll see. Once we're settled in the house I'll focus more and see where my inspirations lead me!
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