Friday, October 26, 2012

Cloth diapering Part 3 - Diaper Care

click image to enlarge

Reading online diaper care instructions may have you overwhelmed. When I saw long pages & websites online I thought it seemed a bit complicated. It's rare to find steps less than 5. I want this to be a quick & easy guide. It's not super detailed on purpose. A friend said their diapers came with pages & pages of instructions, sounded more like an overwhelming manual.

When looking into how to care for the particular diapers you bought, most companies have a page on their website or instructions come with the diapers... So my 'disclaimer' is read that first! This is what has worked for us:


1. Put diapers in dry bucket/pail [e.g. 5 gallon painter pail] till wash day. Wet bags are wonderful for traveling.
2. Wash hot, normal or gentle cycle; Use about 1/4-1/2 of the recommended amount of toxic free, baby safe detergent.
The companies want to sell more product so are going to suggest a large amount per load; so most people use too much detergent. I use liquid brands that say "free & clear".
3. Optional -Add ½ c. distilled white vinegar to rise cycle or Downy ball.
4. Dryer on low heat &/or line dry. Line dry covers.

5. Wool Dryer Balls are wonderful for cloth diapers! Always having them in your dryer is a way to achieve the benefits of fabric softener/dryer sheets without the toxicity.


How often should they be washed?

It depends on your child's age & type of diapers. We used to wash every 2-3 now ~4 days. I only did an immediate spray/rinse of the individual diaper till DD was a couple months, since then they go directly in the pail or washing machine. For those of you who gasped & are thinking gross (!) or but they will stain!! When I followed the advice of a friend to leave them unrinsed for days until wash day -They came out of the dryer stained. I was so upset at the lady who told me. But once I put them in the direct sun for several hours as advised, they were bright white again! Sunning diapers saves you time initially by avoiding immediate rinsing... Whether you choose to rinse or not - It makes then look brand new again =)


DONT

Use detergents with dyes or fragrances

Use softener - Fabric softeners & dryer sheets reduces absorbency by coating the fabric.

Use harsh chemicals - Bleach will shorten the life of your diapers, is cancer causing & can irritate babies skin.

Whitening additives will cause damage to the waterproofing. So don't use washing/backing soda or vinegar as mentioned above for diaper COVERS or diapers with covers attached.


Removing stains

I apply Peroxide or OxiClean spray, not powder, directly to stains before washing. Peroxide or OxiClean liquid or powder can also be added to the machine water.
If you use OxiClean too much or too often it will wear through fabric!! Line drying, clean, washed, but stained diapers, in direct sunlight is the best disinfectant and stain remover!

After 19 months of use the white diapers look a little worn, but don't look stained. That's with the above techniques, plus only 2 stain removing line dries in direct hot FL sun in almost 2 years! Since DD started solids I haven't had to sun the diapers for stains.




I have learned much and enjoyed our cloth diapering experience. Please share your story &/or questions. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!


showing her brand new Thirsties covers

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Gallbladder

This is a quick post to help several of you I've been emailing & talking to. So proud of the effort my dear friend put into treating her gallbladder attacks naturally, thus saving herself from surgery while bettering her overall health! Keep up the good work Michelle, you can be an encouragement to others!

I plan to come back & give more details on what I did personally to save my gallbladder. I also plan to give suggestions if you already have had removal surgery, to hopefully lessen the side effect of not having a gallbladder. SO check back again, become a follower, or get updates through email [see button right side of blog 'submit']








Here's the website mentioned in above video clip. It has more helpful short videos:












Disclaimer: The information & knowledge gained from this website is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of information from my research and experience. This website is not a replacement for a health care provider & the advice given should not be considered a diagnosis or treatment. Seeking a professional care provider is the responsibility of the reader.