Cloth Diaper Moms Give me some tips

[susancollins]

I am using the Motherease One Size. I am using the Thirsties covers. My son pees alot he is 15 months old. I just started using cloth diapers a month ago. His diaper gets soaked after an hour or two. The cover is staying dry on the outside but it is getting wet inside. How do you deal with the pee smell of the diapers? I was placing them in a trashcan in the bathroom and washing every other day. What do you use to wash your diapers in? I have some of the soaker pads from Motherease but he is still soaking the diaper. Can I use baking soda? Please help.

[Ellesmere]

I've only been using cloth (Thirsties cover and insert) at nighttime for a not-yet-night-trained child so I can't really help. But I found this page and this from Abby's Lane helpful. Since I'm only using one a day, I just put them in the wash and use Tide Free and Clear for detergent. If I absolutely can't wash right away, I put it in a wet bag.

ETA: The first link has detailed washing info, the second has their input on several detergents. I also do sprinkle the wet bag with baking soda, but again, I'm only using one a day right now.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Clairelise

[Carolyn in Ohio]

I used the motherease. I just washed them in regular laundry detergent, but in between washes I would sprinkle some (maybe a lot) of baking soda into the diaper pail to keep the smell down.

 

Carolyn

[Caitilin]

I cannot recommend BacOut strongly enough. We sprayed every diaper that went into the open pail, and it reduced smells about 90%. It's great stuff!

[Jpoy85]

I cannot recommend BacOut strongly enough. We sprayed every diaper that went into the open pail, and it reduced smells about 90%. It's great stuff!

 

:iagree:

[MrsJewelsRae]

I've used Mother Ease OS and tbh, I never liked the fit and they always felt like a soggy Kleenex after one pee. You could add an absorbent liner. Ive found that wool covers can cut on smells too. I used mostly fitteds with wool covers for my first 2 but I tired pocket diapers with my third and was sold! I love them! No redness, perfect fit, trim, easy to use, better smell protection (but tbh I'd rather the smell of soiled cloth over soiled disposables any day), no leaks or blowouts. I went with Bum Genius 3.0, they're my favorite by far of any I've tried. If $ is tight, you could buy a few prefolds (not Gerber) and either snappi them or tri fold into a good gusseted cover like Bummis Super Brite or BabyBeehinds, etc. As for the stink issue- if it is a strong ammonia smell I'd try just a little bleach, but only once in a while as it'll break down the diapers prematurely and could be harsh on baby's skin. You could try less detergent too, if it's a buildup issue. Hope this helps! I love talking cloth, though my youngest is nearly 4 and long trained I would love to cloth diaper a few more buns! ;)

[Mom-ninja.]

I tried so many cloth dipes and always went back to Mother Ease. BY far my fave and easiest to use and care for.

 

I always sprinkled baking soda into the diaper pail with each diaper change. I put the baking soda into an old parmesan cheese shaker container. I washed with a free and clear detergent and always did a rinse with vinegar.

 

I used different liners for extra absorbency though.

[lailasmum]

We used motherease with our eldest an I must admit they didn't seem to be particuarly absorbent. They need pretty hefty boosting.

[susancollins]

Where did you buy your boosters or liners. Which are the best ones to get. Could anyone link the cloth diaper pail you own. I am trying to find one better than a trash can. Thanks so muc for your input as I navigate the world of cloth diapering. Susan

[lailasmum]

Microfibre is a pretty popular booster. You can just buy microfibre cleaning cloths and fold them into a pad. We used fleece liners and I just bought a load of microfleece and cut them to roughly the same shape as the diaper.

[Ellesmere]

Where did you buy your boosters or liners. Which are the best ones to get. Could anyone link the cloth diaper pail you own. I am trying to find one better than a trash can. Thanks so muc for your input as I navigate the world of cloth diapering. Susan

 

I already linked this page but here is a note about equipment. They link this product for a pail, which I do not have but am considering for when I am using cloth more. Maybe someone else has used it and can give input.

[susancollins]

Thank you I am going to read over the website :)

[Caitilin]

Susan, I bought a couple of large wet bags and used them inside my diaper pail. Then when I washed the dipes (about every 2-3 days), I'd throw the wet bag in wash with the diapers, so it didn't stink either. I used ones more or less like this one, but I got them used, so they were much cheaper. In any case, they're totally worth it.

[Matryoshka]

Well, I'm one of those old moms that did this ages ago, so I'm maybe not up on the latest, but...

 

1. I just used a dry pail. I had a big ditty bag liner that I'd bring to the laundry inside a plastic flip top pail (the kind where you press your foot and the top flips up).

 

2. I always did a pre soak with washing soda (not powder) in cold water. Some people use Borax.

 

3. Then I washed them twice (I think I used Biokleen detergent, and I know I had Bac-Out too), once in warm, once in hot. Used vinegar in the rinse cycle (I think only the second time).

 

When my kids were older I did use extra liners in every diaper - I happened to have ones that were thick terry with a mesh polyester on one side that the poop just slipped right off. Have no idea what's out there now.

 

Never used Motherease (though they were out there way back then), but if your kid's a soaker you might want to try different kinds that maybe more absorbent? Or better/different liners.

[GSOchristie]

I cloth diapered for almost six years, my 19 month old just potty trained, yea! I always used a dry pail, just a regular trash can I lined with a laundry bag (not wet bag), and washed every 2-3 days. I never had smell issues, like the bathroom where the pail was kept never smelled like pee. I would do the automatic soak cycle on my washer with nothing added, then wash on hot with a fraction of some sort of dye free, perfume free detergent. I used Charlie's for a while, but never really liked it. I rinsed the pail and let it dry outside every time I washed diapers.

 

I mostly used bg 2.0 (that I'd like to sell:001_smile:), but had quite a few Swaddlebees pockets and GAD pockets. I switched all my kids to prefolds and Thirsties covers at 18 months to help them to potty train.

[BrookValley.]

Well, I'm one of those old moms that did this ages ago, so I'm maybe not up on the latest, but...

 

1. I just used a dry pail. I had a big ditty bag liner that I'd bring to the laundry inside a plastic flip top pail (the kind where you press your foot and the top flips up).

 

2. I always did a pre soak with washing soda (not powder) in cold water. Some people use Borax.

 

3. Then I washed them twice (I think I used Biokleen detergent, and I know I had Bac-Out too), once in warm, once in hot. Used vinegar in the rinse cycle (I think only the second time).

 

When my kids were older I did use extra liners in every diaper - I happened to have ones that were thick terry with a mesh polyester on one side that the poop just slipped right off. Have no idea what's out there now.

 

Never used Motherease (though they were out there way back then), but if your kid's a soaker you might want to try different kinds that maybe more absorbent? Or better/different liners.

 

This is pretty much what I did, except I didn't pre soak and I only ever washed once. I did usually do an extra rinse cycle, though. I will third or fourth the suggestion for Bac-out, too. Good stuff.

 

What detergent are you using? Sounds like maybe you are having a build up issue, if the diapers are smelly. You might need to "strip" the diapers to get rid of the build-up, and then make sure you only use very small amounts of a detergent that is less likely to build up on your diapers. There are lots of good websites out there that describe the process better than I can (and also that compare detergent brands).

[AHASRADA]

Have you tried adding a hemp booster? Hemp absorbs more than cotton, although more slowly so you would usually layer under a cotton liner. Microfiber is probably the most absorbent but can often have stink issues, which you are already having a bit of with cotton, so I wouldn't go there.

 

Are you using the liner that comes with the MEos diaper? I have successfully used this combo (MEos/ME stay-dry cotton liner/hemp booster) as a nap diaper on my 2 year old since she was 14 months or so (the fit was too bulky when she was younger). I use Thirsties and Blueberries covers with them.

 

I like these in the MEos (although any doublers or prefolds by Babykicks are excellent:

http://www.nickisdiapers.com/babykicks-hemparoo-joey-bunz-premium.html

 

For overnight, I swear by this combo that I have used for over a year now: MotherEase Sandy's Diaper/ME stay-dry cotton liner/Thirsties Hemp Inserts http://www.nickisdiapers.com/thirsties-hemp-inserts-2pack.html I have used the MotherEase covers successfully, but my favorite covers to use with Sandy's are the Stacinator http://www.nickisdiapers.com/stacinator-so-simple-diaper-cover.html They run a little big, so don't size up. They are loose-fitting, but since the fleece bindings come down quite a ways on the thighs, there is no wicking, no leaking.

 

If your son is a heavy wetter, you may need additional inserts in the MEos, or a Joey Bunz in the Sandy's instead of the Thirsties, it just would add a lot of bulk. BTW, ME Sandy's are the only diaper I have tried that have never, ever leaked (with boosters). BG Elemental with a small hemp insert is pretty reliable too, as is a BabyKicks hemp prefold stuffed into a pocket.

 

As for stink, I also recommend BacOut. I buy it in the 1 qt. bottle, and always add a couple big squirts (squeeze as I make two turns around the agitator) to the cold soak just before I wash them. You don't usually need to strip cloth diapers, but since ME does have a bit of synthetic fiber for stretch, it would likely help if it gets too bad. There are directions online, but I believe you do a rinse, then a wash with a tablespoon of blue Dawn liquid (or maybe less?), then several rinses, like 5, to get all the Dawn out. Also, I have found it helps to rinse out the urine-soaked ME diapers before putting them in the dry pail, so the urine isn't sitting there full-strength in the diaper for days.

 

ETA: I would highly recommend emailing the people at MotherEase directly. They are very helpful and are obviously the most knowledgeable about how to use their product.

 

HTH,

Edited November 8, 2012 by AHASRADA

[ktgrok]

Ok, he is supposed to soak the diaper, that is normal. Changing every 2 hours is normal. If you need to go longer than that try the Sandy's, they hold a bit more. As for the cover being wet what you need to do is alternate between two covers. So one is air drying (you can wipe it with a wipe first if you want) while you have the other one on the kid. At the end of the day put them in the diaper pail. I use a trashbag to line the diaper pail...which is just a trashcan with a lid, lol. I wash every other day. I use my normal detergent, Tide. You want something that works well in your water, so whatever gets your clothes the absolute cleanest is what you should use. Hope that helps!

[momtoamiracle]

my son was a heavy wetter too. I changed him a lot! As long as the outside of the cover is dry, that is all you need to worry about. To wick away from his skin I used microfleece liners. At night I used Bum Genius with an infant prefold, a preemie prefold, and a microfiber cloth folded into threes tucked into the pocket. Sometimes a hemp thinging stuffed in there too. I usually changed him at least once during the night, until he was three years old, when he finally potty trained. I tried Mother Ease but they were too wide. I liked them otherwise, they were easy to care for.

 

 

I used All Free and Clear with Borax or oxyclean, did a pre-rinse, washed in hot, and did another rinse with vinegar. Used a wetbag. I usually washed every day.

 

I loved cloth diapering. I was sad I only had one to do it.

[LittleIzumi]

Microfibre is a pretty popular booster. You can just buy microfibre cleaning cloths and fold them into a pad. We used fleece liners and I just bought a load of microfleece and cut them to roughly the same shape as the diaper.

 

It's absorbent but it cannot touch baby's skin, and it's hard to clean in hard water.

 

I use prefolds and wool or Grovia all-in-ones, and wash with Tide. I use a regular open garbage can, no smell issues.

[Mommee & Baba]

I was coming to offer some advice but all the things I was going to suggest have been posted ;)

 

I hope you're able to get your situation solved! :) I CD'ed 2 of my 3 children and learned ALOT about different diapers, covers, inserts, washes, even sewing the diapers and covers, and as well as replacing the velcros on many diapers!