Strip washing isn't always the answer.

In today's technological world the Internet is full of so much information on how to look after your cloth nappies and what to do when they aren't working that often it becomes very confusing. Strip washing seems to be at the top of the recommendations list when troubleshooting problems.

As a cloth nappy user I belong to many cloth nappy facebook groups. They are wonderful and shocking at the same time. It is great to have a network of like minded parents to chat to and get advice on different brands etc.What I don't like however is how often people recommend strip washing as the first thing to try or how people moan that they seem to be strip washing their nappies every month. It just doesn't sit right with me.

Here in New Zealand there are 3 main ways of strip washing:

The dishwash method,

The Rockin green Method

and the Sodium Percarbonate soak method.

The dishwash method seems to be the one most people try last if other strips don't work and I can fully understand why. To strip your nappies with this method you basically wash inserts on hot with dishwash liquid and then rinse, rinse, rinse until all suds/bubbles are gone. The cheapest nastiest dishwash liquid is recommended as it is least likely to contain moisturisers which can cause build up. I personally wouldn't use this method as some of the chemicals in dishwash liquid can be harsh and would you really want that anywhere near your baby's bum? I am sensitive and allergic to most dishwash detergents on the market so wouldn't trust them not to cause rashes. 

The Rockin' Green method is the most common one I see being mentioned online. There are two ways of doing this one and it all seems dependent on how bad your nappies are and why you are strip washing. The first one is to do a 12-24 hour soak using regular Rockin Green detergent. Then wash on hot with no detergent and rinse, rinse rinse. The second is a bit more in-depth and more suited if you have major issues. You do an overnight(12ish hours) soak in regular Rockin Green then wash, then do a second soak for approx same amount of time in Funk Rock and wash again. 

The third and final method is the one most commonly used by people who use homemade laundry powder or are switching to it and want to strip their nappies first. For this method you soak your nappies in Sodium Percarbonate that has been dissolved in water for 12-24 hours and wash with no detergent then rinse rinse rinse.

Here is why I have never done a "strip wash" as such and believe that strip washing should be your absolute last resort.

Yes I have had smelly nappies, but no I have never stripped them. I found that initially my issue was the way I washed my nappies so altered my regular wash cycle. Then found that I started getting smells again so did a long hot wash with a 20-30 minute soak added to the cycle and they were fine again. When my son is teething I find I start getting smells but a hot wash solves that and to be honest nothing can really stop teething wee from smelling. 

Recently I have been getting leaks on a regular basis. I tried adding more absorbency and have had no problems since. I also had an issue with my night nappies leaking so after someone recommended adjusting the rise of the ones I use, I did it and have had not leaks since. 

So if your nappies smell or if they leak stripping isn't always the answer. Try a long hot wash first, adjust your wash cycle, add more absorbency or adjust the fit. Problem solve first then if absolutely nothing works try a strip. Doing it too often can be harsh on your inserts, elastics and waterproofing and can actually cause more issues.

So please I beg you try other things first.

It's lunch time: Tuna and Tomato Sandwiches.

So now that my prefold tutorial mini series is finished I thought I'd branch away from nappies/diapers temporarily and into sandwich fillings. After getting bored of making ham and cheese sandwiches every night for my partners lunch I challenged myself to get creative. So here is my first recipe:

Tuna & Tomato

Ingredients:
1 95g Tin of Tuna
1-2 cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp of finely diced onion (I used red but Spring onion works just as well)
1-2 Tbsp of aioli or mayonnaise
4 slices of bread

Drain tuna and put into a small bowl. Flavoured tuna works well I used naturally smoked flavour today. Add aioli or mayonnaise.

Finely dice the cherry tomato and add to bowl with the onion.

Stir until combined, add more mayonnaise if required.


Spread onto buttered bread and your done. If your going to be eating it straight away you don't need to butter the bread, however if the sandwiches are going to be sitting in a lunchbox for a couple of hours before being eaten I recommend spreading a little butter or margarine on the bread first. This creates a barrier and stops the bread soaking up as much of the juice from the filling, soggy bread really isn't appealing.

To finish of my partners lunch I always add a piece of fruit, a couple of muesli bars and some home baking. My partner isn't really one to request vegetables in his lunch so I have to get creative. Chopped cherry tomatoes and onions add extra flavour but also extra nutrients.

Stay tuned for more sandwich filler ideas.

Prefold Tutorial: Newspaper Fold

This is one of the slightly and I mean slightly more complex folds for prefold nappies/diapers. It is most commonly used for boys as the bulk layers of absorbency are situated at the front of the nappy/diaper.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you.

Fold up the front of the nappy. How much depends on how long your prefold is and how tall you need the rise.

Fold over one side to the middle








Fold over other side to the middle to form a trifold type pad







Fold out the wings at the top.

 Place baby onto the nappy, bring front up between the legs, wings around the waist and fasten on the baby.







Lastly place your choice of cover over the top and you are all go.

Hints: If you find that your wings aren't quite reaching around to meet with the front of the nappy you can fan out the front bit a little to provide more coverage.

Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more

Prefold Tutorial: Jelly Roll Fold

The following fold is perfect for newborns and any babies still in the explosive liquid poop stage. Be sure to watch the video demonstration at the end and feel free to check out my Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you

 Roll in one side

Roll in other side to form a second protective wall.

Fold over the front to shorten rise if needed

Place baby down on nappy, bring front up between the legs and fasten how you prefer. Here I have used a Snappi.

Hints: For extra protection fold back down to form a barrier for those very explosive liquid poops.

Prefold Tutorial: Diva Fold

This fold is the angel wing fold but in reverse. It is great if you prefer the bulk to be at the back of the nappy and also if you have a child who can get the covers off. It places the Snappi or Boingo at the back so your child cannot reach it to remove.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you.

Fold in one side at the front

 Fold in other side at the front, this forms almost a pyramid shape and creates the "wings" at the top of the nappy.

Fold up an extra rise at the bottom.

Place baby onto the nappy face down.

Bring folded bit up between legs

Bring the wings around to the bag and fasten with your choice of fastner, here I have used a Boingo.







Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.Links are at the top right of the page.

Prefold Tutorial: Bikini Twist Fold

This is an easy fold that is great for girls and for wriggly babies.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you.

  Place baby onto the prefold with the back of the nappy approximately level with the belly button.










As you bring the front up between the legs twist to reduce the bulk and also to create a section with bulk absorbency right between the legs where its most common for girls to pee.

Fold down the rise and tuck the front around the waist







Bring wings around from the back and fasten with your choice of fastner, here I used a Boingo.

Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.Links are at the top right of the page.

Prefold Tutorial: Angel Wing Fold

 This is one of the most common folds and is simple, easy and versatile. It is also great for boys and girls.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you.

Fold in one side at the front










Fold in other side at the front, this forms almost a pyramid shape and creates the "wings" at the top of the nappy.











Fold front of nappy up to decrease rise. How much depends on your baby and the size of the prefold.










Fold down the back if you want, this is great at providing extra protection if your baby is still in the explosive liquid poop stages.






 
 Bring folded bit up between legs.










Bring wings around the waist and fasten around the baby. Here I have used a Boingo.

Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.

Prefold Tutorial: Pad Fold

This fold is the most simple and easy to use. It is best for older babies who are no longer in the explosive liquid poop stage and is also great when using your prefold in a pocket nappy.

Step one; Lay prefold out in front of you

 Fold over one side of prefold










Fold over other side to form a pad.










Fold over any extra rise










Place inside cover of your choice. Cover pictured here is a Gen-Y Universal cover.








Place baby onto nappy and do up the cover.











Hints: If you have a girl turn the prefold around so that the absorbent layers run sideways not up and down, this places the bulk layers of absorbency in the middle where girls have a tendency to pee more. If it is too wide when folding into thirds, try folding it into four instead.

Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.Links are at the top right of the page.

Prefold Tutorial: Double Wing Fold

Please note that I made this fold up one day after being frustrated with either the back wings being too short or my prefold being too long. I used to use the newspaper fold for my son, but found it quite bulky between the legs so adapted it and came up with this. The fold may have already been created by someone else, but either way I thought I would share it. Check out the video tutorial too, link at the bottom of the post, or on the right just above my profile.

Step one:  Lay Prefold out in front of you

 Fold approximately 1/4-1/3 of the bottom up, this will be front of the nappy.

 Flip the prefold over so that the folded bit is underneath.

 Fold into three like the pad fold. As you can see the first fold has created wings type things at the bottom, these will be at the front of the nappy.

 Unfold the top of the pad to form wings, it should look like the picture above.

Place the baby onto the nappy and fold the front bit up, it will look like this.

  Fold the wing bit up to extend the wings and reduce the bulk between the legs.

Fold front wings around your childs waist while bringing the back wings round and to the front. Fasten with a Snappi, Boingo or pin. And of course cover with a waterproof cover of your choice my favourites are Thristies Duo Wraps or Gen-y Universal covers.





The two pictures below are of the same fold for two different size prefolds on my 9.2kg 1yr old son

Infant prefold, currently right length but not quite wide enough for newspaper fold. In this photo the snappi only just fits, boingos would have been better.

Crawler size prefold, currently right width for the newspaper fold, but too long and therefore adds bulk between the legs. Either a snappi or a Boingo can be used with this size prefold and fold.

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What's in my nappy bag...

The good old nappy/diaper bag, the hold all, the bottomless pit of everything a mother/father could need for a trip out. Here is what you will typically find in my bag....

1 Packet of baby wipes
1 tube of nappy rash cream
1 tube of Teething relief gel
1 full change of clothes, sometimes two depending on how long we will be out
A hat suitable for the weather and season
1 wetbag for dirty nappies
2-3 cloth nappies
A disposable nappy in case of emergencies
2 toys
Snacks for baby
Tissues
Spoon
Facecloth
Bib
Wallet
Keys
Cellphone
my sunglasses

It doesn't look like much but it always feels like I have a kitchen sink in there too. What's in your bag?

Washing a nappy or two

With so many different nappies/diapers out there knowing how to wash them can be confusing. One company will tell you one thing while another will advise against it. So to make it a little easier on you all I am going to give a breakdown of what all the different companies recommend in a handy table.

* The Bumgenius website advises a wash temperature of no more than 40°C/140°F however when you convert the 140°F into Celsius it comes to 60°C not 40°C. However it gives the correct temperature conversion in the warranty section of their customer care page.
** The Fuzzibunz website advises to use only 1/4 amount of detergent if using regular supermarket detergents not the ones specially formulated for cloth nappies. 

I have this theory over the using less than the recommended amount of washing detergent. I think as it is recommended to do approx 15 nappies per load that comes to about 1/2-3/4 of a full load for the average washing machine. Therefore as the load is not a full one the water level will be less so less detergent is needed. 1/2 a load needs 1/2 the amount of detergent. Personally I don't see how using 1/4 the amount of detergent on a full load of nappies would get them clean enough. I like the advice from Bum Genius "Use enough detergent to get your cloth diapers clean."

Most companies also recommend their own brand of detergent and/or recommend an alternative supermarket brand one. But then there is also detergents out there such as Rock 'n' Green that has been formulated especially for cloth nappies. Here in New Zealand one of the recommended supermarket brand detergents is Earthwise, preferably liquid.

Most if not all companies advise when washing nappies to avoid the following: bleach, baking soda, whiteners, vinegar, fabric softeners and enzymes. 

For me personally I have the following wash routine:

1. cold rinse, water level on high. If son has been teething or I feel nappies need it I do two cold rinses.
2. Cold wash, med water level a full scoop of Cold Power sensitive powder on the "super clean" cycle of my machine. (I did originally use earthwise powder however got irritated with using a different detergent for clothes so switched to cold power for everything.)
3. Line dry if possible otherwise on a clothes horse/airer by the fireplace inside. We don't own a dryer.
4. I do a warm wash approximately once a month for that little extra clean.

I did do a kinda strip wash once in Rock 'n' Green Classic Rock as my son was teething really bad and his nappies/diapers stank of ammonia. It got rid of the smell for approximately two months so I reviewed my wash routine. I changed my wash routine to use more detergent, an extra rinse if real bad and regular warm washes. Since making the changes I have had no issues with my nappies being super smelly. Yes they do occasionally smell when my son is teething, but I have come to realise that that is just something that happens and do an extra deep wash to make sure they are super clean.

How do you wash your nappies/diapers?
Do you use special detergent?
Please feel free to comment below with your wash routine and check out my Facebook and Instagram pages(links at top right of post).

All washing details listed in the table above come from the following wesites:
AppleCheeks
BabyBehinds
BestBottom
BubbleBubs
BumGenius
FuzziBunz

Grovia
Pop-In - Close Parent
RealNappies
Rumparooz
Thirsties
TotsBots

Lets talk nappy covers

At the beginning I didn't bother with nappies that needed covers such as fitted or prefolds. It wasn't until my son was about 4 months and my stash was dangerously low that I gave in and purchased some prefolds and covers. Since then prefolds have almost become my favourite type of nappy.



When my son was a newborn I had a Real Nappies prefold and Snug wrap. It was this combination that put me off prefolds. Of the four different covers I have tried these are my least favourite. Yes they held in newborn poop explosions, and were a snug fit but I found I couldn't get a nice fit on my son so never got anymore. Unlike the other covers in this review they are the only ones to not have a double gusset and it is only the elasticated leg that holds the mess in around the legs. While I never had a leak when I used them I prefer double gussets. I also found that to get the right sort of snug fit there were often red marks left.

The cover is a thick pul and does come in a small range of bright colours. They only have velcro closure which I liked when my son was little but now I do prefer snaps. They are also sized so as your child grows you need to purchase more, you can sell them on once you no longer have a need so can recover some of the cost. In total there are 4 sizes, Newborn 2.5-6kg, Infant, 5-9 kg, Crawler 8-14kg and Toddler 14-18+ kg.

Overall this is my least favourite cover due to it's lack of double gussets, and the fact that the cover is a bit more stiff than my other covers. Unfortunately no picture is available as I passed this nappy cover on after my son grew out of it.

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These next covers would have to be one of my favourites and if I could get more from a New Zealand stockist I would. Yes I could get them online direct from America but like to support local, plus it saves on bank fees.

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Thirsties Duo Wraps are available in both snap and velcro closure. I opted for snaps over velcro, I think the shop I got them from only had snaps. They come in two sizes, 3-8 kg(6-18 lbs) and 8-18kg(18-40 lbs). Both sizes have snap down rises with 3 settings for a greater fit. The velcro has recently been upgraded and will now last longer. If you opt for snap closure each shell will have two snaps on each wing snapping onto a single row of snaps across the front.

Size one on largest waist and rise settings

The shells are a breathable laminate that can be wiped clean between uses if not soiled. They are are a thinner fabric and very flexible. They have double gussets on the legs which hold in mess. I am yet to have a leak and my son is known for his explosions. They also have an elasticated tummy for greater containment and a better fit.

Overall I highly recommend these covers. My son is currently 8.5kg and is still fitting in the size one, only just however.

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Gen-Y Universal..... I purchased one of these when I couldn't get the next size up Thirsties Duo Wrap in snap closure. I opted for the Gen-Y over other covers after doing some research. I liked the pocket type features as it meant that if I used the prefold pad folded there would soft fabric against his skin and not the laminated part like there would be with covers such as the Best Bottom ones. The pocket like feature also means that I can use other inserts in the cover without them moving about, but for the time being it is just a prefold snappi'd into place.

9 months 8.4 kg

The Gen-Y Universal covers come in two sizes, small 2.7kg -8.2kg(6-18lbs) and large 8.2kg-17.5kg(18-38lbs). I have only purchased the size large covers so am unsure how the small compares in size. In reality I should have gotten a small to begin with but with my son almost too big for his Thirsties Duo covers I opted to go for a large. He is only now just starting to fit it at 8.4kg, he is a long lean baby however so is on the small size weight wise.

9 months 8.4kg

When I first tried the cover he gaped at the legs and I did have one containment fail where his poop went up out the back and all over me when I was holding him. Not the most pleasant thing to clean up. I waited a couple of weeks before putting it on him again and now we have no issues. The legs holes while being generous fit him nicely and the waist is easy to adjust.

I like the soft elastics used on the tummy, back and legs and am yet to have any red marks. They hug the legs and waist yet are nice and soft on the skin. Being a side snap closure also means that I can get a better fit around the waist and legs compared to other nappies/covers, though it took a little bit of trial and error to get the hang of the side snap system.

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The second cover I purchased to replace my Thirsties once too small is a Rumparooz OSFM and am currently unimpressed.

I like the double gussets but hate the fit over prefolds. For some reason I just can't get it to sit right and look right, no leaks though. I find that there is just too much excess fabric for it to look nice especially in the front. I only use it if I have to, but am determined to keep going and maybe when he is larger it will fit my son better. I also have some fitted nappies that are waiting to have the leg elastics replaced so will see how the cover works over them. I think it will work better with the fitteds than the prefolds.

As you can see from the two pictures above this cover has a very odd fit with excess fabric in the front. I did try and reduce the rise setting so that it was smaller but the legs were then too tight and I couldn't get a good waist fitting. So far over prefolds the fit just doesn't work.

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So if I am to order the 4 covers mentioned in order of preference they would be: Thirsties, Gen-Y, and last in a tie Rumparooz and Real Nappies Snug Wrap.

What is your favourite cover?

Disclaimer: The reviews mentioned in this post are my personal opinion and preference. No all covers suit all babies and its all about trial and error.

The nappy covers listed above can be purchased in New Zealand from the following websites:
Nappy Heaven  - Gen-Y Universal
Tweedle  -Rumparooz Cover
Real Nappies - Real Nappies Sung Wrap
Mothers Instinct - Thirsties Duo Wrap Velcro closure only