SECOND HAND DIAPERS - do it with honour.

I have had the chance (in the past) to thankfully receive 2nd hand cloth diapers from friends and neighbours.  It was actually my introduction to diapers other then Kushies, as well as some different styles.  The diapers I was gifted were clean and fresh.  No stink, no ammonia.   Freshly laundered. 

Here's the thing I received them in good condition, the same way I gift second hand items: in good condition.  

I have also passed on diaper stashes (after baby #4 and #5), when I thought I do longer needed the stash.  Did I pass on my entire stash?  Nope.  I passed on the ones in good condition.   The others went to diaper heaven (aka: the rag bin). 

I never had ammonia so that wasn't the issue.  And thankfully baby and I never had to fight thrush.  So they were all healthy diapers that I washed clean, sun bleached,  ironed and folded so they would be like new to the next mom and baby.  Ever heard the term "New to me"?  Well that's not just about having something 2nd hand you didn't have before,  it should be about receiving something 2nd hand in the best condition so it feels as new as possible. 

In fact anytime I pass on items second hand, or donate items second hand I do two things.  1. launder them with care.  2. sort out what's in good condition and what isn't.  I dont just garbage bag up my junk and pass it onto someone else to deal with.  I was taught to pass on in an honourable manner. To pass on for someone else's enjoyment,  not for my convenience.   I thought all people were.  Apparently I was wrong. 

I recently have heard 3 reports of people buying 2nd hand diapers only to discover they have ammonia.   If you have had ammonia once, cleared it properly out of your diapers, then.continued to use your diapers.without issue, sure pass them on or re-sell them...but be honest about the diapers history.   If you have reoccurring ammonia issues (they stink often and / or you need to strip often), or if you just stripped for ammonia and are now done with the stash (having not gone back to using them you cant know the issue is gone), then your diapers are not fit to pass on or re-sell!  Why would anyone think passing on an issue like this is ok?  It's not ok!  Ammonia causes painful rash on babies bums so passing on that diaper is essentially hurting someone else's baby! 

Like I've said a few times, Im old to cloth diapering but new to the internet world of cloth.  I dont know much about these buy/sell/trade sites.  I haven't ordered diapers off eBay.   I almost received diapers off kijiji but it fell through.   But I do know this. 
when giving/selling : Be honest about your diapers history.  If your embarrassed of its history then send it to your rag bin.  Tell the receiving person up front:
•If baby has had a yeast problem. 
•If diapers have had ammonia (stink), if so how often, how you treated and how  long without ammonia were they last used.
• If and how often you stripped the diapers
• did you add bleach,  scents, fabric softeners to your laundry.
• Any atypical use or care. 
•Any absorbency issues
• Any question the buyer / receiving party has!
When receiving / buying second hand: You want to receive a clean healthy diaper so be prepared:
• Ask questions (see above list).
• Ask about return / refund policy and make sure it's practical
• Only purchase healthy, clean diapers
•Be wary of those stripping and bleaching often and choose a different buyer.  Cuz even if the diaper no longer has an issue, that much wear will be producing some tare. 
•make sure you can test and return. (soak in water and check for smells, inspect diaper for damage).
• Dont get diapers connected to sites that have unending ammonia / stripping habits. 

One would wish that everyone would pass on or re-sell  with honour.   But apparently that's not the case.  So be honourable when you pass on and be wise when you receive.  If your fave site for second hand has issues then suggest some rules, a history of items sold, a buyer and seller rating system and a standard return policy that is reasonable to the buyer and the seller.  Or set up your own site, perhaps a local one where all diapers go through those managing the site to make sure items are always being passed on in an honourable way. 

DIAPER POLITICS? When did this happen?

I might be old hat to cloth diapering but I am very new to internet + cloth diapering.   Getting ready to sell my own wahm diapers means that I needed to find that online cloth community.   So I've started my own blog, been slowly finding others and its been fun.  I've also found a few cloth diaper boards.   I thought that would be fun....but not so very much.

The blogs have given me some idea that there are cloth politics but those boards showed it to me.  Being new to it I keep my mouth shut a fair bit.  Apparently on these boards each has their own flavor and views and any advice contrary to that is unwelcomed. 

The arguments tend to be around laundry (really,  talk about killing part of what can be enjoyable in using cloth).  So here (for cathartic release) is the opinions of an 18 yr cloth mama known as Mama Moss aka Beth Newell. 

Some fall short in solving ammonia / stink issues.  These ones blame how you use your washing machine.   Yep that can be the problem - sometimes.   But so can how often you change the diaper, how often you wash the diaper, you dirty diaper care and storage, fabric.  Basically all aspects of laundry. 

Some groups argue exclusively over detergents.  Back in the day when I started washing cloth diapers (18-13 yrs ago), I never heard of rules.  I also never heard of specific cloth diaper detergent.   So I used my regual detergent.  Of course not all detergents are created equal.  Know whats in your detergent and use something that's gonna wash but not leave behind unwanted stuff on your diapers.  enzymes, softeners, bightners, bleach. 

Some groups advocate barely any detergent.   Others advocate lots of detergent.   Neither is correct.  you need to wash it without having to rinse 6 times.  Which is a waste of water, a precious resource.  

Some advocate bleach.  Bleach is hard on the skin and breaks down fabrics and elastic.  It breaks down fabric in your clothes to.  It's a smaller issue in your clothes cuz you don't wash the same shirt every 2 days.  We do wash the same 20 diapers every 2 days. 

Homesteader washing:  How can people take issue with this?  Well apparently some can.  Now we all know I looked forward to boiling diapers regularly (over on occasion), but since I've added elastic to my prefolds it will remain a casual option.  I'll build a camp washer instead.  Why?  They work, just need the right meathod for the right diaper.  Don't believe they work?  Ask if grandma or great-gramdma had ammonia issues.  Home made detergent?  Of course it works, (see above grandma comments) .  Just need one that has good cleaning agents, not harmful or weak ones.  

Some promote laziness.  Yes you do need to wash often.  Yes you have to change often. And Yes you need to rinse off poop and rinse urine filled over night diapers.  Poop goes in the toilet .... by law.  It does not sit around your house in a diaper pail ands it does not go in your washing machine.  Come on, that's just the same common sense as changing a diaper.  the same common sense our grandparents had that in today's instant culture has disappeared and been caste as myth. 

Build up.  Yes its real.  Detergents of all kinds build up.  They build up in your hair from shampoo, in your dishwasher, in your shower stall, in your washing machine, in your clothes.   All these things even have specialty items for this very issue.  What makes it a bigger issue for your cloth diapers is (as I earlier said), your washing the same cloth diaper every 2 days.  Solutions?  Dont use to much, rinse if suds are present, add some vinegar to your rinse cycle or give a vinegar soak and stir before washing.  Know your water type (hard or soft).

Think Im wrong and all these sites and rules are correct?  Check out how ammonia tops these discussions.  How expert these people are in treating it (or stink as some prefer to call them).  I've never had ammonia. I've not got stripping experience.   I have clean laundry experience.   If the common wash routine your reading includes regular bleach use, or a wash routine that sounds like it takes forever or anything else out if the ordinary,  be assured that its a routine that is compensating for a problem.  

If someone is totally radical about an idea and wont allow other ideas then enjoy the community but ignore wash and care advise.  And use your common sense, ask questions, dont be bullied,  especially by the expert of 5 months,  or the expert who strips regularly it is treating non stop rash.  

Know your diaper and fabric.  Different styles and fabrics will require different wash solutions.   I use all cotton prefolds.  My fabric is natural and basic.  It will wash according to older meathods.  My diaper is of basic construction and relatively flat (just a bit of gathering at the leg), so yes it will wash, rinse and dry easily.   I don't have an 8-11 layer thick diaper.  Again it will wash, rinse and dry easier.  So yes a flats, prefold and basic fitted's mama will have a much easier go of it.  To be honest if you have constant issues with your fleece, microfiber, minky, pocket, AIO etc diaper, then my advice is switch to cotton or hemp basic diaper for a clean all natural option.  Im not saying other styles and fabrics are bad, just more complicated.....well there is one fabric I will call bad (read on)....

Microfiber:  As I mentioned before it was designed for cleaning and traps bacteria - by design!   This to me is not a good sounding diaper option.  In fact I will call this a bad diaper option.  Having issues, switch to a fabric not designed to hold bacteria. 

It may sound like there is a lot to learn out there.  Yes to some degree there is.  But its mostly basic common sense.  Also the KISS principal holds true. (that's "S" for simple, no "L" for lazy).  Simple diapers and fabrics with simple laundry and care solutions works simply.    

DIAPER SEWING TIPS

I've been doing lots of sewing to prepare for The Great Baby Market (and my diapers debut to the local market).  Today I did minimal sewing however as I have spent most of the day asleep lol.  today I also reached 37 weeks so my body is in prep mode I guess.  i do worry about bby coming before the Matket and what I'll do then.   So I thought some diaper sewing tips would be a good post for today. 

1.  Keep your machine cleared of fluff build up, keep it oiled, change your needles regularly. 

2.  Measure twice,  cut once.  It's an old saying but it's very true.  I keep my measuring tape around my neck so It's always handy.   This keeps me using it often throughout.  The odd time I don't, I usually regret it later.
 
3. Prewash your material.  you want shrinking to occur before you sew. 

4. Iron.  Iron your material and seams all the time.  The results will be visable.  Ironing takes a finished piece from good to great everytime. 

5. Diapers and liners (etc) get washed more then any other type of laundry.  Therefore they need good sturdy sewing to stand up to the extra use.  French seams, top stitching, zigzag, diamond stitch or serge.  These will keep your diapers together. 

6. Experiment!  Yes its a scary thought but it generally leads to improvements making a better product as you move along and progress.  If I hadn't worked up the nerve to experiment I'd be making basic prefolds still.  I'm so very glad to be making my own design based on all I want in a diaper. 

7. Trust your ideas!  When you make a decision (especially based on your own ideas and experiments) , people often add their 2 cents "oh ands do this, Id do that this way, lots of people like this instead"  Know what you want and need.  Create that!  yes lotsa of people like certain things over others, just as many people don't like those same things.  The variety in cloth diapers is large.  You need to know what you want....just you.  If your making for others also (as I will be) this is still important. Cuz there will be others who want the same things. 

8.  Enjoy the process.

DIAPER ART

So I completed a set of 4 diaper art diapers.  They are my Prefold hybrid design still just with some art on them.  I didn't use heat and bond cuz I didn't want that in my diapers.  Luckily flannel on flannel sticks a little when ironed on a hot setting, enough to applique simple designs anyway.  I'm very happy with them. I see them as being a custom order option mostly.  The set of 4 features 4 woodland animals on the back and their paw prints on the front. 

Can You CD Without Ammonia? - I believe so

Can Ammonia Be Avoided?
I believe it can.  I have cloth diapered 5 babies in the last 18 yrs and about to CD baby #6.  I have never had ammonia.  Either I'm lucky or it is avoidable.   I dont tend to be lucky except in cards and board games (to my family's dismay lol). 

3 Rules to avoid ammonia :
1. I only use natural fabrics.  No micro fiber, no minky, Velour or fleece (except on the outside and seperate as a cover).  Cotton is natural and its know to have less ammonia issues.  Hemp is generally natural also.  Bamboo is chemically processed and after learning this im interested in what happens to the few prototypes I made with a bamboo core before learning this.  I'll update for sure.  I suspect it wont have the issues of micro fiber and others. 

2. Regular Laundry!  And I mean that in ever sense of the word.  Wash often!  And fill your machine as you would any load if laundry (as in dont over or under fill).  Why not underfill?  More room to agitate?  Sure, but it also means a less concentrated wash.  It just doesn't work.  Dont skimp on detergent.  Washing often 2-3 days means your diapers are not sitting in urine longer then needed.  Keep your diaper pail clean and dry.  If its holding water, review your system. 

3. Change that diaper!! I can't stress this enough.  Babies are not supposed to be sitting in their own piss no matter how dry that diaper feels.  If baby pees, change baby!  Its just hygienic.   This keeps ammonia from building up at the very first step.

What about overnight?
Ok so I get you wont be waking a sleeping baby to change them.  But I do change an overnight sleeper part way through.  Also I soak and rinse that night time diaper first thing.  Then I wring it out and hang it over the shower rod.  Why?  Cuz I dont want a soaking wet diaper in my dry pail. 

I hope this helps.  I dont have expert stripping advice (obviously), but I can help you prevent future issues.  I dont promise my change and wash routine to help all diapers cuz if they aren't natural I think thaye part of the problem.  Good Luck all!!

SNEAK PEAK

This is what I'm working on; A specialty set of 4 woodland animals

BUSY SEWING - Prep for Great Baby Market in Kingston ON

As the title says, I've been sewing.   I tend to assembly line sew. Which means at this point I have completed diapers in 5 of the 9 prints I bought.  I haven't done the logos yet.  I'll do that all at once.  Today I have an additional idea which I am working on. Pics as soon as completed. 

Link to great baby market.

Whats in the final edition of the Mama Moss Diaper? Well first it is a prefold hybrid of my own design (after a few prototypes) .

You can see opened up it looks like a prefold except the gathering at the legs and the Velcro. It dries quick and washes well. It also gets folded up like a prefold. Here I've folded in Angel Fold.

Jelly Roll with a poop catcher (I have blog posts on different folds)

When you fold up with a poop catcher just wing out the Velcro tabs. There is an extra piece of loop Velcro so the diaper can be done up tighter for smaller babies.

Looking at the Velcro tabs; there is an extra piece of loop beside the hook for laundry tabs. In the pic below one side is done up on the laundry tab and one side left open.

Then when the diaper is all done up it fits like a fitted diaper thanks to the elastic in the legs

The final construction of my diaper is 2/4/2. The diaper's exterior is cotton flannel and the interior is cotton flannel and cotton needled batting (unbleached).