When I started cloth diapering, I didn't know too much.
Our daughter was close to turning 2 when we converted so I was lucky that she was simple to fit in to cloth.
She
was the biggest rise setting and I thought that was it! Just like
disposables, I could snap the diaper on and away we went. I quickly
learned how ever, it's not that easy.
Our
first day we leaked through every diaper. I was a little overwhelmed
because I thought cloth would be a great choice for us but with constant
leakage, I started to second guess myself. Our diaper stash was small
with about 8 diapers so
I washed those diapers and I was determined to figure out what the
problem was.
The
next day I timed how long it took for her to leak through a diaper as
well as how much she was drinking, and I quickly realized I was giving
my child too much juice in a day. The average cloth diaper should last
about 2 hours, but she was leaking through at that point, so I made some
adjustments. I cut back her drink intake as well as made sure that the
diapers were on the correct settings and making sure the legs were tight
like they should be.
A
few months after we switched to cloth, we moved in to our newly built
home. No one told us how much of a necessity a water softener is, so
after a little time I noticed leaking.
I
tried a company's stripping product, only to think it made the diapers
way worse
and my daughter was allergic to the product, so I was on the search to
save my diapers and figure out the best solution once and for all!
After asking around, and learning from Padded Tush Stats,
I realized that the cause of leaking is detergent build up, ammonia,
and even hard water! Now remember, we don't have a water softener so our
water is about as hard as you can get! I was leery of people that said
bleach or vinegar because most diaper companies void warranties over
said items. They can hurt the diapers and in doing so, there's no way
the company should be responsible for MY potential mistake, so I opted
for what I thought was the next best solution... liquid Dawn Soap.
After
reading so many people raving about BLUE Dawn Soap, and even a whole
blog post about their routine, I took the
plunge! I bought BLUE Dawn soap after I learned that green for some
reason doesn't do as well and then immediately started the wash.
You want to do this with CLEAN diapers so wash them first if need be.
You want a few drops of the Dawn soap in the HOT wash cycle, and then a lot of hot rinses!
The
Dawn soap helps strip the detergent build up and ammonia out of your
diapers that potentially caused the leaking, and then the multiple hot
wash/rinses is just to make sure that not only is the soap out, but any
access build up is also working itself out as well. When you do this,
you'll want a fair amount of diapers in the wash (15-20) because they'll
touch and rub against each other (like our clothes) which will help
them clean as well.
I do 3 wash cycles with hot water because
our washer is basic and only has a cold rinse, and then I check on the
last cycle to see if there's any bubbles
in the water.
You'll want to look for bubbles because this tells you if the Dawn Soap is gone and you want it all out.
I've done this a few times and it's helped each time!
I think it also gives the diaper a boost and it's softer than before, smells better, and no longer leaks!
Now
some people will tell you that if you're doing cloth diapers right you
should never have to strip them, but in our case with hard water, it's
something I do every few months just to make sure that they're holding
up to the best of their abilities.
Leaking on a newborn however, is a totally different story.
Most of the time this is just because the diaper is an improper fit with the leg gussets and needs adjusted.
Diapers with hip snaps can help get the tighter fit on the legs.
Contributed by: Michelle
My name is Michelle and I'm in my mid twenties. I've been with my
husband for a total of eight years. We have three little girls and
started cloth diapering in March 2011.
