Thursday, October 30, 2008

One less diaper to wash out!

Yay, my 2.5 y/o went to the potty tonight!

At supper, I gave him a small plastic tumbler instead of his sippy cup. (I know, I know, it's way overdue.) Anyway, he kept on talking about how he was a big boy, and I started talking about all the fun things that big boys get to do. Of course, we came around to talking about how big boys don't wear diapers!

He looked at me skeptically, until I told him that his good friend N, who we played with at the park this morning, doesn't wear diapers anymore. He thought for a minute, and then said, "Mama, 'member at the playground, N went to the potty." Now, N is a little bit younger than M, but he has a 4 y/o (I think) sister - who's obviously been pottying forever - and my friend practiced part-time EC with them.

But then - and I do feel a little guilty about this, really I do - I asked M, "Do you want to be a big boy like your friend N and go potty after supper?" and he got all excited and said, "Yes ma'am!"

So we went and I sat him on the real toilet, backwards facing the tank ("like a cowboy riding horses," I told him) since we don't have a toddler seat for the regular potty, and he's so big for his age that on the baby potty he can either go #1 OR #2, but not both at the same time! And he sat there. And sat. And sat. And sat. I asked him, "Baby, do you need to go poopy?" and he nodded, but I think he was having a hard time figuring out how to bear down while sitting, since he usually does it standing up.

So I went and got a book, came back and turned the water faucet on to a trickle and read to him. Before I knew it, he was going, both wet and poop. And he went. And went. And went. And...let's just say it was epic. He picked an awesome poo to go on the potty, hahaha!

Up till this point, I've had M in fleece-lined pockets, so he doesn't feel the wet. I don't think I'll get underwear for him just yet, because I don't mind washing diapers, but I do NOT want to wash clothes and sheets every single day! But I have about a baker's dozen regular, premium, and toddler prefolds, so I think I'll go to WalMart and get some of the cheap, Gerber "rubber pants" and try him in prefolds. That way, he can feel the wet, but I won't be washing clothes! And a good girlfriend of mine just ordered a bunch of cheap cloth training pants, so if she gives me a good report I'll try those out! (If she gives me a bad report, I'll pass it along to you, I promise!)

I'm really excited and encouraged. I know that this is not the end of the road, it's definitely just the beginning! But for tonight, at least, I have one less epic poopie diaper to wash out!

** EDIT TO UPDATE ON POTTY TRAINING

My son was fully daytime potty trained in less than 2 weeks! I never bought anything special or different in the way of training pants. We practiced Naked Potty Training (NPT), where we let M run around in a shirt all day, still wearing diapers for his afternoon nap and overnight. The idea behind that is that children who wear diapers have been "trained" to release when they feel something against their skin, so they learn the muscle control better when releasing isn't automatic. Also, if they begin to tinkle a little (which happened with us only once) they immediately realize it when their toes get wet. ;o)

Now, I think that this happening for us so fast was the result of a Perfect Storm (in a good way) of the optimal conditions: emotional and mental readiness, physiological readiness, naked potty training, and just the right healthy amount of peer pressure. And don't get too jealous just yet - I already know that not many children potty train this easily, so I'm prepared for our daughter to positively do me in when it's time to train her!

If you try it out and your kid isn't getting it, don't sweat it! Don't push them! And, whatever you do, DO NOT make it a disciplinary issue; you'll just cause more problems for your child and yourself down the road. The wonderful thing about using cloth is that if your child just isn't ready to potty train just yet, at least you aren't buying tons of diapers!

Anyway, NPT was awesome for us. We stayed home as much as we could, and he still wore a very thin diaper when we went to church or to run errands. By the end of the first week, M was taking naps in pockets without inserts. By the end of the second week, he was letting us know himself when he needed to go and was wearing underwear all day and even for naps. By the end of the third week, I thought nothing at all of taking him out to run errands in underwear! He had maybe a total of 3 accidents, whether we were at home or out.

He still wears diapers overnight, and most mornings he wakes up dry as a bone. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and calls me (he's not allowed to get out of his big-boy bed without asking permission) so he can go pee, and then he goes straight back to bed. Although, sometimes he soaks his dipey. I know he's physiologically capable of keeping it dry, so now I'm thinking I may get some of the Gerber Wal-Mart training pants and covers. I don't want to spend a ton of money on expensive training pants, since they're basically just a diaper and we already have a bunch of those! We'll see how it goes, and I'll keep you updated.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Diaper Covers

Okay, back to reviews. Remember, diaper covers are a waterproof cover that you put over a prefold, flat, or fitted diaper. They may be PUL, fleece, or wool. They may have snap, velcro, Aplix, or even tie (yes, ties!) closures. Of course, I'm only reviewing products I've personally used, and I've only ever used PUL covers. I just wanted to let you know that there are other options out there!

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap - two thumbs up!

I really like this cover. I had one in the newborn size for when Miss R was born. This is a really trim cover, so when she's been at the upper end of the weight range for the cover size, not a whole lot goes under it well except a prefold. But, when she's been at the lower end of the weight range for the cover size, I'm able to fit a good fitted and - for a short time - even a doubler fully inside the cover. One of the things that I really love about this cover is that it's an Aplix-closure cover, so I know I can trust the closure both when it's on my baby, but more importantly I can trust those laundry tabs in the washing machine! The website describes it as having "built-in leg gussets," but the newborn size does NOT have leg gussets. This is obviously not an issue for teeny tiny immobile babies

* It's important to note that Bummis makes several different kinds of covers. I also have the Bummis Super Brite cover (in pink, naturally, for my little girl, who can still wear the small at 6.5 months), and in my opinion, it's basically the exact same cover as the SWW. The Aplix tabs are a bit longer, and it has leg gussets, which I love for naps, because my sweetie pie is a side sleeper.

Proraps - two thumbs WAY up!

One of the best covers out there! These covers are total workhorses, and definitely the best value for the money. $7.25 for a cover!! Are you kidding me?? They are not nearly as cute as some other covers that are available (available only in white and pastel green, blue, or pink), but they are fantastic! The newborn size has a great umbilical notch to protect that tender belly button stump, and all sizes have leg gussets. Leg gussets will help protect against leaks in a mobile baby, but they also help you ensure a good cover when you're using doublers. I just can't say enough good things about these covers! They're velcro-closure, but it's a good strong velcro. The only downside is that they don't have laundry tabs, but I just close the cover up and turn it inside out to launder it.

Now, they're cheap to begin with, so they're a great way to round out your stash or help build it up if you're on a budget. BUT, just because I love you (whoever you are, if you're reading this) so much, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: You can order seconds and overstock directly from the company for even cheaper! They don't always have all sizes available, but it never hurts to call and see: 1.800.397.8594.

Bumkins - one and a half thumbs down :o(

Words cannot express how much I wanted to love these covers. Bumkins are, by far, the cutest covers I have ever seen. They have about 30 (literally) different prints, and they have licensed Dr Seuss prints which are totally adorable. The construction of the covers is top notch: Aplix, extra wide tabs, laundry tabs, leg gussets, front inside flap, back air vent. What's not to love??

The fit. Plain and simple. These covers are just built for trimmer babies with skinnier thighs, and that description definitely does not apply to my babes. One of my good girlfriends who cloth diapers LOVES these covers, but her babies are much trimmer than mine and they have pretty, slender thighs like their beautiful mama. I so wanted these covers to work for us, but they just didn't. That's the only reason for their negative rating from me.

** However, Bumkins also makes bibs, and they are - hands-down - the BEST bibs that you can buy! They're made of the same waterproof PUL as the covers, so clothes don't get wet or food mess on them. They have a pocket to catch bigger crumbs, and they come in a sleeved version. Does it get any better than that? Oh yeah - you just wash them in the sink along with the dishes, and they come in most of the same cute prints as the covers. Sweet! They're available on most sites that sell Bumkins diaper covers, and I've also seen them at Babies-R-Us stores.

ImseVimse - one and a half thumbs up

I actually have used 2 different varieties of ImseVimse covers: the bumpy and the organic cotton. I like them both a lot! We had the organic cotton cover in the newborn size. The cotton outer is so soft, and the available prints are sweet and very European-looking as far as diaper prints go! This cover was very generously sized and so Miss R was able to wear it for quite a while. We now are using the bumpy cover in size small. Soft, generously sized, but only available in plain white.

I love about these covers that the tabs are super wide, but because of that you have to be careful that no velcro is hanging over the top of the cover, waiting to scratch your baby's delicate tummy. They have awesome, ample leg gussets and super soft binding, so everywhere the cover touches skin is soft and gentle. No laundry tabs, so I just close it and turn it inside out to launder (same as the Proraps). Here's the thing that really bothers me about these covers, and it's such a non-issue, but it just bugs me: the white material has turned a kind of whitish neon-yellow after multiple launderings. I don't have any idea why, because no other diaper, cover, or pocket I own has ever done this except my ImseVimses. It doesn't affect its function, and it wouldn't keep me from buying them again in the future, but it just bothers me.

MonkeyBuns covers - two thumbs way up!

Once again, I love MonkeyBuns! She offers a wide variety of solid colors for her PUL covers, and she even has cute, custom appliques she can apply to the bottom. I love that they are super generously sized, so I'm able to use the covers across a wide span of growth and sizes. I've gotten them with velcro and with snap closures. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of snaps on covers for some reason, but she applies a double row of snaps to help ensure a snug and leak proof fit. The velcro she uses isn't the highest quality, so the tabs started curling after about 2 months of use, but they still held well during wearing. However, despite my best efforts to pick every single speck of lint out of the tabs before and after each wash, lower quality velcro just WILL NOT stay closed during a wash cycle, yet it will stick on everything else. Nevertheless, I love her covers! And for my next newborn (God willing), I'm sure I will order more of her diapers. And I'll probably end up getting velcro closures for newborn covers again, because it just offers a more customizable fit. If I need to, I can always replace the velcro.

Thirsties Covers - two thumbs way up!

As with the fitted diapers, I am so in love with Thirsties! They are generously sized (so keep that in mind when ordering). They have fabulous, ample leg gussets. The tabs are the BEST! Not only are they Aplix (so you can trust them for the wear and for the wash), but they have laundry tabs - hooray! AND, one of my favorite features that so few diapering products have: you can overlap the tabs when you're closing up the diaper. Let me explain: across the front of the diaper cover is the "soft" part of the Aplix, and the tabs are the "scratchy" part so they'll stick when you close it up. But one of the tabs is "soft" on the back of it, so you can overlap the other tab's "scratchy" if your baby is on the lower end of the weight range for the size! Best idea ever, and I don't understand why more companies don't include this feature.

Also, Thirsties come in a veritable rainbow of colors - solids only, but the colors are vibrant and rich and gorgeous. I love them! And apparently, they've recently revamped the already fabulous Thirsties cover, so as my insider tip to you, go here to WildFlower Diapers to purchase the old style at a reduced price!


So there you have it! The majority of my stash of covers is Proraps or MonkeyBuns, because of the prices. Anyone else out there use another brand you'd like to tell us about?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Feedback?

Hey there!

I'm still trying to work out product reviews, but I have a bit of housekeeping business to tend to first. But since you're here, please leave me a comment and let me know that you're here. If no one is reading, I'm stopping!

When you comment, please let me know if you currently cloth diaper (how many kids, their ages, whether or not you EC, etc) or if you're just gathering information for a possible switch, or even if you're just generally interested or curious. If you're a CDing mama who feels like you have some insight or different opinions that people might be interested in, I'd love to share your thoughts on here! And if you're still just gathering information, please please please let me know if you have any specific questions regarding CD in general, certain brands, prices, pros and cons, etc.

I have my comment settings so that anyone can leave a comment without having a blog of your own or anything, so you comment anonymously but I'd love to know who you are! If you'd rather not comment the information, you can email me at diaperdiaries@hotmail.com

Thanks!

PS - This feedback request does NOT have an expiration date! Whenever you come across this entry, please let me know you were here and if/how I can better help you!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Fitted Diapers

Remember, fitted diapers go on like a sposie. They usually have either snaps or velcro closures, and elastic around the waist and thighs. Fitted diapers require a cover. Here are the ones I've used.

Kissaluvs Fitteds (KL): 2 thumbs up!

Some of my best-loved fitteds! I have used both the size 0 and the size 1 on Miss R. KLs are a wonderful soft sherpa fleece diaper and are super absorbent. The KLOs are extremely adjustable in size, so I was always able to get a snug but comfortable fit around the belly and thighs. Miss R wore them from the day she came home from the hospital until she outgrew the rise at around 3 or 4 months. Even at that time, I could still snap a comfortable fit for her tummy and thighs, but the rise was just too short to provide reliable protection. She's now in KL1s and I really like them. At 6 months, she can wear a KL1 for about 1.5 hours while she's awake and playing before she needs a change. Because the sherpa fleece doesn't wick moisture away from the skin, providing that "stay dry feeling," I don't use these for naps or long car rides. The prices on these have gone up just since Miss R was born. They now cost around $11 for unbleached and $13 for colors. I think they're a great value for the money.

MonkeyBuns Deluxe Fitteds: 2 thumbs way up!

These might be my favorite diapers. I happened across these wonderful WAHM diapers on Ebay and fell in love with the prints and colors she offered. The prices blew me away and I took a chance. Oh. My. Goodness. So soft, so cute, and SO absorbent. One of the things I love about MonkeyBuns is how wonderful Elissa is to work with. Not only is she friendly and fast, but she also offers tons of adorable prints and you can pick and choose your own customized lot of diapers. She also lets you choose whether or not to upgrade to a fleece or suedecloth lining (cost of upgrade is $1 per diaper), and whether you prefer snaps or velcro closures. So much to choose from!

Now of course, nothing is perfect, so here are the few things I don't love or would change about the MBs. There was a HUGE leap between the newborn/small size and the medium size, and I was expecting more of an overlap. The velcro she uses isn't the highest quality, so the tabs started to curl up after a month of washes and the laundry tabs didn't stay closed super well in the wash. (No problem there, just choose snap closures.) Finally, she prewashes her fabric, but I think she may use a commercial laundry detergent, because Miss R's diapers started stinking within a week of our first use and I had to strip them almost right away.

Still and all, best value for the product! You can order them through her Ebay store, or directly from her website.

Snugglebottoms: one thumb up

(Sigh.) I wanted to love these diapers so much. A friend alerted me to them at Baby Bunz & Co. Starting at $20 for 6, the price is to die for. They're basically flannel prefolds that have been sewn into fitteds. They're available with or without velcro closures; when you purchase the ones without velcro you just use a diaper pin or Snappi to fasten it closed under the cover. I checked The Diaper Pin and reviews indicated that people who bought the style without velcro were overall happier with the product than those who bought the style with velcro. Plus the ones without velcro were cheaper, so that's what I chose. They're pretty soft and absorbent, but because they started out as prefolds, they're not as trim as other fitteds. Also, flannel has a very tight weave, so the Snappi won't grab ahold. If you're comfortable using diaper pins, this isn't an issue, but I'm just not. So for now, I'm still using these under covers without any kind of closure, but I realized tonight that I have a bunch of extra velcro in my sewing stuff, so I may sew some tabs on them.

Motherease Bamboo One-Size Fitteds: one thumb way up...so far

A sweet friend gifted two of these to me. I was absolutely stunned at how soft they are, and how absorbent the bamboo is! Because they're a one-size diaper (their website says they adjust from 8 to 35 lbs), they're still a little bulky on Miss R, which is what gives them the "so far" in the rating. Because of that, I have to put the largest covers she has over them since she's still relatively small. Other than that, these dipes are a dream! They are very adjustable in the snaps and even have a fold-down waist to accommodate younger, smaller babies. They're a little pricey at around $14, but you definitely get what you pay for with these diapers. I also like that the company is very eco-friendly, but that's just the crunchy in me talking. ;o)

Thirsties Fab Fitteds: 2 thumbs waaaay up!

If a diaper were competing for top spot against my MonkeyBuns, this one is the only one that might be able to beat them. These diapers are incredibly soft and lined with something that feels like a magical cross between fleece and suedecloth. They're fluffy and absorbent, yet trim at the same time. Thirsties uses Aplix brand velcro for its closure, which is the highest quality style of velcro available, so the laundry tabs are super reliable. Plus they come in 7 luscious and vibrant colors (and also plain white). At around $14 apiece, they're pricey to me. That's why I have only 1! But when I come across some spare change in the budget, I'll try to order a few more. I love this diaper! (** The sizing is quite generous, so if your child is on the border between 2 sizes and is built like mine, you might think about ordering down.)


And there you have it! My two Lincolns about the fitted diapers we've tried out. I welcome your thoughts and opinions about these and/or any other brands!

Prefold Diapers

Hmm, I had to start with the hardest one to qualify right? I consider prefolds to be a "generic" item, since if you're shopping on cloth diaper etailer websites and searching only for DSQ prefolds, they're all pretty much the same. I've included where I bought mine just FYI, but it doesn't really matter that much.

Quick Prefold Glossary
prepping: washing new prefolds; unbleached require more prepping than bleached because of the natural oils still present in the fibers, but can be soaked overnight to cut down on prep washes; wash on hot with or without detergent in a wash-wash-dry pattern for a total of at least 6 washes; this IS neccesary in order for diapers to absorb wets
quilting: when you buy new prefolds, they look flat and not at all like you imagine prefolds to look; once you've prepped them, they bunch up, shrink up to their size, and become softer and more absorbent; see the pics in my folding tutorial in this post to see what a quilted up prefold looks like

Unbleached Chinese Prefolds (UBCPF)

I love UBCPFs. They are total workhorses. Super absorbent and really sturdy serging. They quilt up quite nicely after the initial prep, and they only get softer with each wash. I chose unbleached because they haven't gone through loads and loads of chemical bleaching processes. I also figured that...well, they're diapers, and the bright white bleached ones would acquire some rather unattractive stains after a while. Some people say that UB are softer than bleached, but I don't really think that's so. I have bought infant, standard infant, regular, premium, and toddler-sized UBCPFs from Nicki's Diapers, Tiny Tush, and Green Mountain Diapers. The diapers are all the same in quality, but if you're new to cloth diapering, Green Mountain has, in my opinion, the most helpful and comprehensive guide to all the different sizes.

Bleached Chinese Prefolds (CPFs)

I also bought a few bleached CPFs because one day during my diaper sewing excitement (I have turned several prefolds into fitteds), I had the cute idea to dye some prefolds before I sewed them up! The principles of dyeing fabric a vibrant color are the same as dyeing your hair a crazy color: you gotta bleach it first. So I ordered a few bleached CPFs and prepped them. They quilted up really nicely and are very soft. I truly can't feel any difference between them and the unbleached. But I have never used them as diapers and (shame, shame) still haven't gotten around to dyeing them, so I can't answer to how well that process would go. If you think you want to try it out, you need to get high quality fabric dye from somewhere like Hancock or Joann's. The Rit stuff you get at WalMart just won't cut it. I think I got the bleached CPFs from Jillian's Drawers.

Bleached Indian Prefolds (IPFs)

I have a dozen bleached IPFs in size 'newborn'. The only reason I went with the bleached IPFs is because that's the only way I could find the newborn size prefold. They are super soft and teeeeny tiny! I never really used them as prefolds for Miss R, but I used them frequently as doublers in pockets or with fitteds for her longer sleep periods until her wetting needs outgrew them when she was around 2 or 3 months old. I got my bleached IPFs from Nicki's Diapers.

And now, what you've all been waiting for...

product reviews!

I know I'm only one mom, but don't we all want to know what real moms think of baby products before we buy them? Please keep in mind that opinions are SO subjective, so something that I loved you may end up hating, and vice versa. I'm going to break up my reviews by styles of diapers first and then go from there. For all brand name diapers, you should be able to find them at most of the CD etailers I've linked on the right-hand side of the blog. The only time I'll link a store is for private label, WAHM, or "generic" products (like prefolds).

The things that affect my opinion of a product are its durability, the strength of the elastic, snaps, and velcro, the company's quality of customer service, and the fit for my children. To help you out as far as fit preferences go, both my babes have had - as babies - pretty average tummies: not super skinny, but no buddha bellies either. They both had (and Miss R still has) a very average rise, and maybe slightly chunkier thighs. My toddler is now slender to average in his tummy, has a bit of a booty, and has some serious hams for thighs.

Okay, so that's my product review intro and disclaimer. Now obviously, I can only comment on products I've personally used. If you ever want to read reviews about a product that I don't feature, or you're interested in a second opinion, head on over to The Diaper Pin to read what other mamas have to say.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

On pre-loved diapers...

Okay, so we all want to save a little coin. One of the wonderful things about cloth diapering - besides saving some SERIOUS money - is that the diapers retain their value quite well, so you can sell them once you're done with them. This has an obvious benefit for you once you're all through with the diapering stage of your parenting days, but if you're just getting started, well, then how can it affect you now?

BUY SECOND HAND DIAPERS!

** Second hand diapers are not the same thing as "seconds." Second hand means that you will be the second parent to own them and put them on a bum. "Seconds" refers to second-rate manufactured new. Sometimes diapers are qualified as seconds because the wrong kind of elastic was used, one leg casing snaps up smaller than the other leg, the snaps are not spaced evenly, etc. But often, it's for something as small and insignificant as uneven stitching. In any case, even though they usually don't come with extras like inserts for pockets, seconds - when you can find them - are a STEAL. If you come across some in a brand you love, buy as many as you can afford to help round out your stash. Many diaper websites have an email list you can sign up for that will notify you when they have a large enough stock of seconds to put on sale. You can also visit www.fuzzibunzseconds.net to find a good selection of exclusively FB seconds.

I know a lot of people are kind of ooky about putting "used" (ahem, I prefer "pre-loved") diapers on their child. To be honest with you, I kind of was at first too. But remember, you can always, always, always strip your diapers. You can also boil them, although some diaper manufacturers don't really recommend it. Or you can add 1/8 cup of regular bleach to a full load of diapers.

It helps if you can buy pre-loved diapers from someone you know, or diapers that you can look at before you commit to purchase them, like at consignment sales. I got some wonderful Kissaluvs fitteds for Miss R at a baby and kids consignment sale in town a month or so ago. Or if you're shopping on Diaper Swappers, you can probably ask around other members for how reputable a seller is. Unfortunately, Ebay outlawed selling used diapers a few years ago, but I often find listings on Craigslist.

When you're buying pre-loved diapers online, be sure to look for labels like "EUC" or "EEUC" that will let you know that the diapers are in tip-top shape. This means that they shouldn't have any stains or smells, and no excessive pilling or obvious wear and tear. VGUC would, to me, mean that they may have some obvious wear and tear or pilling, but no stains and still had a lot of life in them. Beware of anything just labeled "UC." The diapers may be so worn that the elastic, velcro, or snaps have outlived their usefulness, or the diapers may have been ill-cared-for so long that even stripping them wouldn't make a tremendous impact.

That's my .02 about pre-loved dipeys. I definitely love mine!

Alphabet Soup

Okay, if you're on the front end of looking into cloth diapers, the acronyms might just be driving you up the wall! I'm going to try to break down the most common ones for you (and the ones I'm most likely to use). If you don't understand a "definition", just click the hyperlink. If the "definition" is a product brand, the hyperlink will take you to an online retailer where you can purchase that item.

AIO - All in One diapers
AI2 - All in two diapers
Aplix - not an acronym, brand name of high quality velcro designed to withstand the rigors that cloth diapers will face over their lifespan
BG/BGs - BumGenius brand diapers
BN - brand new
BSWW - Bummis Super Whisper Wrap brand covers
CD - cloth diapers
CPF - Chinese prefold diapers
DD - disposable diaper (also "sposies")
DS - Diaper Swappers
DSQ/DSQCPF/DSQIPF - diaper service quality, Chinese prefolds or Indian prefolds
EBF - exclusively breast fed, used to refer to how well diapers hold in super runny breastmilk poo
EC - elimination communication
Etsy - not an acronym, Etsy is an online forum for people to sell handcrafted items
EEUC - extremely excellent used condition (when shopping for pre-loved diapers)
EUC - excellent used condition
FB - FuzziBunz brand diapers
Fluff/fluffy - not an acronym; just a nickname for a cloth diaper
FS - for sale (may see on DS)
FSOT - for sale or trade (may see on DS)
FT - for trade (may see on DS)
GUC - good used condition
HH - Happy Heiny brand diapers
HP - Haute Pocket brand diapers
IPF - Indian prefold diapers
ISO - in search of (may see on DS)
KL/KLs - Kissaluvs brand diapers
KLO, KL1, KL2 - Kissaluvs fitted diapers, the number denotes the size
Nappy/nappi - not an acronym; just another nickname for a cloth diaper
NB
- newborn, refers to size of diapers
OB - organic bamboo
OBV
- organic bamboo velour
OC
- organic cotton
OCV - organic cotton velour
OS - one size diapers, adjustable usually from 7 to 35 pounds
OT - off-topic; you'll see this on Diaper Swappers and occasionally on this blog!
OV
- organic velour
PP - Paypal, used to let shoppers know what form of payment a seller will accept; seen on DS, etsy, and hyena cart
PPD - postage paid, when shopping for pre-loved or WAHM diapers means that price includes shipping
PUL - polyurethane laminate, the water"proof" layer of AIOs, pockets, or covers
RME - Revolution Money Exchange, a payment method like paypal, used to let shoppers know what form of payment a seller will accept; seen on DS, etsy, and hyena cart
SAHD/SAHM - stay at home dad or mom
TT - Tiny Tush brand diapers
UBCPF - unbleached Chinese prefold
UBIPF - unbleached Indian prefold
UC - used condition (when shopping for pre-loved diapers); may have stains or need stripping once you receive them
VGUC - very good used condition
WAHM - work at home mom, in diapering refers to a diaper made by a mom and not a company

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Endorsement...

...for detergent!



I HEART CHARLIE'S SOAP!

Seriously, this is by far my favorite detergent to use on cloth diapers. I paid $18.99 for the 128-load bottle of liquid laundry soap at EarthFare. So, if I use 1 oz of detergent per wash load every other day (15 loads per month), this $19 bottle will last me about 8 and 1/2 months! $2.24 a month! Or, $0.15 per load! Holy cow!

(While I'm at it, let me throw in here that when we started using cloth full time, our utilities bills went up a combined total of about $10 per month, or $0.67 per load. So with the utilities and detergent that's a grand total of $0.82 per load, or $12.30 per month to fully cloth diaper two 100% diapered children. So, after initial investments to purchase the diapers, we spend less than $13 a month to keep them in cloth. So when it comes to money, yes, you do spend a little more on maintenance for cloth, but I don't know anyone with even 1 child in disposable diapers who's spending less than $13 a month on them!)

The diapers smell fresher, look brighter, and require less rinsing because Charlie's Soap is extremely low-sudsing. Woo-hoo! Charlie's Soap makes a wide variety of cleaning products, so maybe I'll check those out too. They also make a powder laundry detergent, but I prefer liquid in general anyway. Also, as I've said before, some CDing mamas have speculated that powder crystals that may not fully dissolve in the wash water can become lodged in microfiber inserts, causing skin irritation and yucky smells, so I tend to think that liquid is a better choice for diaper laundering.