One reason that I chose to make my GreenCheeks inserts 100% cotton is from my experience with microfiber. I have dozens of microfiber inserts and while they are slightly more absorbent that cotton they have a tendency to hold odor. There were many times when I would change my little one's morning diaper and the ammonia smell would sting my eyes. I would wash and wash and wash the inserts yet I could not get the odor to dissipate.
It wasn't until I sun bleached all my diapers that I realized it got rid of stains and the horrible smell too!
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| These are all the diapers and inserts sun bleaching. I couldn't find my tarp so I used and old blanket and then weighed it down with a cement block so the wind wouldn't take it away. |
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| GreenCheeks AIO diaper AFTER |
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| GreenCheeks AIO diaper BEFORE |
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So why sun bleach diapers and inserts? As a cloth diapering parent the less cleaning product I use on my diapers the better. The diapers last longer, its better for the environment and better for baby's skin without all those cleaners still in the fabric.
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| A Flip diaper insert BEFORE |
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| A Flip diaper insert AFTER sun bleaching |
How do you sun bleach diapers and inserts? This is the best part! It's so easy. All you do is after a wash lay your diapers and inserts (still damp) flat in the sun. I let my diapers sit outside for the majority of the daylight on a tarp (anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the time of year). The longer they sit in the sun the better they'll look. If it was raining while my diapers and inserts were "tanning" I run them through an extra rinse cycle before letting them dry.
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| A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert |
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| A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert AFTER |
Can you still sun bleach your diapers when it is overcast? Of course it doesn't have to be sunny! It can be overcast or even RAINING! The UV light still penetrates through the clouds and bleaches the diapers for stink and stains. The pictures I have posted were after sunbleaching on a rainy day. It does seem to bleach the diapers better the more the sun shining though as more UV light can reach the diapers.
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| A 100% cotton large insert BEFORE |
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| A 100% cotton insert AFTER |
How often do you sun bleach? As often as you need too. Unlike chemical bleach and cleaners, sunbleach is a natural and safe way get rid of stains and stink. I have a customer who had a lot of issues with smelly inserts and sunbleached the inserts after every wash for a few hours. It worked great for her.
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| A Bum Genius AIO OS Organic diaper BEFORE |
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| A Bum Genius AIO OS organic diaper AFTER |
