Cloth Diaper Liners: Are they worth it?

I just wanted to do a quick post about diaper liners. When I was pregnant with my daughter the concept of a diaper liner was genius. There are many different brands all claiming to be flushable. I got the GroVia BioLiners. They say:

"GroVia™ BioLiners™ allow moisture to pass through while keeping your baby's skin dry. Easy to use, they keep solids contained for easy clean-up. Simply remove the liner and flush."

All the brands look and work pretty much the same way.  So I thought these would save me a lot of time and mess but in truth it did not. Most of time when I had the liner in the diaper it would bunch up and then diaper would still get dirty and I was still cleaning the diapers off. I felt like I was wasting my money. But I did like the flushable aspect until my toilet backed up from all of the liners I had flushed. Evidently, they do not dissovle as well as toilet paper.

So, I did a little experiment. I put a liner in the washer for 3 cycles. You read correctly. 3! This is what was left.

I think my washing maching is a little more forceful than my plumbing. This should have dissovled if it were truly flushable. Toilet paper would never come out of three wash cycles looking like this.

The end result: Diaper liners are not as convenient as they may seem and if you care about your plumbing at all don't flush them! These may work for some people out there but for me it was just flushing my money down the toilet and then watching it get clogged.

Improved 100% Cotton Diaper Inserts

Recently, I had a customer that was looking to buy inserts for her baby's G diapers. I wasn't familiar with this brand so I looked them up. This specific brand has the inserts act more as a liner which is very similar to the Flip System from Bum Genius. My old style of inserts were made completely out of terry cloth which is often too rough for little baby bottoms. In the interest of my customers who may use my inserts as liners for their diapers I have created a softer, more absorbent insert.

Flannel covered inserts padded with 5 layers of terry cloth. No difference in color, that's just the color of flannel I had when I made these. I think I just ran out of white.

I have increased the number of layers of terry cloth from four to five for extra protection against leaks but still using 100% cotton so there are no smells that linger after a wash. I have also lined my inserts with 100% cotton flannel so it is soft against baby's bottom if needed but can still be used easily as an insert for GreenCheeks diapers and most other brands.

GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts are available in a 3 pack for $5 in any size. One-Size 100% Cotton Inserts are also available in a 2 pack for $6.

GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper and Insert

GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper and One-Size 100% Cotton Insert can be adjusted three sizes. One diaper can fit a baby from approximately 8lbs to 45lbs! There's no need to get different sized diapers as your little one grows. You have all you need with one diaper.

All you need to do is adjust the snaps.

Below is the One-Size Diaper and Insert adjusted as a small.

Below is adjusted to the medium size:

And below they are adjusted to the large size.

 GreenCheeks One-Size Diaper also come with snap fasteners.

One-Size Diaper with snap fasteners adjusted to a small

GreenCheeks One-Size Diapers are $18 each and include one One-Size 100% Cotton Insert. Additional One-Size 100% Cotton Inserts can be purchased in a pack of two for $6.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Baby Booty Balm (In a twist tube!)

I have a had a few requests for a natural diaper ointment. Well you asked and I delivered. Baby Booty Balm (my husband made up the name) is made from a combination of Grapeseed Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, and a combination of essential oil specifically for diaper rash. It is all natural and safe for cloth diaper. And it smells wonderful! I've been using this on my little girl since she was born and have had great results. Best of all it comes in a twist tube so you never have to touch the ointment or baby's bottom and it lasts for months! You can use it every diaper change or just when the skin is irritated. 

Baby Booty Balm comes in 2oz tube for $10 or a 1oz tube for $5.

Note: For sanitation purposes only one tube per child should be used.

The best part about Baby Booty Balm is you can make it yourself! You can get most of the products, including the twist tubes, from Elements Bath and Body for a great price. For the essential oil I think doTerra is the best brand to go with. They have given me best results but they are higher priced because of the great quality. If you want to go with a lower priced essential oil Aura Cacia and Nature's Alchemy are good brands as well. You can find these essential oils at your local health store or visit http://www.vitacost.com/

This is what you will need:
2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
2 Tablespoons Beeswax Pellets
1 Tablespoon Jojoba Oil
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
1 Tablespoon Coconut or Shae Oil
2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
2 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
2 drops Geranium Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil

In a double boiler or a small slow cooker (I used the slow cooker) melt all ingredients together except the essential oils. Once it is all smooth and liquid take a spoonful out and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Test the spoonful to see if it is the consistency that you want. If it's too soft add more beeswax, if it's too hard add more grapeseed oil. This recipe is what I found to be the best consistency. When it is the way you want it add the essential oils and stir with a fork. Then pour or spoon the oil into a desired container such as a glass baby jar or a twist tube. (To transfer the oil I used a new turkey baster. I have also found a large syringe works well.) Let sit at room temperature until it is solid.

 This recipe makes about 3oz of balm which will fill one large and one small twist tube. You do not have to use all the essential oils listed but together they are great for diaper rash. At the very least I recommend tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil.

If you have any question feel free to e-mail me or comment. Enjoy your Baby Booty Balm!

Do-It-Yourself Diaper Sprayer

I'm sure those of you out there who cloth diaper have seen the diaper sprayers the commercial companies sell. When my little one was first born I realized that some soiled diapers have to be sprayed off before being washed. It was too bad I had to learn that the hard way. So I really wanted to invest in a diaper sprayer but $40-$50 was a little steep for me. The thrifty side of me just wouldn't allow that purchase. So, I tried alternatives.

Shaking them off in clean toilet water was not very effective.
Using the shower hose on a stream setting into the toilet was more effective but water got everywhere!
Using the sink and its hose was most effective but really gross.

After sanitizing my sink 5 times I decided just to give in and spend the money on the diaper sprayer. I told my husband of my pending purchase but he told me to wait. When I got home that day he had fixed up a sprayer onto my toilet using a kitchen sink sprayer and it cost HALF of what the diaper sprayer cost. Plus, it works great! My husband is such the handyman.

So, I knew I couldn't keep this to myself. I asked him to tell me all the products needed and the steps to hook it up which is posted below with links and pictures.

If you don't want to go get these products yourself, I do sell a Diaper Sprayer Kit for $30 that is already assembled so all you need to do hook it up to the toilet. It's listed to the right of the posts in the Prices and Products section.

Do-It-Yourself Diaper Sprayer

What you need:

• 3/8 in. x 3/8 in. x 3/8 in. Brass Compression Adapt-A-Valve

• 3/8In.x1/4In. Brass Compression Coupling 

• 3/8 in. PEX Faucet Supply Line With Sleeve (This comes in anywhere from 12in to 30in but you only need about 1-1/4in piece so get the smallest length you can.)

 

• Sink Spray Hose & Head

 
Note: the links are examples of what to get. Please feel free to get any brand. It's easier to get exactly what you need if you go into the store and ask a employee to find the parts.

To Attach Sprayer to Toilet:

1. Turn off water valve
2. Disconnect toilet hose from shut of valve 
3. Connect the 3/8 in. x 3/8 in. x 3/8 in. Brass Compression Adapt-A-Valve to the shut off valve
4. Remove nut from side valve and reconnect the toilet hose to the side valve
5. Cut a 1-1/4in piece of PEX (Do not bend the PEX while cutting. Use a very sharp knife or a serrated knife to insure the PEX doesn't bend.)
6. Insert 1-1/4 piece of PEX into the top valve of the Brass comppression Adapt-A-Valve and tighten the nut around the PEX
7. Connect the 1/4in side of the Brass Compression Coupling to the PEX by putting the small brass insert into the PEX and tightening the nut.
8. Connect the sprayer to the 3/8in side of the Brass Compression Coupling and tighten the nut.
9. TA-DA! You have successfully connected your very own, very cheap, diaper sprayer!

This is what it should look like when completed:

If your having difficulty connecting your sprayer or need further instruction feel free to e-mail me at greencheeksdiapers@live.com or comment on this blog and I can help you.

GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts

The GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts are made from 3 layers of soft terry cloth for maximum absorbency but quick drying. Unlike microfiber inserts, terry cloth is 100% cotton that washes well and leaves the insert smelling fresh and new. There is no "stink" after washing like other inserts.Also, the inserts are double stitched to ensure quality and integrity even after years of washings. The inserts can be tumble dried with heat and occasionally washed with bleach to strip and whiten. GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts come in 4 different sizes to fit GreenCheeks diapers sizes:

 X-Small: 10in by 4in

Small: 11in by 4.5in

Medium: 13in by 5in

Large:  15in by 5in

*One Size GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts Coming Soon

To use GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Inserts place insert into pocket of your GreenCheeks diaper until its not visible from the outside. Gently tug on both ends of your diaper to ensure the insert is perfectly fitted inside the diaper. Place diaper on your child. When changing remove the insert from the diaper and put both in dry pale for easy washing. (No one wants to separate dirty, wet diapers right before washing. It's much more convenient to do it right after the diaper change.)

The Catch-All Wipes

If your going to use cloth diapers there is no reason that you shouldn't also use cloth wipes. I mean, you already have to wash the diapers. Why not just throw in the wipes too. I'm going to be honest, there are times when all my wipes are dirty and I don't have any made up that I use the disposable kind but I would much prefer my cloth. They clean up so much more with one wipe than any of those thin things could do. Plus, I have a container of wipes in almost every room of the house for all kinds of messes. You never know when you'll need a wipes. Because they are so versatile and thorough I call my cloth wipes the Catch-All Wipes. Here are some of my designs:

One side is an ultra absorbent terry cloth or micro-fleece that catches the big mess. The other side is a super soft flannel in many fun designs that allows you to double check your baby's bum is as clean as it can be. One wipe per diaper change is usually all you need. Plus these wipes are double stitched so they never fray and will last though countless diaper changes and washings.

For storage these 8x8 inch wipes fit nicely into a disposable wipes container when folded in half. That's what I use but you can do whatever works for you.

For information on recipe for the wipe solution please visit my post Reuseable Cloth Wipes Solution

How to Make Laundry Tabs

Before I started making my own diapers I used many different brands of cloth diapers trying to find one that fit my needs and my baby best. I did like Bum Genius diapers with a few exceptions. Besides being overpriced I didn't like when I would pull them out of the washer they would be in a long train. The hook and loop (Velcro) closures would attach to each other and be a giant mess!

This is a Bum Genius diaper. I have circled the laundry tab. It is sewn onto the inside of the diaper which would be very convenient if they worked. After a few washings the hook closures are fastening to anything but the designated loop laundry tab on the inside of the diapers during a wash. This, not only is very annoying, it damages the diaper that you just mortgaged your house to buy. (OK, an exaggeration but you get the point.) Diapers do not last nearly as long if the hook closures are constantly tugging as the fabric. When a friend, who has been cloth diapering for years, told me her solution it was like a breath of fresh air.
Below is a simple step by step guide to making laundry tabs for you GreenCheeks diapers so that you may avoid the dreaded diaper chain.

1. You need a piece of 2 inch loop fastener. The length depends on how many fasteners you will need.

   
       2.  Measure 1.5 inches in length.

   
       3. With a fabric pen mark the loop fastener as 1.5 inches.

       4. Cut the loop fastener at 1.5 inches where you just marked.

       5. Place your new laundry tab on the hook fasteners of your GreenCheeks diaper.

       6. Now that your tabs are covered your diaper is ready to be washed!

I put my laundry tabs in a small container by the side of my changing table. When I change a diaper I put the tabs on the diaper before I put it in the dirty pale so when I'm ready to wash my diapers all my laundry tabs are already in place. I'm been using this method for several months now and I can really tell the difference it makes for my diapers.

I hope this helps you out too!