PUL Design Flaw

Recently, Joann's Fabric and Craft Stores have begun carrying printed PUL. Oh, and are they cute! There are five different prints: Camo, Jungle, Monkey, Muli Dot, and Tie Dye. When I first saw them I couldn't wait to get some and make a few diapers.
 

Camo Print PUL interior

 

Camo Print Exterior



I bought one yard of each print with matching flannel for the lining just to start with. (They love me at the cutting counter with 15 different fabrics that need cut. OK, so maybe love isn't exactly how they feel.) 



Jungle Print PUL interior

Jungle Print Exterior



 So, at home I was extremely excited about making a diaper. I got all my supplies out and unfolded the fabric to pin my pattern down and (Gasp!) I realized plastic is on the WRONG SIDE of the fabric.


Monkey Print PUL



Monkey Print Exterior

 Cloth diapers made with PUL have the plastic lined side of the fabric on the inside of the diaper. So, why did they decide to put the plastic on the brightly printed side that would be hidden and the part that would be showing is the faded side of the print?


Mulit Dot Print PUL



Mulit Dot Exterior

 PUL is mostly used for cloth diapers. I'm sure there are other things people make out of PUL but the main reason Joann's sells PUL is because of the increased interest in cloth diapers and those who sew. I can't think of many things that would need the plastic on the visible part of the fabric but maybe I just don't know...



Tie Dye Print PUL





Tie Dye Exterior

 I have written Joann's a letter about this fabric. I feel like it was a design flaw by company. The person who designed these fabric obviously does not make cloth diapers. From now on I'll stick with the solid colored PUL but until then what do I do with 5 yards of PUL that doesn't fit my usual diaper needs? I still can made wet bags and pail liners out of it because the plastic lined side does show but what about diapers? As I see it I have 2 options:

1. Make diapers as normal with faded inside print visible.
2. Reverse PUL so plastic lined side shows with bright print.

So, I need the opinion of you cloth diapering moms out there (or anyone else out there who wishes to voice their opinion). If you were to have a diaper made from this PUL which option would you choose?

GreenCheeks Pail Liner

When using a dry pail for GreenCheeks diaper it is much easier (and cleaner!) to use a pail liner. A lot of people use trash bag but in the spirit of being green I recommend using a reusable pail liner.

The GreenCheeks pail liner is made from PUL waterproof fabric in a variety of colors. When it is time to wash diapers simply take the pale liner out of the pail with all the diapers still inside. Use the pail liner to dump the diapers into the washer. With the pail liner you never have to touch dirty diapers when putting them in the wash! Then turn the pail liner inside out and wash with the diapers. Air dry on the line or lay flat or tumble dry on NO HEAT. A pail liner is a must have for cloth diapering parents!

Reusable Wet Bags

One big bummer about cloth diapering is when you're on the go. You have no choice but to cart around a dirty diaper in your bag for several hours. Some people revert to paper diapers when they're out of the comfort of their own home but I'm out and about a lot. If I did that I wouldn't really couldn't say I cloth diaper when I'm still donating several hundreds of dirty paper diapers that don't decompose for 100 years to the landfills. That's not green at all. Although, there isn't much of a choice regarding carrying around a dirty diaper but there is a way to make it easier.

Introducing GreenCheeks' Reusable Wet Bags!

Medium Wet Bag

Medium Wet Bag open. Lined with pink PUL.

The Reusable Wet Bags are made from a variety of fashionable fabric on the outer layer and durable, waterproof PUL interior layer. It is closed with a strong, nylon zipper to keep leaks out. No leaky drawstrings on these bags! Keep a Reusable Wet Bag in your diaper bag for changing time. Place the dirty diaper in the wet bag and zip up. Store your wet bag in your diaper bag until you can get home to put the dirty diaper in the pale. With the Greencheeks' Reusable Wet Bag you can feel secure that dirty diapers (and their smells) will be kept enclosed and everything else in your diaper bag clean and dry!

The Reusable Wet Bags come in three sizes:

Small: 8"x10"  $8

Medium: 13"x16" $12

Large: 18"x21" $16

Stripping You're GreenCheeks Diapers

Wash after wash a little deteregent builds up on the cloth diapers. After a few months your diapers may feel filmy and don't look as good as they did when you first bought them. This is from detergent build up and you need to strip your diapers. I do this about every six months.

You need:

Blue Dawn Dish Soap original scent. Yes, it has to be the blue kind. It's the only one that isn't antibacterial or anything else. Dawn gets out oils in the diaper. 

AND

Color Safe Bleach. This must be used on GreenCheeks Diapers because of the colored lining. For some reason chlorine bleach does not alter the PUL but it does damage the lining. For this reason only use Color safe bleach. On inserts and prefolds cholorine bleach can be used.

What to do:

1. Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) with original liquid Dawn (blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup color safe bleach in the wash cycle.
2. Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are rinsed clean.

You should be able to tell a big difference in how your diapers look and feel after stripping them of detergent build up.



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 Perfect Pocket Diaper

The best fit diaper!

Well, I did it. Four patterns later and I finally discovered the best pattern to give the best fit with out leaks!
So what makes the GreenCheeks Perfect Pocket diaper such an amazing diaper? Several new and improved listed below.

1. The long tabs and hook closures allow for a variety of sizes and room for growth

2. The large pocket makes it easy to put in and take out the GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Insert and the pocket has elastic on both sides to keep the insert firmly in place.
3. The leg elastic is sewn in such a way to ensure that there is no twisting or binding so the diaper stays in place and leaks are minimal .

4. The diaper designs are fun and creative. Just because it's a diaper doesn't mean it has to be boring.



5. The loop closure is wide and long for a variety of sizes and to allow growth. It also ensures a secure closure. No one wants a diaper that comes off!
6. The diaper is lined with a waterproof PUL fabric so everything that should stay in the diaper does.
7. Customers can choose from hook and loop closures or snaps. I know there are some out there who have an aversion to hook/loop fasteners and for those people there are snaps!


GreenCheeks Perfect Pocket Diaper with snaps. Reason #7

8. Every GreenCheeks Perfect Pocket diaper comes with one sized GreenCheeks 100% Cotton Insert. 



This diaper is a large. Below are a few more designs of the GreenCheeks Perfect Pocket diaper. Let me know what you think!

 

This diapers is a large with a fish print lining.

This large diaper I put an extra loop closure on the outside of the tab in case it was too big and it needed that extra space for a snug fit. It turned out that it wasn't needed at all so this is the only one I added that extra.

This is a size small. Obviously, I have a lot of yellow fabric. I didn't realize this until I put the pictures up.

This large diaper has stars on the tabs. These are felt buttons that I sew on by hand. I just think it adds a little creative touch to the diaper. This diaper reminds me of sunshine on a cloudless day.

 

This is an x-small. It is the tiniest thing. I often forget babies are ever this little. I made this one for a customer who is about to have a baby. I love this fabric! It's so hippy. 

GreenCheeks No Leak Nursing Pads

A whole new way to prevent leaks. These reusable/washable nursing pads are lined on the outside (the side against your bra) with PUL fabric, padded in the middle with two layers of 100% cotton terry cloth for maximum absorbency, and lined on the inside with an ultra soft polyester/cotton blend. The breast pads are machine washable and can be lined dried or tumble dried on NO heat. GreenCheeks No Leak Nursing Pads come in four convenient sizes depending on cup size.

Sizing Guideline

X-Small (3in): A cup

Small (3.5in): A or B cup

Medium (4in): C cup

Large (4.5in): D or DD cup


X-Large (5in): DD or Larger