Updated to add: I snapped down the Mommy’s Touch diapers to the smallest rise setting, double stuffed them, and tried them on Benjamin, two nights in a row. Neither leaked. I don’t know if the elastic *is* going, and that’s why we have to make them smaller, or if Benjamin really is that small. Either way, this is possibly the only reason for the leaks. So MT and I are on speaking terms again.
Mommy’s Touch one-size easy clean snap diaper were once at the top of my go-to list. After a couple months, though, some disturbing habits have surfaced.
Like the habit to leak every night.
And randomly during the day, too.
Having my three year old slip and fall completely into a puddle of pee has made me rethink my diapering favorites.
I think, perhaps, it is the elastic? Maybe it is not as taut as it used to be?
So I turn to the trusty bG’s. I’ve emailed the company for replacement velcro tabs (oh, drat, that means I have to *sew!*). I even suggested they make a snap version. Because I’m sure no one has ever made that suggestion. And I’m positive they will listen to me. I am oh-so-important in the cloth diapering world. Right?
Maybe I should just make my own.
No, seriously, click that link. This girl’s a genius. Give her some PUL, elastic, thread, and needle and she can churn out honest-to-goodness diapers.
Or maybe I should just go back to prefolds. My inserts are starting to stink, anyways. Maybe it’s the well water. Or the water softener. Either way, I’m sure 1/2 cup bleach every other wash will shorten the lives of these costly brand-name diapers. Chinese prefolds, here I come!
Oh, wait. I gave them away. To a real-live-missionary, too! I had to fight back the pride.
Maybe I should take a page from Tammy‘s book and make my own prefolds out of receiving blankets. We have plenty. They’re all pink, though. 🙂
And I’d still have to buy covers. And I had pretty much hoped not to buy any more diapering accessories. Ever.
So I’ll be replacing the velcro on my bG’s, researching causes and cures to stubborn stinks. That’s where you can find me.
What are you up to these days?
Oh, the stinkies! I’m feeling that, too. I think it is just part of the deal with microfiber that has been in use for such a long time (some of our mf inserts are on month . . .let’s see . . .16). I hang out on the LLL mother-to-mother forums, and there is a cloth diapering section. Those ladies have lots of helpful advice! One of the big ones is stripping with dawn (which, I have to confess I haven’t done yet). But 1/4 cup bleach in the load about every two to three weeks is working for us right now. I used to only do it about once every other month, but that’s not cutting it these days. One thing I do to prolong the life of the covers, is to do an “insert only” load with bleach every once in a while. That way, I’m only washing the covers with bleach half as often.
🙂
Laundry line. Dry them in the sun.
It will rid you of the smell, and likely bleach out the stains.
Baring that, put 1/2 cup of baking soda and water in the diaper pail. Wash with cup of vinegar.
Or get some borax. Stuff works like a dream.
Have you been using the dryer to dry them? I heard somewhere that PUL needs to be thrown in the hot dryer now and then to properly work.
When you have stinky inserts stripping them really helps. Instead of throwing in laundry soap you put a squirt of Dawn in the wash and then you rinse rinse and rinse again until all the bubbles are out. That gets rid of the laundry soap buildup that happens.
Aw, shucks :-). Thanks! Sewing diapers is addicting. Trust me.
I’ve heard also that Dawn works. The diaper sewing board I’m on has lots of ladies that swear by Dawn for stripping diapers. Also RLR, which apparently is some stuff that can be found in one-load packets at Wal-mart, or something? Also some lavender essential oil or tea tree oil, I’ve heard. Both have natural antimicrobial properties.
Yeah, once you wander away from the prefolds it all gets a little more complicated. : )
Still a bG! fan over here, even though the elastic is shot in mine now.
figures you find this out after someone ordered us a bunch for Caylee… :-/ What kind of inserts do you have?
The cottonbabies website said you shouldn’t use baking soda or vinegar on their dipes. Just a heads up. 🙂
My inserts are getting stinky, too, especially to my overly sensitive pregnant nose, so I’m going to be trying Dawn tonight. And once the sun finally emerges I will be putting them outside to sun!
Good luck!
I would try stripping them with Dawn too. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? We always use purex free and clear. I’ve tried switching a few times to others that were supposed to be okay for diapers, but after just one wash (even in other free and clear detergents) we had bad leakage problems from buildup, so now I just stick to what I know works.
I have been responding via email to these comments, but so we don’t get repeats, here are my replies:
1.) Additives (vinegar, baking soda, ANYTHING but bleach and detergent) are basically illegal with bumGenius.
2.) I HAVE recently stopped hanging my dipes out to dry in the sun. We moved to a very shady area (lots of big, mature trees), and they weren’t drying in 8 hours! And we bought a dryer. Maybe the lack of sun is the cause of stink?
3.) I used to do the Dawn trick, months ago, when I had to dry them indoors b/c of weather. It worked then, but not now. The stink prevails.
4.) I use Arm&Hammer Free, the powder type. Maybe I should switch to purex. We used to use that. (I go back and forth to whatever ‘free’ detergent is on sale.) Is powder better than liquid? Normal concentration better than 2x?
5.) I have a mixture of CottonBabies one-size microfiber inserts and other random inserts given to me when I got my used fuzzibunz stash.
6.) I was using essential oils (both tea tree and lavendar), but stopped b/c I was too lazy to run back in the house to get it (laundry’s in the garage). Maybe I’ll start that back up. I surely has to be better on the dipes than bleach.
7.) I have been using the dryer to dry the Mommy’s Touch. I don’t know why they stopped being a leak-proof as the bG’s. I wish they were better – I love that they fit both Benjamin AND Olivia! It could just be that Benjamin has tiny thighs. 🙂
8.) Has anyone else noticed more stink when adding a water softener? Do you think, since they make soap more efficient, I should be using less soap? Maybe that is the cause of the stink? Soap build-up?
Thanks for all the comments!
I have more luck with the prefolds. Those AIO have that puckerd fabric that can trap the stinks. I do have some for going out so they are trimmer under pants but that is it.
Ok, I’m trying something new with the MT tonight… Something I said earlier made me think… If Benjamin’s legs are too skinny – why not try the diapers on the smaller setting? I’ve always just assumed (since he was over a year old when I bought them) that he was big enough for the larger setting. Never even tried the smaller one.
Well, I snapped it down, double stuffed it, and tried it on him. IT FIT. (Yep, he’s in the 10th percentile, alright.) So we’ll see if he wakes up at 3am needing new sheets. I’ll let you know!
i’m telling you, diaperless is the way to go! just cut a slit in their pants, hold them over a bush and let them go. works for millions of people all over the world 😉
Wow, I had no idea there were so many options in the cloth diapering world. It’s like listening to a whole different language reading these comments. I never did cloth diapering, so I have no helpful comment but I hope things work out for you, Beth.
No cloth diaper experience, but I do know that you can use less soap with soft water. I use a third to one half less in my dishwasher ….
You’ve used tea tree oil w/ the BG’s? I wasn’t sure if it’s allowed lol.. found you while looking that up. Smell is not our problem, but my poor girl has a rash (not from diapers of course, but I’m afraid they may need disinfecting now and we steer clear of bleach).
Hope you fix your problem! Or fixed… looks like this was written a while back lol