Types of diapers......

Hello there! Happy Monday!

I have some new reviews in the works for this week, but in the mean time, I thought I'd do a little write up about the different types of cloth diapers available from the modern, to the old fashioned. I thought this might be helpful for the newbies, as well as anyone who's overlooked something that they might find interesting!

I'll dive right in starting from the most basic, to the more complicated.

• Flatfolds.
A flat sheet of one layer of cotton. You fold them up to put absorbency where needed, cover in a wrap and go. This is probably the most basic diaper you can get, and the cheapest, however, it will require some patience while trying to learn to fold. Here's a tutorial. They are easy to clean and store and portable. they hold many uses around the house long after baby has potty learned. Did I mention they are cheap? At 1.50 each, you can easily diaper your child (possible two or three of them) for as little as 36 bucks. FROM BIRTH TO POTTY TRAINING!! HELLO?! CHEAP!! (that didn't include the cost of water proof covers, but they aren't that much either). (There are hemp options that are more costly, but still cheaper than disposables).
What you need for this option:
1.) The flatfold
2.) Something to pin in with (diaper pins or snappis)
3.) Waterproof outer cover.

• Prefolds.
A step up from a flat fold, but basically the same. These are cloth sheets that have more layers of cotton in the middle, where you need the most absorbency. They require less folding than a Flatfold. Here's a tutorial on that. These are also somewhat sized. You will need a set for newborn, medium, and large. Still not gonna break the bank with this option though. They range from 1.75 - 2.75 a piece, and again, they have many uses after baby is out of them. (there are also more expensive hemp or bamboo options in these).

What you need for this option:
1.) The Prefold
2.) Something to pin in with (diaper pins or snappis)
3.) Waterproof outer cover.

• Contour Diapers.
This is basically a prefold that has the legs trimmed away to make them less bulky. These come in a variety of options and range widely in price. Some come with added soakers, or soakers you can add or remove depending on your needs. These are easier than messing with folding, especially for dads. If you don't want to blow your whole budget on these, it would be nice to enhance your diaper stash with a few of these, rather than build your whole stash out of this option. They come in sized, or one size, and some have closures already attached to them, like velcro or snaps, and some require some type of fastener.
What you need for this option:
1.) The contour diaper
2.) Something to pin in with if needed (diaper pins or snappis)
3.) Waterproof outer cover.

• Fitted Diapers.
This is like a contour, but with elastic around the legs and usually the back. This is an advantage because the elastic makes for a close fit which helps with leakage. Everything else is about the same as a contour. Here's an example of a really pricey, but cute one!
What you need for this option:
1.) The fitted diaper
2.) Something to pin in with if needed (diaper pins or snappis)
3.) Waterproof outer cover.

• The All in Two (AI2)
This is where things get a bit fancy. An AI2 diaper is just that. Everything you need in two pieces. The inner absorbent material, and the outer waterproof cover. On some way or another, the two get combined to make one simple, easy to keep track of diaper. This is a real advantage for some households where maybe there is a stay at home dad, or another caregiver who doesn't want to mess with folds and covers and snappis. Bum Essentials is an excellent example of an AI2 diaper system. The inner pads are made of absorbent material, and those snap into the outer waterproof shell. They make for a trim diaper, and it's easy to maintain. Just snap out the inserts, fasten the laundry tabs and wash away! Another advantage is no folding required. You can also get these all ready to go after washing by simply snapping the absorbent pads in place, and storing in your diaper area until ready to use. Pricier than other options, but still lower in cost than full time disposables.
What you need for this option:
1.) The inner pads.
2.) The outer shell.

• The Hybrid.
This is not to be confused with the AI2, but it's similar in nature. It's a two piece diapering system, just like the AI2, but instead of only being able to use a cloth insert, you can use a disposable insert. GroVia would be the best example of this option. Same basic idea as an AI2 in that it has two pieces, but for those looking for the convenience of disposables, with the comfort of cloth, this is your best bet. You can chose to use the cloth insert, or the disposable, or both AND still save money and be "greener" than using disposables.
What you need for this option:
1.) The inner pads (either cloth or disposable)
2.) The outer shell.

• The Pocket Diaper
This diaper is not to be confused with the AI2, even though it is two pieces. Instead of having a snap in absorbent pad, it has a pocket for an insert. There is an inner layer of fabric that protects the babies skin from wetness, and a pocket for stuffing. Inserts come in a wide variety of materials, from natural to blended to synthetics. Along with that comes a wide variety of prices as well. In most cases, you will need to separate the insert from the diaper for washing, but care is relatively easy. Here's some examples.
What you need for this option:
1.) The diaper shell
2.) The insert(s).


• The All In One (AIO).
This diaper is a beauty for those worried about ease of use. Nothing to snap in, nothing to take out, nothing to stuff, nothing to separate, nothing to worry about! The soaker is sewn into the waterproof shell, has a stay dry liner to protect babies skin from wetness, and can be thrown directly in the wash with little fuss. Watch out though, these do take a bit longer to dry. But it's not really worth worrying about. Some AIO's even have the soaker open on one end to allow it to move freely in the dryer, while still staying attached to the diaper. That helps to cut down on drying time. Here's some different AIO types. Most have an open pocket, just like a pocket diaper, so you can increase absorbency as needed.
What you need for this option:
1.) Just the diaper its self.


So there you have it. What type of diaper system you choose is entirely up to you and your budget. Every family likes different systems for different budgets. I hope this helped you to sort out all the wonderful choices we have for diapers now!

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Stinkies......

So, it happened. It took almost 5 months, but it happened! What am I talking about? The dreaded stink, of course! If anyone out there uses any type of microfiber, no matter how cheap or costly, you either have, or will have dealt with stink. It seems that microfiber is just more prone to this problem for some reason. I'm not going to research the science behind why microfiber gets the stink so bad, but I'm sure it must have something to do with being synthetic.

On with the story. I use purex and the only problem I have had has been with my microfiber inserts, and with my BumGenius! AIO. Great diaper, but hard to take care of in some ways. What was happening was, my diapers were coming out of the wash smelling nice and clean. But then, as soon as C peed, it would smell like ammonia. It got pretty bad too. I was at my wits end with this problem.

Here's what I tried that DIDN'T work, in this order. (I'll get to what works in a minute!)
• Bac-Out in the wash
• Rockin Green as a detergent in the wash.
• I "rocked a soak" with Rockin Green for 12 hours.
• I Rocked another 12 hour soak, this time with Bac-Out.
• I washed with Rockin Green and rinsed about 5 times. There were no bubbles in the rinse cycles, but I rinsed extra anyways.
• I gave up on Rockin Green and tried Country Save
• I did two wash cycles with Country Save and an extra rinse cycle.
• Bac-Out with Country Save
• I tried Tiny Bubbles detergent.
• I tried Bio-Kleen Detergent
• I tried vinegar in the wash with an extra rinse.
• I finally gave up and tried clorox bleach *gasp* Even bleach didn't kill the smell!!!!!!

Want to know what worked? I bet you do! I messaged the friendly folks at Diaper Junction's Facebook page and asked them what to do. They suggested stripping with blue dawn, and trying a water softener.

Now here's the thing......I didn't do the blue dawn (dish soap) because I don't have my own washer to use. I have to pay for each load, and I imagine it would have required my entire weekly laundry budget to get all the dawn out of the diapers. I decided that that would be my LAST last LAST resort if the water softener didn't work. And if it came to that, I was seriously contemplating throwing out my microfiber and replacing them with natural fibers because it wasn't worth the effort to me.
I still have microfiber, so you can guess what happened.

What worked:

• 1/2 cup White King Water Softener (we don't have Calgon for some reason where I live, just White King. It should be the same though) in the pre wash.
• 1/2 cup WK in the wash cycle
• One extra wash cycle to get it all out.

It worked. It was like magic, almost too good to be true! I put the BG AIO on my little one, put her to bed, and hoped for no smell in the morning. When I woke up, to my surprise, there was hardly any ammonia smell at all. I am confident that after a couple more washings, the smell will be all the way gone, but I'll let you know if it's not.

Water softeners like Calgon and White King are fairly cheap. I got a giant box for 4.59 at the grocery store. My new wash routine will include White King in the wash cycle every time from now on. If you live in a hard water area (if you live in the US, you can almost count on it), then I highly recommend using a water softener of some sort to clean your diapers with. The stink I was getting was caused by detergent building up on my diapers because of the minerals in the hard water were trapping the detergent in the fibers of the inserts. I knew we had hard water, so I don't know why I didn't think of this before!

Here's another tip about water softeners. I suggest getting a powder version. You can use it for many things around the house, even for washing dishes by hand, or in the dishwasher. You will be surprised at how dingy your clothes actually were after one use! I let my glass coffee pot soak for about an hour in a sink full of water and 1 tbsp. of WK, and it came clean! All the coffee stains and spots were gone! It can be use to clean glass and counter tops and showers as well. It gets soap scum off really easily. Just mix it with some water in a spray bottle, leave it to work for a bit, come back and wipe away! I am all about such a versatile product. I really think this is mommy's little secret to a sparkly white tub, spot free dishes and stem ware, and stink free diapers! Who knew it would be that easy!

Tonight I am going to be experimenting with the sewing machine........more on that later! Until next time, Happy Diapering!

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Stay tuned......

There's still more to come. I think up next will be FuzziBunz and GroBaby(GroVia). It's been a busy week for me, but I'm very excited about the products that I have coming in the fluff mail!

Also, I am running some laundry experiments as I began to have issues with hard water, so stay tuned for those results. Also come back for tips on washing cloth diapers in hard water.

Feel free to post questions or issues you have here, and I'll try to help you, or at least point you in the right direction!

On that note, Check out Diaper Junctions blog "The Cloth Diaper Blog" for more articles and advice.

If you chose to buy something from them, would you mind clicking on my little affiliate button? I get a whopping 2% of your purchase (so 2 cents of every dollar you spend) but hey! It adds up, and in time I might be able to host my own product giveaways!

Until next time, Happy diapering!

Just a random thought.....

I was looking at a particular Cloth Diaper Brand's website. This diaper is a bit on the pricey side as it is a pocket diaper with a lot of great features. I am not sure if I am going to rat them out yet because I don't really want to be a jerk, so I want opinions first. I own ONE of their diapers, and I was thinking about getting more because I like it. But after reading some reviews of their customer service and looking at their website, I might not be buying anymore from them.

Their website is riddled with typo's and missing information. I've seen a letter from their customer service staff that was sent to a customer in regards to a defective item, and that was also riddled with typos. Their web site has said they they are "working on" certain areas for at least a month now, and still hasn't been updated. The typos are the killer though.

Here's the thing. To me, if you can't bother checking for typos, even in an email to your customer, it's like saying you don't really care about me as a customer. I'm not worthy of your time. We aren't talking one or two honest mistakes, we are talking easily 50 or more typo's all over the site! Every single aspect of the site has several typo's within it.

I think it looks very unprofessional. The fact is, if I was in a store, and I saw a product label with that many typos, I would probably put it down and not buy it. Cloth diapers are no different for me. In fact, I may be a bit more critical because I CAN'T touch the item first. I can't hold it, I can't see it, I can't do anything but READ ABOUT IT before I buy it! So if you don't care enough about me as a customer to do a simple spell check, then I probably don't care enough about you as a business to buy your product.

Can I get some opinions on this? Am I the only one that shops like this? Am I being too emotional about a website? Let me know how you feel! I really want to know!

More Prefold to Fitted Conversions

Here's another tutorial about converting your prefold diapers to fitted diapers. This one is a bit different, in that it puts the prefold right where the absorbency is needed, and uses flannel or fleece for the rest of the diaper. I believe that by using the prefold sandwiched between a layer of flannel, you are basically getting a "stay dry" type of diaper, since the flannel will wick away moisture from baby's skin down to the inner prefold core. I could be wrong, but I think thats the reason for doing it this way. Another thing to note is the author says the leg casing is optional. I think I like having casing better because in my opinion, it keeps the legs in place better and closer to the body. But, you will need a cover for this diaper anyways, so it may not matter to you. I also think I will be skipping the velcro and using the tabs as a place to catch the snappy with. That's just a preference of mine, I don't mind using snappis, and neither does my hubby.


For some reason, this actually looks easier to me, that the tutorial I posted before, but there's no way to know until I try it!

Prefold Conversion Tutorial

Converting Prefold to a fitted

I have been wanting to try fitted diapers for a while, but I'm not interested in spending the money on what is basically a prefold with elastic. So I thought to myself, "why can't I make my own prefolds into fitteds?" Sounds simple enough, right? A few cuts, a few strips of elastic and a little bit of sewing machine stitchery. Should be simple as that. So I set out to find tutorials about how to do this on-line and came across several dozen. Some were complicated, some were easy. Here's one that looks to be fairly simple, but effective.

So I thought I would share with those of you who are crafty and equipped with a sewing machine! Looks simple enough, even for someone like me, who doesn't even own a sewing machine, let alone use one!


I will be testing this out on some cheap gerber prefolds, before I go around cutting up my DiaperRite prefolds. I'll update this post when I get ahold of a borrowed sewing machine, and enough free time to get it done. If you have tried this before, please let us know how it works!

Here's the tutorial from another blogger:

Prefold to Fitted conversion turotial

Tips for getting the poop off

A diaper sprayer is a wonderful thing, and in some houses is a must have. But for some of us, it's a can't have! We live in an apartment and aren't able to have a diaper sprayer put on our toilet. It's also a bit to pricey for us coming up at about $45 bucks, so I have been trying to think of ways to "make-do" (no pun intended!) without one.

For a while now, I have kept a pair of gloves right next to the toilet, and when it's time to get the poop out, I just put them on and dunk the inside of the pocket diaper in the toilet. Since most of my pocket diapers are made of fabrics that release poop well, it isn't THAT hard, but there's still some swishing and splashing involved. And when it comes to prefolds, well, the poop likes to hang on the those a little bit more. So it can still get messy.

I have decided to add a high powered squirt bottle to the mix. I went to the garden center of Orchard Supply and bought one of those big spray bottles that are used for gardening and plants. It has a stream setting that is much more high powered than a regular spray bottle that's meant for say, styling your hair. You know the ones I'm talking about. They are meant for mixing plant foods and whatever else you spray in your garden or plants. They are a little bigger than an average sized sprayer, so you don't have to fill them up as much. Best part, they cost well under 5 bucks a piece. It works, and I love it.

I' also have some flushable liners on the way, so that might help even more! I'll let you know after I've used them for a bit!

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Rumparooz Review

I had my eye on this diaper for quite some time, trying to decide if I should risk the money. These are a bit pricey as far as pocket diapers go, but they have some awesome features that I was intrigued by. I am so glad that I splurged on this diaper, and will absolutely be getting more while the coupon code is still valid. One of the awesome things about this diaper that I will discuss is the "poop scoop" inner gussets feature. This is also one of the most compact OS diapers I have seen, with 4 adjustable rows instead of just three. In the pictures I posted, I decided to compare it to a BumGenius! One Size diaper, since that seems to be the most common diaper that everyone owns. So if you own a BG OS and were wondering about the sizing of a Rumparooz, the pics will show it. Compared to the BG OS, the Rumparooz snaps down a bit smaller than the BG, making it more capable of fitting newborns (Rumparooz also makes a newborn diaper that will fit premies up to 12 lbs). The regular Rumparooz one size fits from 6-35 Lbs! That's a pretty good range! It comes with the 6R soaker. 6R meaning you can use it 6 ways, which they illustrate on the website. It's very simple, and I love that the soakers snap to each other. It makes stuffing a bit easier. The 6R soaker is a bit thicker feeling than a BG soaker. It's very soft and very absorbent, and it washes clean and dries in one cycle. What more could you ask for from a soaker! Love this diaper, and it's well worth every penny!

I gave it 4 out of 4 stars

1.) Quality/Durability. This is definitly a quality diaper. I have no doubt in my mind that this diaper is going to last a long time to come. In my pictures, it looks like a brand new diaper, even though it has been used for almost two months now, and has been washed 25-30 times. If it breaks down as time wears on, I'll post more pictures to update. But Since there is no velcro to worry about, I don't see that happening. It hasn't even been stained by poop, and as you know, I don't use bleach or brightners. I haven't even sunned this diaper! The micro-chamois lining is super soft and has not pilled or lost any softness yet. The snaps are not the best I have seen, but not the worst. They are somewhere between the BG snaps (which are a bit flimsy in my opinion) and the GroVia snaps (which are far more heavy duty). It's a nice middle ground that seems to allow for durability without outrageous cost to the consumer.

2.)But How do they work!? GREAT! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS DIAPER! I can't say enough good things about it. This diaper has NEVER had a leak, not once since the time i first used it. It's in heavy rotation in my stash so it's had plenty of chances to fail me, and it simply hasn't! The inner gussets are a miracle. They really help to keep the majority of the poop in the center of the diaper, giving it less chance for escape out of the legs. It fits very well, which I was worried about with snaps. I was worried that being snaps, there may not be an exact snap that fits her, but it hasn't been an issue yet. The soakers work wonderfully, they are thirsty little suckers that seem to just keep on soakin! I have used this at night on many occasions, and have not been disappointed. The one and only reason I don't use this diaper at night anymore is because it's too cute and I want to show it off! I love that they have an extra row of snaps making this a diaper that I could have used from birth, had I known about it!


*View of the Pocket. It's a bit more narrow than a BG, mainly because the stride isn't as wide. It could make it hard for big hands to stuff. But not a major issue.

*A View of the inner gussets.

3.) The Cute Factor. These diapers are adorable. They fit nice and trim, so they don't interfere much with the way pants fit, and with all the color options available, they look cute under dresses :) Since it's summer right now, our LO runs clothes-less quite a bit and she looks just adorable in her little purple diaper!

4.) Overall Value. This diaper is worth it's weight in gold. If I had the money, there's a good chance that I would put all of my eggs in one basket so to speak. Since I don't, I will still be buying a few more of these to add to my stash. Being a one size diaper, they will last until potty training, so spending $23.50/diaper is still a good deal, and even better with the sale! I can rely on this as a night time diaper, and I know that it wont leak on long car trips. It cleans easily and stays as good looking as the day it was bought brand new. I highly recommend this diaper to anyone who was thinking about getting this diaper, but hasn't yet. Even for your new born!

These last photo's are comparison shots. I used a BG 3.0 to compare with, since that seems to be the most common reusable diaper in people's homes. If you have and BG 3.0's, this is how the Rumparooz is sized.


* Above, I laid them both out flat in their smallest settings. As you can see the BG is a bit larger all around than the RR. The stride is wider by maybe a half inch to an inch, and the rise on the BG is a bit taller.

*Side by side view

*Closed view, it's hard to see, but the RR is just a bit smaller on the newborn setting than the BG.

Hopefully that will give you a visual idea on if these diapers are right for your baby. If you find a BG is on the small side, or maybe even fits perfect, than a RR might run too small to last you all the way through potty learning. I happen to have a long and narrow baby, so it works just fine for us. I actually like the fit better than a BG OS.

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BumGenius AIO (All In One) Review

I got this diaper as a "free with purchase" item over at Diaper Junction. I wasn't sure how I was going to like an all in one style diaper, but since it was free I thought I'd give it a go. And I'm glad I did! This was also my first experience with a BumGenius! diaper. There's pro's and cons to this diaper, just like with any other diapering system, but overall it's a keeper and I have sense ordered more. All in one means that the insert in sewn inside the diaper, so you don't have to stuff anything, unless you want to add extra protection. BumGenius AIO happens to come with a microfiber insert, which is very absorbent. I still use a microfiber doubler. These are our night time diaper. You know a product is awesome if it can be used for long overnight hours without a problem! I believe it is because these are a sized diaper, NOT a one size diaper that they are over night friendly. I know that a lot of people get into cloth diapering to save money, so you may be apprehensive to buy a sized diaper, knowing that at some point you will have to buy a bigger size. But I say it's worth the money to have a reliable night time diaper, and save your money by buying one sized diapers for the day time. That said, our little girl didn't fit into this diaper until she right about 11 lbs or so, even though BumGenius! says the small will fit 8lbs and up. I think our baby just has skinny thighs, so I'm not holding the 3lb difference against BumGenius!, no two babies are alike in shape and size.

I wanted to make a quick note here about this diaper: BumGenius! diaper names can be a bit confusing when your first learning and shopping for this brand. This is the BumGenius! All In One, NOT the BumGenius! Organic All In One, which is designed differently, or the BumGenius One Size, which is another thing all together! Just wanted to get that clear. As soon as I have the time, I'll put up a quick comparison of the three for easy viewing.



These diapers get a 4 out of 4 star rating from me.

1.) Quality/Durability. The diaper it's self seems to be of high quality. I have had this diaper for few months now, and it's showing no signs of wear and tear except on the velcro landing strip and tabs. They have started to pill somewhat, but I can easily cut down what's sticking up with some nail clippers, and it still looks just fine. The piling hasn't affected the stickiness of the velcro as of yet, so I am not considering this a functional flaw, just a cosmetic one. Since our baby will outgrow the size small in a few months, I am confident that this could be saved for a 2nd child, or passed on to a friend. Absolutely nothing else on this diaper is showing signs of failing anytime soon. Since it was a free diaper, it came in white and I noticed that it looks a bit off color after having been washed probably about 25-30 times by now. But I obviously don't use bleach or brighteners, so I would expect that of anything white. Also, they haven't stained yet! That's exciting!

2.) How well do they work? They work wonderfully! The insert that is sewn in is similar in thickness to the large BG insert. I usually add one of their new born inserts to the pocket, and she's good to go for the night. NO WORRIES! As I mentioned, I have since ordered more so that I will have these diapers strictly for my night time diaper. I have three in total, which is enough to get me through my wash cycle. The only downfall to these diapers, is that because the insert is sewn in and not free to move around in the washer and dryer, cleaning becomes a bit difficult. But even that is an easy problem to solve. After they have been used, and before I toss them into the diaper pail, I turn the diaper inside out (wearing gloves) and I squirt just a bit of Biokleen BAC-OUT on the soaker and let it sit until wash day. This helps keep the stink away, and by washing it inside out, you are sure to get that insert nice and clean. These diapers take a bit longer to dry than other diapers. I dry them in the dryer with all my other diapers, and then let them air dry after. They sit over night and by morning they are dry. Not really a hassle at all.

3.) Are they cute? Well, yes and no. I have white, and white isn't exactly the cutest color, but since I got it free I'm not complaining. They do come in other colors though, so you don't have to stick to plain white if you don't want to. It's just that's what we designated our night time diapers to be so that my hubby has an easier time sorting out what's what. The benefit to a sized diaper is a very nice neat and trim fit. They fit much closer to the body, almost like a disposable, even with the doubler in place. This makes them fit under clothing really nicely. If you are looking for a super trim diaper with less bulk, I sincerely think these may be the one for you! I also have found that our little one sleeps better with a trim diaper on such as this one. I guess the bulkiness of one size diapers makes them uncomfortable for a good nights sleep.

4.) Overall Value. Even thought hey are sized, and you will have to buy more as your child grows out of them, they are a great value. ANYTHING that gets us through the night with no worries is a great value, right!? But really, if you only used them at night, and bought just enough to get you through wash cycles, you'd probably end up getting 4 in each size (3 nights worth of diapers, plus one back up in case you don't have time for laundry). At $15.95/diaper and package discounts available, these are a diaper that won't break the bank, and will last for a long time through multiple children. This is a wise investment in this moms opinion.

If you have had an experience, good or bad with this diaper, share it in the comments! Until next time, happy diapering!

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Still more to come.......

I'm working on some new reviews of Rumparooz and BumGenius!, and those will be up within the next few days.

Also, on the way to my door step as I type:

Happy Heineys
Knickernappies
Bio-Soft Flushable Liners
And a Happy Heineys Training pant (for a friend of mine with a night wetter to try out). I had to special order this, so there is no link for the time being.

So stay tuned for those!