ALL ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS CANADA

ALL ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS CANADA

Baby will require 7500 or more diaper changes from birth to potty training.

Before I had my first baby, I decided on cloth diapers because of economy, but I had visions of myself steaming a kettle of diapers on the stove in order to sterilize them.  I struggled to find a way to fold the square cloth diapers that were standard equipment at the time.  Now the prefolded diapers have taken the work away from folding, and after four children and 36,000 diaper changes, I’ve learned that there’s nothing mysterious or scary about washing diapers either.  (Actually, I learned that after the first month into my diaper-changing career!)  My husband changed cloth diapers too.  With the Velcro closures on diapers and Nikkys, he didn't worry about poking baby with a pin.  We used the laundry method described on the next page.  Like all parents, we have a busy schedule but with the modern-day convenience of automatic washers and dryers, it takes no more effort than pushing a few buttons to do a load of diapers.

Here are some of the common questions parents have asked us, about diapering.  Hope you find it helpful,
Grace

HOW MANY CLOTH DIAPERS DO I NEED?

Even if you wash cloth diapers every day, you should have at least 3 dozen diapers, preferably 4 dozen.  If you buy less than that, they’ll wear out from the frequent washing, before baby is potty trained.

WILL MY BABY GET DIAPER RASH IF I DON’T STERILIZE THE DIAPERS?

Normally, hot water washing and thorough rinsing will leave your cloth diapers sanitary.  Of course, common sense prevails—a health nurse phoned to tell us her concerns about rinsing cloth diapers in the toilet.  She explained that if the toilet is not kept reasonably clean, it is better to use a separate bucket for rinsing diapers.  Apparently some of the homes she visited had very poor housekeeping habits.  The biggest cause of diaper rash is simply leaving baby in a wet diaper too long, so that the rash-causing bacteria have a chance to multiply in the warmth, darkness, and dampness.  If you are in doubt about the sanitation of your cloth diapers, use 175 ml of vinegar in the final rinse.

SHOULD I USE A PURE SOAP, LIKE IVORY SNOW, ON CLOTH DIAPERS?

We don’t recommend ever using pure soap (as opposed to detergent) on cloth diapers.  Many customers have told us about the problems which have resulted from using pure soap on cloth diapers.  One customer told us that using pure soap had plugged up their farm septic system and that the man who did the clean-up told her not to use soap again, and to switch to detergent.  Some customers have had the hoses on their washing machines clog up because of the soap residue.  Customers have sent us cloth diapers to look at which have actually become water repellent because of the waxy build-up of soap residue.  (Ivory Snow is recommended for Nikky pant laundering, because it helps maintain the waterproofing.  Use Ivory soap flakes, not Ivory Snow liquid--the liquid is a detergent, not a soap.) In one case, the customer had hard water, and the soap had not rinsed out but had actually formed “curds” inside the cloth diaper layers!  If you insist on using soap, despite all this, then use soap with 1/2 cup of washing soda (Arm & Hammer washing soda is one brand, found in the laundry detergent section of any grocery store).  In hard-water areas, rinse first with 1/3 cup of washing soda to eliminate soap ingrained from previous washings, or a curd may form.  If curds form, use 1 1/2 cup of white vinegar to eliminate them.

WHAT CAUSES THIS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOAP AND DETERGENT?

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, “The most important feature of detergents is their ability to clean effectively in hard water.  Hard water contains certain minerals, and many soaps cannot be used to launder in it.  Such soaps react with the minerals to form a substance called lime soap or soap curd.  Lime soap does not dissolve, and so it is difficult to remove from fabrics and other surfaces.  It also causes bathtub ring.  Detergents do not leave such deposits, and they also penetrate soiled areas better than soap does.  The chief ingredients of soap are 1) fats, and 2) chemicals called alkalis.  Manufacturers may use animal fats, or such vegetable oils as coconut oil or olive oil.  Most soapmakers use sodium hydroxide (often called lye, or caustic soda) as the alkali.”

SHOULD I USE FABRIC SOFTENER ON CLOTH DIAPERS IN CANADA?

No, fabric softener leaves a coating on the fibres in the cloth diaper which will decrease absorbency in the cloth diaper.  Also, fabric softener has been found to cause an allergic rash on some babies.  Fabric softener is not necessary if you don’t overdry your cloth diapers.  If you wish to use it anyway, use about 1/5 the amount you would normally use.

HOW TO WASH CLOTH DIAPERS IN CANADA
1.  Store wet diapers in a diaper pail.  Rinse soiled diapers in the toilet, using the diaper duck or rubber gloves.  No water is needed in the diaper pail if you wash within 1 or 2 days.
2.  Put cloth diapers in washer and put through a cold rinse.  (If diapers are not very soiled, you may skip this.)
3.  Remove cloth diapers from washer and fill washer with HOT water and detergent.  DO NOT USE BLEACH, IT WEAKENS THE FABRIC.)
4.  Put cloth diapers through hot wash and rinse cycle.
5.  If desired, put cloth diapers through a second rinse cycle.
6.  If you wish, add 175 ml vinegar to final rinse.
7.  Dry diapers.  If using dryer, use hot setting, but do not overdry as the diapers will not be soft.
8.  If using prefolded cloth diapers, no need to stack them.  Just take them out of the dryer and leave them in a laundry basket near the change area.

For more information on using cloth diapers in Canada please visit

http://clothdiaperscanada.net/