New mommy Cloth user questions

[mrscompgeek]

I am a first time mom (well, will be in oct) and am cloth diapering. My questions are. . .
1( What diaper rash ointment is the best to use/safest to use with cloth dipes? I know desitin is a huge no no for cloth. Also what about powder? Can you use baby powder while using cloth or not?
2( I am using AIO's and Covers & Prefolds- can I wash these all together or do I need to wash the covers and AIO's seperate from the prefolds?
3( What is the absolute best laundry soap to use with AIO's and prefolds that you can buy at the store and isnt outrageous expensive? I do have a health food store that carries different soaps but its crazy expensive.
4( If I happen to get stains what do you use to get them out? I have heard Bac-out used but I dont know any place that carries it here. Is Oxi clean bad?

Thanks mamas!

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by mrscompgeek

I am a first time mom (well, will be in oct) and am cloth diapering. My questions are. . .
1( What diaper rash ointment is the best to use/safest to use with cloth dipes? I know desitin is a huge no no for cloth. Also what about powder? Can you use baby powder while using cloth or not?
2( I am using AIO's and Covers & Prefolds- can I wash these all together or do I need to wash the covers and AIO's seperate from the prefolds?
3( What is the absolute best laundry soap to use with AIO's and prefolds that you can buy at the store and isnt outrageous expensive? I do have a health food store that carries different soaps but its crazy expensive.
4( If I happen to get stains what do you use to get them out? I have heard Bac-out used but I dont know any place that carries it here. Is Oxi clean bad?

Thanks mamas!

1. I wouldn't use powder with any diapers, because the particles can lodge in the lungs and that's dangerous. An ointment or cream that contains zinc oxide is not good for the diapers because it can make them stop absorbing, because it waterproofs. I think petroleum jelly will do the same. There are some "natural" creams that are okay, but I'm not sure what they are. We rely on frequent changes and plenty of naked-bum airing to prevent rashes.

2. I wash everything together. It never bothered any of my diapers. You will see that they wear out a tiny bit faster being dried, so if you want to help them last, air-dry anything that has elastic or polyurethane laminate (like the AIOS and covers). But you don't have to-- I rarely bother.

3. Everybody has an opinion about detergents. Everybody claims their opinion is the only way to go, and some of those opinions totally conflict with each other. Myself, I've found that the more "natural" options like Charlie's don't work nearly as well as the ordinary conventional supermarket-brand laundry detergents, or stuff like All or Cheer. I've been washing my dipes in mostly All for four years and I've never had any problems keeping them clean and working. I've never stripped, for example.

Some people with hard well water struggle with keeping diapers clean. If that's you, then you just experiment to see what works best-- no detergent is going to do irreversible harm, so there's no harm in trying them out to see what works best.

I don't recommend Tide-- it's very harsh, and bothers all my kids' skin.

4. I don't do anything about stains. They don't mean the diapers aren't clean; they're just stains. And stains are a fact of life with poop. So I just leave them, and they fade with repeated washings. If they really bug you, you can try oxyclean or bac-out or sunning the wet diapers. But you don't have to do anything at all.

[mrscompgeek]

Thanks!! That was very informative. You said you wouldnt use baby powder at all, but its not harmful to diapers right?

Right now I am using Purex natural elements. My husband had a reaction to regular ALL detergent & Regular Xtra detergent so we switched to purex natural elements.

[Llyra]

I don't think powder will harm the diapers at all, no.

[RGsMom]

First off, congratulations on your little one! How exciting for you! That is so great you already have plans to cloth diaper and home birth! I hope you have a great pregnancy!

I agree with a lot of what Llyra said. But a better option than baby powder would be corn starch if you were going to use it. And I don't worry about stains either because they are diapers, they continously get used and washed, used and washed. The stains don't inhibit the diapers from their purpose in any way

We have had the best results washing our diapers with soap nuts, we had used Purex Free and Clear before that and it wasn't quite getting the smell out. But I know it's not the best for everyone.

[mrscompgeek]

Thanks everyone!! I appreciate all the help.
I dont plan on using powder of any kind, unless absolutely necessary but I just wanted to make sure it wont ruin my dipes in case my dear sweet husband would happen to change a diaper and decide to put powder on babe. Lol. I just wanted to know if I needed to warn him ahead of time not to use it.

[amj'smommy]

we mainly use MEOS w/ their airflow covers and pf's w/ thirsties covers. I do use the Walmart (equate maybe ??) version of Johnson and Johnson's cornstarch powder and have had no problems w/ my dipes (although if your lo's rash is yeast related the cornstarch might feed the rash) I also am using a Magic stick diaper ointment I guess I'ld call it.... I just got it the other day and it's safe for cloth dipes (no petroleum- all natural ingredients) and again no problems. I'm one of the rebels who wash with Tide, lol. We use Tide original HE and have had no problems You're going to find what works for detergent for one doesn't for another..... it might be trial and error for you. GL and have fun

[Amandala]

Reading this thread, a question popped into my mind:

Can you use any covers with any prefolds/fitteds, or do you have to use them both from the same brand? Like, can I go out and buy three different covers from three different brands, and then buy a stack of prefolds and some random fitteds and use them all in any combination?

Everywhere I've read seems to assume you have got even the most basic knowledge of cloth diapering. I can't find anyplace that addresses really, REALLY stupid questions like that one. And this one:

When you use a cover over a cloth diaper, does the cloth diaper just sit inside the cover, like a maxi pad? Or do you put it on the baby's bum and fasten it shut, like the image of the "old-time" baby diaper, then just put the cover over that?

I'm hopeless.

[ssj77]

Congrats on the pregnancy!

These are all great questions! You can use any type of prefold with any type of cover. I highly recommend getting snappis with prefolds because the diaper fits a lot better with a snappi and you get less leaks.

I personally use Country Save detergent. Not really expensive and no additives for our family with super sensitive skin.

For diaper rash stuff, you can use desitin, etc., but you need to make sure that you have a liner in there so that the cream doesn't get on the diapers. You can use a flushable liner like the Imse Vimse flushable liners or you can use a piece of fabric like fleece where the wetness will go through to the diaper. However, Grandma El's is a 100% cloth diaper safe diaper rash "cream." It works really well and you don't need to worry about liners.

These really are great questions that most folks don't know when first starting out, so you are certainly not alone! If you have any more, this is a great place to get them answered!

Sultana

[atlambert]

Originally Posted by Llyra

We rely on frequent changes and plenty of naked-bum airing to prevent rashes.

I try and give DS time with fresh air on his bum, but he always pees! How do you handle this? How much time do you give your LO?

[atlambert]

Originally Posted by Amandala

Reading this thread, a question popped into my mind:

Can you use any covers with any prefolds/fitteds, or do you have to use them both from the same brand? Like, can I go out and buy three different covers from three different brands, and then buy a stack of prefolds and some random fitteds and use them all in any combination?

Everywhere I've read seems to assume you have got even the most basic knowledge of cloth diapering. I can't find anyplace that addresses really, REALLY stupid questions like that one. And this one:

When you use a cover over a cloth diaper, does the cloth diaper just sit inside the cover, like a maxi pad? Or do you put it on the baby's bum and fasten it shut, like the image of the "old-time" baby diaper, then just put the cover over that?

I'm hopeless.

You are SO not hopeless! I think it's crazy, but you're right that most sites assume you have basic knowledge of CD, which I didn't, either! I didn't even find sites like this one until I'd been CDing for three months! I was so glad to find a community of other people CDing who I could ask questions of! I knew they were "out there" but wasn't sure how to find them! I've found great success at asking people on forums questions, and they're so helpful!!

I use Purex detergent, the "free and clear" version, or whatever they call it. It's worked well for us. We've had a few stains, but I just don't worry about them, either.

I have a question for anyone who may know: I use sposies when in public, because I still have some from my baby shower, and from friends who's LOs have grown out of theirs. Anyway, when we run out, I'll begin using cloth in public, too. How do you handle wipes when in public? I use a wipe warmer full of wipes with plain water, but I'm not sure of the best way to handle wipes in public. Thanks for the help!

[DisplacedYooper]

Originally Posted by atlambert

I use Purex detergent, the "free and clear" version, or whatever they call it. It's worked well for us. We've had a few stains, but I just don't worry about them, either.

I have a question for anyone who may know: I use sposies when in public, because I still have some from my baby shower, and from friends who's LOs have grown out of theirs. Anyway, when we run out, I'll begin using cloth in public, too. How do you handle wipes when in public? I use a wipe warmer full of wipes with plain water, but I'm not sure of the best way to handle wipes in public. Thanks for the help!

We also used Purex Free and Clear when we were washing dipes, and it worked fine for us.

With respect to wipes, I just brought dry wipes and wet them in the sink *before* going to the change table. If I was going to a place that was unlikely to have water, I would wet wipes at home and put them in a ziploc. Be sure to remember to take unused wipes out of the ziploc when you get home so they don't go all stagnant and gross!

[Juliacat]

Balmex is safe for use on cotton diapers. For synthetics, you should probably put in a disposable liner. But changing quickly and not using a cover around the house should prevent most diaper rash.

You should be able to wash everything together unless you start having some kind of problem.

The laundry detergent just depends on your family's needs and on your washing machine. I've had good luck with Gain, but your mileage may vary.

Stains will usually come out in the sun. Oxiclean is safe for occasional use but not for all the time.