Monday, January 31, 2011

Easy Foaming Wipe Solution

Since making my own wipes, I have relied on making my own wipes solution to go with them. I used to make my own sprayable wipes solution from distilled water, baby wash, lavender essential oil & tea tree oil. It worked pretty good for us, but there was 1 major drawback to it. Poor Barker found it to be a bit too cold on his "tender" parts down there even though it was room temp. So after researching a bit online, I ran across an article from FuzziBunz where someone had asked them what they should use as a wipe solution. Their response was water & baby shampoo. So that got me thinking......hmmm.....what about a foam? So I set off to try to make a wipe solution that both Barker & I loved.
*I shop Walmart alot...hence all their brand products.
Here is all you need to get your baby's bottom all squeaky clean.
1) Foaming pump
2) Distilled water
3) Baby Shampoo
This is just a rinsed out pump from generic antibacterial soap that I emptied out into our other soap dispenser.
I put about 2Tbsp (I usually just eyeball it!) of baby shampoo into the bottle.
I then fill it 3/4 of the way full with distilled water.
Screw the pump lid back on & just give it a gentle shake til it is all mixed & then you are ready to foam at your next diaper change.
TIP : If you find at any time that your foam seems a bit watery, just add a bit more shampoo, gently shake to mix & it will thicken up.
We love this foam because it is no longer cold on Barker's delicate parts & he actually will bring the foam over when he needs changed. :-) It also seems to clean better than my spray bottle version.

EDIT : Since making this post, I have started adding a few drops of tea tree oil into my foaming wipe solution.  I love TTO & all its antimicrobial/antifungal properties & the fact that it has soothing properties.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Sunning & Drying

How do you sun & dry your cloth diapers throughout the year?
I remember the first time that I read an article about the sun's natural bleaching power & the claims these people made. I honestly thought that it was a crock of bull. Well, I can tell you first hand that those people were telling the truth! It never ceases to amaze me that each & every time I hang a freshly washed, stained dipee in the sun, the stain is gone by the time it's dry.
During the summer months, hanging my diapers out to dry/sun was easy as pie.

The winter months however required me to get a little more creative. I wasn't sure if it was going to work the first time I tried it & I'm pretty sure that our neighbors thought I had completely gone bonkers, but the stains were driving me nuts!!! So after washing them, I hung them out to sun/dry. It took longer than usual for them to dry, but that was ok. It was also sunnier out than it appears in the photo. When I went out to bring them in, the stains were gone & they were dry......cold & stiff, but dry. I couldn't believe it!
I also use our radiators to dry clothes (including dipes) in the winter months. Why not? I figure that they are running anyways to heat our house so I might as well utilize them.
I have also come up with another way to sun/dry my diapers during the winter without having to go outside. I hang them from our blinds in the windows that the sun is shining on. It has worked so far to lighten any stains we have had. I got this idea after reading an article about placing your diapers on your cars dash to sun them in the winter & I figured what the heck, I'll try hanging them in the windows......and guess what? It worked!
*My sweet Barker wanted to be in the picture with his diapees. He LOVES having his picture taken & jumps at the chance.
So how creative have you been when it comes to sunning & drying during the winter months? I'd love to hear! :-)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Welcome!

I just wanted to give a warm welcome to all my followers (both new & old). Thanks so much for following my blog! I have been trying out alot of stuff lately & will have some good posts coming soon. Sorry for the lack in between posts. We are a one income family & depending on what it is, it sometimes takes us a little bit to save for it & then I like to use something for a month or two before I give my two cents about it. :-) So please bear with me. I will be posting my thoughts on GoGreen Pocket Diapers, Menstrual Cups (Meluna & Lady Cup), Family Cloth, Mini-Shower Diaper Sprayer, Clean B detergent, cloth wipes solution (my "new" version) & making your own "green" cleaners in the very near future. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Friday, January 7, 2011

WAHMies DSQ Pail Liner

When we first started cloth diapering over 7 months ago, I'll be honest, I was completely clueless & lost in the cyber world of cloth diapers & all their terminology. I spent HOURS scouring THOUSANDS of websites absorbing in all the information like a fresh new sponge. I had purchased a Planet Wise pail liner in Butter. We do have a Planet Wise wet/dry bag that we use when we go out & about. It works fabulous! Well, a few months later, I broke down, spent the couple extra $$'s & bought not 1 but 2 (they were on sale w/ free shipping!) of the WAHMies DSQ (that's diaper service quality ;-) ) Pail Liners. I had been eyeing them up for some time. I have to admit, it was the Monkey Babies print that initially caught my attention. They have come to replace the Planet Wise pail liner who now sits all by itself in the bathroom closet & are by far my favorite! I have noticed that they are made from alot thicker material than the Planet Wise & seem to be deeper & roomier too.
The two features that I adore are : 1) that little piece of elastic there on the right hand side is ingenious! You wrap it around the mouth of the bag to either keep little hands out or in ease of transporting on laundry day. It has really come in handy on those days I had to treck my dipes down to our local laundromat.
2) see that swatch of fabric on the inside right? To keep your pail smelling fresh, you can put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on it. I like to use either Tea Tree or Lavendar oil, but you can use whatever scent you want.
See what I mean about the cute monkey print?
I bought a regular step-open 13 gallon trash bin from Walmart for $12.00. I did find that when I kept the lid closed, it tended to smell more & there was noticeable condensation on the inside of the can. I usually wash every 2-3 days. I also read that by keeping the lid closed, your diapers become more susceptiable to becoming moldy. I don't know about you, but I paid too much $$ to let those dipes get ruined! So I started leaving the lid up (except when company is over) & both issues were resolved immediately. Funny thing is that you can't even smell the dirty dipes when it's open! I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that I rinse each diaper out prior to placing them in the can?
Did I say that I LOVE this pail liner???? Because I do!!!