Ammonia

Ammonia--- It's a smell I never expected to find fuming from my baby's saturated diaper.  It honestly reminds me more of cleaning supplies than anything.  One thing is sure: once you get a whiff, there's no denying it.  You have ammonia in your diapers, and you have to do something about it!  Ignore the problem, and the smell (and possibly a rash your baby's bum) will only get worse...until one day when you want to toss all the diapers out the window!

Here is a brief bit of info to help you understand ammonia.  It can form in your diapers for two different reasons:

1.) Urea, which is one of the components of urine, is a very similar chemical to ammonia.  I am not a chemist, so I don't fully understand the science behind it...but somehow under the right conditions (warmth, long amount of time), the urea in the diaper fabric converts into ammonia.  The urea/ammonia substance finds a way to secure itself to the diaper by forming crystals in the threads of the fabric.

2.) Bacterial build-up can also cause ammonia to form in the diapers.  This cause becomes more common for babies when they begin eating solids, as they have more bacteria in their guts.

As you can imagine, a regular washing of your diapers is not going to pull out the crystallized ammonia or the bacterial build-up.  This is why it is so important to immediately strip your diapers.  It is equally important to develop a laundry routine that prevents this toxic substance from building up in your diapers, or else you will find yourself stripping the diapers every few weeks when the ammonia returns.  A few techniques I have integrated into my washing routine to prevent the return of ammonia include:

1.) Rinsing diapers after each diaper change.
2.) Using an old tooth brush to gently scrub off any bacteria-causing poo that is on the fabric.
3.) Storing the soiled diapers in an open container to prevent breeding grounds for bacteria.  Bacteria loves damp, warm, oxygen-free spaces.
4.) Going no longer than 48-60 hours between washings.
5.) Stripping my diapers every 6 months.
6.) Using only natural creams on my baby's bum.

Care to read more about ammonia?  Here's a great page by Rockin Green.

Stripping Cloth Diapers

You know it is time to strip your cloth diapers when they have a stink that doesn't go away despite your normal washing.  Before I stripped my diapers for the first time, the diapers still smelled of urine/ammonia immediately after washing them "clean."  They seemed to lose the smell when dry, but the stench returned as soon as any liquid - even water - came in contact with the fabric.  Being new to cloth diapering, I had no idea what to do.  I thought I was going to have to trash my entire stash!

Thank goodness for a friend telling me about diaper stripping.  Two days later, I came away feeling as though I had an entirely new set of diapers!  Ta-Da!

After hearing multiple renditions of how moms strip their diapers, I have compiled my own technique, as follows:
(Please note, my directions account for having a top-loading washing machine and no hard water.  If your situation differs, you will need to modify the directions.  Here is a great place to look for alternatives.  You may also chose to use expensive, specialized detergents, such as Rockin Green - Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer or Bac-Out; however, I have experienced great results using only standard products I already have on hand.)

1.) Manually turn up your water heater, so you can get the hottest water possible in your washer.
2.) Wash all your diapers clean (I use All Free & Clear  in this routine- and plan to keep baby in disposable diapers until your stash is fully stripped and dried (about 36-48 hours).
3.) Separate out all your diaper covers with PUL for step #4, as vinegar can damage the material.
4.) With all non-PUL diapers in the washer, run a warm or hot water, rinse-only cycle - adding 1/2 cup white vinegar as the washer is filling.  (The vinegar helps to break down the detergent built up in the fabric, so the build-up can be rinsed out in the following steps.)
5.) Add PUL fabrics back into the washer.
6.) Fill washer to the fullest setting with HOT water.  (If your water heater does not produce hot enough water, you may want to boil water on the stove to add to the washer, as hot water is crucial for breaking down bacteria and crystallized urea and ammonia.)  Add 3/4 scoop of OxiClean, and begin a normal wash cycle.
7.) Allow the washer to run long enough to thoroughly mix the OxiClean throughout, and stop the washer.
8.) Allow the diapers to soak in the hot water for 6-8 hours.  "Stir" the diapers every 1-2 hours by starting the washer for a few moments.
9.) After 6-8 hours, allow the wash cycle to finish.
10.) Rinse diapers (4-6 times) in HOT water until soap bubbles no longer appear.  (The first time I stripped my diapers, I had to rinse them 7 times in addition to the rinse in step #9!)  Be sure to check for soap bubbles (not to be confused with agitation bubbles) during each rinse cycle.
11.) When fully rinsed, sun dry the diapers.
12.) Turn your water heater back to its normal setting.
13.) Repeat every six months, or as needed.

Hope this helps kick your stink like it did mine!

Microfiber

The majority of modern diaper inserts contain a popular synthetic fabric, microfiber.  Why?  Because microfiber has been engineered to be one of the most soft and absorbent fabrics.  It also quickly absorbs moisture, instead of causing urine to bead off and lead to leaks, like can occur with some more natural fabrics, like hemp and some cottons.  Considering the volume of wetness it can contain, it is quite thin and makes for a trim-looking diaper.  All this sounds great, but microfiber isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Microfiber is pretty crummy when it comes to holding wetness under compression.  What little one doesn't get held on mama's hip and doesn't plop down on the floor multiple times an hour?  That's compression.  Unless you are doing hourly diaper changes, it is likely your microfiber-only insert is going to leak out of the cover, no matter how great of a cover you have.

What's the solution?  Either don't use microfiber, or add another fabric which holds the wetness under compression.  The best combination seems to be microfiber (or Zorb) with bamboo.  The microfiber absorbs quickly, and the bamboo (placed below the microfiber) slowly absorbs moisture from the microfiber.  For making my own inserts, the microfiber/bamboo combination has given me the best results.

For a great summary of multiple types of fabric and their absorption and performance under compression, visit this page, which summarizes an experiment done by a mom at home.

What have been your experiences with microfiber?  Have you tried Zorb?

Flip Review

The Flip diaper is totally my go-to system!  Here's why:
Pros:
Relatively inexpensive (cover + 3 inserts = $30).  That's three diaper changes for the cost of 1.5 pocket diapers.
Super-quick diaper changes.  Unless the cover is soiled or pretty wet, I just leave the cover under my baby's bum while I quickly switch out the wet insert for the dry one.  It takes me twice as long to change a disposable diaper than to change a Flip insert.
Fold-over insert design.  I love the idea of having a fold-over flap (as shown to the right). I have used this idea when making some of my own inserts for extra absorbency in the perfect spot for my boy.
Flap in cover: The front and rear flaps effectively hold the insert in place.
Very little laundry: Using this system makes little laundry, which equates to using less water, less detergent, and less drying space.  I love it!

Cons:
Microfiber Inserts: I'm not a fan of microfiber, especially when microfiber is used alone.  I've started having more leaks with my heavy wetter at 14 months.  (I know other moms that have never had this problem with Flip.)  I sometimes place one of my own bamboo inserts beneath the microfiber to help with absorption.  The microfiber is great at sucking up moisture quickly, but doesn't do as well at holding it in upon compression.  Bamboo is better with this.  Flip should replace the inner microfiber layers of their inserts with layers of bamboo.

I have a stash of 3 covers and 15 inserts that get my son through the majority of two days during the daytime.  5 inserts are Flip brand.  The other 10 are a Flip version I made myself by taking a generic microfiber insert and sewing a piece of suede cloth on top to protect my baby's bum.  The microfiber can never touch the baby's skin, or else it will pull moisture out of the skin.

In summary, this has been my favorite system.  Although my son wets through the microfiber inserts quickly now, I will continue using the system and adding my own bamboo inserts for extra absorbtion.  I love the ease of the covers too much to give them up for another system!