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From: smith@umn-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Cloth Diapers
Message-ID: <3800007@umn-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Aug-85 14:02:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: umn-cs.3800007
Posted: Tue Aug 27 14:02:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Aug-85 08:14:09 EDT
Lines: 51
Nf-ID: #N:umn-cs:3800007:000:3161
Nf-From: umn-cs!smith    Aug 27 13:02:00 1985


[]

Concerning the mechanics (so to speak) of cloth diapers:

  We use cloth diapers and, since we live in a small city (more of a town)
far from the Big Cities, we don't have the choice of using a diaper service:
there isn't one.  Our baby hasn't had many problem with diaper rash and the
problems seem to occur with disposables.  I guess every baby is different
in that respect -- some get rashes from one and some from the other.
  One advantage of living out in the boondocks is that it's relatively easy
to find a caregiver who'll come to your home.  Our sitter does lots of laundry
when she's not watching the baby.  This helps us keep up with the diapers.

  We have several dozen cloth diapers, from the cheap, thin, unfolded Cuity
to the thick day/night Curity.  I prefer the thick ones for general use and
at night I double-diaper with the thin ones.
  We don't use rubber pants, we use Biobottoms.  They are diaper covers made
of tightly woven wool and secured by Velcro (and snaps on the larger sizes).
Biobottoms are expensive, though the manufacturer has figures to show that
they're still much cheaper than disposables.  A feature is that the bottom
gets obviously warm when the baby wets, so you don't usually have to
unbutton and check with your finger.  We've found that they don't wet through
if you wash them properly.  Our baby hardly ever wets through one overnight.
  We generally put wet diapers in a diaper pail with a tight lid (Gerry, I
think, made ours).  The pail often has a token amount of water in the bottom
with some 'Diaper Sweet' powder added to it.  I think the Diaper Sweet is
more of a token gesture than anything else.  We found that if we tried to
keep all the diapers soaking we'd make the pail too heavy for our sitter to
handle.  Poopy diapers get rinsed in a conveniently located toilet.  The
diapers are washed in the obvious manner (hot water, bleach when the diapers
have stubborn stains).  Once in a while we use vinegar instead of fabric
softener in the final rinse.  Also, I've heard rumors that you can destroy
absorbency by overusing the fabric softener.  Our casual manner results in
a few diapers with really stubborn stains, but the diapers are always germ-
free and detergent-free.
  Biobottoms can't be washed with diapers -- they require warm water and
NO fabric softener.  We also found out that you MUST use powdered detergent
and may sometimes need to give them a second rinse.  Otherwise the wool
seems to lose its water repellency.  Again, the Biobottoms need an occasional
vinegar rinse.  We usually combine Biobottom wash with other warm-wash baby
clothes.
  The only real `chore' as far as I'm concerned is folding all the diapers
and stuff so they're easy to get when you need them.

  Concerning smell:  I think the most obnoxious smell comes from the covered
trash pail we use in the nursery to dispose of used baby wipes -- a problem
we'd have with disposable diapers as well.  It takes several minutes for
the stink to evaporate after one opens the lid for a moment.  We have some
kind of bar of diaper pail air freshener in the diaper pail that greatly
reduces problems with diaper odor.