sew your own diapers

OK.  This has been brewing for a long time.  I am starting to HATE microfiber doublers.. I have the BG doublers and a few car washing ones tri-folded.  I hate hoe they feel on my skin.. AND they are starting to have a bit of a funky texture to a few of them AND it seems like they really arnt absorbing all that well anymore.  I am also having stink issues even though I bleach them.  I cant wash them with my regular diaper laundry because it makes all the rest of my diapers stink.  I dont normally have a problem with my regular diapers stinking.  SO.  Now the hunt is on. 

  What can I use instead of microfiber? Hemp? Bamboo?  pros-cons of each for night time doublers.  Which is best?  I would prefer to be able to wash whatever I use for doublers with my regular cloth diaper laundry if that makes any difference. 
  With 2 boys in diapers overnight (neither of whom wakes up for a change 7pm bedtime-around 8:30-9am get up) and a newborn coming in May  How many doublers would you think I would need? 
Thanks ladies!   Feel free to add in any info you think would help.
Cristy 

Oh!  I think I can help!  Hooray--a newbie helping out!  First, do you want help with the stink issue?  Let me know, and I can give a few pointers.  But since you didn't specifically ask about that, I'll adress the doubler issue.  My son is 3 1/2 and still in diapers, so I also needed a good nighttime solution.  Here's what I do:  either a microfiber insert or a knickernappies loopy doo, a hemp doubler, and either another hemp or bamboo doubler.  I learned from a local cloth diaper store that you want to layer them in that order, and put them in the pocket diaper with the microfiber layer next to the fleece layer.  You want the microfiber as the top layer because it absorbs very fast.  The other two layers will hold a lot, but the soak it up at a slower rate (or so I'm told).  I also do this for my little girl, and it works great!!  That's not to say we don't occasionally have leaking--last night my son's leaked twice!!  But in general, it works well.

I like both hemp and bamboo; I recommend the fleece version of both.  I've started making my own doublers and have used both materials--even in the same doubler!  I also use sherpa for my doublers--also in a combination with others.  These can be washed with all your other diaper laundry; in fact, I wash EVERYTHING diaper related in the same load (even microfiber).

The one thing I have done that seems to make a difference with my son is make a special, smaller insert to fit up front only, which is where all the pee goes!  I don't know if you're doing this already, but the same cloth diaper folks I mentioned before also told me to be sure that his "boy business" was pointing down when you put the diaper on.  That in itself helped us tremendously with leaking!

Hope this helps, and I hope I didn't talk too much!   

Hey!  If there is a help for stinky microfiber I am all ears!  As I said.. I am starting to hate the stuff.  It seems that the only time my diaper laundry stinks is when I accidentally wash my microfiber with the regular diapers. I  We have hard city water.  I use Allens powder and some calgon  cold rinse, hotwash with cold rinse, another cold rinse and sniff test then into the drier or clothesline depending on the weather.  dry pail, rinse solids off before going into pail. 

I have used bamboo french terry but that is it as far as the fabrics you mentioned.

How about durability as far as the hemp, bamboo and sherpa?  How long should I be expecting my doublers to last?  Microfiber too. 

I never thought about a smaller doubler for just up front.. I'll have to write that down to try next time I get fabric!  And yes.  I do know about making sure he is pointed down. hahah  That would be really bad. 

I think I could give you a bit of a challange on longwindedness.   I tend to be a tad longwinded myself too sometimes.  I get these questions written up and then go back and cut stuff out cause it looks like it will be REALLY long before I post them.   hahaha
Thanks.  Cristy
   

 

I'm not sure how durable the bamboo and hemp are; I've only been using them for four months or so, but they seem to hold up really well!  The material itself is quite thick, so I would think they would last a long time!  As for the microfiber, I'm not so sure.  I have some inserts that are already looking pretty ragged, and don't seem as thick and absorbent. I do LOVE hemp and bamboo fleece, I must say; they are natural and mega absorbant!  I've heard some say that hemp gets stinky, but I've never noticed it.

And as for stinky . . . this could take a while . . . I'll try to be brief!  Stripping:  either with a bit of regular Dawn in a washload (no other detergents), or RLR, by Cadie.  I've heard you can find it at Wal-Mart, but I find mine online.  Some folks say just running your stuff through a hot wash/rinse cycle with no detergent at all will also get rid of the stinkies!  If you want to learn more, just do a search for "stripping diapers" on the internet.  I've actually only stripped my diapers one time.  The other time I noticed they were getting stinky, I used what I will say is one of my two top favorite diaper detergents:  Rockin' Green.  It is AWESOME.  It really does get the stink out, AND it's made for people with hard water!!!  I feel it fairly reasonably priced, and it only takes a tablespoon or so to get a load clean!!  My other favorite is the Thirsties Pre-Wash/Super-Wash combo.  But if you don't want to invest in new diaper detergent, then I'd try the RLR or Dawn.  Or maybe even an oxy cleaner like Nellies.

Hope that helps!!  So much for keeping it short and simple!   

I am actually in the middle of stripping diapers right now.  I havnt noticed any problem with the diapers just the doublers but I figured it had been a while since I stripped them.  The microfiber on the other hand... I stripped them a while back and set them on the shelf.  They havnt been used very much since then up till now so I figured that that probably wasnt the problem.. We'll wait and see I guess.   I had a stripping method going that was working well but I figured that I would try the dawn this time. 

I have heard good reviews on the Rockin Green.  If I ever finish this box of Allens I just might give the stuff a try.   I have been using this same box of Allens for a LONG time!  My youngest is a year old... I THINK that that is all I have used on his diapers???  At first I was using quite a bit for one load but that was just causing buildup issues so I started cutting down on how much I used per load.  I dont use very much at all anymore and the diapers are still coming out SO CLEAN and no stinkeys.  (till the microfiber.. haha see a theme here?)  The invoice that I saved says that I bought the Allens on 11-11-08.. whats that then.. 16 months??  !!! WOW!!  Does that sound right??  The box says that it is supposed to do 70 something loads.. I KNOW for a FACT that I have done more loads of diapers then that!!  Thats a pretty good $30 investment I would think???  I still have a lot of it left...  Not thinking that I am going to run out any time soon...  How much would it have cost me in regular detergent from the store I wonder...  I should switch to using that stuff for ALL of my laundry!!!!  I only use it for diapers and when I wash NB stuff.

I hear you on the newbie helping out and answering questions.   Every now and then something  gets asked that I can answer( or attempt to)  I have been sewing for a LONG time but am fairly new to the CD sewing world.  Up till now pretty much all I have used for diapers is flannel...  I did do a set of VB simply nights that I use for going coverless that I really like.  They are Bamboo french terry.  Off I go.. Have a great night. 
Cristy         

microfiber stinkies . . .i battled this and have (for the moment) won!!  we have really hard water. i occasionally collect all my microfiber and wash it with a full cap of calgon. but i stop the machine and let them soak in the calgon . . .then rinse away!!!  an occasion wash with dawn is quite useful also!!  i have been afraid to try rockin green as a friend who i converted to cloth used it for a couple of months and then everything really stunk!!!  i was going to wait and try the hard water version when i comes out . . . .i have had great luck with country save and calgon with the occasional dawn. i just wish i could change the water settings on my front loader!!

i have the orange auto towels from target and love them!!  they have been in constant use since may 2008 and are just as absorbent as when i got them. they are not as soft, but still absorbent. i do hate how it feesl when i touch it, but since it isnt going against anyones skin, i am ok with it. i like the absorbency for the thickness and weight . . .

It's so funny how one detergent works great for one family, but not so great for another!  I started my CD adventure using Country Save, and was not impressed, to say the least!  ALL my diapers were stinky when I used it!!  Thus began my hunt for the perfect diaper detergent.  Cristy, I realize you have a ton of Allen's left, but if you're interested, rockingreensoap.com has samples  for $2.50. 

Of course, I NEVER feel like my diapers are getting clean--I have a front loader!  Love the eco-aspect--just don't like not being able to adjust the water setting or let stuff soak.  Two very important things when cloth diapering!