My little monkey is addicted to blackberries - and being at that stage where he cannot stay still you can imagine the mess he makes!
We had been using Borax on his cloth diapers for a few months and it never occurred to me to use it in the rest of the wash. Faced with a brand new white shirt stained purple with blackberries I didn't want to use bleach or any other harsh cleaning agent - so I decided to try a cup of Borax in his wash.
WOW - not only did it remove ALL of the blackberry stains, but it took out old stains from other items in the wash. Pasta sauce, jello, juice it was all gone! And I feel good knowing that it's gentle enough to use on his laundry and not extremely harmful to the environment.
And on his diapers we don't even need to pre-soak them any more. Just a cup of Borax and the diapers come out clean and fresh. They also feel softer then when we use just laundry detergent on them - which is an added bonus.
Guess that's why Borax has been around for so long!
http://www.purexcanada.com/index.cfm?page_id=430
Just a quick mention that our new Sping Line is slowly being posted on the site - be sure to check it out! http://www.MommysLilMonkey.com (and yes I now prewash all the fabrics in Borax instead of detergent!!!)
Showing posts with label diaper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diaper. Show all posts
April 5, 2009
February 18, 2009
Diaper Care Tips and Tricks
Proper care for cloth diapers helps prolong their life, keep the smellies down and makes your job easier! In every case you should follow your manufacturers directions on washing and drying specifics, but here are a few tips I have discovered over the last year of cloth diapering!
Hang to Dry - whenever the weather permits, hang your diapers to dry. Of course with some this may take a full day - but the results are worth it! The sun will naturally bleach out the stains and the fresh air will of course freshen them up.
Vinegar - since fabric softener is a huge NO NO with cloth diapers (and liners) you may find that line drying and regular use leaves the diapers (and liners) slightly "crunchy". I have found that every few washes a cup of vinegar helps soften the fibers and remove any detergent build up. An added benefit is that vinegar naturally kills yeast bacteria.
Pre-soaking - I don't have the time or frankly stomach to pre-soak my diapers in a pail. Instead I take advantage of my washing machine! I let the machine fully fill with the diapers, some Borax and baby detergent and then just after it starts the agitation I turn the machine off. I let the diapers sit for about 20 minutes and then start it up again. I also make sure to use the extra rinse cycle to help get them really clean. This may seem like a waste of water but it takes no more then pre-soaking them in a pail.
Low Dry - it's important to dry your diapers on a low heat. Higher heat can break down the fibres or with All-In-Ones can break down the waterproofing. Again line dryer out doors is always best.
I have used Kushies (All-in-Ones) for three main reasons - they are inexpensive, they are 100% Canadian made, and they work for me! But the tips and tricks above can be applied to any cloth diapers. These are also the same tricks I use for Mommy's Lil Monkey wipes and liners.
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Banner ad space is still available on our site - please visit the Other Fun Places page for details!
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Hang to Dry - whenever the weather permits, hang your diapers to dry. Of course with some this may take a full day - but the results are worth it! The sun will naturally bleach out the stains and the fresh air will of course freshen them up.
Vinegar - since fabric softener is a huge NO NO with cloth diapers (and liners) you may find that line drying and regular use leaves the diapers (and liners) slightly "crunchy". I have found that every few washes a cup of vinegar helps soften the fibers and remove any detergent build up. An added benefit is that vinegar naturally kills yeast bacteria.
Pre-soaking - I don't have the time or frankly stomach to pre-soak my diapers in a pail. Instead I take advantage of my washing machine! I let the machine fully fill with the diapers, some Borax and baby detergent and then just after it starts the agitation I turn the machine off. I let the diapers sit for about 20 minutes and then start it up again. I also make sure to use the extra rinse cycle to help get them really clean. This may seem like a waste of water but it takes no more then pre-soaking them in a pail.
Low Dry - it's important to dry your diapers on a low heat. Higher heat can break down the fibres or with All-In-Ones can break down the waterproofing. Again line dryer out doors is always best.
I have used Kushies (All-in-Ones) for three main reasons - they are inexpensive, they are 100% Canadian made, and they work for me! But the tips and tricks above can be applied to any cloth diapers. These are also the same tricks I use for Mommy's Lil Monkey wipes and liners.
----------------------
Banner ad space is still available on our site - please visit the Other Fun Places page for details!
----------------------
February 12, 2009
Lil Monkey Bum Care
Any parent knows how miserable diaper rash is - for baby and mommy. Knock on wood with some special attention and routine my little monkey has only had one bout of diaper rash. Here are some tips to help you keep your little monkey's bum happy!
Cotton - any product that touches your wee ones bum should be cotton. This includes wipes, liners etc. Even though you are using it to wipe the bum any polyester blend product such as minky, fleeces or poly-cottons just don't breath and clean like cotton. Same with liners, although I find fleece liners useful for super soakers, I recommend using a cotton/flannel over top or a flannel liner filled with fleece. Think about what the best undies are to wear for your health - yup you got it cotton!
Natural Wipe Solutions - we use a recipe that I made through trial and error that contains all natural products (and comes free with any wipe set purchased from www.MommysLilMonkey.com). The best part is this recipe has ingredients that help kill/fight yeast (the #1 cause of diaper rash), soothes the skin and moisturizes without petroleum (which doesn't allow the skin to breath).
Fresh Air - sure it can get messy, but the best thing for a bum is to get some fresh air whenever possible! Consider some diaper free time before your little monkeys bath or before changing them for bed time. Of course keeps some wipes handy to clean up any 'accidents'.
Diaper Rash Creams - stay away from any products that contain petroleum, glycerin and chemicals you have never heard of! We use a great product called Weleda (http://shop.weleda.com/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=MotherAndBaby) - it also works well on cradle cap.
Frequent Diaper changes - especially if you use cloth diapers. Because cloth is just not as absorbent as disposables the liquids can sit at the surface leaving baby's skin damp. It's important before putting on a clean diaper to make sure your little one's bum is dry - of course baby powder is great for that!
I hope you find these tips useful in keeping bums everyway happy!
Cotton - any product that touches your wee ones bum should be cotton. This includes wipes, liners etc. Even though you are using it to wipe the bum any polyester blend product such as minky, fleeces or poly-cottons just don't breath and clean like cotton. Same with liners, although I find fleece liners useful for super soakers, I recommend using a cotton/flannel over top or a flannel liner filled with fleece. Think about what the best undies are to wear for your health - yup you got it cotton!
Natural Wipe Solutions - we use a recipe that I made through trial and error that contains all natural products (and comes free with any wipe set purchased from www.MommysLilMonkey.com). The best part is this recipe has ingredients that help kill/fight yeast (the #1 cause of diaper rash), soothes the skin and moisturizes without petroleum (which doesn't allow the skin to breath).
Fresh Air - sure it can get messy, but the best thing for a bum is to get some fresh air whenever possible! Consider some diaper free time before your little monkeys bath or before changing them for bed time. Of course keeps some wipes handy to clean up any 'accidents'.
Diaper Rash Creams - stay away from any products that contain petroleum, glycerin and chemicals you have never heard of! We use a great product called Weleda (http://shop.weleda.com/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=MotherAndBaby) - it also works well on cradle cap.
Frequent Diaper changes - especially if you use cloth diapers. Because cloth is just not as absorbent as disposables the liquids can sit at the surface leaving baby's skin damp. It's important before putting on a clean diaper to make sure your little one's bum is dry - of course baby powder is great for that!
I hope you find these tips useful in keeping bums everyway happy!
February 5, 2009
Some New Items!
Here are some newly listed items. Right now we have a store on Etsy (http://www.mommysmonkey.etsy.com/) but we are moving items over to the main site slowly (http://www.mommyslilmonkey.com/).
Sock Monkey Snugly Blankie
Daisy Super Soaker Diaper Liners
Flyer for Mom 2 Mom Show in a Few Weeks
The flyer I recently designed for goodie bags at an upcoming Mom 2 Mom show in Hamilton. It's been converted into a .jpeg so it shows blurrier then it actually is!
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