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| So now that I have my diapers....what do I do? The first thing you need to do before you start using your diapers is to give them a wash. We suggest washing on hot with a reduced amount of detergent (appx 1/3 of the recommended amount), and rinse in cold. Go ahead and machine dry on hot, but be sure to only damp dry as extended periods in a hot dryer with very dry fabrics will cause damage and shorten their life expectancy. As the inner absorbent core is 100% cotton, you will find that your dipers will need a minimum of 3-5 laundering cycles to reach maximum absorbency. This is because cotton has natural oils that need to be washed away in order for the fibers to fully absorb. My diapers are leaking, what do I do? The most common reason that your Monkey Doodlez® diaper may leak is that there is oil hampering the absorbency. This may be in the form of oil residue either from detergents, creams or in the case of a new diaper, natural oils in the cotton that need to be laundered away. To check to see if you have residue on your diaper, and if your diaper is repelling, pour a little bit of water on a clean, dry diaper. If the diaper is residue free, the water will absorb right in. If the water balls up and rolls around, this is because there is an oily coating on the fabric. Simply rub a little bit of dish detergent (we recommend DAWN) on the inner surface of the diaper and rub to a lather. Rinse and pop in the wash. This is extremely effective at ridding any oils from your diaper and will resolve your leaking problem due to residue. This also works extremely well for getting rid of odours, as those are typically trapped in the oils. Another common reason for leaks are that the diapers may not the right size for your baby. Monkey Doodlez® diapers typically measure larger size for size than other diapers, so be sure to check our sizing guide, and note that the weights are approximate only as all babies are different. If you find that there are gaps at the legs or waist, you may find that a smaller size is in order. Your baby may have also outgrown the absorbency of their diaper, and a doubler may be in order. Doublers are simply extra absorbency pads that lay right inside the diaper, increasing the diaper's absorbency. These are fantastic for naps, overnight or just added assurance if you have a very heavy wetter. Is there an easy way to tell if my diapers are repelling? If you're concerned that your diapers may be repelling, take a clean diaper and pour a little bit of water on it. If the water sits in little balls on top of the diaper and roll around, there is definitely an oil coating on the diaper, and stripping the diaper would be in order. A residue free diaper will see the water absorb right in. Are the fabrics for the AIO's colour-fast? All of our polyester fabrics have been tested and have proven to be colour-fast (the colours don't bleed), but just to be very sure that there is no possibility of colour transfer, wash dark colours (Diapers, Bags & Liners) separately for the first washing. After the first cycle, you can safely wash all of your coloured AIO diapers together. Always be sure to avoid use of bleach or harsh chemicals as they can damage fabrics, and can leave residue in your washer which can be passed on to the next load. However, a different dying processed is used on cotton fabrics, so always be sure to test those before adding them to your general diaper wash, as there is a tendency for the dyes used on cotton fabrics to bleed; particularly darker colours. Should I wash my diapers separately from other clothes We recommend laundering your diapers separately. This will help reduce the risk of any possible staining from non colour-fast fabrics and allow you to follow the laundering guidelines specific to your diapers. Will the fabrics in the AIOs Pill? All of the polyester fabrics we use are truly non pill. However, if you launder your diapers with high lint fabrics (such as new terry or sherpa), they may attract pills from those sources which is referred to as secondary pilling. This is not a defect in the diaper, and any secondary pilling should wear away on its own. To prevent or reduce the chances of any possible secondary pilling, always be sure to launder new, high lint fabrics, such as for reusable wipes, a few times before adding to your diaper load. Does it really matter what laundry detergent I use to wash my diapers? In short, yes, and probably much more of a difference than most people would ever think! Detergents are not created equal. Many detergents are designed to leave behind residue, such as those that leave scents on your clothing. These scents are based in oils, as are detergents in general, so if the detergent doesn't rinse out, what you're left with is oil residue on your fabrics. When it comes to diapers, this is particularly problematic, not just because of the potential of reactions, but an oil coated diaper will not aborb as it should and the result is usually leaks. You will also find over time that diapers will become hard and lose their fluff, and absorbency will decrease. If the residue is ample, you may find that your diapers leak at the first sign of moisture as the liquid is simply unable to get past the oil. This is called repelling. The same oil residue can result in your diaper trapping unpleasant odours. Fortunately the solution is simple; your diapers will need to be stripped. There's several common methods to do this, but the best we've found is to apply a little bit of grease busting liquid dish detergent to a clean, dry diaper, add a little water, lather all over the inner surface of the diaper, rinse, and then launder as usual. So, what laundry detergent do you recommend? We have tested many, many brands of detergents and have asked the same testing to be done in different regions and the results were that different detergents seem to work differently in different places. We have found that there were several detergents that came back recommended more often than others, but no single detergent has proven to be 100% effective 100% of the time in 100% of circumstances. There are many variables that can and will affect the effectiveness of your laundering routine such as your water, temperature, washer, laundering methods and more. If you find that you are not having great success with one detergent, you may need to try another. Many have reported that changing detergents after a few months also helps to keep diapers in top shape. From our testing, top choices include Wonder Wash, Charlie's Soap, Tide with Dawn, Allen's. With all detergents and laundering products reactions and allergies are possible. If rash or reaction occurs, discontinue use. The list of detergents that have proven to become problematic over time is lengthy and includes many commercial brands - particularly scented varieties, most made for baby detergents as they tend to leave plant oil residue, and several nautral ones as well. If you have a detergent that you would recommend, please let us know - if we haven't already tested it, we'd love to give it a try! |