Tell-it Tuesday: How to prep Cow Patties Cloth Diapers

We know there were many purchases made over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.  This post will tell you what you need to do with your new Cow Patties Diapers when you receive them and to make them as functional as possible as quickly as possible. 

Prep-wash all natural fibers (this includes hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, etc.) together the first few times and separately from everything else. Washing them separately from everything else ensures that the natural oils don’t cause repelling issues with the manmade fibers (fleece, microfiber, etc.). After the first few washes separately you can toss everything in together. 

Cow Patties Bamboo insert

What I do is wash and dry (to help them shrink, all natural fibers shrink about 10%)  separately the first two or three times and for the rest of the prep washes I just throw some Cow Patties bamboo inserts in whenever I do diaper laundry.

The natural fiber inserts need to be prep washed several times-the more you wash the more absorbent they become. Some people don’t initially like Bamboo because they think it’s not absorbent but in truth it can take 10-12 washes before Hemp, Bamboo, Organic cotton, etc. reach the maximum absorbency. Once they reach maximum absorbency they are much, much, much more absorbent than any manmade fiber.

Cow Patties Bamboo inner

If you have Cow Patties Diapers with the Bamboo inner -see picture to the left- (same with Bamboo wipes) since it doesn’t really work as an insert the covers/diapers don’t need to be prep washed all those times, just the inserts so that they reach their maximum absorbency.

Leaking seems to be a common occurrence around 3-5 washes and if you find that's the case for you don't fret, just wash them a few more times. 99.9% of the time this resolves the issue. If you continue to have leaking issues after 10-12 washes feel free to contact me or Megan and we will troubleshoot with you. 

If anyone has any questions regarding prep'ing your new Cow Patties Cloth Diapers feel free to comment on this post. 

Tell-it Tuesday: Troubleshooting cloth diaper residue and build-up (part 2)

This is the second part to the post "Troubleshoot the cloth diaper STINK!" we did last week. Please keep in mind you can click on any of the pictures to make them bigger. 

You pull them out of the washer or dryer, expecting crisp clean diapers but instead get a disgusting poop or musty whiff-no matter what you smell exactly-the diapers just don't smell clean (like nothing) or they smell clean until your child pees and them and then the smell is so strong it turns your stomach. Or maybe you've noticed an issue with repelling or decreased absorbency.

The most common causes of residue and build-up in cloth diapers are: diaper creams, minerals in hard water, detergent and other laundry additives. In addition to causing issues with stink you may also notices issues with repelling to learn what repelling means go HERE) and absorbency. Your child may also experience rashes caused by the build-up and residue or because the cloth diapers are not coming totally clean do to the lingering residue or build-up.

If you ask 10 different cloth diapering families what they do to resolve cloth diaper residue and build-up you may very well get ten different answers. Early in our cloth diapering we had one heck of a time with residue and build-up and even now we still struggle with it occasionally. I understand there may not just one fix for everyone but this post discusses what works or has worked for us. I use a top loader, if you have a front loader you may need to play with the troubleshooting instructions to make it work for you. 

Residue and build-up from DIAPER CREAMS

Before we begin with the actual troubleshooting I want to say a few words regarding diaper creams. Most diaper creams are not cloth diaper safe because they have ingredients that are water barriers by nature. This means that they repel the water away from the baby's skin-great for baby's skin if you're trying to heal a diaper rash, not so good if it gets on the diapers. I've had several people tell me that one particular diaper area cream (Grandma El's) I used and had an issue with they did not have an issue with-that may very well be true but there are many more that have had issues. I stand my position that if the diaper cream has any water barrier ingredients (and Grandma El's DOES), like lanolin or petroleum, use a liner. If you use a reusable liner make sure you wash is separately from all your cloth diaper laundry. You don't want it to "spread" all over your stuff in the washer-which is what happened to me. I have been able to use all sorts of creams, everything from A&D to prescription yeast cream to Grandma El's, without issue to my cloth diapers by using a microfleece liner and washing them with my whites. If you are having issues with cloth diaper rash please see our post titled "How to resolve [cloth] diaper rash".

Typically with diaper cream residue you will notice some sort of repelling because of the water barrier properties,  you may  also notice staining or discoloration on the diapers or inserts. In the picture of these clean inserts you can see a dark discoloration on a few of our white inserts from the creams. If you rub a discolored area you may or may not feel a film.


 If you suspect you have residue on your diapers from diaper creams I recommend a stripping using the original blue Dawn. If you can't find original blue Dawn you can use Ultra Dawn in "Original" scent. You can get a coupon for any Ultra Dawn from the Dawn site HERE. 


If you think you may have residue or a film from fabric softening sheets I would strip like this for that purpose as well. I would also take a wet towel with some Dawn on it and either tumble it on a "cool" cycle or wipe the inside of the dryer out with it. 


1-Take the diaper with cream on it and rub both sides with the Dawn liquid. 
2-Fill the washer with hot water- as hot as you can get it. You may consider adding a pot or two of boiling hot water to the washer add a tablespoon of Dawn to the hot water and toss the diapers in. 
3-Proceed to do heavy was load. As I stated in part 1, be sure not to overload your washer. The diapers, inserts, etc. need room to agitate freely. 
4-When you have finished your stripping cycle(s) rinse, rinse, rinse! Rinse with hot water until there are no more detergent bubbles.


**Don't confuse detergent/residue bubbles--suds (bad) with agitation bubbles (not bad). Agitation bubbles are caused by the process of agitating the clothes and are perfectly OK. Agitation bubbles will look like a few bubbles that sit on top of the water, they may or may not pop when you open the top. Detergent/residue bubbles look more like bubbles you would see in a bubble bath, they're greater in number and more "foamy" looking than agitation bubbles. I tried to get a few pictures of the different bubbles. Glamour was is no-sudsing so I knew I wouldn't be able to get a good picture with that detergent so I tried All liquid. I was hoping for heaping mounds of bubbles but this was the best I could get. The kind of heaping bubbles you want in a bubble bath you do not want in your washer with cloth diapers.

ETA 11/24/10: My sister-in-law came to me earlier today to discuss the absorbency issue she's been having with my nephew's diapers. I took a sniff and noticed they had a scent to them, not necessarily detergent smell, maybe scents from the house, etc., hard to tell. I decided to do a HOT/heavy cycle for two Thirsties fab fitteds that she brought to determine if her issue is related to residue and this is what we got after I let it agitate a little bit.

You do NOT want to see bubbles like this during your hot wash (or any other time but hot seems to really bring out the bubbles). You can click on the picture to make it bigger. This is major, major detergent build-up and residue left on her fab fitteds.

(And now back to your regularly scheduled post....)

Because Dawn works by removing/breaking down the residue you may need to do a few ultra hot/Dawn strippings to remove all of the residue. If you are doing more than one stripping cycle as soon as the first load cycled through I would repeat steps 2 and 3. You could also do an overnight soak in Dawn. If you were going to try that I would follow steps 1 and 2, let them agitate for a period of time and then let them soak. In the morning you could pick up with step three and continue on.

5-It's up to you if you want to rewash them using your cloth diaper detergent. 


Build-up from minerals in HARD WATER


While there is no set standard of things you have to experience to have hard water build-up you may notice your diapers are dingy looking. You may also notice, like other types of build-up, that your diapers are crunchy and/or stiff feeling. You may or may not notice stink issues-this is from the minerals in the hard water not allowing the diapers to get totally clean or rinse totally clean. I also experience(d) absorbency issues. For more information you can view the section regarding hard water in part 1. 


If you have hard water build-up the first thing to do would be to remove the build-up. One of the more popular ways to do this is to put the diapers through a cycle or two with some Calgon Water Softener in it. You may also consider soaking your diapers in Calgon. For optimum removal I suggest the diapers and accessories are clean and you do not add detergent. 


Water filters and water softeners (not the same thing) can help reduce hard water. If you're not ready or able to install a filter or softener system you could continue to do washes with Calgon added in, do washes or soaks with Calgon regularly but less often than every wash. 


As I discussed in part 1 another option is finding a cloth diaper safe detergent specifically formulated for hard water. I personally use Lulu's in the Fluff hard water version and since I have been using it I have not had to use any additives, like Calgon, Vinegar, Baking Soda, etc. which is saving us so much money. If you find you need more omph than her hard water version has, Lulu also has an extreme hard water version but notes very, very few people need it. Glamour wash works to neutralize those minerals which allows the cleaning agent to do a thorough and effective cleaning. 


Residue from DETERGENT and other laundry additives

Residue from detergent and other laundry additives, like fabric softener, or the essential oils from diaper area cleaners-or even cloth diaper safe detergents-is one of the biggest complaints of cloth diapering families. When we first started cloth diapering, back before I knew better, I tried a couple liquid detergents that I could buy in store that were highly rated on charts I found on cloth diaper related sites. Doing that was seriously one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. It took me a while to figure out what had happened and to know how to fix it. Meanwhile we wasted money trying things (like Calgon) which didn't help the issue overall. When I finally figured out it was detergent residue it was like a light bulb went off. That set me on my journey to find a truly cloth diaper safe detergent. over the last year I have tried many different detergents, everything from Arm & Hammer, to Crunchy Clean, to Thirsties pre-wash and super wash, to Tide, Ivory Snow and Crunchy Clean. You can read all about my cloth diaper detergent sagas on my blog.

If you have an issue with residue and build up due to detergent or laundry additives you may notice your  diapers STINK to high Heaven out of the washer and/or the dryer or that after your child pees in the diaper it smells so bad you want to throw up. You may also notice your diapers aren't coming clean, they look dingy and dull, or there's a scent to them-even if it's a nice or pleasant scent-when they're clean and dry. You may also decreased absorbency. 


Easiest way to tell if you have residue do to detergent or additives:
Take a big sniff. As I stated in part 1 clean cloth diapers should not smell like anything. If your diapers smell like the detergent you're using take that as a sign your detergent is leaving residue in your diapers. 

One thing I don't think a lot of people realize is that with certain cloth diaper safe detergents scent is added to them in the form of fragrance oil. The same goes for many of the diaper area cleaners on the market. All it takes is a small amount of oil within the laundry cycle-whether from a diaper area cleaner or detergent itself- to create issues with stink and residue. If you have the option to get unscented detergent from your favorite cloth diaper detergent manufacturer I suggest doing that that way you don't have to worry about the possibility of residue being left on your dipes from the fragrance oil-this is especially important if you have hard water. Having hard water will make it more difficult to completely remove the fragrance oil and ensure it rinses clean. The only two diaper area cleaners that I tried that I did not have a laundry issue with were Thirsties booty luster and Lovey's Tushi Wash. Everything else, including the stuff I made at home using various recipes that included different oils, left scent and residue on our cloth diaper laundry. Due to an issue I had with Thirsties booty luster completely unrelated to laundry I have been using Lovey's Tushi Wash exclusively for months. 

A sure fire way to tell if you have residue leftover in your diapers due to detergent:

Fill up your washer with hot water-the hotter the better. DO NOT add detergent or anything else. Throw a few diapers in there, close the lid and let them agitate for awhile. At some point before the spin cycle peek in, you may want to peek in several times at different points just to see what you can see. If you see bubbles/suds your detergent has left residue in your diapers. See the ** section with pictures above to help you determine what sort of bubbles you're looking for or looking at. Keep in mind that my pictures were on the mild end, you may have endless bubbles in your washer if you have a tremendous amount of residue in your diapers. 

To remove the residue from your diapers:
You will need to strip your diapers. If you have no idea what stripping your diapers means please check out THIS post for a list of cloth diaper related definitions and explanations.

There are a couple very effective ways to remove the build-up that I have found. One is numerous washes in very hot water, again the hotter the water the better, with NO detergent. Run a hot/heavy load let it cycle through and run another one. Keep running hot washes with no detergent until there are no more suds. If you have hard water you may find adding some liquid Calgon helps pull the nasties and resdiue out of your diapers. 

Stripping with Dawn, as talked about in the "DIAPER CREAMS" section above. You would skip step 1 but follow the rest of the steps until there were no more suds. Again, if you have hard water you may find adding some liquid Calgon helps to remove the residue by removing whatever mineral build-up may exist which will help everything else rinse out easier. 

Doing what is called a "Glamour Soak" using Lulu's in the Fluff Glamour Wash. You could obviously do this with any other cloth diaper safe detergent but Lulu's is the only one I recommend. A Glamour Soak consists of using double the amount of Lulu's in the Fluff detergent you would normally load (or about three tablespoons), a washer with hot water or even a utility sink or bath tub-just lock the door or put up a gate so that the little ones don't try to hop in, and soaking overnight. Like Calgon, Lulu's will help pull the residue out, prevent minerals from re-depositing on the diapers (if you have HW), and will clean your diapers. In the morning you would allow the washer to cycle through and then rinse with hot water until there were no more suds. 


That concludes part 2 of our two part blog series. You can view part 1 here:
http://cowpattiescloth.blogspot.com/2010/11/tell-it-tuesday-troubleshoot-cloth.html


As always, if you have questions or  need additional information you can contact me or Megs or leave us comments. Although we do review comments on a regular basis, if you need prompt attention please email us. 


---------------------------
This article was originally published on the Cow Patties Cloth Diapers blog at http://cowpattiescloth.blogspot.com/2010/11/tell-it-tuesday-troubleshoot-cloth.html on 11/16/10 and may not be reproduced in whole or in part with the author’s (CrunchyBabe@crunchycupcakes.com ) or blog owner’s ( cowpattiescloth@gmail.com ) expressed written permission.

Our cloth diaper wash routines

Megan and I decided that it was important that, in addition to the troubleshooting in today's Tell-it Tuesday, we share our cloth diapering laundry routines and tid-bits with you. 

Megan's

Here is my wash routine, after 3+ years of cloth diapering full time it’s perfection for us.  We have a top Load washer.

-10-12 diapers in the washer, pull out inserts etc.  Washed on extra large load in cold/cold water

-Add ¾ TBSP of detergent (we use Lulu’s in the fluff after many trials). Wash on extra large load with hot/cold water

-1 full wash cycle on warm/warm

-Put in dryer or out on the clothesline.

-We wash about every 2 days.

Some tips/things we have tried:    

We had NOTHING but stink and unclean diapers with our front loader.  IMO, front loader suck for cloth diapering because lots of times they won’t allow for enough water to get diapers clean.  I have a friend who battled nothing but issues, once I told her that I had sold off my FL for a TL, she tried it and is back to Cding.

Remember that some detergents will make a stink issue worse.  What works for 10 people may not work for you. I really think that washing and finding a routine/detergent/etc is the hardest part of cloth diapering. I know some people separate their nighttime and daytime diapers to wash. I don’t because that’s a lot of ammonia for one load. I try to divy up the nighttime with daytime.

Microfiber inserts tend to have more stink issues than the natural fiber. Hemp has the least.

Sunshine is a wonder!  Even for stink issues. I was very early in the morning and then lay diapers and inserts out in  the sunshine. I have been known to water them down with a garden hose midday!

Jamie's

Since I've stated what works for me (and hasn't) in today'sTell-it Tuesday post I'll just post my wash routine here. You can also read more about our cloth diaper detergent debacles on my blog. We have a top loader.

-Spray off poop diapers using Sigma Diaper Sprayer.

-Put poopy/pee diapers in hanging storage sac. My faves are the size 2 AppleCheeks storage sacs. I do not separate daytime or night time diapers, whatever is in there gets washed together. 

-Wash every couple days, 4 at the longest.

-Remove inserts from most pocket diapers.

-Hot/heavy load with water the highest it will go. I use 1/2 way up to the "1" line on scoop that comes with  Ivory Snow powder or a couple wooden scoops of Lulu's in the Fluff Glamour Wash hard water formula. Let it cycle through. 

-When that cycle ends, do another wash on hot/heavy with a couple scoops of Lulu's--more or less depending on how long the diapers have been sitting or another plastic scoop 1/2 up to the '1" for Ivory Snow powder.. 

-Extra rinse, if I remember. When I don't remember, oh well.

-Promptly tumble dry with four undyed, unscented wool dryer balls from Wooltopia or line dry during warmer months. 

-Sun occasionally. 

-Bleach white inserts (especially microfiber) once every month or two.

If I use cream with any water barrier ingredients (lanolin, petroleum to name a couple) I always use a liner-normally microfleece, though I have and do use on occasion flush-able liners I prefer to use the reusable microfleece liners. I was those liners completely separate from my cloth diapering laundry. Typically, I wash them with my white clothes. To learn more about resolving rashes while cloth diapering check out THIS Tell-it Tuesday post.

If you haven't already read today's Tell-it Tuesday: Troubleshoot the cloth diaper STINK! (part 1) if you haven't already.

Tell-it Tuesday: Troubleshoot the cloth diaper STINK! (part 1)

I know many of us have gone through or are currently dealing with cloth diaper stinkies. Stink and leaks are the two most common complaints that cloth diapering families have. In this post I will help you try to determine what is causing the stinkies with some basic cloth diapering troubleshooting and Megan and I will go over our wash routines with you. If you have any questions or need help feel free to email me. 

The very first thing to ask yourself while trouble shooting stink is...

-When do I notice the stink? 

For some families they notice that their diapers don't smell clean after washing and for others their diapers smell fine until their child pees or poops in them. Generally, the diapers that smell coming out of the laundry aren't getting clean for whatever reason and the ones that stink when peed or pooped in have a residue of some sort on them. Clean cloth diapers should not smell like anything, not even the scent of your detergent. If they smell like your detergent that means that your detergent is leaving a residue on them and residue is one of the leading causes of stinkies, absorbency and repellency issues.

In part 1 we're going to go over issues that could be causing your diapers to not smell clean after laundering. In part 2 we'll discuss what part residue and build-up issues can play in cloth diaper stink issues and troubleshoot those issues.


You pull them out of the washer or dryer, expecting crisp clean diapers but instead get a disgusting poop or musty whiff-no matter what you smell exactly-the diapers just don't smell clean (like nothing) or they smell clean until your child pees and them and then the smell is so strong it turns your stomach. Ask yourself:

-How am I storing them and for how long?

The longer you store your dirty diapers before washing the longer the urine and poop sits the harder it is to rinse out and wash out because urine crystallizes. It causes issues similar to those that people with hard water suffer from with hard water mineral build-up. 

Some people try Borax (which I do not recommend, see "What detergent am I washing with?" for the reason why, white vinegar, and/or Baking soda to help neutralize the urine and help to remove odor. Chances are if you're using a powdered detergent it already has some form of baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) in it. However, as I learned as a hard water tester for Lulu's in the Fluff Glamour Wash, there different ways that Sodium Bicarbonate can be processed and those different methods can make it either less or more effective in cleaning and deodorizing. 


I highly suggest removing the poop (unless it's poop from an exclusively breast-fed baby, then it's water soluble and doesn't need to be removed, unless you want to) as soon after you can and definitely before you put the diaper in the dirty laundry. There are a number of different ways you can remove the poop. Some people do the shake and swirl, others use spatulas, and others spray it off somehow. It doesn't matter how you get it off so find something that works well for you. If you're looking for sprayer recommendations, I personally use a Sigma Diaper Sprayer and love it, but other cloth diapering families use pet sprayers widely available in hardware stores.The pet sprayers can be less money than actual "diaper sprayers" but you'll need to have your shower and toilet right next to each other.


Regarding how the diapers are stored, if you store in a closed environment (no air flow) like closed diaper pail and notice stink open the pail or try changing your method to a storage sac, which is breathable and not dark. Lots of nasty, stink things love to grow in the warm, dark, moist environment of a closed diaper pail. I use hanging storage sacs only, no pails whatsoever. 


I do not recommend storing in a wet pail at all. If you need to do a soak I suggest soaking in the washer barrel (if you have a top loader) or soaking in the bath tub and locking the door or gating the bathroom to keep young ones out. Under no circumstances will I suggest using a wet pail. It's not good for your diapers, often times it makes stink issues much much worse, wet pails can be messy, and they can be a hazard for young children. There are other, much more effective ways, of storing your dirty diapers.

-What kind of washer am I using? 

Some people with front loading machines (HE) have an issue with the diapers just not smelling clean after the wash cycle. This is usually due to the low amount of water used in the HE machines. If that is your issue look for an option that increases water out put in the washing cycles. 

-How many diapers and accessories am I washing at once?

In order to get completely clean the diapers and accessories need room to agitate. If you're stuffing your washing to the max that's being counterproductive-you're washing more diapers at once but they're not coming clean. If you notice that your diapers still smell dirty, smell musty, or just don't smell clean after the end of your wash cycle I would try dividing one load in half (for example if you're washing 22 diapers at a time try 11 the next wash) and see if that resolves the issue. If it does, you can add a couple diapers here and there and see what your washer's max diaper load is for optimum clean. It's also possible that you need to use more water, so if you're washing using a middle of the road water level try increasing it.

-What temperature water am I washing with?

Cold and warm water just doesn't do it. A cold water rinse or short cycle to get the poop loose or rinse out the pee is good for that purpose but as far as actual cleaning leave that to the hot water. If you think your hot water may not be hot enough try boiling a pot of hot water and adding it to the load.

-What detergent am I washing with?

Let's face it-some detergents just aren't conducive to a good, clean cloth diapering experience, but more important than that is there is no one right detergent for everyone. Some cloth diapering families have great luck with Tide, others swear by something else, and then you have people like me that have tried (and had issues with) half a dozen different detergents before settling on something that actually works for us. To read about our cloth diaper detergent experiences read HERE.

Some detergents cause build-up because they don't rinse completely and others have scents that stink around long after they're dry. That's great if you're washing bed sheets but bad if you're washing cloth diapers. If you're noticing any scent after you wash, even if it's a pleasant smell, take that as a sign that your detergent is leaving residue on your diapers. That residue can contribute to the stink issue. See more about residue and build-up in part 2.

One thing that I feel is very important to point out is that there is a homemade detergent recipe floating around that uses Borax and Fels Naptha. Borax is not good for elastic and should not be used on a regular basis on cloth diapers. Fels Naptha is NOT natural, I feel that is important to say because some of the sites I've come across regarding this particular detergent recipe imply that because it's homemade it's natural and that is just not the case. I highly suggest not using Borax or Fels Naptha on cloth diaper laundry. I will go over more about residue and build-up shortly in part 2.

-What additives am I using during cloth diapering and/or laundering process?

Many people don't realize that those essential or fragrance oils in many of their favorite diaper area cleaners or detergents can cause stink issues. I've personally had issues with the scents in Crunchy Clean, baby oil and a handful of essential oils (used in a recipe for home made diaper area cleaner. If you have issues with stink I suggest cutting out all additives (diaper area cleaners, white vinegar, Lemon Juice, scented dryer balls, fabric softener, etc.) for the first wash. If there's no more stink add something back in. If there's still no stink add something else back in, repeat that process until you get stink and you'll have the culprit. 


-Do I have hard water?
A good portion of the U.S. has issues with hard water, myself included. According to HardWater.org "Clothes washed in hard water often look dingy and feel harsh and scratchy. The hardness minerals combine with some soils to form insoluble salts, making them difficult to remove." From my experience, having hard well water at all three places we have lived in New York, hard water has made it difficult to get our diapers completely clean, has made them look dingy/dull, and has made them stiff. 


It's very easy to tell if you have hard water by looking at your fixtures, though figuring out how hard your water is and which minerals are contributing the most to your hard water can be more complicated. I suggest reviewing this site for more information about hard water and then deciding if you'd like to try testing yourself or call a company to test it for you. 


If you know you have hard water it's not the end of your cloth diapering world, like those with HE machines you may need to play around with your detergents and washing routines until you find something that works well for your water and your family. Calgon Water Softener is one solution which is mentioned time and time again in the cloth diapering world. You can find the MSDS for Calgon Water Softener products HERE.


There are cloth diapering safe detergents that have special 'hard water" formulas-Rockin' Green, Crunchy Clean, Lulu's in the Fluff all have hard water formulas available. I personally, use Lulu's in the Fluff hard water version (if you want to know, read about my CD laundry ordeals here) and have not had to use any additives since.

-How am I drying? Are my diapers drying completely that way?

If your diapers smell clean out of the washer but musty after they dry it's possible that your diapers are not drying completely. If you notice this is a recurring issue with certain diapers, like fitteds or AIOs for example, it could very well be that they are not drying thoroughly. If that's the case there are a few things you could try.1-Tumble dry (or hang) them longer. 2-Sun them. The sun is a wonderful sanitizer/germ killer. Sunning the diapers will help to kill the mustiness while helping them to dry completely (and as a bonus remove stains if you have any). You do not have to have a line in your back yard to sun! You can hang them in a sunny window in the house or even take them with you when you go out somewhere, park in a sunny location and put them on the dash. 3-Try a few wool dryer balls. In addition to helping reduce static cling and softening, "The balls bounce in the dryer allowing the air to circulate more efficiently." (A big thanks to Erin at Wooltopia for letting me steal that little tid-bit from her FAQs!) I use four, unscented, undyed, Wooltopia dryer balls when I tumble dry my cloth diaper laundry.


That concludes part 1 of troubleshooting the cloth diaper stink. Check back next week when I will discuss residue build-up and offer questions and methods for trouble shooting. Until then, as I said above, if you have any questions or issues with stinkies or need help further troubleshooting feel free to leave a comment here or email me. Although Megan and I do review the comments, if you need a prompt response please email me. 


You can also view our washing routines in THIS post.


---------------------------
This article was originally published on the Cow Patties Cloth Diapers blog at http://cowpattiescloth.blogspot.com/2010/11/tell-it-tuesday-troubleshoot-cloth.html on 11/09/10 and may not be reproduced in whole or in part with the author’s (CrunchyBabe@crunchycupcakes.com ) or blog owner’s ( cowpattiescloth@gmail.com ) expressed written permission.

Tell-it Tuesday: How to make S'mores Brownies

Can you tell I've been in a baking mood recently?

Last year at a local farmer's market a vendor was selling these brownies for $1.00 a piece. It was like a piece Heaven! I got home and hunted down a recipe to make them myself. They've been a crowd pleaser with youth groups and the girl's schools.

The ingredients:

8 whole graham crackers, broken crosswise in half (15 squares needed)

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (I've also used milk chocolate with excellent results)

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (I would get the smallest ones you can find)

Hardware:

Large microwave safe bowl

13 x 9-inch baking pan

Aluminum foil

I would also add:

Spatula

Non-stick spray (or whatever you grease with)

Electric beater

-Before you begin I recommend spraying everything that will come in contact with the sticky chocolate, marshmallows, etc. with non-stick spray. It makes things so much easier, and easier to clean

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, with ends of foil extending beyond sides of pan

- Lightly grease the foil lined pan; set aside (make sure you grease it very well, if you don't the marshmallows will stick)

-Place 15 of the graham squares on the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly

-In a large microwave safe bowl, place the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted (cut the butter up into small squares, break the chocolate too)

-Stir in granulated sugar (this is when the electric beater comes in handy)

-Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well

-Stir in the flour until well blended

-Spread over the graham cracker squares in pan

-Bake for 30-32 minutes or until toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not over bake.

-Sprinkle evenly with marshmallows and chocolate chunks (I added a little more marshmallows and a little more chocolate chips).

-Bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until marshmallows begin to melt.

-When cooled, lift out of pan with aluminum foil handles. If desired cut into smaller squares.

Tell-it Tuesday: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

Quick and easy with just three ingredients, that's all and my family loves, loves, LOVES them! Are ya ready?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

1 cup PB (crunchy or creamy it's up to you)

1 large egg

Makes about a dozen

HOW TO

-Preheat oven to 350

-Combine all ingredients with electric beater until well mixed

-Drop by teaspoonfuls unto greased (I use butter) cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Or you can roll dough into ball and squish it down with fork to get that peanut butter cookie look.

ENJOY!

Tell-it Tuesday: PillowCase Dress

Items you will need:
Iron/Ironing Board
Fabric/Trim fabric (see below for measurements)
Sewing machine, scissors,pins
Ribbon
Safety pin


Step 1: Lay your fabric for the body of the dress out and fold length wise to create a fold. My pattern measures about 8' by 13". You can buy a pattern or make one by taping computer paper together to the desired size. Cut 2 of the body pieces



Step 2: Using the body pattern as a width guide, lay down the trim fabric. Fold just like the body fabric and cut 2. The width can be whatever you choose. If you want 1 1/2" of trim to show, them make it 3" (explained in a moment)



Step 3: Fold trim in hlaf length wise and iron flat


Step 4: Pin the right side of the trim to the right side of the body fabric at the bottom edge. Same with other trim/body pieces. Sew together



Step 5: Iron the seam of the trim and body piece flat


Step 6: Here are both body pieces with trim attached. This shows to pin the dress pieces right sides together


Step 7: Pin the 2 dress pieces together. At about 4 inches from the top (for a 12 moth size) stop pinning, this will create the arm hole. *Green pin notes the 4" point. Sew pieces along the sides up to the 4: mark. Repeat on other side


Step 8: Once sides are sewn, fold over the fabeic (as shown) and iron flat


Step 9: Sew


Step 10: To create to casing for the ribbon, fold the top of the dress over about 1 1/2" to 2", iron flat.


Step 11: Sew the casing along the bottom edge only. Repeat on other side of dress. DO NOT SEW SHUT


Step 12: Dress turned right side out and ready for ribbon



Tip: To guide ribbon through the casing, attach any size safety pin


Step 13: Guide ribbon through and then cut at the desired length. Repeat on the other side of the dress



All Done:

Tell-it Tuesday: How to make edible play dough

Sorry this is a day late-seems to be the theme of my week so far--but seriously, how can you frown with this is staring back at you....


On my hunt for ways to be frugal I found quite a few ways to make homemade play dough, some edible and others...eh, not so much. Today I'm going to tell you how to make the Jello play dough pictured above. Jello play dough is completely edible, which is good if you have younger kids that like to explore taste and textures with their mouths or dogs that will run to eat any little piece of anything that drops to the floor. It was quick and easy to do and the kids loved the whole process but especially the playing after it was done.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 package of Jello (or generic brand) powder.

HOW-TO:

(1) Combine flour, salt, water, cooking oil and cream of tartar in cooking pot. I used a rather small simmering pot. Mix until well blended.

(2) Add 1 package of Jello powder* to the mixture and place in on a medium-high burner. Cook stirring the whole time, until dough has thickened to the consistency of mashed potatoes. I stirred a couple of minutes.

(3) Remove from the burner and let cool before kneading. You may knead to flour your hands before kneading, but I didn't.

(4) Knead, pass to kids and let them enjoy! The more you knead and play with it the more it looks like store bought play dough.

To save it you can store it in a Tupperware type container, or in a Ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out. I put it in the bag and put it in the fridge but you don't have to. If it dries out just add a little bit of water.

*Edited on 10/20 to add:

I made this recipe this morning but left out the Jello. I added a few drops of food coloring to the cup of water (I measured 1/2 cup, added the food coloring, added the other 1/2 then dumped it into the pot) and made a couple batches of play dough successfully. Each batch had a nice color to it because of the food coloring. It hasn't stained hands either and it's just as edible though it probably doesn't taste as good as it does when you add the Jello.

 

Also, stored in the Ziploc in the fridge our play dough was still good-just as soft- two weeks later.