care instructions

hand me downs.

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photo by Makenzie Rea State

photo by Makenzie Rea State

You know what’s not cool? Handing over our garbage to the next generation. You know what is cool? Using yesteryear’s gDiapers on subsequent children.

No matter what you choose to use inside little gPants, you still have the luxury of getting to use little gPants over and over and over again. We’ve had parents use the same little gPants on their 3rd and even 4th babies! True story. Yes, they may no longer look fresh as a daisy. They are still clothing and clothing, as we’re aware, will wear out the more it is used and washed. But we all know that there is a time and place for those well-loved hand-me-downs.

Sometimes customers will ask us why we don’t use snaps on our little gPants. Several reasons. But a big one is that snaps are not an easy fix. If a snap breaks and needs replacing, it’s kind of a big deal for a lot of folks (not all of us are savvy with a sewing machine or snap punch). But velcro is simple. It may wear out with time, but we’re happy to offer free replacement hook (that’s the scratchy side of the velcro, the piece that can wear out). We’ll even send along simple instructions. It can be stitched on by hand or by machine, whichever is easiest for you. That way you can keep on using those little gPants. And keep on growing.

Need replacement velcro for little gPants? email us. info@gdiapers.com.

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trouble, trouble. shoot.

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Oh goodness. Leaks? Let’s fix this. We’re going to ask a couple questions, and based on your answer, may send you over to a different blog post. Because reading one reallllly long post to try to find the answer you need, well, it’s about as productive as changing a diaper right before baby poops. So we’re going to try to anticipate the, uh, poop, and get it right the first time.

Moving on. So you say you’re having leaks with a gDiaper. Okay. Are you using a biodegradable gRefill or a gCloth? gRefill? Stay right here. gCloth? Hop over to the post dedicated to gCloth, please.

Leaks with gRefills

First, we have to ask, how often are you changing baby? Babies should be changed every 2-3 hours, regardless of the diaper they’re in (except cloth, which should be changed more frequently). If you’re having leaks within that time frame, you may just need to change more often. That aside, let’s say you just changed baby and uh oh, it wasn’t contained. Then we’ll move on to this question:

Where is the leak happening?

Are you finding that the waistband is getting wet? If you see leaks high up on the leg or near the waistband it signifies that the gPant is being secured too tightly.  If the waist is too tight, the trim on the pouch will be nice and taut up around the belly but there will be gaps underneath all four snap tabs, leaving that area vulnerable to leaking. So loosen it up a bit. The trim of the pouch should be flush against the skin. Disposable diapers require that you pull the waist super tight. It’s how they try to keep the messes inside. gDiapers are different. The waist should be secure enough to keep the trim of the pouch against the skin, but over-tightening will work against you.

Are you finding the leaks are happening in the crotch area?

If you’re finding that there’s wetness on the colorful cloth cover in between baby’s legs, it’s a pretty clear indication that the snap-in pouch isn’t sitting quite right. The trim of the pouch should run along the very utmost crease of baby’s crotch, right where inner thigh meets groin. Think of it as you would put on your own underwear. Pull it all the way up. Then, secure the little gPant. When it’s all on, take a peek under the leg bands and see if there’s any gaping. The trim of the pouch should be flush against the skin. If you can see a gap, you’ll want to re-adjust.

Those are the two types of leaks we sometimes hear about here in diaper therapy. The nice thing? They’re few and far between, and when they do happen, these little tips do the trick nicely. And once you’ve got the hang of it, you can’t unlearn it. And then we’ll pin you with a certified “deputy diaper therapist” badge and send you off into the world to change diapers, for good.

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laundry day! (really. it’s fun.)

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photo by Amy Darling McDonald

photo by Amy Darling McDonald

What’s so exciting about laundry day? Is it the routine, the zen motion of folding fresh and clean cloth inserts, stacking them up or stuffing them inside little gPants, ready to be used on your sweet baby? Is it the musical playlist you created to accompany you as you grab your laundry bag and get to it? Is it exciting because someone else does it for you? Whatever the reason, it is a ritual, and we as people (and mostly, we as parents) tend to take comfort in ritualized tasks.

If you’re strictly using gRefills, or mostly anyway, your wash routine is going to be pretty simple. Little gPants only need to be laundered when they get soiled, or at your own comfort level. The snap-in little gPant pouch is the piece that will be swapped out most often. And since you’re mostly using gRefills, which get flushed, composted or tossed, you don’t have gCloth inserts to launder. So here’s your laundry list:

  • unsnap the pouch from the little gPant
  • close the velcro tabs so they don’t come undone and snag other bits of laundry, (like that groovy mesh top you wore to last week’s 80′s day at the office)
  • machine wash on cold or warm
  • line or machine dry the little gPants
  • air dry the snap-in pouches (they air dry in minutes)

Ta da! Then grab that fresh-smelling pile of little gPants and pouches, snap the pouches into the pants, tuck in a gRefill to each and have them ready to go so baby can dirty them up again for you. (cause she most certainly will)

If you’re using gCloth inserts exclusively or mostly, the routine is going to be just a tad more involved. But not much. gCloth inserts are perfectly-sized to tuck into little gPants, so there’s no folding required. What a load off!

Here’s what diaper therapist, Heather, suggests:

“There are a couple of different methods for storing your cloth diapers before laundry day.  You can use a wet pail, a dry pail or a wet bag.

In the wet pail method, all cloth diapers are placed in a pail filled with water. Storing the diapers in water (usually accompanied by baking soda) is said to help prevent stains from setting. When wash day comes, the water is drained in the bathtub or toilet and then the diapers go into the wash. This method has lost much of its popularity due to odor issues that arise from stagnant water, and the potential for messiness and mildew.

The dry pail method seems to be the preferred method (and the one I used). In this method, wet and soiled diapers are placed in a covered pail with no pre-soaking. Odors can easily be controlled by sprinkling baking soda at the bottom of the pail.  I used a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that you can purchase from any home improvement store.  It worked great!

A wet bag (or laundry bag) is a waterproof bag that you fill with your baby’s soiled diapers.  On laundry day, you can just put the whole bag inside out and wash everything in your machine (different bags have different care instructions, so please read the label).

We actually don’t recommend any specific detergent for the little gPants.  You can use whatever you normally use.  However, if you are using gCloth you will want to use a cloth diaper friendly detergent.

There are a lot of factors that go into what you choose.  Is an “eco” detergent important to you?  Do you want something you can purchase locally?  Do you have hard water?  Is price a factor?  As you can see, it’s a personal choice, you just want to choose something that will be kind to your cloth.  We like to send people to the Detergent Chart at diaperjungle.com to see how detergents are rated for cloth diapers.

For cloth diapers, it’s a good idea to use HALF the amount of detergent that you would use in a regular load of the same size.  A little bit of detergent, hot water, and the agitation from your washing machine is enough to disinfect your cloth diapers. A second rinse cycle may help remove excess detergent, but isn’t necessary.  Using too much detergent will lead to detergent buildup and an inconvenient “stripping” process.” (more on that in another blog post)

Here’s what diaper therapist Gillian has to say on it:

“Cloth is funny because everyone does it differently!
My routine with the gCloth I’m currently using on my son is:

From wet bag:

  • throw all cloth inserts in washer
  • throw in little gPants (with pouches unsnapped) and pouches in a mesh laundry bag.  The mesh bag means no sorting- it’s all in there to be washed, but you can then remove the little gPants and pouches easily if you choose to do a hot cycle for the cloth inserts (which isn’t necessary nor recommended for the little gPants and pouches)
  • I do a cold or warm wash first with a tiny bit of cloth safe detergent (to help avoid stains)
  • pull out the mesh bag with the little gPants and pouches and dry them (air or dryer for pants, air dry for pouches)
  • then follow up with a hot wash/rinse (no extra detergent) for the gCloth left in the washer to extra sanitize and make sure all detergent is rinsed out

*Hint for drying the gcloth in the dryer: throw a big dry towel in there too! It helps move the cloth around more and soaks up some dampness form inside the drum, so it all dries faster!”

Thanks ladies. See? It’s really nice to have people around who’ve been there. And if you want to chat with either Heather or Gillian in person, just give them a buzz or send an email, info@gdiapers.com. 1.866.553.5874.

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ready for anything.

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photo by courtney barr ferguson

photo by courtney barr ferguson

There’s not a whole lot that you can predict with babies. At least not with complete accuracy. At some point baby will crawl. At some point baby will smile. And at some point a first little white tooth will come blazing through. You just don’t know exactly when. So even though the timing of things are most certainly uncertain, there’s one thing on which you can rely: baby will poop. And we’re here to ready you for that very specific thing that babies do so often.

Just like you, gDiapers are ready for anything. So here’s the scoop on poop.

1. newborn poop

At first your baby will process this crazy sticky stuff called meconium (you already knew that). Get through this sticky stage by using biodegradable gRefills inside tiny gPants (which are perfectly sized for brand new babies, and snap down away from the umbilical cord). Not only will the gRefills fare better with newborn messes, but as a newborn parent operating with one eye open at 3am, you can just flush the gRefill away and go back to bed. When baby is pooping a little more predictably you can always switch to using size small gCloth, if you so desire. And then you can gDiaper any way you want. gRefills or gCloth. Both can handle whatever baby dishes out.

2. clean up. easy.

So gRefills, we’ve discussed this. If they’re poopy, flush them! (You can read about the how-to here). But what about with gCloth? Easy peasy. Use a gCloth liner. A gCloth liner is like a sturdy piece of toilet paper. It goes on top of the cloth. Wetness will pass right through, where it will be absorbed by the cloth fabrics. But any solid messes will be caught on top. Carry the whole shebang into the bathroom and the gCloth liner (plus poopy mess!) slide off into the toilet. Flush. Gone. Phew.

did you know? Poop should always go in the toilet. Even if you use a disposable from time to time (it happens) the poop is supposed to be flushed. Because really, who wants little rolled up plastic poopy diapers dotting the landscape? Not these diaper therapists. And we’re pretty sure, not you, either. Ick.

3. stains. yup.

In case you’re not yet entirely familiar with the anatomy of a gDiaper, let’s go over it briefly. It’s pretty straightforward. (We’ll get to why this has to do with stains in just a sec. Promise.)

  • little gPants – the adorable colorful cotton outer pant. This is the piece that makes moms and dads act like collectors at Antique Roadshow. Little gPants are fun.
  • snap-in little gPants pouch – this is a convenient part of the little gPant. Convenient? Why yes. Because it snaps in and out. So you can change just the pouch when necessary, and not the whole pant.

That’s it. Then of course you can decide for yourself whether you want to use a biodegradable gRefill or gCloth insert inside (both tuck easily inside the pouch). Here’s why the gDiapers anatomy lesson was in order. We just need you to know that the pouch is going to get dirty. That is it’s job. The gRefill or gCloth will catch the bulk of the mess, but the pouch is there to act as another barrier, keeping the messes off the highly-prized little gPants, off blankets, off carseats and strollers and crib mattresses. And because of the pouch doing it’s job it is going to get stained. Poop stains. Bottom line. But there are ways to address those stains. We tackle those in a separate blog post. Hop over any time.

So. Poop. It’s a sign of a healthy and happy baby. And since we’re all about healthy and happy babies, we’ve kind of made poop our business. Let us know if you have any questions. Any time.

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flushing? what?

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Yes! gDiapers gRefills are flushable! And as you’ll learn being a parent not all things are flushable, though your toddler may try to prove otherwise.

gRefills have been designed to be flushed down toilets in North America (so to our friends outside the US and Canada, please disregard this entire post, do NOT flush your gRefills, compost or toss instead). What are the perks of flushing? For one, NO POOPY DIAPER SMELL IN THE HOUSE! Woo hoo, we say! For two, it means that your baby’s poop goes down the potty, not in a landfill. It’s simply the safest way that we have to dispose of human waste. Bottom line.

So now you know, it’s true. gRefills can be flushed. Right down the toilet. The commode. The pipes. The porcelain wonder. All of us here in the gDiapers diaper therapy department are big-time fans of flushing.

If you’re keen to be a flusher, just be sure you know thy toilet. If you’ve had plumbing issues in the past, then it’s probably not your best option. Let’s be comprehensive here about what that could mean. (We know. It’s not the most exciting blog fodder, but we really think you should have a looksee.)

  • Do not flush with tree-infested, faulty or non-standard plumbing.*
  • Septic? We don’t recommend it for gRefills.
  • Newbies: use two flushes, one for the inner core and one for the outer material. Once you get the hang if it, you can graduate to one flush.
  • Never flush more than one gRefill at a time.
  • If using flushable wipes (gWipes are not meant to be flushed, by the way), flush separately.
  • Don’t let the contents sit in the bowl for very long as they will simply absorb all the water. After all, a gRefill can hold 100 times its weight in water.
  • Although there is a tear prompt, the gRefill can be torn from any corner (just so you know!)
  • If you do get a clog with a gRefill, reach into the toilet and pull out the material. You can always wash your hands. If that doesn’t work grab the plunger. If you feel you got a clog despite following the directions, please let us know.
  • When in doubt, throw it out. We wouldn’t want an unknown plumbing issue to cause you a massive headache as a result of flushing. So, please, if you suspect you have tree roots in your pipes, or other iffy situation, don’t flush.

* Faulty plumbing would mean there is something broken, systemically flawed, or warped due to time. Examples would be tree-infested pipes, where the roots have sought out the water in the pipes and squeezed their way inside. Older cast iron or clay pipes can crack with age, causing fissures where the coverstock of the gRefill could snag, potentially building up over time and blocking the pipes.

Non-standard plumbing includes (but is not limited to): ejector pumps, house traps and cess pools. We don’t recommend flushing if you have a septic system.

If you are a renter ask the landlord or building manager about the state of your pipes. If you own your home it should be stated on your home inspection report.

Alrighty, now that you’ve read and digested every single word above. Let’s get in to the how-to. It’s simple really.

1. Rip

2. Swish

3. Flush

Rip down a side of the gRefill (over the toilet, naturally). If the gRefill isn’t already pretty soaked, dunk it in the bowl first to let it soak up a bit of the water. This just makes things easier. Now that it’s ripped, dump out the inner core. This is the fluff part, the pulp that does the absorbing magic. Dump it all in the bowl. Give it a little swish with the swishstick (included in most little gPants 2-packs and bundles — if you don’t have one, give us a shout). Then flush! If you’re new at this, hold on to the outer coverstock while the inner fluff gets whooshed away, then let go of the coverstock at the last second. This is just to ensure that the two parts are completely separated. Make sense? You’ve got this covered. In case you want to see it in action, we made a video. Oh yes. We did.

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