stripping cloth

leaks and cloth inserts

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photo by jessica lambright

photo by jessica lambright

So if you’re here, it’s either because you went the choose your own adventure route from our troubleshooting post, or because you used that handy dandy search feature off to the right. Either way, it sounds like you’re having some frustration with leaks while using cloth inserts.

First, let’s look at fit. There are some similarities with leak issues for using either gRefills or gCloth. Rather than insert them all here, feel free to peruse these pro-active tips for ensuring a good fit.

On to the task at hand: tackling leaks with cloth inserts. Are you using gCloth or a different cloth insert? The reason we ask, is because gCloth are specifically designed to fit inside the little gPants. They’re trim and don’t require any folding. We’ve heard from other parents who have used other brands of cloth inserts with success, and we think that’s great! Bottom line is we want you to have a functioning cloth diaper that’s easy on everybody. But! If you’re using a bulky cloth insert that requires a lot of folding, chances are it’s not going to fit inside the little gPants very well. It will add a lot of fill to the inside of the snap-in pouch and lift the trim of the pouch off of baby’s skin, breaking that oh-so-important seal. That’s one way leaks can happen. So. Please make sure that the cloth insert you’re using fits inside the snap-in pouch and does not compromise the seal.

Moving on. Let’s make sure your cloth inserts (we’ll assume they’re gCloth at this point) are at peak absorbency. If you begin to see a performance decrease in your gCloth or if you find your gCloth doesn’t smell so fresh, even after washing it’s time to strip them. Stripping cloth simply means you wash them in a way that removes build-up from detergent and/or diaper cream. It gets them back to absorbing the way they should, and helps tackle any ammonia smell. Check out our blog post on stripping gCloth inserts.

gCloth inserts (or other cloth inserts) will not be quite as absorbent as our gRefills. It’s just the nature of cloth. Since babies are all different and require different diapering needs, you might need to adjust the frequency of diaper changes to accommodate the different level of absorbency.  It would be on par to need to change a cloth diaper every 1-2 hours, and a gRefill every 2-3 hours. Some tips we’ve gotten from our gMums is to:

1.  Use one gRefill and one gCloth for naps and overnight (use the gCloth beneath the gRefill)
2.  One of our gMums coined the phrase “hemp sandwich”.  She would use 2 gCloth inserts with the hemp sides facing each other and has great success with this method
3. Keep gRefills on hand for longer trips out of the house

Hopefully that will help you figure out those pesky leaks. If not, as always, give us a ring. Or check in with the super savvy cloth-diapering parents on our facebook page. Collective knowledge is pretty rad.

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g-rated stripping.

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photo by Allison Hanlon Peterson

photo by Allison Hanlon Peterson

Stripping? Umm, what? Simply put, stripping (in this sense) means you’re removing the buildup of detergent or diaper creams from the fibers of your cloth inserts. With time, despite your best intentions and care, you may find that your cloth inserts aren’t absorbing as well as they once were. The culprit is most likely detergent build up, or diaper creams, if you’ve been using them. This happens with all cloth diapers and is easily remedied by stripping your cloth diapers. Stripping also helps when cloth begins to take on an ammonia smell. An easy test to see if your inserts need to be stripped: put the cloth insert into the little gPant pouch and slowly add a cup of warm water. Let it rest for at least one minute. Gently place the palm of your hand on the water (to simulate the flesh contact from baby). If the water pools on top and doesn’t absorb even with the pressure from your hand, it needs stripping. Here’s one method on how to strip your cloth:

  • Before stripping, you may need to pull apart the 4 layers of fabric, as they may have become stuck together with detergent.
  • Boil on the stovetop for 30 minutes, then wash without detergent after boiling.
  • Check your laundry rinse cycle. If there are suds in the rinse, then the diapers still have build up. Repeat boil until a rinse cycle runs clear of suds.

For thicker buildup you may want to add a bit of a de-greasing agent to your strip routine. Good old fashioned Dawn dish soap (the blue stuff) is great at tackling stubborn build up on cloth. Hand-agitate the de-greaser directly into the cloth inserts and then wash on hot (no other detergent). Check your rinse cycle for suds. Once the cloth is free of suds, you should be free of build up and back to peak performance.

Do you have hard water? Hard water makes laundering difficult in general, but can be particularly troublesome for cloth diapering, since it’s hard to wash out detergent with hard water. You may want to add a water softener to the hot part of the wash, to keep your diapers soft and absorbent.

*tip* If you want to use a diaper cream, use flushable gCloth liners on top of your cloth inserts. Not only will the liners prevent the cream from caking to the cloth fibers, but they’ll also do the dirty work of catching the bulk of baby’s solid messes (aka, poop). Check out the video to see gCloth liners at work.

 

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