HERE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARE ON YOUR CLOTH DIAPERS AND ACCESSORIES
HAPPY HEINY'S POCKET DIAPERS AND TRAINERS
~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Store wet and dirty cloth diapers in a dry pail. Older babies’ solid waste can be removed by gently shaking the diaper over a toilet. 
The fleece will release solids easily – there is no need to rinse them before washing.
Washing instructions for pocket diapers and cloth trainers:
· Remove the inserts
· Cold Soak for 10-20 minutes depending on the level of dirt
· Wash on hot with slightly less than 1/4 cup of detergent
· You can add a downy ball of vinegar to the wash if the diapers have a heavy urine scent. I recommend a downy ball because it releases the vinegar at the right time - no need to wait by the machine.
· Rinse well to ensure all detergent is removed from diapers.
· Dry on high heat. The high heat of the dryer will keep your Happy Heiny functioning like new. We personally dry our PUL products on high heat and although we have had prolonged use with these products we have not noticed any break down of our PUL.
THE SCOOP ON DETERGENT ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Recommended detergents for your cloth diapers:
We recommend Tide, Sunlight, Cheer, Era, and Clout (Costco brand). These are not made with any of the natural oily substances which leave residue on fleece.
Detergents to avoid using on cloth diapers:
Natural soaps often contain various oils. These should NOT be used because they will leave a residue on fleece, causing it to repel liquids.
The following detergents will cause a soap build up on your cloth diapers. Do NOT use them.
· Dr. Bronner’s Soap
· 7th Generation
· Bio-Kleen
· Ivory Snow
· Dreft
· Any ALL free detergents.
· Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean – These have the potential for detergent burn in babies.
Never use fabric softener of any kind on cloth diapers. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue which causes fleece to repel urine and decreases the absorbency of other diapers.
Diaper rash creams can also cause cloth diapers to repel. For best results place a fleece liner or biodegrateable liner against the baby's skin.
STRIPPING LEAKING DIAPERS ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Build up refers to residue left by detergents, fabric softeners, and other substances used to clean diapers. In rare instances, baking soda will react with certain minerals in water and also cause build up. If you notice a decrease in the absorbency of your diapers, build up may be the culprit.
Stripping is the process of removing residue from your diapers. To strip diapers:
· Hand wash your diaper with regular dish soap to remove any oils.
· Put a small amount of dish soap on the fleece layer.
· Rub vigorously or use a medium bristle scrubbing brush to scrub the fleece.
· Turn the diaper inside out and repeat.
· Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
You may use this method at any time you notice repelling or as a preventative measure once a week. If you are still having problems, try these special cleaning agents to strip your diapers:
· 2 scoops of Oxyclean in a very hot wash
· 1 ball of RLR (found at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle hanging on a clip) in a hot wash
CARING FOR WOOL DIAPER COVERS ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Hand wash your wool cover in cold water with like colors. Hang to dry. You may have a bit of shrinkage after the first washing. You may re-lanolize as needed. We recommend using Eucalan wool wash to care for your covers. It has natural lanolin right in the bottle. You never have to worry about when to lanolize. It is done for you each time you wash.
**Note** Dark colored wool will bleed. See the note below to fix the dyes.
*tip* For bleeding wool:
· mix 3 cups white vinegar with 3 Tbsp salt
· wet wool in lukewarm water
· add to vinegar/salt mixture.
· Microwave for two, 3minute sessions.
· Allow to COMPLETELY cool
· rinse in lukewarm water
· wash
· re-lanolize.
(if you rinse before allowing to completely cool, you may unintentionally felt your garment)
CARING FOR FLEECE COVERS AND SO SIMPLE! COVERS ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
We all know how much wetness babies produce. Fleece is 100% polyester and allows air to circulate through the cover. This reduces diaper rash caused by prolonged exposure to wetness. In addition, it is soft to the touch, dries in a flash, and can withstand laundry abuse.
Caring for your fleece covers just can't be any easier:
· Machine wash in hot, cold, or warm water.
· Tumble dry.
Fleece is the *wonder fabric* of the cloth diapering world. Dryer sheets can help to make it even more water resistant. I do only suggest this as a last resort though if you have some leaking. I normally wash my covers with any old load of laundry as long as it isn't really soiled and needing special attention. In a world full of *diaper washing no no's*....here is some relief. There is almost no wrong way to wash fleece.
Tip: If you suddenly find that your fleece is leaking, simply switch laundry soaps (use Dr.Bronner's for a change or even mild dish soap). This should solve the problem. If it doesn't, Nikwax products will come to the rescue.
CARING FOR HEINY HUGGERS ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Wash new diapers before use. You may notice that they produce a bit of lint in the beginning, this is normal for Sherpa.
· Cold rinse
· warm-hot wash
· same detergents as the HH
· No chlorine, no bleach, no fabric softners.
· May be dried on high heat.
Occasionally you may notice that your Sherpa diapers are not as soft after a few months of use as they were when new. All you need to do is rinse the diapers a few times in the washer without detergent. Add vinegar to the rinse cycle. This will help to restore the natural softness to the Sherpa.
CARING FOR HEMP DIAPERS ~from the Happy Heiny's Web Page
Your hemp product has been professionally washed and dried once. It will need up to 8 more washings and dries before it is fully absorbent. The first few times you wash hemp products you should NOT wash them with fleece products. Hemp has natural oils in it and the oils can coat your fleece. After your hemp has been fully primed you may wash it with all of your diapering products.
Snappi® Diaper Fastener
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
1. ALWAYS use a cover when using a Snappi® fastener on your baby’s diaper.
2. Keep out of children’s reach when not in use!
3. Do not cut your Snappi®. This could create weak spots in your Snappi®.
4. INSPECT your Snappi® before each use and discontinue use immediately if there is any sign of cracking, tearing, breakage or wear of the teeth or any other parts.
5. Do not use your Snappi® for longer than 6 months.
6. Do not leave your Snappi® lying in the sun. It is not UV resistant and this can reduce the effectiveness of the Snappi®.
7. The best way to clean to your Snappi® is to wash in warm soapy water. Do not launder them with diapers in the washer as this may weaken the grip attachment.
CAUTION: Any tear in the Snappi® can lead to separation of a piece, presenting a possible choking hazard. Do not cut your Snappi® as this could create weak spots in your Snappi®. Inspect your Snappi® before each use and discontinue use immediately if there is any sign of cracking, tearing, breakage or wear of the teeth or any other parts.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
Snappi® fasteners need to be used correctly in order to work effectively.
1. STRETCH the Snappi® fastener before its first use. The stretching triggers the 'memory' of the Snappi® to return to its original size and in so doing, pulls the diaper together to the middle to allow for a snug fit. This is essential for the Snappi® to work properly. This can be done by holding the Snappi® in the center with one hand and close to the end of the leg (not by the rings) with the other hand and s-t-r-e-t-c-h a few times (10 or so). As you do this you should feel how the material 'softens' or gets more elastic. Follow this stretching procedure with each leg. The Snappi® is then ready to go!
2. Make sure that your Snappi® is ATTACHED SECURELY. It is important that the Snappi® 'leg' being attached be stretched across the diaper before hooking it into the diaper. So,
Hook Left,
Stretch ACROSS and Hook Right,
Stretch DOWN and Hook Center
In other words, the Snappi® fastener should go from a ‘T’ shape to a ‘Y’ shape.
By following these instructions, the Snappi® should be secure, the diaper will fit snugly and the baby should not be able to undo it. ALWAYS place a cover over the diaper and Snappi® fastener.
Fuzzi Bunz Diaper Care:
Washing
We could not make it any more simple for you to wash your diapers. Fuzzi Bunz were invented by a woman who HATED laundry (and still does) so these diapers are easy use and easy care!
First! Fuzzi Bunz are a single use diaper - meaning you using it once and then wash it. You can not take the insert out and put another one in and keep using the Fuzzi Bunz. This was what was described in the book "Diaper Changes" and it is horribly incorrect. Use a Fuzzi Bunz and wash it.
When wet, simply separate the two pieces or shake the insert out into a basket, diaper pail or one of MOE's hanging diaper bags for easy washing.
If soiled, solid poop will "plop" right off of the diaper into the toilet. No rinsing or swirling... yuck. If there are "stickies" on the fleece whatever does not shake off into the toilet will dissolve in the wash. If you just can't put it in the washer that way you can get a "mini-shower" and spray the poop off of the diaper before putting it in your washer.
Run a rinse or soak cycle first with no detergent just to dissolve any "left overs" and get much of the urine and mess out and spun out into the sewer where it belongs.
After the soak cycle run a HOT wash with the detergent of your choice. Do not over use your detergent as the full recommended amount by the manufacturer is a bit too much - however you do need enough to clean dirty diapers. 1/2 the recommended amount is sufficient and if you find you have a cleaning problem then add more detergent.
Your hot wash cycle will more than likely have a cold rinse that follows. No need to run a second rinse unless you are having a really dirty diaper problem or feel you must if it was a particularly dirty load.
You can either tumble your diapers dry on low heat or hang to dry, either way they will dry quickly and be ready to put back on your baby.
A Few Dos & Don'ts
Do wash your Fuzzi Bunz after each use.
Do make sure that there is a snug fit
Do make sure that you have the correct size for your baby.
Do contact the manufacturer if you have any problems
Do not use fabric softener or use pure soap products on your Fuzzi Bunz. [What are pure soap products? Scroll down!]
No bleach or exposure to high heat for prolonged periods of time.
Detergents we recommend for use with Fuzzi Bunz:
Allens Naturally is our detergent of choice, you can buy it directly from Allen's Naturally or from Mother of Eden. Its economical for the amount of loads it will wash, washes clean with no residue and will keep your diapers clean!
The Low Down on Detergents & Soaps
Pure Soap
Natural soap products such as pure glycerine soap or cleaning agents made with citrus or other oils do not work for this reason: They may clean the fibers, but a slight oily film or "soap scum" is left on the fleece. When this happens it makes it very difficult for urine to get through the layer of fleece to the absorbent core in the middle of Fuzzi Bunz as you know oil and water do not mix.
The result?? Either Fuzzi Bunz that leak or the fleece will stay wet next to the skin and not become dry as it should be.
Fixing the problem
We have (as have others) had many theories on what is called "stripping diapers." I don't like that word. I would rather call it just plain ole upkeep and something that should be done every now and again as a preventative measure in taking care of your diapers and prolonging their life.
If you have any of the following problems this system should work for you:
1. Persistent stinkiness
2. Repelling fleece*
3. Fleece that stays wet
4. Leaking diapers
*The fleece used in Fuzzi Bunz is a proprietary fleece designed to our specifications and needs. Our fleece is designed to absorb water quickly, dry to the touch quickly and resist residue buildup.
Solving the Problem
1. Get a good detergent like Allen's Naturally.
2. Run all of your diapers through a plain water hot wash.
3. Run all of your diapers through a hot wash with the full recommended amount of detergent.
4. If the problem is bad, repeat step three.
5. Run a cold rinse. If you have hard water you may want to add a water softener such as Baking Soda or Calgon Water Softener to soften your water and help release any left over detergent.
6. If you still see bubbles in your rinse run another cold rinse.
7. You can either Sun your diapers or tumble on low.
After this process (I know it is involved) you should have very clean diapers that do not smell like anything - no perfume - no urine. When the Fuzzi Bunz are completely dry, if you were having a buildup problem (repelling) take a nasal aspirator and put an insert into the pocket. Fill the nasal aspirator with water and put it close to the fleece and "pee" on the diaper with the aspirator. If it goes through your repelling problem is fixed. However, again, repelling should not be a problem with Fuzzi Bunz diapers.
