Comments on: Backwards WMFW- Getting my cloth diaper covers to stop leaking!!!

By: Barb

Barb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:15:07 +0000

I used regular cloth diapers---with pins, and cheap store bought plastic rubber pants on my kids. Late 80's---early 90's. I find with cloth diapers, the cheaper the better. All the new stuff out there costs a fortune and it's no where near as reliable as old fashioned cloth diapers are! I was a teen in the 80's and babysat to earn money and I changed lots of babies in old fashioned cloth fold up diapers with pins and el-cheapo rubber pants! I credit all those mothers for having made it easier for me to choose cloth diapers for my own kids. If I hadn't had the experience of babysitting kids in cloth diapers I probably would have used disposables.

By: Cheree Manz

Cheree Manz — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:06:19 +0000

I've used Nikwax on PUL covers and it really re-waterproofs them! Look up Nikwax, and you should be able to find it. Hope this can solve the leaking problem for you, as it did for me!

By: mom24

mom24 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:01:24 +0000

I'm so glad I read this first! I was planning on washing and using my comfy bummi's (all-in-ones)next month and have Bio-Clean (thinkinh it was a recommended detergent). Now I'm not sure what to use on them. They were quite an investment and I don't want to mess them up! So I think I'll just lurk around until I figure out my plann of attack. Thanks so much for this post! Sorry I couldn't offer any suggestions to help you! Andrea

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:48:28 +0000

I also use the whisper wraps and have so far had no problems(I have used them for over a year now).
I run a cold wash first with a little detergent- I use sunlight powder from Costco. My second wash is a hot cycle with either a little baking soda or a little bleach. I then do another rinse cycle. Everything goes into the dryer after that. Seems to work for my diapers and covers.

Natalie

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:27:38 +0000

Well, just to add even more confusing options...I'll submit what works for me!

I use BG's and prefolds with Thirsties and Imse Vimse covers (but it's all the same concept with the PUL).

I third the recommendation to dry your covers in the dryer. I do believe they need to re-seal every few washes.

When my diapers need stripping, I wash mine with about 2 Tablespoons of Tide, and about 2 oz of OxiClean. Now I know the other CD mommas out there are about to die at the thought of the oxi clean, but it has stripped my diapers better than any other method I've ever tried. I tried it in a moment of desperation and it worked!

I wash every other day... but about once a week, I wash my dipes on the Whitest Whites cycle on the steam sanitizer with a second rinse. The rest of the time, I wash them with a cold rinse, then Whitest Whites on HOT, then one last cold rinse.

I've had zero trouble with leaking and smelliness.

-Lauren in NC

By: Megan@SortaCrunchy

Megan@SortaCrunchy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:11:05 +0000

That pinstripesandpolkadots laundry chart is AMAZING. I have had much success with Purex Free and Clear in the past and now use only Country Save.

I agree with the dryer suggestion, too. I've never had Bummis leak before, but I have had to run PUL outer pockets through the dryer to help reseal the material.

Good luck! I KNOW how frustrating leakage can be!

By: Mrs. Taft

Mrs. Taft — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:46:39 +0000

I agree about the dryer comment And you may need to strip them again.

Do you use bac-out? I've been told that using enzymatic detergent is a NO NO, and I've used BioKleen regular detergent myself just fine, but I've heard people have problems with the bac-out.

By: Jeni

Jeni — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:43:18 +0000

I'm going to lurk & read your comments...we just started cloth diapering, and I'm trying to get the hang of it, so any tips people share will help!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:33:45 +0000

I use 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz.) of Allen's detergent per load. We use a few types of diapers and covers (including Bummis) and we've never had any problems with any of them.

You're not washing the covers with your diapers are you? It can wear them out quickly, but I'm not sure if that would cause leaking.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:22:18 +0000

I have a variety of different pocket diapers, as well as prefold covers. I have 4 bummi covers, and they are my absolute favorite--that's why I was sad to hear you were having trouble with them. But then I got to thinking that I had a problem with them a month or so after I got them. They started to stink really badly, and were wet out the outside. I think the problem is that they not made of PUL like Fuzzi Bunz or most other diapers. I suppose that's why they need to be cleaned differently. At the time, I was using Charlie's Soap, which is supposedly residue free. I just think that it wasn't getting the laundry clean enough. So, I switched to Country Save detergent, and my diapers have smelled much fresher, and I have had no wicking or leaking problems!

My personal thought is that diaper companies tell you what commercial brands of detergents you can use as a bare minimum because they don't want to scare anyone away by telling them that you have to get some special detergent you've never heard of before. But even the recommended commercial and some natural ones have brighteners, which can cause build up. You might check and see if yours has brighteners (you'll know if it tells you that you'll have brighter or whiter clothes.)

If your detergent really is additive free, then are you using any other detergents or fabric softeners in your washing machine? If so, you might want to run a rinse load before you wash diapers so you don't get build up on your diapers.

I hope it works out for you! I hate to see good Bummi's go to waste!