Q: If cloth diapers are so great, why do most people use disposables?
A: It's simple: They're big and we're not.
Most
cloth diaper services are small, local companies who can't afford to advertise
like the national disposable
diaper companies. We also have to show people how much cloth diapers have changed
in the last generation.
Q: What areas do you serve?
A: We serve Greater Cincinnati and Dayton. If you think you're on the edge
of our delivery areas, contact us. We may be able to offer you service with
a slight fuel surcharge, or we can arrange an alternate pick up/drop off site — at
work or a friend's house, for instance.
Q: Are you the only diaper service in Cincinnati?
A: Yes.
Q: What are my payment options?
A: You can pay cash, check, credit card (Visa, Mastercard & Discover) or
online.
We also sell gift certificates so tell your friends you plan to use (or are using)
our service and their non-refundable gift certificate will be applied to your account.
A:Absolutely
not! That's what our industrial washers are for. Once your baby's poop is solid,
we ask that you flip it into the toilet. If it's not flippable, then you don't
have to worry about it! Our diaper liners (sort of like dryer sheets) make
that even easier, and it should keep your diaper pail smelling even better!
Q: What if my childcare provider won't let
me use cloth?
A:Unfortunately,
this happens. We are happy to show them how far cloth diapers have
come. But when cloth diapering 100% of the time isn't an option, we do offer
a part cloth, part disposables option, which we will customize to your needs.
For disposables we only offer Tushies brand because they don't have the nasty
super absorbent chemical gel. They are made without bleach using wood from
sustainable, renewable, family-owned forests and a mix of cotton.
Q: What if my childcare provider tells me it is against
the law or a health code violation for day care or childcare facilities to use cloth diapers or store soiled cloth diapers?
A:First, be assured that
Ohio and Kentucky laws allow for cloth diapers to be used and soiled diapers stored at
day care facilities. It is not the state (or commonwealth) but, instead, individual care companies that decide
to not allow cloth diapering - or even disposable diapering - at its facilities.
Politely point the facility's representative to
Ohio Administrative Code 5101:2-12-15.2
Diapering and toilet training for licensed child care centers
(see point 7) or the
Kentucky Division
of regulated Child Care ("An adequate quantity of freshly
laundered or disposable diapers and clean clothing shall be available").
Note that, depending on the type of facility and who is doing the laundering,
an Ohio day care can hold soiled cloth diapers for
one,
five
or seven consecutive days.
Q: What kind of diapers do you use?
A: We tested many diapers
from different manufacturers before settling on our unbleached 100% cottom Chinese prefolds.
Bleaching the cotton white is really unnecessary and can pollute the environment,
plus it removes the natural oils that make cotton strong and durable. Our unbleached
diapers are ivory in color, and very soft!
Q: What kind of diaper covers do you offer?
A:We offer
Thirsties, Thirsties Duos and Wonder Wraps. The great thing about the WonderWraps and Thirsties Duo
diaper covers are that they adjusts in
size, so you don't have to buy new covers as your baby grows. These are wonderful
basics but some parents also want the fun, cute covers. While you usually
have to buy over the internet just to see a cover, we've tested so many that
we have quite a stockpile! If there is something you're interested in seeing,
ask us. We may have one to show you. We also have an agreement with Earth Bums,
a local internet store, so that you can order covers online and have them delivered
to your home with your regular diaper service — with no shipping charge!
Q: When do I put my diapers out?
A:Please have your diapers out by 8 a.m. on your
scheduled delivery day, which will be assigned based on your address.
Q: What if I forget to put out my diapers?
A:Contact us.
We may be able to come back, if we're still in the area, or
arrange a special pickup if we'll be nearby on another day. Otherwise, we'll
ask you to set them out at your next pick up date. We will still drop off your
clean diapers the first time you forget but we can't do this if no diapers
are picked up for two weeks in a row.
Q: How many diapers do I need?
A:Generally,
the younger your baby, the more diapers you need. We like to start with
80 to 100 diapers and adjust as needed. We also recommend you
purchase 4-6 diaper covers. Just use a wipe on the inside of the cover at diaper
changes and throw them in as needed with your regular laundry.
Q: What size diapers do I need?
A:Diapers are sized by weight. These are guidelines:
Preemie/newborn: 9.5” x 13”: Fits babies 2-8 pounds
Infant: 12” x
16”: Fits babies up to 15 pounds
Regular: 14.5” x 21”: Fits
babies 10-30 pounds
Toddler: 17.5” x 23”: Fits babies 25-50
pounds
Within all sizes there will be variations because cotton shrinks when washed.
And as we add in new diapers and sort out ones that aren't up to our standards,
you may sometimes see a variation within the same size.
Q: What if I need more diapers?
A:Contact us. Our fee covers all the diapers you need, up to 100 per week.
Extras after that are just $2 per 10 diapers. If you find you will be short
before the end of the week, let us know — you won't go diaper-less!
Q: What if I have multiple children in diapers?
A:You have our sympathy — and a 25% discount off each additional service.
Q: Do I get the same diapers back each week?
A:We don't set aside certain diapers just for your use. Industrial washers
are large, and it would be wasteful of water, detergent and energy to run one
load per customer. The only other way we've found to keep diapers separate
is to use net laundry bags, but then the diapers don't circulate and get as
clean. It's also harder for us to inspect each diaper for stains or other defects.
We'd rather give you the cleanest, highest quality diapers every week than
the same diapers.
Q: Can I wash my diapers at home?
A:Please
do not wash the diapers yourself. Home laundering frequently results in staining.
If you need more diapers, just contact us.
Q: Can I use diaper creams?
A:We have
found that Regular or Original Formula Desitin creams (or anything containing Cold Liver Oil) stain our diapers. Any
other diaper cream is fine.
Q: What if I'm going on vacation?
A:Just let us know. We can give you extra diapers the week before, if you
wish to cloth diaper while on vacation, or we can deliver Tushies brand disposables
(see above for why these disposables are the exception). We can skip a pick
up and get a double load once you are back from vacation.
Q: What about holidays, or if the weather is bad?
A:We will contact you with our holiday schedule 1-2 weeks before major holidays.
We will also let you know if weather conditions prevent us from making deliveries.
If you're worried you might not have enough diapers to get through, tell us.
Q: Is there any benefit to referring my friends?
A:Yes! We will give you one free week for every friend you refer who stays
with us for one month. Just have your friend mention your name when they call
for service.
Q: Do you offer a baby shower registry? Can
your service be given as a gift?
A:Yes. Contact us and we will set up your registry or provide
a gift certificate.
Q: When do I get my bill?
A:When you receive your first batch of diapers and we show you how to use
them, you will be asked for your first and last months' service payment. (We
do this as a security deposit for our diapers. When you finished with our service,
you will be receive back any portion of the last month that you did not use.)
Your payments will then be due every four weeks. We can either deliver the
bill with your diapers or via e-mail or set up an automatic charge to your
credit card.
Q: What can I do if my diaper bag stinks?
A:Odor
is often worse if you keep the diaper bag closed. But there are other ways
to reduce odors:
Sprinkle a little baking soda in the pail.
Wet a cotton ball with a few drops of any essential oil (tea tree and
lavender are popular) and place it in your pail or tape it to the underside
of the lid.
You can also try our diaper liners. They capture all of the poop and can be
flushed in the toilet. These are especially helpful for newborn poop.
Q: My diaper covers are getting soiled every time. How do I prevent this?
A:While your baby is young, folding the diaper and placing it in the cover
may be enough. Once your baby is crawling, a Snappi fastener will help. See “how
to fold” for details on how a Snappi works.
Q: My baby is soaking through his diaper, what should I do?
A:There are a few reasons this can happen. Your baby may
be ready for a bigger diaper. Let us know and we can bump you up to the next
size.
If leaks occur mainly overnight or during naps, you may need a doubler — or
even two for heavy wetters. Another alternative is a wool diaper cover. These
are not hot and scratchy like wool sweaters! Wool is great for overnight because
it can absorb up to 30% of its weight in liquid, and it is naturally self-cleaning.
They need to be washed every few weeks with a special detergent. They are a
bit pricer than regular diaper covers, but you should only need one. Fleece
covers work similarly and are cheaper.
The other cause is detergent residue. Laundry detergent can build up on anything
you wash, but you will usually only notice it on items that are supposed to
be waterproof or absorbent. We recommend using Charlie's Soap, Sensi-clean
and Countrysave, but the best detergent differs by family (hard/soft water,
the washing machine used, etc., all make a difference).
These detergents seem to create a lot of buildup:
All "Free and Clear." This detergent has many
additives to rid the fabric of allergens.
Some versions of Bio-Kleen.
7th Generation.
Dreft and other "baby" detergents, including Ivory
Snow.
To get rid of residue, try rinsing in hot water with no detergent. If this
doesn't work, you may have to perform a more intense “stripping” process:
Run your covers and diapers through a wash with only hot water (if allowed
by manufacturer's washing instructions).
Run a second wash using 1/2 cup
baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar.
Add another 1/2 cup vinegar in first rinse
cycle.
Run a second rinse cycle with plain hot water.
Dry covers in dryer.
You may have to do this twice.
Q: What if I want to cancel?
A:Contact us to arrange for a final pick up. There is a fee for missing materials:
$1 per diaper, $2 per doubler and $15 per diaper bag. We want all of our customers
to leave us only because their children are potty trained. If you wish to leave
us because of another reason, please tell us so we can try to fix it!
Verbally communicates other sensations,
such as hunger
Understands simple requests, such as "go get ball"
Begins
to pull diapers off when wet or soiled, or comes to tell you he's dirty
Follows
you to the bathroom
Able to pull clothes off
Climbs onto the
potty-chair or toilet
Has dry spells: stays dry at least three hours
Investigates
his or her body equipment
Children in cloth diapers generally potty train at around 18 months of age,
but every child is different.
Q: Can you answer some other cloth diaper
questions?
A:We'd love to! We have tested many different kinds of prefold diapers, diaper
covers, all-in-one diapers and pocket diapers. We have many of each of these
that we would be happy to show you, even if you do not want to use our service.
Our goal is get as many babies in cloth as we can!
