Funiest Green Tip PND Has Ever Seen!
August 28, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Worth Sharing
Is this a green tip you are already employing, tell the truth?
I found this on The Suburban Jungle. and it made me laugh out loud! She also had a nice tip for keeping your strawberries safe for all my gardeners.
Brazil has launched a campaign to encourage people to pee in the shower – apparently saving 4380 Liters or 1157 Gallons of water!
I don’t speak spanish Portuguese – but this is hysterical.
I knew I should have just said “the language” because I wasn’t sure!
IWelcome! If you are new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy!
Funiest Green Tip PND Has Ever Seen!Why Buy Organic?
August 27, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Why Bother?
Organic products can wreck havoc on our budgets… Why bother?
The short answer is; for better nutritional value, to reduce toxin exposure, for better tasting foods and for the environment.
Is it really more nutritious?
In 2001 Virginia Worthington reviewed 41 published studies comparing nutritional values of convention to organic produce. An example of her findings; 5 servings of organic fruits and vegetables would your daily intake of vitamin c, while conventional produce did not. Further studies have had similar findings.
"IMO Organic tastes better."
Do the pesticides really matter?
From the consumer health digest:
The most common class of pesticide in the US is organophosphates (OP’s). These are known as neurotoxins. An article published in 2002 examined the urine concentration of OP residues in 2-5 year olds. Researchers found, on average, that children eating conventionally grown food showed an 8.5 times higher amount of OP residue in their urine than those eating organic food. Studies have also shown harmful effects on fetal growth, as well.
Is it really better tasting?
Buy a conventional tomato and an organic one – do your own taste test. My experience is that it often does taste better. I recently bought some full size organic carrots after buying baby carrots for a long time – I was surprised how much better they tasted than baby carrots.
I don’t purchase everything organic all the time. There are certain foods that I buy organic most of the time it is a balance between what is available and how much of a premium the pricing is. I’m trying to get better about leaving foods and making other choices if they aren’t organic, but it’s a process that doesn’t happen over night.
One thing I know for sure – the more I know – the more I try to buy organic!
Some information for this post came from The www.ConsumerHealthDigest.com.
Check out the trailer for Food, Inc.
Information on Genetic Modification.
Reusable Drinking Straws – Review of the Glass Dharma Glass Straw
August 26, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Giveaways, Diva Musings, Diva Reviews, Entertaining
By Tania Reuben
I have to confess – I love straws. Children love drinking through straws. Smoothies, milk, juice, water. A straw seems to make everything taste better.
When using a straws involves traditional plastic this green mama was constantly saying no. Now I can say yes and not worry about the waste!
Think waste from one little straw is insignificant – think about this tidbit I found on the Dharma site ” As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY! (Per their website) How many of those served do you think were given a plastic straw?” And this is just from McDonalds!! All the little straws add up.
When our Glass Dharma Straws arrived and the response was priceless. See for yourself!
The Glass straws come in a variety of length’s and styles. If you have young children you’ll want the shorty – it’s just their size. My 2 year old did manage to break his shorty after it collided with his glass exuberantly. My suggestion for the very young is to use the glass straw with a reusable plastic cup. This would have prevented our breakage. If they happen to breakGlass Dharma will replace broken straws, with their replacement guarantee. They ask that you send them the broken straw.
Drinking from a glass straw – at first it feels a little bit different. The feel of the glass on your lips is not the same as a plastic straw. It took one or two drinks to become accustomed to the new feel, now that I’m used to it, I really like it and enjoy the texture of the glass on my lips.
Care and cleaning – the straws are dishwasher safe. You can use a pipe cleaner or order a special straw cleaner from Glass Dharma for a more thorough cleaning.
Glass Dharma straws are handmade in California!
Now that you know they exist – you want one right?
Good news – Glass Dharma is giving a $30 gift certificate to one lucky PND reader!
HOW TO ENTER:
There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.
Mandatory:
Become a Confirmed Email Subscriber to PND.
- After subscribing you will receive an email – check your junk mail – you must confirm your subscription in this email to win!
- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re subscriber and would like to enter.
Additional Entries
1. Go to www.glassdharma.com – tell PND what you’d buy with your gift certificate.
2. Stumble your favorite Pure Natural Diva post. Leave a comment with your name and the article you stumbled.
3. Follow @purenaturaldiva and @glassdharma on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.
4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva on Facebook, already a fan – post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment.
5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – “@PureNaturalDiva – Little Diva Glass Straw Review & Giveaway $30 Gift Certificate – http://bit.ly/1kPFJp – This will make you smile”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
6. Write a post on your blog linking to PND and to The Glass Dharma website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!
This giveaway will run through midnight on Sept 9, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced the morning of Sept 11, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.
Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.
McLinky Blog Hop 
Diva Recipe: Hardwood Floor Cleaner
August 26, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Clean House, Diva Recipes, Diva Savings
Mixing up new cleaning formulas has become a recent hobby. I love not spending hundreds of dollars on cleaning products and knowing exactly what I’m using in my home.
2 tbs Oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs alchohol
24 oz Water
or
2 tbs Oil
2 tbs Castille soap – I like the almond for my wood floors.
2 tbs Alchohol
24 oz Water
If you like a little more fragrance add an essential oil of your choosing. PND likes almond and citrus for cleaning products.
Mix in Method Spray Cleaner Bottle – Spray on floor using a damp cloth over a mop to wipe. Because these cleaners contain oil – you do need to make sure you shake the bottle, to keep the liquids mixed while cleaning.
I’ve also used Method Hardwood Floor Cleaner, using about 1/2 cup and putting it in a spray bottle, fill with water. Spray directly on the floor and mop with a damp cloth.
Also try:
PND All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
PND Foaming Handsoap Recipe
Front bottle contains the Hardwood Floor cleaner.
Welcome to the Diva EC & Adgitize Droplist
August 24, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Entrecard
Thanks for Dropping By!
Pure Natural Diva is site dedicated to providing the best information for Whole Living with Style and Ease!
About Me:
I’m a wife and mother living in Los Angeles. I spent hours researching product reviews, informational sites and labels trying to make green and organic decisions for my family’s health. Frustrated by the volume of online information and no green resource that answered my questions, I created PureNaturalDiva.com. PND is my place to share what’s working for me, what’s not.
WHAT’S NEW:
Healthy Food For Children ~ Sell it in Your Home. What’s in Your Ground Beef? October is Fair Trade Month The Twinkie Report ~ 12 Preseravatives to Avoid TOXINS ~ Small Amounts Matter Diva Guide: Plastics and Your Baby Green Granite Cleaner ~ Recipe Rocket Fuel in Drinking Water Why are American Children So Sick? PBA’s and Infants. Have and Eek-o-Friendly Halloween.
CHECK OUT DIVA GIVEAWAYS:
CLICK HERE to check out our giveaways!
Some of our most popular posts:
o Diva Guide – Use less plastic in your home o More Vegetables Please? Getting your kids to eat Vegetables o Diva Guide: Suncreen o Diva Guide: The safest way to use plastics o Shopping Bags – Get in the Habit of Bringing Your Own Reusable Bags! o Organic Wine & Wine Making – The basics o Diva Solution – Paperless Paper Towels
AND FINALLY – THE FUNNIEST GREEN TIP PND HAS SEEN TO DATE!
PURE NATURAL DIVA DROP LIST
If you are a Eco Blogger or Mommy Blogger with EC button near the top of your site… feel free to join the Diva EC Dropper List. Come back, have a visit and do some droppin’. Sorry to add this note – Links found without an EC widget will be removed.
If you are an EC Dropper, it seems like it just makes sense to join Adgitize too. So many users have both, so make the most of your dropping time. By the way, be sure to ad your rss feed, you earn points updating your blog too!
DIVA ADGITIZE LIST
List here if you have an Adgetize Widget Only.
DIVA TIME SAVER – BOTH EC & ADGITIZE!
List here if your site has BOTH an Adgitize and an EC Widget:
Please add the “Diva Droplists” button next to your EC Card – Thank You!
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Ask Diva – Tresemme & Garnier Hair Mousse
August 22, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Ask Diva
Dear Diva,
I use Mousse..by Tresemme & Garnier..I used to be more mindful–what can i use mousse-like that is safe & natural?
Reader
Dear Reader,
I’m not sure exactly which Tresemme and Garnier Mousse you are using – that said in the Cosmetics Database their Mousses range from a hazard score of 5-7 and the Garnier Mousse range from a 8-9. Just by using the Tresemme over Garnier you are going to be choosing the safer of the two products.
Be careful with Hair Mousse – in looking up alternatives I found a lot of brands scored very high in the Database.
I would try the Giovanni Hair Care Styling Natural Mousse – it scored a 1 in the Cosmetics Database. I haven’t used this Giovanni Product, but I have used others. The products I have tried are salon quality, work well and are reasonably priced.
Ask Diva – Tresemme & Garnier Hair MousseGenetically Modified Organisms – GMO – What are they and why should we be concerned?
August 20, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Musings, Food & Nutrition, Label Reading PHD
By Camille Frazier
Not enough is known about the environmental, social, and health effects of GMOs, and they remain an extremely controversial issue. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are created by injecting DNA from one species into another, in a laboratory. The process creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional cross-breeding. The two most common traits are insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. So, genes are bred into the plants that make them produce their own pesticide, or withstand repeated high doses of chemicals like Round-Up.
What little independent research has been done suggests that GMOs have dangerous consequences for our health. For example, a long-term feeding trial commissioned by the Austrian government found mice fed on GM corn or maize had fewer offspring and lower birth rates than the control group. Other feeding studies in animals have shown potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, and higher death rates, among other things (for more details, please see http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/links-and-resources/). Clearly, more research is needed to fully understand the impact of GMOs on human health.
In more than 30 other countries in the world, including the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.
In the U.S., GMOs are in over 80% of the products in an average grocery store. Even though there are only a handful of crops that have commercially produced GMO varieties, they’re crops that get used in the majority of processed food (like corn and soy). In 2007, 73% of the U.S. corn crop, 91% of the U.S. soy crop, 87% of the U.S. cotton crop and over 75% of the U.S. canola crop were planted with GMO varieties. GMO Hawaiian papaya as well as several types of GMO squash were also grown, and Canada and Australia recently approved the commercial production of GMO wheat, beginning as early as 2010.
Image courtesy of Whole Foods
Despite these high levels of GMOs, Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs (a 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled). And, according to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified. This is where the Non-GMO Project comes in. The Non-GMO Project’s seal for verified products will, for the first time, give the public an opportunity to make an informed choice when it comes to GMOs. (perhaps a break here? Could say something like, “Look for more on the Non-GMO Project next week. In the meantime, please visit www.nongmoproject.org <http://www.nongmoproject.org> )”
The Non-GMO Project
The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring the sustained availability of non-GMO options. Our shared belief is that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified products, and our common mission is to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices.
The Project began as an initiative of independent natural foods retailers who were interested in providing their customers with more information regarding the GMO risk of their products. As the Project evolved, it became clear that in order for the initial vision of standardized labeling to be possible, a 3rd party verification program was needed that would identify products compliant with a uniform, consensus-based definition of non-GMO. With the help of technical consultants FoodChain Global Advisors, and fueled by the passion of a dynamic array of industry leaders, the Non-GMO Project has successfully created a collaborative non-GMO verification program that began enrolling products in the fall of 2008. Working at every level of the supply chain, all the way back to the seeds, the Project’s role is to inspire and ensure viable non-GMO alternatives long into the future.
Where we are today
For the last two years, we’ve been refining the technical details of the program, seeking input from as many stakeholders as possible. Products are assessed for compliance to the Non-GMO Project Standard, which includes criteria for traceability, segregation, and testing at critical control points. We’ve held 4 public comment periods on our Standard and have scheduled those to recur every fall and spring, so that there is consistent opportunity for everyone to give us feedback. Our Standard is available at http://www.nongmoproject.org/industry/non-gmo-project-standard/. The many years of collaboration have paid off, as starting this fall, the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal will begin to appear on packaging.
There are already over 800 products are currently enrolled in the Product Verification Program, and Whole Foods recently announced its plan to enroll its entire private label product line. You can find a complete list of enrolled products at http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-enrolled-products/ Finally, consumers will have an informed choice when it comes to GMOs!
The Non-GMO Project depends on the support and collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed breeders and consumers. To learn more about how you can get involved, please visit our website, www.nongmoproject.org. From there, you can download our Shopping Guide, learn more about the Product Verification Program, or sign up as a Supporting Retailer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to fill out an online questionnaire or contact me directly at outreach@nongmoproject.org. We look forward to your partnership!
Become a fan of the Non-GMO Project on Facebook.
BIO:
Camille Frazier is the Outreach Coordinator for the Non-GMO Project. She joined the Project in May after a semester as an intern and has been working on outreach projects such as the Supporting Retailer program, letters to seed companies, and follow-ups with manufacturers. You can reach Camille directly at outreach@nongmoproject.org.
Virtual Girls Night Out & FF
August 20, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Start Your Own Blog
Happy VGNO & FF Virtual Friends – thanks for stopping by.
Below you will find out a little about what I’ve been up to this week PND. Don’t forget to enter our giveaways!
Is anyone else having trouble getting back into the swing of things after the Thanksgiving festivities. I don’t know why, but I havent’ been able to put two sentences together on my blog this week!
I have reviews and giveaways to get done, so this has to end. Sleep deprivation likely isn’t helping!
Lil’ Dude has been having potty training issues. He is doing great with pee pee, but WILL NOT put anything else in the potty. We’ve had a couple of days with him in such pain and discomfort because he won’t go. Poor kid, so two days this week he’s actually ended up getting business done on the potty. The rest of the time he just waits for the night time diaper.
Pure Natural Diva is an informational site dedicated to Whole Living with Style and Ease!
ABOUT ME:
I’m a wife and mother living in Los Angeles. I spent hours researching product reviews, informational sites and labels trying to make green and organic decisions for my family’s health. Frustrated by the volume of online information and no central site that had the information I was looking for – I created PureNaturalDiva.com. PND is my place to share what’s working for me, what’s not.
NEW @ PND:
Plastics & Your Baby
Green Granite Cleaner ~ Recipe (super easy)
Toxins ~ Small Amounts Matter
Bottled Water – Save Real Green.
Why are American Children so Sick?
Do You Have a Hormone Deficiency?
MOST POPULAR POSTS:
o Diva Guide – Use less plastic in your home
o More Vegetables Please? Getting your kids to eat Vegetables
o Diva Guide: Suncreen
o Diva Guide: The safest way to use plastics
o Shopping Bags – Get in the Habit of Bringing Your Own Reusable Bags!
o Organic Wine & Wine Making – The basics
o Diva Solution – Paperless Paper Towels
THE FUNNIEST GREEN TIP we’ve seen to date!
PURE NATURAL DIVA EC DROP LIST:
If you are a Eco Blogger or Mommy Blogger with EC button on the top half of your site page… join the Diva EC Dropper List & Recently Added Adgitize List. Come back, have a visit and do some droppin’.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR LINK to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…
Please add the “Diva Droplist” button next to your EC Card – Thank You!
a href=”http://annagain66.blogspot.com/” target=”_blank”>
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Diva Review ~ Back To School Kit by Sustainable Group
August 18, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Back To School, Diva Reviews
By Tania Reuben
Looking for the ultimate in sustainable back to school supplies? Look no further than The Sustainable Group’s Back to School Kit.
They offer a Green Back to School Kit for $39.99 (shipping included) that contains:
(1) 1.5” ReBinder recycled 3 ring binder
(2) ReBinder replacement covers
(6) RePouch recycled slash pocket dividers
(6) RePocket eco-friendly pocket folders
(2) ReWrite 8×10 recycled notebooks with lined paper
(2) ReWrite 8×10 recycled notebooks with graph paper
(2) ReWrite 5×8 Recycled notebooks with blank paper
(3) ReMark eco-pens
(6) ReSleeve recycled CD sleeves
(3) RePlay recycled CD cases
Not having school aged children myself, I enlisted a few people look it over. A mother of two high school girls, a seventeen year old boy (senior), a twelve year old boy and a school teacher.
The kids all loved the covers – they thought it would be fun to customize the look of their binders with drawings & doodles. Even the toughest audience – the high school senior though it was “cool”. They were all excited to learn why this was a better product for the environment too.
The twelve year old liked that the binder dividers were angled, so contents placed in the folders would stay put.
The teacher and the mother were concerned about how the binder (ReBinder as they call it) would hold up to the rigors of school life. So I investigated further and found out the ReBinder is made with chipboard that is 100 points thick 25-40% thicker than standard Binders on the market as a result you can expect it to be more durable.
When the ReBinder eventually succumbs to the wear and tear your student puts it through, don’t despair. There are 2 replacement covers, unscrew the old one, put the new one on, and you have a brand new binder. When you use up the covers in your kit, you can order more.
When the covers are done, they aren’t only recyclable, they’re compostable too! It is difficult to recycle conventional binders at all – due to how difficult in is to separate the rivets and vinyl from the chipboard and you certainly can’t put them in the compost.
When doing a cost comparison between this Back to School kit and other supplies, be sure to remember that with the covers it’s as if you are getting 3 binders, not 1.
The Sustainable group is based in Seattle and ReBinder’s are assembled by a disabled work force.
How green are they? The ReBinder, Dividers, Folders, CD cases are 100% Recycled fibers. They are also FSC certified. This is a company that is doing their best to be part of the solution and they have a great line of eco friendly products to go with their mission. The Sustainable Group has been an innovator in sustainable office supplies since 2003 and their products are used by companies like MTV, NIKE and Home Depot.
Now that you’ve read all about their great Back To School Kit, I’m sure you’d like one! The Sustainable Group has agreed to give one lucky PND reader!
HOW TO ENTER:
There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.
Mandatory:
Become a Confirmed Email Subscriber to PND.
- Confirm the email in your Inbox – check junk mail folder.
- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re subscriber and would like to enter.
Additional Entries
1. Go to www.sustainablegroup.net – find a cool fact about their company and their green efforts and share it in a separate comment.
2. Stumble your favorite Pure Natural Diva post. Leave a comment with your name and the article you stumbled.
3. Follow @purenaturaldiva and @rebinder on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.
4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva on Facebook, already a fan – post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment.
5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @PureNaturalDiva – Green Back to school Giveaway – $40 Eco Friendly back to school kit – http://bit.ly/37P7Zr. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Sustainable Group website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get two entries!
This giveaway will run through midnight on Sept 2, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced the morning of Sept 3, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
Check out more Green Back to School Tips!
McLinky Blog Hop
Cloth diapering 101: What you need to know – Part Two
August 17, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Infant & Childcare, Parenting
Chances are, your grandmother cloth diapered your mother in white cotton prefolds and plastic pull-on pants. Now, with all the options available to cloth diapering parents, it’s a whole new ballgame. Parents who choose to use cloth have literally hundreds of brands and dozens of styles available to them.
While these options certainly make cloth diapering your baby easier than ever, the sheer number of choices and information can be overwhelming. Many parents don’t know where to begin, and even though they may agree that cloth is a gentler, safer option, disposables seem like a much easier choice. If you are one of those parents – please read on!
I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to know to get started in cloth diapering. I’ll break down the style options, explain how storing and washing works and even clue you in on some nifty accessories that can make cloth diapering oh-so-easy. Let’s get started, shall we?
Styles. Cloth diapers offer much more flexibility than disposables because there are countless different systems and types of diapers. There are four main styles of cloth diapers that are commonly used. Parents will have to decide which system will work best for their child, their specific needs and their budget.
Prefold diapers and covers. This is the by far the cheapest option. Prefolds are rectangular in shape and must be folded, pinned or fastened in place on the baby. They also require some type of waterproof cover. There are many types of plastic covers on the market that fasten exactly like a disposable and fit snuggly over the prefold diaper.
Fitted diapers and covers. Fitted diapers fit just like a disposable. They are fastened with either Velcro or snaps. Because they are not waterproof, they need a cover – just like a prefold.
Pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are some of the most popular cloth diapers on the market today. They are a diaper and a cover all in one. They are made with a opening in the back of the diaper, creating a “pocket”, which is then stuffed with an absorbent insert. The diaper fastens either with Velcro or snaps and the insert must be removed before washing.
All-in-one diapers. (AIO) All-in-one diapers are the easiest diapers available. They are totally waterproof and are made with an built-in absorbent layer. No pins, no inserts, no covers.
All these styles come in hundreds of different brands. Just like disposable diapers, each mom has her favorite! Many online cloth diaper stores offer a sampler packages and even trial packages of different brands and styles so you can see what works best for you and your child without sinking all of your initial investment in diapers you don’t like.
Storing and Washing. For obvious reasons, this is the factor that causes many parents to scrap the idea of using cloth diapers all together. The reality is, storing and washing your cloth diapers takes very minimal time and effort.
Storing. The most recommended method of storing your soiled cloth diapers is by using a dry pail. Most parents just use a regular ole’ trash can with a flip lid. You can either purchase a washable “wet” bag to line your pail or use a plastic trash bag. A pail liner is certainly more desirably because you can dump your diapers and the bag in the wash without having to touch the dirty diapers. After you remove a wet diaper from your baby it can go directly in your pail. A soiled diaper will need to be dunked or sprayed to remove most of the waste and then placed in the diaper pail. Another important thing to note is soiled diapers from an infant that is exclusively breastfed can go directly into your diaper pail. Breast-fed infant waste is completely water soluble. Your diapers can be stored in a dry pail for up to three days or until you have enough diapers for a load to wash.
Washing. Washing your cloth diapers is often the trickiest part to master. There are many different methods and routines that parents use, but a good rule of thumb is a cold pre-wash with a small amount of detergent – hot water will set in stains – and then a full hot wash with an extra rinse. Too much detergent can cause build up on your diapers and cause them to repel liquid. Most diaper manufactures recommend one-half to one-third of amount you would normally use. It is important to chose a detergent with no additives, perfumes or fabric softeners. This website has an excellent chart for choosing a detergent that will get the job done.
Convenient Options. The market is full of nifty contraptions and products that make cloth diapering easier than ever.
A diaper sprayer is a great new tool to help conveniently remove solid waste from your diapers. It looks like the spray nozzle from your kitchen sink and attaches directly to the plumbing under your toilet. The high powered spray will blast the waste directly into the toilet – no dunking and scraping required!
If it wasn’t for the invention of disposable liners, many parents admit that they would not be cloth diapering. These liners can be used to line the inside of the diaper before each change. They can then be removed and flushed or discarded. This means that your diapers can go directly from your baby’s bottom to your diaper pail without any dunking, scraping or spraying.
Wet bags are another great accessory that is a must-have for on the go cloth diapering parents. Many wet bags even have two water proof compartments, one for clean, ready to use diapers and the other for wet diapers ready for the diaper pail at home.
While the information may seem overwhelming, it really is as simple as washing and reusing your baby’s diapers. To ensure long-term success in cloth diapering, I think it is important for parents to realize that there is definitely a learning curve. Don’t be discouraged if you end up with some leaks or problems in your first week. If you are determined to succeed in your cloth diapering adventure, you will!
Molly is a wife, mother and natural living enthusiast who enjoys writing about her adventures in parenting an active toddler. You can follow these adventures and find other tips and ideas for raising healthier, happier families over on her blog, Momma Molly.
Cloth diapering 101: What you need to know – Part Two
