BumRite Cloth Diaper Company

What is the difference between a Chlorine-Free diaper and the new GroVia Biosoakers/Biodiapers? GroVia Biodiapers/Biosoakers take chlorine-free diapers one step further by not using ANY petroleum in the diaper.  All the other diapers out there (Nature Baby Care, 7th Gen, etc), while awesome diapers with low SAP gel and no chlorine, still use a petroleum product for the waterproof backing.  GroVia uses a fiber made from renewable resources (corn) for their backing.  Plastic/Petroleum does not decompose or biodegrade.  Corn does. 99.9% of the materials used in the GroVia Biosoaker/Biodiaper are certified biodegradable and compostable to EU blah blah standards (it is on the packaging...).  That is how they differ.  The company is currently undergoing a 90 day test with all the materials in a composting facility to determine the level of compost-ability.  They really want to put it on their packaging that x% will disappear in x amount of days!  Until then, they can only claim that they are "Made with 99.9% materials". If you don't have a Yard Waste service in your community, start your own Compost Pile: It is easy.  1/2 brown, 1/2 green, water, air.  Brown is straw, brown leaves, sawdust, egg shells (BIOSOAKERS).  Green is kitchen scraps, grass, etc.  Moisture level should be that of a damp sponge.   Stir. My diapers have poop-stains, what do I do? 1) dry in sun 2) spray Biokleen BacOut on them after you spray off 3) don't worry, they are diapers 4) occasionally use oxyclean or a bit of bleach (but don't tell anybody that we told you to!) with the wash cycle and double rinse 5) stop feeding your baby blueberries...

Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator

I am concerned about lingering bacteria in our washer

Valid concern.   We live in a dirty world and bacteria is all around us.  After introducing solid food, we no longer put poop in our washer.  We spray it in the toilet and flush.  But before introducing solids, your baby's poop is vegetarian (HA!).  Seriously, this is why you run a cold water rinse first.  Then the machine drains the dirty water and you follow with clean hot water to wash (160 degrees) with enough soap to thoroughly clean the diapers.  POINT OF CLARIFICATION: A HOT water wash is only recommended for 100% cotton and/or natural fibers.  We do another rinse at the end, as well.  The drier also creates enough heat for a long enough time to kill lingering bacteria.  The sun (when it comes out ) also has some nice UV rays that do an excellent job of bleaching and sanitizing diapers.

SUN!  Here's a great example of what the sun can do:



The beginning, 24 hrs later, 48 hrs later

Once or twice a month, we will use bleach or OxyClean on a load of whites (socks, towels, bed linens).  This cleans the washer, too.  Whether you are putting poopy diapers or not in the machine, this is a good sanitation practice.

That said, we have been doing this for 11 months.  And besides the Winter colds, we haven't been sick.  What do you do with the adult poop stains before you put them in the washer???  Hee hee.

Caring for cloth seems like a lot of extra effort compared to using disposables

What about all those trips to the store and/or Costco to buy diapers, lug them into your house, find a place to store them, lug the dirties to the garbage...blah blah blah?!  We find it easier to lug cloth diapers to the washer and back!

Throwing a load of laundry into the washer is not hard.  It is the easiest load of laundry that you will do because it is already sorted and goes back to the same place.

We also do it for our baby.  We put cloth against his most precious parts that we have cared for ourselves - we know what chemicals (or not!) that we are using to wash them.

Why do GroVia Soakers take so long to dry?  Any suggestions? GroVia soakers are made with thick, thirsty layers of organic cotton.  They take about as much time in the dryer as a prefold.  The GroVia shells make up for the long drying time of the soakers: they line dry (over the staircase banister) overnight.  Suggestions: 1) fast spin cycle 2) do another load of wash and dry with the next load of towels (laundry chores for a family never end)

Do I have to change my baby's diaper more often in cloth?

Yes and No.  Babies in disposables typically are not changed often enough and that is why they can develop a rash.  Disposables are so absorbent, that we forget to change them until the SAP gel (super absorbent polymer gel) bursts out and touches our baby's delicate skin.  An aside: Those same little beads that hold extra water in your Miracle Gro Potting Soil are found in copious quantities in disposable diapers!  "Green" diapers use less, including GroVia Biosoakers (3 grams compared to 18-20 in some mass brands).

2-3 hours is reasonable, depending on how much your baby wets. No different than with disposables.  Remember, especially with natural fibers like hemp and cotton, the more you wash, the better they absorb.

I am afraid to use my cloth diapers at night.  I have a heavy wetter We strongly advocate the use of a pocket diaper at night.  The microfleece wicks away moisture leaving the baby more comfortable and you can adjust the absorbent layers within the pocket, depending on your baby's habits.  We also suggest not giving fluids after 7pm to a toddler to help with bed wetting.  We have been using a pocket diaper on Bodie at night since he was 6 weeks old (when he poo'd, we would change it).  Once he stopped pooping during the night, we were able to put him in his pocket diaper at 6:30pm and not change it until he woke up at 7am the next morning.  We use 1 FuzziBunz Med/Large microfiber insert backed by 1 JoeyBunz Premium Hemp doubler.

bumGenius One Size Pocket Diaper

Why all this hype about detergent? The detergents that we grew up with and that are marketed so prolifically to us contain all sorts of fancy "extras" that coat our diapers.  We want them to be absorbent.  Softeners and Fragrances coat the fabric.  Brighteners and Enzymes break down fabric faster - we need these hard working diapers to last 3 years!   It is important to use the recommended detergent not only on your diapers, but on all your laundry.  Those "extras" hang out in the washer and dryer and don't go away between loads.  No BOUNCE or dryer sheets either! We recommend Tiny Bubbles and Country Save Detergent.  About $.25 per HE load. Dye, Fragrance, and Phosphate Free (why is this important?  FISH.  Some places, like Spokane and Seattle, WA have proposed legislation to ban the use of phosphates in all detergents.  When they hit our rivers, streams, and lakes, the phosphates encourage algae blooms, which in turn, suck up all the oxygen.  Plants and Fish die.  Personally, we are fans of Salmon from the Copper River in Alaska.  We choose Tiny Bubbles.  We like Salmon.

Look at the color of the Copper River King!

How Many Diapers to you Recommend?

Depending on your system and age of baby.  Like that answer?  Seriously, from birth, we recommend 24 diapers.  That is why we put together our packages page(s): http://www.bumritediapers.com/cloth_diaper_packages_on_sale_s/4.htm.  You may be able to get away with 12 now, but plan on purchasing another 12 later on.   Any less and you will be asking too much of your diapers.  If you washed your fancy Victoria's Secret Lacy Panties every day in Hot Water - how long do you think they would last?

My baby gets red marks where the cover meets his legs.  Suggestions?

Every baby is different.  Just like our bodies are different.  Not everybody can pull off a G-String.  Or we shouldn't.  :-)
Just get used to how the shell fits your baby and adjust as necessary. Sometimes people find snapping down to the middle setting makes them fit better. Sometimes, you will have to try several different diapers/covers to find the right one for YOUR baby.  Diaper Swappers makes this learning process a little more bearable on the wallet.

My MIL/Mother/Friend/Husband/Wife thinks we are crazy for wanting to use cloth diapers!

Send them our way.  We love to talk fluff.  It really isn't a hard decision to make.  Remember the three E's.  Modern cloth diapers are:



I don't think I can do this!

Really?  You gave birth (or watched your partner do it)!  You can do anything.  Any new routine takes time to establish.  Have faith.  Call us.  Post questions on Facebook.  We are here to guide you through!