Monster Pants Cloth Diapers

Making diapers started as a matter of practicality. I have been a seamstress for nearly ten years, and so when a baby was on the way, making my own diapers seemed to make sense. I loved making Addy’s diapers and quickly made more than strictly necessary for one baby. Next I started to make diapers for friends and soon after that began to create my brand: Monster Pants.

 A run of the mill line up that includes a bridal gown (needed a new zipper and to be taken in), a couple of skirts (needed to be altered to a more modern fit to be worn below the waist), a bridesmaid dress (needed to be hemmed), a sundress (also needed to be hemmed), and a men’s suit (the pants needed to be hemmed, the jacket taken in, and the sleeves shortened). Not pictured are the diapers that I was making this week as well. Those can be seen at facebook.com/MonsterPants.

Before I discovered the joys of diaper making, I worked primarily on formal wear. I have fitted more brides than I can count! I love to see brides in their dresses. It tends to be a happy time for everyone and it is a joy to be a part of that. Finding time to work on huge, fluffy bridal gowns became difficult when Addy, my little monster, became mobile. Dresses with four-digit price tags do not come out on top after an encounter with a toddler. I never had a dress come to harm, but it was tricky to work on the dresses while Addy was sleeping or while DH was on baby-duty and ensure the dresses were ready by their due dates. And so, I have changed my clientele largely from the bridal industry to the diaper-wearing crowd.

I still do alterations to bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and suits. I also hem pants, replace coat and pants zippers, and patch holey clothing. But mostly, I sew diapers. It is easier to fit diaper sewing into everyday reality with a little monster running loose. I also just plain enjoy interacting with parents and helping them make cloth diapering work for their families. I have helped quite a few people onto the cloth diapering bandwagon and I am proud of it!

What was a major influence on your choice to use cloth diapers?

I have had a lot of questions on how to wash cloth diapers lately. So let’s discuss it! Details on why diapers should be washed with care are very thoroughly explained in this article on diaper care by Wazoodle. Here I’ll focus on what a basic wash routine should look like, though you will probably find that each cloth diapering mama has her own unique wash routine! Since what works depends on the water in your home, the types of diapers you use, your detergent, and even the growing stage of your baby, it makes sense that everyone fine tunes a washing routine to fit their situation.

 Diaper pail, next to changing table/dresser, and to the right of that (pictured below) is the diaper bin for clean fluff.

As the Wazoodle article says, washing frequently is important to keep diapers in top form and to reduce buildup. I wash every other day almost without exception. I keep used diapers in a dry pail. My pail is a lidded trash bin, no bag of any kind. After dumping the diapers in the washer, I swish a squirt of soap or bleach in the pail with water, and rinse well.

And now my not-so-secret recipe for fresh, clean diapers! This exact routine may or may not work for you in your home. The good news is that if it doesn’t, you can find your own perfect wash routine with just a bit of tweaking. The general idea that I use seems to be relatively universal, even if details vary by household.

• Cold rinse with nothing added. I set my machine to the “extra rinse” setting. A cold rinse first helps remove anything with staining potential. Also helps get rid of the stink that comes from urine. A lot of it is drained out during this initial rinse. Some find it helpful to rinse each wet diaper as it is changed, before putting it in the pail. Experiment, see what works for you.
• Hot wash with manufacturer’s recommended amount of detergent. If the diapers have seemed less fresh lately, I also add either 1/2 cup of baking soda or a packet of RLR. My detergent of choice is Tide Free & Gentle. I have used several brands with varying degrees of success. Tide is my current favorite. My washing machine follows the hot wash with a cold rinse.
• Cold rinse with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Again, I use my machine’s “extra rinse” setting. Sometimes I skip this last rinse. But if I skip the extra rinse consistently, the diapers begin to take on an odor the moment they are peed in.
• Weather permitting, I line dry everything. Otherwise I use the dryer on medium heat.

 Pictured is our diaper bin. All of these are Monster Pants AIP diapers. My favorite are side-snapping.

The important points in any diaper wash routine is to have an initial cold rinse to keep staining to a minimum. If you’re not concerned with staining, this rinse is less vital. A hot wash helps clear your diapers of any living things. After that, rinses can be any temperature but cold rinses use less energy. Keep in mind that you are always trying to eliminate buildup of ammonia, minerals left by hard water, and detergent. Diapers that are super-stinky are not normal and often indicate an issue with the regular wash routine.

I wash Addy’s clothes with the diapers. Everything gets tossed in the same pail. Towels often get washed with the diapers too. I used to segregate diaper laundry like it was a contagion harboring the plague. Then I realized the diaper laundry received the best, most thoughtful care of all my laundry. And either everything was coming out clean, in which case it doesn’t matter that non-diapers are being wash with diapers. Or nothing was coming out clean, in which case I ought to be careful of underwear and face towels being washed together too. I am confident everything is coming out of the washer clean.

 Our prefolds have mostly been retired for now, except for occasionally stuffing a nighttime pocket if bamboo and hemp inserts aren’t clean. With a PUL or wool cover, they are my favorite for newborn to 4 (or so) months. 

If you’ve been using cloth for some time, you have likely tested and tweaked a variety of wash routines. New cloth diapering families can use this as a starting point of sorts. If you are having trouble with The Stinkies or feel like your wash routine needs some help, feel free to ask questions.

My question for you: How do you wash your fluff?

Every Monster Pants diaper, cover, insert, and accessory is made right here. I intentionally didn’t tidy up before taking a photo of my workshop. This is the condition in which you will usually find it. Toys on the floor, something on the table waiting to be cut or sewn. Machines at the ready. I am surprised to see a trash bin on the floor. Addy must have been napping just prior to the picture being taken. Usually trash bins have to be on the table or else I’ll find piles of thread and fabric scraps strewn throughout the house.

In the background you see part of a bookcase. My dad and I built those just after Christmas. I am a huge book nerd. To quantify, I regularly read 60-75 books a year pre-Addy. In 2011, my first full year of being a mom, I read only 36 books. Makes me a little sad. But at least I get to sew surrounded by my books. Snuggling and playing with dear Addy is more than adequate compensation for reading time anyway.

To keep this room tidy, my fabric is stored in the basement. The shelves that held my books prior to the new shelving are now full of a variety of fabric. There are several shelves of PUL, both solids and prints. There are even more shelves of cotton interlock. Some flannel prints. Rolls of Sherpa, bamboo fleece, suedecloth, hemp, cotton flannel, and birdseye cotton line one wall. It is quite formidable. Which is why it doesn’t live on the main floor of the house. It also helps me stay focused on one project at a time. The fabric on the table is the project winning my attention. The hundreds of others buzzing around in my head are forced to wait their turn, until the table is cleared again!

Thanks for taking a mini-tour of the Monster Pants headquarters. If you haven’t already, be sure to enter the February Giveaway for your chance to win a bamboo snap-in insert. The drawing is Monday, February 6th!

Which gets you more excited: Crafting space or bookshelves (or neither!)?