Diaper Supply Co-operative - Co-op Information

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Cloth Diaper Supply Co-operatives - Hints & Tips
Enter new groups with caution. Upon joining, spend a few days perusing the available databases and reading current and past messages. Pay attention to the warning signs. If many group members seem to be disgruntled and questions arise regarding packages never received or not received in a timely manner, you may want to unsubscribe. Be wary of moderation. If messages are being moderated by the owner, this may be an indication that group members have posted or are posting messages that show discontent, and they are trying to hide them!

Ask questions!! If you don't know how the group works or what items are available at that moment...ask!

Pay attention to the rules and be a good buyer! Upon joining a group, read through all the group files regarding policies, payments, fees, etc, before placing an order.

Ask BEFORE you order about how it will be shipped to you. There are some co-ops that only ship via a certain carrier like USPS, Fedex, or UPS. Co-op groups that offer a variety of shipping methods can save you a lot of money.

When ordering supplies at a certain price, make sure to ask if the price includes your share of the shipping to the co-op owner. Many times you will pay a unit price, plus shipping to the owner, plus shipping to you from the co-op owner. Ask questions and find out exactly what you will need to pay when payments are called in.

When paying for a co-op purchase, place your order in the notes section. This will help ensure accuracy for both parties.

Technically, it is a no-no to ask the consumer to cover credit cards fees, since major credit cards companies and third party payors, like PayPal, prohibit it. However, since a co-op is not a business, and the owner cannot afford to pay fees out of their own pockets and still afford to run the group, it is an acceptable practice to ask that co-op members using credit cards add the fees to their totals. This is not the case with pre-order groups and other for-profit groups. If the seller is making a profit, they have no business charging you for credit card fees. Anyone doing so is opening themselves up to a lawsuit, and it is just not a wise thing to do since CC fees are tax deductible.

Beware of co-ops that want to charge a monthly membership fee or charge a fixed percentage for co-op fees. If a co-op is charging you a flat rate of 10% for co-op fees, then they are making a profit and you should NOT have to pay CC fees. Also, beware of co-op groups that ask you to reimburse them for time spent away from their family - your money is better spent elsewhere.

Do your research! Find out what the wholesale price for the item is before you order. Some co-ops may be hiking up the prices, and in some instances, you would be better off buying the materials direct from the wholesaler yourself.


Want to know about co-ops gone bad? We'll help you avoid them!

Organize Your Cloth Diaper Stash

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Treating Diaper Rash Naturally - Natural Diaper Rash Remedies
Treating Diaper Rash Naturally
If you use cloth diapers, you have already made a decision to go the more natural route where your baby is concerned. Not only are there natural ways to diaper your baby, but there are also natural remedies to use in case diaper rashes should occur. Here are some ideas:


Let baby air out
Taking off the diaper and allowing baby to lie naked on a towel or blanket as often as possible may clear up rash. You can also pin on a cotton diaper loosely so air can circulate.


Clean baby with water and cloth wipes
Commercial baby wipes contain alcohol, chemicals and perfumes that can dry out and irritate baby's skin, predisposing him to rash or making an existing one worse. Cleaning baby with water and cloth wipes (or using a mild natural soapy solution for messy changes) is preferable - or check out our Homemade Wipes Solutions page.


Use natural detergents for diaper laundry
Residues left in commercial detergents may be harsh, drying baby's skin. Switch to a natural detergent and do a double rinse. Check out our detergent chart to find a detergent that is safer for both your baby and his/her cloth diapers. Rash cream can often build up on cloth diapers and be difficult to clean, which is why you normally hear people say not to use cream with cloth diapers. Sometimes, cream is needed and in that case using prefolds or other natural fiber diapers that are easier to clean or a paper liner to protect your fleece or micro suede diapers is suggested.


Change baby frequently
For a time, go on hyper alert and change baby's diaper quickly each time it gets soiled. Urine and fecal matter can burn baby's skin and cause painful rash. This is especially true as baby begins eating solid foods. Breastfed babies generally have fewer episodes of rash. If you're bottlefeeding and baby's rash is persistent, talk to your pediatrician about changing the formula.


Try a diaper change.
In addition to changing baby frequently, try using a different kind of diaper altogether. Some babies who experienced chronic rash with disposables will do much better with cloth diapers and if you are already using cloth, you might try a different material -babies can be allergic to the material of the diaper you are using. Natural, organic fibers like cotton or bamboo are often a good alternative for babies with extremely sensitive skin.


Treat thrush (yeast infection)
Thrush is a common cause of diaper rash. Following the above tips will help, but if it persists, talk to your pediatrician. He may recommend an antifungal medication safe for baby. You can also try Gentian Violet, available at many herbal and health food shops. Ask your doctor for recommendations. A baking soda wash (one Tablespoon dissolved in a half cup of water) may also help. Pat it on baby's bottom with cotton balls after each change. Also, if your baby has yeast, be sure to do the hottest wash that you have available to you or boil your diapers to be sure the yeast is not living in the diaper itself.

Acidophilus is safe for babies and can help combat yeast, especially a rash that may appear after baby has taken antibiotics. Ask a health care provider to recommend a brand and dose.


Use a bottom balm
Try a diaper rash cream made from natural ingredients to help form a barrier, keeping waste away from baby's skin. Look for lanolin, calendula, Vitamin E and evening primrose oil and other natural non-petroleum items in the list of ingredients. A couple of our favorites are the Grovia Magic Stick and Grandma El's Organic Diaper Rash Cream.


Talk to your Doctor
Persistent rash (especially if it's a "bull's eye" around the baby's bottom) can be a symptom of food allergy or something more serious. Your doctor may recommend an elimination diet to help you find the culprit or further testing.

Welcome to the Diaper Jungle

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Knowledge Center

Diaper Jungle - is one of the most comprehensive resources for cloth diapering, baby gear and natural living families. There are so many reasons why families are switching back to more natural products and cloth diapers. Families now are looking for organic, healthier and more natural alternative to chemically infused products like disposible diapers. In the Knowledge Center you will find a huge amount of information on organic alternatives, natural living and ecofriendly products to help you in your everyday life! For all the hands on DIY'ers, we have plenty of tips and tricks to keep you busy.

Our Detergent Chart is also another great resource. You can also order several of our favorite detergents and accessories from our own Store
We also have a great forum (coming soon) that actively discusses cloth diapering issues and choices, as well as other parenting topics of our members' interest. Check it out!
Our Sewing Resource page is a great place for those who are interested in making their own cloth diapers. There are links to free patterns as well as hints that will help you determine which fabrics and styles are best suited for your child and family.
If have any questions, comments or suggestions we love to hear them. Any ideas about the website, future articles, forum, products regarding diaperjungle.com? Please feel free to send us an email: info@diaperjungle.com. Have fun browsing our Knowledge Center and enjoy our website!



why use cloth diapers

Why Use Cloth?
2nd Look at Cloth
Benefits of Cloth
Cloth Testimonials
Nappy Issues
Disposables Exposed!
"Dear Abby" for Cloth Diapers


Choosing The Right Diaper

Cloth Diaper Guide *HOT*
What Diaper Is Best?
Choose the Right Diaper
Diaper Terminology
Diaper Lingo
Diaper Types Chart
Pocket Diapers
Fitted Cloth Diapers
Flat and Prefold Diapers
Diaper Fabric


Washing Cloth Diapers

Washing Cloth Diapers
Laundry Terminology
Detergent Ingredients
Diaper Detergent Chart *HOT*
High Efficiency (HE) Detergent Chart
Washing Machine Care
Hang Diapers to Dry
Lanolize Wool Covers
Conserving Water
Charlie's Soap Debate *HOT*
Do It Yourself
Diaper Wipes Recipes
Make Your Own Wipes
Make a Diaper Cake
Diaper Sewing Resources *HOT*
Embroidery - Get Started
Diaper Patterns
Fabric Co-ops
Cloth & Essential Oils
Other Information
Wool & Diapering
History of Diapers
Cloth History Timeline
East Vs West
Facts & Fiction
Clever Comebacks!
Cloth in the News!
Cloth Diaper Charity Links
Diaper Movies *NEW*
Jungle Awards!!!
Frugal Ideas
Baby Shower Central
Decorating Ideas
Theme Ideas
Menu Suggestions
Games
Favor Ideas
Invitations
Thank You Cards
Centerpiece Ideas
Baby Boy Shower Ideas
Baby Girl Shower Ideas
Cloth Diaper Cakes
Running a Cloth Diaper Business
Free Auction Templates
Sell Used Cloth Diapers
WAHM Congos
Cloth Diaper Biz Support
Starting a Cloth Biz?
Diapering Tips and Hints
Organize Cloth Diapers
Diaper Rash Remedies
Co-op Hints & Tips
Folding Prefold Diapers


Diaper Reviews

AIO & AI2 Diapers

Why Cloth dipers

I know that we are in the age of disposable baby things, including diapers, but I still recommend having cloth diapers for several reasons.

The benefits

They’re definitely safe for our babies. Unlike disposable diapers that are made of plastic and other unfamiliar materials, cloth diapers are made of organic ones that do not contain any harmful chemical for our babies.
The materials that compose cloth diapers are usually wool and polyurethane laminate. The disposable ones, on the other hand, include sodium polyacrylate that’s found in the absorbent gel, chlorine, and fragrance.

The former is said to have harmful effect on our babies, especially boys as it causes sperm count decrease (yikes!). The other two are known to cause rashes and other skin irritations.

They’re economical. Cloth diapers may be expensive at first, but in the long run, you can actually save more money with them since you may reuse each of them for as long as you want.
They’re safe for the environment. Because you can reuse cloth diapers, it means they won’t occupy landfills as fast as disposable ones will. Also, cloth diapers, as mentioned earlier, are made of organic materials; hence the decomposition is faster than plastic disposable ones.
The drawback

However, problem comes when we start talking about washing them. We all know we, moms, don’t have all the time in the world, so it is not uncommon for us to set washing them aside for a couple of hours or days until we finally have the luxury of cleaning them clothes.

Sometimes, we have to wait until we have enough laundry to load into the laundry machine so as not to waste detergent and water.

The thing is, when these cloth diapers are not washed right away, the smell and the stain from our babies’ stool stick a bit longer than we want. Making the cleaning a bit challenging.

So what I do, after removing the all the visible dirt, I soak it in water first until I’m ready to put them in the washer. I also make sure I don’t soak it for too long because they may accumulate more unwanted dirt. Then, I follow the rest of these steps:

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

I was visiting a friend’s house the other day and noticed she had decorated beautiful Easter eggs. They were delicately adorned with swirls and beautiful colors that danced around each egg. I was intrigued. She explained to me how she used silk scarves to dye her eggs. Check out your local thrift store for some 100% silk scarves that you can use to cut up.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Prepare eggs by either “blowing out” the eggs. If you choose to keep the eggs intact, this works, too.
2. Cut silk to fit each egg. Tie silk with the ink side toward the egg, securing silk with rubber band.
3. Prepare pot for boiling. Add eggs & 3 tbsp. white vinegar.
4. Boil eggs for approximately 15 min on a steady heat.
5. Turn water off, let eggs set.
6. Drain water, remove eggs and silk.
7. If you want your eggs shiny, add some vegetable oil by rubbing on with a cotton ball.

Voila! Natural, beautiful & unique Easter eggs made that simple!

I'm just gonna spray it....

Isn’t it miraculous that, with a plug and flip of a switch, we can vacuum a dirty rug? Or when we’re hungry for a warm meal we simply open a cold refrigerator, mix a few ingredients together and bake in a preheated oven? Modern convenience sure does make a mom’s life easy.

So besides my vacuum and kitchen appliances, I gotta give a huge shout out to my silent partner in crime. Always dependable, and by golly, I don’t know where I’d be without him. I’m of course talking about my diaper sprayer, Dagwood. What, you don’t name your appliances? Well, Dagwood and I are well-acquainted, so naturally he has a name. If Dagwood didn’t do his dirty job, it’d be a lot dirtier for the rest of us.

When I joined the millions of cloth diapering parents in the crusade for naturally swaddled bums, I’ll admit, I felt overwhelmed. Trying to understand different kinds of diapers and nervous about how I’d undertake the task (looking back I have to chuckle… the task that turned into an obsession, heehee!), I next learned about the diaper sprayer.

I was told I wouldn’t need Dagwood till my Sprout was eating solids, and producing less “runny” output. “What? Wait. The output changes form? Eeeeeeewwwww,” I said. (Though nowadays, talking about baby and kid poo is like scratching a bug bite, it just happens.) “Yeah, you just spray it all out into the toilet.” I put that thought on the back burner.

So I was a little leery of inviting another appliance into the house. Not one for gimmicks, I prefer to keep it simple.

But oh. Oh, it was simple. Standing over the toilet with the diaper in one hand, all I had to do with the other hand was turn the nozzle on, pick Dagwood up from the toilet tank hook, and… spray. THAT’S IT. Of course, I quickly realized it’s also good to have a pail liner hanging near the commode so saturated diapers have somewhere to chill while awaiting the wash. After that, I was skating on clouds.

And you know what else Dagwood excels in? He not only sprays out countless messy messes, but he also helps me with the training potty. A few quick sprays and it’s clean again! Of course, we do disinfect it at the end of the day, but after each subsequent visit, Dagwood preps it for the next go. He is AWESOME!

I then realized that my daycare provider was probably suffering through continuous dunks and flushes (not to mention, using up more resources), so I got her one, too!

I have to laugh when I think of how it might have been when the first handful of houses began using vacuums. Perhaps they didn’t think they could ever go back to shaking their rugs out and using a broom. Perhaps many cloth diapering parents feel this same way after their first brush with a diaper sprayer. Perhaps somewhere out there, someone is giving their sprayer a proper name after carefully—no, lovingly—hanging that nozzle back on the toilet tank with a satisfied sigh.

Are you ready to welcome a new fuzzy bum into your house? Don’t forget your new bathroom appliance, as well. Trust me, when you reach for that nozzle, you will be a super hero.

Head on over to Diaper Jungle and purchase your own Dagwood today!

Learning the hard way

There's a learning curve to this mama-ing thing.

It's been almost nine years since my first little one was born, and in the time since it's been nothing but a journey. Your first child is the test run- honestly and truly. By number three it's old hat, but there are still bumps, potholes and wipe outs along the way. Probably it is safe to say that we never really hit expert credentials. It's interesting to think how in life there are many many jobs that are learned and perfected. Being a mama is a constantly changing, constantly moving, constantly constant endeavour.

In the first year of my daughter's life, eight/nine years ago, I learned many things. I had just graduated from college, moved back east from LA, gotten married, turned 23... And here she was. They simply handed her to me and wished me luck. My brand new husband and I stared at her in wonder. Who was this little handful? And she was going to be the life lesson neither of us had ever counted on. Her little eyes and tuft of black hair was our very own undoing. She taught us about baby fevers, teething, cloth diaper washing/using/experiencing, co-sleeping, intuitive parenting, attachment parenting, breastfeeding... You name it. At 23 I looked at this little creature with a mix of awe and amazement. She hurdled me out of my own childhood and into hers with a grace of an atom bomb.

 Learning the hard way

Nine years later, she is still teaching me lesson after lesson. But I count my blessings with her. She is amazing with her sisters (I've had two more daughters since!). She is a best friend, mentor, idol, teacher, baby sitter, and more to the two little ones who follow her around with love in their eyes. I look at her and see all that I've learned along the way. Not only with learning how to be a mother, but with learning about MYSELF as a mother. These little girls teach me every day... what they need me to know on a practical note, but also what is flat out essential to living. They are wiser then I've ever been.

The most essential thing I've learned thus far about being a parent is to trust myself. That little voice that hounds away at you at three am? Yes. That one. The one that takes one look at your child and knows when they have a fever, when they have to use the bathroom, the source of the tantrum being currently thrown. I fear for the years ahead. Parenting teenagers will likely turn every hair on my head a distinct shade of white, just like it did for my own mother. Diapering and spit up, sure, got it. Maybe.