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PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:21 am 
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Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
I recently began wearing a cloth diaper over a disposable in order to reduce any overnight leaks resulting in wet beds. This is my first use of a cloth diaper but it seems to have worked. Most mornings the cloth diaper is dry, but once every 4 - 7 days it catches a leak and keeps the bed from getting wet.

My problem is the length of time required to dry the diaper - usually taking 90 minutes or more. The diaper is the heavy flannel pre-fold diaper with Velcro sold by Angel Fluff for overnight use. I did not expect this and my wife has commented on the cost of the electricity we are using for one diaper.

Is 90 minutes a realistic drying time?

Related question - did I buy too much diaper for my need, as I am wearing it over a disposable? I have purchased a second, lighter flannel diaper from AFDC that has not yet arrived.

Was flannel the best material or should I have gone for birdseye.?

I know a lot of you guys wear cloth diapers, so I would appreciate your advice.

--John


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:52 am 
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90 Mins is way too long. First get some lighter diapers. second, after reg drying hang it to dry. Third if you have that weight diaper why wear a disposable under it? more than likely it would be enough for a nights wetting and is much more comfortable. Papa


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:13 am 
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Location: Western North Carolina
I would echo what Papa said. 90 minutes it too long. When I dry mine, I dry a load of 5 diapers for about 50 minutes and when they come out, they are just slightly damp. Then I hang them in our walk in closet for a few hours to finish. Every so often I'll hang them up outside so they get some sun because that is one of the best ways to kill off any lingering bacteria. Drying them till they are bone dry is bad for the fabric and will shorten the life.
Again, like Papa I don't think you need the disposable underneath the cloth. If worn correctly it will keep you and your bedding dry. I too ordered from AFDC and they were very helpful in getting the right product but also like you they recommended the extra heavy weight for night time. Believe me, it will get you through the night and then some.I pushed one as long as I could one day and got over 13 hours out of it. The down side was the washing and drying of a piece of cloth that thick was a chore. I later went down to the heavy weight and that is what I use at night now. I keep the extra heavy weights on hand for if I am sick and need longer wear times or if I need to change early for bed to get me extra time.

Cloth can be a pain but once you figure out a routine that works, its easy to manage and much more comfortable. If for no other reason it will allow you to sleep on your side worry free again.

Rope


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:19 pm 
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Hi, I think this is too long as well. I know that we have been struggling the first few times as well. We put them in the dryer with the other wash. At the end I take it out and let it hang for a couple of hours. At that time it's dry enough. I use in general disposable diapers, but once in a while I use cloth diapers when my skin is getting agitated. It's again a balancing act what works the best for me at that moment. I do agree, cloth diapers are the best when you sleep on your side. Bob


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:29 am 
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Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
I should have clarified that my objective was not to have to wash the cloth diaper daily - only if it catches overflow from the disposable so that most mornings I just toss the disposable and put the cloth diaper back on the shelf for the next night.

What about the material guys? Would the birdseye material have been a better choice?

Also, as I am new to cloth diapers, I ordered a pre-fold with velcro. To speed up laundering should I have ordered imdividual flat diapers and used diaper pins to attach them?

--John


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:51 am 
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Hi JD,

If you want something for the just in case leaks, if I were you I would just use a cover like garywear or plastic pants. If you have your heart set on wearing a cloth over the disposable, the heavy weight will be overkill. Just use one of the lighter weight cloth diapers. It should do the job just fine and it would be less bulky and more comfortable.
As for type of material, I can't help too much there. I have only tried flannel but I have been very happy with it wicks liquids very well.

One peice of advice I learned the hard way with the velcro sewed on is to buy a small roll of the loop side. When you wash and dry you diapers the Velcro will attach to anything and everything it can. Most of the time it caused the diaper to roll up in a ball and would never wash or dry very well.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:03 pm 
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I have found either birdseye or twill are more comfortable and absorbent than flannel. They also seem to wear longer and dry quicker. The thick nighttime diapers obvious take longer to dry than the standard pre-folds and I would not recommend them. Both the flannel and night diapers seem to pickup the odor problem quicker than the standard pre-folds and need stripping more often. I stopped using flannel several years ago. Currently I use CTDC's twill pre-folds. Good luck finding something that works for you.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:37 pm 
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JD,
If drying time is an issue, you might consider using multiple lighter diapers, instead of a single heavy nighttime diaper. If you use it only for overflow security, a lighter one should suffice. Doubling up (or triple or quadruple) makes for more diapers to wash, but they get cleaner and dry quicker. I prefer gauze next to my skin, but they do not last quite as long, so I augment them with a flannel or birdseye weave outer diaper at night.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:41 pm 
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Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
Thank you guys and gals for all of the good advice!

I forgot to mention that the overwhelming consideration in choosing to us disposables is my bowel incontinence.

Rope, I already wear PUL briefs over my cloth diaper. The problem is that I am a heavy wetter and spend most of the night on my side. Even if I fall asleep on my back, I usually wake up to find myself on my side. Although my disposable is a ConfiDry 24/7 with a NorthShore Care booster, that's when the leaks occur.

Steve, after I try out the lighter AFDC day-time weight flannel diaper I already had ordered, I will try multiple layers of thinner birdseye. I can see that I have a learning curve here - I have not pinned on a diaper since my sons were infants.

The leaks that have reached the sheets and mattress protector (before I began wearing the cloth diaper over the disposable) have been relatively minor, but did, of course require laundering. My wife has been supportive both of my fecal incontinence and my bouts of UI, so I would like to spare her this additional aggravation.

Rope, thanks for the advice about buying a roll of loop side Velcro. My wife already has complained about there diaper rolling into a ball held together by the velcro, making it even more difficult to launder!

--John


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:31 pm 
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What about something like the lined cover pant from Kins, I have not tried, but it is for catching leaks, and not so heavyweight? Puffy

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