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I have Rikki covers, but since edges of the velcro started to chafe my plump baby's belly when she bent forward, I bought Airflows. Now that baby has slimmed out into a toddler, I use both cover types. I have found that her pee is so heavy that the diaper gets saturated quickly and pee wicks THROUGH the diaper cover to her pants, and worse, on to her bed when it happens overnight. This happens with both the Rikkis and Airflows, but mainly the Rikkis. I have now changed from OS to ToddlerEase, but it still happens as soon as the diaper is saturated. Anyone else with this problem? How to resolve?
Is it a washing issue, or are my covers failing from age or overuse? (Rikkis are 1.5 yrs, Airflows about 0.5 yr.) I used to soak my Rikki covers in baking soda and water after each use because they reeked so bad, but since the wicking problem, I no longer soak them, I just hand wash them in hot water after each use (still smells but not as bad). The covers also get thrown into regular laundry every once in a while.
thanks in advance for any advice,
Jen
P.S.
The velcro on the sides of my Rikkis are also beginning to come off. For this reason, and for the chafing reason I mentioned above, I don't recommend Rikkis! |
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If the pee is going right through the cover then most likely the cover needs to be replaced. I tend to wash mine in cold or luke warm water so that they don't break down as quickly and hang to dry to try and extend their life. 6 months isn't very long though unless you only have a couple and are using daily. Also try not to wash the covers with too much soap so they don't get build up issues. Build up though is mostly a problem with the diapers and not the covers.
Are you using a doubler at night with the toddlerease? Perhaps you need to try and increase the absorbancy even more this may. Also, have you used the Toddlerease for very long? Maybe they need to be washed a few more times to get rid of the oil that is naturally in the fibers of new diapers. Are you using an XL cover and is it on snuggly enough at night? The fact that it is leaking right through the cover leads me to believe the cover is the problem but you may have other issues as well. Good luck from someone who also has a heavy wetter at bedtime.
Lona E |
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Are you sure the moisture is wicking through the middles, or is it possibly wicking at the leg? Leg leaks are more common, but usually easily fixable. If you are sure you are wicking through the middle of the covers, that does sound like your covers may be toast. As the PP said, 6 months, is a pretty short time. ME doesn't guarantee them for that long, but I have some L AFs that have been in use for oh, at least 3 years, and they are still as depenable at the day they came.
One thing that I'm wondering though: are you closing up the velcro on your Rikkis when you wash them? Your saying that you were having problems with the velcro, coupled with this leaking, made me wonder if it's possible that if they are being washed upfastened, causing both premature wear to the velcro itself as well as to the covers, as they are being scratched up. Just a thought? |
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Thanks for your replies. To answer your questions:
The moisture is definitely wicking through the middle part of DD's bum, and not leaking from leg. So it's really unfortunate if it is really the covers being worn out, as they're not cheap! I was hoping to be able to use them for my DS once he grows into them. I suspect my previous soaking of them is what may have worn them out prematurely, which is why I now handwash them after each use; but what a pain, and they do still smell a bit, just not as bad. Can you tell me how you keep your covers from smelling if soaking is not the way to go?
I am currently using size L covers with ToddlerEase, but have just placed an order for XL as DD recently told me the leg openings are hurting her thighs.
I`ve been using ToddlerEase for about 0.5 yrs (the same time I bought the AirFlows). At the time we did a fitting and the size L cover fit fine, but now that DD is bigger, need to replace with XL.
I hadn't used any overnight liners with the ToddlerEase because they didn't fit when using the size L covers, but once the XL comes in, I will try the liners.
I wash my Rikkis with the fasteners closed so that they don't destroy other clothes that they're washed with. The velcro is definitely coming off from overuse because they are peeling off at the corners where you pull on the cover to unstick the velcro. |
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I suspect the hot water washing may also have broken down your covers. I wash my covers by hand every day when I can. So I use a cover for the whole day unless it becomes soiled and then hand wash it in cold or luke warm water the sink with just a bit of detergent and hang to dry in the shower. Sometimes I am just too busy to do this so occasionally I will put them in the washing machine but have a hand wash cycle. I wash them in cold water and have never put them in the dryer. I still have some covers that I used with my first child so they are lasting a very long time. You may not need the doubler when you first get your new covers so you may want to try without at first and then if you find she needs it later then you can add it then.
Good luck!
Lona E |
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Sorry to hear about your issues with the covers.
I feel CD is way more reliable for diapering than posies, until things go wrong. Horribly wrong!
I wash my covers with my whites. I use 1 cover all day long, then another cover at night. So we have 8 covers in all to get to washing day(every 4 days for laundry) I have used L AF for the past year and mine do not smell at all. I put used covers in my son's hamper, not with the dipes, and wash them all with our whites in soapnuts(or regular detergent),then hang to dry.
Covers usually last a really long time considering the heavy use they get. Imagine wearing the same pair of undies every other day for 2 years. And usually people can still sell them at the end!
Something is prematurely wearing out your covers. That or they have small pinholes in them that are letting moisture through. When you hold them up to the light, can you see holes in the PUL? Or cracks in the PUL?
You can't do anything about damage that has already happened but maybe brainstorming the issue that might be causing your wear will insure that the next covers will last you longer.
Good Luck Mama! |
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I have to agree that it's either some kind of strange premature wear or perhaps a small pinhole for some reason. Of course if you were going the whole night with just the Toddle-Ease and no liners that probably wouldn't help as the diaper would be pretty soaked. The vast majority of children (even light wetters) will need a liner in a nighttime diaper so that could definetly be making things worse if not even be a major cause. If you weren't sure that it was coming through I would have said that the leaks were caused because of lack of absorbancy in your diaper.
I would recomend testing out your diapers to see if you can determine where exactly wetness is coming through (to check for pinholes or whatever). Take a clean diaper or towel and place it inside the cover (laid flat on a table for example). Wet the diaper/towel so that it's saturated but not dripping wet (squeeze it out to remove excess if you have to). Then close the cover and press lightly. If the cover is simply worn out then you should see wetness coming out pretty much everywhere. If it's one or a few pinholes then you should see moisture coming out at very small/specific spots.
I can't see anything terribly wrong with your washing routine that would wear them out that quickly. I have covers that have been used for several years and are still going strong. They're the XL Airflows I got for my son, used them for at least 2-3 years, lent them to my niece (though I'm not sure how much they were actually used there) and I'm now using them on my twins (for about 6-9 months now). Sure they don't *look* new at all, the print is faded and they're quite yellowed inside, but they still function like new! I've always washed them with regular laundry (in cold or warm water & regular detergent) and then hung to dry. Never any smell issues at all (do you perhaps store dirty ones with diapers? that can lead to odors sometimes). So while it's possible that perhaps I just got lucky with mine lasting years I don't think it's normal for them to get worn out to the point of leaking in just a few months. But then I don't think soaking with baking soda would cause that kind of wear. Washing in hot isn't necessary and probably not the best idea. It could be the cause but even that seems a little far-fetched. I know people who wash their covers with their diapers in hot all the time and their covers last way longer than a few months.
Not sure what to tell you except to do the test to see if you can pinpoint the problem a little more and to try boosting the absorbancy with a liner or two.
Karen. |
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