Hemp vs Bamboo??

[Maxy1]

Is there a big difference?

I have tots bots bamboo nappies and they just do not last on DS, I have changed his nappy 4 times this morning already and he hasn't even been up for 4 hours!! Thanks to the advice on here I have purchased some Thirsties covers which are working far better than the tots bots ones so DS is no longer saturated in pee when we use the reusables. So since I find the covers better I am interested in purchasing that brands nappies, they are a bamboo/hemp mix and hemp inserts/prefolds?

Will this be better for us?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I could be wrong but I don't think there's much difference between hemp and bamboo absorbency wise.

 

[NDH]

They're pretty much the same for absorbency. Hemp gets stiffer than bamboo when line dried though so I don't like it as much for that reason.

 

[Blah11]

hemp is better absorbancy but absorbs slower so you need to combine with microfibre or bamboo.

get a blueberry, they use hemp

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Real easies are hemp too.

 

[Rachel_C]

I've not noticed much difference in absorbency. Hemp often does tend to go really hard like cardboard but if you mean the hemp jersey ones by Thirsties, they stay nice and soft

Sorry if I've already asked this but how are you washing the Tots Bots? Are you sure they don't need stripping? I know they don't last all babies for ages but 4 changes in 4 hours sounds excessive to me.

 

[Maxy1]

That's really interesting about the hemp getting stiff after a while. Thanks ladies.

Blah 11, I would love to get the Blueberry ones, they look awesome but are not available in my country OR to be sent to my country

Mum2b, I haven't seen those ones, I will look into them.

Rachel C, I wash them in totsbots powder in a hot (60C) wash. I only use about 5gms of powder. I have only recently started using the size 2's (from new) so they don't need stripped. I soaked them for the 24 hours in cold and then washed them twice. They have been washed several times since then. I am glad you think it sounds excessive, because I do too. DS just pee's a storm in them and they soak from front to back and waist bands in under an hour, even with boosters or inserts.

I love reusables and prefer to use them when I can, so I am keen to find some that can match DS's peeing skills . The fitted's in the brand I am look at are microfibre with hemp/microfibre inserts so I might give that a go.

Thanks again for all your advice, I really appreciate it. I love coming on this board, you are all so informative.

 

[Rachel_C]

Which nappies specifically are you looking at? I would skip microfibre for a heavy wetter unless it's just a thin layer on top of natural fibres to speed up absorption. Are you looking at the Thirsties Fab Fitteds? Steer clear with a heavy wetter! The Thirsties Duo inserts are pretty good but I'm not sure they'd last a heavy wetter very long either. The hemp prefolds should fare better.

 

[Maxy1]

Which nappies specifically are you looking at? I would skip microfibre for a heavy wetter unless it's just a thin layer on top of natural fibres to speed up absorption. Are you looking at the Thirsties Fab Fitteds? Steer clear with a heavy wetter! The Thirsties Duo inserts are pretty good but I'm not sure they'd last a heavy wetter very long either. The hemp prefolds should fare better.

I am at a bit of a loss of what to try then, if microfibre is not going to be any better for DS. I can't get the Thirsties Hemp prefolds or duo inserts in NZ. All I know is that the bamboo with bamboo booster and inserts do not work for us and never has. The funny thing is, in sposies DS is not a heavy wetter. He barely pees in them at all. I have tried changing the times I put DS in sposies vs reusables and its not the time I put them on. Its the reusables. He just pees excessively in them .

Thanks so much for heads up. i hadn't ordered them yet, so thats great info!!

 

[Rachel_C]

You know what? I would stop using Tots Bots Potion and try the bamboo again with a standard detergent. From everything you've said, it really really sounds like an issue with your nappies, not that the nappies themselves don't work. I tried Potion ages ago... after only a couple of washes using LESS than the recommended dose and still with two extra rinses after the wash, the nappies all had build up and were leaking and/or smelly. So I think that could be your issue. I know you've only used the new ones for a little while but even after a soak they would still not be fully absorbent and then after a couple of washes they could have build up that would make them less absorbent.

So this is what I would try:

Use a standard detergent without softener. Use non-bio if you wish. Strip wash them all with the full dose of detergent method in my signature. I don't think the dishwasher tablet method would be enough. You MUST make sure to do it thoroughly until the water is running completely clear in all parts of the final rinse.

Once they're clear of build up, continue to use normal detergent without softener. Do one cold rinse first, then a long wash (normally 2 hours+) then at least two rinses afterwards. For the wash, only use a tiny bit of detergent for around 14 nappies. If using liquid, look at around 5ml as a starting point; for powder try 10g. Don't skip the extra rinses. Don't be tempted to use sanitiser or anything else. You could look at that later but for now just stick with what we know works, which is the absolute minimum of products.

If you want, before you do this I can compare nappies with you . If you have some digital scales, weigh a S2 Bamboozle Stretch before you put it on LO. Then put it on him for a set time and weigh it when you take it off. Then I will do the same, we have Stretches too, and we can compare I know that my LO can easily get 2.5 hours from an unboosted Stretch (using just the one snap in booster supplied) and will stay feeling dry with a fleece liner and it won't leak with a decent PUL wrap over the top. She could last far longer without leaking but might feel damp herself so I wouldn't leave them much longer than 3 hours. She's an average wetter so you can compare your LO.

 

[Maxy1]

Thanks Rachel C. I am keen to do the weighing thing just to see if I am expecting too much from the nappies. I think you are probably right about the build up because DS's tush is moist and feels wet in the nappies when I take them off.

Will get back to you. Thank you so so much. I really appreciate it.

 

[Maxy1]

Ha Ha. so obviously that was always going to be a short lived experiment. That was the best idea ever about weighing them before and after. It is really evident that DS is NOT a heavy wetter at all and it is the absorbancy of the nappy that is not up to it. All the nappies were changed after 30 - 45 minutes because DS gets whiney. The first one was only half soaked and the other 2 were soaked about 3/4 from the front to back and totally through, very soppy wet to touch.

1st nappy with snap in bamboo booster, before:154g after: 168g
2nd nappy with snap in booster, before: 155g (?) after: 203g
3rd nappy with snap in booster, before: 154g after: 224g

When I took the last nappy off he was covered in pee, like big droplets. So that is really disappointing. I will begin strip washing immediately. Thank you for all your advice. hopefully this will sort my dilemma and then I can look at getting more cute nappies

 

[Rachel_C]

I will still put my LO in one today and see how heavy it is, I'm intruiged now, I've only weighed night nappies before!

I'm glad you have an idea what the problem is now though cos they are pretty great nappies normally I'd do the full dose of detergent stripping method, it's more thorough than the dishwasher tablet way. It might take you two days of rinsing (you can soak them in the bath if you need to use the machine for something else for a while) but it will hopefully be worth it!

 

[Maxy1]

Yes, I will be interested in seeing the weight change if you do the same RachelC.

I emailed my tb retailer and asked them about increasing the absorbency and they called me back and gave me some instructions for strip washing.

Because I have the V2 tb stretchies they are sending me a V3 to see if there is a big difference. She was pretty convinced that DS is a heavy wetter, even though I told her the change in nappy weight was pretty minimal. She was very helpful though.

I have done their way of strip washing to see if that works and if not I will do the full detergent one.

Thanks