Inside EcoBuns

EcoBuns is THE place in West Michigan to go for all of your eco-friendly parenting products. When we first bought the store 2 1/2 years ago, it was easy to get a picture that showed everything in the store. These days it isn't as easy. 

A panoramic picture of the back half of the store. 

EcoBuns Natural Parenting and Baby Boutique has everything that you need to cloth diaper. We carry every style of cloth diapers; prefolds, covers, fitteds, All In Twos, All In Ones, Pockets, and Hybrids. 

You'll find great brands like bumGenius, GroVia, Smart Bottoms, Blueberry, Thirsties, Flip, AppleCheeks, TotsBots, and more! 

We have all of the accessories that will make your diapering experience even more enjoyable; wet bags, diaper sprayers, Spray Pals, dryer balls, detergent, cloth diapers, cloth diaper safe rash cream, disposable liners and more! 

Our Holland, Michigan store is located in the Holland Town Center, just outside of the busy downtown area. We are less than a hour drive from Grand Rapids and Muskegon. EcoBuns is well worth the road trip from St. Joseph or Kalamazoo.

If you can't visit our store, be sure to visit our website. We offer free shipping on orders over $75, and first class and priority shipping options for all orders.

Expecting a baby? Registering at EcoBuns has some great perks!

AIO diapers

All-in-One Cloth Diapers (also known as "AIO"s)

These diapers are the easiest diapers to use and have the absorbent material sewn into the diaper cover. The inserts may be  synthetic fibers or natural fibers and the diaper will fasten with either snaps or hook and loop. An AIO may be a sized diaper or a one-sized diaper. No diaper cover required. No stuffing required. The AIO is a Dad, Grandma and daycare friendly option!

Here are the AIO diapers that you can find at EcoBuns:

bumGenius 4.0

bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper was voted the best pocket diaper by EcoBuns' customers.  Watch this video to see
why so many families love this diaper.

Buy 4.0 diapers HERE

bumGenius Freetime Diaper

Watch Marissa explain one of the most popular diapers at EcoBuns: bumGenius Freetime

Purchase bumGenius diapers HERE.

Is Washing Cloth Diapers Expensive?

How Much Does "Special Cloth Diaper Detergent" Cost?

In reality, there is no such thing as special cloth diaper detergent.  As long as you are using a detergent that does not have fabric softeners, brighteners, or enzymes (such as Allen's Naturally) you can use the same detergent for your cloth diapers, baby carriers, clothes, sheets, towels, and everything else that goes into your washing machine. 

The detergent that we sell at EcoBuns is just laundry detergent that doesn't have all of the craziness that most mainstream detergents have in them.  I only use Allen's Naturally for all of the laundry at my house because my daughter is so sensitive to the chemicals in mainstream detergent.  (Horrible hives if her clothes are washed in pretty much anything else)  While the detergent we carry at EcoBuns is cloth diaper safe, it is an excellent detergent to use on all of your family's laundry.  

 So how does the price of Allen's Naturally compare to other brands at other stores?  

What do you REALLY need to cloth diaper?

Cloth diapering can be pretty addicting, and a ton of fun when you get into it.  However, when you start looking into it, things can seem overwhelming.  The terms, the types of diapers, and all the different options of things to add on can make cloth diapers look a lot harder than they actually are.

Let's bring it back to the basics...What do you REALLY need to cloth diaper?

One Size and Sized Diapers: What's the difference?

When we talk about cloth diapers, there are a few terms to learn.  At EcoBuns, we try to make things super easy for you.  If you have any questions, please stop into our store and ask!  We will make sure you are confident in the diapers you purchase from us.

One Size Diaper:  A diaper intended to fit from "birth to potty training."  In our experience, there is no such thing as a true one size diaper.  You will either need smaller diapers to fit a newborn, or larger diapers to fit a preschooler.  We find that most one size diapers actually fit the 10 (or 12) pounds to roughly 35 (or 40) pounds.

Sized Diaper: A diaper intended to fit a small weight range. For example, a newborn diaper, small, medium, large or extra large diaper.  These diapers will always ensure a better fit than a one size diaper.  They will also last longer in the long run because you are using them for a shorter time from.  (A few months as opposed to two or more years)

Watch this video to find see the pros and cons of both sized and one sized diapers.

For more post like this, check out the Cloth Diaper 101 section on this blog.

Newborn Diaper Tip - Umbilical Cord

Cloth diapering a new born is super easy.  (It's actually one of my personal favorite stages to diaper)

I get a lot of questions about the umbilical cord and cloth diapers.  Most newborn diapers will have a dip down or cut out for the umbilical cord stump.  If your diaper has a higher rise on it, and doesn't have any allowance for the umbilical cord stump you can easily create your own.

Check out this video on how to make your own umbilical cord cut down on a Thirsties size one AIO diaper.

If you have any questions, or want to get set up with your newborn diapers, please stop into EcoBuns, I'd be glad to help you out.  

Rethink Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers have evolved a ton from the time that I was cloth diapered! Modern cloth diapers have no pins, no rubber pants, are super cute, and super easy to use.  

What you put on your baby does matter. Your baby's skin acts as a sponge and soaks up everything that you put on it. This is why you are strongly urged not to put sunscreen on a baby under 6 months old, they just don't have the ability to filter out toxins. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has not made a stance on whether disposable or cloth diapers are better for your baby, they have made it very clear that you should limit the amount of chemicals that you expose your baby to. Disposable diapers contain various toxins such as Tributyltin, Sodium Polyacrylate, and Dioxin. that are up against your baby's skin 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 2-3 years.

How to Fold a Prefold Cloth Diaper

Prefold cloth diapers look like the diapers that our mothers and grandmothers used.  They have come a long ways, and with super easy folds, getting rid of diaper pins, and very cute covers, the prefolds of today are a great, cost effective way to cloth diaper.

Watch this video to see exactly how easy it is to use a prefold cloth diaper.

Tips for Cloth Diapering Overnight

Cloth diapering at night is not much different than using cloth diapers during the day.  Here are some tips to help you find the perfect solution for a night time cloth diaper.

How to choose cloth diapers

The choices can seem overwhelming at first.  What style/brand of cloth diapers will be right for you family? Read the statements below, and see which category you fit in.

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

The questions I get asked most often about cloth diapers is, “How do you wash them?”

A common misconception is that washing cloth diapers is difficult. In my years of experience, I have found the washing routine to be quite simple.

I keep my wet bag, which is a lined, waterproof bag with either a zipper or drawstring top, close to my changing stations, whether that be a towel rack, doorknob, or the side of my changing table. When I take a diaper off one of my kids, I simply secure the laundry tabs and put it in a hanging wet bag until it’s time to do the wash. [Bonus to having all-in-one diapers like Thirsties, BumGenius  or Grovia : no need to unstuff dirty diapers before the wash or restuff clean ones before each use!] Breast milk is water soluble and will come out completely in the wash. Once your child starts eating solid food, or you supplement formula, you will have to dump any solids into the toilet before putting the diaper in the wet bag.  [A diaper sprayer comes in really handy for this part!]

I have a top loader washing machine which is GREAT for cloth diapers! Many people are choosing to get high efficiency front loading machines because they don’t use as much water, but that can cause a big problem when washing cloth diapers. Not using enough water to wash and rinse diapers can cause serious residue problems (think stink, leak and rashes – YUCK!) For this reason, you need to set your machine manually to the maximum water level before washing your diapers. If you can’t figure out how to do this, then call the manufacturer and they can help you get it all figured out! Or you can always just use the wet towel trick – reduce the number of diapers per load and add a wet towel or two to trick the machine into adding more water for wash. You want to make sure that there’s enough water to thoroughly rinse out all the detergent!

My washing routine:

• cold rinse with 1/2 the amount of detergent 
• regular wash with detergent (hot wash with cold rinse)
• cold rinse without detergent
• dry on low heat in the dryer or hang outside on a clothesline  (check with your specif diaper brand to see their drying policy, using a dryer can void the warranty on some brands)  Sunlight is a great natural bleacher and will get rid of any diaper stains!

It’s important to not use a sanitize cycle on any diapers that have Aplix enclosures or elastic. You also need to remember to use only a fraction of the detergent that you would use in your normal wash and choose a detergent that doesn’t have any of the following additives, as they can create residue problems:

• fabric softeners
• natural oils
• perfumes
• dyes
• uv brughteners
• stain guard ingredients
• enzymes (they will not affect the cloth diaper performance, but may cause rashes on some babies’ skin)

I use Allens or Selestial Soap - Soft Bottoms for my cloth diapers (and my clothes too!). Both great detergents, and are made in Michigan! [I love supporting local businesses!] 

If you have any questions about washing cloth diapers, please e-mail me at Marissa (at) EcoBuns (dot) com