The Cloth Diaper Geek Explains it all! Why do my diapers leak ALL the time?

Recently I was speaking to a cloth diapering mama who was stressed because ALL her pocket diapers were leaking, regardless of the brand. She just couldn't figure out why. She'd tried stripping them, washing, switching detergents, etc. and still couldn't figure out the root of the problem.

After hearing everything she had tried I felt there was only one question left to ask.
What type of inserts are you using and how old are they?

Turns out she's using micro inserts that were previously used when she bought them online. It's my belief that is where her problem lies. Microfiber wears down over time and becomes less and less absorbent. I am sure that you all have inserts, some are older than others, and you can tell the difference. The newer microfiber inserts are fluffy and soft while the older ones seem thin and almost as if the fluffy terry part has worn off, in most cases it has.

While saving money by buying gently used diapers is a great idea, buying used micro inserts does not always work.

Microfiber inserts are actually made of micro-terry. If you're inserts no longer look fluffy then chances are they need to be replaced. It's not a bad idea to try and test their absorbency. Try soaking up some liquid with them and see how much they really can still hold.

So if you've been feeling bad about cloth diapering because of leaky diapers then give yourself a boost! Try purchasing a new stash of inserts and see if this doesn't cure your cloth diaper blues!

Earth Angels Diaper Co carries a wide variety of inserts that can be purchased individually or in bulk. If you really want to treat yourself, we recommend the LooyDo and SuperDo!

Meet the Diaper Discussions GEEK Squad!

Hi! I am Julie, The Cloth Diaper Geek, and the Owner of Earth Angels Diaper Co. & this Blog. I am located in sunny Central Florida near where the Space Shuttle launches, locally known as the Space Coast. I am an only child and longtime Florida resident. My husband is a local FireFighter/Paramedic and we have three kids, Guinnevere age 6, Mason & Spencer (identical twins) who are almost 3 yrs old.

When I am not working on my website or blog you can find me online, shopping the FSOT boards, surfing the web and chatting with my wahm friends and customers online. I just love being a part of the cloth diapering community and can't seem to get enough of it. I am also very happy that my little wahm business in turn helps support other wahm's businesses.

In "real life" (LOL) I love going to the beach with the family, yard sales, thrift stores, freecycling and am a very thrifty mama who LOVES finding great deals on cool junk. I also enjoy butterfly gardening and have a pretty healthy little butterfly habitat in my side yard. The kids and I enjoy the flowers and watching the caterpillars turn into butterflies.

You might be wondering what's up with being the Cloth Diaper Geek? Well through trial and error and through lots and lots of customer interactions I have acquired quite a bit of knowledge in regards to cloth diapering. Though I would have never imagined it, I can talk talk talk about cloth diapers until I am blue in the face and I quite enjoy it. At first glance you might not know that I am a Cloth Diaper Geek but get me started on the subject and my alter ego comes out giddy and eager to talk about everything cd related.

Thanks to Anelys, another geeky cloth diapering mama, we've decided to introduce The Cloth Diaper Geek Explains it all. A weekly post where you name it and we'll answer it. There's no question to far out, too embarrassing or too hard for us to handle. Give us your best questions and we'll be sure to answer them.