The Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Sponsor Spotlight - EcoFluff

 

During the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I was very lucky to have some amazing sponsors. One wonderful sponsor, EcoFluff, sent me 2 Bamboo Flannel Flat Diapers, 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes and a travel size container of Organic Vegan EcoButter to help me with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

EcoFluff is run by Naomi, a work at home mom who has is passionate about sustainability and eco-friendly living. Naomi strives to create products are not only organic, but also vegan whenever possible. EcoFluff items are always made from sustainably produced materials and without using any harmful chemicals. All of the materials are made in the USA (as much as reasonably possible), so when you purchase an item from EcoFluff, you can feel confident knowing that you are making a green choice but a choice that supports a WAHM and our nation's commerce!

I got the chance to chat with Naomi a bit and ask her a little bit about EcoFluff:

What inspired the name, Eco Fluff, for your Etsy shop?
I wanted a name that reflected what I was trying to do with my store, would lend itself easily to the branding process, and would be easy to remember. EcoFluff fit the bill!

How long has your Etsy shop been open? I opened my Etsy shop in February 2011.

How long have you been working with bamboo and making your flats? Did someone teach you or did you pick it up on your own?
I've been working with bamboo and making cloth diapers since fall of 2009 when I when I was pregnant with my son. I've always been very involved in crafting and sewing. When I realized I wanted to cloth diaper, it was a very natural direction for my creative energies to turn. I picked it up on my own, but I could never have done it without all the great information that other cloth diapering moms so generously share on the internet!

What got you interested in working with bamboo?
I guess my Asian heritage is what initially piqued my interest. But when I found out how absorbent, soft, durable, and even antibacterial that bamboo fibers are, I became a fan for life.

Do you have any tips for those interested in learning to use flats? (or any general cloth diapering tips?)
Don't be scared to try them! Flats are not only the most versatile and economical choice out there, they're also the most environmentally friendly because they wash more easily, require fewer cycles in the washing machine, and dry very quickly. Some people may be intimidated by the folding process, but it's really not hard at all once you try it and it doesn't take any longer to prep them than stuffing and snapping inserts for other diapers. If you're apprehensive about pinning, you actually don't need pins or snappis because the diaper cover will hold it in place. It's one less step to worry about if you have a very active child!

I LOVED using all of the items I received from EcoFluff! The Bamboo Flannel Flat Diaper was so wonderfully soft and fleecy! What a treat for little man's tushy! The bamboo flats measure approximately 21"x30" and are made of 100% unbleached bamboo, so they  aren't a bleached "white-white" color, but are more of a soft ivory. They come pre-washed and I noticed that right out of the package they felt incredibly soft. Since they are already prepped, it is one less thing that you have to do when you are getting ready to use flats and that means that they are already super absorbent! Yay! It was so nice not to have to spend the extra time prepping the bamboo flats. I just washed them in the tub with the rest of my flats.

A close up of the bamboo flat

Bamboo is really an amazing material and the bamboo that EcoFluff uses is sustainably grown without pesticides or chemicals, so you can feel good about using these on your little one! I found the EcoFluff flats to be very easy to use with my Snappi and they were also perfect for doing a pad fold! Bamboo flannel is 3 times more absorbent than cotton, lightweight and it is very trim inside a diaper - this made it a perfect choice for nap-time and when we were going out for an afternoon! They were perfect to do a pad fold with and wrap up inside a diaperbag fold or another fold and they held up amazingly. We didn't have any leaks while we were using the EcoFluff flats!

Tucking the EcoFluff bamboo flat into a Flip diaper

A pad fold fits perfectly!

Washing the bamboo flats was super easy. They cleaned well and even though I thought I would have a stain from a particularly messy diaper...Nope! The stain washed right out!

My EcoFluff bamboo flat being washed in the tub

They also dried very quickly in the sun and the breeze when they were hung outside. They also dried well indoors when I washed at night and hung them on my drying rack indoors. One thing that impressed my was how soft they were after drying on my drying rack both inside and outside. They weren't stiff at all! 

So trim!

I also received 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes, which are made from the same material as the bamboo flats (100% bamboo flannel) and edged with 100% cotton thread. Which means they are just as soft and fleecy! The travel wipes measure approximately 7"x4" and are the perfect size for your diaper bag! Hubby loved these wipes - he loved how soft they were, their size, how easily you could pack them all because they are a single layer of fabric and how loved how easily they cleaned everything from a wet diaper to a messy diaper! At one point he asked me why didn't we have about 20 or more because they were so great to use!   

Perched in my diaper caddy next to my wipe solution! Definitely my favorite wipes to use during the Challenge!

The wipes washed up really well in the tub and I didn't have any staining on them. I loved how soft they were after coming in from being dried on our drying rack outside too! Since we couldn't use a dryer during the Challenge, they were the only wipes that weren't stiff as a board!

 

Size comparison - my hand next to an EcoFluff travel wipe.

The last item I received is the new Organic Vegan EcoButter in the .33 oz. Travel Size container. Naomi handcrafts this rash and skin cream using the healing power of aloe vera, shea, cocoa, and mango butters. The EcoButter is completely vegan, food grade, 83% organic and it is free of artificial preservatives. 

I absolutely loves using the EcoButter! It was fabulous for little man's skin and mine! I used it a handful of times on little man's tushy - usually after a messy diaper episode and by the next diaper change the redness would be gone! I also used it on my knuckles which would get so dry after hand-washing the diapers (remember I mentioned that I used cheap gloves and water kept getting in). It felt so soothing on my hands and really helped them to heal quickly. I also use the EcoButter on little man's face. He tends to get dry skin on his cheeks and around his mouth and I found that the EcoButter works wonders at soothing the area and reducing redness. I even used it on my chapped lips! (Don't worry, I use clean hands for each application and don't "double dip") It healed my chapped lips right up and it stays on really nicely.

A close up of EcoButter

A little goes a long with with EcoButter and I found that even though I used it on little man's diaper area during diaper changes without a liner, I had no issues when I went to wash the diapers. I had no trouble with staining from the EcoButter or repelling. It seemed like it washed right out! The travel size container was perfect to take with us when we were on the go too! I am a huge fan of EcoButter - it heals wonderfully, it is cloth diaper safe, it didn't cause repelling and feels so soothing! 

Everything that I received from EcoFluff was absolutely wonderful! I felt so lucky to have been able to try the flats, wipes and EcoButter on little man for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. I would definitely recommend Naomi's EcoFluff products to anyone!

Interested in buying some Ecofluff bamboo flats, travel wipes or some EcoButter to use on your little one? You can buy Ecofluff Bamboo Flannel Flat Diaper in a 3-pack for $24.00, a set of 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes is only $5.00 and the Organic Vegan EcoButter in the .33 oz. Travel Size is $5.00. There are plenty of other wonderful items that Naomi carries in her EcoFluff Etsy shop and you can take a look at them all HERE.

Special thanks to Naomi of EcoFluff for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! The items were sent to me free of charge for review and has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Thank you again to EcoFluff for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!