If you're planning to conceive, hapai (currently pregnant), a new mom, or a regular mom looking for more sustainable sh*t that actually works LOL, listen up! Im proud of my part-time cloth diapering program and never thought I would be able to successfully do cloth diapering. With my first child, I lasted 3 weeks at best and the entire process was a total mess. Although I was a first time mom, I truly have never found a diaper that compelled me enough to give cloth diapering a second chance. Until one day I stumbled upon a promising Kickstarter campaign marketing the launch of one effing interesting diaper. It was sleek in design, made of biodegradable materials, founded by moms, non-toxic, and the cleaning instructions almost pulled my finger to the keyboard to press 'fund'. Backing this diaper company was the best decision I have made in my quest as a wellness mommy thus far.
SUMO is the diaper reimagined. I committed to a part-time program and about a year after I helped fund this company's launch, my SUMO set came in the mail. It's been 6 months of our part-time SUMO program and we have successfully kept 3 diapers a day, or 90-100 diapers a month out of the landfill.
Living on an island has really put into perspective my waste wellness and our use of one-time use diapers is my biggest irk. It makes my skin crawl knowing I am contributing to diaper trash on an island that will run out of landfill space within the next 10 years. I believe in letting a lot go as a mom for the sake of mental health, but I knew I could set my bar low and commit to a new wellness mommy habit with the right tools.
SUMO is a German diaper company founded by mothers who care about non-toxic baby wellness, the planet, and sustainable fiber engineering that recreates the wheel! I trust a company that spends time on their design, quality, and marketing. As someone who is design-forward it makes me feel like I've never left my comfort zone and builds instant trust. When we finally received our part-time program, I knew I wanted to partner with this company and share their product with my mom friends. (SUMO is offering you all 10% off using code LIZ10)
The outer part of the diaper is made of Lyocell, which is a sustainable, biodegradable, and naturally breathable fiber made from European copper beech. It's incredibly breathable which lends itself hella' antibacterial power. Lyocell absorbs 50x more than cotton (ding ding ding here's why it works better than other cloth diapers out there!) and the outer diaper is a blend of Lyocell and organic cotton. The result is a smooth, cozy fitting diaper. My favorite part about the outer diaper is that it snaps AND ties to close, making it virtually impossible for a SmartBaby to take it off and accident on the floor. The outer can be used up to 3x before needing to swap.
The inner is made of two parts: the inner pan coated with a thin layer of PU membrane to make it waterproof and a pharmaceutical-grade zinc-coated lyocell to ward off odor and keep things breathable and flow (hello) to offset eczema and rashes.
The UFO liner is my favorite part. It's sooo soft and the capillary channels of the cellulose fiber fleece material makes it's uber absorbent and lets the liquid easily distribute. The second layer of the liner is "a hollow fiber that traps liquid not only in the interstices but also inside the fiber, resulting in an effective level of absorption and excellent retention." Count me in, lol. Change the UFO liner every 3-5 hours.
Other parts included in the SUMO diapering system are the wet bag and the Dreamliner. The wet bag is where you throw all of your dirty diapers and be amazed when the odor doesn't escape a smidgen. I usually fill up my bag until there's one diaper left and then throw in the wash while Silver is still wearing the last diaper, then I'll use the diaper she has on to start the filling of the bag when it's finished washing. The Dreamliner isn't required, but I highly recommend because it makes poop so easy to clean. It just slides right off into the toilet :). I used the Dreamliners up to 10x! They can be washed and reused over and over. Earth loves us.
WASHING THE DIAPER
The skinny: Open the wet bag top part and just throw the whole thing into the washer. When you wash the diapers they will shake out on their own and wash. Lay flat to dry. Don't use bleach. Use hot water.
So lucky (and unlucky) for us, we don't have a dryer at our house and rely on the sun to air dry our laundry. The suggestion from SUMO is to wash on normal, using powder detergent to really agitate the diaper and it's parts, and then lay flat to dry. Of course, the more heat and pressure applied to the diaper and it's biodegradable nature lends it more fragile than the average t-shirt. To keep the technology working , I highly suggest following laundry care instructions.
We use the SUMO diapering program part-time and then use a bamboo diaper or Coterie the rest of the time. I really don't believe in compromising on diaper quality because of the proximity to major organs.
Dive headfirst into your wellness mommy era and consider giving the SUMO system a try! It's completely empowered me as a mom to be more sustainable in ways I didn't think were possible before. It feels good.
Thanks SUMO for being a partner of LAKA and offering our customers 10% off their diaper purchase using code LIZ10.