AppleCheeks FAQ
WARRANTYS, RETURNS AND EXCHANGES
Q: Can you please provide warranty information on your nappies?
A. Please note our warranty details:
• Snap Defects – 18 months
• Elastic Defects – 60 days
• Sewing/Workmanship Defects – 60 days
Please be advised that we cannot replace or refund diapers due to the following problems: repelling, shot elastic, staining, leaking or incorrect sizing. If you are having problems with the following, please see our Product Support page for troubleshooting and diagnostic.
Q: How do I get my AppleCheeks™ replaced if my problem falls within the limits of your warranty?
A. If you do experience a problem that falls within the limitations of our warranty, please contact AppleCheeks™ support using our contact page. All returns must be accompanied by an original sales receipt. Upon receipt of your request, we will contact you with information as to where to send your product. Products that are returned for repair must be clean and odour-free.
Q: What do I do if I am experiencing problems with my cloth diapers but the warranty period has elapsed or I have lost my proof of purchase?
A: If you are experiencing problems that fall within the limitations of our warranty and you have either lost your proof of purchase or the warranty period has expired, please contact us directly at info@applecheeks.com.
THE EVERYDAY STUFF
Q: Where can I buy AppleCheeks™?
A: You can buy AppleCheeks™ online and in-store. Please visit our AppleCheeks™ Retailers to find a retailer in your neck of the woods.
Q: What size AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Covers should I buy?
A. Our easy-to-use system consists of two sizes only, making sizing your baby a cinch! Our Size 1 diaper fits from approximately 7 - 20 lbs, and our Size 2 diaper fits from approximately 18 - 35lbs.
Q: How do I store my dirty diapers?
A: We recommend our AppleCheeks™ Storage Sacs for storage of your dirty diapers. We do not recommend a wet pail system as this can damage your diapers over time and lead to mould problems. See our care instructions for more infomation. AppleCheeks™ Storage Sacs are leak-proof, and, when sealed with the toggled drawstring, do an amazing job at keeping odours IN the bag! We recommend purchasing more than one Size 2 Storage Sac so that when one is in the wash there is another one for your dirty diapers. Our Size 1 Storage Sacs are the perfect size for day trips!
Q: Why does my baby's diaper leak at night?
A. Please keep in mind that your AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Diapering System uses no super absorbent polymers to keep your child dry, only natural fibres such as viscose from bamboo. While these fibres are incredibly absorbent, they do have their limitations! If you notice that your baby is waking up with a wet diaper, we recommend adding absorbency to your system by way of our AppleCheeks™ 3-Layer One-Size Bamboo Inserts and AppleCheeks™ One-Size Bamboo Boosters. Some very heavy wetters may need to be changed in the night.
Q: Is there a set amount of time between diaper changes?
A. No. But basically, you want to change your baby before she leaks! For some babies this may be as long as every 3 - 4 hours, and others may need more frequent changing. If your baby is consistently leaking after 3 or 4 hours, we recommend changing more often or else adding absorbency by way of our AppleCheeks™ One-Size Bamboo Boosters or our super-absorbant 3-Layer One Size Bamboo Inserts.
Q: I want to use washable diapers on a full-time basis. How many diapers should I buy?
A. This is a tricky question. It all depends on a) how often you want to wash, b) how long you want your diapers to last, and c) your budget. We always recommend that you buy more rather than less. Using the dry pail system (please download our PDF washing instructions for more info on storage systems), you can store your diapers as long as five days between washes, but obviously you will need enough diapers to get you through this period. Please see our chart detailing how many diapers you should buy based on the age of your baby and your desired washing frequency. Remember, the more diapers you have in your rotation, the less frequently they will need to be washed, and the longer they will last. This is an important consideration if you are planning more children and want to pass the diapers down.
For a chart of how many diapers you should purchase depending on your criteria, please click HERE.
Q: What about the poop...?
A. One of the biggest obstacles for parents is the poop, and we're very sympathetic to your plight! A strictly breastfed or formula-fed baby's poop is water soluble and does not need to be rinsed off prior to washing. Simply throw the soiled diaper in your AppleCheeks™ Storage Sac and your pre-rinse (see our downloadable washing instructions) will wash the poop away. Some mild staining might occur. If this happens and it bothers you, please see our recommendations for getting rid of stains.
Once your baby is on solid foods, the poop does need to be disposed of prior to washing. If it does not bother you, you can shake the solid bits off in the toilet and dunk and swish to get the rest off, and then pop the soiled diaper into your AppleCheeks™ Storage Sac. If it does bother you, a few companies offer a flushable diaper liner which catches the poop and can then be dumped directly into the toilet and flushed away. This is a life-saver for a lot of parents! If you would like to know where to buy such products, please contact us at info@applecheeks.com.
APPLECHEEKS™ CARE INSTRUCTIONS
If you did not receive our care instruction sheet with the purchase of your AppleCheeks™ product, please download it here.
Q: Should my AppleCheeks™ be washed before I put them on my baby?
A. Yes! Your AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Envelope Covers should be washed once and hung to dry. Your viscose from bamboo/cotton inserts or boosters should be washed THREE TIMES on hot and dried once. This will insure that all naturally occuring oils are removed from the fabric and that your inserts will shrink sufficiently to fit perfectly inside your AppleCheeks™ Envelope Covers.
Q: How do I wash my AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Diapering System?
A: For full instructions regarding the proper care of your AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Diapering System, please download the PDF care instructions HERE.
Q: Is it okay to wash my AppleCheeks™ products in hot water?
A. Yes, and in fact, for hygiene purposes we recommend washing your AppleCheeks™ products in hot water. Please remember, however, that in order to preserve your AppleCheeks™ Envelope Covers, we recommend hanging to dry.
Q: If I have a high efficiency front loading washer, are there any special steps I should be taking?
A. While HE washers represent some huge leaps forward in water conservation, they unfortunately make diaper washing a bit of a challenge. Not to worry, though! There are workarounds:
• First off, you don't have to use any special HE detergent. Just use 1/4 of the manufacturer-recommended amount of detergent. For best results with your diaper, we strongly suggest using cloth diaper compatible detergent such as Claudias Choices™, Nature Clean™, Allen's Naturally™, also suitable for HE washers. For more suggestions, please refer to this link:
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html
• If you have the option, please use your HEAVY DUTY OR EQUIVALENT setting as this will instruct the machine to use the maximum amount of water.
• If you have the option, set your machine to do an EXTRA RINSE. This will help remove any additional detergent and prevent residue.
• If you are consistently noticing that your diapers are coming out of the wash with an unpleasant odour, we recommend doing an additional wash every time with NO DETERGENT.
Q: Can I use diaper creams on my baby if she is wearing AppleCheeks™?
A. Sometimes the water-resistent substances in diaper creams that make them so effective as barrier creams can cause a buildup on your diapers and cause them to repel liquids. If you find this happening, we recommend stripping your diapers (please find stripping instructions HERE). This should do the trick. If it does not, please try washing your diapers using a bit of unscented/perfume-free dishwashing liquid, which is specially designed to breakdown oily residues.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Q: How can I get my diapers white again after they have been stained?
A. Staining is a byproduct of the purpose of your diapers and while they are esthetically undesirable, the general mantra is that if they smell clean, they are clean! However, we understand that some people do not want their babies sporting stained diapers, so here are our recommendations:
• The sun makes the best natural bleach! Simply hang your diapers in the sun for an hour or two and watch stains disappear. You should avoid placing your AppleCheeks™ diaper covers in direct, hot sun.
• Oxygen bleach products (do not use OxyClean as this is a harsh product that will eat away at your diaper's elastic) are gentle bleaching agents that effectively remove stains. Dissolve 1/4 cup of oxygen bleach in hot water in a bucket and soak your diapers for two hours, then wash and dry as normal.
Q: When used as an envelope cover, my AppleCheeks™ leak, even though the insert is hardly wet! Why does this happen and what do I do?
A. Leaking diapers with dry flats are generally as a result of repelling fleece, caused by detergent buildup. To remove the buildup, follow our stripping instructions. If your problem persists, please contact us using our diagnostic form and a trained customer representative will be happy to trouble shoot with you. If your diapers are leaking and your flat IS wet, please see the FAQ called Is there a set amount of time between diaper changes?
Q: My diapers smell poopy when my baby pees, even if she hasn't pooped. Why is this?
A. A poopy smell on your diapers is usually as a result of a combination of detergent buildup and urine. In order to rid your diapers of this buildup, please follow our stripping instructions.
Q: Why are my inserts lumpy and does this affect their efficiency?
A. AppleCheeks™ Viscose from Bamboo One-size inserts are made of 70% viscose from bamboo/30% organic cotton viscose from bamboo fleece. Due to the milling process, these fabrics will create lint during washing. Sometimes this lint will compact into balls in between the layers of the flat. This is an esthetic issue only and does not affect either the absorbancy of the product, nor your baby's comfort.
Q: Now, what the heck is stripping, and whyshould I do it?
A: The plain fact of the matter is that no matter how well you've followed our care instructions, detergent buildup can still occur and cause problems. Symptoms of detergent buildup include repelling diapers, stinky diapers, and diapers that just don't seem as absorbant as they once did, or diapers that are suddenly starting to leak. But never fear, all this can be fixed by stripping!
To strip, please follow our directions:
1. We recommend a phosphate-free detergent like Claudia's Choices™ that is designed not to leave residue, as well as Nature Clean™and Allen's Naturally™. You should be using a detergent like these for all your diaper washes.
2. Put all of your diapers through a hot wash with the recommended amount of chosen detergent.
3. Put all of your diapers through four more hot washes with no detergent.
4. Dry your diapers as per our instructions. We recommend hanging your AppleCheeks™ Envelope Covers to dry, but all inserts can be tumble-dried on medium or hot.