Fluff Love University Graduation Test!

Read the following post from a mama having wash routine issues, and then answer the questions below.

Susan B. from east Texas writes:
Help! I am suddenly having rash issues on my 5 month old! We have been in CD since coming home from the hospital and never had a rash until now. The diapers don’t smell when they come out of the dryer! My wash routine is wash on cold with 8 diapers and the water on super, then wash on hot with a hot rinse with Ecos detergent, then a cold wash with an extra rinse at the end. How can I heal his poor red tushy?

1. What is the most likely culprit of Susan’s baby’s rash?

   a. Acidic poo from teething
   b. Ammonia burns
   c. Detergent buildup
   d. Change in urine due to starting solids

2. Which of the following questions will be most useful in figuring out what caused the rash?

   a. Do the diapers smell when they are peed in?
   b. Do the diapers smell in the pail?
   c. How much detergent are you using?
   d. Have you stripped recently?

3. You ask if the mama knows her water quality, and she says she has no idea. What should you do next?

   a. Tell her to strip with Dawn since you aren’t sure of the water quality
   b. Tell her to only use distilled water in her washing machine until she can test
   c. Tell her to put a bit of bleach in a cup with water to see if it turns orange
   d. Assume she has hard water and direct her to the form to order a test strip to confirm

4. Susan decides she wants to strip her diapers. What should she strip with?

   a. Multiple hot washes in a row
   b. Rockin’ Green Funk Rock
   c. RLR or borax, Calgon, and washing soda
   d. Blue Dawn

5. After she strips the diapers, what should she do next?

   a. Sun them to disinfect
   b. Wash them 3-4 times to prevent repelling issues
   c. Do a HOT rinse and a long HOT wash with detergent
   d. Bleach the diapers to kill any bacteria present

6. Which of the following is NOT a problem with Susan’s wash routine?

   a. Her detergent choice
   b. The temperature she washes on
   c. Her load size and water level
   d. The number of cycles and rinses she uses

Read the following post from a mama with a smell problem, and then answer the questions below.

Caroline from Florida writes:
OMG my dipes stink!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plz help! I use bumgenious detergent bc I need my warranty I cant afford new dipes HELP! The whole house smells like POOP when there in the dryer!!!!!!

7. What is Caroline’s problem?

   a. Ammonia buildup
   b. Barnyard
   c. She has no problem if her baby isn’t having rashes
   d. Her grammar

8. What is the most likely cause of Caroline’s problem?

   a. Not spraying the diapers well enough
   b. Drying them in the dryer
   c. Using a small amount of a weak detergent
   d. Not stripping the diapers often enough

9. Caroline isn’t willing to switch detergents because of her warranty. How should you respond?

   a. “Fine, you clearly don’t want to be helped.”
   b. “You can use many detergents and keep your warranty. Here’s a list! Cotton Babies supports the use of mainstream detergents.”
   c. “I think it's sad that you care about your diapers more than your children.”
   d. “Since money is a concern, you can use up the BG detergent with 2 scoops in your prewash and 8 scoops in your main. Since that will run out fast, let's find you a cost effective solution for when you need to buy more.”

10. Caroline agrees to switch detergents, but is really worried about the cost. She has an HE machine. Which of the following detergents is cheapest?

    a. Tide, because you need very little
    b. Homemade
    c. Sun
    d. Foca

11. Caroline is worried about detergent buildup when she sees the recommended amounts are much higher than what she has been using. What should she do to prevent detergent buildup?

    a. Nothing, detergent doesn’t build up
    b. Use 1/4 of the recommended amount of detergent
    c. Strip frequently to prevent too much buildup
    d. Use extra rinses at the end of her wash routine

Read the following post from a mama who is concerned about her baby, and then answer the questions below.

Helene from Detroit writes:
Hello, I was hoping an admin could answer me. I don’t want any chemicals touching my baby’s butt! Therefore I only sanitize using Tea Tree Oil and only wash my diapers in a homemade mixture of washing soda, borax, and oxiclean. I don’t have any issues with my wash routine. My diapers don’t smell and my baby doesn’t have any rashes. I’ve been doing it this way for six years over three kids. I think they stay healthy because of our organic diet and because we never eat refined sugars, so my kids’ pee and poop is very clean already! Anyway, what I don’t understand is why this group’s recommendations are so different from all the other recommendations out there? Also, have you people SEEN the EWG on Tide? :-O

12. Caroline says she sanitizes using TTO. Why won't this work?

    a. She should use Grapefruit Seed Extract instead
    b. TTO is ineffective in hard water
    c. It would take so much TTO to sanitize that it would be cost prohibitive
    d. TTO does not have any sanitizing properties.

13. Which graphic is most appropriate for this post?

    a.
    b.
    c.
    d.

14. What should you recommend Helene do next?

    a. Read the files
    b. Leave the group
    c. Switch to a chemical-free detergent, and offer her several options
    d. Share her secrets with the group

15. What is the problem with Helene’s homemade “detergent”?

    a. She did not include a soap like Fels Naptha or Zote
    b. There are no surfactants, only boosters and water softeners
    c. It has no sanitizing properties
    d. All of the above

16. Why is her use of tea tree oil to sanitize her diapers a problem?

    a. There is conflicting research about whether essential oils should be used on children under 2
    b. She cannot possibly be using enough TTO to sanitize her diapers in the wash
    c. She should not have to regularly sanitize her diapers
    d. All of the above

Read the following post from a mama whose diapers aren’t getting clean, and then answer the questions below.

Ally from Colorado writes:
Hi! I am having a problem with my diapers getting clean! They are literally coming out of the wash with poop still on them! Here is my wash routine:
-15-20 diapers and inserts (FSTs), cloth wipes, 1-2 travel wetbags, and pail liner (inside mesh laundry bag)
-HE front loader
-Soft water – whole house softener and I tested, plus we feel slimy in the shower sometimes lol
-Our pH is high – can that affect things?
-Pre-wash on quick wash with line 1 of Tide (yes, the HE safe, I triple checked!)
-Fluff up the wet diapers and add extra laundry to 2/3-3/4 full
-Long, hot, heavy wash with line 3 of tide – I was using a full scoop but got a suds error
-I don’t add extra rinses, but the machine will automatically rinse until the suds are gone and it takes FOREEEEVVVEEEERRRRR
-Hang dry
Why is this happening to me? What am I doing wrong?

17. Ally’s problem is most likely agitation. How do you know this?

    a. Her washer is giving her a suds error
    b. She is doing everything right
    c. She is using Tide
    d. Her diapers still have poop on them

18. What could be causing Ally’s agitation problems?

    a. Load size
    b. Excessive suds
    c. Too much water
    d. Not enough water

19. What should Ally do to solve her agitation problems?

    a. Switch to Gain or Purex instead of Tide or add vinegar
    b. Add borax or Calgon
    c. Add a soaking wet towel
    d. Use less detergent

20. If someone else is reading the thread and asks about doing the same thing to solve her own agitation problems, what should you do?

    a. Congratulate the second person on finding a solution
    b. Ask the second person more detailed questions about their wash routine
    c. Ignore the second person
    d. Ask the second person to start their own thread so we can work with her in detail

Choose the best answer to the following questions.

21. Which of the following products should NEVER be added to the washer?

    a. Blue Dawn
    b. Bleach
    c. Salt
    d. Baking Soda

22. Which of the following boosters contains an enzyme?

    a. Oxiclean
    b. Clorox 2
    c. Washing Soda
    d. Biz

23. What is the correct ratio of bleach:water for sanitizing in a small vessel?

    a. 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water
    b. 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water
    c. 1 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water
    d. 2 tablespoons of bleach per 3 gallons of water

24. Which of the following products may be used as an alternative to bleach?

    a. 1 cup Borax and 4 cups hydrogen peroxide
    b. There is no alternative to bleach.
    c. Cascade
    d. Oxiclean

25. In what cases should a bleach alternative be used?

    a. Sensitivities and septic systems
    b. When you are worried about a diaper fading
    c. Hard water or to avoid chemicals
    d. Iron hard water and allergies