WARRANTIES, RETURNS AND EXCHANGES

Q: Can you please provide warranty information on your diapers?
Q: How do I get my AppleCheeks™ replaced if my problem falls within the limits of your warranty?
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?

THE EVERYDAY STUFF

Q: What size AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Covers should I buy?
Q: How do I store my dirty cloth diapers?
Q: Why does my baby's diaper leak at night?
Q: Is there a set amount of time between diaper changes?
Q: I want to use washable diapers on a full-time basis. How many diapers should I buy?
Q: What about the poop...?

APPLECHEEKS™ CARE INSTRUCTIONS
If you did not receive the 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?
Q: How do I wash my AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Diapering System?
Q: Is it okay to wash my AppleCheeks™ cloth products in hot water?
Q: If I have a high efficiency front loading washer, are there any special steps I should be taking?
Q: Can I use diaper creams on my baby if she is wearing AppleCheeks™ cloth diapers?

TROUBLESHOOTING

Q: How can I get my diapers white again after they have been stained?
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?
Q: My diapers smell poopy when my baby pees, even if she hasn't pooped. Why is this?
Q: Why are my inserts lumpy and does this affect their efficiency?
Q: Now, what the heck is stripping, and why should I do it?

WARRANTIES, RETURNS AND EXCHANGES

Q: Can you please provide warranty information on your diapers?
A. Please note AppleCheeks™ 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.

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 your warranty, please contact AppleCheeks™ Support at 1-877-827-7538 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 AppleCheeks™ directly at info@applecheeks.ca.

THE EVERYDAY STUFF

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 - 22lbs, 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 mold problems. See our Care Instructions for more information. 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 fibers such as hemp and bamboo. While these fibers 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 Hemp Inserts and AppleCheeks™ One-Size Hemp 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 Hemp Boosters or our super-absorbent 3-Layer One Size Hemp 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 the AppleCheeks™ 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 the AppleCheeks™ chart below 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.

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 AppleCheeks™ at info@applecheeks.ca.

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 hemp/cotton or bamboo/cotton inserts or boosters should be washed THREE TIMES on hot and dried once. This will insure that all naturally occurring 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.

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 Claudia's Choices™, also suitable for HE washers.
• 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-resistant 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 a result of repelling fleece, caused by detergent buildup. To remove the buildup, follow our stripping instructions. If your problem persists, please contact AppleCheeks™ at 1-877-827-7538 and a trained customer representative will be happy to troubleshoot 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 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™ Hemp One-size Inserts are made of 55% hemp/45% cotton French terry. AppleCheeks™ Bamboo One-size Inserts are made of 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton 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 absorbency of the product, nor your baby's comfort.

Q: Now, what the heck is stripping, and why should 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 absorbent 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. You should be using a detergent like this for all your diaper washes.
2. Put all of your diapers through a hot wash with the recommended amount of Claudia's Choices™ 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.