cloth diapers?

[becalubob]

Anyone use them?

 

[satorifound]

I used cloth diapers with my last two children. In fact I had a business selling mommy made cloth diapers. I thought they were cute. If you get All-in-ones it really isn't that much more difficult than disposables. The Mother-Ease brand is pretty awesome.

 

[punkin]

I did. For the youngest (12 years ago) I used mother-ease and generally found them to be just as easy as disposables. I also laundered them myself. I have a friend who used a diaper service and she was happy with them. Make sure you get enough so you are not doing laundry every day.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Our first is due in a few weeks and we have all the cloth diapers ready to go. As long as everything works as planned it should be a big money saver for us.

We calculated it out and everything we bought including 2 big wet bags, one small wet bag, covers, diapers, boosters and cloth wipes (yes we are doing the wipes thing too) came out to almost $600 even. We did our registry on Amazon so we could put all this stuff on it and we got some of it which helped (but the $600 total includes everything even what we didn't have to buy).

We calculated out based on what brand of disposable diaper we would have bought and it would have been over $2,000 to diaper one child start to finish (not including wipes). If these can hold up through the next kid too that's a tremendous savings!

I overbought a little, haha. I have Kissaluvs with covers for the newborn stage and then the Grovia live-it package, plus we bought extra Thirsties covers and Bummis whisper wraps with Bummis prefolds as back ups. We also bought a couple of newborn Rumparoos because they were just too cute. So you can spend less than we did for sure!

I can't give you any tips yet since our baby is on the way in a few weeks...but I can let you know later

 

[sunlover13]

I do not use them, but just wanted to let you know I see deals on them at times on totsy.com, zulily.com, and babysteals.com.

If you have time before you need them, you might want to check those websites daily. Just be prepared that totsy takes about 1 month to ship. I do not have any experience with zulily. Babysteals was fast shipping when I purchased something.

 

[bumbershoot]

We didn't really save any money, but that's not why we did it. We would use cloth again in a heartbeat!

Definitely get enough so you can go a couple/few days in between washings. But even if you don't get enough, with a new baby you're doing wash all the time anyway! At least I was. All those onesies....

We started with chinese prefolds and some kissluvs, and then branched out into pockets after he was here and growing and we could see what body type he had. I loved buying a few of this kind, a couple of that kind... By the end, which came all too soon (he started figuring out the potty at 1.5, and I did the final wash 'n fold 'n put away at 2.5 though HE hadn't really needed a dipe since he was around 2), I found Swaddlebees *side*-snapping diapers (vs the front snaps) and was in LOVE with them. DS had a long skinny body and nice solid sumo thighs, so the bikini style of the side-snappers worked WAY better for him than the fuzzibunz did. Bought 4, used 'em for a short time, and then he was done. Silly boy.

Anyway, I never found anything inconvenient about them.

 

[justbishop]

We have loved cloth diapering! Here are the high points of the novel I usually write when someone asks me about the subject:

1. Buy used (at least until you figure out what type/style/brand fits your baby best)

2. Buy 2 dozen GOOD quality prefolds, and a Snappi (http://www.little-lions.com). Even if you don't end up prefering them as diapers, you'll use them for loads of other stuff

3. Buy a variety. You might think that all-in-ones are where it's at, until the first time you wash them and have to put them through 5 dryer cycles to get them dry again. There are pros and cons to all types of CDs, and most of them won't become apparent until you're in the trenches, so to speak. Don't sink your entire budget into dozens of something that you may end up hating!

4. Come join us at http://www.clothdiapernation.com

 

[starann]

I do not CD, but have friends who do....if your only reason for doing so is to save money you may want to do some math to see if it will really save you money.

The start up costs are alot...if you plan on having more kids, it will reduce the 'overall cost' as you can divide it by 2 kids..

Also, take in to account that you will be doing laundry every night or every 2 nights so your water bill may go up (unless you have a well).

I can buy brand name huggies and pampers with GREAT deals, in fact my baby is 3 months old and I have yet to buy him diapers (I scored when amazon had their coupons in baby mags, sadly they stopped it). Also if you register at BRU and Target, they give you a goody bag that has coupons that you can use MFG coupons with as well. Target often has buy so many packs get a $5 GC, and you can use coupons on the diapers as well. I save all my Target GC I get from those deals and use them for Xmas shopping.

Like I said if you only reason for doing it is saving money, you may want to really run the numbers....if you decide to do it...good for you!

 

[satorifound]

I want to be quick to add... I didn't save money. LOL

Cloth diapering can sometimes become an addiction. It is fun to try all the different kinds and designs. It helped that I owned a WAHM cloth diaper business, I could trade, etc, but I still spent a bundle.

 

[GatorMama]

We've loved our CDs! There are SEVERAL websites/chatboard out there dedicated to talking about different kinds/types and I'd be happy to tell you some of my favorites if you private message me (the DIS frowns upon posting links to outside sites).

We started using prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers. They're sized so you can get a MUCH better fit than a one-size prefold. This is especially important on teeny tiny newborns. We had 24 newborn prefolds, 6 covers, 2 snappis, 3 kissaluv size 0, 2 bumgenius all-in-ones and 5 thirsties fab fitteds for the first few weeks. Turned out... we really only liked the prefolds. So we got 24 more in the next size up when he moved up at 6 weeks old. Then he wore the size small prefolds until around 4 months old when we bought 9 bumgenius 3.0 pockets and 12 medium prefolds and covers. We also tried a couple other diapers here and there but we still mostly use the medium prefolds and BGs. I could do with a couple more diapers.... maybe 3 toreally round out our stash, but we can get by.

We HAVE saved money. Part of why we've saved is that we were on a well for the first three months, so water cost was the same no matter what the usage was. We also would have been buying Seventh Generation or Nature Babycare diapers... which are more expensive than Pampers or Huggies and don't often have coupons or great sales for them. I have an excel sheet with the cost of all the items I've bought/sold and how many disposable diapers we'd have been through while that set of diapers was in use so I know exactly how much I saved. I didn't even factor in wipes (we use MOSTLY cloth wipes but keep disposable on hand for various messes we encounter) so I consider the money we'd have spent on wipes to cover our water.

Please let me know if you have any other questions! I LOVE to talk Cloth!

 

[cbg1027]

If you do go with cloth diapers, be prepared to buy a LOT of vinegar to use in the wash.

 

[nilseks]

I cd'd both of my boys. You've gotten some good advice so I will just add a few things...

First of all, I wouldn't really advise stocking up on enough diapers to take your child from newborn-toddler. You will find that you like certain brands, certain things might not fit your baby properly, etc. Buy enough to get you through the first stage of infancy and see how it goes.

I had a sealed soaking pail and enough CPF's that I only needed to do a load of laundry every 3rd day (except when they were infants and being changed hourly sometimes).

And yes, I saved a TON of money by cloth diapering. How did I do it? I didn't buy any of the super expensive CD's, I only bought what we needed and nothing super cute/fancy. I mostly used high quality chinese prefolds. I splurged for a few Fuzzi Bunz for nighttime--that was the only thing that would keep my heavy wetters dry through the night. I took good care of our diapers, kept them in good shape, and when I was done I sold them all on ebay and made back over half of what I paid for them.


After it was all said and done, subtracting they money I recouped by selling, I spent all of about $200 to diaper BOTH of my children. I don't understand how anyone can say you don't save money by cloth diapering.

 

[TRICKY_TINK]

I didn't see it posted so check out diaperswappers.com I clothed two boys and loved it so much I didn't want to sell them. After buying them using them then selling them I only spent $300 on diapers for two.

Tips
1. Buy gently used 1st.
2. Get prefolds, snappis and covers
3. Get a shower spray attachment to spray off poops into toilet.
4. Cut up fleece to use as a liner so your diapers don't get messy.
5. NEVER use diaper rash cream while in the cloth dipers.
6. Take lots of pictures.
7. Get totally addicted to buying wool pants and matching hats.

 

[justbishop]

Re: the issue of CDing saving money or not...I have not done the calculations, and also traded my web design services for a lot of the custom fitted diapers I have, but by shopping clearances (discontinued $12 sized Blueberry minky side snap diapers FTW!) and buying used, I am positive I've saved over buying brand name disposables. Not to mention the fact that I have not added nearly as much plastic waste to a landfill

And just because someone else mentioned it, please be wary of visiting diaperswappers.com. That site has been known to have ongoing issues with handing out computer viruses, and the site ownership tends to do a whole lot of nothing to solve the problem (except accuse those who complain about it of being simpleton housewives who don't know how to properly use their computers, from what I've heard).

 

[mistysue]

If it's only for one child, and only to save money, most people won't actually save money. Plus it takes time, effort and can be really really gross at times- so money often isn't enough to make you do it.

You might want to start out with just one and use it a few times before deciding. You can get a case of NB diapers from amazon for like $13 that will last you the first couple weeks.
I started CDing my 1st son at about 12 months- that went so well I bought newborn ones for my other son- I spent more on the cloth diapers that he has already outgrown than I've spent on the disposables we've used(almost double). He poops a lot and washing diapers to save them- especially when out- was totally not worth it!

 

[MrsPete]

I have to agree with those who say that cloth diapers won't really save money -- unless you're going to save those diapers to re-use on another baby in the future.

Even if you consider your time to be free, all the extra loads of wash (in hot water) aren't cheap. Consider, too, that you'll be washing more loads of regular clothes as well -- I had more leaks with cloth diapers than with disposables.

From a cost-only standpoint, you'll come out ahead (again, for a single child) by searching out the cheapest disposables. When my kids were in diapers, I knew a lady who had a little at-home business selling cases of second-quality diapers. The huge boxes contained a variety of brands, and they had minor problems like the printing being off-centered. A few were missing tapes, so I'd keep a bit of duct tape handy and used those only at night when the diaper was going to be under a onesie or a sleeper. They were cheaper than store-brand diapers or coupon-purchased diapers, and she delivered them right to my front door every couple Fridays. The biggest negative was that I had to buy such a large quantity at once, so I had to make space under the crib for them.

My SIL is currently diapering, and she's part of a diaper loyalty program. By using coupons and getting every 10th case for free, she's coming out pretty cheaply.

The environmental impact is a whole 'nother question, but I'd suggest that you find other ways of "going green": Eliminate bottled water, buy second-hand clothing, use non-disposable feminine supplies, etc. Those things save real money and are much easier to accomplish than cloth diapers.

 

[evandmp]

If you do go with cloth diapers, be prepared to buy a LOT of vinegar to use in the wash.

I never used vinegar

And just because someone else mentioned it, please be wary of visiting diaperswappers.com. That site has been known to have ongoing issues with handing out computer viruses, and the site ownership tends to do a whole lot of nothing to solve the problem (except accuse those who complain about it of being simpleton housewives who don't know how to properly use their computers, from what I've heard).

I agree.

I am not sure that I saved money since we liked all the extra soft fabrics (bamboo/ velour). My kids have sensitive skin though so I was saving money on butt paste and and doctors visits. It was also kind of fun and really easy. I would just put them in a bag and every other day I would do a pre-rinse cycle before I washed. I also found it helpful to use fleece liner. I would buy the fleece blankets from the dollar store and cut them into rectangles. The poo would just roll off the liner but if it was extra messy or she was sick, I would throw the liner away. As for the time statements, I really don't understand. It would only take me a minute to load the wash, another to load the drier, and maybe 5 to organize the dipes after. The washing machine and dryer do all the work!

 

[punkin]

I never used vinegar. I used a lot of Borax.

About saving money, I think I did save a ton with my oldest because I did not use expensive diapers. With the youngest, I saved less, but cost was not the major reason for me. My girls did much better in cloth. My little one had particularly sensitive skin and cloth seemed to cause no rashes (unlike the times she was in disposables).

Also, children in cloth seem to toilet train earlier so that would be a cost savings over disposables as well.

 

[justbishop]

Even if you consider your time to be free, all the extra loads of wash (in hot water) aren't cheap. Consider, too, that you'll be washing more loads of regular clothes as well -- I had more leaks with cloth diapers than with disposables.

I did not find the bolded to be true at all. In fact, once people find the brand/style/size CDs that fit their baby best, most people report FEWER leaks and blowouts with cloth. The other culprit of leaks in cloth (besides poor fit) is that those coming to CDing from sposies tend not to change diapers as often, and the CD gets overwhelmed. Sposies generally hold more wetness due to the gel beads being super absorbent, but I personally liked having the extra motivation of a possible leak to keep me on top of the diaper changing.

And I also wanted to mention that our pre-baby water bill ran about $125 every 3 months. For the time we've been CDing, it's gone up to about $135 for the same period, so less than $4/mo extra.

 

[christygobar]

If you do go with cloth diapers, be prepared to buy a LOT of vinegar to use in the wash.

I don't find this to be the case. I may use a tbsp in the fabric softener release on occasion, but I don't use it frequently.

I LOVE my CD's. My daughter is going to be 1 next week and I've been CDing her since she was 8 weeks old. I have used GroVia, prefolds, flats, Thirsties covers, Bottombumpers (my fave), Bummis Tot Bots, Softbums and some WAHM fitted diapers for nighttime.

I never have leaks, poo explosions, stinky or repelling diapers, etc. I never get chemical beads on my kid because the disposable busted. I absolutely love it.

I use All Small & Mighty to do the wash and the occasional Ecover fabric softener in my pre-wash (this is the only accepted fabric softener for cloth). As I said above, on a particularly stinky set of diapers, I may use vinegar in the fabric softener to help neutralize. I do a cold prewash (basically a rinse/spin cycle), a long hot wash, followed by 2 cold rinses. I dry everything in the dryer.

Would love to tell you more about my experiences. I don't know anyone IRL who also CD's, but it seems to be gaining in popularity