Tell me about cloth diapering....

[GinnyBear's_mom]

One of the common problems with cloth diapers that most CD'ing mommies have is detergent. Detergent can be very tricky- what you use for your clothes may ruin your diapers or cause them to "repel" liquid instead of absorbing it. You may also want to consider not using fabric softener sheets in your dryer anymore- the sheets can put an invisible coating on your dryer and that coating can damage your diapers. You definitly shouldn't use dryer sheets with your diapers (or most liquid fabric softeners unless they are all natural) becuase they may also cause the fabric to repel liquids. This is usually somthing that occurs over time not just after one cycle in the dryer. Also, don't use very high heat in the dryer as it can start to breakdown any PUL or elastic in the diapers. Many people that choose Bum Genius or other diapers with PUL line dry their diapers or you can do what I did which was to hang the diapers over baby hangers in the laundry room for a day or so.

here's a great chart for figuring out what types of detergent to use with your diapers http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm avoid detergents with enzymes, optical brighteners and essential oils.

I've used cloth diapers since DD was born and she will be 2 in July. We started with Bum Genius 3.0 but when DD was about 9 months old she started devloping exzema and a sudden allergic reaction to the suedecloth lining that they use on the inside of the diaper, apparently this is a fairly common allergy as I've seen many people selling their stashes for this reason. We also didn't like the velcro on the Bum Genius since after awhile it just doesn't stick well anymore. BG is supposedly getting ready to make the 3.0s with snaps, but so far the only thing they have available with snaps is their organic diaper. We also used Blueberry one size minky diapers with velcro for the first year. During the summer I prefer to have DD in a t-shirt and diaper (maybe some babylegs if it is a little breezy) and last year she was able to pull off her diapers that had velcro. We used prefolds for awhile (I love BG's new Flip covers!) For the past 9 months we have mainly used prefolds and Goodmamas which are a fitted diaper with snaps and we use wool or fleece covers (www.woollybottoms.com, http://hyenacart.com/wildchildwoolies). As others have mentioned check out the FSOT section of Diaperswappers to find great deals on second-hand diapers, another place to try is http://hyenacart.com/spots_corner

As for the stash size, some people get by with small stashes and I've seen others on DiaperSwappers with more diapers for their child than I have clothes in my closet for myself We currently have 18 daytime diapers and 3 nighttime diapers (Happy Hempies) and we do laundry every other day. Also, if you can afford it, definitley get the diaper sprayer!

Good luck!

 

[emh1129]

There is no laundry more lovely than folding a bunch of cloth dipes and putting them away.

That is so true I love seeing them all clean and stacked neatly.. and they smell so good when they've been hanging in the sunshine, too!

We actually just sold part of our stash now that youngest dd is starting to use the potty (and we are waiting a while before ttc#4).
It was really hard to part with them, actually.. but a brand-new mama bought them and already e-mailed me to say how much they were loving them, so that helped a bit

And they really have great resale value!

very cute to have those fluffy behinds waddling around your house!

Oh my goodness, isn't that the truth? I love those little fluffy tooshies. We had so many adorable dipes.
I need to stop reading now.. and keep repeating to myself that 'we are not ready to have another baby yet, we are not ready to have another baby yet.."

 

[sweetsusannah]

We cloth diapered DD using Bumgenius One Size. Loved them too. Charlie's Soap was the best detergent I found, it's pretty cheap, lasts forever, and it's "green". Never had to deal with diaper rash and she potty trained right before 2 because she learned to feel when she went and helped her understand her own body signals.

 

[DVCmom1960]

According to diaperdecisions.com a baby using cloth diapers ONLY will spend about $380.00 by the time he/she is potty trained as opposed to $2,570.00 for disposable. This is if the child is potty trained by two. (didn't quite make that at hour house)

 

[seashoreCM]

I suggest (1) Scraping off solid matter into a (waterproof) trash container much as you might scrape off the plates before putting them in the dishwasher, (2) using the quantity of detergent that goes with "heavily soiled" loads, and (3) sanitizing the washing machine by running an empty cycle with bleach after washing the diapers. (You could put the bleach in for the diapers' rinse portion of the cycle and then crank the dial around for another half cycle with the diapers to repeat the rinse.)

If you put some food coloring or some washable ink in the middle of a diaper and and the color is visible on items after the wash cycle, then you can conclude that the diapers were not gotten that clean.

 

[Rachie0507]

I suggest (1) Scraping off solid matter into a (waterproof) trash container much as you might scrape off the plates before putting them in the dishwasher, (2) using the quantity of detergent that goes with "heavily soiled" loads, and (3) sanitizing the washing machine by running an empty cycle with bleach after washing the diapers. (You could put the bleach in for the diapers' rinse portion of the cycle and then crank the dial around for another half cycle with the diapers to repeat the rinse.)

If you put some food coloring or some washable ink in the middle of a diaper and and the color is visible on items after the wash cycle, then you can conclude that the diapers were not gotten that clean.

My cleaning process is just about the exact opposite! I've created my wash routine based on tips from several different websites. Do you find this method works well? It goes against many recommendations!

I put any solid waste into the toilet (where all solids should go, even with disposables). If anything sticks, I just dip it in the water and splash it around (not a pleasant process, but it is quick and easy). I do my first washer cycle without detergent to rinse the diapers out. Then I do a HOT cycle with a VERY small amount of basic detergent with no additives, brighteners, etc (I use biokleen) and 1/2 cup of white vinegar. I run another quick cycle after to make sure all the detergent has been rinsed out. Bleach is generally not recommended for cloth diapers. I have never had a problem with staining or stinkiness. I line dry as much as possible.

 

[ZeroMyHero]

I'm excited to go back to CDing. I CD'ed with YDD until she was about 2 mos and outgrew her fitted Kissaluvs, and her acid reflux started to get so out of control I went back to sposies just to keep my sanity. I'm hoping she'll outgrow it soon so we can CD most of the time. I will still use sposies at night as most CD moms have problems with nighttime dryness issues or detergent issues.

Be careful stocking up on one kind of diaper. You might like the idea of a pocket or a one-size and find out later that you hate them or they don't work for your baby. Some cloth diaper sellers offer trial packs of different types of diapers so you can see what works best for you and your baby. Or, as others have mentioned, you can buy second-hand from websites like Diaperswappers, Diaper Pin, or My Used Diapers. The first two websites I mentioned, especially the Pin, offer a wealth of information to new CD moms. Congrats on your little one!

 

[TSRE]

nickisdiapers.com offers a 15 day exchange program - you can use and wash any of their diapers, and if you don't like them, exchange them for different ones within 15 days. This is what I am going to do with our 3rd due in November - it just means I have to be disciplined and not order all of those diapers ahead of time! I am going to use sposies for the newborn stage with this one, as this will be our last and I don't want to spend the money on newborn diapers that won't get used again - and this one was a surprise - we had gotten rid of everything!

By the way, I did my own cost comparison recently between disposables for 2 years and gdiapers using homemade cloth inserts - it came out to be less than 1/2 the cost, including a high estimate of washing costs and a low estimate for the disposables. So worth it!

 

[Ariel8676]

I suggest (1) Scraping off solid matter into a (waterproof) trash container much as you might scrape off the plates before putting them in the dishwasher, (2) using the quantity of detergent that goes with "heavily soiled" loads, and (3) sanitizing the washing machine by running an empty cycle with bleach after washing the diapers. (You could put the bleach in for the diapers' rinse portion of the cycle and then crank the dial around for another half cycle with the diapers to repeat the rinse.)

If you put some food coloring or some washable ink in the middle of a diaper and and the color is visible on items after the wash cycle, then you can conclude that the diapers were not gotten that clean.

OK all poop needs to go in the toilet..like a PP said you are actually supposed to do the same with disposibles..it is human waste. As far as detergent goes..i normally use like 1/4-1/2 of what is recommended on the package. Some swear by regular Tide or All free and clear others use specialty detergents. I do a cold quick wash with no detergent, a hot wash and extra rinse..line dry or throw in dryer.. I do not use bleach..maybe a cap full every once ina while if they need a extra clean. Also only diaper rash creams that are safe for CDing can be used.

 

[Gwendolyn]

I've used Happy Heiny's since DH was a few weeks old. ...

Your DH would have loved them ofcoure. But what about your kid?

 

[JenetixK]

Your DH would have loved them ofcoure. But what about your kid?

HAHA! Good catch. DH didn't mind using them, but he certainly wasn't wearing them. I must have been tired while typing that one.

 

[Gwendolyn]

That line would be something for the Tag fairy

 

[JenniJ]

I can't rave more about cloth! LOVE them! I laso feel it helps with helping the child learn to us the potty. (My DS just turned 2 and a half and has been potty learned since 27 months!) The child actually feels when they are wet. Where as sposies wicks the wettness away from the skin. Sometimes I think that could be bad: wicking the wettness away... My DS delevoped quite a rash whenever we used sposies. I really think it was from all the gell and how it wicks away the wettness or maybe he was just sensitive to the gell.
Aways, a good site to learn more is diaperswappers.com
There is even site that you can buy starter kits. Jillian's drawers is one. That is where I got mine. If you don't like cloth you can return them within the set time frame!


Oh and if you do deside to go cloth get a nice wet bag. I have one that hangs on the back of the door. I still use it for when my DS has an accident. They come is such cute patterns!

Good luck! And don't let anyone tell you there is only one way, all cloth or no cloth! There are some real die hard cloth fans out there..... It really is up to the individual.

 

[pixiedustmomma]

You all have me really thinking about doing CD this time around. I am due in Sept and hoping to have my daughter (3 in Aug) potty trained by then. I would love to save money on buy diapers and go with CD but I am afraid that I won't wash them properly. I already know that poop goes in the toilet. My mom ran a day care in our home for 13 years so I learned that early on. I am going to reread through all the comments and check out the websites. Hopefully DH will go along with the idea too!!! Thank you!

 

[tessa67]

I am sure you have gotten all the info you need but I am another CDing mama. Well, DD is just in diapers at night and naps now, she is in Minkies (cloth pullups) during the day.

I started CD at about 6 months with Medium Happy Heinys and she is still using the same ones, although a few are pretty used up. Not bad though, for near daily washing for about 27 months. I usually hung to dry.

I used Charlies detergent with no problems. If they seemed smelly it was usually too much soap left in them, a few washes with no soap and they were as good as new.

Nothing is more peaceful than folding/stuffing diapers in the evening and putting that neat stack away in your babe's room.

And I love the sight of diapers blowing on a clothes line.

Simplicity.