There are so many things to think about when you broach the topic of cloth diapering. There are so many different types, brands, and methods it quickly becomes overwhelming and daunting. This can be a deterrent to for many and leads many to say “I quit” before they ever begin. One of the most important things to remember when you determine if cloth diapering is for you is that it is a learning process. No one walks into cloth diapering knowing it all or quite ready to begin. You just have to take a leap and get started. I have been asked to share what I know about cloth diapering so I am going to share some of what I know and my favorite ways to cloth diaper.
First, let’s begin with why I choose to cloth diaper. In the beginning it was because it was environmentally friendly. I wanted to lower my impact. When you use cloth diapers and cloth wipes there is nothing to throw away, everything is washed and reused. Now, however, my primary reason for choosing this path is money. In the beginning we used ended up using disposables and after a few months we spent almost as much as we have spent on our entire cloth diaper stash, which we have been using for about five months (our daughter is 7 and a half months currently). There are lots of calculations to tell you how much you will be saving, but there are so many factors that I’m not getting into that now. One of the unexpected bonuses that I have found to cloth diapers is the unbelievable assortment of cute adorable prints (aka fluff). This is the main reason it becomes addictive)!!!
Let’s talk about options:
Velcro vs. Snaps
I choose snaps as my favorite although we have both. Velcro is nice when people not use to cloth diapers are watching her. It’s super easy you just Velcro it on like you would a disposable. So if it’s so easy why do I prefer snaps? Velcro becomes gross after a while. It gets build up and sticks to everything. It does not matter that I make sure the Velcro is closed when I put in the wash it always ends up stuck to something. Snaps are not difficult after a few times of changing a diaper. There are several different ways snaps are placed on the diaper and I have never had a problem with snapping the diaper to get a close fit on our little chunky thighed, skinny waisted girlie.
Brands
There are countless brands and this would be impossibly long to list and discuss only the few brands that I own. Brands can range in a variety of prices, styles, fabrics, ect. I have some expensive brand diapers and some cheap brands diapers. The brand I thought I would love while I was pregnant is not the brand I love when I use them on my baby. My favorite brand currently is Sunbaby diapers. Buying them through co-ops, I have bought these for $4.30 for one diaper and one insert. Why are they my favorite? I find that they are pretty much the same quality as the more expensive diapers I own and they are cuter because of the prints and so so so much cheaper. I also like the variety of prints they have available. Many people like the plain diapers but I feel that if you are going to use cloth why not get the full benefit of seeing varied prints on the cute little covered bums.
Prefolds
If you want to go super cheap you can buy flour sack cloths from the kitchen section at Wal-mart or Target for a dollar each, a snappy, and some covers. This way is super cheap and not difficult. While I have some of these and have used them they are not my go to diaper selection. A benefit of these is that it’s cheap. It is light weight and washes and dries super fast. If poop doesn’t get on the cover you can use it over and over. These are the same concept as prefolds which are still inexpensive but not as cheap as the flour sacks. I do not have any prefolds that currently fit our girlie so I have little experience using just prefolds and covers.
Pockets
I use mostly pocket diapers. This is basically what it sounds like. The diapers come in pieces. There is a shell diaper with an outer and inner part and a pocket in the back to stuff the diaper with an insert. I use the micro fiber insert that comes with most the diapers. The main reason I like these diapers is because you can pull them apart for quicker washing and drying times. Another benefit is that you can add or take away inserts depending on your child’s needs. For example: During the day we use one insert for the girl, while at night we use two so that we don’t have to change her before we wake up in the morning. Stuffing just becomes part of your wash routine, like folding your clothes.
Hybrids
Hybrid diapers often have a cover that is reusable and an insert that can be flushed. Some of these have reusable inserts. I have a few different types of these and while some people love them I am not a huge fan. A very popular brand of these are gdiapers. They come in sizes S, M, and L.
Fitteds
Fitted diapers are diapers that fit on the baby and fasten but still need a cover to keep it from leaking moisture.
AIO
This stands for a diaper that is the diaper and cover together.
I like simple diapers that involve putting on one diaper and being done. I don’t really like having to worry about putting on a cover or explaining how to fold the diaper, use a snappy, what diaper goes with what type of cover, ect. My husband doesn’t understand every diaper that we own, nor do the people who keep the girl. I like easy and easy to explain.
There are also diapers that need to have a cover over them. These do not include a layer of PUL, or the outer waterproof fabric layer.
Inserts
There are many different types of inserts. I mostly use micro fiber inserts that come with the diapers but many people like to use folded up newborn size prefolds. There are also cotton or hemp inserts. Some people make their own inserts out of old t-shirts or sweatshirts.
Accessories
There are many accessories that can go along with cloth diapering. While some of these are not a necessity to have they can make cloth diapering easier.
A diaper sprayer- I currently do not have one of these but contemplate buying one every day. They attach to your toilet for easy spraying the diaper messes into the toilet.
Diaper liners- I use these quite often. There are many brands and different types. They lay between your baby and the diaper for easy clean-up. There are disposables which can be dumped in the toilet and flushed and reusable which are easily cleaned off into the toilet. I have used both types and they are nice to have.
Wet bags (on the go)- I bought a very cheap one from alva baby and have been impressed. The one I have in a dry/wet bag. It has two zippered compartments and the entire bag is waterproof. The smaller compartment houses the clean unused diapers and the large compartment is for the dirty diapers. This one is a small bag that holds about 4 clean diapers and 4 dirty diapers. I have only one bag but I wish I had another.
Pail liners- These are reusable bags that go in the diaper pail. I do not have one of these and currently use a trash bag. When I buy one I would like to have two- to rotate between washing and using.
Diaper pail- You need a place to store all your dirty diapers. I use a 13 gallon trash can. I store it in my bathroom next to the toilet.
Wipes- When we started using cloth diapers I still used disposable wipes. This didn't last very long. We quickly switched to using cloth wipes. It just seemed crazy to me to have to sort through the diaper trash to throw some away in the trash and put some in the diaper pail when I could just throw them all in the pail. What do we use? Currently, we mostly use baby wash clothes and a few homemade wipes. There are, however, many different options. Some people buy them from the store, you can buy some from wahms, or you can make your own. Making your own can be super easy- some people just cut up old t-shirts!
Diaper rash cream- These are not all created equal and are not all intended for use with cloth diapers. You have to make sure that you can use the cream with cloth diapers to avoid build up that will ruin your diapers. I use Method, but there are lots of different brands that can be used out there, including MamaLove and California Baby.
Washing
Everyone has their own washing routine and preferences. There are also many different opinions about what type of detergent to use and how many rinses to do. This, also, depends on the type of water you have in your area.
My wash routine is pretty simple. I wash about every other day. I do a cold rinse with no detergent, a hot wash with detergent, and a cold rinse with about a half cup of white vinegar.
Choosing a detergent is also a daunting decision. I have used all free and clear and homemade detergent. I’m currently using Crunchy Clean, I ordered from a co-op. If you have hard water in your area you will want to make sure that you order hard water detergent.
Cloth diapers often get build up, esp in areas with hard water. You will need to strip your diapers every so often. This is done by using dawn original blue dish detergent and washing the diapers, rinsing until all suds residue is out of the diapers. There are many other ways to strip diapers and can be found on the internet.
Some people throw their diapers in the dryer, but I prefer to hang them to dry. I have a rack that I hang them on and rotate them out.
Storage
It is important to think about where and how you will store your diapers. This is maybe the hardest part for me and I am often changing how I store my diapers. Currently, I have my diapers in a basket next to the changing station and the wipes in a disposable wipes container on the changing pad. This is a personal decision like most of cloth diapering and depends on your space and preferences.
What I wish I'd known
Before I was even pregnant I knew that I was going to use cloth diapers. I read tons and tons of blogs, forums, and info. I didn't know anyone personally who cloth diapered so I couldn't talk to any "new" moms who had experience. My parents and grandparents had cloth diapered but today's cloth diapering is so different from that of their generations that they couldn't really understand or advise when I showed the newer types of diapers. So, this being said, there were lots of questions I didn't know I even had when I began diapering. A lot of these questions could have been answered if I had gotten to know people in my area who used cloth diapers. People who cloth diaper love to talk about diapers! I was surprised to learn how many people in my area use them. I met most of the people I know when I started attending Le Lache meetings.
One important thing is to not completely stock up on one type of diaper- you may hate it or love it. Keep an open mind when trying new diapers, some people love wahm brands, some people love name brands. One size diapers are not truly "one size." The girl didn't fit into her diapers for a couple months. If I had know this I would have invested in a different system for the beginning. This all being said, what does a good sized stash look like? In my personal stash I have 31 diapers. I just bought 8 more that haven't arrived yet. But with my 31 diapers I have some that I very rarely, if ever, use. I don't use them because they just aren't my favorite ones and I have enough to rotate without using them. Why then did I order 8 more? Honestly, it was a want not a need. I just wanted to have a few more in my rotation to spread out the wear and tear. My diapers I have been using for months still look and work like they are brand new, but I plan on using these diapers for the next 2 years. Eventually using them several times a week will take it's toll and I thought it would be a good idea to have a few more. Another reason I order them was because there were some super cute prints and I wanted to add them to what we had- like I titled this post- they are addicting!
Don't be intimidated. You don't have to start cloth diapering and never use disposables. You CAN work your way up. Start by collecting a few at a time. Buy used so that you get a feeling for diapering without spending a lot of money. If you don't like the idea of using used diapers- join co-ops, you can get diapers, detergent, and accessories for a much lower price.
