Cloth diapering
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BrainOnAStick
Posts: 126 Member
Cloth diapering has been mentioned several times in another discussion. I thought it may deserve its own thread.
For us, the greatest enticements of cloth diapering were cost and environmental impact. This may make you say "double ew": our cloth diapers are second-hand organic cotton/hemp from my best friend. She probably gave us around $600 in diapers that can be used until our son is potty trained. So, free diapers? Yes, please! We're also modern-day tree-hugging hippies that recycle and compost anything we can. Using cloth diapers is a logical fit. (Note: I've never investigated the cost breakdown regarding water and soap use for cloth diapering versus the cost of disposables. However, the fact alone that my upfront costs were zero, I could not pass it up!)
Right now, we're stocked up on Babee Greens Growing Greens One-Size Diapers (http://babeegreens.com/p/organic-cloth-diaper/). I am hoping they work well for us!
Anyone else out here cloth diapering? Why did or didn't you decide to do this?
What made you decide to go with cloth diapers? I have thought about it and to be perfectly honest with you, my biggest hold back on that is just - ew! lol
For us, the greatest enticements of cloth diapering were cost and environmental impact. This may make you say "double ew": our cloth diapers are second-hand organic cotton/hemp from my best friend. She probably gave us around $600 in diapers that can be used until our son is potty trained. So, free diapers? Yes, please! We're also modern-day tree-hugging hippies that recycle and compost anything we can. Using cloth diapers is a logical fit. (Note: I've never investigated the cost breakdown regarding water and soap use for cloth diapering versus the cost of disposables. However, the fact alone that my upfront costs were zero, I could not pass it up!)
Right now, we're stocked up on Babee Greens Growing Greens One-Size Diapers (http://babeegreens.com/p/organic-cloth-diaper/). I am hoping they work well for us!
Anyone else out here cloth diapering? Why did or didn't you decide to do this?
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We're cloth diapering here and so far so good! We use gDiapers and they're fabulous. We opt to use this paper liner thingy on top so it captures all the solid waste and it just gets flicked into the garbage or toilet. It cost about $400 to stock her diaper supplies from birth to about 36 lbs., we've yet to have a blowout, it's good for the environment, and they're cute as can be! Yes, there is more laundry--I do 2 diaper loads a week. We have regular disposables for travel, back-up stock in the diaper bag, and for babysitters and even the babysitters have gotten to the point where they prefer the cloth now! As my husband put it--one way or the other, you're dealing with poop, might as well spare the landfills while you're at it!
We've also read that cloth diapered babies tend to potty train quicker since they actually feel wet--rather than having everything wicked away. That's a bonus! My friends daughter is **almost** trained at 14 months. She uses diapers overnight (still in a crib) and when they're away from home for more than a few hours, but other than that, she's done!
Brain--Free diapers, I'd be all over that too! If it doesn't work then you can experiment with other brands, but I'd certainly try free first as well! We get a water bill every 3 months here, and it went up by about $25 during that period so $100 a year, maybe? And I use a little borax and the same dye-free, scent-free detergent we use for everything else so that cost is negligible. I'm looking forward to summer so I can dry the liners in the sun, that's supposedly best for odor and color control. I hope you find it to be "no big deal" as we did.0 -
We cloth diaper, but occasionally do disposables. I have two in diapers and can't even think about what the cost would be! I have been doing it for 2 1/2 years so I've amassed a few different styles and just finally bought some Charlie's soap, which is working great on them. I try to use a liner for solids but it's hit or miss. My 2 year old goes every two days so it's definitely gross.. although he's potty training and I've only had one BM in a diaper this week.
I bought half of my stash custom made from meggwyn (my cousin/best friend and a member here). I'm sure she'll chime in with her thoughts!0 -
We will be cloth diapering. Baby is due next week. I will probably wait a week or so before starting, just to get settled in and let his circumcision heel. The reason we are choosing cloth is because of cost and I would love to have him potty trained earlier than my oldest (he just got trained at 3yo).
I registered for mine and got most of them new as baby shower gifts. I may need to purchase a couple more after he gets here. Everything I have read from others seems like they really have had very positive experiences with cloth0 -
I am planning to cloth diaper this time around. I am not extremely knowledgeable about it yet, but I have been reading a lot. I have picked up a few diapers of various brands and am going to experiment to find out which works best.0
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Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)0
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Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)
My plan is to machine wash in hot water. Any solids get sprayed out immediately using a hose attached to the toilet and then the diaper gets hampered. (You can also just dunk and swish the diaper around in the pot.) We have about 20 diapers and will likely do one load a day for now. I suspect that we may acquire a few more diapers over time that will allow us to do every-other-day washes. The diapers we have are $20 a piece and doublers (used for extra absorbency) are also $20 each. That's $800 total.0 -
Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)
We have a hamper with a snap-on lid and a wet bag liner in her bedroom. Everything (except the solids and the paper liner, which go in a garbage can with a snap-on lid) go in there. Then the wet bag and all the contents get washed every 3ish days. In her current size--which she'll probably be in the longest--we have 10 outer diaper shells which we wash maybe once a week. We have about 20ish hemp/microfiber pads (we double up and use 2 at night) which get washed after each use. We go thru about 6-7 cloth pads a day. It all goes in the wash on warm--sometimes hot but generally warm--and the pads go in the dryer on hot with a bath towel (otherwise they tend to "stick" to the drum of the dryer) until they're almost dry. Then I toss in the outer part as well and finish them off on low.
The diaper outers--the pretty part--cost about $12-$15 each since we normally stock up during sales. The cloth pads--again, purchased during sales--run about $3-$4 each. They cloth pads only come in 2 sizes so she's been in the M/L/XL size since she was about 3 months old. The newborn ones were basically free when we bought a started kit that had newborn and size small stuff.0 -
Cloth diapering is one of my favorite subjects to talk about!!! LOL Seriously, I love it so much that I started making diapers for my second child and ended up started a sewing business! If you're curious, https://www.facebook.com/SowMuchLove.
It sounds like a lot of people already cloth diaper, for I'd love to break it down for those who are newbies!
Also, in most communities, you can find a local buy/sell/trade board for cloth diapers and baby items. Do a search to find one in your area and you can usually get some great deals! The cost of cloth diapering has come way down due to "China Cheapies", too! Brands like Alva, Sunbaby, Kawaii, etc, you can often find for under $10. If you go with a domestic brand or WAHM diaper, you will pay more, but usually get better quality and materials.
Cloth diapering is SO easy! With exclusively breastfed babies, you don't need to do anything! Most people use a "dry pail". Basically, you get a small trash can and put a reusable pail liner in it. Just toss in your dirty diapers and baby wipes. (Cloth wipes are another excellent investment by the way!) Wash every 2-3 days by simply dumping everything into your washer, do a cold rinse cycle, and then wash on hot with a good detergent that has no softeners or additives. Then do another rinse. (I actually usually do another whole cycle without detergent to make sure all soap residue is out. I also use Tide, which I switched to after using a cloth diaper specific detergent for years and it works MUCH better!). Thats it for washing!
Then either line dry or dry in the dryer. Line dried items will stay in shape longer (elastic can wear out with the heat of dryer), but it is safe to use a dryer, too. I use the dryer during the winter and line dry during the summer. When I line dry, I usually toss everything in the dryer for 10 minutes afterwards just to soften them up and kill any bugs.
Once you introduce solids, a diaper sprayer will be your best friend! It looks like a kitchen hose that you attach to your toilets water line. Just spray off solids into the toilet and toss your dirty stuff into the dry pail! Easy peasey!
If you have enough diapers in your stash, you can go 2-3 days between washing. I got buy with less and did a diaper wash more like every day to day and a half. The bigger your stash, the longer your diapers will last, but you don't NEED a zillion! mine got pretty beat up by the end, though!
As for types of diapers, you can basically get one with a waterproof outer that you don't need to put a cover over. The whole thing will be waterproof. It can have a pocket built in, into which you slip the absorbent pad, which is called a pocket diaper. Or you can snap in the insert to the inside and have and All In 2 (AI2). If the insert is sewn in, its an AIO (All in One). AI2's, are my favorite! Super easy! I prefer hemp/heavy bamboo inserts b/c they hold so much and are excellent for overnight! Microfiber works great, but once saturated, is prone to compression leaks. You can pair it with hemp (as someone else stated) for a good combo. Synthetic fabrics tend to hold stink and I just didn't care for them, but cloth diapering is very much a personal preference type of thing!
The other kind of diaper is a fitted. These are awesome for heavy wetter and overnights/naps. The whole thing gets wet and you need to put a cover over it. They also take longer to dry, but man, they are great! I used kissaluvs with my daughter and never had a blow out with newborn poop! I did find the absorbancy lacking and they took forever to dry, so I make mine with better fabrics and a snap in insert, so speed up drying time. Look for bamboo or hemp for a great fitted! Hybrid fitteds are all the rage now, too. They have a hidden layer of water repellent fleece in them so you can use them without a cover for a while. (and show off the adorable prints). You'd still need a cover for extended wear though because fleece isn't totally waterproof!
And of course, the cheapest method (and I always keep some on hand for laundry days) are a waterproof cover and prefolds or flats. You can fold them fancy or you can just fold them into thirds and lay into cover. (Thats what I did). Then just close up the cover and it keeps them in place! Super cheap and really easy! I just prefer the other systems.
Also, you can either do velcro or snaps. Velcro can be easier for newborns, but you will want the security of snaps as they get older! lol
Even cloth diapering part time will save you a lot of money and help the environment as well! I'll warn you, though, its quite addictive once you start! I love talking about diapers and answering questions, so feel free to ask! 0 -
Wow! Lots of information to read! Thanks for posting, everyone!
I am planning on cloth diapering as well. I bought my cloth diapers (unused) second hand as well and got an amazing deal on them! We've figured out that even if it's not for us, all we have to do is use the diapers for 3 months in order to break even with what we would have already spent in three months on regular diapers.
We doing it mostly because it's so cheap in comparison to disposables and I feel great knowing that we're doing something good for the environment as well.0 -
Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)
We have a hamper with a snap-on lid and a wet bag liner in her bedroom. Everything (except the solids and the paper liner, which go in a garbage can with a snap-on lid) go in there. Then the wet bag and all the contents get washed every 3ish days. In her current size--which she'll probably be in the longest--we have 10 outer diaper shells which we wash maybe once a week. We have about 20ish hemp/microfiber pads (we double up and use 2 at night) which get washed after each use. We go thru about 6-7 cloth pads a day. It all goes in the wash on warm--sometimes hot but generally warm--and the pads go in the dryer on hot with a bath towel (otherwise they tend to "stick" to the drum of the dryer) until they're almost dry. Then I toss in the outer part as well and finish them off on low.
The diaper outers--the pretty part--cost about $12-$15 each since we normally stock up during sales. The cloth pads--again, purchased during sales--run about $3-$4 each. They cloth pads only come in 2 sizes so she's been in the M/L/XL size since she was about 3 months old. The newborn ones were basically free when we bought a started kit that had newborn and size small stuff.
I am curious, are there paper inserts you can buy to just lift the solids out? (Sorry, I'm a newbie and that's sort of what it sounded like to me there.) :-)
I have pocket diapers, if that's helpful at all.0 -
Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)
We have a hamper with a snap-on lid and a wet bag liner in her bedroom. Everything (except the solids and the paper liner, which go in a garbage can with a snap-on lid) go in there. Then the wet bag and all the contents get washed every 3ish days. In her current size--which she'll probably be in the longest--we have 10 outer diaper shells which we wash maybe once a week. We have about 20ish hemp/microfiber pads (we double up and use 2 at night) which get washed after each use. We go thru about 6-7 cloth pads a day. It all goes in the wash on warm--sometimes hot but generally warm--and the pads go in the dryer on hot with a bath towel (otherwise they tend to "stick" to the drum of the dryer) until they're almost dry. Then I toss in the outer part as well and finish them off on low.
The diaper outers--the pretty part--cost about $12-$15 each since we normally stock up during sales. The cloth pads--again, purchased during sales--run about $3-$4 each. They cloth pads only come in 2 sizes so she's been in the M/L/XL size since she was about 3 months old. The newborn ones were basically free when we bought a started kit that had newborn and size small stuff.
I am curious, are there paper inserts you can buy to just lift the solids out? (Sorry, I'm a newbie and that's sort of what it sounded like to me there.) :-)
I have pocket diapers, if that's helpful at all.
This is what we use, though I've seen other ones on occasion at the store.
http://www.gdiapers.com/shop/accessories-2/cloth-liners
Honestly, I didn't research much--I saw this brand and knew it was the system we wanted (they have biodegradable inserts too!)--so I'm not sure on the difference between all the different types. I'd imagine you can put the liners on top of any type and they'd work fairly well. In the early months--especially if you're nursing--the poop is so wet/runny I'm not sure they'd actually be useful. She's on solids now and they make life a lot better as the poop is (sometimes) like "real person poop"!
And yes, that is exactly what they do--they just catch the solid waste so you can flick it in the garbage or the toilet!0 -
Do you wash them by hand or machine wash? Do you wash them out immediately or hamper them for later washing? How much did the diapers cost you (or, about how much does it work out to per diaper?)
We have a hamper with a snap-on lid and a wet bag liner in her bedroom. Everything (except the solids and the paper liner, which go in a garbage can with a snap-on lid) go in there. Then the wet bag and all the contents get washed every 3ish days. In her current size--which she'll probably be in the longest--we have 10 outer diaper shells which we wash maybe once a week. We have about 20ish hemp/microfiber pads (we double up and use 2 at night) which get washed after each use. We go thru about 6-7 cloth pads a day. It all goes in the wash on warm--sometimes hot but generally warm--and the pads go in the dryer on hot with a bath towel (otherwise they tend to "stick" to the drum of the dryer) until they're almost dry. Then I toss in the outer part as well and finish them off on low.
The diaper outers--the pretty part--cost about $12-$15 each since we normally stock up during sales. The cloth pads--again, purchased during sales--run about $3-$4 each. They cloth pads only come in 2 sizes so she's been in the M/L/XL size since she was about 3 months old. The newborn ones were basically free when we bought a started kit that had newborn and size small stuff.
I am curious, are there paper inserts you can buy to just lift the solids out? (Sorry, I'm a newbie and that's sort of what it sounded like to me there.) :-)
I have pocket diapers, if that's helpful at all.
If the baby is exclusively breastfed you can even toss poop diapers in the washer. There are liners you can use. The diaper is still dirty after, but it's not as much work to separate the poo.0 -
That's great! Yes, I knew that baby poop would wash off well in the washing machine, but when I see my nephew's diapers (he's on solids)... I rethink the idea of cloth diapering.
I'll check out the link for in the later months! Thanks!0 -
IYou are all some very brave, very motivated,wonderfully amazing women and I have no idea how you do it!
I am sorry, really, I love you all but I still think I am out on this one. I plan to use this experience of having a baby to help my daughter learn some of the skills. She is old enough now that I think she will still remember all of these experiences with her little brother to help her when she is a mother.
The thought of cloth diaper still makes me a little squimish, but especially when throwing in the fact that I want my daughter to help with diapering, I can't see her handling that. I expect my husband to help with diapers and the thought of cloth makes him even more squimish than me. Also, I already have a few months supply of disposables that were given to me.
I think I will stick with what I have.
But, I really am happy that you have all chosen the route you did! You are stronger than me and I am proud of you all.... I am just weak
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IYou are all some very brave, very motivated,wonderfully amazing women and I have no idea how you do it!
I am sorry, really, I love you all but I still think I am out on this one. I plan to use this experience of having a baby to help my daughter learn some of the skills. She is old enough now that I think she will still remember all of these experiences with her little brother to help her when she is a mother.
The thought of cloth diaper still makes me a little squimish, but especially when throwing in the fact that I want my daughter to help with diapering, I can't see her handling that. I expect my husband to help with diapers and the thought of cloth makes him even more squimish than me. Also, I already have a few months supply of disposables that were given to me.
I think I will stick with what I have.
But, I really am happy that you have all chosen the route you did! You are stronger than me and I am proud of you all.... I am just weak
Gosh, you shouldn't feel bad about not using cloth diapers! LOL I think most people who cloth diaper truly love doing it! Its really no grosser than changing a regular diaper. You just collect them all in a pail and dump them in the washing machine at the end of the day (or next day). Once they are on solids, yeah you have to rinse the poop off before tossing in pail, but for the most part, its really the same concept! I don't think the choice to cloth or use disposables is a test of anyone's character or anything! Really, you shouldn't feel bad at all! Its sort of a hobby (albeit a useful one! lol)
My oldest daughter will be 7 and I plan on teaching her how to change diapers, etc, too! I think thats a great skill/experience for them to learn!
*Oh and for those who where asking about liners, you can use a folded paper towel if you want! Just don't flush it! Or you could line the diaper with a scrap of fleece or something, which would be reusable. I used dry baby wipes as liners when I had to use diaper cream. I'd just toss in diaper pail with the rest! 0 -
There's nothing wrong with not cloth diapering at all! I'm not planning on cloth diapering right away and to prove it, I've got a full box of newborn diapers in the nursery so I can actually get used to life with a baby before learning life with a baby and cloth diapering. My husband has told me that he thinks cloth diapers are gross and I don't expect him to change the baby in and out of cloth (although I think once he sees the money we will hopefully be saving, I think he'll be all for it) so I guess we'll be doing cloth part-time only which is okay with me. *Oh and for those who where asking about liners, you can use a folded paper towel if you want! Just don't flush it! Or you could line the diaper with a scrap of fleece or something, which would be reusable. I used dry baby wipes as liners when I had to use diaper cream. I'd just toss in diaper pail with the rest!
Brilliant! I just looked up the liners and they're a little pricey... apart from the green impact there's not too much benefit to them (financially for me anyway). Thanks for the tips!0 -
So we cloth diaper also, but my experience is different than the rest of the ladies who've posted so far. We actually have a service that launders the dirty diapers and drops off clean ones weekly. It is much like the Dy-dee service that used to be more prevalent (that's what my parents used for me and my brother actually). It has been a really great experience so far and I'm glad that we are doing it. We keep the dirty ones in a large wet bag (the size of a hamper) and luckily have had no issues with smells at all; there is a deodorizer, but I've forgotten to replace it and didn't realize until I saw the replacement near our changing station, not from the smell. I'm exclusively nursing, so I think that has a lot to do with the smell (or lack thereof) also. I've heard that formula fed/once solids are introduced, the poo does become smellier, but we are still going to keep doing cloth. It certainly is a commitment (we travel with a lot of spares!) but worth it for us. I personally do it because of the environmental impact, but I'm sort of a nut about these things (I blame my 'vegetarian-earth friendly-hippie' parents, lol).0
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Do any of you ladies have experience with Bum Genius? I've read good things about them, and bought a few. I thought I'd ask for more opinions before I went crazy and stocked up though. I do have a couple Lotus Bumz, and I ordered a few G-diapers from Zulily the other day as well. I thought it might be good to try a few different kinds and see which works best, but I'd love to hear more opinions on the different brands.
Also, what detergents do you recommend?0 -
Do any of you ladies have experience with Bum Genius? I've read good things about them, and bought a few. I thought I'd ask for more opinions before I went crazy and stocked up though. I do have a couple Lotus Bumz, and I ordered a few G-diapers from Zulily the other day as well. I thought it might be good to try a few different kinds and see which works best, but I'd love to hear more opinions on the different brands.
Also, what detergents do you recommend?
I've never used BGs, but they are very popular in my local cloth diaper group on facebook! They resell well, too, so I'm sure you'd have no problem selling them if you didn't love them. Flips seem to be very popular, too. I, personally, love fitteds and covers...especially for newborns b/c of the protection against explosive poop and for absorbancy once my baby started wetting a lot and sleeping for longer blocks of time. For fitteds, you should definitely try a WAHM brand. Most use the same high quality materials (bamboo and hemp) and the same pattern and they are way more absorbent than store brands. (like Kissaluvs)
For detergent, hands down powdered Tide! I thought I had to use a specific cloth diaper safe detergent, so I used Rockin Green for almost 2 years! Then I heard that was a myth and as long as you use enough detergent (I had also followed the belief that you must only use a tiny bit which actually doesn't get them clean) and do a good second rinse (I do a whole second wash cycle on hot without detergent to get it all out), you shouldn't have any build up or stink issues! I had been getting ammonia build up and all kinds of stuff before switching to Tide. I can't say enough about what a great detergent it is! But getting all of the detergent out with that second rinse (or wash cycle) is super important! 0 -
Rachel--I love the diaper service, sadly it's very pricey around here. I know a lot of moms that got several months worth of services as a baby gift but don't keep up with it long term due to the expense. I think it really is a "best of both worlds" way to do things.
Pheonix--I've heard good things about Bum Genius, but I'm a gDiaper devotee! Bum's are available in our local stores, whereas gDiapers are not (I order them online either direct or thru Target.com). As for detergent, I use Borax while they soak for 30 minutes in the pre-wash setting on my machine. Then I add about 1/4 cup of All detergent that is dye-free, fragrance-free, etc... I made the mistake of using too much detergent early on and then had to strip my diapers. (Which is basically boiling all the soap out of them--fun, fun). Always rinse 2x. We use the All detergent primarily because it's what we use for everything else and I didn't want to buy anything special. I'd suggest trying whatever it is you normally use first.0
