I have had so many people ask me about cloth diapers and have “converted” so many to cloth diapering after talking with them and showing them how easy it can be. I just recently spent the morning with a new friend who is pregnant with her second child and is considering cloth diapering. I figure what better time to write everything down to hopefully convert others to cloth diapering!
What Diapers Do You Use?
Short Story
Kawaii Fun Prints w/snaps (10.75/diaper) and BumGenius One Size Pockets (17.95/diaper)
Long Story
When I first started cloth diapering I did tons of research and waded through the overwhelming amount of information on the web about the subject. Though there are tons of kinds of diapers I chose to go with a pocket, one size diaper. I landed on Bum Genius one size diapers and LOVED them. They are expensive though. Like 18.00/diaper expensive.
Around the time we were planning for Riley to be born (we would have two in diapers) I did more research on the new brands available. I chose to try a new, cheaper brand, Kawaii and LOVE them even more. They are significantly cheaper, like 10.75/diaper. They’ve gone up in price since we bought them (I got them for close to 7/diaper!) But if you calculate it out you are saving money in the long run.
They are one sized so they fit my boys from the time they were first born (shortly there after ~8 pounds) until Landon was potty trained. If you figure spending $50/month on disposable diapers – that’s about $1500 in the life of diapers (that’s if your child is potty trained by 2 1/2). 24 Kawaii diapers cost you $258.00. They will have paid for themselves before your child is even 6 months old. Not to mention those same diapers we got for Landon are being used by Riley.
This is the same diaper snapped down from small to large:
How Many Do You Use?
Short Story
24
Long Story
I found that when my boys were newborns and only fit in the newborn size disposables, the cloth didn’t fit them. Once they were closer to a size 1 they were fine to fit in the cloth snapped up to the smallest setting. You could also use a ton less if you wanted to wash every day. Or you can get more and wash less. 24 gets us doing laundry about every other day or so (sometimes every 3 days)
What About Washing
Short Story
We wash them about every other day. I store them in an open bucket in the boy’s bathroom (it doesn’t smell, I promise) and wash them when the bucket is full. I do a cold pre-rinse with 1/4 the amount of a free and clear detergent, the a hot wash with 1/4 of the same detergent, then an extra rinse. Then I throw them in the dryer on low heat.
Long Story
There are so many ways to wash them out there. If you have velcro diapers, you have to be careful of the heat from the dryer or the velcro will roll. There are washing directions that come with the diapers so depending on the brand you get – follow those directions. But really the point I want to get across is that it’s NOT hard. It’s really not that time consuming. If you think you might forget to start the next wash, get a timer.
Many people will tell you to pull out the inserts before you wash them. We don’t. We just throw them in just like we took them off of the baby. Once their poop is more solid (either formula fed or once they start eating solids) you’ll need to shake the poop off in the toilet. Newborn, breastfed poop can just be washed off in the machine. Some people get diaper sprayers or scrape every last chunk of poop they can off. We literally just shake what will come off and wash the rest. It’s worked for almost 3 years and the diapers aren’t stained or smell.
Do They Leak
Short Story
Not if you do it right
Long Story
We have had them leak. But every time it was something that either we did wrong, like didn’t change him soon enough (every 2 hours worked the them) or didn’t make sure the diaper was put on so the inside lining was against the baby’s skin.
Do They Smell
Short Story
No
Long Story
No – but if they do, you can wash them with a small amount of bleach in the pre-wash and it takes the smell away.
What About Traveling
We travel with them for short trips (like a few days). You can buy wet bags, or make them if you’re sew savvy. They are water-proof lined fabric bags with a zipper that you can put the wet and dirty diapers it. It keeps the smell and wetness in.