CLOTH DIAPERING 101
Don't fear the Cloth
I was a little nervous about switching to cloth from disposables at first. We used disposables for the first 2 1/2 to 3 months as we got into our routine, got used to diaper changing, etc. Then there it was...the cloth diaper. It was staring at me like "hey, you said you were going to do this, so suck it up!!" But what if they leak all the time? What about laundry? Will they really get clean? And what about the cost? Is it really worth it?
So one day, I took a deep breath, sucked it up, and all my fears turned out to be rather silly. Cloth diapering is easy for us!
I always get a lot of questions from friends about the cloth diapering experience, so let me tell you all about what we do.
First, here are the items we have on hand:
1) 20 (ish) Fuzzi Bunz One Size Diapers
2) 2 Fuzzi Bunz Hanging Diaper Pails
3) 1 Bidet
4) Diaper Liners
5) Biokleen Bac Out Spray
6) Charlies Soap Powder Laundry Detergent
7) Storage Box
What type of cloth diapers do you use? We went with the Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers. The one size allow you to use the diapers from birth until potty training. They fit babies 7-35 pounds and adjust with elastic button waist and leg casings. With each diaper you get extra elastics and one large and one small insert, which you can double up if needed. Still confused on how this works? Check out the video here.
We find using them is super easy and the inserts are very absorbent. I usually use both inserts just to buy me some more time before needing to change Jackson. The only downside is that they can be a little bulky and therefore you may need to work a little harder to get their pants over their rear, or even buy a size larger. But it's not that big a deal. The great thing is that these will be the only diapers we should EVER NEED...even with another child! A HUGE cost savings. Plus, they come is such cute colors!!
How many do you need and how much does it cost? Well, we have around 20 or so, some of which were purchased for us from our registry and others which we bought ourselves. If you buy all on your own, it would cost you about $500 for 24 diapers (click here). Having this many will allow you plenty to not have to do laundry every day. Right now, with the 20 I have, I do laundry every other day. Yes, $500 is a lot of money up front, but the average cost of disposables is about $72 a month. So, the cloth pays for itself in only 7 MONTHS!! And you can use them for multiple kids.
What about the poo? This is probably the scariest part for most people. It's true that with a disposable you don't have to deal with the poo as much. But it's not as bad as you think with cloth. I use some cloth diaper liners that catch the majority of it that you can just toss away. Then I have a bidet that you install easily on your toilet that can spray the other mess off (similar to the video here). After I spray it off with the bidet, I have a spray from BioKleen called Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator that I spray on the diapers before putting them in the pail. It is completely natural and can be used for other stains as well, like carpet, couch, etc. It smells great and also helps keep the odor down longer. We've never had an issue with odor at all using this method!
Then I have two Fuzzi Bunz Hanging Diaper Pails (like pic on left) that I use to put all the soiled diapers in. These are great because you just take the bag to the laundry, unzip the bottom to release all the soiled diapers into the washer and throw the bag in with it as well. The bag has a lining that prevents odors and stains.
How do you wash them? Here's the washing instructions (click here). Basically you wash them without detergent in a cold cycle and then again with detergent in a hot cycle. They can go in the dryer or you can air dry. You do need to use a recommended detergent, like Tide FREE or Arm & Hammer Free. We actually went with Charlies Soap Powder, which you can buy online. I like it because it's in a little can and all you need is a tablespoon for every load. And it doesn't have any harsh scents, is completely hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and reasonably priced! Oh, and it is HE compatible if you have that type of washer. Using this method I've rarely had any stains on the diapers whatsoever!
Where do you store the diapers? After washing and drying, I pre-stuff all the diapers with the inserts and store them in this really cute box I found at the container store. They call it a home box and it can be found online or in the laundry section of the store. It's the perfect size to stack them all in, and it still looks decorative sitting on the floor. And the two handles on the side make it easy for me to transport to multiple rooms or pack in the car when going on a trip :)
What do you do when you travel or go out? We do two things. For one, I do keep a
few disposables on hand for long trips, and even use one at bedtime so he won't wake up feeling wet (and on a side note, some experts say using cloth speeds up potty training because the child can feel immediately when he's wet himself and is uncomfortable). But I also have a few Wet/Go Bags like the ones seen on the right. Fuzzi Bunz makes their own diaper tote bag as well, which I have. So, when you're out and do a diaper change, you simply put the soiled diaper in these bags and zip them shut. Then you can deal with them when you get home. They are made to prevent leaks and smells and work very well!
So, all-in-all, I love cloth diapering. It's saving us a lot of money and has a lot of other benefits as well, such as possible early potty training, less diaper rash (only 5% occurrence with cloth vs. 50+% with disposables), less trash, etc. I would really encourage people not to be afraid of cloth.
Feel free to write any additional questions in the comment line!
