Cloth Diapering 101

{the complete part 1 and part 2 of cloth diapering}

You want to {CLOTH} what?!

although {cloth diapering} has increased in popularity lately
there are STILL lots of skeptics
it might be YOU or your HUSBAND

or MAYBE you think it's a good idea but everyone {else} is telling you NOT to

OR maybe you are just WAY to confused to know where to START!

WhatEVER the reason...
I HOPE this post will {help} you along {your} cloth diapering ADVENTURE

and yes... I said ADVENTURE! {grin}

Why {cloth} diaper?

It's better for the environment
YOU will not {contribute} to the estimated 10,000 tons of disposables that are added to the landfills EVERY day!
Your trash CAN won't stink so bad!

It's better for your BABIES bum
Your baby will have less diaper rash
No sodium polycralate {those little crystals} on your babies bum

It's better for your {wallet}
Check out THIS great calculator to figure out how much you can SAVE

No late night runs to the store for diapers

It's ADORABLE
{see}

In order for cloth diapering to really work well for your family you probably need to get into a good routine. What works for me may not work for you... but it might help you create your own routine.

.MY {wash} Routine.

Take the diaper{s} off
fasten the Velcro to the laundry tabs and set aside
wipe... toss the wipes on top of the diapers
put CLEAN diaper{s} on

then I carry the diapers into the bathroom where I keep our wetbag
If it's only wet I toss directly into the wetbag
If it's soiled I turn the diaper inside out and knock the poop off
...this usually works very well if you do it right away
... if you wait sometimes you need to help it off {ewww I know!}
{I keep an old spatula in the wetbag to use if needed}

Once the wetbag is full or I ONLY have 6 diapers left I bring the whole pail to the washer
Since I've already made sure all the velcro is fastened to the laundry taps...
and they're as clean as it's going to get before going into the washer
All I need to do is dump them all in washing machine

I highly recommend purchasing a good wetbag...we LOVE our bummis one.

You can bring it anywhere, use it as a pail liner, hang it on a hook, or use it as a dirty clothes bag on trips {grin}

.IN {the} washer.

THIS is where all the {magic} happens
I wash the diapers THREE times

{one} wash the diapers on COLD with soap
{two} wash the diapers on HOT with soap
{three} wash the diapers on HOT with NO soap
{if you machine is able you can do the 3rd wash as an extra rinse}

after the diapers are washed I try to dry them on the line if at all possible
if NOT I dry them in the dryer on medium for 70 minutes
{not all brands recommend using the dryer... check your diapers first to make sure}



NOW washing {can} go GOOD or BAD
hopefully I can HELP with...

.a few WASHING tips.

USE the right soap
...don't use any soap with additives, perfumes, ect.
BUT don't use free & clear either!

SO what do you use?
Charlies Soap... awesome soap however it is NOT a disinfectant so be sure to use bac-out or oxygen bleach every 10 days or so
or
Allen's Naturally
or
Country Save
or
Soap Nuts

So... you've WASHED but your diapers still SMELL?!

Make SURE you are washing frequently
EVERY 2-4 days should be enough

MAYBE you have a detergent build up?

are you using regular soap on all of your clothes?
TRY using the {same} soap on everything... mixing soaps- even is separate washes is a bad idea.

MAYBE your washer isn't rinsing well enough?
Try ADDING an extra rinse at the end

Are you USING regular soap?
Most soaps are NOT made to thoroughly clean a soiled diaper

IF your having leaking and wicking issues you MOST {likely} have a detergent build up
IF they are {absorbent} but SMELL you most {likely} have a bacteria problem

WHAT do {you} do NOW?

HOT hot HOT
rinse RINSE rinse
wash your diapers 6-8-10 times with NO soap

IF that does {not} work
...try adding 1/4 C. vinegar to the wash
Vinegar is GREAT at restoring the pH balance and removing residue
HOWEVER it is not recommended on many AIO diapers.
You {can} STILL use vinegar just make SURE to not use too much and {again} RINSE thoroughly!

If it's STILL not working...
TRY tea tree {oil}
It is naturally antibacterial & antifungal.
Just make sure to {again} RINSE a few extra times to make sure all the oil is out.

If ALL THAT does {not} work
...use a little EVIL bleach {grin}
Bum Genius actually {recommends} using bleach on occasion
...but most say it's a no-no.
Just add an extra....

can you guess?!

RINSE afterward to make sure all the bleach residue is gone!

and {don't} forget SUN power!
drying OUTSIDE is much better for smell, stains & your electric bill!

once you eliminate your wash problems
you should be able to stick with the 2-3 wash routine.

NOW you know {why} and {how}...
but you are STILL wondering what diapers to choose

AIO {all-in-ones}

they are JUST like a disposable
{except} they're cuter and you WASH them!
no covers, pins, or inserts
you can get them with snaps or velcro
some are sized {S-M-L} and others are one-size

We've used Bumgenius 2.0 & 3.0 {S-M-L} velcro diapers
these were my first cloth diaper love
they are easy as any disposable
they fit and absorb great

{however I have had some serious problems with the velcro and elastic holding up}

.Pocket Diapers.
these are generally one size fits all
they snap to adjust size and generally fit very well
they are called pocket diapers because...
you have to fill the inside pocket with an insert
usually called doubler, insert, prefold or soaker.

I initially stayed away from pocket diapers for 3 reasons...
ONE... I didn't want to take the time to "stuff" the diaper
TWO... I didn't like that they were bulkier.
THREE... I thought velcro was easier than snaps

However I have come to LOVE pocket diapers.

when you are wearing them on the largest size...
they aren't any bulkier than AIO's.
stuffing does take a little extra time...
BUT they absorb more.
and while velcro is easier...
it wears out & babies can undo them!
{my bungenius velcro is unusable now}

Our very very favorite are
Bum Wear
...diapers and inserts

We've also used and have had no complaints with...
Fuzzi Bunz & Happy Heinys

.Fitted diapers {with} a cover.
a fitted diaper looks just like an AIO
except it's not leak proof.
So, you get to add a cute diaper cover over it!

It may seem silly BUT fitted diapers and covers are nice
because you need less covers than diapers because you can reuse them
...without washing {unless they're soiled}

{we tend to wash ours everytime however}

We've used Thirsties covers & fitted diapers
and love them!
They are VERY absorbent

.Prefolds {with} a cover.

these are the old fashion cloth diapers

...you know the ones our parents used to pin

except I don't pin {grin}

I fold the prefold in 3rds

{there are many different folding styles}

lay it inside the cover and put the diaper on.

easy. peasy.

it's slightly bulkier than the others

but it's much cheaper

and I think they are easier to wash.

We LOVE bummis prefolds and covers.

OTHER options I haven't tried but should mention are...
prefolds or fitted diapers with a wool cover
tossable liners with a cover
all-in-ones with a insert {for extra absorbency}

There are MANY choices in style.brand.fit
and the BEST thing you can do is decide which one will work best for YOU.

.you need wipes {too}.

you can purchase premade wipes... like these or similar

or you could buy some flannel and cut them up into squares {easy and cheap!}

use {any} container you'd like... bowl, cup or similar

fill it with water and castle soap

dip the wipes in when you're ready

or if you're container is larger you can keep your wipes in the water.

.some Nitty Gritty {tips}.

sprinkle some baking soda OR tea tree {oil} in the bottom of your pail to keep odor down

use a {wet} bag when you're out... if you don't have a wet bag try a ziploc

STUCK without the right soap? Baking soda and Vinegar will do the trick

heavy wetter at night? Try adding an extra soaker {insert} or prefold
{although WE use disposables at night}

Out {and} about & don't want to worry ABOUT leaks?
...because YES you DO have to change cloth more often
Use disposables... it's okay! {grin}

Whew! That took me {too} LONG!

I HOPE I answered {most} of your CLOTH diapering questions...

if NOT... ask here and I'll TRY to answer!