8 Tips if your new to Cloth Diapering

 I got a one size pocket diaper. I got a pack of 20 for like 90 bucks. pretty cheap for cloth diapers...(ebay is the secret there) It came with 40 microfiber inserts. These worked great at first but soon started really stinking no matter what I did. After some research turns out microfiber isn't the best for that reason. Cotton inserts work great, or bamboo...there are others but I'm not sure yet which ones are best. My sister just got a batch with cotton inserts. we'll see how they go. I also don't think the particular one size i got fit a new born very well. Actually they were pretty bulky till he was a good 6 months old. So going back I would probably get more fuzzibuns one sizes cause they run small...or just buy some small diaper covers and use prefolds. Anyway...that's just another kink I still have to work out.

• Tip 1: Get a wet bag.
  A friend made one for me. I love it. A wet bag is made out of pull fabric. I think she double layered mine. Anyway it is great cause it keeps the smell in and you can take it with you to put the diapers in when your traveling.
  
  Tip 2: Get a diaper genie...or if you want to go the cheap route a garbage can with a lid to keep the smell in.
  
  Tip 3: You want to wash your diapers every 3-4 days at the most so you probably won't need more than 20.
  
  Tip 4: I don't recommend using a wet pail.
  ie just throw your dirty diapers in the diaper genie or garbage can...don't add any type of water solution. (some people like it but not many that I've heard)
  
  Tip 5: You'll need to strip your diapers ever 3 months or so...Look here for a how to. It's pretty easy...no harder than washing.
  
  Tip 6: use baby powder not rash creams.
  The creams will leave stains on the diapers and make them less absorbent.
  
  Tip 7: Use a detergent that doesn't have an oil base.
  They have some specifically for diapers but I just go the cheap route and find one at the grocery store without oil.
  
  Tip 8: Wipes. 
   As far as wipes go. I've experimented a lot... but I just bought some flannel and cut it into squares and sewed around the edges. You can also buy flannel wipes. I just keep them folded by my diaper stuff and when I need one I just go wet it with some water. or keep a water bottle by the wipes and wet it with that. I tried the whole water and stuff with the wipes but didn't like it as much.
  
  Other Blog posts on Cloth Diapers
  Overview
  Stripping Cloth diapers

Cloth Diapers: Stripping Cloth diapers.

Every once in a while cloth diapers need to be stripped to keep them in good working condition and clean. It removes buildup of detergent, oils, or minerals. There are many things that can build up on your diapers that can make them less absorbent.

What causes Diaper Buildup?

     Detergent Buildup: The most common reason to strip your diapers is detergent buildup. You know if you need to do this if they smell a little funny coming out of the dryer or stink really bad in the morning or when they are just wet. The diaper will smell stronger when it needs to be stripped than a normal wet diaper.Two ways to reduce detergent buildup is to use a little less detergent than it calls for or to use a cloth diaper detergent. 

Fabric Softener Buildup- The job of fabric softener is to stick to fabric. This would make your diapers less absorbent. In general I would avoid using fabric softener with your diapers because of this but it can cause buildup if used with cloth diapers. 

Mineral Buildup- Your diapers may get mineral buildup if you have hard water. They may look dingy and smell bad when newly wet.

Diaper Rash Cream buildup- Any cream can cause build up. It is generally recommended to use baby powder when possible. If you are using creams however, it is a good idea to use a fleece or disposable liner.

How often should I strip my cloth diapers:

We strip our cloth diapers ever three to four months, but every month or so I run then on an extra cycle just to keep caught up on it.

What do I need?

Method 1:  You'll need some liquid dawn dish detergent (blue formula) and some bleach. Use 1 teaspoon for high efficiency washers and 1 tablespoon for normal washers. Wash your diapers once in super hot water. Then you'll add 1/2 cup of bleach to the wash cycle.

Then do a couple more rinses with no detergent or soap in it to get them completely rinsed free of the bleach. If there is suds at the end of the cycle, keep rinsing.


Method 2:  Set your washing machine on a heavy duty cycle with a hot wash and don't add any detergent. Add your clean cloth diapers. When the washer is done filling and begins to agitate, open the lid and check for an suds. If you see any or a layer of film you will want to repeat the wash cycle until you no longer see any detergent in the water during agitation.

Method 3:  Another option is RLR. This is a water softener and is available in most major grocery stores and online. It is free of harsh and harmful chemicals. It acts by removing mineral deposits and detergent build up. You will want to wash your clean cloth diapers on a hot wash with one package of RLR added to the wash.  Continue washing and rinsing on the hot cycle until you don't see any more suds in the washer. 

Method 4: Baking soda and Vinegar. You can put a little bit of baking soda in with the wash and fill a downy ball to the correct mark with white vinegar and put it in your wash. It will release during the first rinse cycle. Include a second rinse cycle to the wash. This is a great way to wash All in one and pocket diapers.

After looking at a few different ways I decided to try method number 4: Baking soda and vinegar. I wanted to see if it worked before trying the others. They came out looking pretty good and without the smell straight from the dryer. 

Cloth Diapers: An Overview from my experience

Why I use cloth diapers  

When I was pregnant with my first I thought about cloth diapering. I have to be honest, the first thing that attracted me to the idea was that it was cheaper than disposables. Yep, that's right... cheap is beautiful.  After talking to friends and family I found that depending on the type of disposable diapers they bought, they were spending anywhere from $25 to $45 a month on diapers. Cloth diapers range from anywhere between $3-$15 per diaper. After looking around I ended up getting mine off ebay. I got a set of 20 for $90.  After some time I also ordered some wipes, but one can easily make them for cheaper.  
I started out really simple. Just with my cloth diapers, a bucket with a lid on it to use for dirty diapers, and a wet bag given to me by a friend. And the adventure began.

The Pros 

Here's baby in his cute caveman diaper. :)

1. It's less expensive. Cloth diapering is a one time upfront cost.
2. They are cute. Cloth diapers come in lots of cute patterns.
3. You don't have as much trash.
4. You are prepared for any emergency.
5. Cloth diapers are more high tech than they used to be. They come with snaps or Velcro so you don't have to worry about pins. 
6. Variety. You can choose between a variety of different types of diapers: All-in-ones, pocket diapers, pre-folds with covers, fitted with covers.

 

The Cons

1. They are bulky. When I first started I just had one size pocket diapers. They were too bulky for my son when he was first born. They do have different sizes of diapers so you can buy small medium and large and partially avoid this problem.
2. The cleaning process. cloth Diapering usually involves washing your diapers at least twice a week. It takes a while to figure out the cleaning process and get into a groove.
3. Traveling. I find that it is difficult to travel for extended periods of time with cloth diapers. Sometimes I buy disposables or if the trip is short I'll pack up all the diapers and the wet bag.

The Process

Cloth diapers are not that much harder in my mind than disposables. I keep my diapers in a drawer in my sons room with the diaper pail and a garbage can. When changing time comes I take baby to the room, remove his diaper, take out the insert and throw both the cover and insert into the diaper pail and replace the lid.  If I'm using cloth wipes they go in the diaper pail as well. If I'm using disposable wipes they go into the garbage. I take a diaper from the drawer with an insert already in and put it on baby. If I'm getting baby ready for night I will usually double up on the inserts so that the diaper lasts longer through the night. I have 20 cloth diapers and 40 inserts so they usually last anywhere from 2 to 3 days before it is time to wash.

Wet bag with draw string top to seal off the smell.

 Changing a diaper away from home

Let's say I'm out. I make sure I have a couple of diapers and wipes in the diaper bag as well as the wet bag. The wet bag takes the place of the diaper pail when I'm away. So when I'm done changing the diaper everything goes in the wet bag. It locks the smell in so you don't have to smell it throughout your trip. After I get home I empty the bag into the diaper pail. And honestly you don't really even have to touch it just dump the bag out into the pail.

Washing

This is the part obviously that you don't have to worry about with disposables.  There is a lot of different ways to wash cloth diapers and it seems as though everyone has their own favorite way. I start by taking the pail and dumping it into the wash. I do a pre-rinse with cold water, no soup first. You can add baking soda to the rinse cycle. This is great if your diapers are retaining a smell. then I add 1/4 the recommended amount of soap for a load and change the water to hot and run it through a cycle. You can add soiled baby clothes or other to the wash after the rinse cycle if you choose.

Diapers, inserts, wipes, garbage, Baby powder...ect

When the washer is done I hang dry the covers and throw the inserts in the dryer. The covers dry super fast. During the winter I did use the dryer for my covers although most people don't recommend it because it ruins the elastics in the diapers faster. I tried it because my cloth diapers said use the dryer in the instructions. 
After they're dry I fold the wipes and stick them in a wipe container and add some water. There are a lot of wipe water recipes. Here's one I'm thinking of trying.

• 2 or 3 drops of tea tree oil.
• 1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's soap.
• water. 

I stuff the diapers with the inserts and fold them and stack them in the drawer. It takes 5-10 minutes. I stack the rest of the inserts in the drawer and I'm ready to go again.