Caring for Your Cloth

The aspect of cloth that many people find most daunting: washing.

It's really not that complicated, but first things first. Let's talk about prepping.

If you buy a new diaper, it will need to be prepped. This is the process used to remove oils and anything else that may be on the diaper that would repel liquid and therefore cause a leak.

There are a couple of different ways to prep new diapers depending on what they are and how much effort you want to put in.

Boiling Prep


That's right. One of the easiest ways to prep your diapers is to cook them. This will only work on diapers that do not have the waterproof polyurethane laminate (PUL) or plastic snaps. This means mostly flats, prefolds, and inserts. Basically, you bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a drop of dish detergent, add the prefolds, and boil for 10-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After that, remove with tongs and put them through a wash cycle, dry, and done!

There's a nice picture tutorial here: Boiling Prefolds

Wash/Dry Prep


This method isn't a problem either. Simply run the diapers through 3-5 wash and dry cycles. If your diaper has PUL, you may need to run it through a hot dryer cycle to seal the laminate. Many diapers aren't  at their maximum absorbency until their tenth wash! If I just have one new diaper, I just keep tossing it in with the rest of my diaper wash a few times before I use it rather than prep it alone.

Cleaning Diapers

The cleaning process is not at all complicated as some people worry. It's just four or five steps. If your baby still has those mostly liquid, breastfed poops, just toss the whole thing in your wetbag. If your baby has firmer, solid food poops you can invest in a diaper sprayer that attaches to your toilet or just dunk the diaper and swirl it around a little. If both of those make you squeamish, you can get disposable liners that just lift out and get flushed.

Once you're ready to wash, just empty the wet bag into the machine, then toss it in too. Run a cold rinse cycle, then wash on hot. You can buy special cloth diaper soap like Rockin' Green or you can use a conventional free and clear detergent. A lot of people use Tide. We use Seventh Generation since that's what we use for our laundry anyway. Just use about half the amount you would use normally in that case. Finally, run one more warm rinse.

There are a few options to dry. Line drying is great because the sun acts as a natural bleach to get out any stains. Plus you're not using the energy of the dryer. If you do use a dryer, dry anything with PUL on low heat. Some items, like thick fitteds for example, may need an extra half cycle.

Remember, you can get diaper detergent and a ton of other eco-friendly parenting supplies at EcoMom for the special MamaSource deal of $20 for $40 worth of goods!

Stripping


Sometimes a good wash just can't get rid of the funk. This is when you need to strip. I could write out all the information, but a really good break down can be found on Zany Zebra

A Challenge

Speaking of washing diapers, apparently diapers have been in the news lately because some families find that they can't afford disposables for their babies, so they are actually reusing disposables. In order to show the world that there is a better solution Dirty Diaper Laundry is hosting their Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge. Basically, you commit to using only flats and hand washing them for a week. It's an inexpensive solution!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change

Finally, don't forget tomorrow is The Great Cloth Diaper Change! Let's set a new world record for the most cloth diaper changes at once. If you're in the Tampa Bay area, we hope to see you at Great Explorations for the change and the Baby Expo that follows! There's more info on their Facebook page.

How to Choose?

The most overwhelming part of cloth diapering at first was choosing which system we wanted to use. In fact, I can't really say I've made a decision as to which is best. I can share a little info about what's out there, some pros and cons, and examples of how much I paid for each.

Prefolds or Flats and Covers

Unknown prefold, Snappi, and Thirsties cover - Paid $12.50

This is probably the cheapest way into cloth diapering. It's the system your own parents may find familiar with a few updates. Basically, you have a piece of cloth, you fold it into a diaper on your baby, pin it (or don't), and put on a waterproof cover. You're unlikely to use those diaper pins your parents probably used on you. Now we have Snappi's (and Boingo's, but I've never used those). Snappi's are rubbery three-headed grabbers that hold the diaper in place. Some people just fold their prefolds into thirds and lay them inside the cover. After the baby has soiled the diaper, you take it off, throw it in your wetbag and replace it. As long as the cover didn't get poop on it or wet anywhere other than the waterproof lining (PUL), you can reuse it a few times, so you don't need that many. The biggest problem I've had with prefolds is finding the right size. The ones I have are just a little too big for my baby right now, so he winds up with giant butt.

Fitteds

Snug to Fit Fitted & Kawaii OS Cover - Paid $12

These diapers are similar to prefolds and covers, but they are already shaped into a diaper which must be snapped or velcroed on. They are not waterproof, though, so you do need a cover. These can be great for nighttime because they're very absorbent and easy.

Pockets

Lotus Bumz Pocket Diaper - Paid $7

These are diapers with pockets into which you stuff inserts. Some people also stuff prefolds into their pockets. These are nice for a few reasons. It is really simple, just take off the soiled diaper, throw it in the wetbag, and replace. Also, unlike many other styles, most pockets wick the moisture away from the baby's skin. You can also increase absorbency by adding more inserts or using natural fiber inserts like hemp or bamboo which is particularly useful at night. Since the parts separate, these diapers dry faster than some other systems too. The issue most people have with pockets is the time it takes to stuff the diaper before use, but really it's just a few minutes extra. Pockets make up most of my stash.

All In One's (AIO's)

bumGenius AIO - Free from a friend!

These diapers are just what they sound like, all one piece. The diaper has a waterproof outer layer with absorbent strips sewn into the inside. They are super convenient, just like a disposable, remove and replace. They do, however, often take more time to dry since they are all one piece.

All In Two's (AI2's) and Hybrids

Smart Snugs AI2 - Paid $7

Super soft bamboo snap-in liner

These are just like the AIO's, but the liner is removable. That means they dry a little faster, and the cover can be used more than once. Many systems have different kinds of liners to choose from like organic, stay-dry, or even disposable.

Most diapers come with snap or velcro options. One-size diapers (OS) usually fit from about 8 or 10 lbs up to 35! Most of my diapers came from DiaperSwappers, a forum where you can find lots of cheap, sometimes even new diapers!

You will also need some sort of wetbag, maybe two, and a travel one if you do cloth on the go. Cloth wipes are a great idea too because you can just toss it in the diaper when you're done. Many people just moisten them with water and maybe a little tea tree oil.

Also remember, you don't have to jump into cloth full-time. I'm currently still using disposables while he sleeps. Some people use disposables when they're out of the house. Just remember, every little bit helps!

If you're looking to buy some diapers (or a ton of other great stuff) I found this deal from MamaSource:

$20 for $40 at EcoMom!

I have my eye on that water sling...

Don't forget, I try to share all the good deals and contest I find on my Baby Contest page!

It's Real Diaper Week!

Recently a few people have asked me to blog a little about cloth diapering. I was planning on waiting until my recent order comes in, but it's Real Diaper Week. What better time than now?

My path into cloth diapers probably isn't all that unique. I kind of felt before the Vegta Baby was born that cloth diapers were just me. The husband was not quite on the same page, though. He'd tried them with his daughter and didn't feel like the benefits were worth the trouble. We agreed we would wait until after he was born and we saw how our lives changed.

When he was about a month old, I bought my first cloth diapers. I just hated the way I felt every time I had to throw another diaper in the trash. I got two Alva pockets from another mama for $10. It was so simple: snap on, snap off, wash, dry, stuff, repeat! I wanted to try all of the different systems, though. That's where Diaper Swappers came in handy. I didn't spend more than $10 for any diaper, and I got to try prefolds and covers, pockets, fitteds, an AI2s. I haven't tried an AIO (all-in-one) yet, but I think I still had a pretty good sample.

It's really not too complicated at all. Even my husband, while still not entirely into it, agrees that it's not as bad as his first experience. They used prefolds and pins, but now we have Snappis! One of the best things I've noticed so far is that I haven't had a blow out in cloth yet! Every time he pooped in a disposable it went everywhere, but I haven't seen that in cloth.

There are a few topics I'll probably cover this week:

- Benefits of cloth
- Choosing a system
- Washing

If there are any other topics you'd like to know more about, let me know! I'm by no means an expert, and I'll probably pull information from outside sources. I'm also always looking for cloth diaper giveaways for my contest page, so let me know if you've found one I haven't.

At the end of the week is the Great Cloth Diaper Change. We're working to break the world record for most cloth diapers changed at once. If you live in the Tampa Bay area, come hang out with me at the GCDC Saint Pete at Great Explorations. There will be lots of prizes and a baby expo to follow. I can't wait!