cloth diaper washing routine

okay...
on to routine.

if there is poop in the diaper, that must be scraped off before the diaper goes into the diaper pail, unless it is exclusively breastfed poop. this poop is very water soluble and diapers soiled with ebf poop can be tossed directly into the pail. we were actually lucky to start cloth diaper at this stage. it made it easy because we didn't have to think about what to do with poop. we could just concentrate on getting used to using cloth. as it is now, i just scrape poop off with toilet paper, into the toilet. some people have diaper sprayers (but poo can fly when these are used) and some keep a bucket with a spatula by the toilet to do the scraping). others use a bucket and the shower head. for really messy diapers, this is what my husband likes to use. i just dunk them in the toilet. you just have to find what works for you.

we have our large wetbag in the diaper pail. i bought a cheap 13 gallon trash can with a lid to use. i have one wetbag in the pail, and one that can be in the wash. i prefer a wetbag with a drawstring so i can travel with cloth but that is personal preference. i usually sprinkle baking soda and a couple drops of essential oil in the bottom of the pail. we really don't have an issue with stink though. i try to wash every 2-3 days, which helps keep those stinkies at bay. when it is wash day, i grab the bag out of the pail, and take the whole thing to the washer. i dump everything in (first emptying the wetbag, and then throwing that in as well). i don't add soap yet. i run a prewash on cold. this gets rid of the poo nasties and the cold water helps with stains. if i need to strip because my diapers stink or are repelling, i add the dishsoap here (only a tsp). i also like to add tea tree essential oil here.

once that is done, i add the soap and wash on hot with an extra rinse. if i am still having repelling issues (which sometimes happen even after a strip), i add rlr now. this would also be the time to add ammonia drops/tabs if you are having issues with ammonia smell. but keep in mind, i do not need to do these extra things all the time. only when my diapers leak, or smell awful, which is rare.

then, i do one more rinse for good measure (unless stripping, then you must rinse, rinse, rinse until there are no more bubbles).

last, i dry my diapers. i prefer to hang them outside to soak up the sun. however, in the winter, they freeze (which is fine) but then must be dried in the dryer. or, it may be raining or snowing, or too windy to put diapers outside so they must be dried in the dryer (or hung in the basement). i never dry the covers and only dry the diapers on medium heat. a dryer is very hard on diapers.

that is it.

i know that seems like a lot. but i assure you, it's like second nature now and i do all of these things without even thinking! as you gain experience, it gets easier. if i can do it, anyone can.

are you feeling brave now?

cloth diaper options

so starting to cloth diaper can be overwhelming when weighing the options. maybe you don't understand all the types. if so, this post is for you!

the first thing to consider are the kinds of diapers you would like in your stash. most people have more than one kind and often times what works for one baby may not work for another. a lot of cloth diaper stores (and online) offer a 30 day trial so you can try different kinds and send back what doesn't work.

ALL IN ONES:
these are the most similar to disposables. the name says it all. there is one piece and you change the whole thing at every diaper change. these have the absorbent parts sewn into the waterproof cover.

ALL IN TWOS:
these have a soaker part that pairs with a waterproof cover. if the soaker is the only thing that gets soiled, the cover may be reused.

POCKET DIAPERS:
these are covers that have a "pouch" or pocket where a soaker pad is inserted. this whole diaper has to be changed at diaper changes.

FITTEDS:
this diaper is similar to a disposable but is not waterproof. they are usually very absorbent but require a waterproof cover if used for sleepy times or for extended period of times. again, if the fitted is the only thing to be soiled, the cover can be reused.

PREFOLDS: 
these are square pieces of cloth with three sections sewn in. the middle section is the most absorbent. they must be used with a waterproof cover (that can be reused if poop doesn't get on the cover). these can be trifolded and laid in the cover or folded and used with a snappi. i prefer to use the snappi as it holds in the mess better, in my experience. plus, snappis are much easier to use than pins. though, some still prefer to use pins.

FLATS: 
these are large, flat pieces of fabric. they are folded in various ways and then pinned with pins or snappis. many like these because they are so cheap, trim, and because of the freedom to fold however you want, can be customized to fit all different babies.

COVERS:
these waterproof covers are used over fitteds, prefolds, and flats. these can also be made of wool or fleece if you prefer to stay away from tpu or pul.

HYBRIDS:
these diapers usually have a cloth option or you can put a biodegradable soaker pad in. these can usually be flushed.
There are also sized diapers and one size (or two size) diapers. usually one size diapers can't be used at birth unless you have a big baby. we used our one size diapers when lily got to be about 10 lbs.

*i don't necessarily prefer to buy at the stores listed. they just happened to have very user friendly sites and i could link my examples. i simply wanted to be able to give you something to look at (though, my lovely friend does own greenbyusa,  where they only carry products that are made here in the united states and i do love to support her).

you will also need a diaper pail, a large wetbag (which is a waterproof bag), though i recommend 2, to put in the pail, and a medium wetbag for your diaper bag. i also have a small wetbag that i put my cloth wipes in. i like making my own wipe solution because then i know exactly what i am putting on my baby's skin. it is also cheaper and i don't have to worry about fishing a disposable wipe out of the dirty diaper pail.

ready to get started now? haha

why should you consider cloth diapers?

alright.
i have decided to do this post.

i have friends that are "fluff" (aka cloth diaper) curious. but once they start looking into it, they become overwhelmed. it is true. the options are endless!

so i will start off my little cloth diaper series with a few reasons why we chose to cloth diaper.

i'm not going to lie, our number one reason was cost.

this video sold me. she speaks very quickly so you may want to watch more than once.



the cost up front can be a lot for people but there are options to buy used. however, the nice thing about buying new is many companies offer a warranty in case the elastic goes out or the stitching comes loose. buying a whole stash up front can save money in the long run, but if you don't have that, buy a diaper or two at a time. soon, you will have enough to switch over!

the second reason: cloth diapers are better for the environment.

some argue that more water is used in the cloth diaper world than in plants that make disposables. however, water is a renewable resource. and i will be keeping hundreds of pounds of waste out of the landfills. that alone was reason enough. studies have been done in the past, stating that water/energy used in cloth is still more than in disposable (when looking at the "life" of the diaper, from field to plant to home). however, all the studies i have seen have been done in the 80's and 90's using horribly old washing machines. a new study  done in 2000 showed that while the level of energy used isn't significantly less with cloth, it still was less. this study was not done using the new, energy efficient washers. i'm willing to bet that the energy and water usage is even less with these machines. disposables also generate 60 times more solid waste and use 20 times more raw materials (like crude oil) than cloth diapers.

third: we believe that cloth is better for lily. 
less diaper rash! that's right! kids in cloth get changed more often as cloth does not hold as much liquid as disposables. because her diapers get changed more often, there is less time for bacteria from ammonia to grow and multiply. plus, there aren't toxic chemicals against my baby's skin. in disposables, the bleach used to whiten the cotton leaves dioxin. dioxin has been known to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases. there are unbleached disposables, but as our main concern was cost, there was no way we could afford to buy those diapers (and of course, we would still be putting a ton of waste into landfills). these are the same toxins that are thought to be linked to toxic shock syndrome (tss).

disposable diapers have emissions. did you know that? yeah, that plastic-y, nasty smell. the smell that reminds me of maxi-pads or scented tampons? new studies suggest that these admissions can cause asthma and asthma like symptoms. some sites even suggest that disposables cause little boys scrotal temperatures to be higher, which can affect fertility later on in life.

those were the biggies for us. but there are even more benefits:
they provide a great way for baby skin to absorb vitamin d. setting cloth diapers out in the sun, they absorb great vitamins from those uv rays. then, those vitamins go right onto baby's skin. the suns' uv rays can also kill yeast and other bacteria.

another plus: they are soooo dang cute! i love the prints and colors! i love all the options! and i think a little fluffy bum is just adorable! 

many people may be hesitant because of the "gross" factor. i.e. what do you do with the poo? i would like to point out, that i *think* that directions state that fecal matter on disposables should be flushed before the diaper is thrown away (anyone care to confirm this?). if this is true, then the yucky part of cloth should also apply to disposables. i'll go over what we do for poo. it really isn't a big deal and you get used to it.

if you don't have a washer at home, here is a great video showing you how to create a bucket washer. if you are really daring, you can make this work if you don't have the facilities at home!

others may be hesitant because it seems like a lot of work. there is extra laundry, but diapers don't need to be folded. there are diapers that are very similar to disposables (called "all in ones" or aio). these are more pricey, but more convenient. they do take more time to dry, so the time factor should be considered.

but i'm getting ahead of myself. look to the next post to learn more about cloth diapering options.


*i got my statistics from here , here,  and here for the reasons that we chose cloth. these sites link back to specific articles, books, and studies, which i appreciated.