10/15/12: Added info regarding cloth diapering a larger baby and info on stripping diapers. Also began a list of local cloth diaper stores. Please submit your favorite stores!
In the past few weeks alone I've had about half a dozen new or expecting mamas come to me for the scoop on cloth diapering. This makes me happy because it goes to show that more modern mamas are noticing that cloth is on the upwards trend and they're not afraid to try it! The cost of disposables went up this week due to an unfortunate accident recently at a facility in Japan that produces a key ingredient in disposable absorbency. This has been the last straw for many families who are already dishing out a lot of $$ for their monthly diaper supply.
So here is my personal little guide that I will keep as easy as possible based on my own experiences in cloth diapering twins. I've also thrown in some extra reading/examples where appropriate so click those links! This may seem like a lot of information but my goal is to have everything for you in one place to help ease some of the stress involved with your research. Happy cloth diapering!!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Cloth Diapering in a Nutshell
Pros/Cons
Types of Cloth Diapers
How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need?
Handy Cloth Diapering Accessories
Washing
How To Save A Little More
Just Do What's Right For You!
Cost Breakdown Sample
Cloth Diapering A Big Kid
Stripping Diapers
Still Not Sure? - Try It For $10!
List of Local Cloth Diaper Stores
Cloth Diapering in a Nutshell
Some people scoff at the idea of cloth diapering; they say you will be busy enough with a new baby, you won’t have time for the "extra work" of cloth. I am the type of person that will try something before I judge whether I like it or not. Keeping your mind open to educating yourself is key. I had no idea there were so many options available when I first began considering cloth. To me, saving money and helping the environment were more important than the mild amount of extra time I would put into cloth diapering. So, I encourage everyone to at least try it. If you don’t like it, it is not the end of the world – it doesn’t work for everyone and you can easily switch back to disposables.
Click here for some statistics and diaper facts.
Pros
Expense: Cloth can save you a lot of money if you spend carefully. There are some very expensive options (perhaps if money isn’t your main concern, maybe the environment is) as well as inexpensive options.
Health: Cloth diapered babies experience significantly less diaper rash. Disposable diapers are lined with chemicals that can provoke and worsen rashes.
Environment: Cloth diapers can be used over and over again, and when you are done with them you can safely pass them on to the next person (or use them on your next baby!). Disposables can only be used once and most (particularly big brands) are not bio-degradable. If you want to be even more kind to your environment, cloth diapers made out of organically grown materials are available.
Potty Training: It has been observed that many cloth diapered children potty train quicker and easier than their disposable diapered peers. This is because while disposables wick away moisture to their core, cloth generally absorbs throughout the material giving baby a wet feeling. Many toddlers are uncomfortable feeling wet and are more willing to potty train.
Blow Outs: You will experience significantly less blow outs than you would with disposables.
Cute Factor: Cloth diapers are just downright adorable and come in countless styles and prints. You’re not limited to the dyed characters and patterns that are printed onto disposables.
Cons
Expense: While cloth has the potential to save you a lot of money, if you go overboard and purchase more than you need, or if you go exclusively with the very costly brands and types, you probably won’t save much or you might even spend more versus disposable diapers.
Convenience: Some types of cloth diapers are a bit more complicated than disposables and it can take a little bit longer to change into a clean one. If you are on the go, you have to tote around the used dirty diapers instead of just tossing them.
Fit: The types of cloth diapers vary from being very bulky to pretty trim, however there are no cloth diapers as trim as disposables and certain clothing items may fit a little differently because of this.
Washing: Using cloth does mean a little bit of extra laundry (however, moms find themselves doing laundry often anyway and an extra load of cloth diapers isn’t a very big deal – and, cloth diaper loads require no or very minimal folding, which is the REAL work in my opinion!).
Types of Cloth Diapers
Prefolds and Covers: Three-piece system. Prefolds are squares of many layers of absorbent material (usually cotton). They go directly against baby’s skin and have been traditionally fastened with pins (nowadays you can also use what is called a “Snappi Fastener” which is needle-free and a much preferred method. Did you know these were invented by a practical stay-at-home-dad?), and underneath a waterproof cover that is held together by velcro or snaps. New prefolds need to be prepped before they can be used – you can do this by washing and drying them approximately 3-4 times until they appear “quilty”.
Pockets: Two-piece system. These diapers have an outer layer of waterproof material and an inner layer of absorbent material and a “pocket” to stuff inserts inside. Inserts come in a variety of materials and absorbency. You can place multiple inserts for extra absorbency.
Hybrids: One- or Two-piece system. They are just like a pocket, but these have a “built-in” insert with the option to add more removable inserts if desired.
All-In-Ones (AIO’s): One piece system. As with the other diapers, they have a waterproof outer layer and an absorbent inner layer. No inserts need to be added and no covers need to be put over them; this is the easiest (and often most expensive) type of cloth diaper to use.
Here are some awesome brands of cloth diapers: Thirsties, BumGenius, Fuzzibunz, Rumparooz (Colorado company!), SunBaby, and Kawaii. Most of my diapers are Sunbaby and Kawaii. You can find a good selection of a lot of cloth diapering stuff at Cotton Babies.
How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need?
I usually recommend 24 changes per baby. This should be a generally comfortable amount of diapers from newborn up to potty training. As you learn your baby's regular routine you'll be able to add or get rid of diapers appropriately. It also depends on how frequently you'd like to do laundry. If you don't mind doing it daily, you can have less diapers!
Handy Cloth Diapering Accessories
Wet Bag: A must, for storing dirty diapers whether at home or on the go. These bags are made of waterproof material and can be zipper or drawstring closures. I have a large one for home use and a couple of smaller ones for on the go (they can hold approx 6 dirty diapers each). Example: Kawaii Zippered Wet Bag.
Snappi Fastener, if you're using prefolds and covers. This is what a Snappi is.
Liners: These are optional but nice to have. When you put a new diaper on your baby you can lay a liner to go between the diaper and baby's bum. If it turns out to be a pee diaper, the liner can be rinsed and dried for another use. But if it's a poo diaper - peel and toss! Easy! Example: Kushies Biodegradable Diaper Liners.
Coconut oil: A great solution for mild diaper rashes. Example: Nutiva. Regular diaper rash creams such as A&D, Desitin, and Buttpaste ARE NOT SAFE FOR CLOTH DIAPERS!! It is important to remember that you should not use any diaper rash cream when you are cloth diapering, in the uncommon instance that your baby does develop diaper rash. Diaper rash cream will do to a diaper what it does to a bum – create a barrier that repels moisture. A safe alternative is to apply extra virgin coconut oil to the rash. This will not harm the absorbency of your diapers and it is an effective, natural way to heal your baby’s skin. You can find it at any health food store and likely your regular grocer as well. It is inexpensive and has a long shelf life.
Other Cloth Diaper Safe Creams: There are a variety of cloth diaper safe creams available online and likely at your local cloth diaper store. Example: WishGarden Diaper Rash Salve.
Tea Tree Oil: A couple of drops (literally just a COUPLE) can be added to the diaper wash for a disinfecting quality and to keep things fresh. Example: PlantLife Tea Tree Essential Oil.
Drying Rack: I keep mine on the back porch for sunning diapers. This is letting them air dry in the sun to eliminate stains and also disinfect.
Cloth Diaper Safe Laundry Detergent: There are a variety of brands of detergents made for cloth diapers. Most dye-free, scent-free detergents should be just fine. I actually make my own (1 part Borax, 1 part Washing Soda, 1 part oxygenated cleaner).
A Diaper Sprayer: This can make cleaning solid poop off a dirty diaper much easier. They easily install into the back of your toilet (plumbing and everything) so you have water flow to rinse a diaper straight into the toilet. It's a nice luxury but not necessary. I'll be honest, I just pick the poo off with toilet paper and flush it, but then again I am an ex-vet tech so.... I've seen worse. Example: BumGenius Diaper Sprayer.
Washing
If you are cloth diapering an infant that is ingesting only breast milk, the diapers can be thrown in the wash as-is. Breast milk is water soluble and will not cause any problems in the wash. If the infant is receiving formula or any formula supplements, the bulk of poopy diapers does need to be scraped into the toilet or trash, or sprayed off with a diaper sprayer (such as this one by BumGenius) before the diaper is washed. Using liners in your diapers can help make this process easier. It is highly recommended that the type of washing detergent you use is free of fragrances and other harsh chemicals. These can cause build-up in your diapers that will harm their absorbency. Some examples of commonly used detergents are “All: Free & Clear” (which seems to be the most readily available as you can likely find it at any large retailer), “Charlie’s Soap”, and “Rockin’ Green”. You do not need to use as much soap as the instructions recommend – typically, a third of that amount or even less will be sufficient. The goal is to avoid soapy build-up. An extra precaution you can take in addition to using less detergent is running an extra rinse cycle. I have also been told that Soap Nuts work wonderfully and are a very eco-friendly choice in laundry detergent. I would recommend running the gentle cycle until you know how your diapers hold up in the wash. I personally worked up to regular cycle and drying appropriate items on high once I knew what they would tolerate. Always start conservative though. Prefolds and inserts can be thrown in the dryer but anything with a waterproof component to it is better off air-dried. If you find your diapers have been stained, a tried-and-true method to remove the stain is drying them in the sun (commonly referred to as “sunning”) for a bleaching affect.
How To Save A Little More
I ultimately decided that I like pockets best. They are the best combination of convenience and affordability. My current stash consists mainly of SunBaby Diapers and Kawaii Diapers. Do some research and see if there is a cloth diapering store in your area. If you have one, ask if they have a used diaper program. Many of my diapers I have purchased used but in excellent condition. Not only does this save quite a bit of money on the more expensive brands, but it is more environmentally friendly. Check garage sales, CraigsList (a friend of mine found 10 Fuzzibunz and BumGenius diapers, brand new in packaging, on CL for $100. These diapers retail $20-25 each!), online diaper swaps – if you are a bit iffy about buying used, just don’t purchase anything that is stained or too worn. I am very picky about the used things I purchase, but a lot of it is still in great condition – sometimes, you’ll find something that was used only a couple of times (or maybe not at all!) and then they decided it wasn’t right for them. I bought/inherited a little bit of everything because I wanted to try all of it and decide what I liked best. Remember... you can always sell off what you are done with, too, and gain some return on your investment!
Just Do What's Right For You!
For a while I cloth diapered only part-time. That is what was easiest for me. I used cloth during daylight hours, and disposables at night and when we left the house. I eventually worked up to full-time cloth diapering when I was ready and now, it's a cinch. Two toddlers in cloth will have saved us thousands by the time we are ready to potty train!
Cost Breakdown Sample
2 bundles of 12 One-Size Pockets $69.99 ea = $140
2 bags of Rockin' Green Detergent $13.99 ea = $28 (total of 180 loads!)
1 container of cloth diaper safe WishGarden rash cream = $8
1 Large wet bag = $13
2 Small wet bags $10.90 ea = $22
Homemade Cloth Wipes = Free (old receiving blankets, cut to size and hemmed if desired)
Diaper Sprayer = $45
Total: $256 to get started comfortably!
Cloth Diapering A Big Kid
For most babies, a one-size diaper will work up through potty training. But some babies are bigger than that! I dropped in on a discussion about cloth diapering a larger kid and these were the suggestions. Try sized diapers (ie. diapers that do not come in "one-size", but are rather available in small, medium, large, or extra large), as these typically will run larger. A brand that seems to get a lot of good reviews is Fuzzibunz (Perfect Fit Pockets in XL go up to 45 lbs!). Thirsties products go up to 40 lbs (see Thirsties Duo All-in-One Size 2 and Thirsties Duo Wraps Size 2).
Stripping Diapers
This is something you may have to do occasionally if your diapers lose absorbency or get a little stinky. This can happen if you have a lot of build-up from your water or soap. Not to worry - it's an easy fix. Wash your diapers like normal, then do a wash using 1-2 tbsp of Blue Dawn Dish Soap. Run a normal cycle, then do a full rinse 3-4 times. At your last rinse check to see if there are any more bubbly suds... if there are, rinse again! :) I have been cloth diapering for about a year and have only had to do this once.
Still Not Sure? - Try It For $10!
Jillian's Drawers offers a 21-day trial package of all the types of diapers for you to try out. If you still aren't sure if you'll like cloth diapering, you can try everything out and decide what you like best easily this way!
More Questions? Email me at squishiebug@gmail.com or better yet, leave a comment in case others are wondering the same thing!
Thank You to:
Lyndsey S. for help with the cost breakdown and CraigsList experience
Sarah W. for information on soap nuts, sized diapers, and Jillian's Drawers suggestion
Cloth Diaper Store Submissions: Maria F., Riley P., Sarah W., Rebecca A., Hope B., Jennifer M., Tracy C.
LIST OF LOCAL CLOTH DIAPER STORES:
California
Granola Babies
Colorado
Denver Area: The Giggling Green Bean, Buy Buy Baby (carries BumGenius)
Boulder Area: Bundle
Fort Collins Area: Clothes Pony & Dandelion Toys
Michigan
Modern Natural Baby
The Little Seedling
Ohio
Cincinnati Area: Park + Vine
Virginia
Diaper Junction
