Cloth diapers

I have been asked a few times about cloth diapers since that is what we use. We use cloth diapers for many reasons, the main reason being cost. For a months worth of disposable diapers it is around $50 pending on your child. When buying cloth diapers it is a bit more of an expense upfront but well worth it. You can buy ALL the diapers you need from birth to potty training for the cost of 6 months of disposables and you can use them for multiple children. ca-ching ca-ching.

I was introduced to cloth diapers when babysitting a friend's son every week. I would have NEVER consider them for I thought they would be far more work than I was willing to do but it was the exact opposite. They were too easy NOT to do! Before I continue if you use disposable diapers that's great -- I am a firm believer that you have to do what works for you and what works for you doesn't work for everyone. I just want to shed some light on a topic that I was once very closed minded on. 

There are three types of cloth diapers (that I am aware of). The insert/cover type, pocket diapers (very popular), and the all-in-one. 

The insert/cover type are the ones that we used at first. The brand we used was Bummies. It was $199 for a starter kit and it was everything I needed to get started. We did buy two extra covers after a while to stretch the laundry from two days to three. 

Diaper insert gets folded differently depending on your child.

I didn't mind using these but it was difficult for Sean to coordinate with the snappie (see picture below) and the insert when she was crying as well as other people who did not watch her often. It does take some getting used to. Basically when the diaper insert is wet or dirty you take it off and throw it directly into your wet bag. If the cover is wet or dirty you throw that in too but most of the times you can wipe the cover down with a wipe and use it again. 

              

You can see the sharp hooks that hold the insert together.

The pocket diaper is a very popular style. Basically you have a liner that slides into a pocket in the diaper and then it goes on all in one piece like a disposable. When the diaper is wet or dirty you put the entire thing into the wet bag and use a fresh diaper every time. A number of our friends use this type of diaper. I have only tried on brand (shine baby) and that ended in one day as the leaking was within an hour every time we changed her so our laundry was huge and she was soaked all the time. Our friends have had great experience with the brand fuzzibuns. I have never tried them but they seem to be a good brand from what I hear. 

                   

                           

My favourite and personal preference is the all in ones. We originally bought these as "babysitter diapers" meaning that only people that watched her used them. But we started using them too as they were so much easier. I would recommend these for many reasons. They are a few dollars more a diaper but they are adjustable from birth to potty training and used for many kids so to never have to stuff a diaper again is awesome. Never having to use a liner is a great time saver and sanity saver for Sean. 

I bought these diapers online for $19/diaper. Then when I bought 20 I got 4 free. The diapers were $399 total (for 24 of them). I like the brand called BumGenius. The site that I bought them from only ships to the USA but you can find them online or in store that ship to Canada. They were cheaper online than in the store tho. I can add an extra liner during the times she becomes a hyperpee'er. 

             

This is the size Rylee is in.

This is what the diaper looks like fully open.

It is really important to buy quality diapers and you get what you pay for. It's very similar to disposable diapers. If you buy cheep no name ones you will have a lot more problems than if you buy the good quality ones. The other difference between diapers is snap closures or Velcro. We prefer snap because then the diapers don't get snags and they are harder for the baby to undo them. 

Washing your diapers: 

I think this is the part that scares most people. But don't fear it is really easy! I open the wet bag, dump them in the washer, toss the wet bag in as well and hit start. I don't touch dirty or wet diapers. Ever. 

My large wet bag came with my bummies kit, I bought the medium one and the small one was a gift.

I do a rinse cycle on cold water then wash them in hot water with special detergent. I toss them in the dryer like normal and voila they are done. Very simple. 

It is important to use the recommended diaper soap which can also be bought in speciality store because your diaper warranty will be void if you don't. Once your warranty is up you can experiment with making your own but I just buy rock green -- it's $22/bag but it lasts a long time (I use 1.5 tablespoons a load). 

You do have to strip your diapers and the frequency depends on your washing machine. Top load washers use more water (which cleans the diapers better) then you don't need to strip them as often but front load washers are more efficient so you have to strip them more often. Rylee is 7 months and I've had to strip her diapers once but we have a top load washer. I just googled how to strip diapers and choose the method I liked the best. 

Stains: 

All diapers get stains even if you wash them often. There is a very simple way to get rid of them. Do a wash cycle then hang them to dry in the sun. If that doesn't work (it has worked every time for me like magic) then wash them and soak them in water and lemon juice then hang them in the sun. Just make sure your wash them again before putting them on baby because the acid from the lemon juice will hurt their skin. 

Diaper sprayer:
Once your child is on solids you have to get rid of their poop and not just put it in the washing machine (when you have runny newborn poop it can just toss it in the wash). So when it is solid you dump it in the toilet. You can get something called a diaper sprayer that hooks to your toilet so you don't have to touch it. 

If you are unsure of what ones you want I would suggest buying a few different ones and seeing what you like best. There are websites that will send you a few different kinds to try then you can just return the ones you don't like and you are only charged for the ones you keep.

You can send me an e-mail if you have any questions or leave a comment below.