Cloth Diapering - Soap/ Detergent

During the time we were cloth diapering Juni, I constantly had to strip. Diapers... We had barnyard stink and ammonia. I followed the advice of blue dawn and extra rinses. I used only "safe" detergent. Hell, I even spouted off that advice myself. My diapers were crunchy, stinky and not absorbing well.

I joined a few Facebook groups. They all praised Tide. They all said the blue dawn thing only worked for grease. Everything I knew was wrong?

I thought I would give their advice a try. I refuse to use P&G products - so no Tide for me. I picked up a super cheap box of PC Ultra Free Laundry Detergent. I used the full amount. Then I prayed. Forrest's diapers came out fluffy. There was no stink! 

A couple weeks later, I decided to try Melaleuca since it is what I use on the rest of our laundry (it gets delivered to my door. I'll leave the Melaleuca praise for another day). Similar results. The diapers were the cleanest they have ever been. I'm a convert. No special detergents around here anymore. 

Side note: I've had very good results with Country Save detergent. It is super cheap, powdered and works well for diapers. 

Cloth Diapering - HE washing

I'm back for round 2 of cloth diapering tips. I've been using cloth on Forrest from about 2 or 3 weeks old. New baby, new house, new machine, new diapers...

Before we moved into the house, we rented a townhouse with an apartment sized stacking washer and dryer. For almost 2 years, that is where I washed my diapers. I had to strip all the bloody time. We had bad ammonia stink. I also had farmyard stink. 

I kept hearing people complain about HE machines and cloth diapers. I am going to give you some tips on cloth and HE machines.

We have a Whirlpool HE machine. It was our one big upgrade on appliances. I wanted a very large capacity machine (someone will inevitably piss all over my kingsize down duvet). It had to be quiet (genius architect puts the laundry room right next to the kids' bedrooms). It had to be easy to use. 

This is my current wash routine:

-Quick Wash with Cold temperature

-Allergen cycle with Extra Rinse (add soap to this cycle)

I hang to dry or machine dry. Haven't had to strip once. 

Cloth Diapering - Where to Buy

I keep getting asked "where do I buy cloth diapers?"

Here's my answer:

If you have a local store that carries the brands you like - shop there. Yes, they may cost a little bit more, but, chances are, the store is owned by a local mom. You can ask questions to a real person who will help you find the right fit and style for your baby. In Calgary, our awesome shop is Babes in Arms.

If you don't have a local store, look at buying from an online store that is local. For Canadian parents, look at buying from a Canadian online store. Each province/ city seems to have one. I haven't ordered from one, so I can't/ won't recommend one.

Another great option is Kijiji for Canadians. I started my stash from consignment diapers from BIA and used diapers from Kijiji. I highly recommend that you see what the diaper looks like new before buying used. People will claim the diaper is in EUC, when it is falling apart. I fell victim to that whole thing. I paid $80 for 8 Flip inserts, 2 prefolds and 6 covers (2 were terrible, 2 were okay, 2 were GUC) - was told everything was in EUC. 

I'd avoid Ebay unless diapers are being sold by an official eBay seller for that brand. It sounds silly, but there are counterfeit diapers. 

Happy stash building!

Cloth Diapering - Washing Part 2

You've looked online at all the cute patterns. You've weighed the pros and cons of AIOs vs. pockets. You've committed to cloth diapers. Now, how the heck to you wash these stinky things. 

These are the steps I take:

1. Put diapers in washer. Make sure velcro is attached to itself or wash tabs.
2. Do a cold rinse. I run my delicates cycle.
3. Do a long hot wash with detergent with a cold rinse.
4. Do an extra cold rinse.
5. Hang covers to dry. Hang or toss prefolds and inserts in the dryer. 

That easy, folks.

Tips:

• sun bleach stains.
•  use extra detergent with hard water, less with soft water.
• use vinegar in the first rinse cycle with soft water. No vinegar in hard water.
• get your water as hot as possible.
• use as much water as possible in a wash.

Cloth Diapering - Washing Part 1

Thinking of cloth diapering, but worried about the burden of laundry? I get ya. Having a baby means you are having to do about 100 loads a week of receiving blankets, bibs, tiny clothes, sheets... for me, adding 1 extra load every 2-3 days wasn't even noticeable. I found it easier than reaching for a diaper at 3 am and realizing we only had 2 left and the nearest store didn't open until 8am. 

Don't:

• use a wet pail. Lots of old school cloth diaper moms will tell you to put your diapers in a pail with water to avoid staining. Gross. Don't do it. It leads to mould and a much stinkier mess. If you are washing on a regular basis, you are golden.
• bleach diapers. Again with the old school advice. 'The only way to kill the germs is bleach." Not true. Bleach is a nasty chemical. I don't want it near my daughter's bottom.
• use dryer sheets. Even in other laundry. They use beef tallow to soften laundry (that is gross on it's own) and leave build-up in your dryer. The scents and chemicals also really effect air quality in your home and can aggravate allergies and asthma. You can google how to clean the residue out of a dryer. Wool dryer balls are a great alternative.
• use diaper cream. It leaves a residue in diapers that takes a lot of effort to remove. A natural oil like coconut oil or All Things Jill diaper cream is an alternative. Even when using safe cream, only use if a rash is present, use sparingly and pop in a liner.

 Do:

• find a great diaper pail. We use the Motherease pail because it has a charcoal filter. It sits in the middle of our living room and no one smells anything. We line it with an Applecheeks wetbag so that I never have to wipe it out.
• wash every 2-3 days. Don't push it any longer or you will have mouldy diapers.
• use a diaper safe detergent. No dyes, no scents, no optical brighteners. Stick to something natural. We like Nellie's, but there are a lot of options. I won't list them all because if you are reading this, you can google. 
• use natural germ killers. Washing regularly, hot water, the sun, baking soda, and vinegar will kill bacteria. Don't use vinegar if you have hard water or you will have ammonia smelling diapers.
• sun bleach. I thought this was a crock - until I did it. My really badly stained prefold was spotless within one round of sun bleaching. Lay your diapers still wet in the sun. As they dry, the sun bleaches out the stains. You may need to do a couple rounds, but it really works.
• hang to dry. If you want your covers to last, hang to dry. I hang to dry all my covers and put prefolds in the dryer. Pop your covers in the dryer every 5th wash to reseal.
• strip your diapers. If they aren't absorbing well, they stink after one pee, you kid gets a rash - you need to strip those diapers. More on adventures in stripping later. 

  Washing instructions to follow.

Cloth Diapering - The 'P' Word

Here's the skinny on the dreaded POOP. 

When considering cloth diapers, this always seems to be the thing that scares new parents most. I never understood it. Babies poop. They poop a lot. Juniper pooped with every feeding in the beginning - every 2 hours. You will get poop on your hands, clothes, sheets, furniture, floor... You will scrub poop from tiny onsies. That's being a parent. If you don't want to touch poop, don't get knocked up or get a dog. 

So, poop and cloth diapers. It is no worst than disposables. Actually, it is much better. We have had 2 'poop explosions' since switching to cloth full-time. I got blowouts at least once a week with disposables. You can scrub a tiny expensive outit, or you can dump cloth diapers in the wash without ever touching the dirty poop with your bare hands - which sounds smarter? 

With cloth, I take off the diaper and toss it into a diaper bin lined with a big wet bag. Come laundry day, I pull out the wet bag and dump everything into the wash. NO POOP TOUCHING! You don't need to get a diaper sprayer or use liners if your baby isn't eating solids. Exclusively breastfed babies have water soluble poop. Most formula poop is also water soluble. Once your kid starts eating solids, you can use a thin disposable liner or a diaper sprayer. We opt for the disposable liner. These are advertised as 'flushable' but I've put more than a few through the wash and they don't break down quickly. I hate a clogged toilet, so I toss in the trash.

And, that folks, is poop with cloth diapers.

Cloth Diapering 101 - Starting the Stash

The number one question - where do I start? Followed by, how much does this cost? And then, what about the poop? (We will deal with poop and washing next post - promise!)

Types

Now that you know the types of cloth diapers, is there a type that stands out to you? Is there a type that makes you think, "no way"? When I started, I expected to hate prefolds. I ended up buying some to use as burp cloths. On laundry day, I decided to fold one and pop it in a cover - and I was hooked. Prefolds became my go-to diaper.

So, here is what I recommend, try a couple different types of diapers. Once you have a real live baby. Different diapers fit different babies. A diaper that fits your baby one month, might fit weird when they have a growth spurt. You will have the exact same problem with disposables. So, don't commit like crazy to one diaper all at once. Read online reviews. Oh, and ask your friends what they like.

Trial

Some local and online diaper stores offer trial packs. These are fantastic. Or, you can buy a few new diapers to try out. Or look at consignment diapers at you local store. Or buy used off of Kijiji or Craigslist. 6-12 diapers is good for a trial.

How many? 

Shout out to Babes in Arms for this info.

Recommended diaper layette (2-3 days of diapering):

• 12-24 Pocket diapers with 24 inserts

or

• 24 AIOs 

or

• or 24 Fitted diapers with 6-10 covers in each size and 3-4 nighttime diapers 

or

• or 24 Flat/ Prefold diapers with 6-10 covers in each size and 2-4 snappis 

and

• 6-12 extra inserts/ doublers/ boosters
• 1 roll of disposable liners
• 24-36 washable wipes
• 1 diaper pail and 2 pail liners
• 1 wet bag (for on the go)

Cost

This is up to you. Different types, different brands have different costs. Expect to pay between $200 and $800 for brand-new diapers. I am going to list American online prices, since most of the people asking are ladies I've met online.

Prefolds, fitteds and covers: Prefolds cost about $20/ 6. Econobums kit of 3 covers and 12 prefolds and 1 wetbag sells for $50. Bummis kit of 24 prefolds, 6 covers, 3 rolls of liners, 5 fleece liners and 1 wet bag sells for $180. Covers can cost between $10-20. Motherease fitted costs $12. Other fitteds can be $8-20.

Pocket diapers: Sunbaby sells for a kit of 24 for just over $100. Charlie Banana sells for $22/ diaper. Applecheeks sells for $20/ diaper (the best pocket to me). BumGenius sells for $18/ diaper.

AIOs: Anywhere from $15-30/ diaper. BumGenius Freetimes are my all time favorite and retail for about $20. Omaiki cost about $30/ diaper. There are cheaper options too with Kawaii baby.

Where to buy?

I know this might sound preachy, but support your local businesses. These are often Moms with tons of experience who can give you face to face advise. Sure, you might pay a few bucks more per diaper, but you are keeping a family fed and you will save money by getting the right diaper for you.

If you want to shop online or don't have a local store, buy from authorized dealers. Ebay often sells knock-offs of the big brands. A few online options are: Cloth Diaper Sites, Diaper Junction (they also offer a trial kit), All About Cloth Diapers, and Diapers.com.

Cloth Diapering 101 - Types of Diapers

I have a cloth diaper addiction. Seriously. I go nuts over a tiny padded bum. Since having Juniper, I've tried all the different types of cloth diapers (except bird's eye flats - I just don't get those). Just so you know, I only have used North American made diapers. There are cheaper options out there, I just haven't used them. 

I am not an expert. I don't work for a diaper store (yet?). This is just what we've tried and my own opinions. Oh, and the lovely ladies at Babes in Arms have been a huge help. If you are in Calgary, go there! Take their classes. Love them. 

So, you want to try out cloth diapering. I highly recommend trying out a few different types of diapers once you have an actual baby. This made a huge difference for me. Buy consignment diapers or look on Craigslist, Kijiji or where ever people sell their crap online where you live. 

This is a prefold with a cover:

Pros:

• cheapest way to cloth diaper
• only change prefold for wet diapers
• can use with snappis for traditional diaper folding instead of as an insert (as shown)

Cons:

• bulky
• 2 separate pieces
• need to fold or attach prefold with each change

Econobums cover with prefold (folded in thirds)

Econobum cover

Prefold

This is a fitted diaper with a cover:

Pros:

• next cheapest option
•  very good for heavy wetters
• only change fitted diaper with wet diapers
• great to add boosters/ doublers for night

Cons:

• bulky
• have to snap or pull on 2 diapers

Motherease fitted diaper

Snap in booster in fitted diaper.

Motherease fitted inside a Motherease Airflow cover

This is a pocket diaper:

Pros: 

• Very popular choice with lots of brand options
• can adjust inserts for wetness levels
•  quicker dry time than AIOs
• inserts don't shift like prefolds & covers

Cons:

• stuffing and unstuffing
• one diaper = one wear

Applecheeks pocket diaper with Bamboo insert

Applecheeks size 1 cover

Applecheeks bamboo insert folded.

This is a cover with an insert:

Pros:

• only change insert for wet diapers
• can use disposable inserts

Cons:

• not great for heavy wetters
• 2 separate pieces

Flip cover (similar to other covers)

Flip microfiber insert

Flip insert inside cover

This is an All-in-one diaper (AIO):

Pros:

• All in one means no separate cover and insert - all sewn together
• No stuffing and un stuffing like pocket diapers

 Cons:

• Expensive
• Take forever to dry (Freetime flips apart and takes less time - truly genius)

BumGenius Elemental

BumGenius Freetime (my favourite)

Cover options:

There are literally hundred of cover options if you use inserts, prefolds or fitted diapers. Everyone has their favourites. I hate velcro for the most part. I am terrible at remembering to attach it properly for washing and so my covers get stuck to inserts - Gggggrrrrr. I like snaps. I also like plain covers. There are tons of cute patterns out there, I just don't buy very many of them. There are one size or sized too. I prefer one sized because I'm cheap and don't want to have a bunch of different size diapers. You can use pocket diapers as covers too - just don't stuff the insert (the only microfiber safe for next to the skin is the BG ones).

Sustainable Babyish wool soaker - size medium

Wool is great for night use over a fitted diaper. Super absorbent. Crazy expensive though. 

BrookiEllen one-size cover (cotton over PUL)

 BrookiEllen used to sell on etsy. Her covers are very well-made and cute. The cotton layer over PUL is nice and soft. She also makes ruffle bums.

Bummis Superbrite - size small

Bummis make amazing thick PUL covers. The velcro has wash tabs on the inside! This cover was my favourite when Juniper was very little because of the gusseted legs.

Motherease Rikki cover - size small

Motherease covers are made in Canada! Cute prints. Don't like the lack of wash tabs since D always forgets to reattach the velcro.

Motherease Air Flow cover - size m/l

 We use this cover over the Motherease fitted with extra insert and an additional hemp booster for overnight. Another cute print.

BumGenius Flip cover - one size with snaps

 Flip covers are so versatile. Over a disposable insert, prefold, microfiber insert - whatever! Expensive covers.

Bummis SuperWhisper cover - size medium

Bummis is my favourite! So similar to the other one, just no extra gusset and cute print. We use all the time. Wish I had a snap Bummis cover. 

Extras:

There are all sorts of things to help cloth diapering. Booster/ doublers add absorbency. Liners make poop disposal easy.

Swimmis swim diaper

Why use a disposable swim diaper? These are super cute AND reusable! Check with your pool, some are fascists about using disposables.

Omaiki night diaper

Omaiki is another amazing Canadian company. So well-made. This is a fitted diaper with a pocket with an attached insert. Brilliant. So absorbent too. I just started using this with a hemp booster under the wool cover for night. So far, 8 hours and no leaks!

Motherease snap in booster

This organic cotton booster snaps into the Motherease fitted. Awesome.

Unknown contoured booster

Picked this booster up secondhand. Contoured is awesome for catching messy morning poops. The things you learn. Quickly. 

Bummis disposable liners

Disposable liners are essential for when you have to use a little diaper cream (no zinc!). Also a must for formula fed or solid eaters - if you don't want to spray or if you are on the go. They claim to be flushable, but I've accidentally tossed them in the wash and they survive. That means a clogged toilet to me. 

So, that is more or less types of diapers. Other great resources on types: your local diaper store (support local business for a few extra bucks), Diaper Jungle, Caterpillar Baby, Canada's Diaper Ladies, Bummis, and Ava's Appletree.

I'll explain storing, on the go, washing, poop, and stripping tomorrow.

If you have any questions, please ask! I can let you know my experiences.