Oh, how I love cloth diapers.

29 Dec 2011 4 Comments

by smithspirations in Fabulous Frugality, Green Gratification, Parental Ponderings

I hope everyone had a grand Christmas! We’ve been a tad busy around the house lately with a baby, two birthdays, Christmas, and enjoying the hubby’s time off of work, so blogging has taken a backseat. Our Christmas continues this week as Baby H will have her first visit from many family members, but I’m hoping to finish up baby topics within the next couple of weeks and move on to something else.

Today’s post is one near and dear to my heart: the joys of cloth diapering!

I mean it. I really, honestly, truly, and sincerely love using cloth diapers. I started when our last little one, Miss A, was four months old. I had thought about using cloth with her from the beginning but chickened out while considering my mother-in-law’s horror stories.  I later talked to another friend who used cloth on all four of her children and explained that cloth diapering was much easier now with different diapering options. She encouraged me to look into it, and after I had done my hours and hours worth of research, I took the plunge.

Then I felt silly for not trying it sooner!

Cloth diapering used to mean large square pieces of material, folded in various ways, pinned at the waist of the baby, and covered in rubber pants. Most moms soaked their diapers in a pail filled with water and perhaps bleach, and rinsed them in the toilet to remove more (ahem) solid material. I heard stories of plugged toilets from a diaper accidentally flushed down from both my mom and mother-in-law, with bonus chapters of the stinky diaper pail and babies pricked with pins thrown in by them and others. Doesn’t sound appealing.

I was shocked when I started reading on cloth diapering websites and saw all of the different styles, materials, and price ranges available to families who choose to use cloth. I seriously felt like I was learning a new language, and had to frequently refer to a glossary page I found on one site. All-in-ones (AIO), all-in-twos (AI2), PUL, soaker, fitteds, prefolds, flats, wraps, inserts, pockets, contours, wet pail, dry pail, DSQ… my head was spinning.

After my hours of research, I learned that cloth diapering today can be as easy as disposables, doesn’t require pins or stinky wet diaper pails, and though it is an investment at first (depending on the method chosen, start up costs can range from a couple hundred to near $1000, but you’d really have to splurge to hit that much), it can save hundreds and thousands of dollars over a family’s years of diapering.

There are lots of options in cloth diapering, but I’ll share the method I’ve chosen, why I chose it and like it, and leave the other options out for anyone interested to look into on their own.

I use prefold diapers, which look similar to the Gerber diapers lots of moms buy from Walmart to use as burp cloths. They are rectangular sections of fabric that are thicker in the middle where absorbancy is needed the most. However, I did not buy those Gerber diapers. They are not very absorbant and from what I’ve read, not as sturdy for repeating washings and dryings. Instead, I bought prefolds through an online cloth diapering store, and the difference between my Diaper Rite prefolds and the Gerber ones from Walmart is huge. They aren’t even close to being the same quality. These diapers are sturdy, very absorbant, and very soft. I have to do a small amount of folding to put them on, but it is so minimal that it takes all of five seconds. They wash very well and are easy to dry either on the clothsline (which I prefer, since it helps remove stains and leaves them smelling so fresh) or in the dryer (which does soften them more). I bought two sizes: one for newborn through about six months, and one size for six months on up. They do come smaller and larger than I bought. These diapers will last for years and through mulitple babies since they don’t have any elastic or fasteners, and when they are completely worn out, I’ve heard they are the best cleaning rags.

Cloth diapers require a waterproof cover to keep baby’s clothes dry, and the cover I chose is a PUL wrap cover that adjusts in size (the Thirsties Duo wrap, to be specific). PUL is an abreviation for polyurethane laminate and is a thin, stretchy synthetic material used in many diaper covers. A wrap cover is one that opens up just like a disposable diaper and straps on like one with either snaps or a special Velcro type of fastener called Aplix. So, when I change a diaper, I open up the wrap cover, remove the wet diaper, lay in a dry one, and put it on just like a disposable. I change the cover when it is really wet or gets dirty with poo. The changing process might take ten seconds longer than using a disposable.

Now, the laundry question. I wash diapers every other day right now, since younger babies go through diapers more frequently. As Baby H gets older, I’ll be washing about every three days. Going much longer than that between washings can harm the diapers with mildew or mold. Washing cloth diapers isn’t gross, it’s not stinky, it doesn’t significantly raise utility costs, and since a baby causes so much extra laundry anyhow, I don’t notice an extra three loads a week.

When baby is just breastfed (and I assume it would be true for formula, too), diapers, whether wet or soiled, can just be plopped into a diaper pail (which is really a glorified trash can lined with bag of choice) or special wet diaper bag with no additional rinsing after the baby’s been changed. Poo from a baby who is not on solids rinses right out in the wash with no problem. Once baby starts on solids, the poo will need to be rinsed or scraped off and flushed, but this is also supposed to be done with disposables if you read the packaging. There are various methods for poo removal, from diaper sprayers that attach to the toilet’s plumbing and gently blast diapers with water to a designated spatula kept in the bathroom (and never in the kitchen!) to just using toilet paper. If a mom finds this really appalling, there are also diaper liners that can be placed over a cloth diaper and flushed. No poo touching required!

When it’s time to wash, most moms follow some pattern of cold rinse, hot wash with minimal detergent, and additional cold rinse. Everyone does it a little differently. Diapers should be washed with detergents free of enzymes, brighteners, and other additives because these can cause rashes when in contact with a wet diaper. Fabric softeners are a no-no (except when dealing with fleece covers) because they will coat the diapers and make them repel moisture. Some diaper manufacturers will recommend a vinegar rinse, and some don’t. I don’t use vinegar, but some moms always do.

And that’s about it. It really is incredibly easy, and I can’t believe how much money was wasted on disposables now that I know how simple cloth diapering is. It is estimated that a family will spend about $2,000 for two years of disposable diapers and wipes for one child. We’ve spent about $250 total on our entire cloth diaper stash, so the diapers have quickly paid for themselves. I made my own cloth wipes with an old soft sheet cut into squares, and use a homemade solution to wet them (there’s an old post on that). I’ve seen less diaper rash, quicker potty training, and an improved monthly budget for a very minimal amount of work. The companies I’ve bought from and the brands I’ve chosen have been excellent with taking care of their customers and troubleshooting, the diapers are often made and sold by moms working from home, and I enjoy knowing that I’m keeping loads of nasty disposables from a landfill.

I seriously love cloth diapers.

Cloth wipes in an old wipes tub, a prefold diaper, and a bright orange cover... simple, economical, and super effective!

I did most of my research at Diaper Junction (www.diaperjunction.com) and have enjoyed buying most of my diapers and covers through them. If you are interested in learning more, that might be a great place to start.

Advertisement