Here’s a little peek behind the scenes at our house (oh what glamorous and exciting lives we lead). Cloth diapers can be laying out in a sunny windowsill to dry, and a strange devil-may-care chihuahua might come prancing along…
… and decide to do a little birdwatching…
… followed by some leisurely lounging…
… right on top of the diapers. What a weirdo, right? But he’s our weirdo. (Cue the collective “aww.”)
And since one of the most common questions that we get has nothing to do with home improvement we figured we owed you guys an answer. It’s always some iteration of “How are you liking cloth diapers? Is it harder now that Clara’s on solid food? Do they show any wear and tear? Have you purchased more? Do you still like that they’re all in ones with snaps? Do they still fit since they’re one size fits all?” So we thought we’d share a quick little update on that front. Oh and if you have general cloth diaper questions please check out this post first (along with the comments) since it can answer any basic questions (and then some).
As for the cloth dipes, we still love them and use them pretty much all the time except when we’re traveling (since we don’t have access to a place to wash them). And we haven’t ordered a single additional cloth diaper or tried any other brand. Yup, for the last year we’ve stuck with the original 12 Bum Genius Elemental One Size All-In-Ones that we purchased over a year ago (more on them here). And they all still look mint and don’t have any smell issues or staining (thanks to our diaper sprayer – more on that here and here). And also thanks to laying them out in the sun to dry from time to time, which bleaches out any stains and keeps them as white as Ryan Seacrest’s teeth.
Since we still use the same diapers that we got about a year ago you can imagine how much loot we’ve saved (we did some how-much-will-we-save-math back in this original diaper post). And since we’re cheap-os, that alone should explain our downright obsession with the whole cloth diapering thing. And for those wondering if the cost of washing cloth diapers compares to buying disposables, our Energy Star front loaders are estimated to cost $15 a year to run (assuming you do eight loads of laundry per week). And we probably only do 5, (so perhaps they cost $12 or $13 to run for a whole year?!). Which puts our washing costs at about a dollar a month (and includes all the other laundry we do besides diapers). Pretty sweet.
For anyone who worries that it’s some sort of intense 1900’s hardship, cloth diapers have come a looong way since the safety pin days. We honestly expected them to be a lot harder (to take more time, to be more annoying to put on, to somehow be inferior to diposables, etc) but it’s a pretty simple process (detailed here) that’s completely second nature to us by now. We’ve even taught the grandparents how to do it. Plus it really seems to agree with Clara (she has far fewer blowouts and issues with diaper rash than she does when we travel with disposables). So that’s the icing on the cake. Well, that and the cute colors they come in (and the added softness thanks to fabric instead of plastic).
As for the whole solid food thing, we both agree that there’s a definite adjustment that occurs during that time, but it has much more to do with your nose than the whole act of cloth diapering (stuff actually gets stinky, but that happens no matter what kind of diapers you use). Just like any other parent of a kid who has started solids can attest, we had to work on the gag reflex and the whole hold-your-breath-while-you-change-them approach, but I think that’s pretty universal with disposables as well. And in some ways cloth got easier with solid stuff because as gross as this sounds, you can shake out the diaper into the toilet and the “stuff” rolls out instead of needing to be sprayed out (like the liquidy baby-poo that preceded solid foods, but that’s not too bad because it smells like buttered popcorn – at least Clara’s always did). Although we still give the diaper a shot of water even after we roll things off – just to be on the safe side (we think that’s why ours still look so good, we’re generous with the diaper sprayer and we love setting them out in the sun to bleach them back to spotlessness).
Hmm, maybe I need a little disclaimer not to eat while you read this post. Or not to read this post while you eat. Oh well, I hope you figured out where this might go when you read “cloth diaper update” so you don’t have a mouth full of oatmeal or something.
As for if we’re still loving the all-in-one with snaps choice (as opposed to cloth diapers with separate inserts or liners and velcro tabs) we’re very happy. We’ve heard that snaps tend to last longer than velcro tabs (which can wear out in the wash) and so far ours are all in great condition (not one bad snap of the bunch after lots and lots of washing). We also don’t have any issues with loss of elasticity or absorption. And as for the decision to go with all-in-ones over separate inserts, we just thought stuffing diapers sounded like an extra step, so we appreciate the simplicity of the all-in-one feature. About the fit, although Clara has gone from a tiny bean to a much bigger baby slash soon-to-be-toddler (sniffle) they still fit well and we don’t have any leaking issues. We just adjust the snaps from time to time to make the diaper larger to accommodate our growing girl.
As for detergent, we still use and love Charlie’s Soap (and Seventh Generation Free & Clear whenever we run out). Both work well for our front loaders (there’s a lot more on washing and caring for cloth diapers here in the original post by the way). And The Amazing Clara is now sleeping 12-13 hours straight in one diaper (we don’t wake her up to change her or use extra inserts and we don’t have any issues with leaks or rashes). I’m sure every baby is different, but the whole cloth diaper thing definitely works for us. And we know it’s one of those completely personal parent-how-you’d-like-to decisions, so we’re just sharing our experience when it comes to the whole thing. We’re not anti-disposable by any means (tons of our family and friends opted to go that route because it worked best for their household and we still rely on disposables whenever we travel). So consider yourselves updated. And let me know if you hear of any circus acts involving walking over a pile of diapers. Burger would be all over that.
Psst- Check out the original cloth diapering post here for tons (and tons) of info about how we chose/wash/care for/adjusted to cloth diapers.
Pssssst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Kristen says
I made the choice to use cloth before I was even pregnant! lol and now that Madison is 7 months old, we are so happy with our choice! Love the update, very positive without being pushy about cloth being a better choice (as a lot of cloth advocates can be in blogs).
We have a variety of types of cloth, from prefolds & covers, pockets, hybrids, and a few BG all in ones and I have to admit my all in ones are my least favorite of the bunch (cuteness factor is a big thing though, most of my pockets and covers have super cute prints…) They’re way addictive if you keep looking once you have your stash – we started with 5 pockets, 2 all in ones and a few dozen prefolds with about 6 covers… enough to get us through potty training and now I have close to 100 diapers, all varieties, sizes, etc!!!
I love how the blog has evolved and how it is still very DIY Home focused but has posts about other matters, like this! We had started trying for a baby about 2-3 weeks before you announced you were pregnant… You cant imagine how thrilled I was! My favorite blog just keeps getting better!!!
Kate says
So not to be gross…but when you spray out diapers, do you have to wear gloves? Do you dunk and wring out the diaper in the toilet, or just hold it above the toilet and spray it in there? And do you then carry the wet/soiled diaper back to the nursery, or do you keep the wetbag in the bathroom?
Sorry for all the questions–I’m just a naturally morbidly curious person!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, no gloves. You don’t get anything on your hand (that would be grossssss), you just hold the diaper with one hand over the toilet and spray it off with the other hand. Then I roll it up from the outside (so again, I don’t touch anything wet or gross) an carry it back to the wet bag in the nursery. It doesn’t drip or anything (it’s just a shot of water to spray it off and the rolling action keeps it from being sopping wet). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
annabelvita says
This might be a rookie question (no children here!) but why don’t you keep the wet bag in the bathroom?
YoungHouseLove says
Since the wet diapers don’t get sprayed (just dropped in the wet bag) and the majority of her diapers are wet, it just means less walking back and forth with the wet ones since we keep the wet bag in the nursery next to her changing table. We only change 1-2 dirty diapers a day that go from the bathroom back to the nursery with those, so it seems easier that way. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
annabelvita says
Oh, that totally makes sense! Thanks :)
Reenie says
That pic of Clara on the swing….is my fav so far ~ too cute!!!
Jamie says
Yes, heavily buttered movie theater popcorn. I totally understand.
Ivette says
We also cloth diaper our 2 year-old, we do prefolds with covers and it is fantastic and easy. And I work so he uses cloth in daycare and it works beautifully. I wash diapers every other day and is just part of the evening routine of wash, dinner, bath, bed, dry. Just want to show that it is possible to use cloth even if you work outside the home.:)
Sarah says
Our daughter Analise is 11 weeks old and we use the BumGenius One Size Flip System and LOVE IT! The diaper cover color choices are the same as the Elemental OS which is great and fun to color coordinate with outfits. You fold the inserts to the correct size and voila! Cloth was a no-brainer for us. I get so excited about them that I show everyone who comes over, and sometimes they are lucky enough to get a demonstration of how EASY cloth diapers can be. I think I have changed the minds of a few expecting friends!
Thanks for all the info about your cloth diaper experiences, it really helped narrow our choices down. Love the Blog!
Rachel- The Wonder Woman Diaries says
We have used cloth for 14 months and love it. I have one of the dipes you use and my baby (probably bc he’s a boy)leaked out of them early on. Now it lasts longer during the day but I don’t think we could use it overnight. However, I love it’s compact design and the fact that there are no inserts.
We mostly use BG 3.0’s with velcro. I LOVE them but if I could do it all over again, I would have chosen snaps. For some reason people acted like snaps weren’t as convenient but the only place our diapers look worn now is on the velcro parts and if they had snaps they would look awesome. Luckily you can get new from BG for free and replace it.
We had a bit of a rash issue for awhile and finally picked up Funk Rock and it rocked our world! I think we used it twice and the rash went away and has stayed away. I was so happy because I had run out of other options.
I’m so glad you guys share about your CD experience. I love using cloth because, you’re right, they are super cute and just as easy as disposable. Well except for the dumping poo part but that isn’t as bad as it seems and we don’t even use a sprayer!
Erica says
Thanks for the update! I got sold on cloth diapers from your original post and I don’t even have a baby yet and we’re not planning on it for a few years. I have to ask- was John immediately sold on the idea? My husband is “eh” about it and terrfied of the labor room let alone baby poo (you can see why we’re not quite ready to have babies…) so I’m trying to work him onto the idea slowly….
Anyways, love your blog, love your house….even as someone who still rents in San Francisco it’s a joy to read. :)
YoungHouseLove says
He was a little more nervous than I was (I think on every project one of us is more gung ho than the other) but he was totally on board when I did some math about how much we’d save. Haha. I guess money talks.
xo,
s
Jessi says
If you like cloth diapering, you should check out reusable feminine products too. Gross topic, but so much better for the environment and the pocketbook. Check out Sea Pearls and Glad Rags. And with Oh Brother, once you see how the glad rags are made, you can easily make them yourself! I’m regretting not doing cloth diapers now!
Lisa says
Check out the Diva Cup! I’ve been using it for 2yrs and I love the fact that I’m not buying and throwing away a ton of trash every month. It’s not messy at all and you only have to change it every twelve hours- I change it every morning and every night and I forget about it in between. Sooooooo easy!!
Carolyn says
This is the second blog post about cloth diapering that came up in my subscribed blogs today. Weird.
maggie says
What is the other one?…If you dont mind me asking. I find cd very interesting.
Carolyn says
It was on this blog: http://jadesteckly.blogspot.com/ but due to blogger being down that post is temporarily unavailable. It should be back up once they fix blogger though.
Tracy says
I also have bum genius diapers, but the one-size-fits-all, which you have to add inserts to. I like what you all have, but our son is a bit of a heavy wetter at night, so I appreciate being able to put another insert in at night time. We are just transitioning into solids now and I must admit, they do stink more! I am so glad you and Katie both wrote about this though, because it came at the perfect time for me as I was researching it. I already knew I was going down that road, but it made my selection process that much easier. Just think of how many people you have convinced to cloth diaper…I’m just trying to do they same with some of my friends (I have five that are preggo right now!).
Tera says
When you mention using disposables for travel, does that also mean day trips around town? Or do you take Clara out in a cloth diaper and bring a wetbag with you for changing on the go? Thanks for all the info!
YoungHouseLove says
We have a small wetbag for the car so we definitely cloth diaper around town during the day. But for overnight road trips to weddings and stuff we just bring along some Seventh Generation disposables since we can’t wash our stash of cloth.
xo,
s
Elisabeth@SimpleGreenishLiving says
Love your non-biased approach to spreading the word about cloth diapers! It’s good for parents to know that they don’t HAVE to use disposables…there are other options out there. Have never tried the Elementals (only stumbled across your blog a couple months ago otherwise we would have given them a go!) but we LOVE our own combination of prefolds/covers and all-in-ones: http://simplegreenishliving.blogspot.com/2011/04/cloth-diapering-my-favorites.html
Thanks for all the nitty gritty cloth diapering details…I always find it hilarious hearing grownups’ candid discussions about poo :)
Gina Lee says
Posts with Clara’s picture = #1
Posts with Burger’s picture = #.9999999999
He’s so darned cute and funny. I know this is a DIY home stuff blog, but I love Burger posts. Seriously.
Holli says
Ooh timely post- I’m considering switching for my 4 month old (purely for cost purposes) and it is great to hear a real life update on how they hold up, the cleaning process, etc. Thanks! I’ve heard good things about bum genius and I’ll add your testimonial to the list. Now I’ll have to go check out the original post…
Cassie says
Thanks for all the great diaper information! I’m wondering if you think cloth diapers are a feasible option if you don’t have a washer and dryer? We’re in a pretty small place that won’t accommodate one so we’ll be using a laundromat for the time being. And that will probably only happen twice a week. I’m guessing cloth diaper services add up to be close to what using disposables is. Thanks for any advice you may have!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would look into a cloth diaper service to see how much it would be. John’s thrifty parents did that when they lived in an apartment without a washer and dryer and still said it was cheaper than disposables at the time. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
CJoyce says
Sherry — do the diapers give her that huge butt thing that makes it difficult to fit clothes over?
(Thanks for sharing, it’s so useful to use someone else’s research!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, they do give her a cute bubble butt, but as you can see over here on her Flickr page, all of her clothes fit (even if she has a sweet badonkadonk- haha). She still loves her skinny jeans!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
we cloth diaper and my son’s pretty skinny, so i love the little added plumpness of his cloth diapers. they keep his pants up! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I secretly love it too. I always sing “Baby Got Back” to Clara.
xo,
s
Megan says
I hate putting my extra-skinny son in disposables too. His pants fall down even with waist-cinchers! I have no idea what we’ll do when he potty trains.
Jen says
LOL! I’m pregnant and lately I’ve been craving buttered popcorn. No longer, I think … :)
But more importantly, I would love to go the cloth diaper route when our little one arrives in December, but unfortunately I live in an apartment in NYC without a dedicated laundry. Any other readers out there who have bravely attempted cloth diapers despite not having a laundry of their own?? Or do I just need to resign myself to the fact that I’m stuck with the disposables … ??
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have advice for Jen? Maybe you can try the diapers with disposable inserts but washable shells to cut down on waste and cost while getting the convenience of less laundry? I forget what those are called. Anyone know what I mean?
xo,
s
Maggie says
Jen–I was just at a cloth diapering class and the teacher said that when she first started cloth diapering she didn’t have a washer in her home. She bought some sort of a mini portable washer that they hooked up….and used it solely for cloth diapering. I’m not exactly sure what this is, but she said it worked for her!
Megan says
BumGenius makes some for their “Flip” diapers, but the most common ones are “gDiapers.”
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- gDiapers are what I was thinking of!
xo,
s
Holli says
G diapers have biodegradable inserts as well as washable ones. I’ve heard mixed reviews- one friend said they leaked, but thats when her baby was a month old, so perhaps fit was an issue. You can check those out here http://www.gdiapers.com/
It would be worth reading some reviews for sure! Hope it helps!
Logan says
we used gdiapers solely until about 7 months. then we started adding some pocket diapers into the mix, and now our favorite are the flip diapers. feel free to email me and we can chat more about gdiapers if you’re interested it them.
logan
keylomapus[at]gmail[dot]com
Jen says
My husband & I had a good chat about this last night. He is awesomely on board with the cloth approach (yay!), and right now we’re thinking about going with a cloth diaper service. We won’t see the same degree of cash savings as if we were able to wash them ourselves, but we’ll get the benefits of cloth diapers, without putting extra unnecessary stress on me over getting them clean. Win win!
Thanks for getting us talking about this issue with plenty of time to spare :) Who knows, our plan may still change, but we’ve got time to figure out the details :)
marissa says
I’ve heard G Diapers is one possible brand.
sarah says
i’m pregs with kid #5 right now and i’m thinking about cloth diapers. if they had been more talked about almost 9 years ago when i had kid #1 i would have tried them. it would have saved tons of money, i’m sure, since i’ve been diapering for the last 8 1/2 years straight (sometimes two at a time).
as for the circus acts involving diapers- the only funny thing that happens here is when i change the diapers my cat comes over and scratches at the floor like she’s trying to bury them. silly cat. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, hilarious. Animal antics (and baby antics too) make my day.
xo,
s
Logan says
Have you all made the switch to cloth wipes yet? We have a few, but haven’t switched over 100%.
Can’t believe you still only have 12 diapers. That’s awesome! How often do you all have to wash now?
and our son must be a heavy wetter, because the only way I can insure he doesn’t wake up wet in the morning is to stuff the BG 4.0s with THREE inserts. Whew! You guys are lucky.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve always followed the washing instructions on ours religious (they say to washing them every day and a half to two days and never let them sit longer than that). So that works out perfectly when it comes to exhausting 11 of the 12 diapers (so she can remain in one while we wash the other 11). We probably wash diapers four times a week or so. And wow- your son is quite hydrated! Three inserts must be some sort of a record!
xo,
s
carolinaheartstrings says
My hat is off to you two. In this instant disposable world it is nice to know that going back to cloth diapers is a still a viable alternative. Thanks for sharing.
Newness says
Dying of laughter over Burger on the diapers! Love it! I still cloth diaper my 10 month old and couldn’t be happier. I actually have cloth diapered on two separate road trips. We stayed in hotels that had laundry facilities so I washed there. I also use cloth wipes while at home, and then disposable wipes on the road.
I must say hands down, cloth wipes are sooo much better. I only need two for a messy “movement” but with disposable wipes it seems to take like a million. Ok I’m exaggerating. But you get the idea.
Somehow I’ve convinced one coworker to use cloth diapers and wipes for her soon to be baby. Like me, she’ll be using AIOs with inserts and snaps. I can go on all day about cloth diapering because there are so many benefits to using them (hello money!).
Anyways, I hope to try the sun drying/bleaching soon. Even though I use the sprayer as well and don’t really have any staining. I just wanna hang some diapers out on my balcony :|
Barbara says
We’re also expecting our first girl in August and are going the Bum Genius route. I had no idea though that they wouldn’t fit a newborn – that’s something I need to look more into because I really don’t want to buy disposables for the first several weeks!
Question though- you mentioned you only have 12? I’ve heard you need at least double that to avoid doing laundry several times a week. We registered for around 40 diapers – am I going overboard?
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- I don’t think I’ve heard of many people with 40. The average number seems to be between 18 and 24, which is definitely smart for anyone who works out of the home and might not have time for lots of laundry. Cloth diapers (at least our specific type) do recommend washing within a day and a half to two days of getting dirty (you’re not supposed to go longer to keep them looking their best). So since we work at home and have to wash the dirty ones every 1.5-2 days, 12 is the perfect number because it’ll be 1.5 to 2 days between using them all and then it’s time to wash them and start the whole cycle again. I’d guess we do 4 loads of cloth diapers a week, and it’s not too much trouble. With 40 of them you’d still have to wash the dirty ones every 2 days or so to keep them looking good and I doubt you can go through all 40 in that time anyway, so it might be a bit high. Maybe start with 24 and see how it goes? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I would NOT register for 40. I do not think there’s any way you could go through those, as Sherry said, within the time you’d need to wash them again. We have 18, and I totally think we could do it with 12. Save money on the extra diapers, and put it into a college fund or something! :)
Beth says
Agreed — we have about 15 and it’s plenty!
Megaroonie says
Young House Lovers,
I am curious if you have thought about adding gardening to your DIY list? As I was working on my veggies last weekend it came to mind. Imagine the savings to your grocery bill!
Cheers :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it’s on there! We want to add an edible garden and maybe even some raised beds! We grew herbs and veggies (and even raspberries) in our last house and loved it!
xo,
s
Coleen says
We’re using cloth for our son (6mnths). We have a mix of BG AIO, Fuzzibuns and Indian pre-folds with OS Flip covers (they are made by the makers of Bum Geius and have the same look). Initially the BG OS AIOs didn’t fit him too well, but now that he’s chucked up they fit great. They do take a little more time in the dryer. I like the Fuzzibuns OK but they are more of a pain to adjust. The workhorses of our collection are the Indian prefolds. They are working well for us and are pretty cheap (around $1 each). We use a snappy to secure them and use a Flip cover on top (love them since you still get all of the fun BG colors). The only drawback to the prefolds is if the poo is runnier it doesn’t clean as easily as it does off of the BG. Since my son has been on solids this isn’t an issue.
Ariel says
I just had my first baby two weeks ago and we’re cloth diapering all because of your original post! So thank you for sharing and for the update:)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Ariel, congrats on the new bundle of love! And have fun with those cloth dipes!
xo,
s
AngieC says
I hang my diapers outside on the line to dry and my lab likes to snatch and run whenever I turn my back. He eventually drops the diaper but by then it’s covered in slobber and dirt.
Have you thought about using flushable/biodegradable diaper liners? I started using them when we started solids and it has made cloth diapering even easier. You just put a liner in the diaper and when it’s time to change, you lift it (and the poo) out and flush!
YoungHouseLove says
We tried them (for traveling) but Clara seemed a little uncomfortable with the crunchiness. I think she’s spoiled and loves the softness of cloth. Haha. Diva baby. So far we’re happy with how easy cloth has been so we’ll probably just stick with the same method that we’ve used for the last year!
xo,
s
Melanie says
I just found out that I am pregnant today!! This is our first baby, and I cannot wait to cloth diaper the little bambino.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoooo! Congrats Melanie. I remember that giddy is-this-really-happening feeling like it was yesterday! Have so much fun.
xo,
s
Melanie says
And on a side note, I almost spit out the orange I was eating when I read the “so you don’t have a mouth full of oatmeal or something” line. Hilarious…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, at least it wasn’t oatmeal. That would be weird.
xo,
s
Beth says
Thanks for posting this update! My son is the same age as Clara, we had a few of these same dipes when he was born (Bum Genius) and reading your previous post really inspired me to stick with them! So thank you!! Like you guys, we’ve had no issues with quality, leaking, diaper rashes, etc. We love them! Happy early bday Clara!! I am so insanely jealous of how well she sleeps!!! My son has never slept for 12 hours, not even close. He is walking (almost running!), says lots of words, and has been ahead of the game in many areas but sleep is NOT one of them. Oh well. My husband says we can sleep when we’re dead hahaha! Anyway great post. Clara looks so much like both of you, but I can especially see a lot of John in her, especially recently!
Ruthie Hart says
Thanks for sharing Sherry! I am not a mama yet but already know I will definitely be using BumGenius! In fact, I will be using lots of your parenting/baby tips!
Barbara says
Yes, thanks that helps! I didn’t know you have to wash them so quickly. Pretty much everyone we know uses disposables so its been hard to find people that can give us tips. Haha, so thank you!!
Courtney S. says
After reading this post (and the older ones) I am very seriously thinking about using these cloth diapers once we have a baby. I went to the Bum Genius website and saw they have a Buy 5, Get 1 Free going on right now for anyone who wants to picke up a couple extra.
I wondered, too, about daycares and how being a Non-SAHM would work with cloth diapers. I guess it’ll be something we have to work on once the time comes.
YoungHouseLove says
There’s a thread about daycare going on (on the first page of comments I think) which seems to be pretty optimistic! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Dawn SC says
Thank you SO MUCH for the update! We’re expecting our first non-furry child in September and we’ve registered for cloth diapers. I did have to agree to switch to disposables if they don’t work for us for whatever reason, but my husband is definitely on board with it too – he always very nicely allows me to bring tendencies from my professional life (environmental engr) into my private life. :) Plus, we’re both numbers people, so he definitely agreed once I showed him how much $ it could save. But, we’re getting a surprising amt of negative feedback from people. Oh well, to each their own. On a side note, many states actually have laws against human waste going to landfills because it’s not treated beforehand. I never understood how disposable diapers get around that…
Beth says
You’re right! Legally, disposable diapers require the removal of poo (in most if not all states). Obviously, people almost never do that. Can you imagine spraying a disposable diaper? haha
Ashley says
Do you use Charlie’s Soap for all of you laundry or just Clara’s? I’m looking for an environmentally-friendly laundry soap and could use a recommendation. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Everything! It’s great. And we don’t use any fabric softener. It’s great on its own.
xo,
s
Amanda@ Rug Cleaning Santa Monica says
I was contemplating on using cloth diapers with my son because of diaper rash, saving moolah, and I try to be eco-friendly where ever possible. But after a month, I couldn’t deal with the amount of poo I had to clean. I should have stuck to it because I’ve heard that it helps with potty training, but he learned now and we’re both happy campers. Thanks for sharing your story.. How do you deal with the poo?
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe I’m weird but I’m not phased by the poop. Haha. And neither is John. Except for the smell when Clara went to solids (that was an adjustment) – but no matter what diapers you use it still smells the same. Haha. I do remember Clara pooping a lot more in the beginning though, so maybe that’s why it was too much for you? Now she poops about twice a day, so it’s no big deal at all!
xo,
s
Beth says
Our son is 18 months and goes poo at about the same time each day. My mom watches him for us during the work day and doesn’t like to deal with the poo, so she learned to time it so that he’s in a disposable for the only poo of the day, and we still cloth diaper the rest of the time. Works for everyone!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, very smart!
xo,
s
Meagan says
I don’t know if this was already asked, but what do you do with dirty diapers that you have to change while you’re out and about? Plastic bag them and spray them off when you get home?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we have a wet bag (so it’s a cloth bag with a plasticy- lining) that we stick them in and then spray ’em when we get home.
xo,
s
emily mancini says
I was just thinking the other day ” wonder how it’s going with the cloth dipes!” Thanks for the update :) Your original post certainly pushed me towards cloth. I was debating the idea for a while and was completely intimidated by it. I apprecaite your realistic approach to the process and explaining what works best for you. Your tips and advice have been invaluable for me! I went with bumgenius brand as well, but went with the inserts. We shall see how it works! Baby will be here in less then 6 weeks, ahhhh! Thanks again guys, I love your blog!
Lauren S says
Oh I get SO excited when I found out about other cloth diaper families! Especially when I see that you are using the same brand as I do! I started cloth diapering my 2 1/2 month old from the get go, we started with gdiapers (they have a tiny newborn size) and now use gdiapers and bumgenius 4.0 pocket diapers. We will use the gdiapers until he outgrows them and then we will stick to just the bumgenius. I am also obsessed with cloth diapers and it is so nice to hear other people’s experiences with them. I don’t know a single person that uses cloth diapers, so I have to rely on blogs like yours to read other people’s stories. So thank you for posting about cloth diapers, you are an inspiration to me to keep using them! :)
Amanda Wells says
Yep. You’re officially knee deep in motherhood when you talk about poop consistency. It definitely comes with the territory!
http://www.amandadovewells.com/?page_id=45
Jenna says
We have a 15 month old son and another on the way. I’m considering the cloth route, still need to get the hubby on board. About how many does Clara go through a day? I know it will vary but just wondering how often I’d be doing a load of cloths?! :)
Thanks soo much!!!
YoungHouseLove says
In the beginning it was around 10 diapers a day (back when she was about a month old) but as she got bigger it got to be a less (maybe now it’s 8 a day on average?). We do about three to four loads of diapers a week (since we wash them every day and a half or so). They recommend not going over 2 days without washing dirty cloth dipes to keep them looking their best anyway, so it seems to work well with the number that we have.
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Just wanted to thank you for your original post on these. We’ve been using them with our 10 month old for about 6 months and just love them. Wish we had been adventurous enough to try them with the first baby (now 3 years old), but you hadn’t had Clara yet :-) Thanks again!
Sarah says
My son is 18 months, and we’ve been doing cloth since he was about 3 or 4 weeks old… Ours are pockets for the most part, but we’ve been really happy.
Do you guys use liners at all? We put liners in the ones we send to daycare, just to make their life easier. We don’t have a sprayer though. At home we just clean them as well as we can, and I think we only have one that has a stain on it.
The velcro definitely doesn’t hold up as well as the snaps though.
Also, we have to double-insert everything with our son, and have never been able to cloth diaper at night. (I even tried buying special night time cloth diapers, but he leaked through everything). We’ve been very happy with cloth diapering though!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we tried those flushable liners once but Clara didn’t seem to like the crunchy insert and we don’t have any issues without ’em we’re happy to stick with the same routine we’ve grown accustomed to over the past year for our diva baby who only likes cloth on her bum. Haha.
xo,
s
Beth says
Our son is the exact same age and we’ve never been able to use cloth at night either! Even in a disposable, he pees through. We’re just happy we can use them during the day and do what we can :-)
Sarah says
“smells like buttered popcorn”
Gee, thanks for that mental/nasal image. There goes movie night :-).
Lindsey says
Since her poop is more solid now, have you thought at all about using a biodegradable, flushible liner (like Real Nappies Bioliners)to catch the solids so you don’t have to use a sprayer? If not, why? Thanks for the advice. I’m due in September and a lot of my friends do cloth with the liners once they start solids, but I want to hear both sides.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we tried them but Clara didn’t seem to like the crunchy insert and we don’t have any issues with solids without liners (it’s actually easier since it rolls off and then you just give it a quick spray) so we’re happy to avoid the extra step/expense of adding liners for our diva baby who only likes cloth on her bum. Haha.
xo,
s
Carla says
I have to thank you guys for selling me on the cloth diapering because we absolutely love them! We registered for the bumgenius with the velcro and unfortunately when our baby wore them she would get a horrible rash. We stripped them, changed to Planet detergent (we used Charlies Soap before and read up that it does cause diaper rash for some babies) but she was still getting the rash. I called cotton babies (maker of bumgenius) and since the diapers were under the warranty (I believe it’s a year) they asked me to send all the diapers back and they would upgrade us to the all-in-ones organic cotton diapers….FREE!!!! they are $25 each (compared to the $18 of the regular ones). Sooo not only are the diapers amazing (not one blowout and she’s on solids and no more rash!!) the company is ahhh-mazing!! So thanks for starting the trend – I’ve been paying it forward…. And the colors definitely help!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! That’s so nice of them. Love those Cotton Babies peeps. Such good customer service.
xo,
s
Tara says
What’s really odd? The fact that I don’t have a child or my own place yet I’m so addicted to your blog that I read posts on cloth diapers so eagerly!
Amanda says
We cloth diaper too, though we just use prefolds and covers. We love it, though I’m not convinced it helps with potty training. Yeah, our son knew when he was wet. He was also real used to it and could care less by the time he was 2. “Oh, my underwear’s wet? Whatever. Feels exactly like a wet cloth diaper. I’ll keep playing and say nothing to Mommy!” Fun fun :)
Heather Andrews says
Thank you guys for this post!
I’m expecting my first in September. Thanks to you, and a few other cloth diaper bloggers, I was dead set on using cloth. I still am, but my husband is not as convinced as I am. He’s worried about the smell. Also our washer, for some strange reason, doesn’t have hot water. This hasn’t really been an issue, but cloth diapers have to be washed in warm or hot water, right? So we have to factor in the additional expense of hiring a plumber to come figure out why our washer doesn’t get any got water. I think it will still be cheaper than disposables in the long run.
We may have to use day care too. I haven’t gone day care “shopping” yet, but maybe I can find one that’s cloth friendly.
Hopefully the stars will align, and I’ll be able to include myself in the cloth diapering regime. Until then, your cloth posts have been a huge help for me! Thank you!
Kristen says
I love when you guys do Clara posts! She’s my favorite baby that I don’t know in real life! Loved the earlier post about your lists, too. You guys are so generous to share so much of your lives with us!
Lucy says
I have just got started reading your blog and first time commenting on anything.
I cloth bummed my two (who are now 8 and 5)and it was a breeze for both of them, started when they were 6 weeks until they were toilet trained. I even used the same set for both how economical and green! I am glad you are having success with yours.
I am in the UK and they are a popular choice here.