And now for a post that’s a bit more “living” than straight up “home improvement” related. When people ask what question we get here at YHL most often, they’re probably expecting it to be about paint or demo. Not so. It is, without a doubt, some iteration of the following:
How are you liking cloth diapers? How many do you have? What brand are they? Did you get the kind with the liners/inserts? Do they work? Does Clara like them? Are they difficult? Do you regret it? Is it annoying to wash them? Do they really get clean? Are there times when you don’t use them and opt for disposables? How long will they last? Are they bulky? What do you do when you’re out running errands? How exactly do you wash them? What colors did you get? How do you store them when they’re dirty? Does Clara have a lot of blowouts with them? Do they give her diaper rash?
Who knew it could be such a hot topic? But we’re happy to address the many (many) questions that we’ve received right here in this surprisingly exhaustive post. So fasten your seat belts and get ready to read the word poop at least once. And by all means, if you’re not a parent and have no interest in hearing about baby bodily functions, skip this post and stay tuned for more house-related fare tomorrow. You have been warned…
After a lot of research and chats with family and friends who went the cloth diaper route, we settled on the Bum Genius Elemental One Size All In Ones – the ones that are organic with snaps instead of velcro. They’re so easy to use and should last us through multiple kiddos. We’ve heard that velcro can wear out after tons of washings but snaps are good for the long haul so that’s why we opted for that feature. As for inserts or liners, the ones that we chose don’t have them. We figured if we were going to have to wash part of the diaper we might as well get all in ones and wash them all (instead of dealing with liners/inserts). It seemed simpler and so far we have found them to be extremely easy. Plus we love that they’re one-size-fits-all, which will save us a ton of money (they adjust with some easy snapping to accommodate Clara as she grows).
The dozen that we purchased should not only last us through Clara’s potty training days but we expect to use the same dipes for future bambino(s) as well. We picked up 12 and have never needed more than that thus far but we wouldn’t mind 18, which seems to be the magic number for many other cloth diapering parents. We might grab six more someday, but we’re definitely getting by with 12 so far. Oh and as for diapering duty, you might be shocked to hear that John changes way more diapers than I do around here. He sweetly decided that if I would be feeding her multiple times a day, he could be the go-to diaper guy, which is such a big help and actually really cute to watch (Clara loves to pee on him from time to time).
And as for washing them, we’ve found that with a baby you’re always doing laundry anyway. So tossing in one big load of diapers every day-and-a-half or so is no trouble at all. Really, we anticipated the switch from disposables to cloth diapers to be waaay harder (Clara didn’t fit into her cloth diapers for the first 9 weeks so we had some time to get used to disposables and were shaking in our boots about making the switch). Thankfully it was really easy and fun. They’re just so darn cute on her, and she seems really comfortable and happy in them too. Speaking of the aesthetic factor, we got three orange ones (clementine), three green ones (grasshopper), three light blue ones (twilight), and three yellow ones (butternut). That way they’re gender neutral for any bambinos down the line.
How has our experience with cloth diapering been so far? In short: we love them, they’re no harder than disposables (the time we spend tossing them in the wash seems equal to the time we used to spend trudging out to the store to buy disposables before Clara could fit into her cloth dipes). Clara seems to love them more than disposables too (she sleeps longer at night, never appears uncomfortable, etc) and she has experienced 95% fewer blowouts and zero diaper rash since trading up from disposables (where those occurrences were a tad more frequent). Oh and the only time we don’t use them is when we travel overnight somewhere, since it’s more of a challenge to wash them while road tripping.
And have we mentioned that they’re hugely cost effective? Especially thanks to our Energy Star front loading washer and dryer (which make the cost of cleaning them negligible and keep our water/energy usage extremely low). We also often line dry our diapers out in the sun to save even more energy and keep them looking mint (more info on that in a minute). For around $265 (for a 12-pack of cloth diapers) we have unlimited dipes on hand for the rest of Clara’s diapering days. Plus we’re not sending tons of disposable diapers to the landfill so that makes us feel good. In retrospect, the only thing we would have done differently is purchase some newborn sized Bum Genius diapers as well. The one-size-fits-all versions are a bit loose on most newborns, so they also make cloth newborn-sized dipes, which we opted to skip since we didn’t know how big Clara would be at birth (the doc estimated she’d be 10lbs (!) but she was only 7lbs 10 oz in the end). So since we skipped the newborn sized cloth diapers, Clara’s first nine weeks were spent in Seventh Generation disposable diapers- and we learned just how expensive the non-reusable diaper route really was.
We’re actually happy we experienced life with disposables so we have some point of comparison. If we hadn’t relied on them at first, we never could have kept track of the money we spent on them (and the money that we would thereby be saving moving forward). After nine weeks of disposable diapering we had spent more than $180. That’s only a bit less than we spent on our entire stock of Bum Genius diapers that will easily last through the end of Clara’s diaper days and hopefully through future babies’ as well! And by our $180 for 9 weeks estimation, we could have easily spent another $3000+ on disposable diapers to last her until she turns two. Crazy, right? We also hope to make the change to cloth wipes sometime soon for even more savings in the future (we’re currently using Seventh Generation ones, which we like a lot).
As for our dirty diaper system, we have a pail for dipes and a smaller pail for wipes in the nursery (we snagged both pails at World Market). We rinse the dirty (read: not just wet) ones with the diaper sprayer that we mentioned a while back (pictured above). Some people say that you don’t need to spray dirty diapers when a baby is exclusively breastfeeding but we have found that a quick spray helps them come out a lot cleaner and less discolored so it’s worth it to us (and for what it’s worth, our friend Katie Bower also had the same experience). What can we say, we’re pro-spray kinda girls. And it only takes a second. It’s kind of fun too (but I won’t get into that as I’m probably one of the weirdest people on the planet since I get an inordinate amount of joy from cloth diapering).
After spraying the dirty ones, we place them in the larger pail, while only-wet ones go right into the same pail without a spray. The dirty wipes go straight into the smaller pail for disposal (both pails are lined with “recycled” plastic bags that we have laying around from places like Target when we mindlessly forget our reusable ones). Note: we hung the pails off of the hard-to-see corner of the dresser with coat hooks and anchors, which keeps them much easier to reach than placing the pails on the floor. Then we added small strips of weatherstripping on the bottom edge of the pails (where they meet the dresser) to keep them from scratching the wood.
We haven’t experienced any issues with odor thanks to the lids (of course we hear that things can get stinkier once we transition to solid foods but we have a few family friends who still use the pail method so we don’t anticipate having a problem as long as we continue to wash our diapers every day and a half or so). Which brings us back to dirty diaper laundering. As recommended by Bum Genius, we prefer to launder them at least every other day. We usually wash 11 of them in one big load every day-and-a-half while Clara wears the remaining 12th diaper- that way we’re not washing just a few at a time.
And as for our detergent, we use Seventh Generation Free & Clear (update: we learned our diapers would last even longer thanks to Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder so that’s now all that we use) and we just wash them once on the warm heavy duty setting and either machine dry them or lay them out in the sun. We have heard that you can do a cold pre-wash before the warm heavy duty wash, but so far that hasn’t been necessary (possibly because we pre-spray the dirty diapers into the toilet as soon as they come off).
Oh and we learned that occasionally one may come out of the wash with a slight orange tinge (very rarely, this isn’t an everyday thing). The good news is that it’s 100% clean and sanitized, sometimes one every few weeks is just a bit discolored from breastfeeding poop (since the pure organic cotton liners are awesomely absorbent). It’s kind of like how old tupperware containers can get stained from tomato sauce and even if you run them through the dishwasher and they’re totally clean they can still have that tint. Luckily we learned if you lay them out in the sun while they’re still moist from the washer it bleaches them white again- it’s like magic! Seriously, you might want to cross your fingers for that tinge every once in a while just for the fun of seeing the sun undo it in a few hours. We wish Clara was old enough to watch in wonder like we do. She’d probably make this Zoolander face:
Oh and they’re also pretty easy on the go (we only use disposables when we’re traveling somewhere overnight, but for day trips and errands and things we stick to cloth). If we have to do a diaper change while we’re out – at Home Depot for example, haha – we just slip the dirty cloth diaper into a plastic bag and rinse it when we get home. We hope to upgrade to a reusable zippered wet bag for dirty diapers while we’re on the go (we currently just reuse Target bags and stuff that we have laying around) since we’ve heard those work well and contain everything nicely (no smells or leaks).
Now for the bulkiness question. They’re definitely a bit bulkier than disposables but nothing too terrible. In fact we think they’re super cute! Clara can still fit into a few newborn sized outfits with them on and she’s almost three months old! So they can’t be that huge, right?
So there you have it. Over 2,000 words on cloth diapering. Can you tell we’re enthusiastic? Of course this is a completely personal parent-how-you’d-like-to decision, so we’re just sharing our experience when it comes to diapering. And 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 when we travel. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in three months of parenting it’s that there’s no right way to raise your wee one, and it’s all about sussing out what works best for you and your family. So go forth and diaper your beans and beanettes any way you’d like with a smile on your face. Or am I the only weirdo who grins every time I snap a fresh diaper on those cute little buns?
UPDATE: We switched from diaper tins to wet bags a while back (since they’re super easy to toss into the laundry with our diapers too keep things smelling fresh – here’s that info for ya). As for how cloth diapering is going, we still love and use the same 12 cloth diapers that we purchased over a year ago! That’s it (we haven’t purchased any more or tried any other brands). They still look mint, work well, and don’t smell or anything. Best money we ever spent.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Our cloth diapers are still holding up really well two years later. Check out the update post here.
Andrea says
Hi, Sherry:
I’m just getting ready to start using cloth diapers with our new baby and this post has been a great help (as have so many of your other posts! I’m totally addicted to your blog). Just curious, when you were using the 7th Generation detergent, were you using the powdered Free & Clear and about how much did you use per load?
Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
We used the liquid free and clear and just used the amount they recommended on the package. We’re actually back to using that since it’s easier to find and still going strong!
xo
s
Andrea says
Thank you! That’s exactly why I’m using it – much easier to find than any other alternatives.
Lauren says
What kind of sprayer do you use and where does it attach to in your bathroom? I didn’t see that part in the post, so I am sorry if it’s there…I missed it :) Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just something by BumGenius called a diaper sprayer that we bought from amazon.com. Hope it helps!
xo
s
bean says
Hello,
Could you tell me where you got your bins? I checked Lowe’s and they only had huge metal bins; haven’t checked HD yet. I need at least one for the disposables before he can fit into the cloth diapers. Was Clara too small for the cloth ones at first?
Thank you!
Eileen
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, she was about 3 months old when she fit into our cloth diapers. But the same ones still work and she’s 2.5 years old, so we love the one-size-fits-all! As for the bins, I think we got them at Home Depot. Hope it helps!
xo
s
bean says
You are the best.
rebekah says
I loved this post! I have to say that reading about your cloth diapering journey was a huge factor in inspiring us to cloth diaper our own little guy. He’s 5 months now, and we are so happy with the decision to use cloth. We ended up liking the BumGenius 4.0 best. My only concern is that he’s 21 lbs already (big!), and we may need to invest in some larger cloth diapers to get him through to potty training!
Antonia says
I know it sounds kind of gross, but are these cloth diapers hand-washable? If we don’t want to use the washing machine for a tiny load, wouldn’t hand washing be a good alternative?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’ve never tried it. I’m not sure you could sanitize them that way (you want them to be sanitized for each use so they don’t cause infections, etc). Anyone tried it?
xo
s
Caitzinser says
We just bought these and are super excited! Do you ever put them in the dryer? Are you still using Charlie’s soap? Do you ever sterilize them, and if so how do you do it? Really after a ton of research we bought the based on your experience, sooooo excited!
YoungHouseLove says
We use Seventh Generation now just because it’s easier to get and it’s great (free & clear of course). We just wash them the way that we describe in this post and the comments (we do dry them and the regular washing routine keeps them nice and clean along with using a diaper sprayer).
xo
s
Lisa Elaine says
I tried cloth for a while but had a few problems with it. How do you guys handle poopy diapers now that Clara is a toddler? Do you still just rinse it off with the diaper sprayer? Do you still get by without rinsing it until you get home if she has a dirty diaper while you are out? No liners or anything?
Also, I always had the problem with dirty wipes. I had nowhere to put them and they were so gross when I couldn’t fold them up inside a diaper like you can with disposables. What do you do with wipes (particulary with dirty diapers)? Do you put them in the trash bag? Does it get messy? If I could fix these issues I think cloth would work better for us.
Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we still diaper spray them all and since she poops the same time each day if we’re going out we’ll just use a disposable one or time our errands so we’re at home for poop time. Hahah! We do have a wet bag in the car just in case she surprises us, but it’s not too bad. As for wipes, we do Seventh Generation disposable ones so we just toss those. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Jaci says
I know this is years after the original post, but thank you so much for posting this. We chose to use these diapers for our twins and love them!! They are hassle-free (as much as possible) and work great! Thanks for the post encouraging us that it could be done!!!
Rachel says
How much of the Charlie’s do you use per load?
YoungHouseLove says
Just a teaspoon like it says on the label. Wait, is it a tablespoon? Whatever it says, we have that measurement near it to scoop :)
xo
s
Jaime says
I know this post is super old, but I just wanted to say that we’re also doing CD and we love it! We’re using several different brands and I like almost all of them for different reasons. I wanted to add that we decided to go the cloth wipes route, too. For us, it just made more sense to throw the wipes in the same pail as the diapers instead of having to have two separate pails. We cut up a couple of the flannel receiving blankets into like 6×6 squares (give or take…we divided the total area so there’d be no scraps), zig-zag stiched the edges, then washed and cut off the inevitable mass of strings that unraveled (we only had to do that once). I made a wipe solution out of water, a little bit of Dr. Bronner’s, and a little bit of CJ’s Butter Spray (which we use-and LOVE-for diaper ointment as needed). I keep the solution in a spray bottle, then when our son is on the table, I unsnap the diaper, grab a wipe and spray it, then open up and wipe and do all that. It usually only takes one wipe, sometimes two (we’re still EBF right now). Then I just throw it all in the pail. Done! Super easy!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
Claire says
Hey! I just purchased 12 BumGenius Elementals and I am prewashing them as suggested before the little one makes his appearance. I am very curious as to how long it takes your diapers to dry. It seems like for me it takes 2 full days for the cloth to fully dry if I hang dry them (as recommended) and takes 2+ hours in the dryer. I do have high a efficiency washer and dryer. Is this normal? I can’t see how 12 diapers is enough for one baby because what will he wear when they are drying for 2 days?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a washer that spins things so fast (it’s energy star) that they’re just barely damp when they come out, so the dryer usually has them dry in 30-40 mins. I’m not sure if this is normal since I’m sure it varies depending on your washer/dryer. Oh and almost everyone else we have ever met has 18-24 diapers, so we’re definitely rare to have made 12 work, probably because our washer/dryer did things so fast :)
Hope it helps!
xo
s
jessica w says
I recently found a great review where they show that these Alva Baby diapers are almost identical to Bum Genius and work just as well, and they only cost $4.80 a pair! Anyway, the review can be found at the follow link. http://www.squawkfox.com/2012/07/25/cloth-diaper-stash2/ Also, those inexpensive diapers can be found at the following link, but they come from China so if you are against that then pay more… http://www.alvababy.com/
YoungHouseLove says
So cool that there’s another option!
xo
s
Chelsea says
Great post! I just started CDing a month ago and I love it! I had no idea what I was doing and the girls at Top to Bottom Baby Boutique (http://www.toptobottombaby.com) were super helpful, along w/ reading blogs on CDing.
marjory says
My 15 year old daughter is a bedwetter and i use a thick cloth diaper,pinned on her with diaper pins and rubber pants on her every night.
Brittany says
I am pregnant with my fourth (gulp!) and haven’t used cloth up to now but I’m seriously considering it. My youngest is two and still in diapers, so I’m thinking if I get them now I can use them for a bit with him and maybe help with potty training? Anyway, the reason I’m commenting is to find out where you guys purchased your diapers and if you wouldn’t mind sharing the price you paid? Thanks and love the blog! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, is there a link in here to where we got them? It has been years so I believe we linked to where we got them in this post and don’t remember the exact price but I don’t imagine it changed much in cost (at least I hear they’re pretty much the same these days if not cheaper now).
xo
s
Brittany Suell says
OMG this is such a helpful post! Thanks so much! I just found out I am pregnant with my first and am def. considering CD! Thanks for the helpful info! I will def. be sharing this with my husband!
Diana says
I’m on day one of cloth diapering my little guy (6 weeks tomorrow) and was really scared. Just read through your whole post (about the 5th time) and all the comments. Now I feel better. I hope I love this cloth diapering as much as you do!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck Diana! We loved CDing!
xo
s
Krista Davis says
I am glad to hear a successful story about cloth diapering. I don’t have a child yet, but I am baby obsessed. I have really been looking into cloth diapers and comparing the benefits. How do you think the Elementals would clean up being hand washed? Also, I do use cloth wipes (on myself and my hairless Chinese crested) and wrote about how to make cloth wipes and all the varieties of wipe solutions- used for yeast, rashes, dry skin, etc. (http://cleaningouttheclutter.com/2013/05/all-about-homemade-cloth-baby-wipes-and-wipe-solutions/)
YoungHouseLove says
I’m not sure how they’d do with hand washing. Anyone else try that?
xo,
s
Shelise says
It seemed like you mentioned using disposable wipes but not much was said about them. Do you?
Shelise says
Oops I meant reusable
YoungHouseLove says
We always wanted to get into reusable wipes but the disposable ones were so mild and easy we stuck with them the whole time. Maybe next go-round we’ll DIY some and give ’em a shot!
xo
s
Adrienne says
Hi guys! I just wanted to toot your horn. I follow a handful of bloggers and I’m soooo impressed how you always update your site when things change (example: new detergent for cloth diapers). It’s so awesome that y’all keep everything so up to date. I also can’t believe you reply to every Instagram and blog question. Even the… “Where did you get that stroller, I see a handle poking out of the trunk of your car” crazy like question people throw your way! I hope y’all become super famous and never change. Just had to write that! Love your blog, your book, Bower friendship and realness. Now if only you would move to Scottsdale and show me what you would do with a Arizonan style house. This Texas girl is jealous of the houses in VA.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Adrienne, you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Leana Walter says
Thanks so much for putting this up, you inspired me to do cloth nappies with my daughter, she’s our first and 6 months old, its our first week and so far I’m loving it and so is she. I have recently found your website and adore it and I have also just ordered your book online(I’m in Perth, Australia so we don’t have the same books here) and I cant wait to read it.
Sarah says
Hi! What setting did you use to dry your diapers in the dryer?!? I hope “normal/cotton” because they are in there right now! Ekk! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
We used delicate or air dried them on a window ledge, just to try to keep the wear down over time. But a few normal/cotton runs definitely won’t rip them or anything!
xo
s
Sarah says
Thanks for the response, Sherry! I’ll dry them on delicate next time… oops!! I’m a first time mom, so I’m sure I’ll have a lot of those “oops” moments. :) Thank you again!
Heather Voelkel says
Soo…I know this was posted a LONG time ago, but it was INCREDIBLY helpful and a major encouragement for my trying out the BumGenius Diapers. I have been using them now for five months and have been so, so happy. Thanks for the recommendation!
Best,
H
YoungHouseLove says
So glad, Heather!
xo
s
Amanda says
Hi! I know this post is forever-ago old, but I noticed you switched to the wet bags at one point. Did they keep out the stink for you the whole time you CD’d? We started with the wet bags when baby was 10 days old and never zippered it until he started solids. Around 6 months, everything started to STINK, even his pee, so I started zipping the bag, but now that doesn’t even hold in the stink. I leave a small bowl of vinegar in the bathroom to absorb some of the smell and it sort of helps, but I am definitely looking for a new solution. Maybe my baby is just extra stinky… ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we loved the wetbags! We did replace one (the zipper broke) at one point, and washing them in vinegar did help to “refresh” them. Maybe try the brand we tried if the ones you used are different (I wonder if certain materials hold smell more).
xo
s
Amanda says
Thanks for getting back to me! Well, we also used Planet Wise. They do make a diaper pail liner, so maybe we’ll try that combo next. By the way, congrats on baby #2!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amanda! Good luck!
xo
s
patty says
Congrats on #2 and the 2nd go-round of CD’ing! I have to ask: did Clara leak much? at nap? or at night? My little one is a side and tummy sleeper and HE (I’m sure it differs, though I point the pee-hose down) is a super soaker and will leak out. I usually stuff the BG diaper w/ the larger insert and fold a pre-fold to be against his skin and then secure the diaper around that. I remember you saying Clara slept like 10-12 hrs straight at night… and no leaks? Did you have to double stuff her diaper at night or anything? Thanks SO MUCH!
Again, so excited to see your family expand!! Such a blessing!!
YoungHouseLove says
There weren’t any leaks! We never had extra liners or anything. I just wonder if it’s how kids are built (bigger legs, tighter fit around the waist, etc). I mean we did have some newborn blowouts, but by the time she was in cloth we were done with those.
xo
s
Ashley S says
First off – I’m really excited that I’m not the only who is posting on this 3+ years after it was written. I thought for sure you guys would never even find this comment with all of the more current posts. :-) I actually read this post when you guys originally posted it many moons ago and since kids were not on the horizon at the time I filed it under “useful information for the future”. Well your postive experience with cloth made that the first thing I looked into when I found out we were expecting our first (due March 2014). I actually just read through all 10 pages of comments (and now I need a nap) but I really appreciate everyone’s input and you tireless responding to questions because I feel much more informed about the decision we have made and the experience we are about to dive into.
Also your postive attitude towards it even helped me get Hubby on board at the first dicussion of it! So I wanted to say thanks for taking the time to discuss this topic and for being so honest about your experience with them. :-)
I do have a couple of questions, I read that on the elemental you have to be careful because the elastic rolls and can sometimes pinch babies.. I was just wondering if you ever encountered this issue?
Also I know you guys did disposables with Clara was tiny and before she fit into the newborn diapers. BG sells newborn cloth diapers for that inbetween phase – is that something you would consider to be worth the cost? Is there a reason you didn’t do it with Clara is that something you are considering for your little bun?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Ashley! As for the diapers, we haven’t ever had any issues with pinching! Never even heard of that actually! Of course Clara was about 2 months old when we started using ours since we just used disposables so once she was bigger maybe the pinching thing isn’t an issue? Not sure. As for the newborn diapers, we just didn’t think they were worth the cost since it was such a short time until she was in cloth (we blinked our eyes and she was there! Haha!). We think we’ll do Seventh Generation disposables for the bun until he/she is big enough for the one-size-fits-all dipes since that system worked so well for us. They also poop like ten times a day in the beginning, so it would have made for a ton of laundry! Haha!
xo
s
Anna says
Just as an FYI, I went to cotton babies.com today (12/27/13) and the original elemental is on sale for a limited time. When you announced baby no.2, I posted something about the new elemental not being as good…if you want more of what you used w Clara, may be a good idea to stock up. Sorry very random and odd to tell you this via comment, but thought you might want to know. When I tested new elemental vs. freestyle vs. 4.0 I ended up going with 4.0 for my boy…but if the elemental had been the original one, I may have gone in that direction. Best wishes and happy holidays.
Sorry for random info.
Thx!
Anna
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Anna! Will definitely check it out!
xo
s
Essie Griffin says
Did you do cloth wipes too? If so, which ones? Did you wet them or use soap or what? I’m sure someone probably asked this already so sorry to make you answer again.
YoungHouseLove says
We always meant to try cloth wipes but never made the switch from Seventh Generation ones. Maybe with this baby we will!
xo
s
Essie Griffin says
Thanks! A couple more questions (can you tell i’m about to take the plunge and invest in them?) Did the Charlie’s soap take the stains/smell out and did you ever feel like you had to sanitize them? I’ve heard people boil them??
Also, when throwing wet diapers (since you spray them) into the wet bags..it doesn’t ever cause bacteria or mold to grow, does it? I mean, if you’re just going to throw it all in the wash the next day then probably not, right?
Thanks so much!! Can’t wait to see your new little one.
Essie Griffin says
You don’t have to write back – I just scrolled through a few pages and found answers to my questions! You poor thing, you answer the same questions constantly! haha
Christina says
That was a very helpful post. Thanks!!!!!!
Holly says
I love this post! Just wondering if you’ve started cloth diapering Teddy yet. Would love an update!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, he has been in cloth for a little while, but it’s back to disposables until we get our washer/dryer installed again. They’re adorable on him and I can’t wait to see those cloth buns again :)
xo
s
Danica says
I was curious whether or not you put your Charlies into the Bravos detergent dispenser or if you put it directly into the machine with the diapers? We just got our washer/dryer (the Bravos! Love it so far!) and apparently the internets are full of people who go back and forth over whether you can use charlies in the dispenser? Also, I’m assuming you wash your diapers on in hot water on the heavy duty cycle? (sorry, first baby, first non-craigslist washer dryer!)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re back to using liquid Seventh Gen (used it a ton with Clara and it’s just easier to find and didn’t seem to hurt the diapers or their absorbency at all). We just pour it into the detergent hole. And yes to the hot water :)
xo
s
Gretchen says
Sherry and John,
At what size/weight do you recommend transitioning from disposable to the one-size fits all? I notice that the Bum Genius website salta tea that those diapers cover 7-35+ lbs but it seems from your post that you didn’t have that same experience. How big was Clara when you transitioned?
Thanks!
Gretchen
YoungHouseLove says
I wish I could remember exactly but I think she was around 8 weeks old? They were a little lose around the legs before tat so they’d leak until she filled them out a bit more – and then they were awesome. Good luck!
xo
s
Megan says
Just wanted to thank you for this post. 4 years later and it’s still very helpful! I had been interested and wanting to use cloth diapers but everything I read was so confusing and made it all sound so complicated. Thanks your post I am now happily cloth diapering my 2.5 month old boy. Started my stash with 2 bumGenius AIO Freetimes which were okay and after further research went with a set of best bottoms, 6 covers, 18 inserts and I love them. Am sadly addicted to CDing now, waiting to try some RagaBabes which I’m VERY excited about. So thanks again for the no fuss no muss non intimidating information on cloth diapering! :)
Heidi says
Hello. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts. Question about cloth diapers: If you had gotten the newborn sized diapers for the first 9 weeks, how many do you think you would have needed? Thanks!