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.
Heidi Mitchell says
Great post! We love our BumGenius & Flip diapers! We also love using cloth wipes. I think it’s easier since I don’t have to separate the diapers & wipes in the dirty pail. I have 24 Fuzzibunz organic wipes, & that’s beeb plenty for us.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3696417
Tina says
Thanks for posting all this great information! We cloth diapered both of our boys, and are now passing the diapers on to other people to use! Cloth diapers are far superior to disposable ones for many reasons and they keep getting cuter and cuter! I must say though, that I really think you should go ahead and buy 6 more so you have 18 all together. It will cut down on your washing frequency, which helps to save even more water.
Steph says
Good to know you only need 12! I think I’m set then! I’m due in a few months and will be using cloth as well. Thanks for this great post — I think it will help my husband with the decision I’ve made to go cloth ;)
Rebekah M says
Thanks for the great information! As a mom-to-be, I am soaking up all the info I can get on cloth diapering.
EM says
Thanks for this post!! We are not parents (yet), but we have just gone “paperless” in our kitchen (ie: rags instead of paper towels) and we were trying to figure out a way to cleverly store our rags. Your bin sysetm is perfect! One for clean rags, and one for dirty. We are heading to World Market right now… :)
Thanks again!
Kim says
Not sure if you’ve answered in the past… Where did you get the diaper pails? Or are they just regular pails you’re using as diaper pails? Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kim,
They’re just regular pails from World Market. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Christina says
If you join diaperswappers.com or Cloth diaper nation or one of those message boards you will see that you are not at all the only one who gets a lot of joy from cloth diapering! (Diaperswappers.com is also a good source for washing advice, etc too if anyone wants more information on how to wash, strip, cover and learn about the different styles and choices) You can also see on there just how much MORE expensive cloth can be if you get into the super cute factor of them– people get crazy buying and selling different patterns, styles, etc. And then I wont even mention how people get obsessed with wool covers for cloth dipes- those are really fun too. Glad you are enjoying it- and glad that they are working out for you. We used cloth for a long time here- sadly I got lazy and couldn’t stand the toddler super stinky pee/poop anymore but we loved them when she was small.
Kim says
@Tatiana, they mentioned in the post that when they travel, they still use disposables, since it’s easier to toss. :)
Misty Smith says
we love cloth diapering as well! so it’s always nice to see other families who enjoy it as well!
Angela says
I’m glad you’re loving the bum genius! We use them on our 10 month old and have since he was 6 weeks. EVERYONE thought we were crazy!!! Too hippy I guess?!? But since we love it them much and tell everyone who is pregnant to CD, we’ve converted 4 other couples! Glad to hear you are too!
BTW~ I love your blog. My sister introduced me a couple of weeks and I’m so inspired by your decorating. Thanks!
robyn says
Thank you for writing this! It was Ryan’s post on Pacing the Panic Room that opened my eyes to cloth diapers as a real option for the very first time, and I’m sure you’re changing a lot of people’s minds with this.
Our little one is 11 months now, so we’ve been using cloth (Fuzzi Bunz, One Size) for 9 months. When he was 9 months old we switched from a traditional washing machine to a front loader, and I have to say that within a few weeks I started noticing a poo odor when pulling them from the washing machine (I would do a rinse cycle and then a hot wash).
In case this ever happens, don’t be discouraged. I emailed Fuzzi Bunz and was told that the front loaders are so water-efficient that some simply do not add enough water to the rinse cycle to account for how absorbent those inserts are. We now do a full cold wash with no spin in lieu of a just a rinse, then we go on to the full hot wash, extra rinse, with spin. No more stinks.
People might say that you pay for so much extra water that you may as well just buy disposables, but that’s not an argument I ever entertain.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Robyn! We’ll definitely be open to varying our washing routine to keep our diapers in great shape!
xo,
s
jill says
personally, i would invest in a few more diapers to extend the washing days out(and extend the life of the diapers, especially if you want to use for future kids), and also wet bags for your pail instead of the plastic bags~ you can just toss the wet bag in with the load and not have a stinky plastic bag to deal with. i have been cloth diapering for almost 6 years so far, and about to start over with baby #3. ;-)
oh, and i *love* our diaper sprayer also~ i don’t bother with the BF only poop, but it is invaluable when the sticky toddler poop happens!
one more thing~ love cloth wipes! in fact, we do “family” cloth. i keep my diaper pail in the bathroom next to the toilet, so it’s easy to just toss the wipes we use in there. and we buy toilet paper maybe once a year (for guests… or when i get lax on folding diapers).
schmei says
My 4-month-old niece wears gDiapers and I agree, cloth diapers are actually quite cute. I enjoy trying to coordinate her little outfit with her diaper – not something one can do with disposables, usually.
Great post!
Lauren says
SO glad you like them! I love our BG organic AIOs.
I have to say, though, I’m shocked that you’re getting by with only 12! Good for you!
Steph @ Nap Time Notes says
What a great post! I am so happy that you’re getting the word out there about cloth diapering! I’ve been cloth diapering (I use disposables when traveling too) since my 21 month old was a newborn and have tried lots of different cloth diapers (It’s kind of addicting). My current favorite is the flip system which is also made by bumgenius.
I love your pail system! How smart to attach it right to the dresser! If you ever want to go the reusable pail liner route, Kissa’s Antibacterial Pail Liner is a great one. I found mine on amazon. Happy diapering! :)
LoriD says
I’m glad you’re loving the cloth. I cloth-diapered all three of my children from birth to potty-training and loved it, but I have a hard time convincing others to try it.
For reusable wipes, here’s what I did. Fill a spray bottle with baby oil, spray the bum and wipe away with a reusable cloth (like small washcloths, old towels cut to size, etc.) It’s great for the skin (my dermatologist approved) and easy! Put the wipes in with the diapers and wash the same way.
Abbey says
We use those same kind, and love them, too! Our little lady is potty training right now, but they have lasted us for 23 months and still look great. For sure an excellent investment. I could write a novel about why I looooooove cloth diapers, but it sounds like you guys are on the same boat. We also use the pail method, and it worked great for us even after she was eating solids.
Hooray for cutie cloth bums!
robyn says
Here is a great link about soaps– we’ve used Charlie’s and All Free & Clear.
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html
Lindee says
What a great post! All my friends call me a super freak because I cloth diaper and I CANNOT convince them that it is really NOT any different other than an extra load of laundry! SIgn up on the Cloth Diaper Whisperer site and you can get coupons for free diapers sometimes. It is a great way to add to your stash. I just ordered mine yesterday. I use All free and clear and wash the covers and the liners seperatly. I only wash about every 3 days. I keep mine in a dry pail as well with a box of baking soda in the bottom. No problems.
Dana E. says
Glad you guys are liking the cloth diapers! We have no little ones yet but I like that you guys made a very informed decision with your options. It is the norm now to do cloth diapers, but I don’t think most people think through the “whys”.
Here are two sites that I recommend for cloth diapering. Both are very informative and offer tips for washing, travel, detergents, and they each break down the different “types” of diapers:
http://simplemom.net/tools/cloth-diapering/
AND
http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/
I am in no way affiliated with these blogs, I just love their information.
Emily says
Great post! Glad you are liking your cloth diapers! We, too, are about to embark on the cloth diapering journey. Our son is 6 1/2 weeks so we have experimented but aren’t doing cloth full time because he is too small for most of the one-size. Glad to know you like your BGs! We have the same ones – they account for half of our stash but we haven’t used them yet. Secretly, I would like to know your wash routine too. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
We use Seventh Generation Free & Clear (the kind with no fragrances or additives which is super pure- Clara hasn’t had any negative reactions to it at all) 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).
xo,
s
Kate says
Wow. Very informative! I was a cloth diaper baby & I’ve always liked the idea for my own little ones someday, but I never knew how cleaning them really worked. The sprayer makes a lot on sense! What is the difference between regular cotton & organic cotton?
I like when you guys do baby posts instead of keeping it all “grown up” and separate. We’ve seen how your house was as a new married couple & I am excited to see how it changes now that you have a family!
Diane says
Wow, cloth diapers have improved since I last used one – back in the day when I was a teen babysitter. I had to safety pin the diapers on the baby and they would never stay on!!
The picture is adorable – you’ve got yourself one beautiful little family. Off topic I know, but I noticed the neutral but graphic fabric behind Clara. I would love a comforter or duvet in a similar fabric – any thoughts on where to look?
YoungHouseLove says
Diane- We found that on clearance at Joann Fabrics (and also remember seeing it at Hancock). Hope it helps!
Kate- Other than being pure and free of any dyes or chemicals there probably isn’t much of a difference between 100% cotton and organic cotton. The one-size-fits-all snap Bum Genius diapers just happened to come with organic all-in-one liners, so it’s not like we paid extra for them- they were part of the package!
xo,
s
Stefanie says
Thanks again for this! I can’t get enough baby info – especially from you two; your site cuts my research time in half for some things.
Katie says
I’m definitely pro cloth. I started using them with my daughter when she was 9 months old. I still use a disposable at night and I use disposables when we travel, but I use cloth about 95% of the time otherwise. Baby #2 is coming in February and at only 19 months apart it’s highly likely that I’ll have 2 in diapers! So saving with cloth (even though I’ll buy a few more to cover both bums) and not running out to the store weekly to stock up on disposables is going to save me as a Mom. I plan on making my own newborn sized cloth diapers so something fits the babe in the first couple months! My first baby was 6 lbs 11 oz and I anticipate that baby #2 will be about the same.
Plus, I love that our garbage isn’t full of icky disposable diapers. That’s what really pushed me to switch to cloth.
erin says
Love your thoughts on CD! We also CD our 15 MO DD and also love it. I think her diapers are ridiculously cute, and I am so excited that we will be reusing them for the second kiddo. I love our cloth wipes as well, even more so since I picked up a wipes warmer (at a consignment sale for $5 – how could I resist?!). We use the Prince Lionheart one and it is awesome. My only concern for you is your diaper pail(s). How are you going to secure them and the lids once she is older? Now that my DD can walk, her greatest joy is getting into anything and everything, including the diaper pail. THANK GOODNESS it has a lock or we’d have a monstrous mess on our hands! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
We definitely have some babyproofing in our future, and we plan to learn as we go and update/alter things as Clara becomes more mobile. Stay tuned for those details as they come!
xo,
s
HHenderson says
We love BumGenius! I found that the actual sized diapers (S, M, L) worked better for us and resulted in fewer leaks & blow outs than disposables. Plus, they are a bit less bulky if that matters to people. Yes, a larger investment, but the price of one equals the cost of one package of disposables, and lasts so much more.
The wash routine that I use is a small cold soak in the washer, the a hot / cold wash & rinse cycle with very little soap. If you get soap residue on the diapers, they will be stinky.
Yay cloth!
kate says
i just started cloth diapers for my 9 week old too! they are sooo cute – and EASY! we have a combo of Fuzzi Bums (borrowed) and Best Bottoms (the owner of Nicki’s Diapers created these). but here’s my tip for wipes: i bought a pack of flannel wipes and realized they are the same material as a flannel Carter’s receiving blanket (of which we have 4). i just cut up one of the blankets and made a boat load of wipes (enough to fill an old disposable wipes container – which is where i’ll keep them). easy, peazy, soft & breezy!
YoungHouseLove says
Great DIY wipe-making tip Kate! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
erin says
PS, good choice on the snaps for another reason – little fingers have a hard time dealing with those snaps, so they discourage unwanted diaper removal. ;)
Cait @ Hernando House says
Thanks so much for this! We don’t currently have kids, but this will be so helpful in the future both for us and our currently-pregnant friends!
Jyl says
This is really great and informative post! Please update us if anything changes as Clara grows.
I love the Zoolander face. Precious!
Bethany says
We cloth diaper using Bum Genius, too! With a one year old there is NO WAY we could have the diaper pail the way you do… he is far too active and curious! I do like it though.
18 really is a good number, it makes laundry every 2.5 or 3 days, which is nice! I don’t have any laundry issues waiting that long because I use Rockin Green detergent, which is great ! It also took awhile to transition to cloth wipes for us, and I think we only use them half the time. We use Thirties wipes (awesome!) and California Baby diaper spray. When she does get diaper rash… and it happens sometimes… California Baby cream works really well and is diaper safe!
Rachel P says
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! My husband and I our expecting out baby the day after Christmas (great Christmas present, right?) and we have been discussing going the cloth diaper route as well. However, we don’t really have anyone around us to get advice from and I feel that there are so many options out there, I was never really sure what was right. I love your logic on washing the whole diaper rather than just washing inserts. I think that it makes great sense. I will have to show this post to my husband tonight and I think it will answer most all of our questions. I can’t wait to have a cloth diapered cutie just like you two. The only thing that I don’t know if we will get to enjoy are the great effects of the sun, since we have nasty winters and instead of fresh sun bleached diapers, we might end up with diaper popsicles. :P
Thanks again for all your helpful information.
Mary says
My sister cloth diapers my niece (who turns 1 today!) and when/if we have kids, I think we’ll do the same.
Yuliya says
Awesome post guys! I have been cloth diapering my babe since birth (and doing elimination communication from three months.)Just wanted to throw out a few resources for anyone thinking about cloth diapers, I have a long post on it here http://www.shesuggests.com/2010/01/05/how-to-make-a-major-decision-like-which-diapers-to-use/, some great websites to check out are http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/newmom.htm and for laundry info http://www.diaperjungle.com/washing-cloth-diapers.html I love cloth diapering, did lots of research and would be more than happy to answer anybody’s questions, just ask!
Janet says
cool that you guys like it. I have almost 4month old twin boys and have been using prefolds with thirsties covers. My husband and I love using cloth diapers. It’s actually not as difficult as it seems and the washing is not so bad either. We have not had any leaks so far. The only times we had problems was then we used disposables when we were out…:)
I like that my boys don’t have the chemicals (in paper diapers) on their tush all the time:)
Audrey says
We successfully used cloth 100% from 4 months until potty training at 2.5 years. It was sooo much fun and enjoyable. I can’t wait to have a newborn and start all over again!
bri says
Do yall happened to know how much a diaper service will run not that I need one just always been curious? P.S. yall have one cute kid!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Bri,
Not a clue- bet it varies by region. Maybe you can google around for that info?
xo,
s
priscilla says
we’re cloth diapering with our daughter as well, and love it as much as you do. we have bumgenius pocket dipes instead of the all-in-ones, but i might try to get my hands on some of those since they seem so easy.
Karma Watters says
Nope! I am a bit giddy about cloth diapering, too and I have been doing it for a couple years. I’m glad it’s working for you. Just a tip for those who love Bum Genius but didn’t think to opt for the organic snaps (good foresight!), I bought the stuff to convert my worn out (by two kids) velcro BG dipes to snaps for about $40 which isn’t much when you are talking about extending the life of my diapers another year or two to finish up diapers this baby! It wasn’t hard and anyone could do it. There are tutorials on You Tube and its just as easy as it looks.
Martha says
Hooray for this post. I know it’s not home decor/reno related, but I think you have good voices for spreading the message that cloth diapering isn’t scary. :-)
Perhaps you should take the BabyCenter concept full-steam and start a parenting blog?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh if only there were enough hours in the day!
xo,
s
Brien says
Can any cloth diaper parents comment on the practicality of using cloth part time? I know the daycare we will be using for our first won’t accept cloth. She will be there full time, so we would only be using cloth at night and on the weekends. I am not sure how useful that would be considering I would have to wash the dirty ones every couple of days and there would be so few to wash. Worth it or no???
YoungHouseLove says
We figure it’ll still cut down on the disposables you use on nights and weekends over the course of 2+ years (so it should definitely help, right)? Does anyone else have advice for Brien?
xo,
s
Bethany says
I’m glad you posted this! We use cloth and really love it! We also used disposables while he was too small for the cloth and we had blowouts and some diaper rash (so far, no blowouts or diaper rash with cloth). We use Bum Genius 3.0/4.0s with velcro.
For our daycare provider, I bring a lined, zippered wet bag for her daily and she just folds up the dirty diapers and puts them in the bag. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for our provider to say yes to our cloth diapers, so I rinse out the dirty ones when I get home, which hasn’t been a problem. I do think bringing along one of the diapers you plan on using to show to potential daycare providers is really helpful. Most were surprised how easy modern cloth diapers are (no folding, pins, or covers).
Washing/stuffing/etc. doesn’t take that long and has just become part of our routine.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Bethany,
So glad to hear that your daycare provider is happy to use cloth diapers! And that’s a great tip about bringing one along to show them how simple they have become.
xo,
s
Breanna says
Would you consider doing a follow-up post in a couple months? I was totally intrigued so I went to the website. It seems like the negative reviews complained about the diapers not holding up over the long term (several months). I am really curious to see if/how your opinion changes in a couple more months. Hopefully, it doesn’t!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Breanna,
Stay tuned to this post (we’ll post a big bold update at the bottom if anything changes in the next few months). We also plan to do a follow up post after one year of use so stick around for that!
xo,
s
Suzi says
Bum Genius also sells a cloth diaper with a removable insert. We plan to use those for the day, and the all in ones for night time. The removable inserts come in cloth or paper throwaway, even flushable like a bathroom wipe. We’ll send Jr to daycare with a diaper on, a spare, and a container of throwaway inserts. Not too much different than disposables in that case.
Bethany says
Oh, and we use cloth wipes too. I figured since I was washing diapers, I may as well be washing wipes! We think they work even better to clean up the big messes than disposable wipes. I use Bum Genius bottom cleaner and thirsties wipes.
hannah says
great post! we LOVE cloth diapers, we use both bum genius and apple cheek dipes:)
Rabbit says
Haha, glad to know I’m not the only one who is without kids right now but likes to read up on this stuff for later. DH thinks I’m weird! I was a CD’ed baby, so I’m excited about doing this with my kids. Obviously they’ve changed since I wore them 30 yrs ago, but they’ve even changed in the 15 years since my cousins wore them! (and I didn’t think those were too bad!)
My friend will be CDing her son–he’s only 4 days old right now!!!–but her daycare does NOT have any issues with them. She asked them RIGHT away upon visiting the center. They are a private center, so they did double-check with the state for any health code violations. We’re in CT, and there is NO problem or law that says you can’t use them at a DC center. All they asked was that she brings a wet bag in for the dirties. They’ll change them and toss them in the bag, and when she picks him up every day, she’ll take the bag home. Not much different than bringing in bottles and other lunch items.
Glad it’s working out for you guys, and I’m going to send my friend this link :) And yes, I’m even excited to do a diaper change with him and try out these newfangled CDs.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rabbit,
It’s great to hear that you know of a daycare center that will happily use cloth diapers! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
kat says
Thank you for the breakdown! I’ve been discussing this with my hubby and this is a really great way to point out the advantages.
Gina says
We also use the Bum Genius all in one snap diapers and love them. We have 25 diapers, but have twins. We used to do diapers everyday when the boys were small, but at 5 months or so, we started washing them every other day.
We also use reusable wipes and love them! You’re already washing diapers, so why not wipes too? Reusable wipes can be more gentle than store-bought wipes (we use water and a little bit of baby soap for our wipes and put them in an ice cream bucket).
If we travel more than one night, we use disposable diapers. Otherwise, we have a zippered wet bag that holds in the lovely dirty diaper smells!