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.
jenny says
I don’t have my baby yet but I definitely plan on using cloth ones, saving this post for future reference
nikki says
For Joyce,
Use a rubber glove on fabrics to collect pet hair. Works aaammaaazing! My mom has mircosuede couches and two very hairy cats that shed constantly. Every few days she just swipes a rubber gloved hand over the furry spots and the hair gathers into a little ball. Voila! Give it a try!
Chelsea says
I have a friend using these diapers, her baby is 9 months old now and she’s having to replace the elastic around the legs, apparently the company will send you a kit. It is a lot of work, especially considering the cost of the diapers. Have you heard anything about this?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, isn’t that great?! We love how smart those kits can be!
xo,
s
jja says
Most of my friends used cloth diapers and recomand this all the time. Just last week I bought for one mom to be 5 cloth diapers, she has now her second child but wanted some with velcro saying this way she can easy adjust the size…some EU-countries even give tax back for this eco-friendly solution :-)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3312914893_26c002e855.jpg
Jenn says
I am interested in cloth diapers after reading, but I will be using a daycare center. Do people out there think I could do both? Like cloth on the weekends and when I’m home but disposable during the week when the baby goes to daycare? I’d like to be able to save some money and have less of an impact on the environment, but just don’t think I can swing all cloth all the time. It seems like the baby would be OK with a mix… thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenn,
Just read back through the comments for lots of info on that! You can definitely mix disposables and cloth, and many commenters mentioned that their daycare facilities were fine with cloth diapers!
xo,
s
Amanda K says
I didn’t read through ALL the comments, so could be repeating. A couple things I do that might work for others, I use soap nuts to wash all my daughters clothes and cloth diapers (and now my laundry too). I also bought a Dekor diaper pail and put a large wet bag inside it instead of the plastic liners and collect my cloth diapers and cloth wipes in there, it help with the smell. I just throw the wet bag inside out into the washer with my diapers.
I also keep a tiny, travel size water bottle with a spray mixture (different recipes can be found here: http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/homemade-baby-wipes-recipes.html ) in it to wet her bum for wiping. We also use the all-in-one, one size organic Bum Genius, but they take so long to dry, so I tend to use the one-size Bum Genius pocket diapers more, but like you mentioned I don’t think the velcro will last through multiple kiddos.
I also have a smaller wet bag with a zipper for when we are out and about. I do use disposable wipes when out, because they come in handy to have around to wipe dirty hands and faces.
Amy @ Journey Mum says
Great choice on going with snaps from the get-go! I had to pay to get all of my diapers converted from velcro to snaps once my daughter figured out how to open them. Now she can wiggle out of them but that’s a whole different story, and kind of handy since we’re working on potty training! I also love the one-size diapers, I have two in diapers right now and love that I can use any diaper on either kid by just adjusting the rise. I love cloth!
Colleen Leyrer says
Great post. Wonder – is there a particular parenting book you guys recommend?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Colleen,
We’ve been reading tons of books, but have really enjoyed The Happiest Baby on the Block. It’s not really a how-to on parenting but more of a look into the psyche of a baby. Very interesting!
xo,
s
Lesley says
You convinced me! I just ordered 2 bumGenius trials for my 6 month old. *fingers crossed*!
Val says
No kids here, but I still found it all very interesting. I also think it’s crazy how much our culture has changed. There’s a cute little area of town that is still called “Diaper Row” because back in the 50’s the little cottages there were all starter homes for young families. You could drive by in the afternoon and all the young mothers would be out hanging up their diapers to dry. Folks still call it that but have no idea why anymore.
kelly says
good for you! Cloth diaper moms unite!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
Kate says
You’ll love cloth wipes. You can get all the poop off (in my experience) with just ONE cloth wipe vs. two or three Seventh Gen. The texture of the cloth really grabs on to the nasty bits!
There are a ton of etsy sellers who sell cloth wipes if you’re not inclined to make them yourself.
There are some nice smelling wipe juices out there, but you can make your own with Dr. Bronners or just use plain water.
I’m a huge fan of Charlie’s Soap for washing our whole family’s laundry.
Karen says
so glad you are also loving cloth diapers!! We are on our second kiddo with them and I love them so much. We have multiple brands- mainly Bum Genius Organics, Fuzzi Bunz and prefolds with Thirsties or wool covers. We’ve had a few friends and relatives make the switch also after seeing how simple it really can be. We do not have an HE washer/dryer but it is still more energy efficient than disposables and better for our planet and our kids bottoms. We have even done cloth on vacation multiple times when it has only been trips that lasted a few days or less and just used a sealed wetbag and flushable liners (as we were without our beloved diaper sprayer) and washed when we got home- no issues whatsoever! Also- to chime in on the daycare thing- many are cool with it but they require a separate bag for each soiled/wet diaper (depending on your state- this is a requirement in some states that every diaper- disposable or not -go in a separate sealed bag before being disposed of). So many moms will just buy multiple single size wetbags to have the daycare person put each dirty diaper in. Also- our church nursery (we go to a large church with different workers every week) have been super supportive in letting my kids be in cloth and in changing them as needed. Looking forward to reading about what your opinion will be down the road with changes in her eating and mobility!
Tracy says
LOVE the garbage pail idea! So cute, yet, super functional. We currently use Fuzzibunz, but I believe Bum Genius is very similar. Wish more people would at least give cloth diapers a try. Saves so much money, we’ve had zero diaper rash issues and it is surprisingly easy! This is coming from someone who has had laser hair removal, does not wear birkenstocks, wears half the Lancome make-up counter and enjoys a good steak. What I’m trying to say is… I’m so far from being “crunchy” it makes my family scratch their heads on why I would have an interest in cloth. I’m completely sold. Thanks for the post!
Katy says
I appreciate this post. We are not expecting but plan on having kids in the next few years. We would like to use cloth diapers. It is nice to get pointers ahead of time from “the pros”.
Lauren says
Hey guys, I loved your post about the cloth diapers, it really helped me make a informed decision about what I’ll want to use. This question has nothing to do w/ cloth diapers, but I love the pictures of Clara and love the white blanket with orange-ish reddish stars on it. Where did you guys get that? it looks like a quilt which i love! so pretty in pictures too!
thanks guys
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
That’s an Aden + Anais swaddle blanket (you can probably google around for one or check amazon.com). We LOVE them. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Monica says
You are so hilarious, Sherry. I think I let out a giggle at least twice while I read this post. :) And for the first time I am actually considering cloth diapers! This was very helpful and informative. Thanks!
Rashmi says
Hi guys!
Love that you use cloth diapers.. but why the disposable WIPES? No no no!
You must try the soft, yummy wipes that you can get now. They are the best ever. Have you tried one of the dispie wipes on your bum (okay, don’t answer that!)… now, should a baby’s soft bum be exposed to that? No.. soft fluffy cotton velour wipes. Yes!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll definitely be making the cloth wipe switch soon. Not to worry!
xo,
s
Lacey says
Embrace the cloth wipes! Like the diapers, you will kick yourself for not doing it earlier. Not literally, but you know what I mean 8-)
I went the inexpensive route and purchased (half-off) a few yards of flannel, borrowed a friends serger, and serged about 50 8×8 flannel squares. I LOVE THEM! For 2 hours work, and about $12, we are good on wipes. I throw them in the wash with the diapers.
I have found that like them so much that I get annoyed at the packaging of the SG wipes that we use when we are out and about.
Michelle H says
I just finished reading through all 343 comments because I too am a cloth diapering freak :) Well I will be a cloth diapering freak. My little one is due in November and I can’t wait to get my BumGenius’. This just solidified my want to go reusable more so.
I’m having a tougher time convincing my husband so I just put together a FAQ sheet and a spreadsheet with costs to show him that it’s really worth it!
I just wanted to say – thank you for such an informative post and I can’t believe you read every comment AND take the time to respond back to questions. It seriously took me a couple hours to get through everything. I can’t believe you do this with every post! No wonder you wish you could clone yourselves.
kjpugs says
Hey guys! Long time reader, infrequent commenter here. I just wanted to say that before this post, I scoffed at re-usable diapers. I’m not super eco-concious and just thought it would be gross to deal with. Well the ease you describe, plus the COST SAVINGS!!!!… you may have me convinced. I never thought I’d say that. Of course it’ll have to wait for when my hubby and I decide to have kids, probably a few years, but I am really glad you posted this!!!! Very eye-opening for someone like me!
julie says
Sorry for the triple post, but since you asked, here’s the direct link to my cloth-in-a-g-diaper post:
http://robandjulie.blogspot.com/2008/11/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html
Jessica @ The Southern Belle Baby says
Don’t you LOVE cloth?! I cloth diaper my son, we use the bumgenius 3.0s and, now, the 4.0s in velcro. I absolutely adore them, and like you, I am so glad I used disposables for a few weeks in the beginning just to have some scope of how much I loathe them. We always planned to use cloth, but he was just so little at first, they didn’t fit right. And man, did those disposables leak! We had blowouts constantly. The BGS are fantastic for containing everything. I love that not only are they eco-friendly, but they’re adorable, affordable and they WORK! Kudos for helping spread the word on the fabulousness that is cloth diapering!
Kelly says
THANK YOU so much for this post. I’m expecting my first in Nov. and will be cloth diapering. I’ve been researching and trying to figure out what will work best. I appreciate your opinions!
kellyf says
love love love this post. we’ve been cd’ing our daughter since she was about 2 weeks, using a combo of BumGenius and FuzziBunz. for those asking about daycare — our daycare (its an in home daycare) has been AWESOME and has been fully cooperative. i think a few things are key when broaching the subject: physically showing them what they look like/how they work (immediately people think of the old fashioned safety pinned prefolds), and keep it as simple as possible for them. i give her plenty for the day, give her the easiest ones to put on, and tell her to just take it off and throw it right in the wetbag i include in the diaper bag, whether its wet or super poopy. this way its almost the exact same process for her as changing a disposable, except instead of tossing in the trash, toss in the wetbag. then at night, i just dump any solids and they go in our regular diaper pail, which we wash every 3 days. i am crazy about cloth i love it and am so happy we have done it — its really not that much extra effort! good luck and please continue with these types of post, they are great! :)
polly says
Yay for cloth diapers! You will love the wipes, too–I’ve noticed less diaper rash-y type issues and sensitivity w/ my son when I use the cloth wipes. I think he must be sensitive to whatever is in some of the more conventional disposable wipes.
Getting the snaps was brilliant. The velcro DOES wear out easily!
My methodology has been cold wash w/ Sensi-Clean (love that stuff, lasts forever), followed by hot wash w/ extra rinse. Then some dryer tumbling and/or sunshine. Works great!
Kate says
How convenient that you posted about cloth diapers when my little one, Caroline (April 12th-just over a month older than Clara!) had a humungous diaper explosion today!! I read your post and I have to say, I’m about ready to go out and buy the bum genious diapers right now!
I do have a question– I decided to copy your white onesie with the fabric background idea to do Caroline’s 3, 6, 9, and 12 month pictures… I have a Canon Digital Rebel, and even though I had Caroline right next to a window for natural light, I had a bunch of shadows. How do you get Clara’s pictures so bright? Is it just a great spot in your house, or do you have some photoshop tricks up your sleeves?
I love your blog– I can get sucked in for hours! :) Thanks for always posting such great, relevant stuff!
~Kate
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
We actually have a post on this subject coming soon! We’ll share all of our tricks and even show how we do our number photoshopping and how we snap our photos, but to tide you over: we shoot them in the sunroom (since it gets the most light, but shooing next to a window should also work) at around 5:30 pm (so we get lots of diffused dusky light, nothing too harsh or shadowy). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
heather j. says
hey, guys, I haven’t read the comments to see if someone else wrote this already, but check out Charlie’s detergent if you haven’t already…super cost-effective! And cleans my cloth dipes better than anything…
Rachel P. says
This post could not have come at a more perfect time! I just received my Flip system cloth diapers in the mail today and am terrified to try them. I have two babies in diapers (one is nearly two and the other is a newborn) and would love to stop making emergency runs to the store to pick up diapers, but I’ve had quite a bit of nay-saying whispered in my ear. I love hearing that they work for you, even if it isn’t exactly diy home improvement related.
Heidi@recklessbliss says
Hi!
I’m just really curious to know if Sherry (or John for that matter) carries a diaper bag and if so did you find one that’s purely functional or did you manage to hunt one down that was stylish as well?
Thanks guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Heidi,
Check out this post for that info. Basically we picked up a pouch that you can toss into any purse to make it a diaper bag (which is economical and flexible so I can change bags if the urge strikes. So far I’ve been using a polished looking oversized black purse from Gap (snagged on clearance) and it’s really working well.
xo,
s
Bethany says
Aren’t BG diapers the best? We used them on our son and loved them. We were even able to sell them on a diapering website when we were done with them and re-couped about half of our initial investment. Way to go!
RJ says
Thanks so much for this post! I’m just starting to research various CD brands for our impending little one and always love hearing how new CD parents like various brands! And to hear that you’re doing well with only 12 diapers is great news for our budget!
I’ve already purchased a small stack of flannelet to turn into reusable wipes, a trick I pick-up from a new-mom friend. I’m so excited to be able to do things a little more budget and eco consciously!
Annie says
I wouldn’t be too sure you’ll be able to use them for future children. The only elasticised ones that still have working elastic after three years are the ones I never used. So now I have an almost toilet trained two year old wearing all the cloth I bought, hated and put aside, and can’t justify buying new ones. And the prefolds, which are still going strong, of course.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the heads up! We’re definitely not sure we’ll get to use them for future kids but we have high hopes since two family friends of ours have the exact same dipes and are on their second babies with them! Fingers crossed!
xo,
s
Kelly@TearingUpHouses says
Love that last picture of Clara! So cute!
Kelly
kellyf says
@annie/sherry&john – re: worn out elastic, cotton babies (makers of bum genius) sells “fix it” kits so you can replace the elastics and velcro (if your diapers have it)…totally extends the life and super easy if you have access to a sewing machine!
YoungHouseLove says
So good to know!
xo,
s
jen says
Love so many comments. Without reading them all, ill. just say this…
1. Cloth diapers work SO much better to contain blowouts! (we also use bum genious…and also fuzzy buns one size).
2. Planet wise wet bags. Daycare loves them and so do I for daily out and about use (can use them a second time around for wet swim suits or gym clothes).
3. Reusable diaper pail liners. Good investment.
4. Charlies soap. Not bad for anyone. We now use it for every wash. Very cost effective, too.
5. Love husbands who do diapers. Mine does ’cause he can’t stand the landfill effect.
Cloth diapering since 6/18/09.
Heidi H. says
Hey Sherry,
I just wanted to pass along an affordable cloth wipes tip that I discovered when I was preparing for my babes arrival this past Nov.
I knew I wanted to use cloth wipes but couldn’t afford to shell out lots of cash buying them from Green Mountain Diapers, which is where I ordered my prefolds & covers. So, while doing research on cloth wipes, I found this post–http://grizzlybirds.blogspot.com/2006/05/natural-homemade-diaper-wipes.html
They used old t-shirts cut up into palm-sized squares, but I didn’t like that idea as much considering it’s kind of junky looking & I don’t actually have any old t’s lying around to cut up. However, I now knew the approximate size cloth I was looking for & with that, I was off to Target.
At Target, I found & bought six packs of the Circo infant wash clothes in gender neutral colors. There are six to a package & they are the perfect size! Even better, they are 4 bucks a pack, which beats the 12 for $12 price on GMD. In the end, I walked out of Target with 36 cloth wipes for $24. & while I normally don’t like infant washcloths for bathing (they’re too thin), they are PERFECT for wipes. & since having used them exclusively since the day we brought River home from the hospital, I can say that 36 is definetely enough (especially since you wash your diapers every other day) & that the Circo wash cloths hold up very well. River will be nine months on the 18th & my wipes are as good as new.
Oh, & I used the homemade wipes solution recommended on the link above as well as the thermos set up & have absolutely loved that as well.
I hope this helps! Happy diapering! :-)
Supriya says
Hey am a mother of 2 month old baby boy and have been using cloth diapers from the first day of his birth. Even though its going really well, have one irritation with it. How to make this work when the baby is in a car seat, pram or bouncing seat since leakage is high and staining almost immediate. Have been using a waterproof sheet and a cloth sheet on each of these things to contain this prob but was wondering if there is a better solution coz it all looks real messy. Btw really nice post, may the tribe using cloth nappies increase!
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe it’s the type of cloth diaper you’re using? We haven’t had any of the issues you describe no matter where Clara sits/lays or what position she’s in. The elastic waist and leg openings of Bum Genius diapers have been amazing. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
ashleylynnfry says
Wow! Thanks for this… my husband & I are expecting our first child & we’ve been discussing disposable or cloth diapers for the past week or so after we discovered how darn expensive disposables are! This post is a perfect description of parents who are actually going the cloth route. Thanks again!!
xoxo
allison says
Hooray for you for breastfeeding and doing cloth diapers! AND for telling your many readers how easy it can be to go this route. When our daughter was in diapers she was rail thin, and we only found one brand of cloth diapers (Daisy Doodles) that was narrow enough between the legs to fit her well. I wish the Bum Geniuses had fit her just so we didn’t have to buy multiple sizes. Still came out ahead in the end in terms of $$ and the environment :)
katie says
I don’t have a baby yet, nor is one in the foreseeable future- however, I’ve always wondered what cloth diapering was like, since that’s the route I imagine I would like to go when the time comes. Now I feel very confident that I’ll choose cloth diapers, or at least favor them strongly as you do. Thanks for such a wonderful post- such great information, even for those who are only ‘thinking’ and not ‘expecting’ or already blessed with a wee one!
Karo Design says
I love my bumgenius 3.0
They fit perfect, no rash and no leaks. During the first weeks, my little eva used the disposable diapers and i hated them. They just didn’t fit perfectly, seemed pretty stiff and i was always going to the store to buy more. I switch to baby g for a while and really liked it. So i decided to go all the way and i bought my bum genius. I don’t know how you do with only 12 diapers. I have 24 and i wash them every 2 days.
I just wanted to mention that since bum genius has released their 4.0 diaper, a lot of places have the 3.0 on special. I got a great deal on mine this way
Anna says
I also use BumGenius for my little one and I love them. I’ve been using them since my daughter was almost 3 months old and she’s not 6 months…still on the same bottle of detergent as well, though I do prewash and wash again, but only because I live in Bali and hardly anyone has washing machines here so I have to do it the old fashion way and prewash with cold water by hand, then boil hot water for the heavy wash. I only have 10 diapers and have managed fine but it can get hard when the weather isn’t friendly for drying them…did I mention we line dry too! :) I have ordered 8 more that should arrive any day now so that will total 18. I would never go back to any other diaper. I’m glad you all are enjoying them! Good luck and take care! :)
From Bali With Love,
http://annaelizabethpoole.blogspot.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anna,
It’s amazing that you’re using the same diapers that we are (and only 10 of them!) all the way in Bali! We love that cloth diapers are enjoyed all over the world!
xo,
s
Rebekah says
Cute! I haven’t read through all the previous posts so I apologize if this is a repost. We washed our darling daughters bum in the sink the first few months for diaper changes (when we were at home) and only used wipes out and about. It took us a year to go through a tube of butt paste. Our reasoning was less eco friendly and more avoiding diaper rash but it really worked! Don’t forget to clean your sink with a vinegar spray often if you do this!
Leah says
I love that you are letting everyone know how easy cloth diapers are! We’re huge cloth diaper fans too. We bought 16 or so fuzzi bunz when our almost 6yr old was about 4 months old (and they are now being used by our 2 yr old, and have lasted beautifully!). We’d been using a diaper service, but figured we could save a ton of money laundering our own. Having a mini shower sprayer is a must once they start solids. Glad you have one!
One thing, maybe someone mentioned this already, but just in case. We got sick of spending money on wipes, since we were just throwing them away. So, we bought a bag full of used wash cloths at Value Village or Goodwill for a couple bucks. And we used to wet them down with a diaper wash from California Baby. But a long time ago, we switched to just plain water. We just throw them in the bag with the dirty diapers, and we find that using a disposable wipe now is just not working for us anymore. The thickness of a wash cloth is so much more efficient for cleaning up a dirty bum. Hope it’s a helpful tip for you! :)
the food says
Babies just look cuter with a great big bubble butt :)
If you’re handy with a sewing machine replacing elastics in pockets and AIO diapers is super easy.
Fixing BG’s:
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490456&referrerid=37336
Fixing Fuzzi Bunz:
http://hesaboobman.blogspot.com/2010/03/replacing-elastic-in-fuzzi-bunz-step-by.html
Becky says
Sadly us working moms can’t use cloth diapers in public daycares. (At least where I live) For some reason it is a health code violation so we have done the disposables here. Always wondered about cloth but not worth using just on weekends we figured. So glad it’s working for you!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Becky,
So sorry to hear that! A lot of working moms have actually commented on this post to share that the daycare facilities that they use are happy to work with cloth diapers (they just toss them into a zippered wet bag for the parents to deal with later). Of course not all of them go for it, but one great tip was to bring in a cloth diaper to show the center how far they’ve come and how easy they are to use (although if it’s a health code violation that probably won’t do any good). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
This article was very helpful as we are considering to go the cloth diaper route. I have been doing a lot of research on the different diapers and this helped give an insider opinion on the use of BG brand. As for cloth diapering at daycare, I found out that my center does allow cloth diaper use but they won’t rinse them out. The director said they would just put the soiled diapers in a bag for us to deal with later. So this is an option for us although they provide disposables so it’s included in the cost of tuition.
Page says
How about…I don’t even have kids and this post made me research cloth diapers for like an hour. Just in case. That’s out of control.
Kristen says
Thank you so much for the cloth diaper write up… I’m due in November and seriously considering giving it a go.
My question is (not sure if it was covered in the comments section, I’ve been pouring thru it slowly!) would you considering going the cloth route if you didn’t own a washer/dryer? We are in an apartment complex for the time being and the W/D are located downstairs, around the corner and down some more stairs. ..which I admit, could be a lot closer than some laundry rooms in larger homes. I’m not as intimidated by it as my husband is ..I figure I’m going to be doing a lot more laundry with a baby anyways! Plus, I would have 4 washers (and 4 dryers if I didn’t line dry) I could use at once. Upside, we don’t pay the water bill. Downside – $1.00 per wash and another 1.00 for dry.
I still need to figure out if $$ it makes sense and I need to check the rules if I even can (some apartments won’t allow it.) But if it’s just pure insanity – disposable would do until we get out of the apartments..
Thanks again for the post – very informative!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we’re not sure! Like you we’d probably do the math to see how much all that washing would cost and figure out if we thought it was worth it. Although it really feels good to keep all those disposables out of the garbage- and as you mention you’re always doing laundry with a baby anyway. Good luck with your decision!
xo,
s