Cloth Diapers and Cloth Wipes

Good for you for making the switch to cloth. We use cloth diapers, use Charlies Soap to wash (no buildup, you don't want to use dryer sheets or fabric softener on cloth diapers, it will build up and cause them to repel water. www.charliesoap.com )

We use mostly fuzzi Bunz, however I have a ton of prefolds and Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers. There are also fleece covers and wool. I would say that prefolds and covers are the easiest, cheapest, and easiest to wash. They are really low maintenance, and you only need a few covers and you can reuse them unti lthey get poop on them and then wash. I use one and when changing hang it on teh changing table and use an ew one, and just cycle through them through the day.

If you have any questions, let me know. Craigslist is a good place to look, since used diapers aren't allowed on eBay anymore (so dumb) craigslist has a ton of them, just search 'cloth diapers' and you'll find them. You can find good deals.

Congrats on switching to cloth! I switched a few months ago and made my own diapers. There are lots of great patterns online and they are REALLY easy to make. I spent the money on a Serger machine instead of buying the diapers. I made pocket diapers but now wish I would've just made the regular ones and made inserts for them. The stuffing gets to be a pain in the butt and it would be nice to have a pile of diapers and a pile of inserts so I can just grab what I need for the time that I'm using it. There are great Yahoo coops where you can get fabric for a deal.
I use All Free & Clear to wash with and it works great. First I put the soiled ones in for a 20 min rinse and spin. Then I do the Whitest Whites cycle because it's hot and has the extra rinse. Then I do another rinse and spin on hot or warm. Then just dry them on low in the dryer. Only use half of the regular amt of soap.
As far as wipes, I just made them out of flannel and they work great. I usually just wet one before using it with water. Otherwise I'll just wet a couple and fold them into a little wipes carrier and close it for when I need it. One wipe works for each change and then just throw them in with the diaper wash.
I have a front loader and since I have 2 in diapers I just put the soiled ones in my washer and shut the door and then I put the wet ones in a little plastic trash can with a locking lid. I wash them every night after the kids go to bed.
I would just stick with the prefolds for the 2 year old unless she's going to train and is ready for trainers. They aren't absorbant enough to use as diapers.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll love saving the money on disposables. If I were you I'd mention it to the daycare Mom's because a lot of people would like to switch but don't because of daycare not accepting it. Maybe you'll start a trend :o)
Best Wishes and please email if you have any more questions,
J.

Good for you! We love cloth diapering!

I have found Motherease airflow covers to be the most waterproof out there. http://www.mother-ease.com/database/scripts/store_product...
Though the snap is not as quick and easy as velcro, my son has not yet figured how to undo the snaps and can the velcro!

As for wipes, I make them in a wipe warmer whenever they run out. I use a little bit of natural baby soap (I like Jason's Homebest) a few drops of teatree oil, and water. The tea tree and soap smell good and keep out bacteria.

I have found pre-folds to be the cheapest, but least absorbent diaper out there. That's cool if you can change wet diapers ever hour, not so cool if you're not willing to do that. I've found kissaluvs (@ $11.50 a piece and you'll need 15-20 depending on how often you want to wash) to be the most absorbent. We use an extra liner in them at night. I also really like Kushies Ultra with an extra liner. These are all-in-ones with velcro closure, so really easy for Dad, relatives, or sitters. Quick to put on/take off (unfortunately also easy for the child to undo). And are relatively cheap at @ $10 each compared to other all-in-ones that are $15-25 a piece. Found at http://babybungalow.com/kuuldi5pat.html
Also, I've used both of these websites to order diapers from and they have been credit card safe and reliable (though Motherease is a bit slow).

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any other help.
Feel good- you are doing what is best for your child and the earth! Also, you can feel a little better about the money spent, as you can recoup some of your money afterward by selling diapers on craigslist! (or save on the front end if you can find the ones you want there)

Sorry, no advice, but I just wanted to commend you on making the switch for your daycare. It's extra work for you, but I just wanted you to know that there are people out there who appreciate that you are willing to do it!

With my son I mostly used prefolds in combination with Prowrap snap covers (I bought mine at Peapods). They are sized by weight. I also used sone of their velcro covers but I didn't like the velcro because I always forgot to flip over the hook tabs before dropping them in the diaper pail:) You don't need a lot of covers in each size because you can reuse them without a complete wash unless they get a lot of poo ground in.

Cloth wipes rock! They clean so much better than disposable wipes. I kept a shallow sandwich size tupperware container on the changing table and a thermos of water (I kept it warm water when it was chilly weather). I would just stick a couple wipes in the tupperware when I needed them, pour over enough water to wet them and that was it. I never made wipe solutions or anything fancy. When we would go out I would just dampen some wipes and put them in a ziploc baggy in the diaper bag. And I would carry some old plastic grocery bags for wrapping up used diapers and wipes for transport home.

Congrats on making the switch!

I made the switch to cloth 8 moths ago when my son turned 1. I use pockets and I love them. My favorite are bum genius, one size. If the prefolds are working for you then I would stick with them. As far as the wipes, I tried making a solution and putting it in a disposable wipe container. I made a solution out of 2c boiled water and a few drops of tea tree & lavender and a vitamin E cap. I replaced the solution every time I ran out of wipes (about 8-10). This worked great for about 2 months until they started to smell musty after 1 hr. I washed and bleached the rags and container with no luck. Now I just wet a rag with water before I change him. This seems to work fine. Good luck. I know it is a big investment both monetarily and personally, but I don' t regret it at all.

B.,
I don't use cloth diapers or wipes and admire you for using them! I do, however, make my own wipes with paper towels. Are you familiar with that? We use a mechanical knife to cut a roll in half and then put it into a 2 quart Gladware container. Leave the cardboard roll in the middle. In a mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of baby oil, 1/4 cup baby wash and 1/4 cup of water. Mix them together and pour over the paper towels. Let them soak for a few hours. Pull out the carboard roll in the middle and you'll also pull up the end of the paper towels. You can rip off the amount you need.

They are cheaper than wipes and might even be less irritating for sensitive babies. I add a little bit of essential oil (a couple of drops) for a scent. They certainly won't help with the landfill problems, either.

Best of luck to you!

I just started cloth a few weeks ago, so I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I LOVE plain old prefolds with diaper covers for my 4 month old. I've tried the fancy, more expensive cloth diapers (fitted & contours) and wished I hadn't - they're not as absorbent. I order from www.cottonbabies.com. They have really good super absorbent unbleached Chinese prefolds (the unbleached are more forgiving of stains). I have only tried Bummis Whisper Wraps diaper covers because it's all I've needed to try. They're great! I also like to use Snappis (an alternative to diaper pins) for a more trim fit than just folding and laying the diaper in the cover. Cotton Babies has a "try it" kit where you get everything I've mentioned for a really great deal.

Something I want to mention - make sure to wash & dry your prefolds in hot water with just a little detergent (I use Country Save - most of the "regular" detergents aren't compatible with cloth diapers) about 7 times before using them or they won't be absorbent. I've heard of people forgetting this step and then wondering why their cloth diapers aren't absorbent!

As far as cloth wipes and diapering a toddler, I can't be of much help. I use disposable wipes and just toss them in my old diaper genie.

Good luck! You'll find what works for you! Just don't invest a ton until you know what works for your children.