Using Cloth Diapers

I used the same method with my two children but only when they were 1 year old below. They did not experience diaper rashes or any discomfort. We as parents should just be very patient which means washing the cloth diapers everyday. I trained my children to tell me if they want to use the toilet so I did not experience any mess at all. Using cloth diapers prevents any form of sickness like UTI aside from being economical. Just use disposable ones when you travel.

I have never tried cloth diapers, however try this website www.abbyslane.com This is a mom owned company and lives in the Northern Virginia area (actually Bristow). She even does demenstrations. Hope this helps.

I love love love my cloth diapers! Through a lot of trial and error, prefolds, fuzzi buns, my favorites are fitted kissaluvs for daytime and crickett's diapers for nighttime. If you have any specific questions, PM me! I love talking about them. :o)

They are super easy, save money, and I only do 3 maybe 4 more loads of laundry a wekk.

Wow! I am suprised at some of these comments!
I just started using cloth diapers on my 7 month old, we use fuzzi bunz that a good friend gave us. My biggest reason, it can take up to 100 years for a diaper to degrade! how can that be better for the environment than cloth?!
Yes they do take a little longer to put together and clean up, but really you are doing a better thing for the environment, exp. since you can use the same diapers for 3 kids or more. Also some places will buy back you used fuzzi bunz for credit on the next size.
So far these diapers work just as well as the disposables, which leak at night on my ds.
As for water usage, and flushing the toilet, that is just silly, you are going to flush the potty for him when he is potty trained, what is the diffrence?
You may also want to check out Elimination Communication, I am using this in conjunction with the cloth diapers, my ds (7 months) goes #2 on the potty alomst all the time, except when he is sick.
Here is an article to check out
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/311835.html

I use cloth diapers AND I did it the cheapest way. I did for financial reasons partly also so I could work PT. I use the Gerber super absorbent prefolded (from Target). I bought 3 packs for one child...36 total. I use those, 2 sets of pins and about 9 vinyl pants. I wash every other day just so they don't get stinky. The only draw backs are them having a bunchy butt, and the poopy ones are hard to get used to. They sell a rice diaper liner called cushies or something for poopy ones (at walmart I heard). I wash the diapers in hot with 2 capfuls of bleach. I don't have any problems unless I wait to wash them...then I have to wash them twice since they get a little stale. We have a few more leaks than with disposable...just just have to check more often. I looked into the new cloth diapering systems but they cost hundreds of dollars so I just did it the way my mom did with me. You can find small sized diapers for the new born on line at www.clothdiaper.com. My water bill went up about $5 per month...a far cry from the 40 dollars I spent on disposable. No more weird glue scent either.

J.,
We used cloth diapers with my son since birth. It was a breeze to potty train him at 2 yrs. old. We used diaper wraps of all kinds. It's easy on your pocket and the environment. If you are washing the diapers yourself, white vinegar in the rinse cycle is great.
Look for diapers covers and diapers on Freecyle groups in your area and at consignment stores or mom's groups.
Any questions, please feel free to contact me.
L.

Check the cost of using cloth diapers. For most people that I know who uses them, the overall cost is about the same, when you consider ordering diapers, shipping, supplies, and extra laundry. Most cloth diapers these days are more water resistant than what they were before disposables, but they are not available in mainstream stores. The store I used for cloth training pants is www.kelliescloset.com.

buy the plastic pants that go over top and be prepared to wash alot. However, they are easy to wash out by hand and then hang in the sun to dry. No need to use electricity. I would have a large bucket filled with water and a touch of bleach so that the diapers aren't sitting wet or dirty. Good luck. (my first used cloth exclusively and she actually potty trained fairly quickly. She didn't like the wet feeling.)

Hi J.,
I see you've had tons of responses already but I just wanted to add that we've used cloth since my son was born in March 2007. It has been a wonderful experience.

We went the cheapest way possible and spent about $200 in supplies from Green Mountain Diapers for plain old pre-folds, bummis wraps, snappis (instead of pins.) We started using flushable diaper liners once he started eat solids because they make the solid poo clean up very easy. We use the dry pail method and wash diapers every 3 days so we don't have the dirty diapers lying about too long. We hang to dry in the sun on a rack in our kitchen. We've only had a minor increase in our water and electric bills over the past year - nothing like what we would have spent on disposables! My husband and I both work full-time on opposite shifts so my son is not in daycare and the cloth washing at home has not been a burden at all.

Green Mountain Diapers is a great resource - http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ - lots of good pictures and feedback about the different options. I'd also recommend Charlie's Soap for detergent - http://www.charliesoap.com/products/laundry-powder.aspx. We bought the big 5 gallon bucket and wash all of clothing in it. We are very pleased with the results.

Feel free to email me directly if you'd like some more info/advice about our experience washing at home.

Hi J.,

I guess you can tell that having children is expensive.

I would suggest that you ask for help from social service, salvation army, or your church.

I wouldn't go to cloth diapers in this day and age.

You will be saving pennies to spend bucks. Tell your husband that you need to have more money to run the household.

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

I have been using cloth diapers on my son for about a month and a half and will use them on my daughter when she is born in a few days. My son is 2. We went with one of the cheapest options which is prefolds and covers. We don't use pull on covers we use wraps. That means you don't have to pin or snappi (an alternative to pins) if you don't want to because the cover velcros around the cloth diaper and keeps it tight and in place. We do pin though. We haven't had any leaks unless we keep the diaper on for 4 or 5 hours and that is only pee. The poo never leaks out of the cover onto his clothes. And from what I have heard it keeps in the little baby's poo much better than disposables do. We use a diaper sprayer to spray off the poo into the toilet. It is really easy! Laundry isn't complicated either and I don't do that much more laundry or use much more water than I did before I switched. There are easier diapers to use as well that still save you money, especially if you will use them for more children. You can send me a message if you want more info. The place I went to that has tons of information, forums if you need help and suggestions, and product reviews (and there are lots of different types of moms there, from very natural/alternative to ones that use cloth and disposables and don't think disposables are evil) is
http//www.diaperpin.com

I went here when I was thinking about switching and all the info was given in a friendly manner. Definantly check it out, and if you want the cheapest, working options you can send me a message and I can give you some info, although there is a lot on the site to. Don't use gerber prefolds if you don't have to because they are definantly not the most absorbant and don't work as well as some other things. And don't use a wet pail! You can just put diapers in a dry pail once solid poo is removed and then washed on wash day.

The only time I used paper diapers for my babies is when we were traveling. I never minded changing diapers. If you breastfeed the BM is sweet smelling. I would rinse the bm diapers in the toilet and then put them in a diaper pail until I had enough for a wash load. Never use harsh soaps or your baby might get a rash. Very seldom use bleach or the material will wear out fast. If you hang out the diapers on the line they dry nicely and the sun kills germs. Nylon pants last longer than the vinyl pants over the diaper. I would put two diapers on at night so hold the urine so the bed didn't get wet. I always put my hand under the diaper when pinning it on so as not to accidently poke the baby. Pin diapers securely so they don't fall off. I always thought it was easier to know when baby needed to be changed in the cloth diaper rather than the paper one. This is beter for the environment too. I'm glad you are going back to the good old way. AF

Hi J.,

I used cloth diapers on twins...till they out grew them. I highly recommend Apple Cider Vinegar, it's great for cleaning and whitening without the harsh effects of bleach.

All the best to you.

T. A

Hi J. -

I used only cloth diapers with both of my children one of the best things I ever did. First of all if you put a little money into good diapers it's worth it, I used the same diapers for both of my kids (I bought a few more here and there but not many) and estimate I spent maybe $500 on diapers for both of them. One of the best places I found to buy them : http://comfybummy.com/. Also do not use bleach it will disintegrate them, I lined all of my diapers pails with a garbage bag and then just grabbed the bags to transport to the washing machine, and I used baking soda in the water with the soap it's a good natural cleaning booster.
Good luck - I wish more people would use them with the new wraps available its really very easy and so much better for the environment and our pocekt books.

R. A.

Yes, I did use them for a short period and my advice is to look closely at your budget and find another place to cut....I think they are a total health hazard. Cross contamination is quite easy with e-coli traveling from the changing table to the bathroom to the laundry.... Wipe 'em up and throw them away is my mantra.

This is not a 'diaper' response, but falls along the same lines... Our family was going through paper dinner napkins like water! To kids everything is disposable these days. Well, after talking to my mother-in-law.. she mentioned that during the depression, they used cloth napkins - not because they were wealthy, but because they could be used over and over, instead of replaced (which cost money)! SOOOOO...
I went to a dollar store and got colorful bandanas. We now use them as napkins... I do laundry anyway, and a few bandanas won't overflow the loads. I'm saving the cost of napkins at the supermarket every week!
As long as you can keep the children dry, and changed often, I think cloth diapers would be fine! Cloth diapers don't draw the moisture away from the baby like some disposable ones.... however an up side to that, is this... wet pants are uncomfortable, they may potty train easier & quicker to get out of uncomfortable pants. (the concept behind Pampers 'Feel and Learn' training pants).

We use fuzzi buns which are a little on the more expensive side but we love them! They are easy to use and cloth diaper phopic friendly. You just stick an insert in the pocket, snap them up and you are done. We also use cloth wipes.
If you really want to go cheap then you can get prefolds. A friend uses prefolds and loved them. The diaperpin.com (i think that is the site name) has all cloth diaper related reviews and most cloth diaper online stores have a place where people can sell used or extra diapers.
You should never use bleach on the cloth diapers. Just hang them in the sun to remove stains. But we have been using cloth diapers since our DD was 6 weeks and she is now 14mo and none of our diapers are stained. I have had some leaking, or wicking, but my friend who only used pre-folds said she never had any leaking problems. I think it is totally based on the build of your baby and what fits them.
You will still save money overall with cloth diapers vs. disposable (regardless if you buy in bulk) but you will need to spend more time with them and with 4 children that might not be something you have to spare. We have 40 diapers and wash every two/three days now (every other day when she was younger). There are only 3 in our family and I still feel like I am always doing laundry.
We do use a natural detergent but if you just go with the pre-folds I have been told that your normal family detergent is fine. That being said I bought Allen's Naturally detergent online when my daughter was born. At 128 fl oz and 1/2 a squirt a load we still have a 1/3 or the jug to go and we have gone through 3 bulk size regular laundry detergents for the regular laundry.
We also use a dry pail. No rinsing necessary. When just breastfed the diapers go right into the pail, poop and all, and then into the wash. If formula fed or fed solids then you should empty the poop into the toilet, which is something you should be doing with disposables, anyway. Yep, sometimes the diapers smell. I found that I washed them often enough that this wasn't too much of a problem. But you can buy little citrus disks to put in the pail or just put your favorite essential oil onto a washcloth, piece of fabric, or extra diaper and put in the pail. We do soak, but in the machine before a wash. But I have read that isn't necessary but nice if you can.
I also read that parents magazine article and thought it was poorly written. Check out http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/joy-of...
Good luck!
~M.

Before switching to cloth to save money you may want to think about the added expense of using cloth and compare to the price of generic or bulk purchased diapers. With two small children (soon to be 3) in cloth diapers, you will be increasing your laundry expenses. There may also be more laundry due to leaks - especially night time leaks that cause sheets to be changed. The cost of water, bleach and detergent may not seem like much, but it can be a lot. Take a look at your water bill and make sure you are not close to a cost change based on increased usage. The jump is very substantial. In some cases as much as 30 a month.

Once you compare that you can have a better idea as to if this is really saving you money.

J.,
My daughter used cloth diapers recently on my granddaughter and she found it was a huge savings! My granddaughter is potty trained and has been (she is two and 1/2 now) since she was a little before two. We attribute this to the use of the cloth diapers. The child feels when they are wet and don't like to have the diaper left on. You will have to change frequently for that very reason so the little ones don't get diaper rashes. Make sure they are clean and very dry after every change. If you are going to put your two year old son in the cloth diapers you will probably want to use two together. Take one and fold it in thirds lengthwise and place it in the middle of the other diaper laying flat. Fold the flat diaper in over top of the folded diaper and flare out the uper top edges for pinning. Then pin it around him using the outer edges of the flat diaper. If you can take the excess in the front and fold it down. This really helps with little boys.
When you take off the wet or soiled diapers make sure you have a bucket or diaper pail filled with soapy water with just a touch of bleach in the water. This will help santize and keep the smell down. Hope this helps!
KD

there was this wonderful article in my Parents Magazine recently about cloth vs disposable diapers and it said that they actually come out to cost recently the same because of all the extra water you use to wash them since you have to flush and do the laundry more often. the also said that environmentally they're the same too also becuase of the extra electricity and water your useing. they said the only real difference was the amount of time it took to change the diaper and cloth diapers take a lot longer so your losing quality time with your child. just though i'd let you know about it it was a great little article written by a dad i'm sure you can go check it out online or something.

I haven't used them personally but a close friend of mine uses them except for night time. She makes her own which are far cheaper than buying them and the covers. There are patterns you can buy to make them if you are handy at sewing. This is the first thing she every sewed and she did really well. She swears by and has never really had any problems with using them.

Hi J.!
When my son was born, we decided to use cloth diapers (figuring good for the pocketbook). I hated them!! It seemed liked I could never get them snug enough (I was always afraid of sticking my son with the pins) & the rubber pants you have to buy to put over them left dents in my sons legs where the elastic was. Plus if they poo, you have to soak them so they don't stain (after you've rinsed them out in the toilet). It's definitely more time consuming. Plus you also have to be careful yourself, my Aunt poked herself while changing a diaper that was only pee & she ended up with blood poisoning.
Sorry I just didn't like them at all. But you may, everyone is different.
Good luck!!

I used cloth diapers with all six of my children. Of course disposables weren't available when my oldest was born and by the time they were for the youngest ones, they were of poor quality. I am assuming you have at least a washer and a clothes line or dryer at home. That's very important.
I checked online and found that the Gerber prefolds are still available at about $12 dozen. There are lots of sites that sell diapers and diaper covers of all different kinds, ranging in price.
I used diaper covers with my youngest, (who is 13), but I liked the old reliable Gerber plastic pants better. Covers may have been improved since then, but I found them prohibitively expensive.
You will need several sets of diaper pins and a bar of soap to insert them in for storage. By doing so, the point of the pin will slide easily through the diaper.
You will need a diaper pail that I kept in the bathroom. I put a small amount of water and dissolved Dreft detergent in it. Then, after rinsing the diaper in the toilet and wringing it out, I dropped it in the diaper pail. You can keep rubber gloves or a box of the disposable ones handy too, or I believe they make some sort of device that wrings diapers hands free.
When it's time to launder, (every other day?), I simply poured the pail into the washer, set it on rinse, then let it spin the water out. Then I used a cycle with a prewash and rinsed twice. I used Downy fabric softner in small amounts. Once I had a dryer, which wasn't until baby #3, I used it for the diapers, but not the plastic pants. They may have improved the plastic pants by now and be making them out of something that can be thrown into the dryer.
Hope this helps and I commend you for deciding to go the more natural way. Its a little extra work, but when I think of all those disposable diapers being thrown away, I cringe.

My mother in law potty trained her first to kids by 22 months...now this was a long time ago, but she said it worked and I did a modified verison with my 2 1/2 yr old and it worked. Basically for the majority of 24 hours (excluding eating and naps) they spend the day on the potty. Take books, puzzles, and rewards for when they go to the bathroom. I did this over a week with my daughter spending an hour or so increment and she was potty trained. Not sure if you want to invest a couple of days in the bathroom, but that would be 1 less in diapers.

http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp

That's the site that I used to read up on cloth diapers when I first started. I CDed my first from 4 months until last summer (2.5) and my second from birth.

Start up cost is going to be much higher. Use very little soap when washing to prevent build up and always do an extra rinse. The detergent should not have perfumes or dyes. I use All Free and Clear. No fabric softeners as it will cause the diapers to repel.

I personally prefer pocket diapers. They keep bottoms the driest, are easy to put on and their absorbency is customizable. Some of the big brands are Fuzzi Bunz, Swaddle Bees, Bum Genius, and Happy Heinies.

If you have any specific questions about CDing, just send me a message.

Hello J.,
Yes, cloth diapers are great. It first and foremost helps the environment and secondly saves you money. I used them on aboth my children. It saved them a lot of rashes and irritations. My suggestion to you is continues using them. There are no tricks. Launder them with DREFT detergent. It takes all the stains out and gives it a freshness with no irritants. It is an extra load of laundery but it is worth it. Thanks for helping the environment and your babies bottoms.

Mother who use cloth diapers.

First of all, whatever type you choose, buy them used on diaperswappers.com. They're generally about 50% less than retail and many times you can get them in perfectly new condition. As for my recommendations, we love wool covers. You can put them over just about anything to make them waterproof--even your 2 year old's trainers and they only have to be washed if they get poo'd on. For daily use, we love gDiapers. The covers are about $10 each used (and you don't need that many--most people recommend 5-6 but we get by with three) and we use them with cloth inserts which are about $3.50 each new (we have 12, but we wash every day). They also make flushable inserts to go with the g's for when you're out and about, although those are almost as expensive as regular diapers. It's just as easy I think to just carry a plastic bag with you to throw the wet cloth ones in to take home.

Good luck!

Hey there,
We use cloth diapers for our 17-mo old (and will do so again with our twins, who are due in a couple of months), and they're great. The sites that you've already been sent are helpful, and I just have one more resource to pass along. There's a local yahoo group for CDing families, if you go to http://groups.yahoo.com and search for DCCDers or "DC Area Cloth Diapering" you'll find the group, go ahead and sign up, there's lots and lots of info in the archives, plus you can always shoot out a question to actual folks in the area who are using CD and get lots of feedback. We also have periodic get-togethers so you can check out some of the products that are out there, instead of doing it all on-line.
Good luck!

typing w one hand, pls excuse typos...

PREFOLDS AND COVERS ARE THE CHEAPEST OPTION AND ARE VERY EASY TO USE!

my favorite source is greenmountaindiapers.com

the owner is a mom and writes helpful descriptions on all the products and has pictures of the products on babies!

I have tried a lot of different covers and my favorite by fr is the thirsties cover. It has the best coverage and therefore the best leak protection. Also I like the wide selection of solid colors. Definitely do NOT buy the "Litewrap" or the "Cot-N-Wrap" or any other cover by this company. They all leak at the seams! Bummis are the most popular brand, but Thirsties are almost exactly like the Bummi Super Brite, but has better coverage, like I said.

You will probably get by fine with 2 dozen diapers, 2 covers, and 1 snappy fastener (no pins - and looks cool). You can definitely end up spending A LOT of money on cloth diapers and accessories, but the bare minimum has served me pretty well. I actually have more diapers now because I bought 2 dozen cheaper "flat diapers" - you have to fold them up yourself, and they're not as soft - I don't think I'd recommend them now.

Now I wash diapers a little more than once a week. With 2 dozen you'll be doing diaper laundry every 2-3 days, but you're really not supposed to let them sit longer than that anyway. Of course, speaking of laundry, you will be spending money on water and electricity, but I'm sure it's nothing compared to buying all those disposables. We're on a well, and I plan to start drying mine in the sun now that spring is coming.

Also, another laundry note - you'll need to find detergent that is free of most additives. Brighteners in particular are bad for the covers because they cause them to stop being waterproof! Enzymes (stain removers) are particularly bad for the diapers because when the baby wets them they can become reactivated and start eating the baby's skin! I use Woolite when I have covers in the diaper laundry and Sun Free and Clear when it's just the diapers.

Gotta go! Feel free to message me if you have more questions!

There is a great article in this months Mothering Magazine about cloth diapers. Also you may be interested in www.HolisticMoms.org - great support and resources.

Take Care.

Hi J.!

Sorry to hear about the difficulties, but you'll pull through. I don't personally know a lot about using cloth diapers, but I do remember my mom using them on my baby brother (about 40 years ago) :) But I do remember when she used them she would put plastic "underwear" over them to help stop any moisture from leaking through-not necessarily from the sides but the entire diaper until the baby can be changed. My advice: have PLENTY of them to give you time to launder them in between uses. Also, any help on how to fold them you might be able to get online. (I seem to remember some type of triangular fold) This should help save a lot of money because disposable diapers are so very expensive. To save addistional funds, you might want to use baby washcloths instead of wipes (have some on hand for trips out of the house though) A plus side of this is that you will also be helping the environment!!! I hope this helps. Good Luck!!!!

J.,
The benefit of cloth diapers is that they usually do potty train early! We used a bucket, any type will work, and put water in it... after we changed the baby, we emptied the soiled ones in the toilet first and then put them in the bucket with a little detergent to soak. The ones that were just wet went right into the bucket. I usually rinsed them under the faucet anyway, just to prevent the bucket from smelling as I usually washed them every few days. We never had a problem with them smelling though. One of my friends also used cloth diapers and instead of the bucket she would actually just run some water in her washer between loads and let them soak in there. It doesn't hurt them for a few days and is you mix in a little detergent it actually will keep the diapers from staining. It's easy once you get the hang of it, just getting used to the idea is the hard part for most people. Good luck to you and your family!

Hi, J.!

The diaper choice is yours to make...all I'm gonna say here is GOOD LUCK finding cloth diapers! My stepdaughter recently gave birth and I was looking for cloth diapers for her to use to toss over her shoulder when burping the baby...went everywhere...couldn't even find pins! Major stores, like Target, WalMart, etc., NADA. And that got me to thinking that I hadn't seen a diaper service truck in YEARS!

Let us know if you find them and where!

Pam H.
Westminster, MD

A little late on the responses but wanted to add my two cents :). Read "The Diaper Free Baby." by Christine Gross-Loh. It gives some really interesting insights on early potty training which, obviously, would help curb the cost of diapers. In addition to slowly potty training my 11 mo. old, I use cloth diapers AND disposables and like having the option of both. I have also found that I like the cheaper generic diapers better than the name brand ones (I find them to be better diapers overall), not to mention they are 1/3 the price. Just some thoughts. Congrats on your upcoming baby, and good luck everything!

I started using cloth too recently and I love it. esp. when I go shopping and don't have to buy diapers. I use chinese cloth diapers and pro-wraps. IF you go to cottonbabies.com they have everything you need. Older babies and toddlers you need to make sure you flush any large waste down the toilet. I wash my diapers with a dab of soap on cold with an extra rinse and then on hot with a dab of soap and an extra rinse.

I don't have any personal experience, but planning to CD with the next baby. If you're having hard times you might want to check out http://miraclediapers.org they donate cloth diapers to low income families. Also, you might want to try asking this question on http://www.Mothering.com/discussions There are a lot of CDing moms there. Also http://www.diaperswappers.com, http://www.diaperpin.com, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freeclothdiapers/, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DiaperSwap_Trade/, and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diaperSWAP2/

Good Luck!!

I used cloth diapers with my first child, i too wanted to take a more natural approach to my daughters life. It lasted 3-4 months. Once i put her in day care I was getting tired of the provider having to change her clothes because she did not check it as frequently as i did when she was home with me. With the cost to was clothes and the diapers, i figured i'd given it a shot and switched to regular diapers. NOw that i am a sahm, i think that i will continue to use reg diapers on my next child, i may start off with cloth and switch later now that i have the supply.

Ok cloth diapers are A LOT different now then they used to be. They DO wick away moisture from your babies bottom. There are a bunch of different kind of diapers ranging in prices. You do NOT have to use a wet pail. I plop my poop off for my 2 yo and if it is a sticky poop I use a diaper sprayer that is attached to my toilet. For my 2 month old he is bf and his diapers do not need to be rinsed off. I just toss them into a wet bag which is just a bag made of PUL. No water involved. The cheapest diapers for you will be pre-folds and covers. A pre-fold is around $2 each and covers can be as low as $3-$4 and you can use them more then once between washes so you do not need as many. Then there are fitteds which are a breathable diaper but DO get get so you need a cover with those too. They run about $15ish each. Then there are pocket diapers. They look just like disposable diapers but have a pocket for inserts so you can add as much absorbency as you need. They are about $17 each. Then there are all in ones. They are basically like disposable diapers. Some you can even and an insert to for extra absorbency. These are around $20 each and take a LONG time to dry. Also they make one size diapers with snaps so they fit babies from 7lbs to 35lbs so that saves money since you do not have to buy diapers each time they grow. Plus you can use the same diapers for both kids. My favorties are bum genius 3.0 http://www.forum.diaperpin.com/home.asp
is a GREAT site for info.