cloth diaper check-in
i thought i would do another cloth diaper post...since we're 7 months in now! i just want to share some more details on our system that might help any mamas to be (or current moms) out there that are considering cloth. in case you are a new reader, i've written cloth diapers posts here and here. i have to admit, i'm proud that we have made cloth diapering a success, considering some other things that i had my heart set on for azalea didn't quite pan out.
which brand(s) we use and how many:
as i mentioned in my last post, we were using 2 brands of diapers. flips and gdiapers. we definitely prefer the flips, but the gdiapers were decent too. once azalea grew out of the size small gdiapers, we decided to replace those with flips, so we'd have all one kind. I think we've only had 1 leak from a flip diaper. the thing i like about both of these brands is that the inserts do not get stuffed into a pocket attached to the cover. instead they just lay on top of the cover. the reason i love this is that you can reuse the covers multiple times until they get dirty. (this also cuts down on the number of covers you have to buy. hello savings!). my other favorite thing (and this only applies to the flips) is that the covers and inserts grow with your baby, so you never have to buy new ones.
currently our stash includes 5 covers and 17 inserts (all flip). that's enough to get us through 2 days before having to wash them. the covers cost around $14 and the inserts are around $5, so it can be $150 upfront, which sounds like a lot, but just think how quickly you can get to $150 worth of disposables. we purchased all of ours at the linden hills coop, but they sell them at lots of places and also online.
the changing routine:
we keep all of the covers in a basket on top of the changing table and all of the inserts in the top drawer.
when it's time to change her, we just throw whatever got dirty into the wetbag and zip it up.
we used to immediately put all inserts in there, but now with her consumption of solid foods, if there is something more..."solid" in there, i dump it into the toilet, after I get her cleaned up. we bought a diaper sprayer that attaches the toilet, but so far we haven't needed to install it. i promise it's not any grosser than changing a disposable diaper. one downside to cloth diapers is that they do need to be changed a little more often than disposables, but i still find it to be worth it.
the changing routine:
we keep all of the covers in a basket on top of the changing table and all of the inserts in the top drawer.
when it's time to change her, we just throw whatever got dirty into the wetbag and zip it up.
the washing routine:
as i mentioned above, i wash the diapers every other night. the nice thing about the wetbags is all i have to do is unzip them and toss everything into the wash, including the bag. i'll admit i hold my breath for this part, but it's quick and painless. with most, if not all cloth diapers, you have to use natural detergent so they don't lose their absorbency. we use charlie's and it works great.
please note the amazing 1950s wallpaper in my laundry room...you just can't find that nowadays :)
i first run the diapers through a cold rinse with no detergent, then i add the detergent and run it through a hot wash (with an extra rinse). i put the inserts and the wetbags in the dryer and i hang the covers to dry.
daycare and going out:
i'll admit that i was a little concerned about how our daycare provider would react to my request that she use the diapers. i promised her that all she needed to do was throw them in the bag and give it to me at the end of the day and she happily obliged. it has worked really well so far. in fact she loves them now and is encouraging her daughter (who is expecting) to use them! the other thing i was nervous about was using cloth when we take azalea out and about, but it's been really easy. we ended up buying a small-sized wetbag that we put in the side pocket of her diaper bag and it works really well. we just throw the dirty diaper in and go. no smell or anything!
night time and travel:
these are the two times when we rely on disposables. we do them at night because azalea sleeps for close to 12 hours most nights and we want her to feel as dry as possible. our favorite disposables are seventh generation and while they cost a little more than pampers or huggies or whatever, we really like them because they don't have all the chemicals that traditional diapers have. we have only taken a couple short trips with azalea, but both times we used disposables for the convenience and also because we were not going to have access to a washing machine.
all in all we've been really happy with our experience. if you already have a baby and you think it's too late to make the switch, keep in mind it only takes a few months to recoup the cost of cloth. just thought i'd give a little update for anyone who is interested and also for us to look back on. hope it was helpful! let me know if you have any questions.
as i mentioned above, i wash the diapers every other night. the nice thing about the wetbags is all i have to do is unzip them and toss everything into the wash, including the bag. i'll admit i hold my breath for this part, but it's quick and painless. with most, if not all cloth diapers, you have to use natural detergent so they don't lose their absorbency. we use charlie's and it works great.
i first run the diapers through a cold rinse with no detergent, then i add the detergent and run it through a hot wash (with an extra rinse). i put the inserts and the wetbags in the dryer and i hang the covers to dry.
daycare and going out:
i'll admit that i was a little concerned about how our daycare provider would react to my request that she use the diapers. i promised her that all she needed to do was throw them in the bag and give it to me at the end of the day and she happily obliged. it has worked really well so far. in fact she loves them now and is encouraging her daughter (who is expecting) to use them! the other thing i was nervous about was using cloth when we take azalea out and about, but it's been really easy. we ended up buying a small-sized wetbag that we put in the side pocket of her diaper bag and it works really well. we just throw the dirty diaper in and go. no smell or anything!
night time and travel:
these are the two times when we rely on disposables. we do them at night because azalea sleeps for close to 12 hours most nights and we want her to feel as dry as possible. our favorite disposables are seventh generation and while they cost a little more than pampers or huggies or whatever, we really like them because they don't have all the chemicals that traditional diapers have. we have only taken a couple short trips with azalea, but both times we used disposables for the convenience and also because we were not going to have access to a washing machine.
all in all we've been really happy with our experience. if you already have a baby and you think it's too late to make the switch, keep in mind it only takes a few months to recoup the cost of cloth. just thought i'd give a little update for anyone who is interested and also for us to look back on. hope it was helpful! let me know if you have any questions.
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