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cloth diapers?

I think cloth diapers are a great idea. How does the whole operation work? What do you do with the poop and pee? What do you do with the diapers? Do you just wash a load of those separately in the washer? How does the pee not soak through if it's just cloth? Please let me know as I am thinking of switching for the money and the environment, but don't really know what to do.

Public Comments

  1. http://www.diaperpin.com This website is a great resource for all of the what's and how to's! I loved cloth diapering! Enjoy!
  2. Just do internet searches on "Cloth Diapers". You'll find LOTS more info than anyone could post here. But in the most simplistic terms, I seem to recall (having read the info before... but never tried it) that it requires a diaper pail that you use to soak the diaper to help dilute the "stuff" and to "store" them before you have enough for a load to wash them in the washing machine.
  3. First, there are a lot of super websites for buying cloth diapers. There are MANY types now... some that don't require the pins... some look exactly like a regular diaper, but they are washable. Others look like pull ups... some require many pieces (the outher plastic thing) and others are all built in one piece things. Any way, I plan on using cloth diapers as well, but as this is my first child, I'm 1/2 clueless. I was told that you just need to "dump" the majority of the poop into the garbage before washing, then you just put the diapers in the washer. I wish you luck in your search for a better environment, and commend you as well! :-)
  4. Most larger cities have diaper services. They will provide you with the diapers and they will pick up the dirty ones too. Some of them have comparable prices to buying disposable diapers. Good for you for trying to switch. I have read that cloth diapers reduce diaper rash and children wearing them also potty train earlier. Good luck.
  5. If you use the old fashioned cloth diapers it's a rectangular diaper and you use a plastic cover that folds over it like a disposable would. The cover has velcro tabs or snaps to keep everything in place, no need for diaper pins. If the poop is solid you can shake it off into the toilet then toss the diapers in the wash(not with other clothes, one load of just diapers). Wash normally, never use bleach. If the poop is still runny you can just toss the whole thing in the wash. The covers will only need to be changed after every few diaper changes, do not put these in the dryer. They dry fast and don't wear well if you don't line dry them. Cloth diapering basics http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php There are all kinds of cloth diapers out there now. The web site lists them and tells you how they work. They are really easy to use once you get the basics down.
  6. I love using cloth diapers.... and my husband now too! At first he was a bit skeptical but now he would prefer to use the cloth over the disposable. There are tonnes of different routes and different priceranges to go when using cloth diapers - I suggested checking out the http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp website as you can find out all about different kinds of cloth diapers.... we use a bunch of different kinds... I have some fuzzybunz which are just like disposable diapers only they are made of cloth... no brainers...we also use prefitted with covers... and we also use the ones you fold up and wear a cover over like the old days and most cheapest. As for the poops and pees... I dont worry about the pees I just put the soiled diaper in a diaper bucket I have until I do my laundry of them... as for the poops... I just shake off the little poopies in the toilet and put the soiled diaper in the bucket. When I was them.. I do a diaper load (nothing else goes in this load).... You use only a 1/4 of the regular amount of detergent you would normally use on a load of clothes and set the temperature to hot and off they go... after that you throw them in the dryer and off you go. done and done. We have maybe only had one pee leak through... it was a nite one. and my little one sleeps the whole nite through... never any poop leaks... knock on wood. lol My little on is 5 months old now. My little one loves the cloth diapers.. and fusses when I put a disposable on her... Definitely has saved us a tonne of money...but that being said.. I have a lot of friends that say the cloth diaper isnt for them... which is fine too... its all up to the individual and if you want to do the work that comes with it... but honestly its not that much work. Good luck with your decision.
  7. I love cloth diapering! I wish I would have started from birth. I have tried many different kinds and brands and here is my opinion on them ... You need about 24-36 diapers. There are many different kinds of diapers ranging in price and level of convenience. It really depends on your budget, lifestyle and baby when it comes down to the question of "what's the best cloth diaper?" And sometimes, you will want a few different kinds for different times of the day. Do you prefer economical diapers? Do you prefer convenient diapers? Do you have the time and patience to fold diapers, get them on the baby, fasten them and then put on a cover? Would you prefer one step? Do you need diapers that dry fast? The cheapest route is pre-folds with covers, but it is the most inconvenient. You will need 24-36 pre-folds and 6-8 covers. You also may want to buy some snappi fasteners and liners or doublers. You have to fold the pre-fold diapers to fit on the baby, then fasten, then put on the cover. Example of pre-fold diapers: http://www.parentingbynature.com/201_unbleached_prefolds.htm Example of fastener: http://www.parentingbynature.com/04_snappi.htm Example of cover: http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/SuperBrite.html The middle option (for both price and convenience) is fitted or contour diapers with covers. Again, you need about 24-36 diapers and 4-6 covers. Fitted diapers and contour diapers don't require folding. Fitted diapers will have fasteners included, either velcro or snaps (poppers). Contour diapers require a fastener, or a snug fitting cover. Both types need to have a cover over them. Example of fitted diaper: http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/Bamboozle.html Example of contour diaper: http://www.softclothbunz.com/Kissaluvs-Contour-Diaper_p_0-166.html The most expensive route is pocket and all-in-one (AIO) diapers. These are the most convenient though as they have either velcro or snap closure and their cover is built-in. All-in-one diapers consist of a waterproof outershell (normally PUL or nylon) and layer of absorbent material sewn on the inside (flannel, hemp etc). Pocket diapers are also a PUL outer shell with a stay dry liner (normally fleece, mirco suede, velour or minkee) interior --- there are no absorbent layers in a pocket diaper, they must be added. Pocket diaper have an opening in the back or front of the diaper where you need to add absorbent inserts, usually micro terry or hemp fleece. All-in-one diapers will take longer to dry, while pocket diapers are quick to dry since the absorbent layers are separate. Again, you will need 24-36 of these diapers, but you do not need covers, as these diapers are already waterproof. For pocket diapers you may want to buy some extra inserts if your baby is a heavy wetter. Same with the AIOs, you may need to buy some doublers to increase their absorbency. Example of AIO diaper: http://www.thebabymarketplace.com/securestore/c153258p16870526.2.html Example of a pocket diaper: http://www.jamtots.com/Baby-Kangas-One-Size-Pouch-Diaper-C502.aspx Personally I chose to use pocket diapers during the day and fitted diapers at night. You can save some money by buying one-size (OS) diapers so you only have to buy the diapers once instead of multiple times as your baby grows. I use the Tots Bots Bamboozle diapers above for night -- they are highly absorbent and are one-size. I use the Baby Kanga OS pocket diapers shown as an example above and I also use bumGenius OS pocket diapers during the day. I prefer pocket diapers because they are quick to put on (my baby is an acrobat on the change table), they dry fast and the absorbency is adjustable by adding or removing inserts from the diaper. You can lay doublers inside AIO diapers but they bunch and just don't work as well I find. There are two methods of diaper pails for cloth diapering. Wet pail and dry pail. Wet pail is a pail of water that you stick the diapers in until they are ready to be washed, many people add some baking soda to keep down the smell. DO NOT put your diaper covers in the wet pail! Wet pail method is best for pre-folds, flat, fitted and contour diapers. Most places do not recommend using a wet pail for all-in-one or pocket diapers. The cons on using a wet pail is you MUST find a lockable diaper pail to prevent pets and children from getting into the pail. Also, it is HEAVY to carry the pail around when it is time to wash! I used a wet pail method briefly when using pre-fold diapers but I really didn't like it! Please, if you do use a wet pail method DO NOT add bleach to the water (it is hard on your diapers and your babies bottom!). With dry pail method you put some baking soda or a citrus circle in the pail to keep down odor. Diapers and covers can go in the dry pail together. Some people use a "wet bag" in their dry pail. This is a waterproof bag that you can carry the diapers around in easily and it can be washed with the diapers. I just use a Rubbermaid step can that came with a removable plastic liner pail in it. I carry the liner pail to the washing machine full of diapers and then rinse the pail in the bathtub or in the backyard with the hose! An important note: When your baby is exclusively breast fed all their diapers can go directly into the diaper pail to be washed. If your baby is formula fed or starting solids you need to shake or scrape or spray the poop into the toilet before putting the diaper in the pail to be washed (FYI: you are also supposed to do this with disposable diapers to keep human waste out of landfills!). Diapers with fleece inside makes it easy to shake solids into the toilet. You can also buy fleece liners or disposable liners to set in your diapers that help taking the solids out easier. Or you can also buy a sprayer that attaches to your toilet to spray down the diapers. Example of flushable liners: http://www.jamtots.com/Flushable-Diaper-Liners-C87.aspx Example of fleece liners: http://www.jamtots.com/JamTots-Microfleece-Diaper-Liners-C88.aspx Example of a diaper sprayer: http://www.parentingbynature.com/05_minishower.htm I wash diapers every three days. When it comes to washing I always do a cold rinse cycle for my diapers first. The cold water prevents stains from setting and the rinse gets all the excess solids and urine out of the diapers. Then I run a long hot full wash cycle. In the wash I add 1/3 of the recommended amount of detergent. I like to use Tide Free on the diapers and all our clothes. Any dye and scent free detergent will work. DO NOT use any natural soaps on the diapers. Soaps will build up on the diapers and make them ineffective! Also, DO NOT use any fabric softeners or chlorine bleach! If you want to you can use an oxygenated bleaching agent like Oxy-Boost or Oxy-Clean. Once the wash cycle is done I either put the diapers in the dryer for one cycle or on the clothes line in the back yard for a few hours. During the summer it is great to dry the outside in the sun! Sunlight is a natural stain remover and kills bacteria! During the winter I use the dryer because I am in western Canada and it is wayyy too cold and dark to dry them outside! Email me from my profile if you need anymore information
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