Fluff, AIO's, PULs, Pocket, Snap Closures, Hook and Loop Closures, Bum Covers, Wool Soakers, Prefolds, Crunchy, Sunning........are all new words in my vocabulary since I dove into the wonderful world of cloth diapering! For those you who are interested in becoming more green with your diapering, this blog is for you. You may also just be curious as to what part of my SAHM duty is. For whatever reason, I hope you enjoy my version of Cloth Diapering 101.
My #1 reason for choosing cloth is cost. I still have a stock pile of disposable diapers that were given to us at our baby shower. The ONLY ones I like to use are the Huggies Little Snugglers. Those cost about $34 for 168 of them. That's $.21 per diaper. We have two bums to cover and on average (on a day that they don't have diarrhea) we go through 25 diapers. Stay with me here....that's $5.25 per day. That's $36.75 per week, which amounts to $157.50 a month, $1,890 per year. I am figuring I'd have the girls potty trained at about 2 years old if using sposies, so you do the math. $3,780 wasted on diapers from birth to 2 years old. YIKES. So far, I've spent $157 on my stash of cloth diapers. It does take some water to wash them, and most days I hang them out to line dry, so I'm not losing any money there.....SO, I'm saving our family thousands of dollars by doing a bit of extra work to cloth diaper my lil' ones.
My #2 reason for using cloth nappies is for Brenlee and Cadence's sake. It is proven that babies that are cloth diapered are potty trained by 18 months. Period. They just are. I also haven't had one bout of rash since using cloth. When they are wet, they are wet, so I change them frequently. There are no chemicals in the cloth to cause reactions, like what happens with some babies in sposies.
My #3 reason for fluffy butts is because it's eco-friendly. Yeah, maybe this SHOULD be further up on my list, but let's face it....sometimes it's hard to be green! It takes about 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose. That's no bueno, seeing as our dumping grounds are already overflowing.
So, now that you know why I choose cloth, here's the low down on what I do day to day. I'll start by explaining the different types of diapers I use, starting with my favorite. I'll then explain the laundering process. Here goes:
This is the liner that goes inside the pocket of a Pocket Diaper. This particular one has a snap closure on one end, so it acts a doubler. I have NEVER had this diaper leak, or even soak through.
Here is my favorite Pocket Diaper w/ adjustable snaps. The liner in the previous picture goes into the pocket on the inside of this nappy.
See, I have the front snapped down, to make the diaper smaller. It'll grow with the twins. They say it'll fit up to like 35 lbs.
See how easy that was? Just snap a few buttons, and VOILA, your baby's bum is covered in a soft, cute diaper. The brand of this diaper is Bum Cheeks. They are my most expensive diapers; therefore, I only have 4 for now. You can catch them on sale online if you watch closely! Babysteals.com is a good place to watch, as well as Zulily.com
Moving on to my next must have: SunBaby Diapers
These babies are cheap, good quality, easy to use and as cute and cozy as can be.
Here is the stay dry insert that will be inserted into the SunBaby Cloth Diaper. It's made out of soft microfiber, so it sucks the moisture away from that tiny bum. It also dries quickly after being washed.
Here are the guts of this diaper. It's made of soft microfleece, which wicks away the moister from that tushie. It's got gentle elastic that helps form a more secure fit.
Here's the outside PUL shell, that is waterproof. It's got snaps where you can adjust the leg circumference. It can also be snapped down for a smaller fit.
These diapers are favored by Brent because the are quick and easy to put on squirmy babies.
See that snug fit?? And isn't it cute?!?
Next up: Cutesy Tushies Cloth Diapers
These are super cute, inexpensive and come in MANY different patterns!
This is the insert that goes into the Cutesy Tushie Pocket Diaper. It's also made of microfiber and very absorbent.
This is a size Small Cutesy Tushie Diaper. It has fit Brenlee and Cadence since they were about 7 lbs and is still fitting at 15 lbs.
This is still a Cutesy Tushie Diaper, but it's the One Size Fits all....see all those snaps??? They can be adjusted very easily to fit itty bitties and not so littles. I do have some issues with this brand of diaper leaking some.....like it's not as waterproof or something. BUT, I change diapers at least an hour after being awake, so we usually don't run into problems--we don't use this diaper when leaving the house, though.
So far, all the diapers I mentioned have been snap closures. They do make hook and loop, VELCRO, closures, too. They are quick to put on and here is what they look like.
It's got a pocket, which you can put a prefolded cloth diaper into, or you can use any insert that I've previously shown you.
Alright, hope you are still with me here! The next type of diaper is called and "AIO," which is an acronym for "ALL IN ONE." You don't need an insert, you don't need a cover. I like them, but, they are expensive, take a LONG time to dry, and become very stiff when line dried.
Here is what it looks like. OH, and notice that there are NO stains. Yeah, that is because I "sun" them. Line drying laundry gets even the darnest stains out!
This is what the finished product looks like, they are very slim and trim.....that's a plus!
The rest of the diapers I'm going to show you are the diaper covers used with prefolds and a snappi. I use these ALOT because it is easier and quicker to wash and dry them. Brent and Randi don't care for them, as it does take practice to get fast enough to get one securely on a wriggly baby.
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| Prefolded Cloth |
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| This is an Ecomobum Diaper Cover (only $8.95) |
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| First, start by folding the cloth like this. |
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| Next, flair out the two top corners a bit, like shown. |
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| Lay the baby on it. |
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| Bring the fabric up between the legs and fold down the excess fabric. |
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| Grab a Snappi or two pins. |
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| Snap it on.... |
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| Or Pin in up.... |
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| Then put your cover over it. |
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This is another type of Cover that has VELCRO, it's made by
Imse Vimse and is Organic Cotton. I've never had leaks with these, either.
You just wipe them down when changing out the innards each time. |
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:) A Visual (Is the teacher in me coming through???)
There is also another type of cloth diaper you can use. These are BY FAR the cheapest. At Walmart, you can buy like 12 of them for under $10. :) This is the type that my mom used on Randi and me 29 years ago--- |
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| It looks like this to start with...it's almost like guaze. |
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| Just fold it in half. |
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| Then roll the fabric like so, into a V shape. This makes a gusset so no poopy will ooze out! |
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| Lay your baby on it, with the back of the diaper where it "Should" be! |
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Fold the bottom up, this thickens it right where the pee or poop would be.
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Then, pull it all up between the babies legs. Put a Snappi on or Pin it...
just like I showed earlier.....and put a cover over it. |
Now, to the basics of washing them. It's NOT much work. It takes about 30-45 minutes, every other day. Serious. I don't like the thought of a Diaper Pail...just something fishy about a bunch of dirty diapers sitting in water all day. SO, I just use a Hanging Wet Bag. For the longest, I used one of those reusable grocery bags...and actually still do. I keep one hanging on the handle to our back door, and the other one on the changing table.
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| The Grocery Bag from ALDI that I use! |
When I get a poopy diaper, I just take it outside and spray it off. Dogs poop outside, so don't be shaking your head at me right now! If it's a solid turd, I flush it down the toilet and then just spray off the skid marks with the water hose, then place it in the Wet Bag that I keep hanging on my back door. I don't spray the urine out. I just put them in the Wet Bag. BTW, I ordered a Bum Genius Wet Bag off of Amazon.com. They also make smaller ones, that are more portable for carrying in a diaper bag.
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Wet Bag
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I wash all my diapers about every other day. I just can't stand the thought of waiting any longer than that. I pour all the diapers into the washing machine, then throw the Wet Bag in there, as well. I run a Hot Rinse without any detergent. After that, I run a Cold Wash with 1 tbsp of Tide Original Powder. I rinse twice with cold water. If the diapers had a rank smell, I add a tsp of Vinegar to the last Rince cycle. The vinegar also helps to soften the diapers, liners, and prefolds. Don't use much detergent, ever. Not even on your clothes....it's a waste. A little bit goes a LOOOONG way! And don't use any commercial fabric softener, either. It will make the diapers less absorbent and may irritate that happy hiney!
I like to line dry all of my cloth diapers, so it'll get rid of smells, stains, etc....It also keeps our electricity usage down and doesn't heat up the house, in turn making our A/C run more frequently. Every now and then I have to throw a line dried load in the Dryer to fluff them, because they get pretty darn "crunchy" in this Texas Summer heat!
After they are all dried....remember, those AIO's take 4ever, I go ahead and put all the inserts into the pocket diapers and nicely fold all the others so they are ready to go....
Then, I just put them all in a basket to keep them somewhat organized!
If I can do this, as a new Mom of Twins, I know you can, too. It's gonna help keep the world green and save you some green, as well! Hope you got something out of this blog...feel free to ask me any questions!! Don't forget to respond to my question below!
Question for you: What are you doing to pinch pennies?
Just look at that smirk on Brenlee's face! What a joy it is to see these girls embrace the world! Thanks, Melany, for taking some great pictures! 
Nanechka, one of our best friends is also in love with Brenlee and Cadence. We don't get to visit Nana and Merlin near enough. This is their pool and they're always so welcoming and take care of us when we are visiting! Can't you just see the exciting exuberating from Brenlee?
