I've been asked to write about cloth diapering two babies under two years old quite a few times. So I thought it was time to write a blog post about it!
Cloth Diapers are by far my FAVORITE baby item!
I have Alvas, BumGenius 4.0 & SoftBums in my stash. I have 26 diapers per child (2 babies here!) & that accounts for every other day washing.
When you first buy your diapers you want to make sure to prep them properly once. Simply with 3 HOT washes; first with soap, and last two without. Then you want to dry the inserts and covers on HIGH heat for 15min to seal the seams to ensure no leaking. (Every other time you wash you want to line-dry the covers so it doesn't break down the PUL (the waterproof lining within the diaper) & will help the longevity of your stash!
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| Lexi at almost a year hanging out while I sun her diapers (9mo pregnant) |
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| Most of the Alva Baby diapers from my stash |
Alva Baby diapers have been, by far, the most cost effective diapers of the whole lot (and they have the cutest prints!). I ordered them from AlvaBaby.com for around $6 per diaper. Each diaper came with a microfiber insert & I ordered an additional 20 bamboo inserts to go along with those for double stuffing the diapers for night use (can I get a woot woot for babies that sleep through the night?!)
The bamboo inserts are awesome- they are much thinner than the microfiber inserts & just as absorbent. Definitely worth the investment there.
The Alva Baby diapers are AIO (all in one) diapers, meaning you stuff the inserts inside the pocket & toss the whole diaper in the diaper pail every use. Similar to a disposable in that way I suppose.
The BumGenius 4.0 diapers are extremely similar to the Alvas. They are also an AIO, and the ones I bought come with snap closure, but they are offered in velcro as well (Alvas are not). These work about the same as the Alvas, but at a cost around $17-$20 per diaper. All of my BumGenius diapers were bought from a local baby company "Along Comes A Baby" but you can find them on many different sites as well from many WAHM (work at home mom) retailers.
SoftBums are certainly my favorite cloth diaper. They are the truest "One Size Fits All" diaper that I have tried on my girls. They have fit my ittty bitty at 8lbs and my biggest little at 26lbs (and still growing!). The difference in the SoftBums is that they have an elastic band in the legs that is adjustable for a perfect, custom fit for each baby; they have snap-in inserts that have fleece on one side & microfiber (or bamboo) on the other; they are an AI2 (all in two!). The snap-in inserts are awesome because if the baby has just peed a bit in the diaper I can just change the insert & keep the cover for another change (or two!). You can also stuff an insert in the pocket and use the diaper as an AIO just like the Alvas & BG's. I bought all of my SoftBums with velcro, which is fabulous for the itty bitty babies, but I do prefer snap closure when they are older (only because then they can't rip the diaper off as easily)...
Almost every SoftBum in my stash is an "Omni." I do have a few "Echo" SoftBums also. The Echos do not have a pocket to stuff and are also trimmer in the thighs. I like using the Echos for the smaller babes, but the Omnis are my "preferred diaper." The only downside to the SoftBums is that they come at a pretty steep price of $21 per diaper (which does NOT include any inserts).
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| Flannel/Velour cloth wipes |
I fold them like disposable wipes would be & put them in a regular wipe box so they come out like every other wipe would!
I use a wipe solution of warm water & a squirt of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. Any baby soap will do though. I like using the peppermint soap so baby always smells super fresh after every change.
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| SUPER cute prints! |
I use regular baby powder with every diaper change, and if they start getting a rash (hello teething toddler poos!) I rub some extra virgin coconut oil on her bum & give it lots of air time.
There isn't anything wrong, by the way, with switching to a disposable for a little time to lather your babe in a zinc-based diaper cream to blast that rash quickly.
You will hear of many people using wet or dry diaper pails. I prefer a dry pail. I use a regular kitchen sized garbage can with a reusable water-proof liner inside for my diapers. I wash every other day. Here's my wash routine:
One warm/cold rinse with no detergent
One HOT wash with detergent
One HOT wash/extra rinse with no detergent
I ONLY use Rock in Green cloth diaper detergent. It is made for cloth diapers & I have had zero build-up or repelling issues since switching to it. I do make my own laundry detergent, but a few of the ingredients started building of over time & I had to strip my stash of diapers (NOT FUN).
To strip diapers I use 1/4 cup bleach after regular washing, and rinse rinse rinse until I cannot smell ammonia or bleach anymore. (If the bleachy smell lingers a bit sun your diapers, the sun will turn the bleach to salt (essentially) so there won't be any irritation to your baby's bum.
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| Nothing prettier than cloth hanging on the line in the sun! (When we have sun that is) |
I bought all my Alvas from www.alvababy.com
I bought all my BumGenius 4.0 diapers from http://www.alongcomesababy.com
I bought all my SoftBums, water proof pail liners, & Rock in Green detergent from http://greendiaperdemos.corecommerce.com/Home-Page.html
I bought all my cloth wipes from http://www.etsy.com/shop/scrinchables
*Find & like all these on Facebook also for discounts & specials!*
The Dr. Bronners Castile Soap I got from Target & the extra virgin coconut oil is from the local food co-op.
If you have any questions about cloth I'm more than happy to answer!
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