Cloth Diapers 101 - My Experience

I was asked by my dear friend Ali to do a blog about why I have chosen to use cloth diapers, the benefits, and how  they are used on a daily basis. I am doing this in hopes of bringing awareness to others of the environmental impact, cost-effectiveness (cha-ching!), and convenience (surprising, right?) of cloth diapering. I am going to keep this post as simple as possible, as I know there are many cloth diapers/brands/types available...I am choosing to focus on the specific kind that I use.  First, I'll begin by sharing that I have known that I wanted to use cloth diapers before Cal was born. I didn't like the thought of creating such a large amount of waste (10-12 diapers a day!) just because it was convenient (or so I thought) to do so. I try to be as earth-friendly as possible...Also, when I saw how often and how many diapers I needed to buy, I felt that I was going to create a financial burden if I didn't do all that I could to make the most informed choice economically.  The Facts (from - www.diaperjungle.com) - Most parents go through 6000-8000 diapers per child, from birth to age three. - Average cost of the 6000-8000 diapers is equal to around $3000 per baby.  - Once children are potty trained... the diapers are gone, and the investment was in something that ultimately went into the trash, since they can not be reused.  - Cost of enough cloth diapers to last 3 years is between 300-800 dollars (depending on the kind and amount you purchase). - At a minimum, it's about a $2200 savings.  - The best part! Cloth diapers can be used for one or more successive children, so your savings double and even triple! - Yes, you will have to do more laundry, BUT! you will always have diapers at home to use, AND the amount of water and energy used still does not come close to the cost of disposables.
Cloth Diaper Calculator - This is a neat tool if you are wanting to figure out how much money you are going to spend/save using cloth diapers. *Side note: In no way am I bashing those that use disposable diapers - I use them myself from time to time if I have to strip our cloth diapers or am going to be going on a trip where I won't have access to a washer/dryer. - It's really up to you to decide what will make the most sense for your family and your baby's needs. To continue on with my cloth diapering journey...The research started by looking up different brands and types online, but I wasn't satisfied with what I was finding. I couldn't touch or see the products. Fortunately, a local store near our house (The Nesting House) was holding a cloth diapering workshop where I was able to see the different types and brands and try them out (velcro/snapping/putting in the insert, etc). Once I was able to do this, I made the decision to use one-size covers with inserts. One-size covers have rows of snaps so that you are able to adjust the size to fit your baby during all stages of infancy. Therefore, not needing to purchase different sizes as they grow.  Here are the items I needed to purchase (for 8 lb. baby and up) - quantities based on an every other day wash rotation:  6 one-size Flip Covers: $13.95 each x 6 = $83.70 

24 Capri Stay-Dri Inserts (Size 2 for 12-35lbs): $15.95 for 2 pack x 12 = $191.40

Opened up - (Folded in half when in use)
*Right side is stay-dri material (fleece), left side is cotton. Stay-dri goes against baby's skin.

Most of my insert stash

1 KangaCare Waterproof Wet Bag (for storage of all dirty inserts and covers): $18.95

1 Charlie Banana Waterproof Travel Bag (for storage of all dirty inserts and covers on-the-go)*: $15.99

*If you don't want to purchase this, you can always use a Ziploc freezer bag for short-term outings.

** Only purchased this one b/c I had a gift card at Target to use - these can be found cheaper, around $10. 

bumGenius Cloth Diaper Detergent (VERY important!!! - Regular detergent can not be used! - This lasts a long time - I'm still using the same package 5 months later!): $14.99

What you are going to spend...

Covers - $83.70 

Inserts - $191.40

Wet Bag - $18.95

Travel Wet Bag - $15.99

Detergent - $14.99

Total: $325.03

Washing directions 

*specific to my washer (Most important to do pre-wash, wash on hot, and then an extra rinse, however that looks on your machine. Fortunately, on my washer I can combine them all together)

Choose the normal setting on your washing machine and extra rinse (to the right).

Select hot/cold as the temperature and pre-wash (on the right side) and you are ready to go!

Drying the diapers

The inserts can be dried on normal settings. However, on sunny days it is best to hang dry outside in order to use the sun's natural bleaching abilities.

The covers can not be dried in the dryer. Air dry only.

The best part - the wet bags can be thrown in the washer and dryer too on all the same settings. So no need to touch those wet, stinky diapers. Just turn the bag inside out and toss it in!

Lastly, a step-by-step guide on how to use a cloth diaper:

1. Open up the cover and decide which size is best for your baby by adjusting the snaps.

2. Snaps adjusted to correct size.

3. Flip the cover over to prepare for putting in the insert.

 4. Fold insert to desired size and place under the flaps on both ends.

5. Ta da! Now they are ready for baby's bum.

A final note: There are many options for cloth diapers/detergents/wet bags available, and you may find one to be better than this. I have been pleased with the way this set-up has worked and it is easy enough for my husband and I to both do consistently. Also, for newborn babies, this system does not work. It may be necessary to use disposables or in our case we used the gDiaper newborn bundle, which retails at $149.99 but I found at a consignment sale for $40. We then purchased biodegradable inserts so that we didn't have to deal with all the laundry for those first few weeks as we were getting adjusted. There are other options available such as a diaper service if you want to just try things out at first, so look around, and see what's out there! Cloth diapering is a great world to explore!

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment or ask me a question, because I'm sure I've left something out.

Loving all the questions!!! Here are some answers for you:

Question: What do you do at night?

Answer: I use two inserts instead of one for extra absorption. Cal is a heavy wetter.

Question: How often do you wash the diapers? 

Answer: Based on the quantity of diapers and covers I own, I wash every other day. Usually leaving about 4 inserts/covers available while the other diapers are washing The covers can be reused if not soiled by poop, otherwise they go straight to the wet bag - not worth wiping out.

Question: What made you decide on the flip covers brand? 

Answer: Honestly, they were cheaper than the all-in-one diapers, such as bumGenius, AND I didn't have to buy a whole set of full-on diapers. Meaning, with the covers, all I have to do is wipe out the cover and change the insert each time Cal pees, instead of throwing the whole thing in the wash. Now, if Cal poops, I have to put the cover and insert in the wash. At this point in time, he is only pooping 1x a day, so I don't go through as many covers as I did early on. It's a balance you have to find, depending on your baby's schedule. 

Question: Do you just throw them in (the covers) with your regular laundry, or wash them with the inserts?

Answer: I put all covers, inserts and wet bags in the same load together. I do not wash my clothes with this load, since I need to use special detergent for the cloth diapers.

Question: How do you clean off the diapers when there is too much soiling to go in the washer? 

Answer: Cal is still breastfeeding so his poop is not solid at this point, still very liquid so I don't have to do anything with his poop, I just throw it all in the washer. However, when he does start eating solids, his poop will solidify as well, and I will start using Imse Vimse Flushable Liners. 

They come in a package of 200 for $8.95. They basically look like a small piece of tissue paper that you set on top of the insert so it catches the solid poop. Once you change the diaper, you throw the liner into the toilet and voila, poop is gone. 

Question: How long was he in the newborn set?

Answer: I believe it was around 6 weeks, however, I do believe we could have switched him sooner. I was mainly nervous to make the transition, since I had just figured out the newborn set. When I switched him to the Flip covers, he was not on the smallest size, which is what makes me think we could have done it sooner. BUT, the inserts we purchased were a size 2, meant for 12-35lbs (knowing this would take us to the home stretch), so that is another reason we waited.

Question: Do you use disposable for errands, church nursery, babysitters...?

Answer: If I'm out running errands, I bring my travel bag or Ziploc freezer bag and an extra cloth diaper. I change him as usual, and put the dirties in the bag. Now for others that may change Cal, I typically will show whomever how to use the diapers, but they really are not very tricky at all, it's just a matter of snapping them so they are tight enough, since I already have the insert in place. As far as church nursery, I haven't had to deal with this yet as we're still hunting for a church :/... but I would just make sure he was changed before dropping him off and then take care of it myself after service. 

Question: How often and how many disposables do you also go through?

Answer: Very few... I try not to use them if I don't have to, so a small package from Target is generally enough, if needed at all. When I am stripping the diapers (usually b/c of a ammonia build-up that happens over time) I may use 3-4 disposables that day while I am doing the stripping process.