One of the most common question I receive as a Mom is, "How do I like using cloth diapers?" I love cloth diapers! In 2007 I was pregnant with my first son and I decided to research cloth diapers. I was blown away by the "cloth diapering revolution" that is taking place. There are many makers and options. It's not just a flat diaper and pins anymore. There are some main questions I had to focus on:
- Cost
- Care
- Quality
- User Friendly
When I notice a mom around town using cloth diapers I asked which ones they used, where they bought them from and how they liked them. I also discussed the topic with my midwife and asked for suggestions. When my first son was born I had an idea of what I was going to do however I didn't make a huge investment in diapers. I bought homemade diapers from a local mom that would get me started with my newborn and had spent about $100. The first diapers I used were prefolds with a waterproof cover. We then converted to a pocket all in one diaper, which is a waterproof shell and a soft liner with an insert that you stuff in and use once. We loved these and have used them for 3 1/2 years. We choose to go with a sized diaper and used small, medium and large. I didn't buy them all at once. I buy my diapers on sale and have never paid full price. Black Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas time there are always great sales. Recently I purchased a few one size pocket diapers and they're very convenient but not my favorite on fit. You do have to invest some money up front. For example is you buy 20 diapers and they're $20 you'll spend $400. This $400 with most likely pay for itself in 4-6 months. A fun thing to do is ask at your baby shower for money towards cloth diapers instead of plastic toys and clothes they'll grow out of in a blink of an eye.
Washing cloth diapers changed my complete way of doing laundry. First I read the directions that came with the cloth diapers and looked into the detergents that were suggested to use. I chose Charlie's Soap because it was affordable, environmentally friendly and it shipped for free to where I lived. This stopped me from buying expensive detergent from the health food store that didn't really work anyways. 3 1/2 years later I'm still using it to wash everything and it's saved me loads of money.
I believe anyone can cloth diaper a baby. Before the 1970's everyone did. With all the diapers available today, cloth diapering could not be easier. Even husbands can do it. I've heard a lot of moms fail to use cloth diapers because of they're husband think it's disgusting. News flash, we all pee and we all poop. Why not give your baby and his or her genitals a great start and save the landfills. My husband needed some instructions and very quickly he and I were on the road to a happy cloth diaper experience.
All in one diapers are super easy to use. When diapers are urinated in you just put them in a dry pail. When soiled you can use a shower adapter for the back of you toilet and hose out the diaper in the toilet and put it too in the dry pail. I bought a trash can with lid from Walmart and use old pillow cases as a liner. When I wash I simply dump the pillow case in the wash and wash it too. Washing cloth diapers changed my complete way of doing laundry. I read the directions that came with the cloth diapers and looked into the detergents that were suggested to use. I chose Charlie's Soap because it was affordable, environmentally friendly and it shipped for free to where I lived. This stopped me from buying expensive detergent from the health food store that didn't really work anyways. 3 1/2 years later I'm still using it to wash everything and it's saved me loads of money. I hang dry to save the life of my diapers and save energy. The diapers I use dry very fast. However, you can hang shells and put the inserts in the dryer if you need to.
When you find a style that works for you half the fun is picking out colors and seeing them on you baby. Yes, there may be some juggling around but if you can find your own rhythm by experimenting on what works for you, it will be easy for you too.
All in one diapers are super easy to use. When diapers are urinated in you just put them in a dry pail. When soiled you can use a shower adapter for the back of you toilet and hose out the diaper in the toilet and put it too in the dry pail. I bought a trash can with lid from Walmart and use old pillow cases as a liner. When I wash I simply dump the pillow case in the wash and wash it too. Washing cloth diapers changed my complete way of doing laundry. I read the directions that came with the cloth diapers and looked into the detergents that were suggested to use. I chose Charlie's Soap because it was affordable, environmentally friendly and it shipped for free to where I lived. This stopped me from buying expensive detergent from the health food store that didn't really work anyways. 3 1/2 years later I'm still using it to wash everything and it's saved me loads of money. I hang dry to save the life of my diapers and save energy. The diapers I use dry very fast. However, you can hang shells and put the inserts in the dryer if you need to.
When you find a style that works for you half the fun is picking out colors and seeing them on you baby. Yes, there may be some juggling around but if you can find your own rhythm by experimenting on what works for you, it will be easy for you too.
Food for thought: Mothering Magazine May/June 2010 had a great article dedicated to cloth diapers, it was titled, "The Diaper Dilemma" by Jennifer Margulis. I highly recommend ordering a reprint of it. It estimates that 1 child will produce 5000 disposable diapers from birth to potty training. Check out http://www.mothering.com/.
Love the post Tonja...great info!
ReplyDeleteThank you Aleka!
ReplyDelete