I mentioned in my post about Aubrey that we were using cloth diapers this time around. I had tried to use them with Hope, but we didn't last longer than a month. We're in our third month of cloth diapering now and I'm loving it this time around. After reading my post about cloth diapers I made with Hope, I realize now that I received really bad advice regarding washing them and that was the problem we were having and why it ended so badly (bleeding, horrible rashes from ammonia burn and really stinky diapers). I know better now than to wash solely in baking soda. This time around we were successfully using Tide, but they changed their formula and we started getting stinky nighttime diapers from soap build up (that stuff would still be sudsing after 4-5 hot rinses after washing--it was crazy). I've since switched to Ecos to wash and Ecover to help soften and we are having fantastic results from that. Glad I found a solution without too many problems!
I have enough diapers to last us for two days without washing. I could probably go a bit longer, but we would be pushin' it! I just finished selling off a good portion of our prefolds, as I was only using them at naptime and bedtime. 24 was way too many to have for only those times and they take up considerable storage space. So that cut our stash down quite a bit. Here is what we are using now:
Fluffy's One Size covers (from Fluffy's Diapers on Etsy) on the top, and Thirsties Duo size 1 on the bottom. The Thirsties are just for Luke, but we use the Fluffy's on both of them (except for the pink one lol), just on different size settings.
Our fitteds. These requrie a cover, but when we are at home, I let Aubrey run around without a cover and just change her when the outside gets a bit damp. Most of them are one size diapers, but they are still a bit bulky fitting on Luke, so we don't use these on him. A few of them are medium longs or larges. On the top we have Candyland OS Bagshot Row Bamboo (these require a Snappi--more on those later--or pins to close), Guess How Much I Love You OS Tinkle Tushies, a large Mickey Bubble Butt, a velour medium long Green Sprout Baby, premium Summer Fun Meg-A-Roos extended tab prefold (this one requires a Snappi or pins). On the bottom row, we have a Rainbow Brite OS Bagshot Row Bamboo (again, Snappi or pins needed), Mickey OS Snicklefritz (needs Snappi or pins), swirl dyed OS My Diaper Addiction, medium long D&G space Green Sprout Baby, and a borrowed floral OS Muttaqin. In this picture, I'm missing a Dr. Seuss print OS Cutzie Designs....I forgot to put it in the picture.
An example of an extended tab prefold, Snappi'd--to give you an idea of how they work. They have little teeth that snag the fabric to keep the diaper closed.
Since he is still pretty little, these are Luke's fitteds. They also require a cover. This time I'm going to go by columns. The left colum is Meg-A-Roo's infant extended tab prefolds (require Snappi or pins), second column are borrowed small bumGenius fitteds, third column from the top: small Dream-Eze, and two fitteds from Etsy, fourth column from the top: borrowed Ooga OS Muttaqin & a medium (it fits smaller, though) Squeezie Cheeks Scooby Doo.
Luke's pocket diapers. These are waterproof, with a pocket that you can stuff to make them absorbant. I use infant size prefolds, trifolded, to stuff them with. These are borrowed extra small Fuzzi Bunz.
Our pockets. They do not require a cover. Most of these pockets are one size. I can fit the one size diapers on Luke, too. Left to right: Fancy Nancy OS Ebber-Deeber, borrowed Pirate large Painted Patooshies, Cowpoke OS Ebber-Deeber, Mickey OS Ebber-Deeber.
These are our all-in-ones (AIOs) & all-in-twos (AI2s). They are waterproof with the absorbant part either sewn in or a snap in. They do not require a cover. Left to right: borrowed newborn Bagshot Row Bamboo (I don't think these are very waterproof and usually put a cover on them--the waterproof part is fleece, which is supposed to repel any wetness, but he's made them damp frequently.), large Nana's Bottoms, A Salt & Battery OS Pee in the Pod.
On the left are Sustainablebabyish "flats" (actually prefolds--not sure why they call them flats), with SBish doublers underneath. On the right are the top part of Thirsties stay dry inserts (I HATE microfiber--the bottom part--so I only use the cotton/hemp top layer) and Thirsties hemp doublers. I use the doublers when we need extra absorbancy like during naptimes, bedtime, or when we're out and about.
Prefolds, what people typically think of when they think cloth diapers. These can be trifolded and laid into a cover or stuffed into a pocket, or put on the child with a Snappi or pins. We have premium size on the left, green edge (newborn) in the middle, and yellow edge (infant? small?) on the right. I use the premiums on Aubrey and stuff pockets with the green and yellow edge ones.
(Mostly) borrowed longies, shorties, and soakers. The very bottom one is Aubrey's, I just forgot it in the picture of hers. The only one that is ours is the flag one, but he's outgrown it already. These work as covers. Just put on a prefold or fitted, then put the pants on. While our other covers are lined in PUL (polyurethane laminate), which, like disposables, doesn't breathe and might get hot, the wool/fleece/acrylic is surprisingly breathable, and much more comfortable for a kiddo.
Aubrey's (mostly borrowed) shorties, longies, and soakers. Most of these also have a shirt or dress that match.
Our cloth wipes, sprayer (to wet the wipes), diaper cream (we don't use this kind anymore-we now use CJ's BUTTer), Snappi's, and peepee teepes. I use cloth wipes because, really, who wants to carry poop covered disposable wipes to the trash can to be thrown away? Not me. Just wrap them in the diaper and throw it in the pail with everything else.
Our wet bags. I use these in the diaper bad for wet/dirty diapers.
Where I store all our diapers, and the kids that wear them. Hehe.
Hanging on the wall are the covers that we're using for the day. As long as they don't get any poop on them and they don't stink, I hang them up and we rotate them throughout the day. I can usually get away with two covers for each child. So far in the full two months, we've not had any poop blowouts like we did in disposables, and I've not gotten any poop on any covers.
To the left of the dresser is rolling drawers with a basket on top. In the basket are Aubrey's fitteds. In front of the basket are all our doublers. In the top drawer, our pockets, AIOs and AI2s. The middle drawer holds the premium prefolds.
On top of the dresser, to the right of the changing pad, in the basket, are Luke's fitteds. Then in front of the basket is a Huggies wipe container with the top removed. This holds our cloth wipes, diaper rash cream (CJ's BUTTer), spray bottle with water and peepee teepees. I usually put our Snappi's on top of the wipes until the wipes are needed.
The top dresser drawer holds Luke's fleece and wool soakers/longies/shorties.
The middle left holds our covers, wet bags, and the green/yellow edge prefolds.
The middle right drawer holds all of Aubrey's fleece and wool soakers/longies/shorties.
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Every other day, after putting the kids to bed, I take our pail bag downstairs with the dirty diapers, and run a load of diapers. I run a cold rinse w/ no detergent to help with any residual poop (Aubrey's dirty diapers get shaken out into the toilet and then put in the pail--Luke's wash out easily for now, so I don't worry about his). Then a hot wash with Ecos filled to the 1 line, then two capfuls of Ecover (the only fabric softener safe sor cloth diapers--all others cause repelling), cold rinse, cold rinse. Then a warm quick wash with warm rinse to make sure all the soap is rinsed out. Everything is dried on high, unless it has a stain. If it has a stain, I get it sopping wet and put it outside to sun out. You would be surprised the stains that a sun can get out. It really is amazing!
You would think the extra laundry would be annoying, but, really, (and this is going to sound weird but I don't care) it's the only laundry I LOVE doing. It is completely satisfying to see a laundry basket full of diapers folded and ready to go for the next day. No running out to the store because we're on our last diaper (or already have run out of diapers--had that happen way too many times in the past), and no poopy blow outs like with disposables. Ok, the cuteness factor doesn't hurt, either! Seriously, my kids have the cutest butts on the block.
Any questions? Feel free to leave them in the comment section and I'll address them in my next post. :-)
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