Does anyone use cloth diapers? Thoughts?

Fit2BMe - posted on 11/19/2012

We use cloth diapers (GroVia brand) and find two things:

1. They're not at all difficult, tho the intial research finding a beand that best suited us and exploring proper care techniques etc. was a lot

2. They save a lot of money



We chose GroVia hybrid diapers:

1. because they are a one-size diaper, which kept us from having to buy more and in multiple sizes.

2. We liked that the soakers (insides) snap into the very adorable liners.

3. We like that the liners can be used on their own as a swim diaper (tho I recommend Savin one out separately, specifically for this purpose).

4. We liked that they were a very trim diaper to make mobility easier and clothes fitting easier.

5. We liked that they had a disposable/biodegradable liner option for when travelling, when kids are sick, or for things like camping (tho when we go to our time share we still Cloth Diaper as we can so easily sun bleach the diapers on our balcony!).

6. We liked that the soakers dry pretty quickly and that the top layer has an openning between the bottom layer (hard to describe) so its easy to add a booster (extra absorbant layer) when needed. There are a host of other reasons as well, however this was easily the best choice for our family.

7. We liked the style of shell because it didn't have to be changed with every diaper change, therefore not as many were needed, as well as that they could just hang to dry real quick because the inside is mesh. Read: super easy cleaning.



For us, we found sticking with one brand made it easier. One wash routine, one way of doing it. No folding or stuffing. We use the snap version so we don't need to worry about velcro wearing down or sticking to other things. For people who find the snaps confusing (they're really not) we coloured the snaps on one shell to make it a no-brainer. It became as easy as disposables but saved tons of money.



To make it realistic we did a lot of research and consulted with the manufacturer and do a very easy wash routine:

1. Use diaper sprayer to spray the soiled diaper

2. Put soiled diaper in our laundry tub to soak in plain water or with baking soda until we are ready to wash. This saturates the diaper to avoid the need for a pre-rinse.

3. Wash using Hot-Cold and a normal amount of natural laundry soap.

4. Do an extra rince to be sure there is no soap build up which can lead to stinky diapers.

5. Dry the soakers/hang dry the liners (which is very quick)

6. To keep them white we sunbleach them by hanging them out in the sun when they're still wet (as per manufacturers recommendation), then finish up in the dryer.



Things to remember:

1. Prepping diapers is super important (I recommend a MINIMUM of 6 full wash/dry cycles, as does the manufacturer). This holds true for any brand. Diapers will reach their Mac absorbency after about 10 washes.

2. Do not use products on your babe's bum that decrease absorbency (avoid petroleum and most creams. They make specific creams and sticks, or you can just used whipped coconut oil)

3. Don't use bleach or vinegar which can break down your diapers and wear them out quicker (some people swear by using these however its always been recommended to us that we not)

4. Do not use dryer sheets (dryer balls--especially wool ones) do the trick. I recommend 6 per load, personally. They also may speed up drying time.



How many to buy:

There are different opinions on this, but for us this is what we did for cloth diapering one infant NewBorn to Potty Trained...

1. 24 NewBorn All in One GroVia 100% organic cotton diapers (so we could do wash every other day and not stress about running out of diapers)

2. 10 Grovia Hybrid One-Size shells

3. 24 GroVia one-size snap-in soakers

4. 6 Grovia boosters

5. One package on hand of the disposable/biodegradable liners.

*we shopped for the best price and negotiated to get the best deals.

*If you haven't had a baby shower yet, you can register for them as gifts.

*also keep in mind that subsequent children can use them

*when you're done having kids, many people will be looking to buy your used cloth diapers, so you can make some of the principle cost back.



Added thoughts:

-the shells can be used over big-kid underwear for potty training (tho we never bothered.)

-for night time pull-ups we save $60 a month using super undies (cloth pull-ups) instead of disposables.



Cloth is perfectly sanitary, plus you're avoiding all the chemicals of disposables going against your baby's body. If you want extra insurance, you can add some drops of tea tree oil to your pre-soak or wash to add the extra "kill germ" effect.



Hope this helps keep it simple for you! It can seem overwhelming at first, however once you decide on your routine, its no big deal. Fact is, if you take care of your diapers properly, put them on snug enough, and change them regularly they should work great! Even disposables leak, so don't expect zero leaks ever. Tho it really shouldn't be a problem. Cloth diapers will not generally hold the massive amounts of pee that some disposables will. However, I don't agree with kids being left in single disposables for that long either.



If you decide to cloth diaper you'll likely get completely hooked like the rest of us!

Jennifer - posted on 06/23/2010

I've been using cloth diapers since my son was 6 months old. I'm definitely saving money. Plus, I have the diapers for my next baby. They are very sanitary. If there's stain, I soak mine with some baking soda a day before wash day.

Like previous posters have said, there's lots of options for cloth diapering. Some options are more convenient and some are cheaper. I started out with one of each type and found what I liked best.

Anna - posted on 06/23/2010

Sure, they are great. I use pocket nappies, which are fantastic. There is nothing unsanitary about it - they get perfectly clean in the wash. They definitely save money but how much you save depends on which kind you buy and how you wash them. If you buy plain old-fashioned flat cotton diapers that you do up with pins, with a few waterproof covers, you will save piles of money - they are CHEAP. If you wash them in cold water and dry them outside, you will obviously save more than using hot water and a dryer. You can buy all sorts of fitted diapers as well - some kinds are expensive but others aren't

I use One Size Fits All pocket diapers, like Fuzzibunz but a cheaper version I found on Ebay - they are fantastic and were really cheap. They consist of a soft waterproof (PUL fabric) cover, lined with fleece so it stays dry against baby's skin. You put an absorbent insert between the 2 layers. It is as easy as a disposable.

Erin - posted on 06/22/2010

I use the Kushie all in one (AIO) system. I chose them because they were the most affordable at the time we were getting ready for our first. They do cost around $50 for 5 diapers, but when you consider that I used them for two children, the cost in the long run is very cheap. They also have a flushable liner for the poopy messes. The whole system is on Walmart.com and I just ship things to the store. Walmart also has a system called gDiaper that looks cute too, but with only a year left of diapering (crosses fingers) I'm not switching. As far as being sanitary, I have always washed my diapers on the hottest water possible. In fact, my front loader has a Sanitary setting that super heats the water to sanitize diapers. If you live in an area that has bright sunny days and your LO doesn't have allergies (or the allergens are low in the area), drying the diapers out in the sun will sanitize them too. UV can be useful. :-D
We do use disposable when we go out in town or visit family. This way we don't forget a cloth diaper in the car or elsewhere.
Now, some people will say this is a myth, but I find it very true. Using cloth diapers helps promote potty training. Instead of sucking all the moisture away, babies learn that wet is uncomfortable. We tried using PullUps with our eldest and had no luck. Just after New Years we put him in regular underwear. After 6 days of lots of accidents, he was mostly potty trained. He'll be 3 in August and the only step he hasn't taken yet is going to the potty of his own accord on a regular basis. As he's not ready for night training yet and I don't want to wash sheets every day, we use PullUps for bed and only bed. I do not regret my choice to do cloth at all.

Misty - posted on 06/22/2010

My daughter is 5 1/2 months old and has only ever worn cloth diapers. We use organic prefolds and a PUL cover. We wash them at home. She is still wearing the same diapers that she wore as a newborn. I just recently bought her next set that will last until she's over 30lbs, so hopefully until she's potty trained. For both sets I have spents less than $200. We just have an old plastic bucket with a lid that we put the dirty diapers in until we're ready to wash. If you wash at home, use a prewash cycle then wash on heavy cycle with laundry soap, we use Charlie's soap. I love it, there's never any running out of diapers or money to buy them. We also don't have the problem of having stinky dirty diapers in the trash. When we go out we just take a large ziploc bag to put her dirty diapers in until we get home. We also you cloth wipes with a homemade solution of 1 cup water and 4-5 drops of lavendar and tea tree essential oil. Other than the initial newborn period of her skin adjusting and once when we switched laundry soap, my daughter hasn't had a diaper rash. And even when she did they cleared within a day. I love cloth diapers and can't see me ever putting a disposable on her.

Jennifer - posted on 06/22/2010

check out cloth diapered munchkins here on COM...it has help me out sooo much in our transition to cloth

http://www.circleofmoms.com/cloth-diaper...

Hannah - posted on 06/22/2010

I used Bambino Mio prefolds (cloth nappy folded up inside a velcro cover). The cloth absorbs the wee, and you put a liner on the top which helps protect babies skin or to catch poo which you can then flush away (if the liner is a flushable one, which you can get).

I found they didn't need changing any more often than a disposable, and my daughter was always happy in them.

You can soak the used nappies, but I didn't, I just kept them in a lidded container, put them through a rinse cycle in the washing machine, then washed them on a hot wash with the rest of my whites, so yes they are sanitary if thats what you mean, they come out clean and are even ok to put in with your other laundry.

I can definately recommend them, but research the different types you can get, personally I really liked the prefold ones because they are easier to get dry.

Oh, and I think we worked out they saved us about £30 a month overall.

Jordan - posted on 06/22/2010

Hello. I use cloth diapers at home and disposables when I am out. Cloth Diapers have different systems. You can do it the old fashion way or they have many different and much easier systems you could use. I use the Flips and Econobums. I love the Flips and the Econobums are ok. In these systems you can use most cloth daipers as inserts and they have a cover that snaps around the cloth diaper. I would recommend snaps over velcro, velcro wears out, snapsdo not. If you find a system that uses velcro they normally willput snaps on them if you want them. There are many different types of sizes and systems. You have to research which is system is best for you. I chose the flips and econobums because they have cloth inserts, so i do not have to wash the cover each time. Also I chose the 1 size fits all. Ari is two months and I think the flips fit better than the econobums, but the econobums inserts are thicker for night diapers. So I use them both and can use either insert or regular cloth diapers you get at the store as inserts. If you choose ne of these systems I would plan on a Cover a day.
Yes they do save money. In fact that is why I chose cloth diapers. They are an investment in the beginning but pay off in the end. We spent $300 dollars on all our diapers. The first month we did only disposable diapers and spent over $80 that month on diapers. So within 4 months our will be 'paid off' and after that saving us money.
Yes they are sanitary or I would not use them. You do have to clean them properly. The poopy diapers need rinsed whe you change the diaper and then they need washed every few days. You need a soap that has no fragrance or anything extra. You do not need to bleach the diapers because the bleach irritates the baby. Backing Soda helps get them clean. You can google how to clean cloth diapers and get some very detailed information.
My thoughts. I love cloth diapers. Our daughter got rashes in disposables but does not in cloth diapers. They take research to know wich system is best for you and they take about a week to get used to, however it is worth the effort. I still use disposables when I am out that day so I donot have to carry the used inserts, however if you want to use the diapers out then you can get a special bag to put the diapers in, i think it is called a wet bag, or at target they sale little baking soda trash bags you can put each dirty diaper in. Hope I helped and didnt scare you with all the info.

Celeste - posted on 06/22/2010

Yup, I use cloth with my twins!

How they work? Depends on what kind you get. There are several types of cloth diapers:
-AIO's: Just like disposable, you put them on like a disposable, except you wash them.
Example of AIO's:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/All-in-One-C...

Pockets: These are similar to AIO's except they have a pocket where you put an insert in (an insert can be anything from a microfiber towel to a prefold diaper). Also go on like a disposable:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Pocket-Cloth...

Prefolds: There are 2 kinds: Indian and Chinese. Not sure what the differences are though. This is the cheapest route. You can use snappis or pins. You'll need a cover for prefolds. There is a bit of a learning curve but once you get the hang of it, they're pretty easy:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Prefold-Clot...
Covers:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Diaper-Cover...

Fitted diapers go on just like a disposable but are not waterproof and need a cover:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Fitted-Cloth...

As far as sanitary, I'm not sure what you're asking?

Cloth diapers have saved me a TON of money. I used disposable diapers with my twins for 6 months and it was CRAZY how many we were going through! My whole stash was probably about $300-$500. They are 3 1/2 and finally potty trained. If I had stuck with disposables, I would've paid MUCH MUCH more!