Cloth diapers are something we decided we wanted to try while I was pregnant with Fischer. I remember the looks I got from some family and friends when I told them – lol! But there are two main reasons why we wanted to go the cloth diaper route.
The first reason is: they save money! ESPECIALLY using the all-in-one reusable type that we have. Nothing gets thrown away and you just wash it all together. The second reason is that cloth diapers are much better for the environment. If you just google ‘diaper waste facts’ the numbers are staggering for the U.S. alone. Even though cloth diapers require the use of more water, I think the tradeoff is beneficial overall!
All that being said, let’s talk about how exactly to cloth diaper – the easy way!
How to use cloth diapers.
You may be wondering why I keep referring to our use of cloth diapers as being ‘the easy way’. That’s because, we don’t go gung-ho full force with them. Newborn poop is CONSTANT and MESSY lol. For that reason, it’s a lot easier to hold off on using cloth diapers until they’ve started to incorporate solids into their diet – aka when their poop starts becoming a little more solid. That’s the advice I received from a friend and I’m glad I took it!
Now, even after we started using cloth diapers, there were still a few instances where we’d continue to use regular diapers. Mainly, if we were traveling (for obvious reasons) and at night for bedtime! I just found that, with Fischer, the cloth diapers weren’t wicking away enough moisture at night to keep his skin healthy.
All that being said, if you’re totally new to cloth diapers, you may be wondering exactly how they work. Well, there are a few different types of cloth diapers. Some of them have inserts that you dispose of and replace. Some are the all-in-one type and then, of course, there are the classic old fashioned ones that basically look like a napkin or a blanket to begin with, lol. I can’t speak to the first and third, but I can speak to the all-in-one kind.
All-in-one Cloth Diapers.
Before Fischer was born, I registered for these all-in-one cloth diapers and have always been so happy with them! They have two soft, absorbent pads built right in are highly adjustable to fit babies up to 35 pounds! That’s well into potty training age – at least it was for us and Fischer’s in the 80th percentile for weight 😉
For my method of doing them, I recommend having somewhere between 16 and 20 diapers. That will give you enough for about two days – which is as long as you want to go without washing a load of them anyways.
How to Wash Cloth Diapers.
I’ve heard of people sending their cloth diapers out to be cleaned, but we never bothered with all that. When you have a poopy diaper, all you do is dump the poop in the toilet and wash them like normal. To be totally honest, sometimes it doesn’t come off super cleanly. In those instances I would take either some toilet paper or flushable wipes and wipe it down as best I could. It’s not pretty, but it’s not every diaper!
In between washes, I would keep the dirty diapers in our Ubbi diaper pail which did an AMAZING job at containing the smell. When you’re ready to wash a load, just take the bag and dump them in the washer. I washed them with no other clothes, hot water, a presoak and double rinse. I used detergent, baking soda and vinegar and they would come out fresh and clean! The absorbent pads are microfiber, so they wash well and don’t stain. Just be sure to run your washer on a cleaning cycle once a month to deter any nasty buildup over time.
Well, I think that’s it! If you have any other questions for me, please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll answer! I’ll also share a highlight on my Instagram profile explaining our cloth diaper process if you’re interested in a more in-depth look!
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