Poop. It happens.
Baby poop happens a lot.
It seems like everytime you turn around the little stinker has made a little stinker…or a big stinker, depending on how the nursing session went down (and out!). When we found out we were pregnant, one of the first things that we discussed was how to cut costs when it came to diapering our little dude. I must admit that when I suggested cloth diapers, my darling boyfriend was not on board. Let’s say he wasn’t 100% against the idea…but definitely not pumping fists in the air while yelling HORRAH! I think he was still adjusting to the thought of being responsible for another human. not to mention a human who produces waste. not to mention the thought of cleaning up said waste.
So after a little arm-twisting, we (as in I) ended up deciding that we would be part-time cloth diaperers. That’s right…no need to jump in with both feet. No need to commit. I mean, disposables are soo much easier to, well, dispose of. And that would come in handy on long trips & when out on the town & when doing our weekly family dinner at my mom’s house. PLUS, those little disposables were a lifesaver those first three weeks of Will’s life. I didn’t have time or energy to brush my teeth, much less spray out diapers…and it definitely didn’t help that the washer/dryer in the old house was in the basement (two flights of stairs with a baby & laundry in tow was not recommended right after my c-section). So long story short, we do the hybrid-approach when it comes to diapering our baby’s bottom.
And since I announced that we chose the one-size fits all cloth diapers, I have gotten numerous emails about how we clean them. Well folks…we break every rule in the book. Don’t send me an email after reading this telling me what an awful mom I am…or laundress….or how we are ruining the diapers or how Will’s skin will be permanently scarred…..this is what works for us and we are a-ok with it…so let me deal with my poo the way I want and you go deal with yours. How’s that for snarky Thursday! Sooo here goes.
After the little guy’s excretory system does it’s deed, we simply wrap up the diaper with itself. Yes, the poop is still inside. Then we throw the entire thing into a wetbag. You are supposed to dispose of the ‘solid’ waste right away but anyone who has an infant knows that it takes a long time to get to the ‘solid’ stage…so we just wrap and forget about it. Then we do this until we run out of cloth diapers. Yup. All of them. Usually that takes about five days. Broken rule #2. Technically you are not supposed to let a dirty diaper sit for longer than three days. But the poop ain’t going anywhere.
Then comes wash day. First we slap on some super thick gloves. Then we rinse. Each insert goes directly into the washer. The outer part gets a hosing….before it was the kitchen sink hose but now it is the utility sink in the laundry room. Before when Will was exclusively breastfed, rinsing was easy….now we have to trek back and forth to the bathroom to scrape the chunks into the toilet. I use a very technical scraper…it’s a strong stick I found in the backyard.
After the majority of poo is off, I throw all the outer parts into the washer.
We use Tide free & gentle detergent…this is obviously the wrong type because I am frantic in Kroger and picked up the non High Efficiency type. Seriously…I’m like a lunatic while grocery shopping. My deepest apologies if you were a victim in aisle four.
I like to throw a scoop of Oxi Clean into the washer for good measure.
I also add some Tide In-wash booster in our pre-wash bin.
And then I throw in some bleach for fun. Not a lot…probably about a quarter cup.
My little washer’s pull-out-detergent holder has loads of stuff in there. Every section gets something except the softener.
OH – and every third wash or so, I add white vinegar to the prewash thing instead of Tide booster. It is supposed to help cut the urine smell and help with absorbancy…or something like that.
Then comes the fun part – the button pushing. I love pushing buttons…just ask Jeremy.
We have a sanitize cycle on our washer…and yes, it takes almost three hours to complete. Crazy but effective.
I also make sure that the extra wash, extra rinse, prewash, steam and extra hot are highlighted. I think this might be overkill but remember…I am running this machine 1x. Whereas it is recommended to put the cloth diapers through three washes…so my laziness wins.
After they are complete, we throw the inserts into the dryer and the outer parts get hung to dry.
And that’s it! I know that we broke every rule in the cloth-diaper-laundering book but we have yet to have little Will break out or react to anything on the material.
Another frequent question we get is if we have absorbancy or leakage issues. The answer is yes. At night only though. We started at six months trying to not change Will’s diaper at night…it was waking him up too much and he wouldn’t go back to sleep afterward…so we switched to nighttime disposables and it helped eliminate the leaks, and allowed us to feel comforted knowing that Will’s hiney wouldn’t get diaper rash for being skin-on-wet all night long.
Probably the last question is if we have any problems with the velcro…not yet. We actually have heard stories from online forums that the velcro is not as good as the snaps and that the velcro can lose it’s velcroness. So far our’s have held up just fine. I actually am very glad that we have velcro because Will has tiny little hips and it gives us a custom fit for his toosh.
So there you have it folks – all the dirty details on how the Bower bunch breaks the rules and lives by the seat of their pants….quite literally. Hope it helps some of you if you are contemplating cloth diapering…and yes…we figure that every day that we cloth diaper we are saving about $1…so that can definitely add up! Now go forth and do your doodie! I meant duty!
Thank you for your honesty regarding the cloth diapering. So many other blogs and users I find just say how “PERFECT they are and they NEVER leak, and cleaning them is much easier than disposing of the disposables”. As Always we can count on KB to give us the real deal.
can I ask how many diapers do you own?
I havea ctually considered cloth diapers for when I have baby number two. However, I hate laundry and my husband thinks the whole idea is crazy for us.
We will see. Thank you so much for the advice!
Lori
http://www.wom-mom.com
I don’t know if you’ve tried these, but I’ve heard of these liners that you put on that you just toss in the toilet to take care of the poo. As I don’t have any kids, I’m interested to know how they work, but didn’t know if you’ve heard any reviews or trials with them.
I love that you do your own thing. Who says you need to follow the rules all the time?! You gotta make life work for YOU! 🙂
Howdy. We use the exact same diapers (my son is now 2) and we found the night leaking problem increased as he got older. We adjusted by adding more inserts as he grew bigger. Also bi or tri fold over one of the inserts and put it at the front of the pocket to act as the main absorber. You can find extra inserts cheap on ebay or craigslist sometimes, buy new from the company, or go for a package of the old fashioned cloth diapers that most folks use as burp cloths. We are now up to three inserts at night and that seems to have stopped leakage. Between more inserts and the extra thickness in the front you should be dry through the night. Hope this helps!
Glad you wrote a post on this! I purchased Bum Genius as well and thought I’d love them based on everybody elses reviews, but honestly find them pretty annoying! I just keep on using them to save the $ and saving so many diapers from going into the landfill, but my son literally poops every 3 hours and I HATE cleaning the poopy ones! If my kid only peed I think I’d love them! Plus, I’m not a fan of how much bigger they are! My sons tush looks huge in them! I’m always a little embarrassed to take him out in public wearing them!
thanks for the honest review. very real and I love it!
i have velcro bumgenius, too. LOVE them!!! i read somewhere that if the baby is exclusively breastfed, you don’t need to spray off the poop before it goes in the washer since breastfed poop is water soluble. so that’s what we do and it’s so easy (even though it grosses my mom out). i just run the dipes through a prewash first and the poop disapears. of course, we’ll have to start spraying them off once he starts on solids.
we use rockin green detergent but it’s good to know that the tide free and gentle works for you since that’s what we use on regular laundry. when the weather is nice, i hang the covers outside and the sun takes care of all the stains. it’s like magic!
the only time we’ve had leaking is if we leave the cloth diaper on for too long. they just get too saturated after about three hours. we do cloth all the time except at night. it’s just easier to slap on a disposable and forget about it. i’ve heard of people doubling the inserts and putting wool shorties over the dipe for night time but that seems like a LOT of bulk for my already chubby babe. 🙂
This is why I like the BG Elemental because they don’t look so poofy, but then your child has wetness against their skin. You can always try hemp or bamboo inserts as they are not as fluffy as microfiber.
But, I know what you mean when your child has some major booty, they stick out the top, the pants fit funny…ahh, the things we do to save $$.
I don’t even have kids yet and I’m glad you wrote this! We’ve been thinking about cloth diapering when we (eventually) have kids, but my dad keeps telling me horror stories about 80s cloth diapers while my friends (and the blog world) swear by them. We had pretty much decided we were going to go with cloth and your breaking-all-the-rules honesty pretty much sealed the deal.
PS- I actually laughed out loud at “How’s that for snarky Thursday!”
Tracie,
I usually use the liners with my little one now that things are more solid. However I just ran out and have been fine without them, so I may eliminate them (and the cost) from our routine. I’ve noticed that the liners can bunch up as she moves around so unless it is very firm (in which case picking it out with toilet paper is usually what I do) it gets on the diaper anyway.
So nice to hear it’s ok to break the rules. We started Jonathan in BG organics (like Clara’s) at 6 months, not because we care about the organic cotton, but because I wanted snaps, having tried velcro w/our oldest and not liking it. Anyway, I was paranoid when we started, only buying the BG laundry soap, reading all the directions, trying to follow them to the letter. But I’ve found a bit of bleach in the load really helps cut the urine smell, though I’ll have to try vinegar! We only have 15 diapers, so I wash them every 2-3 days. I just don’t like laundry and would rather do fewer more often. So far I’ve really liked them! (Wish we had a fancy schmancy machine like you; ours is o-l-d. But it gets the job done.)
Meh, you didn’t break THAT many rules really- at least you broke ones that lots of ppl break so it’s no big deal. 😉 I’m due any day now (actually I’m 3 days overdue today), and we’re going to CD. I’m definitely not running my washing machine 3 times!!! That’s what all those extra settings are for, you’re definitely cleaning them thoroughly. I wish we had a sanitize cycle though, that’s pretty cool. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the real deal, it’s nice to hear an honest review!
We bought 24…we got so many because we hate laundry.
xo – kb
We did the extra insert (which is the newborn insert) along with the regular one and our little Pee-er still filled them up. Let’s just hope he’s an overachiever when it comes to school 🙂 and honestly, we are sooo not morning people…so using one disposable diaper a day is well worth knowing that we can leave the little bugger to play in his crib for ten extra minutes without dealing with diaper rash.
xo – kb
haha!!! we cloth diapered for a couple months too becasue of skin sensitivity issues with regualr diapers & I used taret’s brand of baby laundry detergent and it worked great!!!! I tried the “cloth diaper detergents” and they sucked! had to wash several times and they didn’t smell nice and damnit I like our clothes to smell nice! LOL.
I *LOVE* your honesty:) So many of our friends do cloth and though we don’t have kids yet I keep waffling with the idea. So I know you mentioned that you used them, but do you LIKE them? I guess what I’m after is would you do it again?
Oh my gosh Katie. You rebel!! I’m shocked your diapers are still in one piece after the abuse you are putting them through. 🙂
FYI – for future babies, you don’t need to rinse the poop when the baby is exclusively breastfed. Just throw ’em in the wash – BF baby poop is water soluble!
We use BG 3.0 on our 14 month old and love them, too. I’m glad you posted how you wash them because I think a lot of the cloth diapering community scares you into thinking that every little thing is going to RUIN the diapers. I wash mine in Charlie’s soap… Have you seen the diaper sprayer that fits onto your toilet? We LOVE ours and it makes the rinsing job not so scary. Also, if you leave the cord long enough you can use it to spray out your shower (hahaha) and according to their website, some people use it as a bidet. Um, not here, but it’s a thought! Haha.
Totally off subject but I saw this and immediately thought of you! Here’s an early Mother’s Day gift from me to you 🙂 http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/04/bacon-bouquet.html
Haha – have you seen this before?! This is why you should be on twitter – so I can stalk you over there and send you bacon bouquets without having to add a random comment on your blog 🙂
Have a great day – hope the flowers make you smile!
Katie, I loved this post. I have been using Fuzzie Bunz diapers and have loved the money we are saving…however, there are those days I don’t want to be hosed down from my diaper sprayer, run up and down the stairs to restart the laundry, etc., etc. I, too, decided to go with the flow and do what fits for me. I even took a week-long break from cloth a few months ago. All the stinky trash and the $35 in diapers was just the inspiration I needed to go back!
you are so funny. that is exactly how we cloth diaper too! although I do rinse out the poo in the bathroom sink usually . and I have a less fancy washer so I just do an extra rinse cycle. love it!
Thanks so much for this informative post Katie! We just started Henry on the cloth diapers during the day (he finally reached the 10 pound mark!); still using the disposables at night and for trips around town. I’ve read complaints about the velcro as well. I think it’s only an issue on your subsequent children. FYI: the BG sprayer that attaches to your toilet only works if you have multiple piping that connects; we have one continuous piece of metal pipe so there’s nothing that the sprayer can “attach” to. Very disappointed when I brought it home and found that out.
I am also a hybrid cloth diaper-er – I still feel like I am making a huge impact on the environment and our budget, even though we use disposables if we go out of town or will be out of the house for several hours.
Well, my kids are long past (decades) the diaper stage, but I always enjoy your humor. Love the pushing buttons comment! 🙂
First off, can I just say that I am super jealous that you have a sanitize cycle and only have to run your machine once?? That rocks. We also use the BG 3.0/ 4.0 pocket diapers and love them. We do velcro, too, and also haven’t had any issues- though I will say, the 4.0 velcro is way better than the 3.0 which tends to get kinda fuzzy.
I think everyone has to find a system that works for them whether it’s “correct” or not. We let the poop sit until we wash, too because I bring my kid to work with me and I’m not trucking back and forth to the bathroom three times during the day to dump poop!
At night, we just stuff the heck outta the diaper and it’s worked great- like quadruple stuff it.
Tracy,
We use the disposable liners in the mornings (my kid poops with regularity, so I know when it’s coming). I wouldn’t use them all the time because they’re kind of a pain since you have to separate them from the diaper before washing (annoying for a pee diaper), but it does save you from having to spray or scrape poop. You just peel it off and flush!
I love this post! We use the exact same diapers and I break even one more rule than you do, which is that I put the diapers in the dryer ever time. We use exclusively cloth diapers, so I can’t wait for the diapers to dry outside. We also use Desityn and Dr. Smith’s paste daily and we haven’t had any issues with the diapers becoming less absorbent. We use two inserts at night with no leaking accidents.
I second the liner idea! We started using them once we started baby food, and I love them! I actually cut up one of hubby’s old t-shirts to use, so it’s upcycled and free! And I can toss the wet-only liners in the wash and reuse them. I get about 40 liners out of one XL shirt.
I didn’t know you were supposed to wash them 3 times! I just do a pre-soak, wash on heavy, and do an extra rinse. You may be doing more then you need to 🙂
Sorry I spelled your name wrong- I meant Tracie!
The bunny headbank pics are just too cute!!! – Luv Mom (GrandBEE)
Thanks for sharing! I’ve always wondered how well cloth diapers really work since my mom diapered all three of us in them YEARS ago.
You know Kristal I did that at first…wait…let me be honest….JEREMY did that at first and I don’t know if it was because we waited so long (5 to 8 days, sometimes longer, is a long time for boob poop to ferment) or if it’s because our washer was not as effective or something…but it never came quite as clean as when we rinsed. Since it was only for the first six months…we didn’t mind. Plus we were those super ridiculous people that thought that if it has a stain that the sun could bleach that it really could mean bacteria…so we opted for a second round of rinsing.
xo – kb
I do like them. Obviously I like disposables too. I think it is a matter of preference. There are some days that I am just not in the mood and know that if I use the cloth that I will be doing poop duty that night…so I put Will in disposables all day out of sheer laziness. But there are some days that I ADORE the cloth. Like when we turn on the sprinkler and Will is gonna be soaked…I know that the cloth diaper is not gonna weigh 100lbs and that it is gonna be easily rung out and hung to dry before washing. Plus…let’s face it, the cloth ones are super cute in pictures whereas the Cookie Monster Huggies are just not as lovable to me.
xo – kb
We have one Leah! Actually we bought the diaper sprayer and thought we would love it but our old kitchen sink faucet was WAY more powerful and since the sink was bigger than the toilet bowl…I had more luck getting the doo down the drain.
xo – kb
Haha! Hilarious. or hilardiouds…as I first typed it 🙂
xo – kb
Bummer Av. I didn’t realize that about the sprayer…I guess cause our old house has multiple pipes. BUT…Holy Moly – Henry is 10 pounds already! I feel like it was just yesterday that we visited and he was just a little squirt of a thing! Let’s do lunch soon…I need a little baby fix 🙂
xo – kb
Haha…welcome fellow rule breaker. AND yes…when Jeremy isn’t looking, sometimes I do throw them in the dryer too…and we used Desityn and Balmex and powder too….basically if they tell me I can’t…well, it means I will 🙂
xo – kb
Way off the subject, but I don’t know what to do! Katie…!!! I’m trying to send you pictures to edit, but the email comes back that it’s wrong =( Have you changed it?? You can email me at
morrest1101 at aol dot com
Thank you!
We were using disposable at night too, but finally found something that worked: we use a Flip cover with a stay dry insert sock. I put two hemp inserts (can hold a ton of pee) behind one microfiber insert (soaks up fast) inside. We call it the Oompa-Loompa because of how bottom heavy it makes him, but in the morning he’s still dry!
YAY!!! i’m am so happy you wrote this post, I was going to email you today and see how you like Cloth one year later!!! So glad to hear you can break rules and do what works for you — 🙂
OMG, we are cloth diapering soulmates! I am the all time worst rule breaker there is and I am so glad I’m not alone. I leave poo in them for days at a time and even *gasp* throw them in the dryer when I am pressed for time. Let’s be serious, not everyone could be as perfect as they say in their cloth diapering blogs, right? I love your blog and I was going to mention it in my list of favorites today- I hope you don’t mind! You guys are so adorable! Have a great day!
Oh, how you crack me up! Thanks for this post. It’s very helpful. I am pregnant with our 5th baby, and have decided I’d like to go the cloth route. I always used disposables with my other girls, but I also had them boom boom boom, so I think using cloth would have been a nightmare. However, this time around our youngest will be 8 yrs old when baby comes. So, I think it should go smoothly. I do plan on using didposables when we go out of town or aren’t going to be home for awhile. Thanks so much for your honesty. I will probably follow your washing ways because 1. I do an insane amount of laundry already 2. Anything that makes life easier, I’m game and 3. I’m lazy:)
This is actually the brand of cloth diapers I have been wanting to invest in, but my husband is full on against cloth diapering for some incapable-of-being-full-articulated reason. Knowing how much the initial investment is, how did you move forward with the big purchase without your husband fully on board? (I’m looking for any advice!) :o)
Maybe you could do a trial 6 diapers with him?? Or look on Craigslist or ebay for used (but still in good shape) diapers…that way, if you can’t commit, you will be able to get your money back by selling them.
I would definitely show him the math though…unless you are just gung ho green, then the math is the real kicker 🙂
xo – kb
Hooray! I’ve been waiting for a post on this. Thanks for all of the info. We are expecting our first baby in August and NO ONE I know cloth diapers so I’m soaking up all of the info. I can on the web. Thanks again and nice to know you can bend the “rules” and still make it work.
I have no comments today about diapering . I just wanted you to know that I read this post while eating a dark chocolate bar filled with orange goo. Neat!
haha xo
Good to hear you keeping it real! I have been super psycho about the washing because I am so scared I’m going to ruin my diapers (as the cloth diaper fanatics tell you). Although I am guilty of using my sanitary cycle even though BG says the water gets too hot. AFTER I bought my HE front load washer, I started reading about people saying they just don’t work well for cloth diapers, so I freaked out and probably do way too many loads which ends up taking 5 hours – yes, I realize this is insane and I hate it. Maybe I should take a Katie Bower Chill Pill and just try my one sanitary cycle with all those extra buttons pushed.
Oh, and we also use disposables at night, no matter how many layers/types of inserts we put in, he still would soak everything and then wake up in the middle of the night wet. No thank you. I figure 1 disposable per day isn’t going to ruin the planet.
And one last thing, BG sells velcro refresher kits for $1 each with free shipping. Kind of a pain, but I just replaced most of mine (after about a year of use – but only on the 3.0s, the 4.0 velcro is definitely better). I just really find the velcro easier (our snap diapers are last resort if there’s nothing left in the drawer) and since my son is in daycare, that is the easiest for them to use too.
I was wondering why you never answered me about what detergent you use! But thank you so much for this post. I asked you that a while back and I haven’t really used the cloth diapers that I bought because I was afraid I would “mess up.” Now I’m just gonna jump in and see what happens.
Thanks, Katie!!
agree on the *super* cute! cloth diaper heinie is adorable:)
Hi Katie! Let’s first mention that I think it’s great that you are still nursing your son even after a year! Props to you! 🙂 I think the cloth diapers are a great idea and if you have the time and energy to use them, then go for it! When I had my son in March of 2009, I didn’t even think of cloth diapers! I just automatically went to disposables, which are still being used…potty training in the process! Anyways, good luck with that and it won’t be long before you won’t have to worry about any diapers! 🙂 All the best, Kristine.
I would ask for them for gift at a baby shower. That way you dont actually have to buy them.
Sorry Alicia…sometimes my workload is just a little too much for my lazy brain to handle and things get pushed to the back burner.
xo – kb
Oooh thanks for the info on the velcro…maybe by the time I’m on my third kid they will be definitely needed!
xo – kb
Try [email protected]
that was the original email address and it should be the most valid 🙂
xo – kb
Those of you that are on the cloth diapering fence because of the disposal issues might appreciate this comment. My 6 year old daughter is long past the diapering stage but we used, and loved, cloth diapers too! But, we avoided the clean up/disposal mess altogether by having a diaper service. Each week, they dropped off an eco-clean bundle and took the dirties that I left on the porch back to be laundered. You might be thinking that this isn’t economical but after we added up the cost of doing it at home (extra wear/tear on the machines, the cost of washing/drying (electricity, laundry supplies, diapers, etc., and the cost of our labor) we found that it was for us.
Hey Katie don’t know if you’ve read this yet or not but I have a girl so I thought of you when I read this about raising boys! Seems especially appropriate on a poop post day. 😉
http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2011/04/19/tina-feys-prayer-for-a-daughter-updated-for-those-of-us-blessed-with-sons/
Thanks for the cloth diaper 411! Hopefully when the time comes this will help convince my hubby to go cloth!
I’m glad to see youre human! After reading Sherry and John’s post about the cloth diapers, I really wanted to try them, but just didnt have the up front money to do it (my son was 5 or 6 months old at the time). Then I researched them extensively, the soap, the washing technique, etc. It just seemed like more work than I think I could handle, and like you, I think I would get lazy about things. Atleast you seem to have an excellent washer that seems to do the job. And maybe it’s a boy thing, but both my boys leaked at night, in disposables. I made sure everything was pointing down, a fresh one before bed, but never failed they would wake up in the morning soaked. My son is 16 1/2 months now and it doesnt happen as often anymore (seemed to happen more in the early stages). I hate dealing with poop, and puke. It was hard enough to scrape off chunky puke from my 5 yr old’s quilt when he had a virus (I almost lost it), so I’m not sure I could do it often with diapers. Changing one is bad enough,lol! I like youre honesty!
ok! so I dont even have a kid yet..but this post made me roar out loud with laughter!!!!!!! My husband came over to computer and was like what is up??!! and I told him- I am reading a post on disposable diapers! You think I should try them on our kid? (exasperated sigh. from him. )
lol! you always make me grin;)
We have the same exact washer as you (in a different color) and love it. My question is not about diapers but I saw that you add Oxi Clean to your wash? Which bin do you put it in or do you just dump it right in the washer? I’ve thought about adding it to my wash but never knew where to add it!
Hey! I have to ask – what do you store the dirty diapers in? and don’t they stink after 5 days???!!
I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old. Trust me, girl. I understand.
Not diapering related, but diaper sprayer related… Some time in my ninth month of pregnancy, I decided a nice, warm bath [but not too warm, of course- can’t break the rules! :)] would help my aching back. My dear hubby was being sweet and offered to help me wash my hair, since it was a little difficult to move my big ol belly around at that point. He told me to close my eyes and tilt my head back so he could rinse the shampoo out. At that point, he must have noticed the newly installed diaper sprayer attached to the side of our toilet. Thinking he would give me a ‘spa-like’ experience, he began spraying my head with the sprayer. As you might imagine, water flowing through toilet plumbing isn’t warm. In fact, it’s ice cold. You can only imagine my reaction. I thought such a shock to my head/body might scare our child out, but unfortunately, I think it only scared him into staying inside.
Hubby has since learned his lesson. Diaper sprayers are only for spraying diapers.
Yup…just dump it in right after you put the clothing in.
xo – kb
Hilarious. I just read this outloud to my mom. This sounds like something that would happen to us 🙂
xo – kb
I have heard a lot of people say they throw the entire dirty diaper right into the washer even (if it doesn’t shake out, then it goes in!). I probably would have fallen into that camp with our CDs but we got a diaper sprayer as a gift. They are pretty pricey but now I am soooo glad we have it. I think I would recommend it as worth the investment to other folks (esp since it is nicer to do it right away and be done than have to relive the poo 5 days later 😉
Also, if you want to cut back on your washing steps or “ingredients” and save a few bucks- check out Tiny Bubbles detergent. Made for HE washers and specifically for CDs. It is the best detergent I have found for CDs (build up, smells, stains, etc) and it is 100% biodegradeable (and adds no 1,4 dioxane to the water). I get mine in a 6 pack from Costco and it lasts a LONG time. Thanks for sharing!
I do the same: prewash, regular wash and a rinse. I don’t use the bleaches that you do, so my diapers aren’t super white anymore. . . But they’re clean and fresh for the next time!
I, too, go with disposables at night- just ’cause I’m lazy and don’t want to have to wake up to change a diaper. Otherwise, I really do think that the cloth diapers are just as easy.
Hi Katie, this isn’t a suggestion or advice, just something I worked out the other day… and I think it’s pretty cool so I like telling people.
If something has a stain and you put it in the sun, the sun actually gets rid of the bacteria as well – it’s UV – which is just the same as they use in water treatment works to clean all the nasties! (using bright bulbs though).
Love your honesty and poop humour!
We didn’t have nighttime leaks while using both BG inserts, as well as one Babykicks hemparoo insert, but we found that using Overnight disposables kept our little girl sleeping peacefully longer (or maybe it was just a fluke, but we’re not going to risk it!) So we’re with you on the hybrid train!
I have to admit when I read the list of soaps you use I was cringing a bit! But hey, if it works, and you haven’t seen any wear on your diapers, then more (bower?)power to you! We use Rockin’ Green and it works great for us.
On the packaging it says you can also use the sprayer for “post partum hygeine” care, if you catch my drift. Who on earth would want to spray that with FREEZING cold water!? Almost as pleasant as the freezing cold hair rinse! 🙂
oh.my.word. No way! Pretty sure that would have shot me right through the roof.
Yeah – we did that too…but for some odd reason, I kept thinking that if the color was there, so must be the bacteria causing the color. So that’s why we rinsed in the beginning.
xo – kb
You ready for this… I currently have 3 little boys in cloth diapers. Talk about poop overload! My 3 year old has not been too keen on the idea of potty training, ugh! This summer though I’m going to try tackling potty training a 3 year old and a 2 year old at the same time. Lord have mercy on me!
After diapering full time for the last few years I’ve changed my mind a bit. I now love snaps and BG elementals best. I follow most the rules, because that’s my crazy personality, but I’ve always dried all of my diapers in the dryer (living in the NW it’s hard not to). I’ve actually bought new diapers for my new baby because after a few years of full time use my diapers weren’t going to make it through a third…not to mention my older two are still using them.
Oh the things we do for our babys!
Thank you for this post! I do not cloth diaper but I appreciate your real approach. It makes me think I can do it with our next one!
Yes! Someone else who breaks the cloth diapering rules 🙂 We do a similar process and I’m sure there are cloth diaper=ers out there that cringe, but I don’t care it works for us and our little boy Miles has a clean and health (rash free) bum. Loved your post and secretly wanting that washer of yours. Makes mine look like its from the dark ages.
Thanks for your explanation of your cloth diapering process! I always hear people talking about how much cheaper it is to cloth diaper, and I suppose it definitely is if you’re able to use the same diapers on subsequent kids. However, we debated about what to use when our little guy was born almost 8 months ago and ended up going the disposable route. We decided it was just too much trouble when I had to go back to work.
Yes, we’re contributing to a lot more waste. But, the cost has been quite low, and the convenience is extremely high! We use Pampers or Luvs diapers and usually Pampers wipes, and we’ve only spent about $150 so far! We did get a few packs of diapers when our little guy was born, we we could safely say that was for over 6 months of diapering. I think that’s pretty good! I always get good deals on diapers from Amazon.com using their Amazon Mom program. I don’t think $300 a year for diapers and wipes is too bad!
Fortunately, we haven’t had any problems with diaper rash or anything with our boy. However, I’ve heard that cloth diapers contain poo explosions better than sposies… We might give them a try some time. 🙂
This is off topic, but I saw you had a Samsung washer and was wondering if you like it? We are looking to buy a new washing machine and have been looking at a Samsung.
Love it. Highly recommended.
xo – kb
Katie-
I commend you for cloth diapering! {I agree, they’re bums look so much cuter in pics}.
I was so adamant about it the first two years with my first child, I never had a disposable in the house. Now that I am on baby #2 {who is almost two years}…my diaper stash is nearing 4 years old +. The leaks. The wicking. Oh my.
I am on a cloth diaper sabbatical {due to massive leaking} and I miss them, but to plunk down more $ to replace all my pocket diapers is too much to stomach now.
Sigh.
Your post made me nostalgic…
love it, I just switched to cloth with my 21 month old a few weeks ago. (I’m now at home full time) That’s what is great about cloth you can cater to your needs. I’m learning new tricks and what works best for us. Thanks for sharing. Love their little cloth bums!
Yey for cloth diapers ! 🙂
I am amazed how much chemistry you use for the laundry. Good washing mashine, program for cooking, and only ONE washing detergent are really enough. If for disinfect, some drops of tea tree oil 🙂
Why sanitazing takes 3 hours? One and a half hour on 95 degrees are more then enough. All that chemistry and prewash program? I don#t know anybody washing diapers 3 times/washes. I don’t know why somebody would do that?
I like drying picture 🙂
Cotton Babies does a sale of used BG diapers every now and then for one or two dollars each. We had been using the Econobum diapers but got tired of spraying every single side of every insert and the cover. I invested in them thinking I’d have to replace velcro and elastic, but we’ve been using them for nearly 2 months with no alterations and I love them… enough that I might have paid full price for them. Craigslist tends to have TONS of cloth diapers on it, too (as previously mentioned).
We worked it out that we broke even with only 4 months of using cloth (so now we’re diapering for nearly free).
Just wanted to say that we used the same cloth diapers for the our daughter for 2 years & loved them. The velcro & the elastic on ours started wearing out towards the end of that 2 years, but I also was drying the outers every time – I think that’s what did them in. But, even if the tabs/elastic wear out, you can get little replacement kits from Cotton Babies (the co. that makes Bum Genius dipes) for $1/diaper & replace the elastic & tabs & the diapers are good as new.
My husband and I are not yet pregnant but working on it, and talking about cloth diapering. This gives me a really good idea of what to expect while being a modern momma. Thanks!
Hi Katie,
My son is 4 months old. I cloth diaper (much to the dismay of many family members – which just makes me want to do it more) and have not yet used bleach, but do use the Tide Free & Clear. I was wondering if you found that the bleach makes the covers fade at all. I LOVE bleach for cleaning pretty every solid surface in my house. It really is an unatural love/obession. I would really like to add a little bit of bleach occasionally to kill any bacteria and hesitate only becuase I am worried that it will fade the covers and am curious if you have experienced any of that. Also, do you find that the stain booster really helps?
I too quasi-hybrid. If going to be out and about for a long time, I really enjoy using gpants with the disposable inserts. They are super-absorbant and I like that they eventually completely decompose.
Hey Katie, do you have a brand of disposables that you like best for nights/going out?
We use Luv’s because I always seem to have a super cheap coupon – oh and if you use Amazon Mom you can get it even cheaper with free delivery.
xo – kb
First, thanks! Your review makes cloth diapering seem doable…so yeah, thanks. I get intimidated by all the lingo and this was good and simple!
Can I ask though, what diaper pail you use? Diaper pail + wet bag I presume? or no? Did you have smell issues?
Thanks in advance!
I knew you had cloth diapered, but never took the time to find the post! Are you still cloth diapering your boys?
We have tackled cloth diapering, and I strongly believe you have to find what works for you – and the haters are going to hate regardless. If its not what soap you use, its shock over it going in the dryer, or that you don’t put organic material on their bum, or you don’t use a breathable system – holy moley. I also had no clue diapers could run $6 – $50+ AND that there are diapers sold as a “collectors item.”
All the same, I love the journey.
We did most of the time with Will until he got to be peeing through them (even with the wool covers and the extra liner)…so now we just use disposable. Currently with Weston we are using up the disposables that people gave us…we still have a few more boxes to go so we shall see.
xo – kb
Did you ever think of trying a different brand of diapers? We seem to have the same problem as you (no matter how many or what inserts my son leaks through) and geta rash. I only ever used bum genius detergent and even tried stripping… so discouraging! I am so determined to continue cd’ing though.. any advice?! 🙂
A lot of folks I know were able to get a lot of help from cloth diapering websites and forums…but I never went. Wish I could help more.
xo – kb
I’m SO happy to read this post! We’re expecting our first in 2 weeks and we’re hoping to cloth diaper. I was feeling overwhelmed with all the rules about taking care of the diapers, so I’m thrilled that you don’t feel pressured to follow the rules and you haven’t had problems. I feel a lot more excited about cloth diapering knowing it’s not actually as complicated as people make it sound! I’m definitely not going to be able to follow all those rules.
Are you still using your BumGenius diapers? We have the same Samsung washer and I always just used the “Heavy Duty” setting (with the added pre-wash, extra-wash, and extra-rinse). I thought the sanitize maybe would be too hot for the diapers?
Also, way stupid question, do you pour the bleach in the “bleach” dispenser? Or do I need to dilute it separately? I am so scared of it ruining things by not diluting properly!
Also, these liners are a LIFE SAVER. I have never had to rinse poo at all. Just throw this portion away and wash the diapers!
http://amzn.com/B00483GAJU
I wish I’d seen this sooner! I love cloth diapering and it’s great to see a more relaxed attitude work. I would caution people against using bleach if they have any allergies or skin sensitivities though. My allergist told me that using bleach can indirectly contribute to allergies, increase the intensity of your body’s reaction to an allergen, and studies have suggested that chlorine exposure increases risk of asthma. I stopped using bleach completely and it made a huge difference for our family. If I am particularly concerned about getting something clean, I just pre-soak with oxi-clean and detergent overnight and that seems to do the trick.
ABSOLUTELY! The bleach is definitely something we did but always with the extra rinse and we definitely watched for any reactions (we used non-chlorine bleach). Thanks for the reminder!
xo – kb
We didn’t dilute and we put it directly in the bleach dispenser. We also used the sanitize cycle every time and we didn’t have any issues with the heat.
xo – kb