Talk to me about cloth diapering...

[Tari Mithrandir]

I currently use disposables, and I always have. The last time I can remember being 'involved' with cloth diapers was when my mother diapered my siblings over 20 years ago (and boy how things have changed!).

I am thinking of switching for several reasons:
~I want to work on potty training DD. I started shortly after her birthday by placing her on the potty in the morning before her 'wake up' pee, and at night before her bath. She was a bit frightened at first, but that went away to be replaced by "OMG I want to play with the toilet paper!". We haven't managed to catch a pee yet, she will just sit there and wait, until she gets bored and wants "up" or tries to climb down. I have temporarily given up on the grounds she is not ready yet, or maybe that I just am clueless for the moment.
~She seems to be getting comfortable in disposables. This worries me. She had gotten to a point where she would point to her diaper after a pee, or squish it, and I would know she needed to be changed. Before that she would just get upset and want to be changed... Now she will happily run away and insist on playing, not caring if the diaper is wet. This could be a stage of relishing her newfound freedom (walking), but I am afraid it is that the diapers are too absorbent for our own good.
~I am hoping it may cut costs. Disposables are not terribly expensive, but they still are an added expense, on top of the environmental impact...

I think there was another reason, but I can't remember right now

So:
For a tall thin toddler, what is my best option?
For that matter, what IS available nowadays? I know I would prefer snaps... Velcro seems to get stuck to everything and ruin clothing in this house :
We have a small house, is smell going to be an issue (sorry for asking, but all I remember is pee/poop smell mixed with bleach and it was awful! Mind you, mom was diapering triplets, so I imagine that contributed )
How many diapers will I need and what kind of cost am I looking at to start?
What on earth do I use for wipes or do I keep using what I have been? (I tried switching to just a damp cloth twice, and by the end of the day for each try, DD was beginning to get a rash, which she never gets, even after air drying her bottom. This confused me.)
How do I clean them? (washing machine, yes, but with -what-? Regular detergent, vinegar, ... ?)

I hope that is not too much... But I seriously am clueless about cloth diapering, but very interested and willing to learn.

[schreiberwriter]

What a great place to post this question! You'll get lots of helpful information and links. I didn't cloth my first because I thought it was pins and prefolds. You can still use these successfully and happily, but there are other options to consider as well.

I prefer an open pail and the smell isn't bad--it dissipates. It's only offensive with poo and my mama nose can smell that anywhere.

You may break even by switching to cloth now, but remember you can always use them with a second child or sell them and recoup some of your costs. But, cloth is better for the environment and healthier for your baby's bum.

Different diapers work for different people. I liked large Fuzzibunz for my toddler. I used Bamboozle fitteds with Thirsties covers for nighttime and they worked great. You might be able to use a medium Fuzzibunz.

I believe Jillian's Drawers has a trial program.

Anyone have links they want to post?

[Tari Mithrandir]

Thank you That was my other reason: I hope to CD my next baby!

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by Tari Mithrandir

I currently use disposables, and I always have. The last time I can remember being 'involved' with cloth diapers was when my mother diapered my siblings over 20 years ago (and boy how things have changed!).

I am thinking of switching for several reasons:
~I want to work on potty training DD. I started shortly after her birthday by placing her on the potty in the morning before her 'wake up' pee, and at night before her bath. She was a bit frightened at first, but that went away to be replaced by "OMG I want to play with the toilet paper!". We haven't managed to catch a pee yet, she will just sit there and wait, until she gets bored and wants "up" or tries to climb down. I have temporarily given up on the grounds she is not ready yet, or maybe that I just am clueless for the moment.
~She seems to be getting comfortable in disposables. This worries me. She had gotten to a point where she would point to her diaper after a pee, or squish it, and I would know she needed to be changed. Before that she would just get upset and want to be changed... Now she will happily run away and insist on playing, not caring if the diaper is wet. This could be a stage of relishing her newfound freedom (walking), but I am afraid it is that the diapers are too absorbent for our own good.
~I am hoping it may cut costs. Disposables are not terribly expensive, but they still are an added expense, on top of the environmental impact...

I think there was another reason, but I can't remember right now

So:
For a tall thin toddler, what is my best option?
For that matter, what IS available nowadays? I know I would prefer snaps... Velcro seems to get stuck to everything and ruin clothing in this house :
We have a small house, is smell going to be an issue (sorry for asking, but all I remember is pee/poop smell mixed with bleach and it was awful! Mind you, mom was diapering triplets, so I imagine that contributed )
How many diapers will I need and what kind of cost am I looking at to start?
What on earth do I use for wipes or do I keep using what I have been? (I tried switching to just a damp cloth twice, and by the end of the day for each try, DD was beginning to get a rash, which she never gets, even after air drying her bottom. This confused me.)
How do I clean them? (washing machine, yes, but with -what-? Regular detergent, vinegar, ... ?)

I hope that is not too much... But I seriously am clueless about cloth diapering, but very interested and willing to learn.

Well, there is a huge cloth resale market, so you will get a lot of your money back, even starting now.

What worked for my tall, thin toddler was Green Acre Designs pockets in either a medium-long or a large. (Measure against the size chart.) A medium FuzziBunz is also a good idea. At this point you could get away with 12-18 diapers and wash every other day. Get a Diaper Sprayer to spray off the dirty diapers, and this will keep the stink down considerably. Use cloth wipes but use a natural wipe solution. I like Honey Chunks - they are tiny soap cubes that you mix with warm water in a squirt bottle. You squirt a dry cloth wipe and this gets the bum much cleaner than just water.

My wash routine is a cold prewash with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Then a cold wash/cold rinse with Allens Naturally powder detergent or Mountain Green Baby Free and Clear liquid detergent. Then a hot wash/cold rinse. They I dry them on medium.

As for cost, most pocket or all-in-one diapers are about $17 each, so a dozen would be $200 (new). Figure another $50 for accessories (sprayer, wipes, soap cubes, wet bag or pail liner.)