Cloth Diaper Thread - Page 4

[McMandy]

I have become so obsessed about preparing and adding to my stash that I dream about it at night. Heh!

I have about 15 Haute Pockets (one size pocket diapers) that I use with my 2 year old- and I plan on getting some small fitted and whatnot for those tiny little infant bodies.

[Illiana]

wet/dry pails

ok, i keep hearing about wet pails for diapers.. Maybe its just me, but i've always heard that was really bad to do and that dry pails were easier and more sanitary to use. Thoughts? I'll see if i can dig up the info i had on that.

[triscuitsmom]

Originally Posted by Illiana

ok, i keep hearing about wet pails for diapers.. Maybe its just me, but i've always heard that was really bad to do and that dry pails were easier and more sanitary to use. Thoughts? I'll see if i can dig up the info i had on that.

You're right, dry is the way to go.

I did a quick scan through and I didn't see anyone on this thread mentioning wet pails though. Wet bags are just a waterproof liner for whatever you put your diapers in. I use a wet bag in a garbage can, throw the diapers into the wet bag (which has nothing in it except dirty diapers, no water or solution of any kind) and then on wash day dump the wet bag full of diapers into the washer and throw the wet bag in too. That way the garbage can stays cleaner and there is less smell because the wet bag gets washed regularily

That's what works for us at least.

[Kelly1101]

Same here... got a dry pail with a wet bag, haha.

I think the issue with wet pails is the drowning risk... although really for me, I can't imagine lifting up a huge pail full of water every time I do diaper laundry.

[GrungeBaby]

Cloth Diapers

I am a first time mom and planning on using cloth. I am going to start with Bummis organic prefolds and flats (not sure which brand). I would also like to have a couple of fitted but not sure what to get. I have some secondhand Thirsties covers and wool covers. I will probably try several types of cloth wipes to see which I like the best same with wipe solution. Planning on using Charlie's Soap and Eucalan for washing diapers and wool covers respectively. I also heard that an oil bar soap works well to remove stains from wool so I ordered some to try. Would love to get some Ruskovilla Oy nappy pants and Disana wool covers as well. The Green Mountain Diapers and the Bummis website I found are very informative!

[Kelly1101]

As far as fitteds, I love love love Thirsties. I do also have some BumGenius bamboo fitted, though, and I like those as well-- they are just a bit bulkier and not as "wide". But very soft and snuggly.


For wipes I've used mostly cut-up old T-shirts and it's worked just fine. I also have a pack of Imse Vimse wipes that I really like, been using them for nearly a year and they are still fantastic. I know there are some wipe solution recipes around here (have you checked out the CD subforum?), but I always just used plain water-- my daughter's skin is pretty sensitive.


Oh, and welcome!

[aloneinid]

De-lurking because I have to say go with Ruskovilla nappy pants all the way for nighttime. We have one pair and and LOVE them- better than any wool I have used in my 5 years of cloth diapering. I want to get a pair of shorties for summer, but they are always sold out online. I didn't get them until DS2 was about 8 months old and I got a size 80 (I think). They were too long in the legs, but we just rolled them up and they are still fitting this year. Love, love, love them.

Does anyone have recommendations for AIOs for my toddler? I will use them again when this baby is a toddler. Right now I have some mother-ease hand-me-downs and I love the convenience, but the fit isn't that great. (They also wash up well.)

[Just1More]

I don't have any good AIO recs, but I did want to comment on the soaps.

I've used Charlie's Soap for years, but over this last year, I've been very disappointed with it. They changed their packaging, and since then, our clothes just haven't been coming very clean at all. I started dumping in a ton of borax, and that helped a lot, but our clothes still felt kinda slimy and smelled sweaty. (Although they were neither when I put them in the wash.) I've tried both the powder and the liquid and had the same experience.

I switched to using a blend of oxyclean (off brand is okay), washing soda, and borax. I mixed them in a large container in a lid, using equal amounts of each. I wash with an 1/8 cup of this mixture. I've been doing it for a couple of months now, and haven't noticed a problem with our diapers. If anything, they are cleaner, and I haven't had any trouble with residue.

The difference was HUGE. It's a bit cheaper, and our clothes seem MUCH cleaner. A friend switched also and was disgusted with how yucky their clothes had been. She hadn't realized it until she switched and saw how clean they were now.

Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there.

[Kelly1101]

I just use All Free & Clear.

Sometimes Purex Free & Clear if it's on sale.

[wryknowlicious]

i make my own dry soap mix, or i will use Jenny's Simply Clean.

I've used Arm & Hammer when it was cheap on sale with a coupon.

[aikigypsy]

Hi! I'm new here (just found out my EDD -- 26 September, not early October as I'd suspected). DD, 27 months, is still in cloth diapers. We've been doing EC with her, not super-successfully, since 3 months, but although there are days and weeks when she's nearly daytime dry, and very rare dry nights, she's definitely not done with diapers yet.

We used disposables for her first 2-3 weeks because everyone pressured me to -- including my mother, who we were living with. Finally got her into mostly cloth at about 1 month, with increasingly rare use of disposables. I found disposables kind of inconvenient, and very stinky. The last time we used them was last summer when we were visiting very childless friends of mine in London last summer.

This time, I want to do more fitteds with wool. It took me ages to get around to using our aristocrats covers with DD. They seemed awkward, and I didn't like to have to use a snappi and a cover, but once I started with them I was hooked. Also, this time I am going to skip the snappis and just use a diaper belt for cover-less times with a prefold.

My existing stash includes:
Some small and NB PUL covers -- proraps, I think, maybe 3 small, 5 NB
about 15-18 small prefolds
maybe 24 thin (2x5x2) "regular" prefolds
12 toddler size "premium" prefolds: used these mostly for laying under the baby before she started rolling, and in bed to catch milk drips before I gave up and accepted having milk drips everywhere.
20 or so GMD flats -- these are great, and I will use them more this time around
1 Kissaluv 0 -- I didn't try this on until DD was 12 months old and was amazed that it still fit. If I'd realized that they would last that long I would have bought more, and actually used them.
1 aristocrats soaker, size small (will order another in Medium)
1 aristocrats longie, size medium (will order another in small)
2 recycled wool longies I made -- they fit DD now. Meduim/large?
5 pocket fitteds -- these work with the small prefolds and wool cover.
about 18 pocket diapers I made. Some of the PUL ones have lost their waterproof (yes, I've tried tumble-drying them on high -- didn't help) and are girly, but at least a dozen should be good for the next one, boy or girl. Some of these also work with the small prefolds and some with half a flat diaper folded a million times.

What I'm buying or making:
some NB and small wool and/or polarfleece covers
12-24 NB fitteds, possibly KL0s, possibly made of old t-shirts if I can find good ones for free.
small/medium fitteds?
small diaper belts

I don't plan on buying or making any of this until we are in our own house, which won't be until June at the earliest, so I have more than enough time to browse and look for materials. Unless I splurge on the kissaluvs, I should be able to get all that for less than $100.

[tribord]

I just got a pair of Lil Joeys from Kanga Care with a really cute print. They are adorable.... we'll see how they work...

[Illiana]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

I just use All Free & Clear.

Sometimes Purex Free & Clear if it's on sale.

I thought I read somewhere that all free and clear was a no no? That's what i use for all my laundry and was stressing out what to use once i have nappies to wash as well.

[Illiana]

Originally Posted by triscuitsmom

You're right, dry is the way to go.

I did a quick scan through and I didn't see anyone on this thread mentioning wet pails though. Wet bags are just a waterproof liner for whatever you put your diapers in. I use a wet bag in a garbage can, throw the diapers into the wet bag (which has nothing in it except dirty diapers, no water or solution of any kind) and then on wash day dump the wet bag full of diapers into the washer and throw the wet bag in too. That way the garbage can stays cleaner and there is less smell because the wet bag gets washed regularily

That's what works for us at least.

Ok that makes sense.. Thanks! never heard of the wet BAGS lol... i have alot to learn from you ladies.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by Illiana

I thought I read somewhere that all free and clear was a no no? That's what i use for all my laundry and was stressing out what to use once i have nappies to wash as well.

It's not the absolute best, but it's the cheapest. I've been using it for nearly a year with no problems.


Here, I found this again... lists just about all detergents and rates them:

http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

[Parker'smommy]

I have been such a swiss brain momma that I totally forgot about diapers until I saw this thread. Oh man...I've got to get dh to go in the attic and dig out my stash. I cloth diapered both of my kids and I really enjoyed it. From what I remember...it's a pretty simple stash....

LOTS of chinese prefolds....mostly unbleached but I had some fun dyed ones and even a half dozen tie dyed ones.
LOTS of Fuzzi Bunz. These were my nighttime diapers for the most part.
A dozen or so aios for the diaper bag and to show off...lol....
Some Sugar peas fitteds and some SOS' too.
Lots of Bummis diaper covers
Some Sugar Peas fleece covers
3 or so hand knitted wool covers

Some of my FB's were on their way out at the end after being through 2 kids so I think I'm going to have to concentrate my stash buying for 15 months + sized diapers.

man....I better get my man to get my diapers down.....I'm starting to think..." what can i buy??" hee hee....

[McMandy]

I use All free & clear and don't normally have trouble. However, I do rotate detergents (I'll use All for one wash and SUN detergent for the next.)

I simply don't have the funds to purchase any special soaps, especially right now, and this seems to work well for us (and we haven't had an issue with smells or anything).

Also, I keep my diapers in a mesh bag- I use pocket diapers, and because my toddler usually only goes through 4-5 a day, I just put the whole diaper in the mesh bag (which is normally used for delicates- like bras and such), and before I wash, I pull the soakers out and put everything in the wash together.

When this baby comes along, I'll have to change my tactics, because, right now, I can wash every couple days since I have plenty, but I'm sure this little one will go through every diaper I have, so I'll have to wash daily if I'm going to put the whole diaper in. (Someone gave me pocket diapers for my newborn too.)

I'd really like to just get this snap-in diapers- I LOVE Gro Baby diapers. They are great one-size diapers with snap-in liners that make it easier to change diapers and reuse the cover (without having to stuff a pocket time after time!).

With three other children, I simply don't have the time to deal with the delicacies of wool- and he really likes the Gro Baby diapers (and doesn't mind handling the pocket dipes either)... so I definitely want to go with something he knows he can handle and likes, since he'll be changing his fair share of diapers too.

[bethanta]

I bought my first diaper covers today!

I got 3 small Imse Vimse organic covers FSOT great deals!

I'm thinking now that I might just get a MT one size cover or 2 and call it good for the small sizes.

So far I haven't seen any good deals on newborn size covers that I like, so I'm waiting for now.

As for diapers, I'm thinking of starting out with a dozen newborn GMD prefolds and a dozen flats. Once I decide which I like better I'll get a dozen more of those.

I'm hoping by saving some money I can buy a couple wool covers that I like, but they are just so expensive!

[LovnMyBoys]

I just got 13 KL0s that were washed but never used and she threw in a bunch of perfect looking covers for free. I've ordered 4 Mutts and a beautiful pair of newborn longies. I'm still looking too. Need to hold back!

[L J]

I got my first diaper purchase for this baby in the mail this week! I got an amazing deal on 13 xs Thirsties covers, and she threw in some extras, too, which was super sweet.

I also won a FFS lottery on HC for a beautiful newborn fitted. Its so cute, I just keep it out and pet it.

DP just died laughing yesterday when he saw the huge envelope of covers in the mail. He sees a pocket occasionally go through the wash here for my not-quite-completely-PL'd-toddler but he's not crazy about the idea. He said he would be happy to use cloth, but if he had to change a poopy one he was throwing the entire diaper away. I guess I better stick to mostly prefolds.

I tried all the one size pockets out there when my ds was about a year old, and BGs were the only ones I liked. I think I'm going to buy a new stash of those for this baby, but I won't use them until she outgrows the newborn size because I hate the bulk.

I still have a few pair of knit nb longies left over from ds, but if its a girl I want to buy something girly. The small Loveybums wool wraps were hands down my favorite cover with Henry, and I am pretty sure I still have two of those left, too. I loved those because I could throw them in the washing machine (not dryer) and they came so clean. I'm going to be looking for deals on those.

I'm planning to buy 36 GMD orange edge prefolds - I already have 2dz Thirsties infant and premium size, and 1dz GMD red edges. I was a prefold hoarder. I am pretty sure I have a couple dz preemie PFs laying around somewhere, and I love those for doublers.

I really would like to have a dozen or so nb sized pockets for outings, I loved the old style xs FBs with Henry, but I just don't know yet if I want to spend the money. We'll see...

I'm trying to hold off another 3 weeks until I can go have an ultrasound and find out the gender before I buy anything else, but I am thinking I may just place my GMD prefold order today. I want some fluffy mail!