initial thoughts on cloth

[lavatea]

I'm new to cloth, and I wanted to share my initial thoughts/concerns so you BTDT mamas could chime in.

I'm starting out slowly adding to my stash and just rotating in with sposies until I have enough CDs to cloth full time (we'll never be completely sposie free, I'm afraid, b/c others will be watching DS some and my family especially seems resistant to any "alternative" parenting choice I make). My main reason for CD is $$ (so wish I had switched when I looked into it with DS1, who is, sadly, still in pull-ups at 4yo), if that makes a difference to anyone.

My first two CDs came in the mail Wednesday. I've used both twice now. They are Blueberry OS snap minky pockets. They were bought NWOT from another mama. She did not have the inserts, but gave me two new BG inserts.

My first impression is that these are very bulky on DS. I haven't tried putting clothes on over the diapers, but I'm having a very hard time imagining any of his onesies fitting over them.

They are both already stained by his poo, too. I did the cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse routine, but the EBF poo still shows plain as day. (I have a HE washer.) I've not had much luck sunning clothes/blankets in the past (maybe I'm doing it wrong??) so I haven't tried it on the diapers. Wouldn't that take the diapers out of rotation for quite a while, too? If they take an hour to dry in the dryer, I can imagine they would take all day sitting on the balcony. Plus, if you have to sun the diapers every time you wash them in order to keep the stains out...well, that seems like a big headache and would cause you to need a much bigger stash. Or do most people just sun them when the stains get really bad or when they go to sell them? Will they come out down the line if I keep using them with the stains now?

Last thing is that the washing instructions for the BB vs. the BG inserts are different. Do you sort your diapers by how the tag says to wash them? The BB say wash warm while the BG say hot. Both say to dry on warm so I 'm using the permanent press setting. The BB say no vinegar, which I did use on the first wash before I noticed they said that. Is it common for the diapers to say no vinegar? I thought many CD mamas added vinegar.

Thoughts?

[mambera]

Originally Posted by lavatea 

My first two CDs came in the mail Wednesday. I've used both twice now. They are Blueberry OS snap minky pockets. They were bought NWOT from another mama. She did not have the inserts, but gave me two new BG inserts.
My first impression is that these are very bulky on DS. I haven't tried putting clothes on over the diapers, but I'm having a very hard time imagining any of his onesies fitting over them.

Yes, OS diapers especially are often bulky.  If bulk is an issue for you I would either go with sized dipes, or OS that use the drawstring mechanism (Rocky Mountain Diaper, Fuzzibunz, Softbums) rather than a snap-down rise.  Even the trimmest CDs are bulky compared to disposables though.

They are both already stained by his poo, too. I did the cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse routine, but the EBF poo still shows plain as day. (I have a HE washer.) I've not had much luck sunning clothes/blankets in the past (maybe I'm doing it wrong??) so I haven't tried it on the diapers. Wouldn't that take the diapers out of rotation for quite a while, too? If they take an hour to dry in the dryer, I can imagine they would take all day sitting on the balcony. Plus, if you have to sun the diapers every time you wash them in order to keep the stains out...well, that seems like a big headache and would cause you to need a much bigger stash. Or do most people just sun them when the stains get really bad or when they go to sell them? Will they come out down the line if I keep using them with the stains now?

I do sun my diapers but don't dry them that way as they get stiff.  I actually sort out the stained ones, sun a day or two, then throw them back in the last rinse with the next load of diapers and machine dry.  It is kind of a headache and it does take some dipes out of rotation.  I use prefolds, 24 of them are plenty even with sunning.  Old stains will still sun out but it takes longer than with fresh.  It might take a loooong time if you never sun them until you want to sell.

Are you sunning them wet or dry?  Drying sets the stain more, sunning is most effective right after washing and if you want to sun an old stain you should wash the item again first. 

Last thing is that the washing instructions for the BB vs. the BG inserts are different. Do you sort your diapers by how the tag says to wash them? The BB say wash warm while the BG say hot. Both say to dry on warm so I 'm using the permanent press setting. The BB say no vinegar, which I did use on the first wash before I noticed they said that. Is it common for the diapers to say no vinegar? I thought many CD mamas added vinegar.
Thoughts?

I wash everything on hot, but I don't know anything about minky.

No vinegar on PUL though, and I guess not on minky either.  In general vinegar is not good for synthetics.  I think most people who use it are using it only on the insert or prefold, not on the cover of the diaper.  I used to put covers in the regular laundry and inserts separately; now I do them all together but if I wanted to use vinegar I would sort first.

After a lot of diaper experimentation with DD1, and a lot of laundry headaches as well, I'm now in the anti-synthetic camp.  I wish I'd just gone with prefolds in the first place, I would have saved a lot of time and money.  I didn't want the 'headache' of folding and snappi-ing but didn't realize the leaking/stripping/laundry sorting headache was going to be oh so much worse.

Edited by mambera - 2/11/12 at 1:34pm

[greenmm]

I agree with mambera that a lot of OS diapers are bulky esp. the Blueberry minky ones. I used to love them for night time tho & would use their combo inserts with them before DS started sleeping 8hrs+ & i had to move on to fitted & wool. Fuzzibunz are trimmer & also sized diapers & AIOs in general are trimmer than OS. If you are looking to save money though Med is the size to get because they aren't in the smalls long & a lot of babies are in med. till PLing. Bottombumpers are quite trim too.  Nothing will be as trim as a disposable but you learn to love the fluffy butt. lol.

As far as washing, I don't separate. I have an He machine & rarely have stains so i'm thinking it's either your detergent which i've switched before for that reason or/and you prob. need to add more water. I add a lot of water to my washer because that's the main problem with He machines & then you end up with stink issues or buildup, etc. During the summer I have dried them on the line & then finished the drying in the dryer with dryer balls otherwise they end up crunchy. Also you can put lemon juice on a stain when you go to sun it & it will work much faster :)

With the issues with your relatives, what if you got something really simple with velcro? Maybe they have totally different ideas of "modern" CDs as a lot of people do. I think they should be able to respect your decision to use cloth. I wish they still made them but the BG sized AIO make amazing babysitter diapers & they are trim.

Good luck!

[amautik]

Originally Posted by lavatea 

I'm new to cloth, and I wanted to share my initial thoughts/concerns so you BTDT mamas could chime in.
I'm starting out slowly adding to my stash and just rotating in with sposies until I have enough CDs to cloth full time (we'll never be completely sposie free, I'm afraid, b/c others will be watching DS some and my family especially seems resistant to any "alternative" parenting choice I make). My main reason for CD is $$ (so wish I had switched when I looked into it with DS1, who is, sadly, still in pull-ups at 4yo), if that makes a difference to anyone.
My first two CDs came in the mail Wednesday. I've used both twice now. They are Blueberry OS snap minky pockets. They were bought NWOT from another mama. She did not have the inserts, but gave me two new BG inserts.
My first impression is that these are very bulky on DS. I haven't tried putting clothes on over the diapers, but I'm having a very hard time imagining any of his onesies fitting over them.  That's just one of the things about cloth--yes, they are going to be bulkier.  DD is already a sizeable baby, so considering that and the diaper, she wears clothes a couple sizes up from her age.  I think a lot of companies make really slim-fitting children's clothing these days, or just make adult-proportioned clothing smaller, which emphasizes the bulkiness of cloth.  I find that companies that make clothes exclusively for babies/children are better-sized for a cloth-diapered bum.  I also love one-piece clothes on DD.
They are both already stained by his poo, too. I did the cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse routine, but the EBF poo still shows plain as day. (I have a HE washer.) I've not had much luck sunning clothes/blankets in the past (maybe I'm doing it wrong??) so I haven't tried it on the diapers. Wouldn't that take the diapers out of rotation for quite a while, too? If they take an hour to dry in the dryer, I can imagine they would take all day sitting on the balcony. Plus, if you have to sun the diapers every time you wash them in order to keep the stains out...well, that seems like a big headache and would cause you to need a much bigger stash. Or do most people just sun them when the stains get really bad or when they go to sell them? Will they come out down the line if I keep using them with the stains now?Try doing a warm pre-rinse instead of a cold one if possible.  I've heard it reduces staining.  Sunning has worked wonders for me.  I live at a pretty high latitude, so our winter sunshine isn't all that strong, and I managed to get a big stain nearly completely invisible just by having it in front of a window this week!  In the summer, I'm sure it would be gone.  And DD's eating solids too, so I would imagine that makes it harder.  I actually don't have a dryer, so everything gets line-dried at my house.  Covers don't require a super long time to dry, not even the Blueberry minky ones (I have a couple and love how soft they are!).  Especially considering you have an HE washer, they're only damp when they come out.  Try it and see.  Dry in the sunshine instead of in the dryer and see if that helps the stain come out.
Last thing is that the washing instructions for the BB vs. the BG inserts are different. Do you sort your diapers by how the tag says to wash them? The BB say wash warm while the BG say hot. Both say to dry on warm so I 'm using the permanent press setting. The BB say no vinegar, which I did use on the first wash before I noticed they said that. Is it common for the diapers to say no vinegar? I thought many CD mamas added vinegar.
Thoughts?  I don't sort my CD laundry.  Everything gets washed in the same load and gets the same treatment.  As for vinegar, if you have hard water, it can add to the buildup.  Don't worry about doing it though, it's not like you've ruined them or anything!

[cristeen]

The BB minky OS pockets are bulky.  They're also not my fave.  But regardless, if you're used to a sposie butt, any CD is going to seem bulky.  A lot of CD moms don't do onesies at all because of the bulk issue.  As far as other people and sposies - hand them a pocket, it's no more difficult to use than a sposie. 

I don't sun anymore (once we got to solids) because I never had any luck with it.  I just suck it up on the staining.  Since my DS is still wearing the same CDs at almost 2 1/2 (Med fitteds and OS pockets), and I'm pg again, I doubt these dipes are going to have any resale value left by the end. 

As for washing - the only sorting I do is washing poopie and wet dipes separately sometimes (I have more dipes than can fit in my machine at once).  Other than that I mix PFs with fitteds and pockets and cloth wipes.  I do use vinegar in every load, and have not had any problem with my PUL, and it's been over 18 mos for some of these dipes.