Homemade diapers & absorbance

[Halfasianmomma]

I've been lurking on this section of the board for a few days now when it hit me that I could make my own diapers for very little cost, thus giving me the opportunity to try different types on my baby and see which ones work best.

I was wondering though, for those of you who have made diapers AND bought them, if you feel that your homemade diapers are more absorbant than the store-bought ones...

Also, when we're talking about poopey messes, do you use a pooper-scraper (like a kitty little pooper-scooper) to get the mess off the diaper before sticking it in the laundry? TMI, I know, but I'm detail-oriented and this seems like an important thing...

[tulips117]

I just started making my own dipes...previously I had all WAHM ones. I still think that the WAHM ones are better than mine, but I tend to be critical of my own work. I don't think their absorbancy is any better, just nicer stitching and finishing.

For poops, I just dunk it in the toilet and give it a good swish to get most of the stuff out...then I wrap it in a towel and throw it the basket. I do laundry frequently and wash diapers every other day or every day sometimes. If I have a small load of dipes I wash them with towels. I know some cd'ing moms frown on this but so far I've not had any problems. I use all in ones or pockets and that makes my cd'ing much like disposables I think

Have fun...cloth diapering gets addictive!

[love2bmom]

I love my diapers. I like controlling what goes into them. I made my first diapers out of old sheets and towels. As for diapers I did not make - I have only used prefolds and Mother Ease diapers. I did not like the ME diapers. I like prefolds and still use them on occasion.
As far as poops and dunking - I don't dunk. Ever. I just can't - it makes me sick. So, when they're newborn I just put it all in the bucket and when they're older and the poo is more formed I gently shake the poop into the toilet and put the diaper into the bucket.
HTH. Ask all you want - there's lots of good info here. Have you checked the stickies at the top of this forum?

[butterflykisses4]

Tooting my own horn. LOL I think that mine are as good as the WAHM ones that I have boughten Sure my first 10 were horrible in stitching and desgins. But now that I know more of what I am doing and have gotten better at sewing and such mine are just as good. Just takes practice. Absorbancy and all theyare the same and I think that making you own you can add more or less soaker material. If your kids pees heavy you can add more and know that it will hold while if you buy them they are as is I mean you ca add more but then you are spending more. I dont now I think making them is better. And cheaper =)

I too wash mine out. If the poop falls off ( not runny) then i just dunk in toilet. If runny then in the utility tub by our washer I rinse then. =)

[Gremco]

I have some Kushies that I love. They are all in ones and the only thing DH will use. I also have some pockets I made out of t-shirts with double layered bath towel stuffers. I love these as well. Neither one leaks during the day, but will at night. She is a super soaker. I could stuff several more layers in the pocket, but I haven't gotten brave enough yet.

I don't dunk my dipers. Whatever falls in the toilet gets flushed, the rest is thrown in the diaper pail until they are washed. Its not that poop and toilets gross me out, its just that her poops are sticky and don't come off in the toilet, but comes out just fine in the wash.

[TrishWSU]

I think the ones I made DD are just as absorbent or more so (because I could pick what to put in them) than the commercially made ones I had. Like everyone else said, they just weren't as pretty at first.

The breast milk poops just got thrown start in the pail/washing machine. Once DD started eating solids I got a Mini-Shower. It washed the poop off and I didn't have to dunk.

[amberthesugarcat]

Homemade diapers can be better depending on what you make them with. I love fitted pockets since you can stuff as much as you want in them. You can check out my free pattern to make a cheap flannel pocket fitted diaper at http://www.handmadebyrita.blogspot.com/ . If you have an old flannel sheet and some elastic lying around you can whip up one of my RRPs in 30 minutes or less. Cheap and easy!

I never dunk. I let what drops off drop off in the toilet, everything else gets thrown in the washing machine. I found that if I add a bit of detergent or Dawn to my cold prewash, all poop gets dissolved. Then I run a warm or hot wash with normal levels of detergents and they come out clean.