Once you are using cloth diapers you really might as well use cloth wipes as well! Nothing quite like making your own diaper wipes so you know what exactly is going on your little baby’s bum! Once the wipe is used just roll it up with the dirty diaper and toss them together in your bin.
I recommend starting with a dozen BumGenius flannel wipes (less than $12). These wipes are sooo soft, and do up really well. You can also use baby washcloths but I find the flannel is much softer. I purchased a little airtight plastic container with a lid from Target for less than $5 which I make and store the wipes in.
My favorite concoction so far is 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon of Baby Wash (I’m currently using Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo), 1 tablespoon Baby Lotion (I’m currently using Aveeno Baby Fragrance Free Soothing Relief Moisture Cream) and 1 tablespoon Baby Oil (I like Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil). Mix the water with the three ingredients in the container and then put the wipes in to coat all equally. I do this by dropping each wipe in individually in order to ensure they are all coated with the oils/lotions equally. This amount of solution works well for about 18 wipes. I generally use the washcloths in my “to go” wipes container, and keep the BumGenius Wipes for my special stash at home. 18 wipes last 2-3 days. I’ve read that you don’t want to keep them much longer than that as they may get moldy.
An added benefit of this mixture is that you always have fresh and clean wipes to use when you are on the go or at home! I often use them for my older children when we are out and about to clean faces, strollers, hands, etc. You can also use them for a quick “wipes bath” on your baby just to clean his face, hands, feet, etc. The solution smells so good!
There are some great mixtures on this website: http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml
The first time I tried making my own wipes I only used water and Baby Wash. My baby actually did get a rash from this concoction. I realized after the fact that I used too much water and it was just too much moisture on my baby’s butt. I also did not use any cream or oil so I think it may have been a wee bit abrasive. Since using less water and adding the cream and oil I have had absolutely no problems!!
Note: Obviously homemade wipes would store well in a Pampers or Huggies Wipes container but as I was going through the effort of making homemade wipes I really didn’t want to advertise store-bought brands : )
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Laundry Day
Washing diapers is really so fun, and best of all, it’s easy to get great results! Many people keep their dirty diapers all together in one container until wash day, with no problem. However, I’m pretty organized by nature and like things clean and tidy. I like to keep my diaper supplies sorted in three separate buckets – 1 poo, 1 pee, and 1 for diaper covers and other accessories that are not very dirty but still need washed.
1st Wash: On laundry day (which for me begins about every other night) I take the poo diapers and throw them into the washer, making sure any Velcro tabs are attached to their wash tabs. I put about 2 Tablespoons of Planet 2X Ultra Detergent (available at most supermarkets) into the wash and run a cold cycle.
2nd Wash: Once that’s complete I throw the pee diapers in along with the cleaned poo diapers, along with 2 T of Planet 2X or Rockin Green and put through a Hot/Cold wash with an extra rinse. If I’m feeling lazy I also throw the third bucket consisting of the “not dirty but still need washed” items (usually consisting of just covers) in along with these to be washed.
When I have extra time and energy on my hands I wash the “not dirty but still need washed” items by hand in a bucket with 1-2 Tablespoons of Planet 2X then hang to dry. I also sometimes fill poo bucket with water just to cover, add a couple Tablespoons of Planet 2X and soak for about 30 minutes prior to washing. On occasion, I will also wash the pee diapers separately before putting them in with the cleaned poo diapers, but generally I don’t find this step necessary.
If I’m doing the wash at night, I just leave the final load of clean items sitting in washer until morning at which point I then hang on the clothes line outdoors to dry. If I’m in desperate need for the items or if I’m greeted with a rainy day then I toss all the items in the dryer. I do have a clothes line in my basement which I sometimes hang the covers on if it’s too rainy but I have also thrown them in the dryer and have had no problems with wear/tear. Prefolds actually like the dryer, so you never have to feel guilty about drying these by machine!
Diaper Pail Set-up
The dirty diaper set-up area is going to vary based upon the set-up of your home and your diaper wash procedures. Some people use covered waste cans, others use regular diaper pails, others hang Diaper Pail Bags from the door. I initially purchased a Gro Via Diaper Pail Liner bag but it is HUGE!!! As I do my diaper laundry every day or two, I really don’t need something so big. I have a basement that is virtually only used for laundry so I just store the dirty diapers there. If you don’t have a basement and live in a home where the dirty diapers will be kept on a “main floor” until laundry day then I can see that the bag would definitely come in handy!! If you tossed all your items into the bags then you could just tote the bags to the laundry machine on cleaning day. I find that it is easier just to toss the dirty diaper laundry in buckets as opposed to put them in the bag. I throw the poopy diapers in a pickle bucket. The just-peed-in diapers in another little bucket. And the just-needing-washed plain diaper covers (as long as they are not dirty or pee saturated) in the Diaper Pail bag. It would really be easier to just put the just-needing-washed covers in a little bucket too. But since I bought the Liner I figured I might as well use it : ) This method of sorting keeps my laundry separated and organized for laundry day! See my blog on Wash Techniques for more.
Word about Cloth While Caring for the Umbilical Stump
One lesson I learned with cloth is that I would not recommend starting cloth until the baby's belly button has fallen off. When I began the stump hadn't fallen off yet and the diaper covers would rub against it a wee bit as they didn't have the umbilical cord cut-out built in. So the cord all but fell off at a week and was hanging quite a bit. On day 8 I noticed the cord was only hanging by a hair-thread so I pulled on it and it did come off but it also started bleeding. After this it would start bleeding at random times throughout the day with just the teeniest disturbance. I finally took my baby to the doctor so they could treat it with silver nitrate. This made his belly button black for the next 3 weeks or so. Needless to say, I'd recommend you not cloth diaper until the stump is off, and I'd also recommend you NEVER pull a stump even if it's hanging on by just a thread-sized piece of skin. Let it fall off in nature's time.
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| You can see here how the Cover (Thirstie Cover size small pictured here) hits my baby's stump. |
NOTE: I have read posts by people who simply fold down the cloth in order that it doesn't irritate the stump. From my personal use I found this did not work. The baby is constantly being held and moved about with such frequency that the cover eventually would hit the stump unless I used extreme attention and care. I really was more interested in cuddling him than I was in making sure his diaper was always folded down just so. So just be aware of this. If you choose to go ahead and cloth before the stump falls off then go for it - just be careful!!!
How Early Should I Start with Cloth?
I started my baby on cloth at about 2 weeks because I was recovering from a c-section and had to take it easy for a bit. Some of my friends suggested waiting until the baby was 1 month in order to give me a chance to adjust, and give the pee/poo frequency a chance to slow down. I really don't see the reason to wait unless you are having trouble with adjusting, feeling overwhelmed and overly tired, and just need some time... I will say that my baby has been a good sleeper from day one so I was able to get a lot of sleep. I can see for mom's who aren't getting any sleep at night that disposables may be helpful at first, giving them just one more thing not to worry about. It’s true, disposables do not need changed as often. If you start early and find yourself getting overwhelmed give yourself a break from cloth for a week or two. After a quick break you may find you cannot wait to get back to cloth!! Just give it a try. Commit to a couple months, and most of all, have fun with it!! Like everything else in cloth diapering, there are no rules. Do what works for you! Be sure to read my blog on Cloth while Caring for the Umblical Stump.
Review of my Diaper Stash
My initial stash consisted of: 6 white Indian pre-folds newborns (orange), 12 white Indian pre-folds small (yellow), two Kissaluvs fitted diapers (size 0), four one-size regular covers (2 Blueberry snap one-size coveralls and 2 small Thirsties Duo Wrap Covers - one velcro and one snap), 4 hybrids (2 gDiapers with inserts, 2 flips), 2 small Bum Genius all in ones (AIOs), 3 Hemp Diaper Doublers, 4 Snappi Fasteners, and 12 BumGenius Flannel Wipes. I also purchased 1 Large Gro Via Diaper Pail Bag and 1 Small Gro Via Wet Bag to store dirty diapers in, and a small bottle of Bum Genius Odor Remover.
If I were to do it over again, I would not have bought the gDiapers. I love the feel of them, they are sooo soft on the outside, but my baby (now 2 months) soaks through and his pooh runs out into the waterproof cover about every time he wears them. Granted, the poo generally does not come onto his clothes, but still if I can use a regular cloth diaper and have no mess except for what is caught in the diaper itself, why deal with the extra mess the gDiapers bring! So for what I spent on them (about $30 for a set of 2 which included the 2 covers, 2 plastic inserts, and about 6 cloth inserts) they were an expensive addition which didn't work very well. The idea is great -- you can either use the cloth inserts or earth-friendly disposables -- but the disposables are expensive enough that while living on a budget I just haven't ever spent the money for them. I basically use these as my "last set" which I use as a last resort when all the other diapers are in the wash. I recently asked my husband what his least favorite diaper is, and he said "the ones that have all the pieces that you have to put together" (meaning the gDiaper set). It's a cover with snap in waterproof inner liner followed by the cloth gLiner. So just three componenets but yet cumbersome when you are trying to get a little guy covered before he decides to "aim and fire" before he is fully diapered again!
I must say I still love the idea of the gDiaper, and they are super cute! I admit, I’m proud to “show off” my little guy’s gDiaper by coupling it with just a t-shirt when we are at friends’ homes, because they are truly just so darned cute! My original draw to gDiapers was because I hated the feel of the regular covers and AIOs. However, I’ve sensed learned a valuable lesson – the feel of waterproof (PUL fabric) is worth getting used to! They don’t bother me a bit!
I only have the 2 Flip covers because they were part of a promotion. Had they not been part of the promotion I would have purchased another brand. They are a fine diaper but I could take them or leave them. They do look cute on my baby and I like the colors. But as I don’t use them for their hybrid use (I have only used them as a cloth cover) they are really just another cover. The Thirsties Duo Cover snap, though it is not the first cover I reach for, it is very nice. I have the “honeydew” color and it is a great color and a great diaper!! I have never had any leaks out of my Thirsties. However, truly two is plenty for just starting out. I received the “blackbird” Thirsties cover in Velcro as a gift. Although I love the feature of Velcro (fits babies great and so easy!) at 2 months my baby has just about grown out of it. You have to check out the designs on Thirsties – so cute!!
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Small "Blackbird" Thirstie Cover on 2 week old |
A friend had raved about the Blueberry diapers so I purchased two with snaps. They are also a cover I could take or leave. Nothing really that special about them. In retrospect, I really didn’t need six waterproof diaper covers to start. Four, definitely five, would have been sufficient.
I adore the appearance of the Kissaluv fitted diaper. A beautifully soft diaper with such a cute fit! However, the minute my baby pees the diaper is saturated and needs changed! I’ve noticed that this diaper above all others bothers my baby when wet. He will cry and cry with this diaper, yet is very tolerant of the other types. I would say this however – this diaper is great for pictures!! I took my son in at his one month pictures and used this diaper (without a cover) for a few of the pix. Looks adorable in the pix because it’s so soft and cuddly looking. Additionally, I’ve put this diaper on under my baby’s swimsuit. Upon removing the diaper I noticed the baby had pooped in this while in the water, but nothing came out. The poop stayed just as it should, in the diaper. To the contrary, I once had my baby in a pool wearing an Indian prefold from Green Mountain under his swimsuit and all of a sudden realized his poop was leaking out of the diaper into the pool!! I took him out immediately! So I’d definitely get at least one Kissaluv for pictures and swim diaper use : )
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| Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper on 1 month old |
I really liked my BumGenius v. 3.0 All in Ones (AIO) at first. They were the first diaper I reached for when we were going to church or out to eat, etc. They were tried and true just as the reviews said. They never leaked and were so easy to use. I initially purchased them for my husband to use, and really didn’t want to like them myself. But in the end I loved them for my little guy! I affectionately call the Bum Genius my “Church Diaper”! When going to church I would often put a Hemp Doubler inside. I could then quickly undo his diaper and pull out just the doubler when wet or dirty, and close up the diaper again without making a full change. The Hemp Doubler would soak up the majority of the wetness/all of the poo, and I was able to leave the AIO on him until the service was over. I’d just change the diaper right there in church on my lap with just a friendly smile to the person sitting next to me : ) Now at 2 months of age I’m finding that my BumGenius are soaking through. I put him in them at night a couple of nights in the row (note: I did not use a doubler) and after about 3 hours of wearing them he completely soaked through his diaper and pajamas! I’m thinking perhaps he’s just getting too big for them so have just placed an order for four BumGenius v. 4.0 in hopes that they can contain his pee!
I would not have bought the BumGenius Odor Remover. It’s not necessary. I only purchased it because I needed to spend $6 in order to get free shipping so I tagged it on. If you get in this situation, purchase some BumGenius Flannel Wipes instead! These are fabulous!! So soft and work great!
I also would not have bought the Diaper Pail Liner given the set-up of my home. I had planned to hang the bag on a door and toss the diapers in when dirty. But I have found that I prefer to keep the dirty's separated. And the bag is HUGE - not really made for a door. I do my wash in the basement so I just throw my dirty diapers into buckets going down the stairs – one for poohs, one for pees, and one for used covers that aren’t dirty but still need a wash. I then just carry the buckets to the bottom of the steps on laundry day. I can see how the Diaper Pail Liner would work great for people not having a separate basement area, and needing to carry their dirty’s a longer distance. So give this consideration and figure out what works best for you. A simple pickle bucket works for me. However I do have to clean the pickle bucket once in awhile whereas with the Diaper Pail Liner you just have to throw it in the wash. If you find an inexpensive one you may want to give it a try just to see whether or not it works for you. If you decide not to use it for diapering you’ll be able to find other uses for it in the long run! I will say that the GroVia bags by The Natural Baby Company are pretty colors at a comparatively low cost. For the value ($15.25), the best bags I’ve seen. www.thenaturalbabyco.com/product-list.php?cID=169
I do like the GroVia Wet Bag. At $6.75 it was a good investment! The last thing I would potentially change, is to have gotten another Velcro cover as opposed to so many snaps. The Velcro’s work so easily on the little babes and are very nice to use in the middle of the night. Some people complain that the velcros get stuck together in the wash but personally I’ve had no problems with this whatsoever. As long as you remember to close the Velcro covers before washing then you shouldn’t’ have any problems.
I am glad I only purchased six of the newborn prefolds. As my baby was 8 lbs. 10 oz. at birth they were pretty small for him and he has grown out of them at this point. I sometimes fold them and use as inserts if all my other diapers are on the line. They did serve a need though as initially the smalls (yellow) were just a tad too big. So keep this in mind when trying to figure out size. If you generally have smaller babies then you may want to consider a few more.
All in all, my initial purchase of diaper stash was a good investment – we got through the baby’s first couple of month’s without too much cost or hassle. I was able to try out a variety of items and found what my favorites were and what I won’t buy again.
How many do I need to Start-Out?
I started cloth diapering at two weeks. For starters, I bought 6 white Indian pre-folds newborns (orange) and 12 white Indian pre-folds small (yellow) from Green Mountain Diapers. There is a great "how-to" for prefolds on their website at http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ They also offer information on sizing which is very helpful. As I didn't know what size my baby would be upon birth I bought a few newborns and smalls. My baby was 8 lbs. 10 oz. The newborns were the best fit for the first month but we quickly grew into the Smalls. I'm happy with the number of each I bought. The turn around time between which I placed my order and received it was amazing! Green Mountain is really fast!! So if you aren't planning on diapering for the first couple of weeks, you could realistically wait until after the baby is born and then place your order depending on the size you need!
I purchased two Kissaluvs fitted diapers (size 0), four one-size regular covers (2 Blueberry snap one-size coveralls and 2 small Thirsties Duo Wrap Covers - one velcro and one snap), 4 hybrids (2 g-Diapers with inserts, 2 flips), 2 small Bum Genius all in ones (AIOs), 3 Hemp Diaper Doublers, 4 Snappi Fasteners, and 12 BumGenius Flannel Wipes. I also purchased 1 Large Natural Baby Company Diaper Pail Bag, 1 Natural Baby Company Medium Wet Bag to store dirty diapers in, and a small bottle of Bum Genius Odor Remover.
I bought most of my covers and Bum Genius from http://www.kellyscloset.com/ If you get on her mailing list and watch her Facebook page she has awesome sales every day! The only downside is that you have to spend $49 to qualify for free shipping. You'll quickly find this isn't difficult to do on cloth diapering as they are sooo adorable, and there are so many things you'll want to try! But just something to consider if you're on a budget. Kelly's CLoset does offer a Diaper Dollar Reward Program where your purchases add up to free diapers for you! Definitely a huge incentive for buying all your stash from her.
I also purchased several items from www.momsmilkboutique.com/ Her prices are almost identical to Kelly's Closet but she has Free Shipping!
With that amount of supplies I was able to only do diaper laundry about every other day with no problems. Now at two months of age, my son is to big to use the newborn prefolds so I'm stretching it to go 2 days for laundry. I really need to do wash once a day in order to keep my stash flowing. It's time to buy another dozen prefolds and a few AIOs!!
At two months my son is beginning to grow out of his Thirsties Covers as well as his small g-Diapers. Although a couple of small covers make for the best fit in the early days, if you are diapering on a budget I'd recommend most of your initial purchase be One Size Covers as they will last the duration of your baby's diapering life. Although more expensive, the AIOs are fabulous for easy changes and take up very little space in the diaper bag. So I also definitely recommend a few of these. The prefolds are the most labor intensive (but really how hard is it to fold a diaper and add a snappi then put a cover on!!) but they are definitely easiest on a budget! At just over $2 per prefold the price cannot be beat!
For my initial stash, I spent about $200. In doing a cost comparison I figured out the amount of money I spent up front purchasing my Cloth Diaper stash would pay for itself in about 3 months in what I would have spent on disposables. As many of these items will last until my son is potty trained, I think that's a pretty reasonable deal!
Be sure to read my Review on Diaper Brands/Styles before purchasing your own stash!!
I purchased two Kissaluvs fitted diapers (size 0), four one-size regular covers (2 Blueberry snap one-size coveralls and 2 small Thirsties Duo Wrap Covers - one velcro and one snap), 4 hybrids (2 g-Diapers with inserts, 2 flips), 2 small Bum Genius all in ones (AIOs), 3 Hemp Diaper Doublers, 4 Snappi Fasteners, and 12 BumGenius Flannel Wipes. I also purchased 1 Large Natural Baby Company Diaper Pail Bag, 1 Natural Baby Company Medium Wet Bag to store dirty diapers in, and a small bottle of Bum Genius Odor Remover.
I bought most of my covers and Bum Genius from http://www.kellyscloset.com/ If you get on her mailing list and watch her Facebook page she has awesome sales every day! The only downside is that you have to spend $49 to qualify for free shipping. You'll quickly find this isn't difficult to do on cloth diapering as they are sooo adorable, and there are so many things you'll want to try! But just something to consider if you're on a budget. Kelly's CLoset does offer a Diaper Dollar Reward Program where your purchases add up to free diapers for you! Definitely a huge incentive for buying all your stash from her.
I also purchased several items from www.momsmilkboutique.com/ Her prices are almost identical to Kelly's Closet but she has Free Shipping!
With that amount of supplies I was able to only do diaper laundry about every other day with no problems. Now at two months of age, my son is to big to use the newborn prefolds so I'm stretching it to go 2 days for laundry. I really need to do wash once a day in order to keep my stash flowing. It's time to buy another dozen prefolds and a few AIOs!!
At two months my son is beginning to grow out of his Thirsties Covers as well as his small g-Diapers. Although a couple of small covers make for the best fit in the early days, if you are diapering on a budget I'd recommend most of your initial purchase be One Size Covers as they will last the duration of your baby's diapering life. Although more expensive, the AIOs are fabulous for easy changes and take up very little space in the diaper bag. So I also definitely recommend a few of these. The prefolds are the most labor intensive (but really how hard is it to fold a diaper and add a snappi then put a cover on!!) but they are definitely easiest on a budget! At just over $2 per prefold the price cannot be beat!
For my initial stash, I spent about $200. In doing a cost comparison I figured out the amount of money I spent up front purchasing my Cloth Diaper stash would pay for itself in about 3 months in what I would have spent on disposables. As many of these items will last until my son is potty trained, I think that's a pretty reasonable deal!
Be sure to read my Review on Diaper Brands/Styles before purchasing your own stash!!
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