Cloth Diapering.. Not your grandma's cloth!

I started Cloth diapering (which I will now be referring to as "CD'ing" for the remainder of this blog) when Caleb was 6 months old. I got the idea from a mothering forum I used to read. I went to a local store, Baby Bear, that sells cloth diapers.

There are a few different "systems" you can use... These are NOT your grandma's cloth that was stinky/messy/poky/uncomfortable... The changes that have been made over the years make cloth diapers the Bentley of pre-potty learning solutions. They are soft, CHEMICAL free (so very, very rarely will baby ever get a rash) and REUSABLE (they pay for themselves!), and if you're the type that worries about keeping the Earth "green," these save the Earth from tons of disposable diapers that take thousands of years to "biodegrade."

So, back the to the systems. There are:
Covers and Prefolds/Fitteds: Covers are made of a water proof material, often called PUL, and fasten with either snaps or aplix/touchtape (fancy velcro). Under the covers the baby wears either a fitted (absorbant diaper that has fastener attached and is 'fitted') or a prefold, which is a rectangular shape of absorbant materials (Indian or Chinese) that is fitted onto the baby using either pins or snappi's (I use snappi's).

Pockets: Pockets have a waterproof outerlayer with a wicking fabric (like fleece) attached with a slit on the back to allow you to "stuff" the pocket with as much or as little absorbancy as your child needs.

All-in-Ones: AIO's are just how they sound, all inclusively attached like a disposable diaper. The outer layer is water proof attached with the absorbancy materials and wicking fabric, all-in-one. The closure is either snaps or aplix/touchtape.

I, personally, use covers/prefolds. It's the cheapest route and has so many options to buy "cute" diapers! I also can use the covers more than once by switching out the prefolds, as long as the cover doesn't get wet. For 2 kids, I have 40 prefolds and 20 covers, which allows me to wash every 2-3 days.

Recently, I've also become addicted to Pocket Diapers for when we leave the house, they are SO reliable and absorbant!! But a bit more expensive.

Washing is much easier than people think. People used to use a diaper service that would come and pick up the diapers, wash them and bring a fresh stash... But with advancements in washers/dryers it can absolutely be done at home. Now, I know what you're thinking, where does the poop go? It goes in the toilet! As soon as I change a poopy diaper, I dump the poop in the toilet and throw the diaper in my diaper pail. My diaper pail is lined with a water proof bag, that I throw in with the wash so I never touch the dirty diapers. It's much less nauseating than you imagine, I promise. :)

Cloth diapers need to be washed in a specific manner to prolong the lifetime of the diapers and prevent stink/buildup/wicking.

I wash mine as follows:

First rinse cycle:
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
12 Drops Tea Tree Oil
1/4 Cup Vinegar

Second wash cycle with extra rinse:
1 Tbsp. Regular Tide
1/2 Scoop Oxy Clean

I never have had to strip my diapers of build up from soaps, and I've never had any issues with stink.


I don't use *only* cloth diapers, I used to when it was just Caleb in cloth, and I might again when Caleb potty trains and Lily is the only one in cloth, but I was just too overwhelmed with packing 2 diaper bags of cloth diapers and worrying about changing them when we're not home... So we use "sposies" at night and when we leave the house.

I HIGHLY recommend that anyone interested in saving some money or even buying them as emergency diapers in case you run out of disposables, check it out! I was the most skeptical of them ALL before I got hooked... and now I think my little babies' butts in fluffy/comfy cloth diapers in the sweetest thing ever! Also! These diapers and amazing for diaper rashes, as it is usually the chemicals designed to wick away moisture in disposables that causes the rashes. Caleb is very susceptible to rashes, except when he is CD'ed.