Cloth Diapering 101

[mudder17]

Okay. The directions on the fleece material said to wash on cold, so I wasn't sure if the heat would destroy their wicking away the wetness from Kaya. As long as that doesn't get messed up, then I'll leave the fleece liners in the wash with the other dipes. Thanks for the heads up.

But what about the PUL AIO's or PUL Pocket Dipes? The manufacturer's directions say to wash on warm or cold and to dry on warm or low heat. How do I deal with the bacterial problem there?

TIA,


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya
born 22 February 2004

http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya

[daisymommy]

I'm not sure which type of covers or pockets you have, but PUL is a very sturdy medical grade material that is design to stand up to high heat. Both Happy Heiny and Fuzzi Bunz tags say to wash in hot. So, I was eveything I own (diapers, PUL & nylon covers, pockets, etc.) in all three wash cylces including the hot one. You could actually dry them all together in the dryer on high heat as well, but by line drying them they will last longer. But many manufacturers of PUL (including the Baby Blanket diapers) suggest that you at least dry them on high on your dryer once a month to "reseal" the waterproofing ability of the PUL.
Good Luck!

[daisymommy]

Cloth Wipes

When you’re using cloth diapers to cut down on costs, environmental waste, and chemicals next to your baby’s skin, wouldn’t it only make sense to use cloth wipes as well? They’re super soft, and are much more effective at cleaning up messes. I previously used 3 disposable wipes to clean up after a messy diaper, now I only use 1-2 cloth wipes. Simply toss into the diaper pail after each use, and launder with your diapers.

Fold your wipes in half, place a stack in a refillable plastic wipes container (or wipes warmer), and pour water over top. Or run them under hot water and squeeze out the excess. When using tap water, wipes need to be used within 1-2 days, or they will start smelling musty. But if you use distilled water, they will last for several days.

Or, if you prefer a special, all natural wipes recipe…

Wipes Recipe
2 cups distilled water
1 TB. Baby oil, or apricot oil
1 TB. Baby wash/soap

Optional Additions:
1-2 drops tea tree oil (a natural anti-fungal)
1-2 drops lavender oil
1 TB. 100% aloe vera gel

Mix all together in a sealed container. I like the 8oz. Rubbermaid plastic bottles. Just pour over a stack of cloth wipes in your reusable wipes container, or wipe warmer.

Pre-mixed Wipes Solutions
These are bottles of concentrated wipes solution that you can buy. Just add a TB. Of mix to water and Voila! Yummy smelling all natural wipes solution without the hassle. Both of these can be bought online from www.naturalbabies.com
Growing Greens Cleansing Greens wipes solution
Kissaluvs diaper wash
California Baby Diaper Area Wash (found at Whole Foods Market in Springfield, or online).

Note:
My favorite wipes are made from sherpa and velour. Terry and flannel are nice too, but they begin to look worn out sooner.

Places to Buy Cloth Wipes:
www.darlingdiapers.com
www.lucyshopechest.com
www.cosmicbaby.com

[mudder17]

Okay. I currently use lite raps and bummis and I have dried them on medium heat occasionally and it doesn't seem to hurt them any. I'm currently trying out a Wonderoos; the directions tell me NOT to use high heat during the trial period, or it's mine, whether I like it or not. :) So I'll follow the directions during the trial period and then if I decide to keep them, I'll use the hot wash with them.

Thanks Amy!

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya
born 22 February 2004

http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya

[joemama]

I have not seen this addressed here, so here's my 2 cents' worth. I make a wipes solution with distilled water, aloe vera gel, Burt's apricot oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. I put this solution into some 4 oz. spray bottles and keep one near my cloth wipes and one in the diaper bag. I never pour the mixture over my wipes...just spray directly on the dry wipe or baby's bottom. IMO, this is more cost-efficient since you use much less solution per wipe. An added bonus is that it is a lot easier to travel with...no prewetting of wipes required! (Maybe it's not a big deal for anyone else, but my mama brain functions a lot better with fewer things to remember before a trip! :) ) And my wipes and solution never get moldy or musty this way.

HTH
joemama...and ellie, too!

[starrynight]

BTW lavender and tto are both antibacterial so you really only need one if you want to simplify your solution :).

Right now I just wet one with warm water when home and use disposable wipes when out but am gonna try to experiment with solutions so I don't always have to run to the sink.

[babymama]

Don't know if anyone is still participating in this thread, but I have a few questions about CDing for the experts....

1) Can someone post general prices for CD supplies? I spend about $30-40/month on disposables. How do CDs compare? Any ongoing costs besides the cost of washing the diapers, upgrading to bigger sizes?

2) I know you can buy boatloads of cute CD gear to match outfits, but about how many of each (soakers, prefolds, fleece liners, etc...) do you need to start?

3) Can you recommend a website/book for "how to-s"?

4) Diaper pails - do you use a regular diaper pail like the Baby Trend Diaper Champ or is there a special diaper pail?

5) Do you CD up until your kiddo is potty trained? I imagine so, but just wanted to check.

Those are all of the questions that I can think of for now.

Thanks for your expertise! This thread has been really helpful to me!!!

Mama to Santiago, born 11/16/03

[daisymommy]

Q: Can someone post general prices for CD supplies? I spend
about $30-40/month on disposables. How do CDs compare? Any
ongoing costs besides the cost of washing the diapers,
upgrading to bigger sizes?

A:General costs of cloth diapers:
Prefolds- $1 each slightly more for bigger sizes for toddlers
Covers-$6 for Proraps or $4 from their outlet, $10-$13 for cuter printed PUL covers, $15 for fleece, $20 for wool.
Fitted Diapers- $10-$12 each
Fleece liners- Buy some fleece from a fabric store and cut your own. 1 yard (about $5) will make around 1.5-2 dozen liners.

Granted, it will cost more in the beginning to stock up on cloth diapers, in 2-3 months time they will have paid for themselves. Then you will be diapering for FREE! (not including detergent, water, electricity to wash them--but you get my point). And you can reuse these diapers on future children.

Q: I know you can buy boatloads of cute CD gear to match
outfits, but about how many of each (soakers, prefolds, fleece
liners, etc...) do you need to start?

A: I'll add a seperate post for that info since it will be long.

Q: Can you recommend a website/book for "how to-s"?

A: See my previous post that had website links. There are a few GREAT ones that tell you everything you would ever want to know about cloth diapering. There aren't really any good up to date books on the subject. There is one (forgot the name), but the web links are outdated, and it is very basic--wouldn't recomend it myself.

Q: Diaper pails - do you use a regular diaper pail like the
Baby Trend Diaper Champ or is there a special diaper pail?

A: Most regular diaper pails do not have a large enough opening for cloth diapers--they get stuck in the hole. Most of us use a Sterlite flip top trash can as our pail. The 28quart one holds 2 days worth of diapers, the 54 quart one holds up to 5 days worth. You can use trash bags as liners (there are even scented bags by GLAD), or get a reuseable liner by Bummis or Happy Tushies. A large bag fits the 28 quart, a X-large fits the 54 quart.

Q: Do you CD up until your kiddo is potty trained? I imagine
so, but just wanted to check.

A: Yes, you do! There are even cloth training pants that work just like Pull-Ups, but they are cloth and therefore reuseable!

Hope that helped!

[daisymommy]

Stocking Up…What Do I Need? I'll post general prices later when I have time...

Newborn – 4 Months (8-12 changes daily)
2-3 dozen infant 4x8x4 Chinese Prefolds
*Around 4 months you may need to move up to Regular size prefolds).
OR 2 dozen Kissaluv’s fitted diapers (or a mixture of prefolds and fitteds)
6 Diaper covers with leg gussets (newborn or small)
2-3 Snappi’s if using prefolds

5 Months – 12 Months (7-9 changes daily)
2 dozen Premium 4x8x4 Chinese Prefolds
OR approx. 20 fitted diapers
4-6 diaper covers (size medium usually)
2-3 Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers
2-3 BabyKicks Hemparoo prefolds (for use as night time inserts in Fuzzi Bunz)
2-3 Snappi’s if using prefolds

12 Months – 30 months (6-7 changes daily)
12-24 Premium 4x8x4 Chinese Prefolds
*Sometime around 2 yrs., your child may need to move up to Toddler size prefolds.
OR 12-18 fitted diapers
4-6 diaper covers (size Large)
2-3 Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers
2-3 BabyKicks Hemparoo prefolds (for use as night time inserts in Fuzzi Bunz)
2-3 Snappi’s if using prefolds

*You may also want some All-In-One or pocket diapers to supplement your collection at any age. They are especially great to pack in the diaper bag for when you’re on the go.

Other items, for every age:
2-3 dozen cloth wipes, or buy 2-3 packs of cheap baby washcloths from the store.
1-2 size Large Bummis nylon reusable totes to use as pail liners
*OR a Coleman/Ozark camping utility tote. Nylon, water proof, and only $4 from Walmart.
1 diaper pail. I recommend the Sterlight 28-quart flip top trash can from Target.
2 dozen-fleece liners—buy some fleece from the fabric store and cut them out yourself!

Trying it Out…
Many moms would like to try out cloth diapers before they commit to making the switch, and spending the money on a full blown diaper set-up. Most cloth diaper websites out there sell Sampler/Starter Packs that let you try out several kinds of diapers and covers. Or, buy:
1 dozen Chinese Prefolds, a Snappi closure device, 2-4 covers (get a mix to try), a fitted diaper
an All-In-One or pocket diaper, and 2 packs of baby washcloths (optional).

[babymama]

Amy -
Thanks so much! This is exactly the info I was looking for. I am going to look into the starter packs you mentioned.

Mama to Santiago, born 11/16/03