Cloth Diapering- What I've Learned

Jess at Here Comes The Sun did a great cloth diapering post and it reminded me that it's something that I haven't talked a lot about here. The basics on why I cloth diaper is because it's so great for C.orben and it saves A LOT of money (which my husband is very excited about). It's also so nice not having to constantly run out to the store for diapers. I HATE doing this with formula (an update on my breastfeeding journey another day). Anyways, I'll explain what products we use and what I've learned along the way. Before I plunged head first into cloth diapering, researching and trying to figure out what to do, seemed very confusing and overwhelming to me. Fitted, trifold, pocket diapers? Huh? What?! So, for those of you who may have an interest in cloth diapering, but it seems too complicated I promise you it really is very simple and in my opinion no more of a hassle then using disposables. *Disclaimer: I understand that cloth diapers aren't for everyone and I in no way look down on those who don't. I'm just posting about why I use them and why I like them.*

Our main stash has always been bumGenius 3.0 and 4.0 diapers with velcro closure, 1 fuzzibunz snap diaper (from my SIL's stash), and now we just added in some Kawaii Baby diapers with velcro closure (more on that below). All of my diapers are one size because it's convenient and I don't have to worry about spending money on different sizes. This type of diaper has snaps to alter the size to fit all babies until potty training. I've had no problems with this at all. I chose bumGenius because of their good reviews. I started with just 6 diapers to make sure that I liked them first. Washing diapers every day SUCKED, but I wanted to make sure that they were what we wanted. Some people will order many different types of diapers so that they have enough to use and time to figure out what they want, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to sell what I didn't like.

My review:

bumGenius 3.0- Great diaper, great fit, BUT the velcro does not hold up well. Luckily bumGenius upgraded to... bumGenius 4.0- MUCH better. The velcro is really holding up great.

Fuzzibunz snap closure- I like that this diaper is a little less bulky than the bumGenius, but snap closure is just not for us. I'm not able to get as good of a fit as I do with velcro, which causes us to have leaks every time and with him being squirmy and impatient with diaper changes these days I don't want to hassle with snapping a diaper. 

Lessons we've learned: 

• Cloth diapers can get detergent build up which causes them to repel instead of absorb. This can cause leaks, rashes, and stinky diapers. The cure for this is very simple. Once a month I strip my diapers. This is done by doing a regular wash cycle, move the covers to the dryer, then wash the inserts with very hot water, 1 tbs of original dawn dishwashing soap, and 1/4 cup bleach. Then you do a rinse cycle, and repeat, repeat, repeat until you don't see anymore suds in the washer while rinsing. It usually takes me about 4 rinse cycles. Some people omit the bleach, but for now this is what works best for me.

• I don't like microfiber inserts, which come standard with my diapers. They stink at times and C.orben can be a heavy wetter and they're absorbancy isn't up to our needs. However, microfiber is good because it wicks moisture away from his skin very quickly.

• I had been using All Free & Clear detergent or Ecos Free & Clear Detergent, but with our washer and our diapers we switched to using bumGenius diaper detergent and I've been much happier with that in regards to the above issues. It isn't expensive either. We got our box for $11 and it is good for ~66 loads. 

Changes we made- After doing some research I made the decision to switch to hemp inserts. They aren't as bulky as microfiber and their absorbency is much better. The only issue is they don't wick moisture away as quickly as microfiber. So, what we do during the day and when we're at home is a hemp insert and then on top of that we put a bumGenius stay dry liner. It's VERY thin (yay), but it wicks moisture away so freaking quickly! At night or when we're away from the house and he won't be getting changed as often I put him in a hemp insert with a microfiber insert on top of that. 

Also in my research for heavy wetters I read rave reviews on Kawaii Baby diapers. I have 2 right now and I LOVE them! I'm getting more today. The inside suede cloth is so soft. I'm going to insist that they make these diapers in my size when I'm old and in need, ha ha. This diaper also comes in microfleece, which I don't prefer as much and it doesn't have the insert stopper in the front or the clot cover in the back. They run slightly larger than bumGenius, but that's no problem. With the Kawaii Baby I just put the setting on medium instead of large. I prefer the fit around the waist on these diapers. I also love the velcro and have read that it holds up well. The best part about these diapers.... They are only $10! Booyah! I'll keep you updated on how we're doing with these.

What we have: 

Kawaii

bumGenius

• 14 bumGenius, 1 fuzzibunz, 10 Kawaii Baby (we will by tonight, yay). 
• Hemp inserts
• Microfiber inserts
• Stay dry liners 

Other products I love:

• Tea Tree oil: a few drops in the wash naturally removes odors
• Rockin' Green Shake It Up diaper pail deodorizer in Lavendar Mint Revival
• Planet Wise wet bags: I have a large one for my diaper pail and medium and small bags for my dirty diapers when we're out. The prints are gorgeous, they're leak proof, and the zippered bags keep the odor in.
• Bottoms-Up "Clean"  Lavender Chamomile Essential Oil Blend: I put a few drops of this in my wipes water and it smells so good
• Bottoms-Up wipes: These are great for urine. For poop I just use the cheapy gerber washcloths. They have a textured side that is great for gripping "stuff" and they're nice and large.
• Flip Disposable Inserts- These are great for times when you can't completely cloth diaper, but you don't want to use a disposable (on a plane for example). You lay them directly on top of your diaper shell, fold the excess material over, and throw them away when done.
• California Baby Diaper Area Wash- This is great for those times when you need a little extra help getting things wiped off. Nuff said.
• Diaper Sprayer- This isn't at all a necessary purchase, but it's nice to have.

The "Procedure": A question I get a lot is how does cloth diapering work and what do I do with the diapers when I'm out of the house or on vacation. When we're out of the house it's very simple... I keep pre-moistened wipes in a plastic wipes case that you can buy at any store, I change him as you would any baby, and then I put the soiled diaper in a small wet bag. When I get home I do my normal routine. As for vacation... so far I've been fortunate in that the only places I've gone is to families houses where I'm able to launder my diapers. We're about to go on a cruise and I'm hoping to be able to use my cloth shells, with the flip disposable inserts, but I'll have to think about that. Here's my set up at home:

Wipes: In a tupperware container I put about 2 inches of water, a few drops of the previously mentioned Bottoms-Up drops, and then put my wipes in the container. When I get ready to use a wipe I just squeeze out the excess water. I launder them with my diapers. Previously I had issues with the gerber wipes sticking to my diaper tabs, so I would wash them separately. Lately that hasn't been an issue and I've been fine washing them all together. If there is a lot of "stuff" on the wipes after use then I will rinse it out in the toilet bowl before putting it in my wet bag.

Diaper pail: This is just a regular gallon sized trash can with a lid. I put my large wet bag on the inside just like you would a trash bag. I then sprinkle in a little of the Rockin' Green diaper pail deodorizer. Smells are not an issue with this method.

Laundry: Cloth diapers, for hygiene reasons, must be washed every 2-3 days. If you want you can soak them in the washing machine first with hot water, but I don't do that. I first do a wash cycle on cold to get rid of any stains, etc., then I do a wash cycle on hot, and then 2 rinse cycles. Then I throw everything in the dryer. The hemp inserts do require an extra dry cycle. Then I stuff the inserts in the shells so that everything is ready to go and I don't have to worry about doing it at every diaper change. This is my least favorite part and the ONLY thing that I don't like about cloth diapering. They do make "all in one" diapers where the insert is sewn in and I thought about trying one of these, but the type I wanted came only is snaps and apparently they take a really long time to dry. I really do think that I'll buy one bumGenius organic all-in-one though just to give it a try because with only 2 snaps per side and with the stretchy tabs, it seems like it might not be too bad. I'll do a new review if I do try it.

The other question that I get frequently is "Isn't it gross dealing with the poopy diapers". Quite simply... nope. I'm not grossed out by that anyways, but my husband who isn't a poop fan, lol, hasn't had any problems dealing with the diapers. I wouldn't say it's his favorite activity, but the point is that he can do it. Also now that C.orben is eating a lot of solid food his bowel movements are firm and we can empty them into the toilet and not have to rinse his diaper off. Wonderful!

Out of all of my parenting decisions, cloth diapering is definitely the one that I feel the best about. Even when I was really frustrated with the smells and leaks, before I found out about detergent buildup and my dislike with microfiber, I still knew that it was something that I was passionate about and that I wanted to figure out. 

I hope that I wasn't too confusing and I would be happy to answer any questions that anyone may have. Any cloth diapering Momma's feel free to put in your input too!