Cloth Diaper Extravaganza (part 2)

I've gotten lots of questions about cloth, so here are a few more "cloth factors" to consider.

The Icky Factor

So, the part of cloth diapers that everyone is afraid of is the whole washing thing. Specifically, the whole washing of the poop thing. Actually, this part doesn't really bother me. First, I don't mind doing laundry, except for the folding, and there is very little folding involved with diapers (even with prefolds, seriously, all you do is fold the thing in quarters). And the poop, well, it's just not all that bad to me. Sometimes I dunk and swish (you know, like your grandma did) and sometimes I use liners that make it easier to pull out. They sell diaper sprayers (like this one), which attach to the toilet and are cool, but I haven't found that I need one yet.

Washing Cloth

I wash every other day, which is mostly because that's the number of diapers and covers we have. I keep the diaper pail in laundry room to minimize smell elsewhere, and my "pail" consists of a laundry basket with a top, lined with a waterproof liner. I throw wet and dirty diapers in, and when it's time to wash, I throw everything in the wash, liner and all.

Here's my washing routine:

• Cold rinse and spin to remove debris and minimize staining
• Hot wash with 1/8 c of Tide (or any plain old detergent, no additives)
• Cold rinse and spin
• Hang to dry and finish up in dryer OR dry on high with clean, dry towel
• Fold and stuff
• Lay on changing tables (one on pack 'n play one in nursery) to put on Jack's cute behind

I've heard that eventually you need to strip diapers of the detergent/smell etc. and there are as many ways to do this as there are diapers. I haven't had to do this yet, but I'll update when I do!

Wipes

Sites that sell cloth diapers also sell cloth wipes. But we have a surplus of baby washcloths so I just use those. I have a little squirt bottle of water and give Jack's bum a little squirt, then use a washcloth. I throw the "wipe" in the diaper and it gets washed with the diapers. This is actually much more effective than disposable wipes and I rarely need more than one cloth wipe.

Diapering Out and About 

Cloth diapers out and about can be a challenge. My general policy is: I don't change Jack just to leave the house, whatever diaper he's in, he's in. I usually carry one clean cloth diaper in the diaper bag. If we're gone long enough to go through more than one diaper (which is rare) we use disposables. I have a couple of plastic sacks that I can put dirty or wet cloth diapers in to bring home, but I recently ordered  a wet bag, which is just a waterproof, machine washable bag. When we're out I use disposable wipes, which is just easier. You can throw them in the diaper, and they can go through the washer and dryer, then be thrown out.

Look soon for post #3, a review of my favorite diapers, what works in different situations, and folding and stuffing options. Feel free to comment with questions!