The Wash Routine

"You really wash them yourself? Isn't that gross?"

This is the one question I get asked when I tell folks that we cloth diaper. This answers is yes, and no. I do wash them myself and its really not that bad - baby poop is really not a big deal.

I wash diapers ever three days because I have quite a few of them and can afford to go that long, but I've read that you should really wash every two days. I can't wrap my head around all of that extra water usage, so I opt for every three. No one appears to be suffering from it. My diapers are in great shape and MM doesn't seem to notice.

I collect the diapers in Diaper Dekkor with a cloth diaper insert (which is great at containing smell, but I do wish is held more diapers). I also keep a large wet bag in my basement bathroom, which houses the a diaper sprayer - about which I will save for another post.

On wash day the routine goes something like this:

Wet, soiled diapers (with the solid stuff sprayed or tossed off) go in to the washer for a cold rinse

Next, we do a hot wash with a natural laundry detergent and a 1/2 c. of baking soda. I also really love Bac-Out in the wash, but its a lot pricer than baking soda.

Finally...we do yet another rinse with warm water to make sure the diapers are clear of any detergent residue. After which they go into the dryer.

For all of this rinses and washes, I set the washer on "full load" to ensure I have enough water to rinse and wash the diapers well. I also never use bleach or detergents with dyes or fragrances, all of which could irritate MM's  little bottom and are overall not awesome for human health.

What about your wash day? What's the routine?

Cloth...Baby Wipes?

Yes, cloth wipes. What else are you going to use with cloth diapers? Cloth wipes really are a must when cloth diapering. Trying to figure out what to do with poopy disposable wipes when changing a cloth diaper is not fun or practical. With cloth wipes, the diaper and the wipes go together, as they should, into the wet bag or pail. Plus, baby gets super clean and fresh after every change.

So how does one use cloth baby wipes? Easy. Here's my (so far, winning) strategy:

Step 1: Make cloth wipe solution

In a large mason jar I combine 10(ish) drops of tea tree oil, 6 drops of lavender oil, 1 tbs sweet almond oil (or EV coconut oil, or EVOO, really any pure oil will do), and 1 tbs Dr. Bronner's baby Castile soap. Swish. Now fill the jar with very warm water. Put a lid on it. Swish again. That's all folks. 

Step 2: Fill wipe warmer with cloth wipes and pour on solution (for home)

I like to roll them and then pour on just enough solution to moisten them all. Then be kind to your baby and turn the warmer on ;-). Baby washcloths work well for this, I also know folks who have cut up flannel receiving blankets into squares. However, I love the Grovia and Bumpkins brand cloth wipes. Grovia wipes are thick and fluffy. But the Bumpkins are space-efficient and particularly good for on the go, which leads me to...

Step 3: Fill a little spray bottle with wipe solution and toss it in the diaper bag (for away)

A spray bottle of wipe solution + a handful of dry cloth wipes = easy on-the-go cloth wipin'

Cloth Diapering - The First 3 Months

*This is a recycled post from several months ago. Our routine has changed a lot in the last few months, as newborn cloth diapering is really its own animal, but I wanted to make sure to include all of the stages in our cloth diapering journey.

Baby MM is three months-old now and with the tons of time I have (I kid), I thought I'd write a little about our cloth diaper journey to-date.

My observation has been that one's reason for approaching cloth diapering will dictate a lot of the diaper choices you make. For example, if you're going the way of cloth to save money, prefolds are the way to go. If you're concerned about the environment and don't mind dropping a pretty penny on a diapering system, all-in ones or pocket diapers might be it. And then there is where most folks likely fall, a hybrid system that could include a little bit of everything.

I approached cloth diapering with the intent of finding both a more eco-friendly and cost-efficient mode of diapering. So far we've tried prefolds and fitteds with covers, an all-in one, and a couple of pocket diapers.

My prefolds and fitted "workhorse" diapers are from Green Mountain Diapers and I love them. I am able to customize the fit of the prefolds and like the ease of use of the fitteds, and we've had very few leaks with both - and even then, only on the cover and not on baby MM's clothing. As far as covers go, I have fallen in love with the Flip one-size cover. It's lightweight and not bulky, very easy to get on (even as a one-size cover), and is snug enough but not restrictive around the legs. The runner up cover is Grovia, which are a little thicker and more cumbersome, but better quality. We use fitteds and    prefolds 95% of the time.