cloth diaper update

I've had several friends lately who want to get into cloth diapering. It can be SO overwhelming and complex, I decided to just write what works for US down so I can share it easily. I figured the best place to save it is here on the ol' blog for easy reference. Most of you will want to ignore this :)

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Here's the first post I wrote back when we first started CDing Crawford. Surprisingly, not too much has changed about our actual system. When he began eating solid foods (around 6mo), his poop became disgusting so we couldn't just drop the whole diaper in the pail. Now we spray them out into the toilet and keep a large zippered wet bag in the bathroom just for used-to-have-poo-on-them diapers. We found they stunk up the regular can if we added them in there, plus they are usually wet from spraying so it's best to not have to carry them too far.

However, LOTS has changed about our actual diapers. I started off buying mainstream diapers (BumGenius, Bumkins, Charlie Banana, Best Bottoms, etc.) from traditional sources  - UNTIL I learned about coops. Facebook is chalk full of these groups that do large bulk buys directly from the manufacturers in China, and you can get great deals on some of my favorite diapers (and accessories). I’ve since sold all my “name brand” stuff and replaced it with muuuuch cheaper (and better, in my opinion) diapers. You do have to wait longer to get your diapers, and you pay shipping and a handful of fees. Even still, the diapers are significantly cheaper than what you find in mainstream venues. Also, facebook has lots of groups for re-selling your used (or sometimes new) diapers. People will often over-buy from a coop and then resell. The benefit there is getting what you need much quicker than waiting for a large buy to run in a group. And, it's nice to know that you can try different things and resell whatever doesn't work for you.

Here is my list of what I would recommend/what works for us:

Cloth Diaper supplies:

·      Wet bags- 2-4. I prefer wet/dry bags that have 2 zippers so you can put your clean diapers in the front and dirty ones in the big pouch. http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Wise-Wet-Dry-Diaper/dp/B005WWI0DA/ref=pd_cp_ba_0 (~$20 from Amazon, ~$3 from a coop)

·      Rubbish sack/elastic diaper pail liner-2. (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Wise-Diaper-Pail-Liner/dp/B003XSEV2O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334242982&sr=8-3) (~$16 from Amazon, ~$4-5 from a coop)

·      Trashcan- It’s nice for us to have one that has the foot lever since my hands are usually full of a wiggly toddler.

·      Cloth-diaper safe detergent. This is a great chart showing you what is safe: https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm. I wanted to find ONE detergent to use for all of our laundry that I could buy somewhere I regularly visit, so we’ve been using Publix Free and Clear and it works great.

Optional:

·      Cloth wipes and spray- I use a solution of 2 c water + 2 T baby soap in a spray bottle

·      Toilet sprayer- We would consider this not optional, but I know some people don’t have one or don’t use it. I don’t know how. Crawford’s poop (since eating real food) has mostly been a peanut-buttery consistency.  Diaper sprayer is critical!

Geyer diaper preferences:

·      One-size pockets and covers/inserts, all with snaps

o   Alva 4.0/Double Gusset http://www.alvababy.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59 (more pics here: http://www.getbacktobasics.net/Alvababy-40.html) ($6.99 compared to a BumGenius 4.0 that is about $17.95)

·      Covers/inserts

o   Flips or knock offs like Happy Flutes/Pororos from a coop http://www.flipdiapers.com/flipcover.php (~$2.75 from a coop compared to a Flip that is $14.95)

o   Charcoal Bamboo Inserts  http://www.getbacktobasics.net/Charcoal-Bamboo-Insert.html (~$1.75 from a coop)

Now that I’m preparing to cloth diaper both boys simultaneously, I’ve really beefed up my stash. I have about 30 (I think) diapers. About half of mine are Alva 4.0s and half are Pororo/Flip covers (which can usually be used for several diaper changes each by changing out the insert at each change).  Starting off, especially if you’re not using cloth at night (we didn’t for a LONG time because he leaked out of everything and it wasn’t worth messing up good sleep), I think a stash of 18 or so is more than enough to get your feet wet. I recently helped a friend get 18 of my favorite diapers + inserts, 2 wet bags and 2 pail liners for $200 total. Considering that that could theoretically diaper her little boy all the way through to potty training, you can't beat that kind of deal!

If you have any questions, please let me know! I am NO expert, but I know what has worked for us for the past 18ish months.