Cloth Diapering a Toddler

Now at the age of 2 ½ I was hoping my youngest son would have potty learned by now. His older brother trained easily at 29 months old, so I was kind of hoping that he would as well. After diapering for over four years now, I’m anxious to leave the world of poopy diapers in the past, even if it means saying farewell to my cloth diapering days. We gave potty learning a shot a few months ago only to have it all go downhill after a great first day. Not wanting to push the subject only to frustrate us both, I decided to follow my son’s ques, and wait until he is ready to try again.  We are back to him using the toilet before bath time, but he still refuses to tell me that he needs to go during the day. This leads me to believe that my #1 New Years resolution is to help him potty learn before his 3rd birthday in March.

After being over 10 pounds at birth, Brendan continues to be a big boy. He’s been over 30lbs for over a year now and outgrew many of his one size diapers long ago. This lead to a difficult time finding CD’s that both fit him well and worked to my satisfaction. The only one size diapers that still fit well for us are the Blueberry Minky diapers that I’ve had in my stash for two years now. The rest of my stash is now made up of toddler size fitted diapers made by a WAHM for Piddle Poodles.  These diapers give me the rise my son needs, as well as the fit around the waist without digging into his skin. Of course, the larger fitted diapers also make it difficult to find covers that work over them. I’ve found the only commercially available cover that fits well are the large Thirsties covers. In addition, my son now wears a lot of wool and fleece pants since they work double duty as a cover and as pants. Of course this also gives me a great excuse to buy beautiful wool yarns to knit into longies for him!

Brendan has been in cloth ever since he was around 11 weeks old. It’s amazing to think that when we first began cding he was just beginning to fit in the smallest setting of his BumGenius 3.0’s, and now he literally is bursting at the seams in almost all CD’s.  Cloth diapering a toddler has proven itself as an adventure in itself, but at the cost of toddler size disposable diapers I see the financial savings each time I pass by the diaper isle at the store.

By Katrina W.

Cloth Diapering a Toddler

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Wonderful Wool

In recent months I finally jumped on board the wool wagon. For as long as I’ve been cloth diapering, I’ve heard mom after mom rave about using wool as a diaper cover. I was initially hesitant to give it a try due to the up front cost, as well as the additional care wool needs when it comes to wash day. I’ve always enjoyed seeing other cloth diapered kiddos sporting their cute wool longies, but never saw anything that was boyish enough to put on my little guy. I had fun looking at all the cute wool soakers and longies, but it wasn’t until this past January that I started to get a bit more serious about giving wool a try.

Now that my little man is reaching the size limit of many of his current diapers, he is wearing a lot of fitted diapers instead of pockets. He just turned two years old and is approx 32 pounds. Thank goodness he has a small waist, thus extending the lifetime wear of some of his diapers. Making the transition to fitted diapers brought with it the need for a few more diaper covers.

I already had a few large Thisties diaper covers left over from my oldest son’s diaper days, and have added a few Blueberrry Coveralls, both of which work great for us. I wasn’t finding as much success with night time diapering as in the past (a bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diaper stuffed with a SuperDo insert was my go to diaper for night time until he began to outgrow it and we began experiencing frequent leaks). I remembered many mom’s swear by wool for nighttime, so I decided to give it a shot.

Dreading the initial lanolizing, my first wool sat on my kitchen counter for a good two weeks before I dived in and lanolized it. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I originally thought. I simply stirred a pea sized amount of solid lanolin into a cup of hot water. I then added a small amount of wool wash to the mixture and stirred some more to emulsify it. Next, I added this mixture to a sink full of lukewarm water and stirred it in. I then added my wool and let it soak for 30 minutes. After the soak, I folded and pressed out the excess water before rolling it in a bath towel. I then let it air dry on a sweater dryer for about 24 hours. Because my wool was brand new and hadn’t been lanolized before, I repeated the process before using it the first time.

I was both excited and slightly nervous the first night I put Brendan in wool for the first time. However, I became a believer overnight when the following morning, Brendan woke up with dry pajamas and a dry bed. The fitted diaper was soaked, but the wool had contained the wetness wonderfully. I turned the wool soaker inside out and let the dampness air dry during the day and it was ready to go again at bedtime.

I’ve found I can typically go 2 weeks or so between washes unless we have a rare accident where the soaker gets soiled. When this happens, I simply wash the wool in a sink full of warm water and a bit of wool wash, followed by the same dry routine as I mentioned above. Yes, wool does require a bit more care, but for our family and our diapering needs, it’s well worth the effort. If you’ve been considering adding wool to you stash, I highly encourage you to give it a try.

By Katrina

Wonderful Wool

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Mission Organization: Version 2.0

For well over a year, I had the perfect organizational system for my cloth diapers. I used a kids storage bin that I bought at a local big box store that easily compartmentalized the diapers by type, accessories etc. I loved the way it looked sitting in the nursery, and it was easy to find what I needed at changing time.

All was working well with this system until earlier this week when we transitioned Brendan from his crib (which he recently learned to climb out of) into a toddler bed. Now that he had the freedom to easily crawl in and out of bed in the evening, it only took two nights to discover that he could now play in his room at bedtime before curling up to go to sleep. When I walked into his room to check on him before I headed to bed, I saw that he had completely emptied all of the bins, and there was a nice pile of fluff in the middle of the floor. (Thank goodness most of his stash was sitting in the laundry room after a day of fluff wash!)

Setting aside my personal convenience at diaper changing time, I moved the bin, along with all the diapers, into his closet where he was unable to get to them. I then began to brainstorm ideas for a new organizational system, finally deciding that it was time for another trip to the big box store to find a solution. I wanted something that I could attach to the wall above the dresser that I use as a changing table, but it also had to look nice. I don’t mind restocking the diapers each day, just as long as I can have a days worth of diapers within arms reach at changing time. This is what I came up with:

While I miss that old kids toy bin, I’m sure it will come in handy in the boys playroom doing what it was originally designed to do – hold toys.

By Katrina

Mission Organization: Version 2.0

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Rashes and Cloth Diapers

When I began cloth diapering I remember hearing that babies who are clothed diapered usually don’t experience as many diaper rashes as those who wear disposables. After reading this time and time again, I was disappointed when Brendan developed a diaper rash that I just couldn’t get rid of. Not having any luck with several diaper friendly rash creams, I had to resort to using disposables for a few days so that I could use cloth unfriendly, but rash inhibiting, Bourdeux Butt Paste without worrying about ruining my cloth diapers.

This all happened almost a year ago, so I wasn’t comfortable letting Brendan run around the house without a diaper at that point, so I alternated between using flat diapers without a diaper cover and disposable diapers at night while I treated his rash. However, it seemed every time the rash would go away and I would go back to my usual cloth routine, the rash would return! I tried everything I could think of – stripping the diapers, sunning them…you name it. In the end I switched detergents (from Charlie’s Soap, which I still use on clothing, to Rockin’ Green). Finally, after dealing with the rashes for a few months, they went away and stayed away.

Nowadays, the only time Brendan gets a rash is while he’s sick. Instead of reverting back to the disposables and zinc oxide rash creams, I discovered I am able to treat any rash with cloth diaper friendly Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Cream. This stuff works wonders and appears to work almost immediately when it comes to soothing the uncomfortable sting of a rash. In addition, I’ve noticed in most cases, by the time the next diaper change takes place the redness is gone and I have a happy little man again. I usually continue to use the Grandma El’s as a preventative measure until I am sure that Brendan is back to his normal, healthy self.

By Katrina

Rashes and Cloth Diapers

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Making Dirty Diaper Changes Easier

Perhaps the number one thing people say when you mention that you cloth diaper is, “What do you do with the poop?”

Good question; what do you do with the poop? If you’ve ever looked closely at the small print on the packaging of disposable diapers, you will find that they recommend that you dispose of the solid waste in the toilet. Does anyone you know actually do this? I can honestly say I only know one person who does. Most people are unaware of the fact that you are not supposed to dispose of human waste in your household garbage, but with the countless households that are unaware of this, it happens all the time without much thought. But getting back to the question about poop and cloth diapers, the answer is the same as disposable diapers - you dispose of it in the toilet.

It’s really not as gross as one might think, especially with the help of several cloth diapering accessories that I can’t live without: liners (both disposable and cloth) and my diaper sprayer.


Brendan, my two year old, has a slight lactose intolerance that not only gives him bright red cheeks after ingesting lactose, but also gives him stickier poop. Whereas, I do my best to limit the non lactose free dairy products from his diet, it is difficult to cut it out all together all the time. To help make his diaper changes easier, I have found that using liners solves our problems. I use both Bummis Bio Soft Disposable liners, as well as reusable Bummis Fleece Liners. The disposables are great for when we’re out and about or for when I know without a doubt he is going to poop. After the diaper change, I simply toss the poop and the liner in the toilet and let it sit until the next change. (We have a septic system and I want the liner to break down a bit before flushing it into the system.)

If the liner is just wet, I simply toss it in the garbage can. When I use the reusable fleece liners, I rinse off the poop with my diaper sprayer, just as I would a cloth diaper. I’m a real stickler for not putting a diaper in the pail with any poop on it, so I then follow up by rinsing the diaper off as well before putting it in the pail.


By Katrina!

Making Dirty Diaper Changes Easier

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Aplix vs. Snaps

In my cloth diaper experience, I have used many different diapers featuring both Aplix (aka Velcro or hook and loop) and snap closures. I know many people have a fondness for one or the other, but I have found success with both styles, depending on my needs at the time. When I began cloth diapering Brendan at 11 weeks, I used bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers exclusively. The Aplix closure was fast, easy and I could always get just the right fit.

Everything worked great for many months until I began having problems with the laundry tabs not sticking – thus the problem of a diaper train being pulled from the dryer. I now know that you can purchase replacement tabs directly from the manufacturer, but if you’re not a seamstress, and I am not, they aren’t easy to replace. Instead, I simply attached the tabs to the front of the diaper, and turned it inside out to wash – problem solved.

Other Aplix diapers that I have used did not have this problem, such as my Blueberry Minky diapers for example. The Aplix on these diapers is like glue and on some occasions I’ve actually had a tough time unhooking it at changing time. I believe these are the only Aplix diapers that I ever owned that my boys never were able to take off by themselves.

With the exception of the FuzziBunz Perfect Size pocket diapers that my oldest son wore at the end of his diapering days, I did not add snap closure diapers to Brendan’s stash until a little over a year ago. My first snapped diaper purchase was a bumGenius Organic All-in-One One Size diaper. I really liked the snap closure and no matter how he tried, Brendan could not get the diaper off. Sadly, this diaper didn’t work well for us for long due to Brendan being a heavy wetter and the diaper’s inability to stand up to his diapering needs. I can’t tell you how many times I wished bumGenius would make their pocket diaper with snap closures!

Today, most of my fluff stash is made up of snap closure diapers. I have even converted several of my bumGenius pocket diapers to have snaps. I wrote about this a while back in the Making an Old Diaper Like New post. Now that Brendan can easily remove most Aplix diapers, I have found snap closures works best of us these days. He can still remove several of his diaper covers, but as long as he can’t remove the diaper itself, I’m not too worried about it.

When it comes to deciding between Aplix and snaps for a diaper, it really is a personal decision that can change as diapering needs change. I’m glad that I have had both styles available to me, and both have been my favorite at one time or another in my cloth diapering days.

By Katrina

Aplix vs. Snaps

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Mommy’s Little Helper

Lately my oldest son, Ian, who will be 4 in April, has taken to helping me with the laundry. He likes to move the laundry from his washer (a cooler) to the dryer (a laundry basket) just like I do on laundry day…which just happens to be almost every day of the week in our house. Amazingly he even likes to help me put things away and actually does a pretty good job of it. Whereas it’s tougher for him to hang things up in the closet at his age, he’s just the right size to help me put away my fluff. He’s been watching me do this for almost two years now so he’s got the hang of it and even seems to understand my organization system.

Just last week I took my youngest son, Brendan, upstairs to change his diaper and took along a clean basket of fluff that I washed and stuffed the night before. I put the basket of clean diapers on a chair in Brendan’s room and proceeded to change his diaper. Ian then took it upon himself to help by putting the diapers away all by himself. He was half way through when he picked up a yellow FuzziBunz and recognized that it was on of his night time diapers. After he was finished putting away all of Brendan’s diapers, he then walked into his room to put away his diapers in a drawer with his pajamas. When did my little baby grow up to become such a big helper?

I often wonder if the boys will remember that I used cloth on them when they were babies. Will this lead them to support a cloth diaper routine someday when they are fathers? (I certainly hope so!) I really like to believe that cloth diapering will continue to grow in popularity and that one day it’s considered “the normal” way to diaper. When I look at how far cloth diapers have come in the past few years, I can’t begin to imagine what will come out in the next few years…makes me sad that we aren’t planning on any more babies that I can cloth diaper.

Mommy’s Little Helper

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Out On A Line

My favorite way to dry my cloth diapers is definitely hanging them outside in the sun. It’s the best of both worlds, the sun bleaches stains out, kills residual bacteria, and I save on electricity. Not to mention I love looking outside at a colorful line full of fluff – is there anything better?

Right now my family is living in a rental home while waiting for our old home out of state to sell. The yard is quite steep and there really isn’t a good place for me to easily set up my laundry line. With two little boys running around I don’t like the idea of having to leave them alone in the house while I hike up and down the basement stairs to reach the backyard and a laundry line.

Not long after we moved in I began wracking my brain for solution to the problem. I looked out the back door while sitting down for breakfast one morning and wondered if there was a way to rig up my umbrella style laundry line onto the small deck just off the breakfast nook. That very afternoon I pulled my laundry line out of the garage and hauled it out on the deck. Using some Velcro straps, I attached the pole to the wood railings on the deck and TA-DA, problem solved!

Of course, I should mention that there are woods behind the house and we don’t have any next door neighbors so no one will see my little rigged up laundry line…I wouldn’t dare try this if someone else could see it. I don’t want to be one of “those people” that people secretly talk about when you’re not around.

Now if I could only get the temperature to warm up and the sun to come out of hiding from behind the clouds so much. But alas, this is still better than those cold, snowy winters I left behind back in Wisconsin!

By Katrina W.

Out On A Line

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Feelin' the Goodmama Love!

After cloth diapering for over a year and a half, I finally broke down last month and bought my first Goodmama fitted diaper from Kelly’s Closet. I’d heard so many great things about Goodmama diapers, but just never wanted to spend “that much” money on a diaper. Seriously, my baby is just going to poop in it. I remember thinking that people where crazy for spending $60 - $80 or more on a single diaper if it meant buying a special limited edition print. I also recall hearing of the crazy “sell-out-in-seconds stockings” that would take place just to get one single diaper. As much as I loved my cloth diapers, I just wasn’t willing to go that far, and I know my pocket book wouldn’t have allowed me, even if I had wanted to. Besides, my husband would likely take away my credit cards if I spent that much on a single diaper!

Time has passed and all that craziness seems to have settled back down a bit, so when I saw the Goodmama diapers go on sale last month on Kelly’s Closet I just had to pick one up. When it arrived in the mail I was in love with my new diaper – the Primal Roar Goodmama fitted. I was surprised at how thick the diaper and inserts were, as well as how soft the organic bamboo velour was. I couldn’t wait to wash it and add it into my rotation. However, I purchased the diaper as a Christmas gift for my son Brendan, so it would have to wait a few weeks!

I was so in love with my new diaper that not a week later, I just had to add another one to my stash. Thankfully the Goodmama diapers were still on sale at Kelly’s Closet and I couldn’t pass up such a great deal. I ordered the “Get the Scoop” print figuring it was gender neutral enough for my little man, and it too found its way under the tree just in time for Christmas.
 
I’ve been using the Goodmama diapers for about two weeks now and absolutely love them. Brendan has been recovering from a round of Rotavirus so diaper changes have been less than fun in the past week if you know what I mean. Yesterday morning I went to change a stinky diaper and I was amazed that everything was contained inside the diaper. I have my doubts that any of our other diapers could have contained such a mess so well, and I rarely, if ever have leaks with any cloth diaper. I immediately rinsed off the diaper with my diaper sprayer and continued to wash my fluff that afternoon. The Goodmama came out looking like new…not a single stain! I was sure that I would have to take a few extra steps to clean up the light colored velour, but a normal wash routine using Rockin’ Green did the trick in just one wash. Simply amazing!
 
I can’t wait to get my hands on a few more Goodmama diapers as my cloth diaper budget allows. NOW I understand what the fuss is all about… Goodmama diapers rock!

Feelin' the Goodmama Love!

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Diaper vs. Dog

We spent a little more than a week in Orlando, FL with my family for the holidays. The last time we visited our family in Florida we stayed with my sister and I opted to cloth diaper at that time. Since we were staying with my sister again I decided to go ahead and pack up our diaper stash and continue with our cloth diaper routine. However, since our last visit my sister’s family has welcomed a new member to the household - a puppy. Jethro, the now 8 month old 55 pound family dog added quite a bit of entertainment during our stay.

Brendan woke up a little after 7am the morning after Christmas. His portable crib was set up downstairs in the office; when I opened the door I was overwhelmed with the smell of a very dirty diaper. I quickly changed him out of his pajamas and put on a clean diaper before heading upstairs to get him dressed (wouldn’t want that smell wafting through the house). I rolled up the diaper and put it in the downstairs bathroom where I had been rinsing out the diapers and storing my wet bag. Then I peaked into my nephew’s bedrooms to see him and my older son Ian sound asleep. I also noticed Jethro still fast asleep in his crate.... on the other side of a tall security gate.

You know where this is going, right? Not more than five minutes after I went upstairs to get Brendan dressed I hear my sister calling, “The dog has your diaper!” At first I thought that she meant that the dog had gotten into the stack of clean diapers I had outside the office door. I washed and folded a load the night before just after putting Brendan down for the night.

I quickly walked down the stairs to find the bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diaper laying in the middle of the tile floor outside of the bathroom… and it was NOT one of the freshly laundered ones! It was the dirty, yucky diaper I had just changed moments before. Completely disgusted by the thought of the dog “cleaning” the diaper, my sister banished Jethro to the back patio and gave him a breath freshening dog bone to gnaw on. I picked up the diaper, threw it in the wet bag and continued to mop the floor where the dog had dropped it.

After pondering how the event unfolded that morning - the only thing we could think of was my 6½ year old nephew must have woken up, let the dog out of his crate and then failed to lock the gate which typically keeps him confined to one side of the house. Too bad my nephew wasn’t old enough to clean up the mess... I don’t find mopping the floor at 7am a particularly exciting way to start the day!

Ultimately, however, I’m glad my diaper held up to the “doggy test” and we can now all sit back and laugh at the unforgettable morning.

Final Score: Diaper 1 Dog: 0

-By Katrina W.

Diaper vs. Dog

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Still Wrapping!**UPDATED**

UPDATE: We want to thank Katrina for her post about her personal experiences with baby wearing. We have received some comments that do not agree with this method of babywearing. We have decided to post these comments however The Cloth Diaper Whisper and its parent company, Kelly's Closet, Inc do not endorse specific baby wearing methods and we refer customers to the manufacturer for instructions.

My youngest son, Brendan, is now 21 months old. Gone are the swaddling blankets, pacifiers, small diapers and sleepless nights. However, one item from those infant days still gets a lot of use in our household… my Moby Wrap. I did almost as much research into baby carrying and different wraps and slings as I did into cloth diapering when I first began thinking about giving it a try. I finally decided on the Moby Wrap due to the wide variety of holds it offers, as well as the ability to carry a child weighing up to 35lbs. It has definitely been the best baby gear item I’ve owned throughout my son’s infant/toddler stage.

I began wearing Brendan in my Moby Wrap shortly after bringing him home from the hospital. I was able to do laundry, vacuum and do other chores around the house all while he was safely snuggled in the Cradle Hold happy as can be. I can’t begin to count the number of hours he napped there as well. As he got older I switched to the Hug Hold, followed by the Lotus Hold. My Moby Wrap granted me the freedom to get out of the house fairly easily to go grocery shopping. My oldest son, Ian, would have been running wildly around the store had I been forced to put Brendan in the cart allowing Ian to walk on his own. The Moby Wrap has been a lifesaver!

When I really stop and think about all the places I’ve worn my Moby Wrap I am simply amazed. Perhaps the most memorable time was our trip to Orlando when Brendan was 11 months old… and the airplane ride to get to Florida for that vacation. We had purchased a ticket for Brendan for our flights enabling us to take his carseat with us on the plane for him to sit in. I had flown with Ian as an infant sitting on my lap for the duration of the same long flight and the thought of repeating that fiasco made the decision to take the carseat an easy one. That said, we now not only had to load two children onto a plane, but a large carseat as well. We solved the problem by wearing Brendan in the Moby, thus freeing my hands to hold onto Ian, as well as some luggage. My husband was then able to carry the carseat onto the plane and get it secured into the seat. (We learned the hard way to always ask for a seatbelt extender if you want to easily remove the carseat from an airline seat!) I can’t tell you how many people at the airport asked about my Moby Wrap. I think I may have even sold one to another mother who was seated near us in the terminal as we waited to board our plane.

Now that Brendan is 21 months old, and weighs somewhere around 30 lbs, I still find myself grabbing my Moby Wrap at least once a week. Due to Brendan’s size, I have now made the transition to using the Hip Hold and the Hike Hold. The Hip Hold is very simple, and can easily be done without any help. I use this hold for short shopping trips, and times Brendan just wants to be held and I can’t let him run around on his own. For longer shopping trips and walks where I have my husband with me, I use the Hike Hold. I’ve even used this hold for a short mountain hike and it worked great. Brendan leaned over to look over my shoulder while we hiked and had a huge smile on his face the whole way. We hiked for a full 60 minutes in pretty rough terrain (I even hoped over 2 small creeks with my husbands help of course!) and my back held up great with Brendan happy as could be. I would have never been able to hike with my family if it hadn’t been for my Moby Wrap. Now that I know it works so well for us, I’m anxious to try it out on longer hikes. I was an avid hiker before having children, so I’m thrilled that I will be able to return to my favorite form of exercise as soon as the weather cooperates.

It seems so many people think of newborns and infants when they consider wraps and baby wearing. With the Moby Wrap, you can continue right on through the toddler years. I know that there are many situations where I can’t let my little guy run around on his own, and the Moby Wrap has been there to save the day. Right now our family is house hunting in a new city after a cross country move. My husband works full time, so I am the one doing all the foot work and touring possible homes. I don’t know how I would be able to stay sane doing this while trying to keep track of a 3 ½ year old and a 21 month old in a strange house. It’s been so easy for me to slip Brendan in the Moby Wrap using the Hip Hold, and take Ian by the hand as we tour the homes. I don’t mean to repeat myself, but I’ll say it again because I really mean it… the Moby Wrap is a lifesaver!

If I could only give one piece of advise to any new mom, or mom to be, it would be invest in a Moby Wrap. It’s the one piece of baby gear that you will use for at least two years, and is worth every penny. In my case, I’m sure we’ll be using it beyond the two year mark up until Brendan reaches the weight limit, and I can begin to trust him walking on his own.

By Katrina W.

Still Wrapping!**UPDATED**

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Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Addict

Earlier today I read the online article on our “Cloth Diaper Whisperer” Kelly Wels in Raising Maine Magazine. Once I got past the picture of all those cute cloth diapers hanging on a rack (I would LOVE to actually go to a cloth diaper store!), I enjoyed reading the article on the history of Kelly’s Closet. As I neared the end of the article, I felt a little funny completely recognizing the cloth diapering momma I am when Kelly mentioned that some customers , “actually collect cloth diapers, believe it or not – the people who want to dress their babies in a green camouflage or cheetah print diaper and a T-shirt, as a fashion statement.” I must raise my hand and say that I am part of that customer base… or maybe I should say, “Hello. My name is Katrina. I am a cloth diaper addict.” However, I’m fairly confident I’m not the only one here that can say that, right?

When I was a child I used to collect things such as stickers and trading cards, which led to Barbie’s, then to CD’s and DVD’s (remember when CD was short for compact disk and not cloth diaper?!) I’ve always enjoyed collecting something, so I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that once I started cloth diapering, I too would be collecting them as well.

My husband enjoys teasinge me about cloth diapers being my hobby, but I suppose in some ways he is right. He likes to watch for good deals on LEGOS (his hobby) and jumps at the chance to get a good deal. I admittedly do the same for cloth diapers. I surf Kelly’s Closet several times a week and find myself trying to justify yet another cloth diaper. While I don’t need any more diapers, I just LOVE trying new diapers and adding more color and variety to my stash.

Remember the old joke of receiving nothing but socks and underwear for Christmas? I sure hope my son doesn’t feel the same way about cloth diapers. Not knowing what else to buy my youngest son for Christmas (he gets all of his brother’s hand me down toys), for the second year in a row he received some new fluff. At 21 months old he’ll get the enjoyment of tearing open the wrapping paper, and I’ll get the enjoyment of bright new fluff at changing time. Now, if only it was that easy for my 3 ½ year old!

As I sit here anxiously awaiting my latest fluffy mail from Kelly’s Closet, I know I’m not alone! I’m sure there are others of you out there that can’t wait to see the mail delivery with a box bearing that wonderful DiaperShops sticker on it. Whenever I get a new package in the mail my husband just rolls his eyes and hands it over. Whatever will I do once my youngest is potty trained and no longer in diapers?

By Katrina W.

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Addict

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Living With Hard Water

When my family and I moved this past fall, we not only left behind our first home, but our water softener as well. The first week or so that we were living in our new place (a rental – so we can’t add a softener), I noticed my hair wasn’t getting as clean as it used to. Even after washing it, it was feeling rather greasy and not so clean. It donned on me that we must have hard water and I wasn’t using enough shampoo to get it clean. As I began to think about it, I realized if my hair wasn’t getting clean using the amount of soap I was accustomed to using, then my diapers probably weren’t getting clean either. I had noticed they were beginning to smell a bit when I put them up to my nose; but just chalked that up to needing to soak the inserts in Bac-Out overnight to kill any lingering bacteria. (NOTE: I never use Bac-Out on my pockets – only my microfiber inserts.) I knew that using Bac-Out on the inserts would solve the stinky problem at hand, but would not address the hard water problem, so I began looking for other solutions.

I knew I needed to begin using more detergent at fluff wash time, but I also needed to restore my diapers to a clean, fresh smelling state. I started using 3-4 tbs of Rockin' Green with each load of diapers, but didn’t like the idea of having to use so much detergent when I was used to using only 1 tablespoon. After doing a little research on washing diapers in hard water I noticed on the flyer from a recent Kelly’s Closet order that they recommend using Calgon water softener. I also read Calgon, when used alone (no detergent), can be used to strip diapers (just wash your diapers 3-4 times in hot water with Calgon only). I figured this was a relatively easy, fool-proof way to strip my diapers, so I headed out to the store to buy some Calgon.

I searched high and low for the Calgon water softener in the laundry aisle, and it wasn’t until my second trip to the store a week later that I finally found it. I picked up a bottle and got to work stripping my diapers a few days later. I have a rather large stash of diapers, so I broke it down into three smaller more manageable loads. I wanted to make sure my washing machine wasn’t overloaded, and drying too many diapers at once just takes too long. Since I wasn’t sure if I needed to dry the diapers between loads I just washed the diapers at the same time as other laundry so I could alternate the washer and dryer without feeling like I was wasting time. I used a capful of Calgon with an extra large hot wash, followed by an additional cold rinse, dried the diapers on medium heat and repeated the process three times. (If it hadn’t been raining, I probably would have put them on the line to dry and get some sun for the final drying.) I was pleasantly surprised when my diapers came out of the dryer for the last time smelling fresh.

It’s been a week since I stripped my diaper stash and I’ve finally got things back under control (hopefully). I am now washing my diapers every 2-3 days; I start with a cold water wash without detergent, followed by a hot water wash using 1 cap full of Calgon and 2 tbs of Rockin’ Green, and 1 additional rinse. Although I think I’ve got this hard water fluff wash under control, I can’t wait to get a water softener again once we buy a house here. Why would anyone want to live with hard water when you don’t have to?!?

By Katrina W.

Living With Hard Water

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Missing my Diaper Sprayer

Earlier this month my family moved across country to join my husband in the city where he began a new job four weeks earlier. With a long two day drive between our old home and our new one, I admit that the thought of trying to cloth diaper during the transition was daunting. I would not have use of a washing machine and drier for an entire week, let alone have room in my packed minivan for my entire diaper stash. I ended up making the decision to use disposables for the move, and it all worked out well. However, after seven days in disposables, I was anxious to unpack Brendan’s fluff and start cloth diapering again. The same day our box of fluff came off the moving truck, I unpacked it and immediately began using it again.

I’ve been back on the cloth wagon for over a week now, but am doing so without the conveniences of one of my favorite cloth diaper accessories, my diaper sprayer. I did remember to unhook it from the toilet at the old house, but we haven’t had the opportunity to hook it up in our new home. Right now it is sitting under the sink in the boys bathroom, safely wrapped in moving paper (moving companies wrap virtually everything these days). Meanwhile, at every dirty diaper change I find myself sitting in front of the toilet doing the old dunk and swirl. For all you cloth diapering mommas who do this all the time, WOW – that’s dedication! I admit, after cloth diapering for a year and a half now, a poopy diaper doesn’t bother me, but I still feel somewhat disgusted when I’m actually dunking the diaper in the toilet. Furthermore, all the comments my husband makes about it doesn't help much either! All I can say is thank goodness for antibacterial hand soap!

To help contain some of the mess until we get the diaper sprayer installed again, I’ve been using Bummis Disposable Liners when I am expecting Brendan to make a messy diaper. Of course, the few times I skip the liner he seems to surprise me and makes such a mess I can’t help but wonder if there is nothing but poop inside my toddler! When I do use the liners, they don’t always catch all of the poop, but in most cases they catch enough to make the task of cleaning off the diaper a bit easier. Now if only I could accurately predict when those messy diapers would happen, but then again, if I could I suppose we’d be working on potty training. In the meantime, I really need to get that diaper sprayer hooked up again!

By Katrina W.

Missing my Diaper Sprayer

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Cloth Diapering Recommendations for Every Budget!

My sister in law is currently pregnant with her first baby, due in April 2010. Thankfully, she has shown interest in cloth diapering her baby, so that has gotten me thinking about advice I could share with her. I know she is interested in cloth diapering not only to protect the environment, but also to save money. I know there are probably a lot of other mom’s in the same situation, so I thought I’d share some of the ideas I’ve come up with. I remember all too well how overwhelmed I felt when I began researching cloth diapering, so hopefully I can help make some of the decisions a little easier by sharing a few options for the mom who is just beginning the journey into cloth diapering.

If saving money is your main motivation to cloth diaper, the cheapest route, hands down, would be "flats" and several diaper covers. There are a variety of ways to fold a flat diaper, and they can easily be used from newborn to toddler. For just $17.95/dozen for birdseye flats (less if you buy 3 packages or more), you can get easily cloth diaper for under $100 with flats and diaper covers. Flat diapers are easy to wash, quick to dry and take up very little room in on the changing table. For those of you who are afraid of using diaper pins around the baby, you can purchase a few Snappi's. Snappi's are a flexible diaper fastener which replace the need for scary pints and hold the diaper on just as well!

The next step up would be prefolds. Prefolds are similar to flats, in that you need fasten the diaper onto baby, however, much the majority of the "folding" has been done for you and they are sewn in such a way that the center panel has several layers for optimal absorption. Like the flat diaper, you must then use a waterproof cover over the diaper to keep babies clothing dry.
For moms who are able and/or willing to spend a little more money on a diaper stash, the all-in-one and pocket diapers are simply wonderful. They are literally just as easy to use as disposables and are the most daddy/babysitter/daycare friendly cloth diapers available. The majority of my stash is made up of pocket diapers and honestly, I’m just as happy with the $14.95 Smartipants One Size pocket diaper as I am with the $33 Blueberry Bamboo Minky One Size diaper. I jokingly compare it to shopping for a purse. I know several people who think nothing of dropping $300 on a designer purse, but does it really do anything my $30 purse can’t?

Two of the newest diapering systems I’ve looked at also are worth mentioning for the mom who is looking for a budget friendly cloth diapering option… Econobum and Flip. Both products are offered by the same manufacturer of the ever popular bumGenius diapers. While I don’t need to add a new diapering system to my cloth diaper routine, they look like a wonderful way to get started without breaking the bank. When it’s all said and done, you can get started with a nice cloth diaper stash spending as little as $100 and working up to several hundred dollars. If you are looking to begin cloth diapering and have a limited budget, I would suggest purchasing several pocket diapers for on-the-go (my personal favorites are the Smartipants and bumGenius One Size pocket diapers), a dozen flats and a dozen prefolds (or more), and 4-5 waterproof covers (my personal favorites are the Blueberry One Size Coveralls and Thirsties). Additionally, I would suggest a few Superdo inserts for overnight, as well as a few hemp inserts for extra absorbency when needed.

If you want to cloth diaper, there really is a system out there for every family and every budget.

-- By Katrina W.

Cloth Diapering Recommendations for Every Budget!

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If I Had To Do it Over....

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably do things a little differently than when I began cloth diapering a year and a half ago. After trying the bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diaper sample pack from Kelly’s Closet, I jumped right in and bought a 24 pack of bumGenius One Size 3.0 diapers. Initially, I choose this diaper because I loved the ease of pocket diapers, and I was able to use the same diaper on both of my boys. (At the time, they were 3 months and 26 months.) My stash remained the same for a while, until I added a dozen large FuzziBunz when my oldest son outgrew the bumGenius diapers.

It wasn’t until earlier this year when I began adding prefolds, flats and fitted diapers to my stash. I had been hesitant to try anything other than a pocket diaper, mostly because they just worked so well, and were so easy to use. The main reason I began to look into the other options is because I wanted to add some fun prints to my stash; the Kiwi Pie fitted diapers fit the bill perfectly. Although I still love my bumGenius diapers for on-the-go and at night, I am really enjoying the variety in my cloth diaper stash.

If my stash were to disappear and I had to buy a new stash I would want to start over with the following diapers: (Of course, I only have one child in diapers now instead of two, and I know my husband would never let me replace every diaper I currently own since he thinks I have too many already.)

• 3 bumGenius 3.0 - The only diaper I trust for overnight.
• 6 Smartipants - For on-the-go, and when others are caring for my sons – I just love the snaps!
  
• 2 Bamboo Blueberry Minkys – I just love how soft and cute they are and every cloth diapering momma deserves to splurge every once in a while!
  
• 1 dozen flat diapers – For the economical cloth diapering momma in me.
  
• 1 dozen pre fold diapers – Again, for the economical cloth diapering momma in me.
  
• 4 Kiwi Pie fitted diapers – I just love the cute prints!
• 3 Large Fuzzi Bunz - For when the my little guy outgrows the bumGenius 3.0's for nighttime use.
• 6 Diaper covers - Mostly Thirsties and Blueberry Coveralls because they fit my little guy so perfectly.
  
• 3 Superdo inserts – I haven’t found anything better for overnight protection from leaks.
  
• 6 Hemp inserts - For added absorbency when needed.
  
• 2 Snappis – I’m afraid of traditional diaper pins.
  
• 2 dozen cloth wipes – Why throw away disposable wipes when I can wash cloth wipes along with the diapers?
  

We just moved across the county last week and most my fluff was packed up in the moving truck for a few days. If something would have happened to it, I would have been sad, but at the same time excited about going on a major fluff shopping spree. It all arrived at our new house safely, so I guess I won’t get the opportunity to start all over with my new “ideal” stash.

-- By Katrina W.

If I Had To Do it Over....

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Smartipants: I Love This diaper!

Last month I placed my first fluff order in several months, in it, a diaper I couldn’t wait to try out… Smartipants One Size Diaper. I was thrilled when my order arrived; I couldn’t get the diaper washed and prepped soon enough. I read so many great things about this new diaper and I just had to try it out for myself. I was intrigued by its relatively low cost of just $14.95 (insert included), as well as the fact the diaper featured a snap closure which I prefer over hook and loop (aka velcro). I was also interested in testing the ability of being able to wash the diaper without removing the soiled insert first.


Once my new diaper was washed and ready to go I put it to use on my 19 month old son, Brendan. The fit was very similar to my bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers; I was quite pleased in that respect. After the first diaper change I felt funny just tossing the wet diaper in the pail without first removing the completely soaked insert. As most first time Smartipants users probably feel, I was somewhat hesitant to try washing it without removing the insert, but I figured it was worth a shot. When wash day rolled around two days later I was pleasantly surprised to find that yes indeed, the insert fell right out in the washing machine and my new Smartipants diaper was as clean as new.


In addition to the ease of washing, I love the snap closure and super trim fit. Initially I wondered if the single row of snaps would hold the diaper sufficiently without wing droop. I’m happy to report the diaper passed the test with flying colors. Not only did the diaper fit on my son wonderfully, it also fit fairly trim when using the insert that came with the diaper, as well as an additional hemp insert for extra absorption (Brendan is a very heavy wetter). While I've read some comments from other moms who thought the diaper was as bulky as the bumGenius One Size diapers, but in our case, it was more trim. Brendan is 26 pounds and wears the largest settings, so perhaps that has something to do with it.

Despite the fact I have a much bigger fluff stash than I really need, I am looking forward to adding a few more Smartipants diapers to my rotation. When we’re out and about I imagine they would be my top pick to take with me since I would simply dump my wet bag into the diaper pail or washing machine when I got home – no more digging through a wet bag and pulling wet, cold inserts out of my pocket diapers.

By Katrina W.

Smartipants: I Love This diaper!

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Cloth Diapering on the Go

I clearly remember the first time I changed a cloth diaper away from home. It was June 2008, and I was out with my two sons, (then 26 months and 3 months old), and my mother who was visiting from out of state. We had just finished lunch and were headed back to the car when I noted that it was time to change the baby’s diaper. I proceeded to lay Brendan down on the floor of the van behind the driver’s side seat and pulled out my diaper bag. I grabbed a Moonbeam bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diaper, my wet bag and some wipes. (At the time I was very new to cloth diapering and hadn’t made the switch to using cloth wipes yet.) I changed his diaper, rolled the wet diaper up and tossed it into my wet bag for the ride home. It was just as easy as changing a disposable diaper and I didn’t have to look for a place to throw away the soiled diaper. My mom was quite impressed with the bumGenius diaper, as when I was a baby, she cloth diapered me with prefolds, pins and “plastic pants”.
Since that day, I’ve changed countless cloth diapers while out and about. Some of the more memorable ones include, various zoos, Disneyworld, an airplane bathroom, the beach…the list goes on and on. It’s interesting to see the reactions of some people when they see that my children are cloth diapered. I think the most common comment I hear is, “Wow, that’s a cute diaper, is that a special brand?” I think most are surprised when I tell them they are reusable cloth diapers. Of course, my printed Blueberry Minky One Size diapers tend to get the most comments since the jaguar and cow prints are just downright irresistible. I’m not sure if anyone has gone home to do research on cloth diapering after encountering my cloth diaper change, but I guess you never know, right?

Now that I only have one child in diapers, my diaper bag is pretty basic when we’re out and about. I usually carry 1-2 bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers or Blueberry One Size pocket diapers, a wet bag, 3-5 cloth wipes, and a bottle of wipe solution. Although my cloth diaper stash includes everything from flats and prefolds to fitteds, all in ones and pockets, I tend to grab my pockets for on the go use. They seem to be the most absorbent and easiest to deal with while away from home. If we’re going to be away from the house for more than just a few hours, I will also throw a few extra diapers and wipes in a canvas bag to keep and stash it in the van. I’d rather make a trip to the car to restock, than carry an overstuffed diaper bag all day long.

-- by Katrina W.

Cloth Diapering on the Go

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Cloth Wipes: No More Disposable Conveniences

When I began cloth diapering last year, I continued to use disposable wipes for several months before making the switch to cloth wipes. I did this mainly because I had a huge box of disposable wipes stashed in the basement, and I hadn’t really given reusable cloth wipes much thought. I quickly grew tired of having to separate the disposable wipes from the cloth diapers, especially after changing a messy diaper. In addition, I was keeping that old diaper champ in the nursery solely for the purpose of throwing away wipes…yuck! The more I thought about it, the more cloth wipes seemed to make sense. I figured I was already cleaning the dirty diapers, so why not clean the wipes as well.

My first cloth wipes were nothing more than baby washcloths. They offered both a smooth and rough side, which was great for cleaning up after both wet and messy diapers. I simply folded them up in a “recycled” plastic disposable wipes container, and poured water over them. Tah Dah, I had my own cloth wipes ready to go at changing time. I still use those two dozen baby washcloths, but have also added the FuzziBunz Combo Pack wipes, as well as a few flannel wipes that I made by cutting up an old receiving blanket. (These also work well as a barrier between baby and diaper when you are forced to use a non-cloth friendly rash cream or medicine.) Instead of using plain water to wet the cloth wipes, I now use a wipe solution that I make at home, and then store in an old peri bottle that I was given at the hospital after giving birth! It works great whether I spray the wipe or directly on my son.

Once I made the switch to using cloth wipes, I finally felt like a full-fledged cloth diapering momma. I was no longer tossing out human waste with our garbage, as well as the money that we were spending on all the disposable conveniences.

-- By Katrina

Cloth Wipes: No More Disposable Conveniences

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Making Fluff Look White and Bright

We all love the look of brand new, soft, clean fluff in our mail box, right? It can sometimes be so difficult to keep it looking that fresh and new, especially after several months of repeated use. I've found several things to do to keep my 15 month old cloth diaper stash looking white and bright. First of all, I try and rinse off the diapers immediately after a diaper change. Second, I don't let the dirty diapers sit in the pail for more than 3 days. Then, in addition to my normal wash routine, I try and strip them using OxiClean (regular, not the "free" or baby versions) every three weeks or so. This not only helps keep buildup to a minimum, it also helps whiten the inserts as well as the liner of my pocket diapers.

During the summer, I also have another trick that works wonders...the sun. I love hanging my diapers out on the line to dry in the sunshine - they bleach naturally and any left over stink that has built up usually just disappears. Since line drying tends to make the diapers and inserts a bit rough and "crunchy", I toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to fluff before I fold/stuff them for use again. I've noticed my hemp inserts in particular get extra crunchy, so I usually just fold and squish it in my hands before tossing it in the dryer. The inserts don't come into contact with my son's skin therefore I'm not too worried if it isn't as soft as if I had dried it in the dryer to begin with. By following this routine, I not only have extra clean looking diapers, I also save some money by not running the dryer as much in the summer time.

-- By Katrina W.

Disclaimer: Some manufactures do not approve the use of OxiClean with their products. Please be sure to check with your diaper manufacturer regarding approved detergents, additives, etc.

Making Fluff Look White and Bright

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