7 Tips For Newbies

I have a few friends who are getting ready to try cloth diapering for the first time. I cloth diapered my daughter, who is now 4, from about 2 months on. I've been cloth diapering my baby since birth, and he is about 7 months now. Needless to say, I love this cloth diapering stuff and have a little expertise. The newest friend to start asked me for tips. I started writing and figured, it might be useful for others as well. So here goes.

Tip #1: Get quality detergent.
With my first, I thought the special detergent was just a scam to get me to spend more money. So I just used whatever I was using with my normal laundry. This worked fine for about 2 months. Then the stinkies hit. But I didn't learn. They got worse. My detergent couldn't be the problem! But I got embarrassed and frustrated. I finally switched to cloth diaper specific detergent and came waddling with my tail between my legs. I should have used it all along. It really does make a difference. Just do it.

Tip #2: Get the diaper sprayer.
It really is worth it. And it's kind of cool. It's easy to install and makes poop easier to deal with.

Tip #3: Get a plastic pail with a lid.
I first used a wooden laundry hamper that had a fabric layer and cutely says, "LAUNDRY" when it flips into the hamper. Cute, alright, but impractical with soiled cloth diapers.

Tip #4: Get a quality pail liner. Actually, get two.
That fabric lining was not holding up to the soiled diapers and it started getting stinky too. (Seriously, buy the right soap). I got a plastic pail eventually, but I kept using an old pillow case for a liner. It leaked sometimes and got smelly sometimes too. Why I didn't just buy one, I don't know. Money, I guess. Pride maybe. I thought my cheap systems were fine. But now with round two, I have a PlanetWise liner and a Kissaluvs one as well and they are worth it. I usually have one in the wash, but the other one in the pail ready to be used. Two is worth it to me.

Tip #5: Line Dry.
The sun is such a great cloth diapering resource. Any chance possible, get diapers in the sun.

Tip #6: Get the extra cleaners.
I stripped, used the right detergent, and my diapers weren't as stinky as before. But I never quite seemed to knock out a residual odor. Welcome Calgon water softener. With an extra two rinses with that, my diapers stopped being even the tiniest bit smelly. But after four more months, build up was bringing an odor as soon as the diaper was soiled. Now welcome BacOut. It worked wonders and gave my diapers a freshness I hadn't had in awhile. I'm not getting the same freshness, so I'm looking at RLR. I haven't used it yet, but I'm going to. Keeping diapers fresh is really worth the money.

Tip#7: Be easy going.
Don't worry about anything. There aren't any rules in cloth diaper world and you will find what works for you. There are resources for every problem and there are always people to talk to and help you. You will figure it out and you'll probably end up like the rest of us and get all weird and obsessive about diapers. At least it's a useful hobby, right?

Happy Diapering!

Bio: Alicia is an 8th grade English and Drama teacher and is a pretty crunchy momma. She shares her Arizona home with a wonderful husband, energetic 4 year old, sweet 7 month old, 1 crazy dog, and 4 happy chickens.


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7 Tips For Newbies

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Newbie Cloth

Sam is our third baby and our second to wear cloth. With our second child, I was excited about cloth diapering but had no clue what I was doing. I put together an erratic newborn stash that was centered on hand-me-downs a friend generously passed along. I added some diapers I thought were cute and called it a day. I basically tried one of everything when I found a good price, and hoped for the best.  This time around, I was determined to build a good, but cost-effective stash. We were planning for Sam to be our last baby, so I knew I wanted to get one-sized diapers when he was bigger, but I suspected I wouldn’t be able to use those at first. Both of my children had been tiny little babies (5’11 and 6’3), and I was expecting another peanut. I wanted to cloth diaper from the very beginning, though, so I wanted to get a tiny sized stash, too.

First I caught up with my sister, whose little guy had been born the previous fall, so she could explain what had changed in the last six years.  My sister’s favorite newborn item had been XS Thirsties covers, so I made sure to buy several of those. I added a dozen Kissaluvs size 0s, a few newborn sized BSWW (Bummis Super Whisper Wraps), and 12 prefolds in the smallest size. Kissaluvs had worked well with my older child, and my husband had always preferred using prefolds. I also wanted a few pockets or AIOs (all-in-ones) to keep in the diaper bag, so I got one small Swaddlebees AIO and two small Happy Heinys pocket diapers. I bought a pail liner, two little wetbags for the diaper bag, a package of snappis, and more wipes to add to the ones I still had (they held up quite well!).

Well, I didn’t get a peanut baby this time around—Sam was 7’13 and 21”, so he was a lot bigger than my second child had been! We used disposables in the hospital, but I had prefolds and covers ready to take Sam home in. He fit into his diapers really well—Adam had been quite a bit smaller, so we had more issues with leaks when he was tiny. Sam really had very minimal issues with leaking, and the stash worked great for us. My MIL knew we were cloth diapering, and she gave us a Little Beetle One-Size fitted diaper, which actually fit him quite well early on. I used it at nights when he typically went a bit longer between changes.

Sam wore most of his newborn stash for about two and a half months. I still use the prefolds as stuffers for his pocket diapers, and he wore the XS Thirsties covers until around the 16 lb mark—not only did they work really well (the leg gussets were excellent), they lasted quite a long time. Had he been as tiny as his brother, I bet we would still be using them now. The first picture shows him around 2 weeks wearing one of the XS Thirsties covers (he was right around his birth weight at that time,) and the second shows him around 3 months in the same size of cover (he was around 13.5 lbs at that time). The small AIO and pockets lasted until he was about 4 months (15 lbs). The diapers are in good condition and I look forward to passing them on. If I were doing it over again, I would get a few thicker fitteds to use at nights, probably something with Velcro like the Thirsties fab fitteds—we were so happy with the covers. Or I would have bought some doublers to use with the Kissaluvs at nights. But overall, I was pleased with our choices this time around—cute, functional, and within my budget.

By Anne-Marie

Newbie Cloth

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Advice for New Parents (Part 2)

Continuing is my advice for my friends Marissa and Jeremy who are expecting their first baby any day now… They have asked me what my advice, tips and tricks are for first-timers thinking about cloth diapering.

I think the two looming questions that parents diving into cloth diapering have are:
1) What do you do with the poop?
2) How do you wash these things?

As simple as people tried to make it sound for me it still seemed overwhelming and difficult. Looking back I’m so surprised at how quickly it all became routine. You will be too. Hopefully my experience and trial and error will save you some time and get you started on an easy day-to-day routine.

A diaper change results in two options. Option number one, wet diapers, go in the diaper pail/basket/bag. Simple. Done. Option number two, poop diapers. I love when people or websites say “Just shake it off and flush.” I remember looking at my 4 month old’s breastfed poops wondering what I was supposed to “shake.” Before solid foods the poops…aren’t so solid. My best advice for these is a diaper sprayer, a handy little device that attaches to the water feed of your toilet. I’m writing this post for Jeremy, whom I have witnessed firsthand being a little stymied in the handyman department (before you balk, Jeremy, recall the deck painting, cabinet doors, etc).

Even Jeremy can install a diaper sprayer and, let me tell you, it is a lifesaver. Down the road you will be able to shake the solid poops right into the toilet with little to no residue left on the diapers, I promise. However, in the early months, you will use the sprayer. I always removed the insert (you can either just toss it in your basket or rinse and toss) and just spray the pocket diaper itself. With pockets nothing ever stuck or stained. Then just toss it in your basket for laundry day. Not so bad, right?

Laundry Day. Forget the fear. Ignore the complicated additives. Start with a basic routine. Cold water rinse and spin. Hot water wash with Rockin’ Green. One more rinse and spin. Done. Down the road you might run into some stains or build-up or some smells from time to time. At that point you can troubleshoot or do some research (this blog has it all!) to figure out what might be your best solution, but honestly, with Rockin Green (no, I do not own stock in the company!) you will probably have some smooth sailing.

I have simplified things quite a bit, but cloth diapering really doesn’t have to be complicated. I have laid out my best advice based on my experience as a recent “Newbie.” I believe the simpler you keep it the more likely people are willing to try it and stick with it. The beauty of cloth diapering is that there are so many options, styles and brands to suit every family’s needs. One person will swear by a method or style that just doesn’t work for someone else. Once you get into the swing of things you will figure out what you love and what you could do without and make your decisions accordingly. I can almost guarantee that you will find a system that works for you and you will truly love cloth diapering.


By Jennifer G.

Update: Marissa and Jeremy welcomed their beautiful little boy, Hayden James, soon after this post was completed. Congrats and good luck, guys. Can’t wait to get my hands on him!!!

Advice for New Parents (Part 2)

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Advice for New Parents (Part 1)

This post is my personal advice to my friends Marissa and Jeremy who are expecting their first baby… TODAY! Ironically, they were at my house when my very first package arrived from Kelly’s Closet. All four of us looked at these adorable little bundles of fluff with interest, intrigue and more than a little intimidation. The following week they got a positive pregnancy test! I was their own personal guinea pig as I became the “Newbie” for them and everyone here. Now that I have been cloth diapering for about 9 months they have asked what my advice would be for them to begin cloth diapering their new baby boy. I figured I would share my thoughts here, based on my experience, so other people who are considering cloth diapering might have a look.

My first piece of advice for a new parent may be a little controversial in the cloth diapering world. In my humble opinion I am advising my friends not to start cloth diapering for the first time until the baby is at least of couple of weeks, maybe even months, old.

Now if you are super-enthusiastic, have support from family or friends and feel that you’ll be ready to dive in, by all means, go for it. It really isn’t that tricky and if you’ve done the research ahead of time you could start with cloth diapers right off the bat and never look back. However, I am giving this advice to my friends, who will be brand new parents, with the hopes of minimizing their stress and frustration and maximizing their wonder and bond with their new baby. In the end, I would rather see them start cloth diapering a little later and succeed than have them frustrated and overwhelmed and end up quitting.

Though the physical act of diapering the baby isn’t that much different with cloth vs. disposables, cloth diapering does add a little extra work with clean-up and laundering and a sleep-deprived, possibly overwhelmed, new mom doesn’t need anything extra on her plate. Also, waiting a little bit will give you time to develop some sort of schedule, and an understanding of your baby’s routine, habits and needs. You will feel much more in control, relaxed and open-minded once you’ve gotten into the swing of things with your new little one.

I personally think pocket diapers are the easiest diapers with which to begin cloth-diapering. There are many who swear by the cost-effectiveness, functionality and versatility of fitteds and prefolds. However, when I first started I found pockets to be extremely user-friendly. Everyone has their personal favorites, based on their own needs and expectations. My advice would be to start with bumGenius, FuzziBunz and Blueberry One Size pocket diapers only because I have used them myself and found them to be all-around excellent diapers. There are several different brands at different price points to try out (Smartipants, Happy Heinys, etc) but I can only vouch for the ones I’ve tried and loved. I wouldn’t get too caught up in snaps vs. velcro when just starting. Velcro is the easiest for new parents, but you may find you prefer one over the other once you’ve had a chance to use them both. As far as quantity, I started with about 6-8 total diapers consisting of a couple different styles and brands. That’s a good number to try things out and not commit too much money, however once you fall in love with cloth diapering (and you will) you will want to quickly buy more of your favorites to ease up your laundry duties.

Once you have your diapers you’ll need a simple laundry routine and a few accessories to make the whole process easier. Check out Part II of my post as for the rest of my advice to the new parents.

By Jennifer G.

Advice for New Parents (Part 1)

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From Worry to Love in One Week!

I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers while planning to start a family. When I lived away from my home I was briefly babysat for a family who used cloth diapers, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. In hindsight, the one kid who was still in diapers was almost potty trained so she didn't wear as many diapers and I wasn't doing the laundry.

When I became pregnant I began obsessively researching about cloth diapers. I quickly learned about the various types, how to care for them, etc. I informed everyone I was going to use cloth diapers and became a cloth diaper crusader before even using them. Thankfully, my husband was agreeable to the idea; although, every time he would talk about them he would say we're going to "try" them. Try? Why would we need to try them? In my mind we were using them… end of story!

With a couple months to go, I had the opportunity to visit family a couple hours away in an area that has one small shop which carries cloth diapers. I was a bit surprised when I discovered one-size diapers are bigger and bulkier than I expected. Then I began to worry. I realized there was a chance we wouldn't like them. I had been so caught up in baby and diaper excitement I really hadn't given it much serious thought. I then began to develop fear of the unknown. What if they were too bulky, looked huge, and were uncomfortable for our baby? What if they didn't fit well or leaked all the time? What if it was just too much work? I had skimmed over blogs about issues with build up and smell, but now I was worried.

I planned what I felt was the perfect stash to get us started, and diapers were arriving in the mail at a rapid rate. I reluctantly promised my husband not to open and wash all the diapers I purchased just in case we would want to send them back. Then we waited.

Our son was born on 12/29/09 and we began using the cloth diapers when we was 10 days old. His first diapers were 6 bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All-In-Ones, 3 Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers, and 1 Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper. We had a couple Thirsties Diaper Covers and a couple Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers. Obviously not enough to exclusively use cloth diapers, but enough to get started. Day 1 passed, day 2, and then a week. We were using cloth diapers... and LOVING them! We were having major issues with leaking using the disposables plus we were quickly amazed with how many we were using! It was easy to see within one week how much money we could be saving by using cloth diapers exclusively.

Additionally, we had far less leaks! With much relief I opened up the other box from Kelly's Closet and started washing the rest of our new stash. Our son quickly gained weight and we were able to use the one-size diapers just a couple weeks later when he was up to 10 pounds. Our one-diaper stash consist of several bumGenius 3.0 and FuzziBunz, plus a couple Rocky Mountain diapers. I love them all, however, the bumGenius 3.0’s are becoming a quick favorite. The hook and loop tabs make getting a diaper on a wiggling infant so easy.

It is such a relief to discover we really do love cloth diapers and we're going to stick with them. I believe being over-prepared [with all the reading I did early in my pregnancy] helped. I knew how to properly launder the diapers and I had my cloth diaper friendly detergent [Charlie's Soap] ready. I had 2 diaper pail liners and a wet bag for the diaper bag. I really liked being able to launch fully into using cloth diapers all at once. I was able to establish a routine and it was a super easy transition from the disposables. The only item we haven’t purchased yet is a diaper sprayer. Right now I'm comfortable with rinsing the diapers in the sink, but a sprayer will probably be a future purchase.

I've been saying "we" were using cloth diapers, but my husband is still slowing transitioning. I've found myself changing most diapers, disposable or cloth, just because I'm quicker and it seems like less of a hassle. He started helping with the cloth by taking a dirty diaper to the pail, but he wasn't thrilled with pulling the insert out of the pocket diaper. I've since arranged the diapers to have all the all-in-ones together for him to use. The next step was the laundry.

I showed him the special detergent and went over the general instructions, so he helped out with washing a load last week. He asked a couple questions before starting the cold rinse and again before the hot wash. Then he came to tell me the diapers would not be done as soon as expected because he forgot to add fabric softener. That's right. Panic!!!

Unfortunately, he already started another rinse cycle with fabric softener. Many hot washes and nearly a day later the diapers were stripped and ready to use again. A minor set back but the diapers survived! His first attempt to change a cloth diaper a few days ago was a bit of a struggle too. He almost put it on backwards and then didn't get it snug enough. He stepped back and let me fix the diaper while he watched and took some mental notes. I appreciate his efforts to try something totally new and I'm sure he's going to be a cloth diapering pro soon!

by Natalie G.

From Worry to Love in One Week!

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Newbie Goes on Vacation

I’m not sure if other people do this, but I made a couple of deals with myself when I started cloth diapering. What if they don’t work? What if they leak overnight? What about when I’m out running errands? In order to convince myself to even try cloth, I negotiated deals. You can still use a disposable overnight; you can use disposables while out during the day. On vacations, I planned on using only disposables so I wouldn’t ruin my trip with extra packing, laundry or other inconveniences.

I didn’t even have a month of cloth diapering under my belt when our vacation came upon us, but in that limited time, I was HOOKED! The thought of having to put a disposable on my daughter made me so sad. I used cloth out and about all day and overnight with no need for my preconceived “deals” so, without question they were coming to Cape Cod with us! Before you start calling me brave, I have to confess: we were staying in a rented house with a washer and dryer so it was the ideal situation for the Newbie. Knowing this, I only brought 10 diapers and 5 cloth wipes. I also brought a small stash of disposable diapers and wipes, just in case.

We had a 4 hour car ride ahead of us, but I knew we would be stopping for food and potty breaks for my 4 year old so I’d be able to change the baby on the road. I opted to stick with cloth. We stopped a little more than half way there and did a quick, and comical, change. The car was packed to the gills so I actually changed my daughter on my lap in the front seat after feeding her. In the Olympic sport of “Maneuvers Moms Somehow Swing” I would only give this a difficulty rating of 6.7 on a scale of 10. I’ve been known to attempt much more difficult feats, of which some I’m proud, some a bit embarrassed. Perhaps I’ll disclose the intimate details once we are a bit more comfortable with each other! The car trip was a breeze with both mommy and 5 month old very happily using cloth.

The rest of the trip couldn’t have gone any smoother. I ended up using maybe 3-4 disposables, between laundry cycles. My always-obliging second born timed her poops perfectly so they ended up in the disposables each time she had one on, leaving me with only 1 or 2 poopy cloth diapers. But my absolute favorite, most wonderful part of vacationing with cloth diapers: the house had a clothesline, complete with the warm sun and beautiful, ocean breezes. Can I just tell you, I woke up early, giddy with anticipation, the first morning that I got to hang my adorable cloth diapers on the clothesline! Only my fellow cloth diaper obsessed moms can appreciate this scene: pretending to be a lot sadder than I was (and I was a little sad) to be missing out on my 4 year old’s fishing expedition with her dad when, in all honesty, I was so excited to do laundry! I had it perfectly planned, kiss the other half of my family good-bye, tuck the baby in for a nap and tiptoe away to my secret pleasure of hanging my laundry out to dry!

All-in-all we had a wonderful family vacation that only reinforced how easy and wonderful my new world of cloth diapering is. I realize that it could have been much harder if I didn’t have such easy access to a washer and my new favorite cloth diapering accessory, the clothesline, but with a little planning, I won’t hesitate to take cloth diapers with me on future trips. Even if I have to do the hybrid of cloth and disposables, it’s well worth it.

Oh, and check out the picture of my new set-up at home. I ordered my clothesline the night we got back. When it arrived I couldn’t wait for the hole to be dug so (cue my husband’s eye-rolling) I stuck it in the umbrella stand of my patio table!

-By Jennifer G.

Newbie Goes on Vacation

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