Eight Reasons to Make the Switch: Cloth Wipes

So you use cloth diapers, but you haven’t yet taken the plunge into cloth wipes? The ‘hard’ part is already done and the switch to cloth wipes can be just as rewarding and liberating as when you switched to diapers. Is it really worth switching though? Wipes are pretty cheap after all and they don’t add that much to landfills do they?!? I personally believe cloth wipes are far superior to their disposable counterparts and I probably find them even more efficient than I do my cloth diapers. Don’t get me wrong, I love my diapers, but the wipes, those babies have a million uses! Still on the fence? Here are my top reasons why you should make the switch.

1. Savings - $$$. One of the biggest reasons I chose to cloth diaper  was to save money.  I was about to have two babies in cloth and we’re a single income family.  Diapers are expensive!  Now growing my third baby, I’m so glad to already have a stash of diapers and wipes readily available.  It’s one new baby item I don’t have to even think about.  So how much can cloth wipes save you?  Well, let’s say at the minimum you use one $2 tub of wipes a week, now that’s on the highly conservative side.  At that rate, you’re saving $104 per year that you use cloth wipes.  If you make your wipes out of old receiving blankets, you don’t even have to take away the investment in cloth wipes. 
2. They help keep our earth clean.  If you use disposable wipes, you have to throw them in the garbage.  Sure, there are brands that are biodegradable, but many aren’t.  And as many wipes as babies and toddlers go through, that’s a whole lot of extra waste in our landfills.
3. They’re easier.  Seriously.  If you already cloth diaper, it’s so much easier to throw both dirty diapers and wipes in one place.  If it’s just a pee diaper, you just toss the wipes and diaper into the diaper pail and you’re done. No trip to the diaper pail AND the garbage pail. 
4. They’re softer and gentler on baby’s bottom.  Depending on the material you choose for your cloth wipes, they can be some of the softest, buttery-est (yes, I made that word up) pieces of cloth to touch your baby’s bum.  You choose the solution you put in the cloth wipes so you control exactly what touches your babies bum.  No rashes from wipes that irritate sensitive bottoms!
5. They work better.  I was so disappointed in disposable wipes when I had my first child. It could easily take ten wipes to clean up one poop and that many wipes really started to add up cost wise.  When we made the switch to cloth wipes, I was amazed!  No more ten wipe poops.  One cloth wipe can do the work of MANY disposables because they’re sturdier and hold up better.
6. On that note…no poopy hands!  I know you’ve all been there.  You go to wipe a poop and bam, goes through that flimsy disposable wipe and onto your hand!  That simply doesn’t happen with cloth wipes.  They’re thicker and I can honestly say, poop’s never soaked through a cloth wipe and onto my hand.
7. They multi-task like no disposable wipe ever will.  Sure, you’d wipe your kids face and hands with a disposable wipe.  But would you use one for a nosebleed, a scrape, a washcloth?!?  Nope!  But cloth wipes can do all that and more.  They will long outlast your diaper days giving you even more of your money’s worth.
8. They’re highly customizable. With cloth wipes, you can really get a wipe to suit all your needs.  You can choose everything from the fabric type down to the print.  You can choose the thickness, even the size. You even get to control the solution the wipes get used with.

Have I convinced you yet? Are you thinking about switching to cloth wipes? Give it a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Bio: Ashley is a stay at home mom with two crazy, fun loving little boys and one surprise on the way. She blogs about life with young children and her adventures with them including sewing, cloth diapers, green living, and every day parenting at: MabeWithLove.WordPress.com.


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Eight Reasons to Make the Switch: Cloth Wipes

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Making the Switch to Cloth Wipes; It's Easier than You Think

When I was starting our cloth diaper journey before my daughter was born, I hadn’t really thought about using cloth wipes. I saw them on Kelly’s Closet’s website and found plenty of ladies raving about them. I decided early on that I wanted to use cloth wipes and ordered 18 Thirsties fab wipes from KC. I also picked up a few dozen cheap baby washcloths to see how they would work, too.

Luckily, I didn’t receive very many disposable baby wipes at my baby shower. I decided to use the ones that I received and that further made my mind up to use cloth wipes. First, I couldn’t believe how fast the disposable wipes went! A huge pack didn’t even last a week. Secondly, it was an inconvenience to have a small trash can simply for wipes near the changing table, and it was even worse when I was out of the house. More often than not, I changed my daughter in the car and was then left trying to figure out what to do with the dirty wipe. I would usually stick it in my wet bag, and of course, forget to take it out before laundry time.

I also blame the only minor diaper rash my daughter has had in her year of life on the wipes. Even though we used the “sensitive” wipes, she still had a red bum while using them. I always had to use numerous wipes to clean poopy diapers, and I hated that they left her wet after wiping.

Those simply are my reasons for not liking disposable wipes. Some may still prefer them, but once explain how cloth wipes make cloth diapering so much easier, I think it’s hard not to make the switch. Using cloth wipes doesn’t have to be difficult. I would suggest having at least two dozen wipes if you will be washing every other day; three dozen would be ideal. They are rather inexpensive and you can even make your own out of old receiving blankets and t-shirts.

A big question a lot of cloth diaper users have is how to store your wipes. I have read about moms worrying about mold and smell and how many to put into a wipes warmer. My motto with cloth diapers is the simpler you keep it, the fewer problems you will have. The same is true for cloth wipes. I feel I have a simple, foolproof system for wipes. I store my wipes dry, and keep my solution in the bottle I received at the hospital for postpartum care.

I make my solution about every five days, and it takes maybe three minutes to make. There are three ingredients in my solution: distilled water, coconut oil and castile soap. I put about a teaspoon of coconut oil in my bottle, fill it almost to the top with water, and then put a squirt of the castile soap in. Then I shake it up. The coconut oil is solid sometimes, but our house stays rather warm so usually the oil will liquefy in the solution.

When it comes time to do a diaper change, I take a dry wipe, shake my solution bottle and squirt it onto the wipe. Then I throw it in the wet bag. If it’s a poopy diaper, I simply rinse it off with the diaper. It’s not anymore work since I already have to rinse the diaper. The other reason I love using dry wipes is after I wipe my baby off, I take a clean, dry wipe and dab her a little to make sure she is dry.

I bought a bottle of BumGenius bottom cleaner to keep in my diaper bag and always carry a few wipes in my bag. I can then throw everything into the wet bag and not have to worry about sorting through it later.
There are several different brands of premade solutions as well, but this system has worked wonderfully for the last 12 months for my family. Cloth wipes simply make using cloth diapers easier, and I promise it isn’t hard!

Bio: Jamie is a SAHM to her year old daughter (and another one on the way!), a Marine wife, and a knitter/crocheter in her free time.


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Making the Switch to Cloth Wipes; It's Easier than You Think

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Everyday Uses for bumGenius Wipes

My favorite cloth diaper accessory is the bumGenius Flannel Baby Wipes. These wipes are soft and efficient in handling many duties; No pun intended. As a mother I am worried about the chemicals in our environment and how I can minimize these chemical on or around my baby.

It may seem daunting at first to use cloth wipes, but once you try them you will see how easy it is! I throw all my wipes in the wash with my cloth diapers and wash them exactly the same way. It’s that easy! I have had my wipes almost two years and not one of my bumGenius wipes have a stain. I do rinse them before putting in wet bag. They have not shrunk on me and I use the dryer to dry them. They are cleaned perfectly every time in a normal wash. It also gives me piece of mind that I know what I am using on my baby. I make my own wipe solution. I can either soak all my wipes in my solution then put in the wipe warmer. In the wipe warmer they stay very moist and do not dry out.

When I am out and about I have a small glass BPA free spray bottle with my solution and I spray and wipe! They are also a good size not too big and not too small. They are great to travel with since they do not take up a lot of room as other commercial wipes do. They are great at getting the cleaning job done, I think in the midst of a major blow out I have only needed to use 2 wipes 3 tops. For quick changes 1 wipe suffices. The fact they are thin as opposed to other wipes make it easier to wipe babies more efficiently. These wipes are single ply, which makes them easier to handle when cleaning up messes. Another trick I have learned is if I notice my baby is getting a rash from teething, I will put some coconut oil on the baby then cover with a bumGenius wipe and it this gives her added protection and works every time. Coconut oil is safe to use with your wipes.

They have also been a lifesaver for my sick babies; I use these wipes to keep up with runny little noses. They are so soft that it does not cause added irritation under their nose.

I also find these wipes are also great for little ones hands and face with the same solution, especially when your out and about and do not want to use harsh chemicals like antibacterial hand sanitizer.

I have also ordered pack for myself and this saves me money on paper towels! I also use them to wash my own face or to remove make up which I rarely wear. If you and your family really want to take the plunge these wipes are a great replacement for family cloth.

A big plus for me is that they are unbleached cotton and the price is right!

Bio: My name is Kathleen Garcia I am a doula and I am a mommy of 4. I have cloth diapered and cloth wiped my two youngest children.


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Everyday Uses for bumGenius Wipes

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Diapers, Doublers, and Wipes, Oh My!

So you love cloth diapers huh? Maybe even are borderline obsessed with them? Don't hang your head in shame, you are among the many for sure that have decided to use cloth for your babies health, the planet's health, cost, or all three reasons and along the way you realized you love it. It is fun!

The downside to all of this is you end up with a lot of diapers, wipes, doublers, etc. and you need a place to store them and in an organized manner would be helpful right? Here is what works for me and hopefully it can offer you an idea or two for your cloth diaper obsession.

First I have a cloth diapering "station" that works well for me. This is a must to cloth diapering. Whatever you use, set it up so it works for you. (see cloth diapering station photo) I change my son on the floor now that he is bigger and have the wipes in their warmer along with my diapering creams handy. (see the necessities photo) Next to those I keep a stash of ready to go night-time diapers. On the top shelf I keep my cloths I use to wipe the cream off my hands basically and then a basket for a bunch of diapers (I use various brands and styles.) (see the stash photo). Finally, I found a great buy at a local store. In their "Under $5.00" section I found these hanging "racks". They just Velcro onto a closet rod. I bought two and they work great! I have had them for over a year and they have never come undone. They do "sag" a little since the "shelves" are just cloth but that is no biggie to me. I put wipes on the first "shelf', diapers on the second and third "shelves and doublers on the fourth "shelf". I do the same with my second one. It works great! If you want to find something like this search the hanging "shelves" for sweaters/shoes as I think that was its "intended" use. It works great for cloth diapers and supplies though.


So that is my cloth diapering system. It works great for me. I hope some of it will help you. Happy cloth diapering!

Bio: Jennifer Hyson is a working mother of two amazing boys. She does NOT look forward to the time when she no longer has to change a cloth diaper because she enjoys cloth too much to want it to end :)

Diapers, Doublers, and Wipes, Oh My!

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There’s More Than One Kind of Wipe?!

Cloth diapering by itself can be intimidating enough without mentioning wipes. There are a lot of different options for wipes and those options all cost a little different.

It’s your own personal choice on what you use for wipes. I promise the cloth diaper police won’t come and get you if you use Huggies wipes. You can use cloth at home and disposable on the go, cloth all the time, disposable all the time, whatever works for you.

Disposable Wipes
 
There’s no arguing that disposable wipes are convenient. Just wipe and throw away and you’re done. No prep required. Other than driving to the store or going online to buy them. There are a lot of options for disposable wipes beyond buying big cloth diaper company wipes.

• Big company disposable diaper brands - They’re everywhere and you can just pick them up when you’re grocery shopping, no problem. They might seem like they don’t cost that much, but over time the costs add up. When I was using them, I went through about 1.5 packs a week. I used a store brand that cost about two dollars a pack. So saying that there’s four weeks in a month, in one month, I spent twelve dollars on wipes that just went in the trash. If you use name brand wipes, your costs are higher.
• Biodegradable - These cost about the same as regular disposable wipes. I’ve never personally used these. Again, even if these are more environmentally friendly, you’re still shelling out cash to buy them every week or so.
• Homemade - Now, I’m not really sure how eco-friendly homemade wipes are rated, I suppose it would depend on what you use to make them. You could probably find some organic and eco minded products to use to make them. There are a lot of tutorials online about making them out of a roll of paper towels. Most that I have seen just call for cutting a roll of paper towels in half, and making a solution with water, a little baby oil, and some baby wash. But, just like the other two kinds of disposable wipes, you have to keep buying them. They might be more inexpensive, but you’re still spending money.

Reusable Wipes
 
This option is my personal favorite. Cloth wipes! They’re soft, clean poop better than disposies, and they can just be tossed in the wash with your cloth diapers. They’re reusable! There are several options for cloth wipes and how much they cost can vary from free to expensive.

• Free wipes - Requires some sewing skill, just cut up some old flannel receiving blankets, sheets, or shirts. You can even use some old t-shirts. I like my wipes about 7x7 inches square. After you cut them, you can either serge them or you can use the zig zag stitch on your sewing maching to keep them from unraveling. Or you can turn the edges under and finish them that way.
• Inexpensive wipes - Just go and buy baby washcloths. That’s what I did. You can get a 12 pack for about seven dollars. Make sure that they’re mostly cotton. I got some polyester ones and they were terrible as wipes. Baby washcloths are a good size too. They have a loopy, textured side and a smooth side. The loopy side is great for grabbing poop.
• Baby wipes wipes - You can buy wipes online that are actually meant to be used for wipes. They come in more than just cotton too. You can find bamboo and hemp ones, though they tend to run for a whole lot more than cotton.

In the End…
 
It really is up to you what you use to clean your baby’s behind. There is no rule set in stone that you have to use cloth wipes or disposables. There are a lot of options for a wide range of budgets. Find what works for you.

My name is Melissa Mendez. I write the blog Cloth Diapering Again. I am the mother of two with number arriving in July and the wife of an amazing man. I quilt, write, and try to find ways to save my family money and make my marriage to my husband stronger.

There’s More Than One Kind of Wipe?!

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Wet Bags! Cloth Wipes! Oh My!

There's no argument that cloth diapers are awesome. But what's even more awesome are cloth diaper accessories! Currently, I have two favorites: wet bags and cloth wipes. Not only are they essential to cloth diapering (at least in my opinion), they are so versatile! I can definitely see myself using these past cloth diapering.

I cloth diaper one baby right now and I have four wet bags. And I even want more! I have two large Planet Wise wet bags (for the house and travel), a small Planet Wise wet bag (for the diaper bag), and a medium Rumparooz wet bag (for daycare).

Of course I use my wet bags for dirty diapers, but they are also perfect for wet clothes and towels when we go to the beach or pool. We can send an extra one to Grandma's house for dirty clothes at the end of the day/weekend. Perfect! They really can be used for so much other than dirty diapers. Investing in a few is very much worth it! My next want is a Planet Wise wet/dry bag. I'd love to be able to keep everything together, but separate, when we are out of the house all day long.

To be honest, I like my Planet Wise wet bags better than my Rumparooz wet bag. I feel as if they better hold in any smells, and I just adore all the prints! The great thing about both bags, though, is they both come from awesome companies. I personally haven't had any issue with my Rumparooz bag, but I hear that the customer service there is absolutely wonderful. I have contacted Planet Wise before (a bag had a defect), and they helped me out with my issue so quickly and easily. I was very pleased. Great products and great customer service? You can't beat that!

I also have a ton of cloth wipes in my stash, and I love them. They are so useful! Of course I use the wipes on my daughter's bum, but I also use some of them as wash cloths when we are out. It's helpful to always have a little cloth available to help clean up the messes little ones always seem to make! I use them for everything from snotty noses and spit up to spills and tears. There are so many brands to choose from, too!

I ended up making my own wipes (I couldn't resist the adorable flannel prints and had oodles of down time before my daughter was born), but I know many who are very happy with the brand name wipes they purchased (Thirsties and bumGenius seem to be favorites among my friends). My favorite type of cloth wipe has terry on one side and flannel on the other. The terry gets the job done quickly and well, and the flannel is so gentle for that final swipe. They are also a great distraction for wiggly toddlers!

So there you have it: one mama's favorite cloth diapering accessories. What are your favorite accessories and why?

Bio: Jennifer Esposito - I've been cloth diapering my daughter, Adele, for a little over a year. She wore her first cloth diaper when she was 6 days old and was in them full time at 3 weeks. I've been married to my best friend for 4 years. I'm an editor by trade, and during my free time I like to run, sew, or read.

Wet Bags! Cloth Wipes! Oh My!

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Three Things Make Cloth Wipes Easy!

I love using cloth wipes more than using cloth diapers. Compared to their disposable counterparts, they just do the job so much better. One good cloth wipe (Thirsties fab wipes are our favorites) can do the job of over a dozen disposables when faced with one of my daughter’s mega-poos.

There are challenges with cloth wipes however, and they come in two forms; preparation and storage. I’ve found three inexpensive solutions to both of them. (Prices are from Amazon.com, but I paid less for all three at my local mega-mart)

1) Rubbermaid Servin Saver Mixing Pitcher ($10). Cloth wipe solutions usually are some mixture of oil, soap and water. When made ahead of time they will separate faster than your favorite salad dressing. To counteract this you can prepare a batch of solution in this handy pitcher (it even has measurements on the side!) then just pump the handle a few times before pouring it over the day’s supply of wipes. I hear this also works well for Sangria, but we’ll have to wait until after breastfeeding to find out…

2) Oxo Good Grips POP storage container, 1 qt ($14). This has an internal rubber gasket that creates an airtight seal and keeps your wipes fresh. With the push of one hand (the other one being on your baby of course) you can open your container and retrieve a wipe. We have a $30 wipes warmer in the closet that never was used. This is smaller, cheaper, easier to clean and doesn’t spill when knocked over in the middle of the night. The clear container not only gives you a great view of your cute wipes, it’s easy to tell when you need more J

3) Tea Tree Oil ($15 for 2 oz). Admittedly, this seems expensive for such a little bottle, but it will L A S T. Not only is this great for baby’s skin, adding one drop per cup of wipe solution will it fresh for up to a week. No more mustiness!

Wipe solution recipes abound on the web, find one and make it your favorite. Better yet, Kelly’s Closet sells plenty of wipe solutions that are ready to go with minimal preparation. We make up a quart of solution twice a week and store it in the fridge. Once a day I just pour the solution over some dry wipes, and we’re good to go!

Melissa Lindsey is on a short hiatus from her nursing career while she cares for her infant daughter and moves across the country. In the short space between Evelyn's bedtime and her own, she enjoys reading, knitting and hanging out with her fabulous husband.

Three Things Make Cloth Wipes Easy!

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Cloth-Wiping Bottoms

When we started using cloth, we purchased a number of cloth diapers. Yet, we did not buy any cloth wipes. The very first time I changed a poopy cloth diaper I realized that it made no sense to use disposable wipes. Since disposable wipes and disposable diapers are thrown out together, it appeared logical that cloth diapers and cloth wipes should be washed together. Further, it was inconvenient to keep a trash receptacle exclusively for wipes. The practical and environmentally friendly solution was to use cloth wipes.

The idea of buying more stuff was not appealing. As you know the initial cloth diaper expense can be a little overwhelming if you get carried away. But what to use as cloth wipes? I looked around and found newborn washcloths we rarely use. They are about the size of your palm and very soft. It was worth a try to use them in lieu of buying cloth wipes. What could be simpler? Wipe the baby and toss the washcloth into the dry pail with everything else. Yet a dry washcloth did not appear to clean my son well. An Internet search provided many different recipes for cloth wipes solutions.

The basic recipe includes water, soap and oil. Some people will tell you exactly how much to mix for each component. Just like trying to find cloth diapers that work for you, you may need to try different recipes before finding “the one” for you and baby. I am a simple kind of person and would rather not buy an expensive essential oil or a specialty wipes soap. Just like with the washcloths, I ended up using what I had on hand: baby soap, baby oil and water. An old used disposable wipes container currently holds the “solution”. I do not measure anything! Just add water, a squirt or two of your baby soap, a few drops of baby oil and mix. Then, place your clean washcloths in the box. Experiment! Add more or less soap. Use almond oil instead of baby oil. Or don’t use any oil at all.

Washcloths do not have to be folded, but you can do it if you have the time. Some people will even tell you how to fold them so that they come out of the box just like disposable wipes. I may try that sometime. For now, our routine for changing baby is to open the box, and with clean hands squeeze the solution out of one or two washcloths. Wipe baby. If needed, use washcloth to push poop into toilet. I keep some dry washcloths near by in case baby’s bottom is too wet. That is all there is to it. In fact, I believe my baby’s bottom is cleaner since I started using cloth wipes. When the washcloths get stained, I put them out in the sun. Sunning takes care of most poop stains and since sunlight has a lot of UV rays, it acts as an antibacterial.

Be wary of bacteria. Few things are grosser than to grow an experiment on your child’s cloth wipe container. Bacteria, mold and yeast can grow anywhere. In particular, they like dark, moist and warm places. Some bacteria can replicate in 20 minutes! That means that if a single poopy microbe gets into your diaper box, the next day you could have a stinky, gooey mess. To prevent this, have as many wipes as needed for about two days inside the box. When the box has no more wipes, wash it with soapy water. After rinsing, make a new solution and place clean cloths inside. If a mess was to occur due to an explosive baby poop and you accidentally put a dirty hand in the box… Well, wash everything.

Some people prefer a squirt bottle. But if your solution is home made, you still need to change it often to prevent bacterial growth. Other people prefer a wipe warmer. So far, my little reusable plastic box is working just fine. In fact, I may eventually try a few commercial cloth wipes. If you are starting out like me, I suggest you try cloth wipes. You may like them more than you think.

Bio: Sofia M. is currently a SAHM to a toddler and is expecting her second child.

Cloth-Wiping Bottoms

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Easing into Cloth Wipes

When I was pregnant I knew I’d exclusively cloth diaper, but cloth wipes just seemed a little too…gross for me. But I knew they go hand in hand so I ordered a few of the cheapest ones I could find online, knowing that I’d be buying disposable wipes regularly. After my daughter was born, I’d use the cloth wipes occasionally with some plain water but come laundry day, I was always out of cloth diapers and not cloth wipes.

Fast forward several months down the road, and I bought a bunch of perfect size FuzziBunz as my daughter got bigger. One had a slight defect, so when I contacted the company about it they not only resolved the problem quickly, but sent me some super soft and luxurious FuzziBunz cloth wipes for the inconvenience! I guess it was a sign that I needed to give cloth wipes a fair shot, now that I knew I didn’t need to use the cheap scratchy ones on my daughter.

It was love at first use. They’re such a perfect size and thickness that one or two is usually all I need. Now, I’m not going to lie and say that I use them exclusively on my toddler, because poop can still be gross and if it’s a big mess I do keep a pack of disposable wipes nearby. But knowing that my trips to the store to buy disposable wipes are few and far between, and that I’ve kept hundreds of wipes out of the landfill is good enough for me. Plus, a diaper sprayer makes clean-up so easy.

Once I got comfortable with using cloth wipes with water, I began experimenting with what to use for a solution. Now I keep a spray bottle of two parts water to one part baby wash and one part baby oil next to the changing table. I already had the ingredients on hand, but a friend of mine swears by Baby Bum Drops and can’t believe how far one drop goes!

If you’re on the fence about cloth wipes, get some nice ones and an open mind – your baby will thank you for it!

Ann J. is a cloth diaper fanatic and mom to a 21-month-old girl with the cutest cloth diaper butt on the block!

Easing into Cloth Wipes

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Figuring out Cloth Wipes

Some things about switching to cloth diapers came naturally to me, such as washing and reusing instead of throwing away. Other things, namely cloth wipes, took a little figuring out. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to use cloth wipes when I switched to cloth diapers, it’s just that I couldn’t seem to find a routine that worked for me. Pre-moistened wipes just weren’t cutting it. They were either not wet enough or they were too wet, and I never seemed to have enough on hand. So I tried to wet my wipes in the sink when diaper changing time rolled around. But I got lazy about that too and I hated getting 3 wipes wet when I only needed 1, but not as much as I hated having only 1 wipe wet when it turns out I needed 3.

Then, it finally dawned on me; I needed the convenience and the flexibility of having two containers at my changing station. One with solution—just solution—and one with dry wipes. I hate to buy something new when something I already have on hand would be good enough, but I couldn’t think of anything better to keep my wipe solution in than a thermos so I splurged and bought a wide mouth food thermos. Best cloth wipe investment yet! It keeps the solution from getting cold throughout the day (although I’m guilty of going two days without changing it, completely negating the thermal benefits), and it keeps my toddler from spilling solution everywhere. It is also quick and easy to refill and can be repurposed when I’m done with diapers.

To fill my thermos, I simply warm up a cup of water with ¼ of a baby bit, stir to dissolve, and then pour the solution into the thermos. The bits are lasting so long that I don’t know if I’ll ever try another solution, but really anything from pre-mixed solution to water with essential oils will work. And for wipes, well, I’ve repurposed my bummis fleece liners. I bought a bunch of them when I switched to cloth because I just couldn’t imagine diapering without all the thick creams I used to use. And as you can probably guess, I don’t need those creams any more. So I use the liners for just about everything else, runny noses, messy hands, basic first aid, and now mostly as wipes. They are pretty thin and can be awkward at times because of it, but they are so soft and if I only wet one half of the wipe I can use the other half for drying baby’s bottom. They are also super easy to clean off after a messy diaper and since the fleece doesn’t exactly hold in the moisture, they are great for a more sponge bath like clean.

Now that I’ve been using cloth wipes for several months I’ve come to love the flexibility of wetting my wipes during the diaper change. In the morning I can soak up a bunch of solution and give my daughter a sponge bath. And after a messy diaper, she really can be clean and fresh just like after bath time. I’ve also noticed a decrease in the severity and duration of my daughter’s diaper rash thanks to cloth wipes. I’m so glad I kept at it until I found a routine that works for me.

Like everything with cloth, if it doesn’t come naturally at first, keep on trying. It is worth it.

Bio: Toria is a stay-at-home-mom who loves playing with her very active 3-year-old boy and delightful 18 month-old girl. She started cloth diapering when her little girls was 9 months old and hasn’t looked back since.

Figuring out Cloth Wipes

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Wipes, solutions, and sprays, oh my!

We have been using cloth wipes for a while now—our middle child, who is now almost 7, was cloth diapered, and I found the wipes so useful that some of them were still in regular rotation when I found myself expecting baby #3. They wiped nasty noses, made a quick scrub for faces, and were in general like a washcloth with an attitude—and that was handy through the preschool years. My favorite wipes were two sided, one side soft and one side scrubby—I had some that were velour and sherpa that are still in use with Sam.

When Adam was a baby, I tried so many different things in regard to diapering—different styles of diapers, different inserts. And many, many wipes solutions. I used the baby bits-style drops , which I liked, but were kind of a pain to dissolve. I made my own solution with tea tree oil and lavender—okay, but a bit more than we needed most of the time. Sometimes I just used water, although for some reason I never got a system going for keeping damp wipes at the changing table. I got lots of samples of different wipes solutions—a popular freebie with fluff orders-- and tried them all! It was a bit crazy. One thing that was very useful was adding grapefruit seed extract to water when thrush was an issue—I used it for wipes and also to wash anything that was touching his mouth.

This time around, as with diapers, I resolved to simplify things as much as possible. After reading a bit I decided to try Kissaluvs diaper lotion potion, the concentrate form. I mixed this with witch hazel, using a little less concentrate than the bottle calls for, which works fine for Sam. So far, a year into things, we have used a combined system. We have a box with dry wipes on the changing table. I also keep about 10 wipes in an old disposable wipes box, damped with just water. That seems to be a good number -- they don’t sour before I can use them, and there is (usually) a damp wipe available when I need one quickly. If not, well, I am lucky to have big children around the house who can be dispatched to the sink. I keep a small bottle of witch hazel/ KDLP, which I spray directly on Sam. I always give him a quick spritz first thing in the morning, and then occasionally throughout the day. So far, so good in terms of diaper rash—Sam has only had an issue with this when he was on antibiotics and developed an unfortunate stomach ailment that I will not detail. One bottle of the concentrate has lasted me all this time and I still have a good bit left in the bottle. We’ve been happy with our solution this time around.

Anne-Marie is a mostly stay-at-home mama to three monkeys (9, 7, and *sniff* 1 ) in Northern New England. She blogs about their adventures in making sustainable(ish) changes in family life at http://greenishmonkeys.wordpress.com

Wipes, solutions, and sprays, oh my!

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Cloth wipes are the solution!

If cloth wipes are the solution, what's the problem? Sorting disposable wipes from the laundry, trying to speed through a diaper change without confusing a trash can and a wet bag, and peeling wipes off aplix were all giving me a headache! There are the environmental impacts, not to mention the cost of those little tossable papers, that all led me to switch to cloth wipes. I was nervous about it at first. Would baby's bottom actually get clean enough? What if the wipes get moldy? Do I really have to spend that much on baby washcloths??

Turns out, it's much easier than I thought. My cloth solution includes wipes, a warmer, and plain old h2o. My initial investment was $26 for a Prince Lionheart Warmer, and $4 for a set of receiving blankets on clearance. I cut the blankets into 70+ squares and used a serger to sew around the edges. Since my baby is an infant, she goes through at least 16 wipes a day, which is all the warmer can hold. I keep a spray bottle handy to wet a dry wipe in a pinch if I run out of them. At first, I tried mixing baby oils and mild soaps with the water but I was always nervous about how her skin would react. Now I just run a bundle under the sink, wring them out, and fold them while I wait in her room for her to get to sleep.


There is an elaborate set of directions for how to fold the wipes to avoid mold or bacteria growth. Plus, you use a special pillow at the bottom of the warmer. They cost about $7 and need to be replaced every three months. I start by folding all the moistened wipes into quarters on top of the warmer. Then I open the warmer and balance them on the side while I roll and stack them. Air circulation is important, so you don't want to fill the whole warmer. You leave space between the walls and the bottom row and then stack in a loose pyramid. If you have any wipes in the warmer at the beginning, put them on the top of the pile. The warmer has a nightlight so you can even do this in the dark.

We also use cloth wipes on the go. For now, I keep them dry in a Planetwise Wet Bag. It's nice to have the option to moisten them in advance for an outing. I can spritz them with a spray bottle or wet them in a bathroom sink, then they go right in the wetbag with the diapers. Some day soon I'll start experimenting with natural additives in the solution such as castille soap or tea tree oil, but I'm enjoying the simplicity and ease of plain water.

BIO: Jeannette is a budget-conscious mama with a degree in Design and Merchandising from Drexel University. She's transitioning to stay-at-home Mommyhood and loving it! Catch her daily at 5weeksearly.blogspot.com.

Cloth wipes are the solution!

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Cloth Wipes: A Hybrid Approach

Before my daughter was born, during my endless research on cloth diapers, I came across a blog about how to make your own cloth wipes. “That sounds simple,” I thought, and I proceeded to print out the tutorial, hit up the fabric store for some fun flannel prints, and allowed my fabulous mother in law to sew them up (I haven’t sewn since 6th grade home economics, so I figured I would hand it over to someone who knew what they were doing). A few days later, I was the owner of almost 100 cloth wipes for about $25, quite economical.

Then came my daughter, a slow start into cloth diapering, and a few very poopy diapers. I was not sold on our cloth wipes. For wet diapers, I was a convert, but they just didn’t seem to do the job at getting the pasty poop off my daughters bum quite like my disposable wipes could. Thus, my hybrid approach to cloth wipes began. For over 6 months we have been using both cloth wipes and disposable wipes without a single accidental washing of a disposable.

I have read that many people make the switch to cloth wipes after one too many disposable wipes snuck into their laundry. Honestly, we haven’t even come close to that happening. During a diaper change, if my daughter is wet, I simply spray a cloth wipe with one of our wipe solutions (bumGenius bottom cleaner, California Baby Diaper Area Wash, or a sample of Monkey Doodlez wipe cubes), dab her bum, and throw the wipe and diaper in the wet bag. If the she is poopy, it all starts the same, but once I have used the initial cloth wipe to remove as much of the pasty poop from her bum, I reach for my Target brand Up and Up Fragrance Free Sensitive wipes to do the hard work. A few disposable wipes later and my little one is fresh and clean once again. I have a small trashcan right next to the changing table that the disposable wipes get tossed into, while the dirty cloth wipe and diaper make their way to the bathroom to get sprayed. Easy as pie.

Some may say, “But what about when you have dirty diapers to change when you are away from home? Don’t disposable wipes sneak into your wash that way?” Because I clean almost every diaper, wet or dirty, with the diaper sprayer, this still has never been a problem. Upon arriving home from being out, I bring any dirty diapers up to the bathroom to clean. If I used a few disposable wipes, they are still inside the diaper and promptly get thrown into the trash before the diaper gets sprayed. Again, easy as pie.

My daughter has quite sensitive skin, but we are fortunate to never have had a problem with any of the wipe solutions we have tried or with disposable wipes. I only use wipe solutions that are made specifically for that purpose and have only used fragrance free sensitive disposable wipes. Because of this, she stays happy during diaper changes even if she has a bit of a red bum or rash.

Although our hybrid approach is still sending some disposable wipes into the landfills (something I really do not like about disposable diapers), I know it could be worse. Each time I pull a clean cloth wipe from the laundry, I feel better knowing it is one disposable saved from our Earth. If you are looking to make the jump to using cloth wipes, rest easy knowing that even a hybrid approach like ours makes a difference.

Bio: Michelle is a part time stay at home mom to her 7-month-old daughter. When she isn’t reading cloth diapering blogs or scouring the Internet for fluff deals, she can be found reading, running, or out and about with her husband and baby girl.

Cloth Wipes: A Hybrid Approach

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How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes: Part 2

Once you have made your cloth wipes, what solution should you soak them in and how should you store and wash them?

There are many many recipes online that you can find by googling “cloth wipes solution.” Finding the right one for your baby’s bum can depend on many factors:

Is your baby’s skin very sensitive?
Do you like to measure or approximate?
Are you into all-natural essential oils?
Or do you hate having to make a special trip to Whole Foods for stuff like that?
Do you have any ongoing rash issues?
And the list could go on...

Ultimately it just takes a little trial and error to find something that works for you and your baby. Here’s what I ended up doing for my son:

I didn’t want to take the trouble to measure! I just wanted to squirt a little of this and a little of that into a container, shake it up and go. I started by doing about 2 cups of water (I did measure the first time or two to get a feel for how much water that looked like) and then adding 1 squirt of baby oil and 2 squirts of baby shampoo. Mix up a bit, add wipes, squeeze out excess, put in container, done!

I ended up cutting out the baby shampoo because it made the wipes smell a little musty after a few days, in my opinion. Additionally, when we moved to tropical south Florida where mildew abounds, I started adding a few drops of tea tree oil (natural anti-funk agent) to make sure that nothing funky was growing in that dark, moist environment. It does the trick nicely!

So now my “recipe” is: Eyeball how many dry wipes are in my stack, run some water into my wipes container, 1 squirt baby oil, a few drops of tea tree oil, swirl with fingers, add wipes stack, squeeze out and pour off excess, lay wipes back in container and done!

One note about the baby oil - go easy on the amount because while it helps the wipe to glide over baby’s skin, you don’t want to put oily stuff into the same wash load as your diapers. The amount I use makes the wipes feel slightly softened but not oily to the touch. I’ve been using this method for over a year and have had no problems with the very small amount of baby oil I add to the solution.

There is no wrong way to make wipes solution! Try out a bunch of different things, tweak it to how you like it and then go from there! It’s so easy!

One last note on storing and washing:
I use an old Huggies wipes container to store my wipes, but you can also use whatever you want! Any plastic container will do - an old tupperware from your kitchen is fine! Some people also like to use a wipes warmer, but beware the funk because warm, dark and moist is a favorite habitat for heebie-jeebie growth.

To wash, just throw them in your diaper pail with all your other diapers, put them through your regular wash routine all together, and lay flat to dry. At least with flannel, laying flat is helpful. They can be kind of stiff if they dry all bunchy. Just depends on whether bunchy wipes bug you or not.

Good luck making your own cloth wipes!!

By Stephanie G.

How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes: Part 2

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How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes: Part 1

Once you have completely switched over to the fabulous world of cloth diapers, you may find yourself faced with a conundrum...there isn’t a place to throw out wipes anymore! The diaper pail has been repurposed with a washable pail liner and is no longer the multi-purpose nursery room trash can that it once was. Plus, once you get used to that warm fuzzy feeling you get when thinking about how much you’ve reduced your trash output, throwing away wipes starts to feel weird in combination with cloth diapering. The good news is: cloth wipes are easy to use and you can make them yourself for free or cheap!!

You can of course buy cloth wipes when purchasing your other diapering supplies, but in my personal opinion, they can be sort of overpriced for what you are going to do with them - namely, wipe poop. Why spend $2 for one wipe when you can either repurpose another piece of fabric you have laying around, or buy a bit of flannel at the fabric store for much less? Let me tell you how easy it is to make your own wipes.

Option 1: You Have Very Basic Sewing Skills
The good news is that you don’t have to be a professional seamstress to sew wipes. Cut flannel or any other soft, absorbent fabric into rectangles or squares (you can either use a disposable wipe as a pattern to measure size, or just make them whatever size you darn well feel like!) and then use a basic zig zag stitch around the edge of each wipe. Allow the “zag” part of the stitch to go over the edge of the fabric, to seal it against unraveling.

I found personally that it was easier to stitch around a rounded edge than to navigate around a sharp corner. I just rounded off the edges of a big stack with my scissors and didn’t worry if they weren’t all perfect. Again - remember the wiping poop factor. It doesn’t matter if each one isn’t perfect. You aren’t going to frame them and hang them on the wall.

Option 2: You Couldn’t Sew if Your Life Depended On It
The good news is that not all fabric will fray on the edges. You can cut up a piece of knit fabric and it will roll its edges up a bit over time instead of unraveling. Allow for the shrinkage in size that the rolling will cause when you cut them out. I would allow about an extra 1/4 - 1/2 inch on each side.

For this option, just cut the fabric to whatever size you would like and you’re good to go! How easy is that??

Option 3: You Want To Be The Over-Achieving Mother Of The Year
If you have more experience sewing and want your wipes to be extra thick and cushy, you can sew two rectangles together (right sides facing in toward each other), leave a little hole to turn it right side out when you’re done, press the wipe flat with an iron, and then top stitch around the edges.

What Can I Use to Make Wipes?
You can make wipes out of any fabric you have laying around that is soft and absorbent. I say absorbent because the wipes must soak up the solution you use to make them wet. If you use fleece, that won’t happen. Here are some ideas of things you may have at your house:

Flannel receiving blankets
Burp Cloths
Old hand towels or wash cloths
Hubby’s old undershirts
That t-shirt from your sorority date function in 1998 that you still wear to bed but you should let it go.

If you repurpose fabric from an item that has been washed in regular detergent, you will probably want to wash it in your cloth diaper detergent (or at least give it a really hot rinse) before throwing in with the rest of your diapers just in case it has residue built up on it that could mess up your cute fluff!

By Stephanie G.

How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes: Part 1

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Real Diapers vs. Fake Diapers

I first encountered cloth diapers while working in an overcrowded donation center at our local crisis pregnancy center. I was just recently married with no children yet, and I  remember picking up a stack of prefolds and thinking, “Wow, they still make these? Who on earth would still be using cloth diapers in this day and age? I know I wouldn’t!” Just a few months later, I found my pregnant self wandering the baby aisles in the store, and I was shocked at the prices of disposable diapers. Since we were going to be living on just my husband’s salary as I stayed home with our baby, the task fell to me to figure out ways to save money. My midwife had suggested I look into cloth diapers because they are easy on the wallet, and I figured I should at least keep an open mind about it.

I had imagined cloth diapers to be the rubber pants anpins that my grandmother’s described, and at the time that wasn’t too appealing to me. After some fast and furious online research I found out that the cloth diapers of today are affordable and downright cute! I picked out the brand I wanted to try- a bumGenius 3.0 one-size pocket diaper . I also learned some other compelling reasons to cloth diaper: they’re better for the environment, softer for baby’s skin, and they harbor no harmful chemicals.

I was on board for cloth diapering, but my husband still wasn’t a big fan of cloth (or maybe it was just diapers in general!) So we started cloth diapering our newborn baby girl only part-time at first with 12 bumGenius 3.0’s. I loved them from the get-go. Not only did they hold her breastmilk poop explosions almost every time (the disposables were laughably languishing in that area), but we saved a ton of money! They more than paid for themselves within just a few months. Soon enough I became a cloth diapering addict and was determined to cloth diaper full time, even at night and while traveling. My favorites have always been the one-size diaper, because they grew with my baby from birth to toddlerhood, and have even lasted through two babies now!

When I first started cloth diapering I had no idea of the variety of choices! You can get them with snaps or velcro, in one size or fitted sizes, all in ones (with the prefold sewn in), or covers with prefolds! I had previously said I would NEVER use prefolds, I had always thought those way too old fashioned. Well, funny thing is, now they are becoming my go-to diaper for my second child! I never realized how easy they are to use. The Flip diaper and Econobum have given us great results so far, no leaks, and no stuffing involved after wash time! Prefolds have definitely provided an affordable diaper for us as a family cloth diapering more than one child.

I didn’t personally know anyone cloth diapering when I started my journey, so online resources like www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com have been invaluable to me as I have dealt with “fluffy” issues. When we encountered leaks with our pocket diapers, I learned to strip them and tried different detergents thanks to other mom’s online suggestions. It’s so nice to have support from somewhere!

Using the cloth diaper has also helped us to expand our ideas of things to “reuse.” We  now also use cloth wipes, cloth training pants, cloth napkins, more cloth towels instead of paper towels, and the list goes on! My husband finally did come around to appreciating all of the advantages of cloth and the savings it brings us. One day back when we were still part-time cloth diapering our first child (she was around 3 months old), I remembering hearing hear my husband yell out to me, “Do you want me to put a fake one or a real one on Claire?” I paused in disbelief. Did my husband just refer to cloth diapers as the “real ones” and disposables as the “fake ones”? I yelled back to him, “Put a real one on her!” Ah, the sweet smell of success- he was finally convinced!

Julie B. is wife to Timothy and WAHM to Claire (2) and Wesley (9 months).

Real Diapers vs. Fake Diapers

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My Name is Kathy and I'm addicted to cloth

My name is Kathy and I am 29 years old from Akron, Ohio.  I became a mom on May 18, 2010 when I gave birth to a healthy little 5lb 7oz baby boy named Noah.  I began cloth diapering when he was 3 months old and I have been completely addicted ever since.

I originally started cloth diapering because a friend of mine cloth diapers her little girl and I loved the idea of saving the environment, money, and my little ones bum from chemicals:)  I quickly became addicted to all of the different styles and accessories that go along with cloth diapering.  My main diaper is a Fuzzibunz perfect size but I've fed my addiction and expanded my collection to include Grovia, Kissaluvs fitted, Thirsties duo diapers, fab fitted, and duo wraps, hemp prefolds, and stay dry duo inserts.  I LOVE my fuzzibunz hanging dry bag because it unzips at the bottom so it does not fill with water during washing.  I also love my Budda Bunz wool dryer balls because they really speed up the drying time in the winter when I dry in the dryer.

In the summer time I love to hang dry my diapers and I get so excited to just smell everyone as I take them down because they smell sooooooooo good:)  I never thought I would use cloth wipes but I LOVE using those too and it's so much easier than I thought it would be.  My favorite are grovia.  I also make my own cloth wipes solution.  I use Honey Bun Drops Cloth Diaper Wipes Solution and I just love the oatmeal and shea butter scent.  Yummy!  My baby's bottom is so soft and free of any diaper rash!!!!  I never felt the need for a diaper sprayer.  I use grovia flushable liners instead when I know we are going to have a dirty diaper and I just take out the liner and flush it!  It's fabulous!  I am always looking at new goodies and new diapers to try to add to my collection DAILY and I just flip when my fluff arrives in the mail:)  I don't know why everyone doesn't use cloth diapers.  I love cloth diapering!!!!

By Kathy

My Name is Kathy and I'm addicted to cloth

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Diapering At Daycare

When I found out I was expecting my third child six years after my second, I was excited about a number of things—nursing again….watching my big kids interact with the baby…living closer to our families than we had when our older children were new.  And I was also psyched to cloth diaper again. I had cloth diapered our second child when he was at home, but the daycare center we used was unwilling to use them at school. I had been disappointed about that—as were several of his teachers, who had cloth-diapered their own children at home, and would have been glad to do it at school if the policy had permitted it.

I started interviewing daycare providers for Baby #3 while I was still pregnant, but I didn’t have to look long. I was thrilled to find a daycare provider who was perfect for us: a family friend who cared for two infants in her home. She was just the kind of loving person I wanted to care for my child. When I asked about cloth, she told me she was already using cloth with one of her babies and was happy to use it for our baby, too. “I won’t wash them, but I’m happy to use them!” I started planning my new stash, and when Sam arrived, stocked up on a variety of pocket diapers, mostly one-sized. I knew he would be our last baby, so I decided OS would be the best value for us. I bought extra wipes and a zippered wetbag and we were ready to roll when I returned to part-time work when Sam was about three months old.

The transition to daycare went smoothly (at least as far as diapers go). There was a learning curve for all of us, since I had never used cloth with a daycare provider (and since things had changed, mostly for the better, in six years!). At first we had some leaking issues, but that was largely due to having to figure out exactly which snap settings Sam needed on each diaper. I had shopped sales so we had a variety of styles, a mixture of applix and snap diapers. Our daycare provider preferred the Velcro ones (“it’s easier to get a good fit on him, although they all work well”), but I had preferred snaps when cloth diapering my second child.

I found that I needed more diapers than I had anticipated (or needed to wash more during the week, which was a less appealing option with three children and a job). I ended up with a stash of ten one-sized pocket diapers (BumGenius, Happy Heinys, Kissaluvs, and Fuzzibunz) and 4 medium pockets (HH and FB). This was enough to get us through two full days at daycare (and to keep two “easy diapers,” as my mom calls them, in the diaper bag for outings). At home, we used prefolds and covers, reserving the pockets for daycare days and for weekends. I bought a total of about 4 dozen wipes, which was enough to keep a comfortable supply at both home and daycare.

Cloth diapering Sam at daycare was a success. If I were doing it over (and buying a stash designed for daycare), I would buy applix diapers in one style only. That said, our daycare provider didn’t mind using the snap diapers, although the variety of snap placements did make things confusing from time to time. A simpler stash would have helped with that. With my second child, I had a completely eclectic stash and I loved it—fitteds, wool, pockets. Needing to wash and stuff diapers at night (often late) made simplicity more appealing this time around. But we have been happy to be able to use cloth diapers round-the-clock with Sam—we haven’t needed to buy disposables at all!

Anne-Marie is a mom of three fabulous children (9, 6 and 5 months) in Northern New England.

Diapering At Daycare

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Cloth Diapering in a Third World Country

Last year my husband and I had the opportunity to travel on a mission’s trip to the third world country of Guyana. It is the only English speaking South American country. My husband had been once before we were married but this was my first time and we now had a seven month old baby boy. We were there to share the gospel and teach young Christians about the Word of God. We were not with a team but on our own. We lived among the locals on a dock of a river.

I had been cloth diapering since my son Gideon was a couple months old so I decided when were planning our trip that I would be taking my cloth diapers with me. I had tried to find out as much information as I could before we traveled to Guyana about what the people of the country do with diapering and asked people who had been before but nobody knew. However I did discover that most of the trash was put into their local river and that played a big part in my not wanting to add my diapers to the river trash! So I packed my 20 bumgenius diapers and disposable wipes (this was before I switched to cloth wipes). Boy did they take up a lot of room in our two suitcases, but it was worth it to me.

When we arrived in Guyana we were there during the rainy season, meaning that pretty much everyday you could expect at least one torrential down pour. In addition to that Guyana is very, very hot! So that makes for very humid weather. I remember a couple days after we got there, we were at a family’s house that had a baby about my son’s age and I asked what they did for diapers. She told me that they did pampers and it would only take me a couple days before I would go buy some disposable ones too because my diapers would never dry. I of course told her that they would dry fine and I’m sure she thought I was just a crazy foreigner.

A couple days after we arrived in Guyana I decided it was time to give washing my cloth diapers a try. It was definitely not easy and it was a long process. The way you get water where we were staying was from a great big tank, that was on a tower to the side of your house, water came through little pipes to your “shower” and the kitchen sink. Sometimes it was warm since the temperatures were so high but you definitely didn’t get hot water. So not having the resources of a washer in Guyana I had to do my best with what I had. First I boiled a pot of hot water and placed all my rinsed diapers in a big tub. Then I placed some diaper detergent on the diapers and poured the boiling hot water on top of them. Then I “stirred” them the best I could with a stick and left them to soak till the water wasn’t so hot. Then I would take them out one at a time and scrub and rinse them with the cold running water. Then I would do my very best to wring as much water out as I could before taking my basket of diapers outside to the clothesline to dry.

Now if I could get them out there while the sun was shining for a while usually they would dry fast. However some days the sun didn’t shine and it rained or all of a sudden a cloud would dump rain on my almost dry diapers. So the days that I couldn’t hang them outside I would hang them inside and with the humidity it would take up to three days for them to dry. Now I knew why most of the locals didn’t mess with cloth diapers—it was frustrating. We were down there for two weeks and my cloth diapers survived and so did we! I now have a much better appreciation for my washer machine and how it saves me from so much work.

Stephanie Shelor is a stay at home wife and mother, married to the love of her life Joshua. They now have two little ones under the age of two—Gideon (18 months) and Tirzah (2 months) and are loving cloth diapering. Her blog is joshuaandstephanie.blogspot.com

Cloth Diapering in a Third World Country

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Dealin' With Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is one of the worst things in my opinion when it comes to diapering.  I’m willing to bet there are other moms out there who are frustrated with diaper rashes also, and as a fellow cloth diaper-er I wanted to share a few tips.

First off, my experience with diaper rash has been extensive.  My middle child, and now youngest also, are wheat-gluten intolerant (still going through inconclusive tests for Celiac disease).  There are diaper rashes, and then there are allergy diaper rashes.  You’re dealing with a whole other monster.  The rashes with our oldest lasted almost an entire year while we tried to find the culprit.

Whenever either of my children ingest a wheat or gluten product, there is massive diarrhea within 24 hours, and a large open blistering rash follows, usually with the first awful diaper.  Most people  can’t believe we choose to cloth diaper through diarrhea…but honestly it helps SO much.
 
We don’t have the “up the back” blowouts with our diapers, especially our bumGenius 3.0s.  It all stays contained nicely.  Using our own cloth wipes and homemade wipe solution saves money as we go through many in a short amount of time.  Our house also doesn’t stink (take your average stinky diaper and multiply it by 10 for an allergy diaper) because we use our diaper sprayer to put the entire stinky mess down the toilet, not into the trash.

Another thing we love about using cloth diapers is when the rash is so bad it starts to bleed (about day 2) we put on a flat or a pre-fold with a snappi and no cover.  They breathe nicely while still protecting our furniture/carpet.  As soon as they are wet/dirty we can tell and change them.  Nothing sits on their skin more than a few seconds.  This also helps dry the rash out so it can heal faster. 
A lukewarm bath with lots of baking soda in the bottom of the tub/sink helps heal them up.  We use Grandma El’s diaper cream after to help protect the rash area.  It smells nice and does a decent job protecting them.

Although we hate to do it, and it is hard to admit, there are times when we have to use disposables.  I know, I know.  Their rashes have gotten bad enough though that we have to put prescription cream on them because of infection.  Our diapers are an investment and I do not recommend using any diaper cream on your cloth that isn’t CD friendly.  Even with Grandma El’s we use a disposable liner to help protect the build-up on our diapers.  Along with that, we do what is medically necessary for them-bleeding blistered bottoms are nothing to mess with.
 
Thankfully our two year old is now potty trained and has learned to not eat every little thing he can get his hands on!  But now we’re starting the journey all over again with our 11 month old.  We’re just so glad we have cloth diapers and CD accessories to help us get through!

By Jenney
Jenney is a home daycare provider and mommy of three.  She has been cloth diapering since October, 2008.  www.thedraystoday.blogspot.com

Dealin' With Diaper Rash

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