Cloth diaper update

I wrote last spring about our switch to cloth diapers. We are sill going strong! My youngest will be turning 1 next week, so we have been using them for about 7 months. That's big savings!! The diapers we chose are "All in Ones" or AIO diapers. This means that they do not have a separate diaper cover. They are also "pocket diapers" there is a slot to insert a liner, or a couple liners for overnight. I like that I can choose the absorbency as I need it for different situations. The above is an open diaper, the brand is Rumparooz. I particularly like the inner gussets in these diapers, they prevent leaks and blowouts!

The above picture shows how this type of diaper grows with your baby. All the snaps are undone, so this is sized for a large baby or toddler. To make the diaper smaller, you snap down the front of the diaper so the rise is lower and the leg openings are smaller. I love that we only need ONE size diaper!! It is true that they grow with your baby!!!


This picture shows the "pocket" with a liner inserted.


Here is my little man modeling his Bum Joy diaper!


Diaper with liner.


This shows the diaper snapped down for a newborn. Again, I can't say enough how much I like that they grow with your baby!


This is a Bum Joy brand diaper, sold on Etsy.

I have learned quite a bit about cloth diapers over the last few months. I'm sure that other mamas will have different opinions about some things, but hopefully this will help you decide which kind of diapers you will like. I like diapers with snaps and not velcro. I don't like that the velcro seems to stick all the diapers to each other in the wash. Other parents like the more custom fit that you can get with velcro vs. snaps. I like the fleece liners vs cotton liners. The fleece has microfiber on the inside for absorbency. Fleece does not feel as wet against the skin as cotton and seems to be more absorbent. I know that some will prefer a natural fiber such as organic cotton or wool.

As for cleaning the diapers, at first I was worried that I would be spending all my time washing or scrubbing diapers, but it isn't so! It has been so much easier than I thought. We have a diaper pail that sits on top of the washing machine, it is literally a bucket (like one that would be used to mop your floors). I just throw the diapers into the pail all day long. I do not pretreat or soak diapers. I do knock any solid waste into the toilet first before putting them into the pail. I haven't invested in a sprayer yet, but you can buy a sprayer that attaches to your toilet that can be used to spray off any solids that are stuck to the diapers. Each night before going to bed, or after my kids are in bed, I throw the diapers into my washer on the heavy cycle with regular detergent. If I'm still up when the wash is finished I will throw them in the dryer, otherwise I dry them first thing in the morning. There is no folding for me, as I just throw them in a basket once clean!

I'm still convincing my husband to also use cloth wipes, but I'm sold. It is just as easy to use cloth wipes once you are using cloth diapers, they go in the diaper pail and in the same wash load. I have flannel wipes that go right in the basket with my cloth diapers, I have squirt bottle of cleaning solution that I use to wet them right before I use them. You can make your own cleaning solution too:

Diaper cleaning solution:
-2 cups water
-2 tablespoons olive or other oil
-2 tablespoons baby soap (liquid)
-2 drops lavender essential oil (or other based on your preference)
-2 drops tea tree oil

Happy diapering!