Washing Cloth Diapers

Washing cloth diaper is not as complicated as washing was back in our parent's time, but there are still some things that are not intuitive to properly caring for your diapers.  For instance, when you first get your cloth diapers, you usually have to wash them multiple times to get them up to peak absorbency.  How many times you need to wash it before use is per manufacturer, so check on the manufacturer's website for first time washing instructions.

CAUTION! Many new washing machines come with a "sanitary" wash setting which they advertise as a setting for washing things like diapers.  Unfortunately, the ultra high heat of the sanitary cycle wears down the elastic and waterproofing lining on cloth diapers.  The detergent is there to get rid of the bacteria, you don't also need ultra heated water.




Washing cloth diapers

Step 1: Collect dirty diapers in a dry diaper pail, basket, etc.  Breastmilk poo can stay on, solids should be dumped in the toilet (you can use a diaper sprayer attached to your toilet or simply something like a plastic knife to scrape it into the toilet).

Step 2: Pre-wash or do a quick cold wash cycle to pre-rinse diaper and prevent staining. (For hot climates in the summer time it may be necessary to do the cold wash early in the morning so the water is actually cold enough!)

Step 3: Wash with detergent on hot water cycle with a cold rinse.  An extra rinse cycle might be necessary for hard water.  You'll know they're clean if there is no odor after washing.

Step 4: Dry according to manufacture instructions, generally all types they are fine on high heat in the dryer.  Line drying of course is fine for any cloth diaper and the sun provides extra bleaching and sanitizing power (although that does mean any colors on the diaper may fade in the sun, so best to put the inside facing the sun).

Absorption Tip: Don't use fabric softener in the washer or dryer sheets in the dryer as it makes the diapers less absorbent and prone to leaking.  You may also have problems with absorption if you use too much fabric softener and/or too many dry sheets in your regular wash loads and it is left over in the washer and/or dryer.

Staining Tip: Try putting some lemon juice on the stain (fresh from the lemon has the strongest stain-removal power) and lay it out in the sun.  After trying long soaks in all kinds of stain removers, I was amazed, lemon juice works the best over anything!




Most washers you can add a pre-wash cycle and extra rinse cycle to your wash cycle so you don't have to have to run the washer multiple times to clean your diapers.  For example, we set our washer to the "Normal" wash cycle setting, push the "Pre-Wash" button and the "Extra Rinse" button (b/c we have hard water) and it does it all in one wash.  I will often throw some essential lavender oil into the fabric softener tray as well for a nice clean scent.

Detergent
Avoid detergents with "brighteners" or "enzymes" as they tend to cause rashes.  We use Crunchy Clean Diaper Detergent and because our washer is HE (high efficiency) we just put 1 scoop to half a scoop in with the load depending on the size.  Crunchy Clean comes in lots of fun scents or unscented and is a small home business.  Other friends of ours have loved Charlie's Soap Laundry Power and Seventh Generation Free and Clear Detergent.  I also now have  heard of Rockin' Green Diaper Detergent, which is also a small home business, haven't tried them yet but will once our current package of detergent runs out!


Dirty Diaper Collectors

While Temujin was still breastmilk only (it barely smells and only when your nose is directly over it, so we didn't need a lid), we used this $3.99 laundry basket from Ikea.  We liked it because you can push the dirty diapers into the washing machine from the bottom of the bag and not have to touch any dirty diapers--we r smart.

Now that Temujin has started eating enough solids for it to smell we now use a 30 litre step-on lidded trash can with a washable bag. This trash can is awesome because it easily accommodates the thicker fabric of a washable bag unlike most trash cans that are only designed for thin plastic trash bags.  We could have gotten a normal diaper pail but none of them were purty enough.






For traveling we use a zippered hanging wet bag.  And it does keep the smell in!  Other possibilities are diaper pails or trash cans that can accommodate a washable liner.  Some people also have needed a locking mechanism for curious toddlers.

Washing Machine
We have an LG front-loading washing machine (I think it's this model) that we love dearly and was worth the splurge for the steam cycle; it de-wrinkles and cleans dry-clean only clothes!  Anyhow, I digress...I mention we have an LG front-loader washer because
a) it is highly water and energy efficient and  
b) the LG brand was specifically recommended to us by one of the top appliance repairmen in Los Angeles because it has less moving parts (uses an electro-magnetic motor instead of a belt-driven motor) and therefore breaks down less (and as a bonus is super quiet!).

In other words, if you're in the market for a washing machine and you know you'll be using it heavily (e.g. washing cloth diapers), check out LG washers.  There may be other manufacturers now using the same "Direct Drive" motors too.

Cloth Diaper Trials

Since finding the diaper(s) that fit your kidling best is trial and error, here are some deals that speed along that process!

Diaper Trials (for single or multiple diapers any size)

15 Day Trial:

http://nickisdiapers.com/pages/15DayWash.php

15 day trial of any cloth diaper, returns are store credit.

Two Week Trial:

http://www.nomorebummers.highpowersites.com/home.html

Two week trial of any cloth diaper, returns are store credit.

Diaper Trial Packages (multiple diapers)

21 Day Trial Package of Newborn Diapers:

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10/tryclothfor10

Put down a deposit of $150.09 and try the diapers out for 21 days.  The 21 days starts when you receive the package, not with your order date.  And you can order up to 3 months before your due date and the trial will begin with the birth of your baby.  You're refunded your deposit minus $10 and will receive free shipping on your first order or you can keep all of them for 10% off.

21 Day Trial Package:

http://www.cutecaboose.com/category_289/Cloth-Diaper-Trial-Package.htm

Put down a deposit of $92.41 - $107.86 (depending on the trial package you choose) and try the diapers out for 21 days.  You're refunded your deposit minus $10 and if you do like cloth diapers, you'll get a discount off your first order and $10 trial fee is waived.  You can also customize your trial package if you want specific ones.

30 Day Trial Packages:

http://www.squishytushy.com/samplers-trial-cloth-diaper-kits-c-158

Variety of 30 day trial packages that you can get either a refund or store credit for.  Example package: Purchase for $159.99 and receive either $118 in store credit or a $105 refund.

Two & Three Week Diaper Trial Packages:

http://www.diaperdaisy.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=28

Original Cloth Diaper Trial has a wide variety of diapers to try for two weeks without any obligation. Customizable Diaper Trial gives you three weeks with up to five brand new diapers of your choice.

30 Day Trial Package:

http://www.gogonatural.com/Love_em_or_Leave_em_Cloth_Diaper_Trial_Pack_111-100.html

$102 deposit and refund minus $15.  You get to keep the wet bag that comes with the trial.

There are more trials, but figured this was a good range of the different ones.  Post your favorite if you want!

Cloth Diapers Reviews size newborn/small (~2-3 months)

My goal for this round of diapers was to find a really trim fitting diaper/diaper combo that wicks away moisture as much as possible as versus economical choices like prefolds or one-size diapers.  Temujin currently has a 15" waist, 8" thighs and weighs 11lbs. 4ou.  (Also see 1/13/10 updates)

BumGenius! 3.0 All-In-One, size small

This is an all-in-one (AIO) diaper with the optional pocket to stuff extra pads if you want additional soaking power and only comes in Aplix (velcro).  It is a trim fit (especially for an AIO) although on Temujin it is quite snug around the thighs and therefore it can't be velcroed to her waist quite as tight as it could be.  Has good soaking power, hasn't leaked and we haven't had to stuff extra pads in.  It wicks away moisture pretty well but she feels the pee fast enough to need a change pretty soon after.  I'm not a fan of where the laundry taps are placed because it is farther over than just folding over the tab.  Also don't like the Drying time seems to be 80 minutes, maybe less in our dryer.  Not my favorite overall but is a cheap option, we bought it new for $12.95.  This is a popular diaper so easy to get used ones as well.

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, size small

These are just great, really durable diaper covers (see previous review).  The fit now between the legs on Temujin are fine in this next size up, in fact, nice trim fit everywhere on her right now.  Great, like I said in size newborn reviews, for the fabric-like lining on the inside.  Still wish it was available in snaps in any of the colors they offer (snaps is only available in white).  Very economical price around $12.25 new and also a popular diaper cover, so easy to get used.

Dream-Eze Organic Cotton All-In-One, size small

Another AIO diaper that only comes in snaps (and organic cotton).  This diaper is a super soaker, we like it for nighttime.  It wicks away moisture pretty well and she can pee in it multiple times, but it's not the best at keeping her dry (maybe that's because shes peeing so much into it).  It doesn't have a pocket for extra pads but it doesn't need it.  Because it does have so much padding, it is bulky between the legs but the overall fit is perfect on Temujin and is trim everywhere else besides between the legs (fits really great around her chunky thighs).  For all the soaking power, the drying time is surprisingly not the longest, seems to be 80 minutes, maybe less in our dryer.  A favorite of my dad and I but for the price, cost us $20.95 for a new one.  Haven't seen many of these used to buy.

FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diaper

This is one of the only 2 one size diaper I was interested in trying...no snaps or anything on the outside, just adjustable elastic around the legs.  The one size works well and it even fit well between her legs before when we were having trouble with that.  It is also a trim fit, even with her being on the smallest side of the wide range of fit.  Great easy diaper that comes with two micro-terry soaker pads and wicks away moisture really well, the best of all that we have tried.  Another diaper we like to use at night.  Dries really fast, they dry in 20 minutes in our dryer (would be a great choice if you like line drying)--we usually just hang them to dry since they dry too fast compared to other diapers getting dried at the same time.  That being said, neither Paul nor I are a fan of the pocket aspect of the diaper where you have to stuff in the soaker pad.  You can just put the pad on top and not stuff it in, but it doesn't wick as well then.  Paul also is not the biggest fan of all the snaps on the waist--neither of us bother with the third snap.  Not our favorite despite it being such a great diaper, unfortunately. Retails new around $18.95 (not bad of a price since it's like 2 diapers for that price with the two soakers and lasts a long time for sizing!) and is also a popular diaper, so easy to get used.

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper, size small

Ditto to what I said about the FuzziBunz One Size Diaper except that it's easier to snap closed and a trim fit on her right now...although strangely a bit wider between the legs than the one size.  Retails new around $17.95 and easy to get used as well.

Gen-Y Diaper Cover, size small

This is really big on her right now despite her dimensions being in the thigh and waist range, so seems to be weight is the better determinant on picking size for this diaper cover.  Got it because they had unique, cool designs (got her the black skull one).  Critique on them later when they fit her better.
1/3/10 update: Don't like this cover at all, has too much material at the waist and the elastic for the waist and legs does not fit tightly at all.  And for the price of $16.99 new, those unique, fun patterns aren't so attractive for no functionality!

Gro Baby Organic Cotton One Size Diaper

This diaper sounded so fantastic but I actually ended up not liking it as much as others.  Made by the same company as Dream-eze, so again, only comes in organic cotton.  Since I liked the FuzziBunz diapers so much, this one sounded like the solution to pocket stuffing problem as you just snap the soaker pads into place.  And even cooler, you can buy biodegradable snap-in pads for when you're traveling!  It comes in aplix or snaps, but you have to pay extra for the snaps version.  I have to say I was impressed by the aplix version because the velcro can fold down anywhere on the diaper 'shell' (this diaper's company's term for cover) but the shell's fabric doesn't pill and get worn and fuzzy looking.  Best way to have velcro in my opinion if you have to have velcro!  Because this is a one size diaper, it is fairly large on her yet, but would fit it for quite some time.  I like the shell of the diaper, it is really easy to use (don't have to flip the velcro tabs down while changing!) and I use it as a cover for other pads we have.  Neither of us we're enamored with the snap-in soaker pad and booster pad it comes with.  The soaker pad is shaped nicely so that we never snap it in because it doesn't move, but it wrinkles up funny so that it seems we have to smooth it down to put it on right.  It also doesn't wick very well and often is a little damp where it wrinkles up more after being in the dryer for the 120 minutes setting!  However we have not had to use the booster pad it comes with, it has done just fine on the soaking power.  All in all, I really wanted to love this diaper because the innovative ideas of the diaper but in reality, this diaper needs some fine tuning on the engineering side.  It also didn't help our opinion of the diaper with the price of $24.95 new and $16.95 for a 2 pack of the snap-in booster pads but considering it is a one-size diaper that should last all or most of a kid's diapering days that's not bad.

Haute One Size Microterry Insert

Got these on sale for $2.99 (normally around $5.75) and actually really love them.  Same awesome absorbency and wicking of the FuzziBunz, have had times where we had to squeeze the pad to be sure she really did pee.  They're also an amazing twofer deal since it's two pads that can snap together--one is small and the other large and contoured to fit the diaper cover better.  Right now the small insert fits perfectly into her diaper cover (large ones probably won't be useful for awhile) for the trimmest fit of any of the options we tried!  Also way less bulk for the diaper bag while traveling.  Drying time is 10 minutes in our dryer, also a great option for line-drying peeps.  The only drawback to these is they tend to not protect the diaper cover from poo, so you have to change the diaper cover more often than with fitted diapers.  All in all, easiest to use and crazy cheap!

Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper, size 1

Temujin's close to outgrowing her size 0's of these so we got the next size up but they just barely fit they're so huge on her.  We got some of the old kind and the new kind, so critique on them later when they fit her better.

1/3/10 update:  I like the size 0 ones better because they only have one snap on each side, the bigger size has two.  I can see why they did two because the bigger size gets "wing droop" (i.e. the sides hang out away from the line of the waist) when you have to snap it so far in when baby is still small for the diaper.  There also just seems to be too much fabric above the waist and we have to tuck the diaper in around the legs and waist because they cover too far down her legs and up her waist (if it sticks out of the diaper cover, they you have seepage!).  I could see the problem of extra fabric disappearing when she is bigger however.  On the other hand, they do have a crossover button snap (usually crossover is only a function you can have with velcro--see picture) which is nice because we've been using that button setting.  Paul still really loves these and we both are still really happy with how much they absorb and keep poo from escaping, so overall it's still a diaper we like enough to buy.  We got them new for $12.95 in the new v.2 style and $9.95 for the old style.  Haven't been able to tell a difference between the two styles yet!

SposoEasy All In One Diaper, size small

This is my favorite diaper, really trim fit, almost as trim as the Haute inserts with a cover and it's AIO!  Comes in snaps or aplix.  Soaking power is great, never wanted to add a booster and wicks almost as great as the microterry.  Fits awesome around her legs and is designed to not have a seam at the leg opening so you never get any diaper imprint on the leg.  Drying time is about 80 minutes or less in our dryer.  Made in the USA and you can get it in hemp or organic cotton for $2 more.  It's not as cheap as BumGenius! 3.0, but for around $16.75 new for an AIO, it's not bad.  Also a fairly popular diaper, so fairly easy to get used.  Love it!

1/3/10 update:  Thirsties Diaper Cover, size x-small

Oops, forgot to put this diaper cover in the original post of this (see also review in previous post).  This diaper cover is still easy to use, awesome fit (those gussets are really great now!) and lightweight, but the fuzzy part of the velcro has come unraveled for the most part.  It is so fuzzy that we have a hard time pulling the velcro tabs off of it because so many fibers from the fuzzy part are in the way.  I am torn on whether I would recommend this diaper cover or not because it is the best fitting diaper cover on Temujin but it wore out really fast!  Retails new for around $11.

A note: I absolutely hate velcro tabs by the way...quite possibly a bit irrationally so.  Paul doesn't really care one way or the other, but considers velcro slightly easier to put on.  I hate velcro because I'm anal about getting the damn velcro folded down on the laundry tabs during changings and for going through the laundry.  I dislike if you forget to get the tabs secured away they will snag the fabric on the diaper/diaper cover and will create a ball of diapers in the wash that usually doesn't clean all the way through.  Also, the "fuzz" part of the velcro breaks down and gets fuzzier and looks bad as well.  Lastly, Paul and I are fantastically lucky to have many people around to help out with Temujin, but I'm constantly reminding people to get the tabs down and that's no fun for any of us.

Which is cheaper, cloth or disposable diapers?

    Obviously in the short term, disposables are much cheaper--a whole box of disposables costs roughly the equivalent to just two or three of the most expensive type of cloth diapers.  On the other hand, you can't buy used disposable diapers (ewww) like you can with cloth diapers.  In the long term is where the real cost lies.  
    First, you have to consider how long your child(ren) will be in diapers.  The longer they are in diapers, the higher the cost of disposables and the lower of cloth.  Thus multiple children (not twins, but different aged siblings) will be much cheaper in cloth than disposables.  Anyhow, here are the numbers, thanks to this study.

18 months of diapers for 1 child

Disposable = $2577

Cloth =  $590 - $1887 (includes washing cost)

18 months (or 36 months total) for 2 children

Disposable = $5155

Cloth = $799 - $2096 (includes washing cost)

Disposable Cost

The study used prices from 2 of the least expensive popular disposable diapers at a discount chain store (I'm assuming Walmart or Costco).  They factored in the cost of newborn size through size 6 training pants.  Having never used disposables, (except for a few in newborn size while we were waiting on our cloth diapers to arrive), do not know the cost involved personally, so if those of you that use disposables have different numbers to weigh in, please post!

Cloth Diapers Cost

Cloth diapers generally hold up well for use by two children, after two you'll probably need to buy some replacements in each size (we're using some diaper covers that are still working with our kid as the 3rd to use them!).  I checked out the cloth diaper prices of the study and they are accurate.  I personally wash almost every day but that's because I don't have 36 diaper changes like they account for in the study.  In any case, they came up with $36/gas water heater or $122.40/electrical water heater for 30 months as washing cost...I'm using my own numbers as I also account for detergent cost.

Prefolds + Diaper Cover (Cheapest) = $381

More Expensive Cloth Diaper Options = $1678

Washing Cost = $139/yr
Detergent Cost for an average of 4 loads per week = $33.16/yr

Electrical Cost of a cheapo Top Load Washer ($37) & Dryer ($69.12) = $106.12/year 

**For those of you not familiar with cloth diapers, you generally don't need to buy every size of diaper or even 36 of each size.  You can also buy gently used diapers from online stores or Craigslist for significant savings.  Gently used sometimes works better since they've be washed enough to be the most absorbent (new ones you have to pre-wash them 2-6 times to get them to the most absorbent).



The math is all broken down to all the different kinds of diapers in the study if you'd like to see the details.  If anyone has more specific numbers or corrections, please post!

Cloth Diapers Reviews size newborn

Temujin is growing fast and about to outgrow her newborn cloth diapers, so I thought I'd share what Paul and I discovered so far. I also included what friends thought about the cloth diapers they used.


Diaper Reviews

Prefolds
We haven't actually used prefolds for anything but burp cloths, changing pads, and blankets so far but friends that did use prefolds loved them because they are by far the cheapest and are also easy to use. Being so cheap you can buy in bulk and have to do laundry less frequently. They are also the only option if you wanted to have a diaper service wash your diapers for you. Some friends used Snappi's fasteners to keep the prefold in place (instead of safety pins) but others learned to arrange the prefold in the diaper cover so it stayed in place and never used fasteners.





Fitted Diapers
There are many brands that make fitted diapers either with velcro or snap fastenings and you use them with a diaper cover. We used Kissaluvs Organic Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diapers and Kissaluvs Cotton Fleece Fitted Diapers in size 0 - newborn. We, and friends that used them, loved Kissaluvs Fitted Diapers for two reasons, first of which was how well they fit. The newborn size has a snap setting to allow the diaper not to rub on the umbilical stump and they come small enough that they fit her as a small newborn of 6lbs. 14oz. (were pretty bulky at first, but did actually fit). We also like them because they have never leaked once (which with breastmilk poo is a big plus). Now, of the two, we like the cotton fleece (not the cotton/hemp ones) the best because they 1) dry faster in the dryer, 2) keep her drier when she pees (less chance of diaper rash then) and 3) are cheaper. The weird thing about the cotton/hemp ones is that there was a HUGE size variability in them despite them all being size 0 - newborn (which is frustrating when you're trying to buy the tiniest size possible to fit your newborn!). The good thing about the cotton/hemp ones that turned out tiny, were the only ones that fit her as a newborn. So in the beginning the cotton/hemp ones were the only ones we could use. The other bonus to the cotton/hemp ones is they come with a snap-in diaper pad. We actually didn't find much of a difference with the pad snapped in for function of the diaper, but they do make great pads (usually put two in at once) to put in the diaper cover if you've run out of clean diapers. On the other hand, the cotton/hemp ones plaster themselves to her when wet and easily create diaper rash if she isn't changed fast, which is why overall we perfer the plain cotton fleece diapers. The downside we've found with fitted diapers is that they are expensive, bulky to pack up for traveling and they take a long time to dry in the dryer--1 1/2 hours in the dryer for the cotton fleece and 2 hours for the cotton hemp!!


Inserts & Soaker Pads
We had a multiple inserts/soaker pads, the first of which was the aforementioned snap-in diaper pad/soaker that came with the cotton/hemp diapers. These were wide enough at the back to work quite well by themselves (i.e. enough coverage not to also soil her diaper cover) in her diaper cover when Temujin was first born, although like I said, we usually doubled them since they are fairly thin. We also had some Kissaluvs Booster Doublers which are more tapered and thinner on width but much thicker and absorbent than the cotton/hemp ones. We usually used a Kissaluvs Booster Doubler on top of one the cotton/hemp pads to make a "diaper" for when we were out of clean fitted diapers, but they also work well to put in a fitted diaper for extra absorbency at night and also keep her more dry in a wet diaper. We also had two FuzziBunz Microfiber Inserts that came with the FuzziBunz One Size Diaper we received from the baby shower which work great as a pad in the diaper cover when baby is bigger newborn size--and most importantly, it was the one pad we used that kept her really dry. Last of all, we had some Japanese diaper pads from my cousin, which are from a Japanese baby store called Akachan Honpo--can't find a link to them because I sadly cannot read Japanese, but they worked very well as a "diaper" as well and seemed like they would be inexpensive if you went to Japan or had a friend that could bring them from Japan for you.




Diaper Covers
When Temujin was first born, we used a newborn Imse Vimse Bumpy Swim Diaper as a diaper cover because it had by far the tightest fit of anything we had. The others we would use if the swim diaper was dirty. It was not the easiest "diaper cover" to use for changing because it only had snaps for one leg. As for snap closure as versus velcro closure, I personally like snaps better and Paul likes either. The one disadvantage of velcro covers is the extra step of keeping the velcro tab part on their wash tabs so they don't snag the diaper cover or grab onto other things in the wash, but they do tend to be the cheaper diaper cover options.
Another cool thing with diaper covers (as vs all-in-one diapers) is the diaper cover acts as a changing pad.

Bummis
We had several Bummis brand covers, all of which worked well. The Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper covers in NB (newborn) size are nice in that they have a fabric lining inside so they never stick to the skin, have cute patterns and are easy to use velcro fastening. For Temujin they were very large overall and wide between the legs when she was first born and now at 8 weeks, they are still fairly wide between the legs. Looking up online, she apparently is a skinny baby, thus the extra width between the legs, which led me to get a Bummis Super Brite diaper cover as they have a narrow width between the legs. The Super Brite has a higher rise (good for our, skinny girl), extra gusseting around the legs (which we didn't need the extra protection with fitted diapers) and has a slick inner lining. The slick inner lining is great for wiping it out if something does get on it so you don't have to wash it, but it does stick to the skin when wet, again leading to a greater possibility of diaper rash. But overall, we liked the fit better on Temujin than any of the covers we had for her in newborn size.

Thirsties
We liked the Thirsties Diaper Cover for the same reason we liked the Super Whisper Wrap in that the inside is fabric-like and super easy to put on.  It is also the least bulky cover for traveling and cheapest cover that we have. However, the smallest size did not fit Temujin for several weeks, although other friends that used this cover were able to use it almost immediately.



How many should I get?
We currently have 21 fitted diapers, plus the various pads and inserts, and we do laundry once or twice a day. If we always used up most of the pads and inserts as well as the fitted diapers we would only being doing a diaper load once a day. The thing that we did not take into account is you need diapers for baby to wear while you're washing and drying the diaper load. Usually this means we need about 4-6 changes while the diapers are going through the current four hours of laundering (2 hours in the washer, 2 hours in the dryer). As for diaper covers, we currently have 5 covers and rarely have used more than two before doing a diaper load again.
Another friend that also used the Kissaluvs fitteds had 24 of them for the newborn size and did laundry every other day.
One of our friends using prefolds had 12 newborn prefolds and 24 regular size prefolds and five covers. She tended to use about 20 of the prefolds and 4 covers in two days, therefore doing laundry every other day. However, only two of the covers were small enough for their baby's first few weeks, so they had to do laundry every day.