Round one cloth diapering Q&A

I am excited about my readers’ interest in cloth diapering.  I am more than happy to share my experience with it.  Here are a few past questions.

New Nikki and Danny blog follower:  What do you use?

Nikki:  Regular Chinese Prefolds,  Bummis Super Whisper Wraps in snaps, also the aplix (velcro) kind, proraps, doublers, and fleece pockets.  Proraps are actually my favorite cover because of the gusseted legs.  They really make a difference.  Flannel wipes I make out of 9 inch squares of flannel.  Some are one layer wipes.  Some are two layer.  You can also buy flannel wipes online through ebay, etsy, and more places like ComfyBummy.com.  We have all-in-ones, but we don’t use them.  I think they’re gross actually because it seems like I can’t get the smell out of them.

Devoted and related Nikki and Danny blog reader:  How do you wash them?

I dump the pail of dirty and wet diapers in the washing machine and run it on hot wash with this detergent.  It doesn’t suds up and gets them really clean.  And it’s cheaper too.  For my front-loader washing machine it only takes 1 tablespoon per load.  I fill the fabric softener cup with distilled white vinegar.  This balances the PH and makes them come out clean and fresh smelling.  With three in diapers, I’m cutting corners and not hanging them all dry.  This WILL wear out the diapers faster though.  It’s a compromise really. 

The covers get washed with my white laundry unless they have poop on them.  If poopy, I wash them in the sink first and then throw them in with the white laundry.

Do you use a wet diaper pail or a dry one?

Dry.  Definitely.  With at least two in diapers at a time, I reach a load in a little over a day preventing the stink level from taking over the bathroom.  I used to do a wet pail with my first thinking it would help prevent stains.  But seeing as these are prefolds and now we’re on the fifth and sixth babies using them, I don’t care if they get stained because I don’t plan on reselling them.  I think I’ve certainly got my money’s worth out of them.  Covers stain a little easier because they aren’t 100% cotton.  The covers don’t go in the pail anyway.  The covers get washed with the whites making sure the velcro is closed so as not to snag anything.  The doublers and fleece liners also go in the pail.

What if you get a poopy diaper?  Are you ready to throw in the towel, so to speak? 

Nope.  Not with fleece liners.  I pull the diaper and doubler out of the pocket and drop them in the diaper pail.  Then I dunk the fleece pocket in the toilet water to get the poop off.  The cold water really helps loosen it.  Use gloves if you’re grossed out.

Do you make your own? 

I make fleece pockets and flannel baby wipes.  I have also made my own doublers.  When I’m using disposables I use disposable homemade baby wipes. 

New Nikki and Danny blog reader:  Have you cloth diapered many?

I cloth diapered Pookie starting at 5 months. 

Gabbers was cloth diapered until she started showing signs of allergies to everything.  We thought possibly the vinegar in the rinse cycle.  We switched her to Pampers Cruisers for a spell.  Then back into cloth again.

I cloth diapered Bun most of his diapering days. 

Hammy has been cloth diapered about half because of overwhelming nausea at the beginning of my twins’ pregnancy and then being overwhelmed with three in diapers.

The twins have been cloth diapered for one day.  I decided I would finish the size 2 diapers we had and then put them in cloth.  We’re almost there.

Appalled mother at church:  Are you planning on cloth diapering your twins? 

No way!  (Yes I am.  I really am.)  Sometimes I’m a closet cloth diaperer.  Why?  People are weird and try to educate me on how I actually do not save money cloth diapering.  I know the reality of it and see the savings in my bank account and my piece of mind knowing I’m not going to be sending 150 diapers a week to the landfill.

I am sure I missed more questions.  Please leave them in the comments and I’ll endeavor to answer them in our next round of cloth diapering Q&A.  Here are the next questions I plan on addressing:

All of these terms are new to me.  Can you explain in laymen’s terms?

Do you cloth diaper at night?

Do you cloth diaper when traveling or on vacation?

Do you cloth diaper when running errands or going to church?

There is something so endearing about a huge cloth diapered tushie. I cloth diapered the twins a few days ago. 

I found that I had no desire to use the cloth diapers that didn't have fleece pockets.  Fleece pockets make it SO much easier for when there's a poopy diaper.  So I'm going to sew up a bunch this week out of my fleece remnants.  They are unbelievably easy to make.  So if you're a cloth diaper mama and are interested, or know someone about to have a baby and want to make an inexpensive gift, check back next week for a step-by-step Fleece Pocket tutorial for Frugal Friday.