First off, I am by no means an expert in this arena. Not by any stretch of the imagination... or the elastic waistband of Caleb’s bumGeniuses. (Case in point, I accidentally sprayed myself in the face with the diaper sprayer the first time I used it. Guess my sub-conscience knew that this sleep-deprived mama was in sore need of a shower...) But I have had a few of my mama friends ask me how I was fairing in the world of cloth diaperhood. So let me detail a few of the specifics and why we chose what we did.
Reasons We Crossed Over to the Cloth Side:
My primary reason for looking at cloth diapers was from the vantage point of our family wallet. Disposables kicked bums and took names with regards to our budget! At $40 a box every 2-4 weeks, three years in disposables is quite the investment. I’ve read a bit of research that suggests that just 2 years in disposables costs a family $1600... and that’s not including the wipes. And since our boys took a little longer to potty train, I was looking at over $2000 per kiddo! And on a side note, I shuddered at the thought of all those disposables piled high in some landfill nearby. It’s estimated that these diapers take anywhere from 250 to 500 years to decompose. That’s one gnarly carbon butt-print. ;) (Check here for more info.)
Breaking It Down: Which Cloth Diaper To Choose?
A friend of mine (the one that got me interested in cloth diapering to begin with!) had several types of cloth diapers. And after giving me the pros and cons of each, I started doing some research on my own. After HOURS of reading, we landed on the bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper (found here). It is an insert diaper that is adjustable from 8 to 35+ pounds. And from all I could tell, this was the cloth diaper with the most positive reviews. We started using them with Caleb at about 5 weeks old (we used disposables up until then due to his circumcision healing, umbilical cord falling off, and since we got several boxes as gifts). It comes in either snaps or hook and loop (velcro); we chose snaps after reading that the velcro can tend to lose its grip after a while. And if you buy in bulk from this website, you’ll get a discount as well as free shipping! We ended up purchasing 24 cloth diapers, and I wash them every three days.
Then What About Wipes?
Well, in my mind, it was either “Go big or go home.” I mean, if I am already gonna wash the diapers, why use disposable wipes? And where exactly am I gonna put disposable wipes after they’ve done the dirty work, anyway? So my mind was made. We went with flannel wipes, too. And it’s really no big deal. I bought 3 packs of bumGenius flannel wipes (36 total), and that has been MORE than enough. (find 'em here) To use these flannel wipes, you can either store them moist or have a water spray bottle handy. Or you can go glam and spray that baby bum with THIS. Bum Cleaner. I bought two, one for home and one for the diaper bag. I may eventually switch to a little spray bottle of water, but for now I like the scent of this all-natural spray.
Where Do I Store The Used Diapers?
Not in the diaper pail that your mama used! :) We have a Planet Wise Wet/Dry Hanging Bag that we purchased on Amazon. (find 'em here) It can hold 20+ cloth diapers and can be thrown into the wash along with the diapers! (Side note: I bought two smaller versions of this same wet/dry bag to use in my diaper bag when we’re out and about.) And there’s NO STINK. Seriously. I use a 3M hook and hang the bag right beside the boys’ bathroom toilet... the same toilet I have rigged with THIS...
The Ultimate Cloth Diapering Tool
The bumGenius Diaper Sprayer. Get it. It will be your cloth diapering best friend. No more dunking and scrubbing with your bare hands, old school style. I think this was the deal-maker for my hubs, who ironically, works in a hospital and has to wash his hands every two seconds anyway. But I get it. Minimizing physical contact with yesterday’s pureed baby food is appealing to me, too.
And When It’s Time for Suds?
Washing the diapers is no biggie. Especially with the Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag! I just dump the bag into the wash, throw the bag in, and wash it all on hot (setting the cycle for a pre-soak and extra rinse). You do have to be careful what kind of laundry detergent you use. I am using bumGenius’s specially made detergent for now, but other folks use any type that is free of fragrances, softeners, and fillers. To dry, we hang the diaper on a drying rack and throw the inserts and wipes into the dryer without dry sheets.
Bottom line: So far, I don’t mind cloth diapering! It is a little more work, but we’ll save upwards of $2000 over the next 3 years while keeping mad amounts of disposable diapers out of nearby landfills. And I can live with that. :) And if you’re interested in joining the journey with me, we can learn together as we go!!
