Cloth Diapers aren’t just for Hippies, Cloth Diapering 101

I never really planned to cloth diaper.

Poop, in my washing machine?! Eww….

But, then by God’s grace two of my friends who had babies a couple years ahead of me shared their experiences with me. My amazing friend (and neighbor) even showed me her set up. I watched a few youtube videos, and I realized this whole cloth diapering thing didn’t seem so bad after all. And TBH, they are actually super cute!

So, I plan to share the basics in the simplest, non-intimidating way possible (I by no means proclaim to be an “expert” at cloth diapering). I have been doing it for the last almost 4 years with the exception of the past 6 months (I gave myself a break since we moved into our new-to-us house just before having baby #3 in a little over 3 years).

I recently made time to pull my diapers back out and begin using them again.

Pros of Cloth diapering:

• They are cost-effective, especially for multiple kiddos. I think we invested between 200 and 300 dollars up front. And then of course, you pay for detergent (I had one bum genius detergent pouch I paid 15 bucks for last me 6 months, so that is not a huge cost and the water to wash them, but again, that is hardly anything for us). After you’ve used them enough times they pay for themselves, and now the way I look at it, every time we choose to use a cloth diaper instead of a disposable, we save about 20 cents. If we do that 5 times a day, that is $1 per day. If I do that for all 3 of my boys, that would be $3/day, $90/month, $1080/year (give or take). We do a hybrid system in that I put my boys in disposables at night just so I don’t have to worry about them wetting through and so I can use diaper rash cream when needed. I also like to keep the size they are in on hand for when we are out and about or especially when I drop them off at the church nursery (I don’t expect the nursery workers to change cloth diapers).
• They help you reduce your environmental footprint by reducing the waste your family makes! Seriously- disposable diapers take forever to decompose.
• They are actually really cute and I think fun (except for the poo) and easy to use.

What kind to use?

So there are so many kinds to choose from (all in one vs pocket, one sized fits all vs only one size, so many different fun brands to choose from), and honestly, I just decided to use the ones my friends did because I trusted their judgment. I also liked that I didn’t have to buy multiple sizes- I could by the one-size fits all and that would mean they would be able to use for the duration of the time my boys are in diapers.

Check out all 3 of my boys in the same diaper (just sized for them) at 6 months, 2 years and 3.5 years:

**this post contains affiliate links at no additional cost to you**

So we chose the Bum Genius 4.0 and go, One-Sized Fits All (truly) Pocket Diapers. I got them in bulk from Nurtured Family and a few more individual ones from Buy Buy Baby with the 15% off coupon. You can also find them on amazon or on the Bum Genius Website (they’ve come out with SO many cute options since we first purchased ours years ago).

Since I purchased my diapers almost 4 years ago, they have come out with the 5.0 (bumGenius Original One-Size Pocket-Style Cloth Diaper 5.0 (Mirror))version which is still very similar.

Break down of this one-sized fits all pocket diaper:

It comes in 3 parts:
-a water proof pocket/covering part

-a newborn insert (or booster)

-an adjustable terry cloth insert

These diapers fit babies 8-35 lbs (you can watch the video to see how to size them).

small size: 8-17 lbs

medium: 18-22 lbs

large: 23-35 lbs

You can buy so many different types of inserts to add to the pocket part. I have just used the ones that came with the diapers for the last (almost) 4 years. I have had to “strip” my diapers a few times (which now the manufacturer doesn’t recommend, but they used to). But for the most part, they have held up very well. You can buy replacement inserts from Bum Genius. I have also heard great things about the  Thirsties Hemp Inserts and the charcoal bamboo inserts Charcoal Bamboo Inserts . I may try those soon, and get back to you.

You can try finding used diapers on Facebook groups (people sell them often) and then you can strip them or bleach them to disinfect.

Also, it is very important to wash all of your diapers several times (4-6) before using them for the first time (to make them absorbent). And the manufacturer does not recommend using diaper cream with cloth diapers (I use disposable when my boys have a rash, and my favorite cream is Dr. Smiths).

How many diapers do you need? I say around 20, give or take for one kid (you can do with a little less). This way you need to wash diapers every couple of days. It’s not good to let your diapers sit for more than 2 days before you wash them (though I have been guilty of this at times).

How did I cloth diaper with 2?

We got a few more diapers- I think I have 27 or so now. I sized about 2/3  (maybe a little less) or so of them down to the smaller size for my baby (because they go through SO many diapers a day) and then kept the remaining 1/3 (ish) bigger for my toddler. I just kept the wet bag in the baby’s room (both boys rooms were super close to each other and the baby’s room was attached to the bathroom so that made it really easy.

How do I cloth diaper with 3?

Good question. This is something I am still figuring out. E is almost 6 months, and with the move and adjustments to having 3, I haven’t started cloth again until the last week or so. My plan right now is to just do him in cloth and the big boys (2 and 3.5) in disposables. We are slowly working on potty training, and once Mimi has some time to come over for a few days in a row and do a potty training boot camp, I hope both of them will be trained soon. So for now, I am holding off. Though, I did put all 3 of them in cloth today.

Additional Supplies Needed:

1. A diaper sprayer of some sort. I cannot find the one we bought online anymore, but it is very similar to this one: SmarterFresh Cloth Diaper Sprayer, Premium Stainless Steel Diaper Sprayer for Toilet – Diaper Washer Hand Held Bidet Sprayer for Cloth Diapers (Side note, I did not spray off the breastmilk poo diapers for my first son, as the seedy/watery poo rinses quite easily in the rinse cycle in your wash. When he began eating solids, then we started spraying all of his poopy diapers into the toilet (again, look at video for demo). For my second son, he had quite mucousy poo (dairy and soy intolerant) so we sprayed his from the beginning). 
2. Spray Pal – The Original Cloth Diaper Sprayer Splatter Shield. We do not have one of these, and we haven’t had much issue with splattering, but I could definitely see the benefit of this.
3. Biokleen Bac-Out Stain+Odor Remover Foam Spray, 32 oz This stuff (again my wonderful friend shared with me) is so great at removing odor and stains (as it says in the title). You can get it on Amazon or even at HEB. If you call Bum Genius, they will say that they “do not recommend” this product, but I think it’s simply because they want you to buy their cleaning products. I have known several cloth diapering moms who use this and love this.

4.Country Save Laundry Detergent. You need some sort of detergent. Now, many cloth diapering moms in the Facebook group I’m in swear by original Tide Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent, Original Scent, 50 Ounce. I didn’t even know that was “allowed” until this year. Again, the manufacturers recommend using detergents free of all “the stuff” (Additives, enzymes, fragrances, etc, etc). So almost any free and clear detergent will do. I have used Bum Genius brand, and also this Country Save which has the same ingredients. You can find it super cheap at Sprout, if you have those in your area. In the cloth diapering world, it seems that many Mamas definitely have their favorites. I just learned tonight that Fluff Love University doesn’t believe this one to be the best (though they say it can be effective in the right circumstances).  Who knew? It has worked for me for the most part (but after reading tonight I may try our Arm and Hammer, Free and Clear (sensitive skin runs in our family)). You can check out the Fluff Love University website to see a list of detergents and also washing machines (and recommended wash cycles- and according to them, make sure you check for hard water). You may also need a water softening agent (Borax or something else) if you have hard water.5. ALVABABY 2pcs Travel Wet and Dry Cloth Diapers Wet Bags Waterproof Reusable with Two Zippered Pockets (All in one, Sets L2933) These are similar to the wet bags I purchased from a local store: The Nurtured Family (I got the Blueberry Pail liners). You want to make sure you get at least 2- so you will have a back up for when you are washing one. I just use the diaper pail in my son’s room as the one location to put our dirty diapers. Some people put hooks on the back of their bathroom door and hang the wet bags up. I like to keep it simple, and as I do not rinse the pee diapers- but just throw them into the pail right away, I didn’t want to have wet bags in two separate areas, but you have to experiment with what system works best for you and your family.

6. Trash Can or something to hold your wet bag, preferably with a stepping mechanism and locking one, too.
7. Wet Dry Bag Splice Cloth Diaper Wet Bags Waterproof Double Infant Stroller Travel Small Size Zipper Snap Handing for Swimwear Bathing Suit Baby Kids Reusable (Giraffe and Owls) These are travel sized wet bags to throw in your diaper bag if you are using cloth diapers on the go. You can just roll up the diaper, put it in the wet bag and put it in your wet bag with your other dirty diapers when you get home. I used these sometimes when C (our 1st) was little and I would just have him out and about with me. (Honestly, we did not go a ton of places for a while and if we did, it was for only a short while because he was a very challenging baby and cried every single time we drove anywhere for months.) Now, with 3 of them (all still in diapers), I just decided to put them in disposable when we are out and about.

8. Flushable Diaper Liners– some people LOVE these. We never used them, simply because I didn’t see the need and two of my main reasons for doing cloth are 1) cost reduction and 2) waste reduction. Buying these liners adds to both of those things. But if you don’t want to worry about rinsing your diapers as much (or possibly touching poop! then these could be the way to go).

9. Babygoal Reusable Baby Wipes, Washable Small Size Saliva Towel Bamboo Wipes,12 Pack Cloth Wipes 12bw01f and spray bottle of water (or some other cleaner of choice). I decided against cloth wipes and just use disposable ones. (Sometimes I throw them in the wash on accident because they are in the diaper and it’s been okay just in case you ever do that. Most of the time I just throw them in the diaper genie and then the cloth diaper in the wet bag.

10. AmazonBasics Foldable Drying Rack – WhiteA drying rack or clothes line for hanging the liners.

Wash Routine

This is a BIG one, and the trickiest one to get right. And you may have to try a few different routines before you get yours down. I’ve changed my routine as we’ve had a couple different kinds of washers (traditional with agitator and now HE with out one). In the Facebook group I’m a part of, I feel like there are almost as many different wash routines as there are members. Almost. Not Really. Sort of. But, seriously it can get confusing because the manufacturer of the diapers says one thing and the internet says something else. Hard Water. Soft water. Prewash or no prewash. Double Rinsing is good, oh wait- it’s actually bad….so this is the part where it can get tricky.

The general concept:

1)Rinse your diapers (some say cold rinse, some say hot rinse, some say rinse once cold, rinse again with 1/2 of the recommended detergent)

2)Wash your diapers on hot (detergent added here)

3) Rinse your diapers again– there was a time where I rinsed my diapers twice to make sure that there wasn’t any detergent build-up which can affect absorbency.

4) Dry the inserts, hang the pocket liners

We had the most basic (Roper, Lowe’s brand of Whirlpool) washer for the first couple of years. My diapers always came clean by the method above. Now that we have an HE machine, I’ve struggled to find a wash routine that I 100% love.

Now that we have a fancier (not the fanciest, but way fancier than our old basic-as-they-come model) , I actually just run one wash cycle but I choose a few buttons to add to the routine (side note: people recommend to “fluff” your diapers in between wash cycles):

We have an LG Smart Drum Washing Machine, and this is what I do:

I choose: Heavy Duty, Hot, Water Plus, Extra Rinse (** it has been a while since I have cloth diapered and I did notice a slight ammonia smell after the diapers were peed in, so I may be changing this soon- I will get back to you).

I find it interesting and confusing that there is contradictory advice out there on which detergents are recommended and which are not (ugh…the joys of motherhood: don’t wake a sleeping baby, wake a sleeping baby; let the baby cry, never let your baby cry….all.the.things).

Many people in the Cloth Diapering world swear by the site Fluff Love University . Up until now, I have followed Bum Genius’s recommendations for the most part (and my friends), but I may change things up a bit if I keep having an ammonia smell in my diapers after I bleach them:

Fluff Love University (this is a link to look up your specific washers- they have SO much advice here).

Troubleshooting Tips (from Bum Genius):

If your diapers aren’t absorbing, try rinsing them several times. It could be due to detergent build up/residue.

If your diapers have a strong ammonia smell, try bleaching them.

Your diapers may not be getting clean because your machine isn’t using enough water (if it is HE). One way to remedy this is to throw in a towel or two to trick your machine into adding water, or you can use the Water Plus feature (if you have one). You could also possibly be not using enough detergent or need to add a softening agent of some sort to help clean them (in hard water conditions).

My diapers are stained: sun them!

Some will say to strip your diapers (I’ve done this with dawn and bleach combo), but now the official word from Bum Genius is to no longer do this. Though if you read online you will see all sorts of recommendations for stripping.

There are some great Facebook groups that are dedicated to cloth diapering. If you have trouble you can ask a question on there and get many responses from several different people. Again, I am by no means an expert. This is just what has worked for me for the last few years. So much can depend on type of washer, hard water, etc.

You can also call Bum Genius (or your diaper manufacturer) customer service. I have found them very helpful the times I have called to ask for advice (just be aware it may be contradictory to Fluff Love).

All in all, I hope you have seen that cloth diapering is actually really simple. It can save you money and help out the environment (and I really rarely touch the poop anymore than I would changing a disposable diaper). Win-win!

Check out the video to see me explain how to use the diapers (I was much less intimidated when I saw someone actually use them):

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