Everything I've learned after a year of cloth diapering-
So you wanna go cloth 'eh?
Maybe you've heard that a single disposable diaper takes 500 years to decompose (ridiculous right?) or maybe you read that most experts say babies on average go through 2,500-3,000 diapers in the first year alone (who is this diaper usage expert?).
For me, it was all about the money - $500 a year on something that gets tossed straight in the trash just makes me go a little crosseyed.
First and foremost- if you’re currently putting together your Amazon baby registry, put all of this on there. I didn’t have to buy a single cloth diaper and everyone loved picking out their favorite designs. Then, once you get close to your due date you get an awesome welcome box with a ton of cool stuff inside and a discount off anything that’s left.
Cloth Wipes- you'll want a whole ton of these because they come in SO handy. These squares are not just for wiping butts y'all! If you have a sewing machine, just grab a couple yards of flannel (ideally in multiple colors so you can tell the face wipes from the butt wipes!) and sew up some easy rectangles -I personally prefer a 3 ply approach. My daughter recently had her first cold and having cloth wipes to clean her nose was so nice - No more decomposing tissues in your pocket when you pull your jeans out of the dryer!
Diaper Sprayer- So first and foremost, this is not to be confused with a bidet because the water that sprays out is COLD! But this little tool attaches to the toilet and lets you spray out poopy diapers directly into the bowl, because trust me you are not going to want to put that mess directly into the washer. I don't care what they say about breastfed baby poop being water soluble, there is no way I'm putting that where I wash my bed sheets. Do you want pinkeye? Because that's how you get pinkeye.
Sprayer Shield- This goes hand in hand with the diaper sprayer and it is exactly what it sounds like. Just a simple plastic contraption that prevents you from getting splattered with poop water. Worth every penny. I don't actually have the one I linked above (yet) but it looks WAY better than that one I got and I'll probably be getting myself one before I finish writing this post.
Some Sort of Simple Bucket with Handles- This is to hold the poop diapers once they've been sprayed in the bathroom. Enough said.
I got this exact same one on clearance at TJ Maxx for like $6, so it could be worth it to keep an eye out for a good deal.
BBQ Tongs - Weird, right? Ok but hear me out. These things are magic when it comes to pulling the liner out of dirty diapers and also for handling the poop diapers when it's time to spray them out. That being said, learn from my simple mistake and get yourself a pair that are just one solid piece of metal. I started out with dollar store cheapo ones with plastic tips glued to a metal handle and that stupid thing broke in like a week.
Baby Bits Wipe Solution Tabs - These things are awesome. I got them through my baby registry and with 2 weeks to go until my daughter's 1st birthday (don't get me started, I've been a sentimental blubbering mess all week) we have almost finished the first box. You just add one square to some warm water, dip the wipes in and done!
Wipe Warmer - Some may say this is unnecessary, but after my experience with the cold water from the diaper sprayer I decided my daughter deserved a little luxury. Plus it's way easier to make up enough wipes for the day and toss them in the warmer rather than make them as I need them. Ain't nobody got time to be wringing out wipe after wipe when you're dealing with an epic blowout and a squirmy baby.
Ok, so now we have all the accessories.
Now let's talk diapers.
Personally I've only ever used pocket diapers so I can't provide any insight on other styles but, as someone with a husband who was seriously hesitant about his ability to use anything but disposables, they have been remarkably easy. They look similar to a disposable, with a cloth insert that slips in to the back. Most come standard with a microfiber insert, but I have this weird thing with the feeling of wet microfiber. I just can’t stand it! So we switched over to the charcoal inserts and I like them much better. Plus they're black so there's no staining to worry about.
Using Disposable Diapers
So, I’ve figured out that my daughter does her #2’s on a pretty regular schedule. Girlfriend likes her privacy and a quick change so she waits until she wakes up from naps. And because I don’t necessarily love spraying out poopy diapers, she now wears a disposable during nap time. I won’t say I have a 100% success rate, but spending $25 a month on one big box of disposable diapers is 100% worth it to me.
She also wears disposable diapers whenever we travel any where over night. I have zero desire to cart around a bag full of dirty cloth diapers in addition to the suburban full of stuff we already have to bring.
Double stuff at night - reduce leakage during the night by stuffing two liners into the pocket to double absorbency.
Roughly once a month I let every single one of her cloth diapers get dirty and use disposables for the day while I strip the cloths using GroVia Mighty Bubbles. This is like a super clean that gets all the residual urine smell and detergent build up off. But for every day washing I use Puracy. I use this for all our washing - clothes, diapers, towels - it works great!
To Sum It All Up…
Just like every other aspect having a baby, there’s a learning curve to cloth diapers and it’ll take some trial and multiple errors to figure out what works best for you and your baby. Give yourself some grace and just make sure to pack an extra set or two or clothes!