Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tour Tuesday

Some of you may or may not know that I cloth diaper my kiddos. We first started nine months ago with Paul. My reason for cloth diapering is simply financial...it's cheaper! We save so much money not buying at least $120.00 worth of disposables each month. The cloth have paid for themselves.

It took us a few months to get into a routine with our diapering, but after 9 months we now have it down pat. I use Chinese prefolds with wraps. I have tried 4 different kinds of wraps.
  • Bummis Super Whisper Wrap. These are ok. I like the fit and feel, but they tend to leak if left too long so are not the best for overnight.
  • Bambino Mio Soft Wrap. I really like these. They don't leak at all...even overnight. Plus they are a slimmer fit then the BSWW.
  • Bambino Mio Lite Wrap. These were an ebay mistake and I don't like them at all. The fit is all wrong and they sometimes leak overnight. These are used for night time diapers only.
  • Motherease Rikki Wrap. These are good in that they don't leak. They don't fit right on my kids for some reason, but I have nothing against these wraps.
Here's how we do it...

First, you need a prefold, a wrap and a dirty baby bottom.


Next, fold the prefold just like so.


Then, place it on the wrap with the folded side down.


Put the baby bottom at the appropriate end. Pull the prefold up between the legs and fold the extra length under.


Then, pull the wrap up and fasten the sides with the Velcro.


That's it. No struggling with pins or Snappis. We're finished and ready to go.


Morgan is wearing the Bummis Super Whisper Wrap.


We do the exact same thing for the bigger child. Here Paul is wearing the Bambino Mio Soft wrap.


For night time I just double up on the prefolds and use a larger wrap. Ridiculous looking? Yes, but they are only going to bed. So who cares!?!

Dirty diapers are stored in a dry diaper pail in the downstairs bathroom. Pooped ones are first given a swish in the toilet as needed.

I wash diapers every other day. Starting with a cold rinse. Then a hot long cycle which includes a prewash. I put in about 1 tablespoon of detergent with the hot wash. After that I do another cold rinse. Then an extra spin to help cut down on drying time.

With this wash routine I don't have any leftover smells and they smell clean and fresh.

Dirty wraps are stored and washed separately on account that the BSWW's hold smells very easily. I wash them in a hot normal wash...no detergent. This keeps the smell at bay. Every so often I put them through a hot long cycle if I pick up any urine smells on them.

Honestly the washing was the most difficult thing to figure out. I got this routine after much trial and error with different wash combinations. Thankfully now I can follow this plan and I know they are going to be clean in the end. I hang everything to dry, as I don't have a dryer.

Hopefully that wasn't too confusing. When I was researching cloth and looking to buy I read many such posts and some of them left me wondering what in the world they were talking about. lol! I tried to keep it as simple as I could. Any questions...just ask.

And for those who noticed... Yes, I change diapers on a window sill. :)

8 comments:

Melissa said...

I've always wondered about cloth diapering! Thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

You are the woman! I have 2 in diapers too but so far we haven't had to buy any for Emma (as I had surprise baby shower and received lots), and hopefully Micah will be out of them soon.

Be Thou Exalted said...

Thanks for the info, I've was curious about them. So far I haven't had to pay too much for diapers - I get them pretty cheap at CVS!

Dana said...

Gosh, you make it sound so easy! I've never tried them! They always seemed like they'd be MUCH more difficult to use. PLUS, I guess I just figured they'd end up costing more what with throwing out the really dirty ones! I can't see that they'd EVER come clean! BUT, it sounds so very easy and practical as you explain it. Hmmm, maybe if we ever have a 6th......

Amie said...

I've looked into cloth diapers a couple times, but I can't get hubby on board with the idea.

joy said...

wow, you are my hero! unfortunately, i think i am stuck with buying diapers for a while, as i have NO washer or dryer :o( i loved the tutorial though, and your cute little models :o)

to answer your question from my blog, i am considering doing an hourly update when i go into labor. i will be at the hospital, so i guess it will all be contingent on my getting husbands laptop with the aircard. mine wont be as exciting as yours though. i plan on getting drugged as soon as i walk through the door and sit calmly by playing Quiddler and watching the contractions on the monitor :o) i really really really do appreciate the updates during your last labor. it was fantastic! i will certainly do my best to return the favor!

:o)

Anonymous said...

Hello from Germany! Sorry to hear about your car! Congratulations on going green with the bikes and diapers! I used only cloth diapers and remember washing them every day for 3 years, but I'm proud to say I haven't added to the world's ever-growing disposable diaper dump.
Hope you are all well and will have a good weather summer.
Krista

竹娘 said...

I'm going to use cloth diapers for my boy, too. I tried it with pins, it was really terrible! I'm pretty lucky to find your blog. Thx very much for the information. I just wonder that how many wraps do you need for 1 day + night usually? Thank you!