Cloth Diapers = Success!

We've been using the cloth diapers and surprisingly enough both Mark and I are enjoying it! We have not had any problems with leaks or blowouts and we've had both wet and dirty diapers at this point.

They are not nearly as messy as I was expecting. The diapers are so absorbent that everything is nicely contained. And washing them is really a breeze! We don't have a diaper pail yet so I've just been putting the used diapers in a plastic grocery bag. I've found that this is no different than when we have to use a grocery bag to hold used disposables when we run out of those stupid Diaper Genie liners. Don't even get me started on what a waste of money those things are!

After discussing the process with my friends who are in the know I found that this is the best way for us to wash the diapers:

First, I take the bag of diapers and dump the diapers into the washing machine so I don't even have to touch them!

Then, I send them through a cold rinse without any detergent. This helps to remove any particles and yuckys from the diapers.

After that, I send them through a hot wash with a cold rinse with 1/2 the manufacturers recommended amount of detergent. We are using Purex Free & Clear at the recommendation of my friend.

Then, I dry them on a medium heat.

And that's it! They're ready to re-use!

Here is a great source for which detergents are cloth diaper friendly. It's very important to use the correct kind of detergent as certain ingredients commonly found in some laundry detergents can ruin the cloth diaper by reducing absorbency.

Speaking of diaper laundering, I was discussing cloth diapering with my mother-in-law and she was telling me that back when she had her first child she used flats and a few prefolds and covers because that is what was available. To wash them she used a hand-me-down wringer washer and had to hang everything to dry! I can't believe we complain about laundry nowadays! If she got through her first baby doing all that then certainly I can throw in a load of cloth diapers a few times a week and let the washer and dryer do all the work! It's amazing how far things have come!

So since we are enjoying the cloth diapering I took advantage of Earth Day sales and purchased a few more diapers. We are trying a little bit different style. This time we have opted for the popular one-size bumGenius 3.0s. These are pocket diapers so they go on just like a disposable diaper, but they come apart in to two pieces (the diaper and then an insert that can be pulled out) for ease of washing.



I purchased them for about 33% off the regular price and they should arrive tomorrow. I'm pretty excited!