A simple and easy cloth diaper routine, adjustable to your families needs!
Now, we don’t use cloth diapers with pins like they used to, but we have found a simple cloth diaper routine that saves money, and is efficient! We have settled on a hybrid approach to diapering that is low stress, but you can adjust this routine to suite what is most convenient and cost efficient for you!
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Why Cloth Diapers?
Cloth diapers saves money! This is our number one reason for choosing to cloth diaper. Diapers are expensive, and I am home doing laundry multiple times a week already! You buy them once, and use them through the years, and pass them down to the next child. They have been a great investment. They also cut down on waste, and if you choose or make organic inserts they are better for babies sensitive skin! Finally, cloth diapers with a waterproof case like these can double as swim diapers!
What Do I Need to Start?
Starting to cloth diaper is easy! Start with an outer layer and insert. We went with Bum Genius Pocket and Flip Diapers years ago when we were starting out. When we bought them they were manufactured in Egypt, and the inserts were all made in the USA! They hardly ever leak (except a few times in the car seat when the children were very little), and they have lasted through the years and many washings. We prefer the Pocket to the Flip, as it has done a better job at keeping baby dry and diaper rash free. Starting out with around 12-15 cloth diapers is a great investment. The more diapers you have, the less often you need to wash them. However, we have kept this smaller number and do not mind the extra load of laundry!
If I was buying cloth again, and was able, I would invest in organic since I have been using the same set for so long. This line looks awesome! Diapers rub against babies skin all day, and the skin is the largest organ in the body!
How To Insert the Absorbent Padding:
For a pocket diaper, you can choose the longer insert with buttons, the shorter insert, or both! We usually place the longer insert with buttons on the last button, with the top facing up. This provides a smooth fit and puts the bulk at babies bum.
For overnight use we add the smaller insert in addition to the larger for more absorbing. We refer to these as double stuffed diapers.
The Flip diapers act the same, except there is no pocket to hold the inserts in place. They work just as great, and in our experience are not leaky, however the insert touched babies skin directly and so we tend to change them more often to avoid diaper rash.
You can also make your own inserts which is great and cheap! I made some inserts by using the original inserts as a pattern and sewing some out of organic cotton, flannel, and organic cotton batting.
Our Routine!
I am almost always changing our babies diapers on the floor. We have this awesome organic play mat from pillobebe that is a great spot. I will often change them on their floor beds as well. I start with a diaper and insert. I like to stuff them as I fold laundry so they are ready to go.
We keep these washable absorbent mats around so I can through one down wherever I am changing them. When baby is getting changed I usually put something in their hands to help keep them occupied! Babies favorite toy, or my Infant Contrast Cards, laminated (with rounded corners) work great to keep baby entertained!
Once you have fit the diaper on baby, and they are ready to go we will put the diaper in a regular diaper pale. If the baby is not eating solids, and fully breastfed we can almost always just put the diaper no matter what is on it right in the pale!
When baby starts solids we will start rinsing the contents of the diaper in the bathroom sink and toilet before putting it in the pale.
When a load of diapers is ready, usually every 2 days, we pull out the bag and dump the whole thing in the washing machine, and proceed like we do with all of our laundry. In the beginning I was hanging them on a clothes rack to dry. Now I put them in the drier and in 3 years of use I have only had 1 button fall off!
We used to have a cloth laundry bag in the pale, which is currently being used elsewhere in our home. I intend to make one to use again, because we could just throw it in the wash with the diapers!
How We Store Our Cloth Diapers!
Super simple storage for our simple cloth diaper routine! We have two baskets with all the materials we need for diapering.
In one basket have pre-filled diapers, extra inserts, old rags, and a water spray bottle. We add the extra insert into the diaper for night time or extended car rides. The rags and water bottle are for cleaning baby at home. We put them right into the diaper pale with the diaper.
The next basket has the absorbent pads, coconut oil, arrow root powder, and disposable wipes and diapers. We use disposable diapers and wipes when we go out. The coconut oil and arrowroot powder help keep skin moist or keep baby dry as needed, naturally!
Long Term Maintenance for Cloth Diapers
Washing them on a regular or heavy cycle with your detergent should be fine. However, some detergents can eventually interfere with the absorbency of the inserts. This happened to us once or twice in about 3 years. They had a faint ammonia like smell to them, even after washing. We were able to restore the inserts by washing on hot with vinegar. If one or two still smelled off, we soaked it in vinegar water,rinsed, and ran it through the wash on hot again. We tuned the rinse cycle back to cold! It has been easy fix!
Cloth Diapering Hybrid Approach
We ultimately ended up using a hybrid approach with cloth diapers. At home we use them and disposable when we are out. In the beginning I was cloth diapering full time and would forget that I had to carry the diapers around until we got home. If you intend to do this create a water proof bag to store those diapers in! If we become ill or we are away, ect. we will put the cloth diapers on hold. That could mean 1 diaper change or weeks worth! Overall we find them to be simple, adjustable, and definitely money savers!
We tend to look for things to be more convenient, but it seems the slower way, if you will, can bring great peace and purpose! The things that seem more complicated, can actually make life simpler! What love to wash diapers, stuff them, fold them, and repeat, all to keep little baby safe and comfortable.
Are cloth diapers for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you,
and I hope this post brings joy!
Stella Maris, Ora Pro Nobis!
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