First let me introduce myself. I'm Kristie! I'm so excited to now be one of Diapers-n-Heels newest contributors. You can find out more about me on the Contributors page.
Ok so you're probably asking yourself, "Self, why in the world would I want to use cloth diapers?" There were many reasons for our household. Here we go…
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Cloth Diapers 101
Economy was the first. We were lucky and were given our first round of diapers for free (hand-me-downs from a family member) which saved us about $100. Between the two kiddos we've shelled out about $200 total. If you were to calculate disposables, we're looking at about $1,000 a year, per child! No brainer for us.
Ecology was next. Being the neighborhood tree huggers that we are, we felt it was our duty to refrain from contributing to the nearby landfills. Did you know that in one year alone America will throw away 18 billion diapers? There is 3.5 million tons of poop and plastic going into the ground each year and each child will use between 8,000 and 10,000 before they are outta diapers! Wowzers!
Health was next. Husband and I started researching the yuckies in most disposables. Most disposable diapers contain toxic chemicals, drying agents, dyes and fragrances. Although…a there are some newer eco-friendly companies out there that have figured out a way to make nappies without the nasties! I have tried them and they are great. But we quickly went back to our good 'ol cloth to save money.
Cuteness factor. Have you seen how adorable they are? Nuff said.
And fifth…Toilet Learning! Did you know that cloth diapered babies tend to learn to use the toilet earlier? My son signed "All done diaper" at 21 months. What a treat to have that done before baby girl arrived.
Okay, now were do you start? There are several types to choose from.
All-In-Ones
You use these just like a disposable, except you wash it instead of tossing it. (see picture)
Prefolds and covers
(What we use) These are most similar to what your mom probably used on your tush. Instead of pins, we use what's called a Snappi that holds the diaper in place. (see picture)
Hybrids
Kind of a mix of cloth and disposables. Disposable (often times even flushable, shown in the pic) inserts in a waterproof cover.
What ever you choose, you'll need to work out a washing system. When your babe is tiny and breastfed, there is no need to rinse. Breast milk poopies are water soluble. Just throw them right into the wash! Now that our baby is eating solid food, things have changed a bit. We have a sink in the garage that is our pre soak area (every once in a while there is a need for this). Mostly we dump the solids in the toilet, and put the diapers in a plastic waste bin. When that gets full (usually about 4 diapers) we move them to the sink in the garage until we're ready to wash. We do use a second rinse cycle on hot to make sure they are sterilized. We also use a different detergent developed to prevent soap build up. Remember to line dry your covers to make them last longer. So is it really that much more work? Not much...we do a load of diapers every three to four days, depending on how many dipes you have in your rotation.
Every so often there is a used cloth diaper sale at a cute little shop in Vista. This is a great place to score some deals. Especially when you don't know where to start or can't decide on which route you want to take.
So how many of you are going to take the plunge, or already have? Let me know. I'd love to hear your success stories. Until next time…
