Women of the Cloth

I think that cloth diapering can be a little overwhelming for  a lot of people. So, they decide to skip it all together. I personally cloth diaper full time. I love it. That is not to say that I love diapers. I love that it saves me money, the environment, and it doesn't hurt that people think that I am amazing for doing it. It will cost you about $2400.00 for 30 months (at $80/month) of disposable diapers. That doesn't even include wipes. You could spend more depending on the brand you buy. We made our wipes out of an old towel so those were basically free. You can put together a cloth diaper stash for less than $300. That will diaper all the children you have. This woman did it for free.  I thought that I would break down what I do. There are other options and maybe "better" ways to do it. This is just what works for us.

Covers

• First off Thirsties. They are my favorite covers. They are made in the US in a warehouse that is 100% powered by wind energy. How cool is that? They are not too pricey for the quality. I like the fitted cover because it can grow with your baby. You only need 2 sizes from birth to potty training. 

• I also make some of my covers using Babyville products. I have been very pleased with the products so far. I can make like 5 covers for the price of 1 store bought cover. They are easy to throw together too. I can usually put one together in less than an hour. 

Liners

• We use prefolds. When Baby Lady was younger we used Snappi's to fasten her diapers. Now we take the prefold and fold it in thirds and lay it in the cover. They stay in place and seem to be the most comfortable option. At night we usually double up a diaper with an all in one liner folded into the prefold. That seems to be absorbent enough to prevent leaks.
• You can find liners at most stores in the baby section. If you don't mind you can find them on Craigslist. I found some there and even some covers. A woman was selling her covers for $2 each and she probably had 50 of them.

Washing

• We bought one of the sprayers that hook up to your toilet to clean soiled diapers, but it leaked. So, we do the old fashioned dunk and swish. Then I usually soak a soiled diaper in a little tub of warm water and OxiClean. 
•  We keep a diaper pail in the laundry room to toss used diapers in. 
• I usually wash diapers every other day.



They love watching them wash, so it's a double plus!

• I do a heavy duty cycle with a prewash and a second rinse. Always use HOT WATER. I use very little detergent and some vinegar as a softener. Then I either line dry or put them in the dryer without any softener sheets.

 Options

• Part time. I don't think that people realize that you could just do it while you are home. You can use disposables while out and cloth when you are home. You will see a huge difference in the amount you are spending and make a huge impact on the environment. Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feed stocks, and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for ONE baby each year.
• Full time. Cloth diapering full time is a commitment. I personally have only done it this way, so it comes rather naturally. I recommend that you start part time if you find it intimidating. 

• Research. There are a ton of resources on the internet. I recommend figuring out what works for you. That way you can stick with it.

I hope that this helps you make a decision. My lady has started using the big girl potty recently. She is far from potty trained, but I have heard cloth diapered babies potty train much earlier. Another perk is the adorable cloth diaper booty. I love my baby's faux junk in her trunk and I really love it on all babies. You don't get that with a disposable diaper.

***Disclaimer*** I was not payed to advertise any of these products. I like them and wanted to share them.