Oct
22
2009
22
2009
Cloth Diaper Fun & Giveaway
Filed under: Cloth Diapering
Cloth diapers are making a comeback…but these aren’t your mama’s cloth diapers. They’re easy to use, adorable, and they save you LOTS of money. Here’s the scoop.
This “modern” cloth diapering business has exploded into a HUGE industry in the last 5-7 years…and it can be quite overwhelming to dive into. But, the best way to begin is to JUST BEGIN! You can spend weeks and weeks researching if this pocket diaper is truly better than that fitted diaper…but in the end, it really comes down to your preferences and your baby’s body type. Each diaper will fit differently. If you just jump in and start, it’s much easier to determine what will work for you.
Instead of re-writing all of the information that is already out there regarding the logistics of cloth diapering, I’m going to send you to my friend Sarah. She is the cloth diapering guru. 
Why Use Cloth Diapers?
How to Cloth Diaper
Is Cloth Really Cheaper?
Now that you’ve read all of the basics and know the terminology…I’ll tell you my personal experience with cloth diapers. Before Bella was born, I bought pretty much one of every type of diaper so that I could see what I liked best. I found that for the newborn stage, I LOVED the Kissaluv Size 0 fitted diapers with a plastic or wool cover (we used Proraps). As she grew out of the Kissaluvs, we transitioned into pocket diapers. I also had a handful of hemp fitted dipes for nighttime diapering and I LOVED the Aristocrat Soaker. Awesome.
When it came to diapering Bella, I was pretty fanatical. It was at least a year and a half before a disposable even touched her skin I took them on airplanes across the country and everywhere else. While I certainly think it can be done (never using disposables)…I don’t want anyone to think that is the only way to do it. This time around we’re a little more laid back. We used cloth and elimination communication with Lucy until we went on the road in July, and then used mostly disposables while traveling. Now that we have a larger RV with a washer and dryer, I’m starting up with cloth again. I am hoping to get going with elimination communication again as well…I LOVED being able to “read” her that way, and it will cut back on how many diapers I have to wash!
I’m super excited to receive my order of pocket diapers from Sarah…I need a diaper that dries quickly (our washer/dryer in the RV is a combo unit and dries slowly) and a pocket diaper stuffed with a microfiber towel fits the bill perfectly. I will continue to use disposables when we are flying home and when we are out and about. When we are “en route”, we don’t always have water and electric hookups…which means to do laundry, I need to run the generator (loud!). When we settle in one place for a little while, it’s much easier to do cloth because we have full hookups.
My personal diapering system looks like this:
- 18 Pocket diapers with microfiber inserts (I get the inserts at Costco)
- Cloth wipes
- Wet Bag (one big one for the diaper pail and a small one for the diaper bag)
- Large stainless steel step can (for dirty dipes)
And that’s it! Pretty simple. I don’t use any sort of special wipe solution…I just run the cloth wipes under warm water. If I am out and about, I might use a spray bottle with a simple solution of apricot oil, Dr. Bronner’s and water…or just put some wet cloth wipes in a baggie. Or you could try Sarah’s wipe solution here.
As far as number of diapers, you CAN get by with just 12. In the newborn stage, that would last 1 day. I like to have at least 12-18 on hand so that I can go a little longer between washing.
When it comes to washing the diapers…it’s just as easy. I think this is the part that scares people away…but it’s really no different than doing another load of regular laundry. I just grab the wet bag out of the step can when it’s full and dump it all in the wash on hot water with natural detergent. If you want to avoid staining in the early poop stages, you can do a cold soak first or “sun” the diapers to get rid of staining.
For more information than you could ever possibly take into your brain in one sitting, check out the Mothering.com diaper forums here. Just be warned…you may feel VERY overwhelmed after reading there. I use it as a tool, but I don’t spend too much time there because it’s information overload!
Once you get into cloth diapering, you might also consider starting “family cloth” or cloth toilet paper. I blogged about it several years ago. We don’t do family cloth while we’re on the road, but I LOVE it when we’re in a sticks & bricks house.
Bottom line…cloth diapering is fun and easy. Yes, it might cost more up front..but you can use them with multiple children, it’s better for the earth, and for their little bums. If you’ve ever been curious about cloth diapers, now is a great time to check it out! If you’re still intimidated, you can always do cloth just at nighttime to try it.
And now for the fun part! The Giveaway!
Sarah, owner of Wallypop, is a friend of mine “in real life” and Lisa, owner of Full Circle Baby is one of my online friends. Both ladies have generously donated some cloth diapering goodies from their stores for me to giveaway. Be sure to visit both of their stores to see a variety of cool natural living stuff!
Here is the giveaway stash:
- 3 tie-dyed premium sized prefold diapers (see photo above…great for a burp cloth or dipes!)
- One dozen cloth wipes
- One medium fleece cover
- 2 Kissaluvs (size 0) or BumGenius Organic (winner’s choice!)
- Baby’s Bottom Butter Cream
If you are local in the San Antonio, Austin, or New Braunfels, TX area and you want to check cloth diapers out in person…you can go straight to Lisa. Same with Sarah for those of you Des Moines area locals. Sarah also has adorable custom t-shirt fitted dipes and other fun stuff at her Etsy store, Boulevard Designs. And she conducts cloth diapering classes…contact her for more info.
To enter yourself in the diaper giveaway…answer one of the following questions:
- If you are cloth diapering already or have in the past, what is your favorite brand or type of diaper?
- If you aren’t using cloth yet…tell me your favorite fall food (I know, not diaper related…but I like to eat!)
I will choose a winner at random October 30 at 12:00 MST. Have a great weekend!
Posted by Sara @ 8:32 pm | Leave a Comment
27
2009
We are using a mixture of cloth diapers… But are always looking for new ones to try! I hope we win !
27
2009
Love the cloth!
. We also use cloth wipes and a solution I buy online.
We diaper Sam in Fuzzi Bunz and prefolds, I don’t really know why both… just do
~Shirley
27
2009
I have a new neice ( 1 month old), and her mom really wants to do cloth diapers but has been held back due to financial considerations.
That–and she is torn by what types to use.
This would be a blessing to her and the newest member of the family ( and the first of the grandchildren.)
27
2009
I am 20 weeks preggo with my first, and am so excited to start my stash of cloth diapers. Such a great idea…
But, since I haven’t cloth diapered in the past, I get to answer the food question – which is appropriate since this pregnant lady eats a LOT.
My favorite fall food as to be the apple cider donuts that our local apple orchard makes. They are so soft and cinnamon-sugary that they melt in your mouth. You can easily eat three without even noticing! Needless to say, we don’t keep many in the house 
27
2009
Apples! Crisp fall apples are my favorite fall food…not my favorite diapering brand.
27
2009
I love pumpkin spice lattes…I just can’t say no!
27
2009
We are using Happy Heiny pocket diapers – love them! I also have a BumGenius 3.0 and a couple of Blueberry pockets (splurge!).
27
2009
I love gdiapers with homemade microfiber cloth inserts. It’s great because I only have to buy about 6 gdiapers which almost never get poopy or wet so I can reuse the same gdiaper for a full day, and I’ve made about 30 cloth inserts- I do a load of laundry every 3 or 4 days- super easy and cheap- my stash cost me about $150 and thats for diapering for a full year- can’t beat that!!
27
2009
I love gdiapers with homemade microfiber cloth inserts. It’s great because I only have to buy about 6 gdiapers which almost never get poopy or wet so I can reuse the same gdiaper for a full day, and I’ve made about 30 cloth inserts- I do a load of laundry every 3 or 4 days- super easy and cheap- my stash cost me about $150 and thats for diapering for a full year- can’t beat that!!
27
2009
What a great overview of using cloth diapers! I love to sew, so I sew my own. My favorite patterns are Fattycakes, Hippy Hippy Snap and Trimsies. We like using fitteds with wool until baby starts solids, then we switch to AI2s.
27
2009
I will be starting to cloth diaper soon–my first few diapers should arrive in a few days.
In the meanwhile–my favorite fall food is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies!!!!
27
2009
I would love to try cloth diapering (baby coming in April!)
And my favorite fall food would have to be homemade chicken pot pie. So Delicious. SO much butter. Yum.
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27
2009
I have one cloth diaper, the waterproof type with a microfiber insert, that a friend made for me. I am going to cloth diaper eventually but our family funds are making it a slow process. Coming up with the money all at once is a lot harder than just picking up a pack of disposable diapers at the store. We are living on one income now and downsized our home but funds are still carefully dispersed twice per month!!
I would have to say my favorite fall food this year is butternut squash soup. I can’t get enough!! It is usually some type of pumpkin dessert or a pumpkin spice latte but I am now a healthy eater thanks in no small part to your food blog!!!
27
2009
I love my Fuzzi bunz one size diapers!
27
2009
My baby and I LOVE CD!!! We use a combination of Bummis and Thirsties covers, over Cloth-ees Prefolds!
27
2009
We got a very late start CDing our now 5 year old, so we didn’t get a chance to use them for long. I loved Fuzzi Bunz, though. We’re expecting baby #2 in May, and hope to use cloth from the very start!
27
2009
I LOVE roasted brussel sprouts! What a great give away!
27
2009
I have only been doing this for the last three months, but so far I really like the Smartipants and Fuzzi Bunz brands. I especially like the Smartipants because you do not have to remove the insert…it comes out automatically in the wash! Thanks for the giveaway.
28
2009
We have been a prefold plus biobottoms cover family for 3 babies, but now that we have number four, we’re experiencing diaper dilapidation! I’ve got a new small stash of Smartipants, and they seem to be working quite well. Thanks for this giveaway opportunity!
28
2009
I am not cloth diapering, but have been very curious about it. My favorite fall food is Chicken Corn Chili!
28
2009
I love pumpkin rolls & potato soup w/ cheesy bread in the fall.
28
2009
i love thirsties and kissaluvs but i am currently only using grobaby which works best for us.
28
2009
Hi, thanks for considering me in on this giveaway. My favorite fall food is butternut squash/ apple soup with curry-type seasonings. YUM!
28
2009
I’ve tried prefolds, Mother-Ease, and Thirsties on my two month old. Right now the Thirsties are our favorite! I’m not too keen on the velcro, but they are the most secure. The Mother-Ease are a very close second, though.
Thanks for having this giveaway!
28
2009
Due in January, so not cloth diapering YET. My favorite fall foot is anything made with fresh apples from the orchard. Pies, caramel apples, or cider will do it for me:)
28
2009
I’m still waiting for my baby girl to come in February, but my favorite fall food is ANYTHING pumpkin! Pumpkin muffins… yum!
28
2009
I love bumGenius diapers. They seemed to have the least amount of leaks. This baby is coming in February but he’s getting them too!
28
2009
I love bumGenius diapers. They seemed to have the least amount of leaks. This baby is coming in February but he’s getting them too!
28
2009
All of our diapers were hand me downs. So I don’t know what kind of prefolds we have, The cover I like the best is Imse Vimse
pinkveganmiso(at)yahoo(dot)com
28
2009
I love prefolds and Thirsties Duos!
29
2009
Pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie!!!! Can’t get enough of either one. Love your blog and your oh so inspiring story!
29
2009
Thanks for the info on cloth diapering! My favorite fall food is pumpkin pie along with starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.
29
2009
We love bumgenius in our house. But we were given some hand-me-down kissaluvs and motherlove cover – which are great for a little closer fit. Thus far I am just using cut-up old clothes/blankets as wipes, which work great, though I’d love to add some others to our stash.
And since food is also very dear to my heart, as is fall, i love butternut squash soup, with toasted walnuts on top and fresh apples on the side!
29
2009
What great timing! I have just started cloth diapering my first child after using disposables for the first few weeks of her life. So far I’m a fan! I have mostly Baby Kangas, and a few homemade diapers that a friend made for me. I am learning a lot!
29
2009
We loved the prewraps when our son was an infant, but once he became mobile we switched to BumGenius. They’re so easy to get on a moving hiney (sp?)!
29
2009
We have only used Sandy’s Organics from Motherease! I am open to new ideas!!!!
Thanks
29
2009
I’m conflicted. I love fitteds because of that lovely double-elastic leak protection for all the EBF poo. But pocket diapers are so wonderfully nice and easy. As for brands, I use 99% homemade diapers, but I do love the one BumGenius diaper I have.
29
2009
Hiiii!!! I love checking in w/ your blog and discovering a giveaway…and a giveaway I know “bunches” about. I love to use Fuzzi Bunz. Found them on Craigs List, were in the right price range and I was helping out a stay-at-home mom whose husband was and still is deployed to Iraq. Gosh that was over 2 yrs ago. Anywho…love the fit and the colors. I didn’t have a chance to try-out any others b/c of the deal she was providing. I need to go see Lisa and patronize. I know lots of expecting mommies right now…our office has been a baby boom!
Thanks again for the opportunity!!
*myra & caramel*
29
2009
I am always looking for cloth diapers for my nephew…my favorite fall dish is my grama’s age-old recipe of Baked Corn. Makes my mouth water.
29
2009
My favorite fall dish is my grama’s age-old recipe of Baked Corn. Makes my mouth water.
29
2009
My favorite cloth diapers are CuddleBuns, but they are hard to find. Coming in at a very close second is Kissaluvs.
29
2009
I love stews in fall, and also all baking goods, yummy!!!
29
2009
We do cloth diaper and it’s been so much better than disposables as far as rashes and my conscience – both for my babies’ health and the environment!
So far, my favorite diaper is the Crickett diapers at http://www.crickettsdiapers.com/
and my favorite cover is a wool one made by a WAHM. Her business is called Cloth for your Angel – http://www.clothforyourangel.com/
Love your site!!
29
2009
We’re a Fuzzi Bunz family…that was the first cloth diaper we bought and we’ve stuck with them…they work great!
29
2009
Not using cloth yet but have some prefolds my babysitter wanted to try. Liked the price of them, don’t know about the rest. I’m into apple cider in the fall!
30
2009
I’ve used bum genius 3.0’s with both of my boys and have been extremely happy with them. I’ve tried a few different ones but I felt these were the most user friendly and least complicated for me. I love cloth diapering!
30
2009
I am not cloth diapering yet, but am trying to get started! Just starting to gather my stash together. My favorite fall food is probably Halloween candy; the flavored tootsie rolls are my favorite! I hope that counts!!
30
2009
Not sure if I’m missing the deadline, but I actually love QT Bunns from Etsy. Sherry makes WONDERFUL diapers!
30
2009
I use prefold and Bummis during the day, and Bum Genius or Fuzzibuns at night. I love using prefolds. It’s hard to say which of these I like the best!
30
2009
I hope it’s not too late! 12:00 midnight or noon?? Okay, I use a combo of unbleached prefolds with a Gerber cloth prefold as a soaker, a snappi to fasten and a thirsties cover. I use BumGenius 3.0 all in ones at night or with babysitter or when traveling. I only have 6 BG 3.0’s but I’m hoping to get more soon! I love them!!