Caring for Cloth Diapers, etc....

How do you wash them? What about poop!?

Two questions I was most concerned about! Let's do this step by step...

1. When you get new diapers, if they are natural fibers (cotton, hemp, bamboo) they have to be "prepped". This means repeated washing/drying cycles to make them absorbent. These are typically prefolds, fitteds and some inserts. Other diapers, like pockets, you can wash and dry once. 
2. Wash cycle: I have a front loading HE machine that uses less water...when washing cloth diapers, less is NOT more. You want more water! When I am ready to wash my daipers (stored in a dry pail) I actually soak them in water for about thirty minutes before washing them in the washer. I just do a hot wash with Rocking Green Diaper/laundry detergent. Then I run a cold rinse cycle. 
3. You DO NOT want to use diaper creams when using cloth diapers!! You can, however, use a baby washcloth or some barrier between that cute tooshy and the daiper and use cream. You want to keep the cream OFF the diaper because it will cause stink issues or repelling. 
4. Ok, what about poop!? If you EBF (exclusively breastfeed) you *can* just throw it in the pail and wash it on wash day. EBF poop is completely water soluble. If you don't want to do that you can get a diaper sprayer (this is a small sprayer that hooks onto the toilet) or just do a good swish in the toilet. Solid poop can just be dumped and flushed. I'm really enjoying not having disposable diapers with poop in them sitting in a pail stinking up the room!
5. If you notice stains on your diapers try to sun them out first. Amazing I know! Just put them in the sun and kapow...stain is gone! Who knew! Way to go God, good thinking! :)

How many diapers do you need?? Well that depends on the kind of diaper and how often you want to wash diapers! Newborns use a lot! So you will want 10-12 or more per day to have a good. This is where I think prefolds become quite the value! You can buy 2 dozen or so and 6 covers and be set!! This is what we did, and then moved to OS (one size) pockets when he could fit...around 11 pounds. I'm now kind of leaning towards AI2s/hybrid diapers called Flips. These are a PUL wipe-able cover with stay dry inserts. You can reuse the cover as long as it isn't soiled! And no stuffing pockets! Woot Woot!!

 So that is about it for the cloth diapers. I have really enjoyed using cloth this time around and have NO desire to go back to disposables. I don't use them. Wish I would have started cloth with my first son 6 years ago! I highly recommend it, and you can do it! Diaper laundry is my very favorite laundry! Who doesn't want to fold adorable diapers and every time you do diaper laundry you can say "Oh, I just saved $20 by not buying sposies! AWESOME!"

 3 weeks old in pre fold with cover

 3 months old in a OS Bumgenius Pocket