Any Advice for a cloth diaper user?

Question

Other than switch to disposables. I know this is better for my baby.

Another chemical that simply should not be in a baby’s diaper is called sodium polyacrylate. This substance is found in the fluff layer of the disposable and turns your baby’s urine into gel. Sodium polyacrylate can absorb 100 times its weight in liquid. It makes for a very absorbent diaper, but has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome in tampon use. In the past, use of this chemical has been associated with severe diaper rash and bleeding perennial and scrotal tissue, because it pulls fluid so strongly that it excoriates human tissue. -from mother ease website

Answer 1

Don't buy cloth diapers from a store in real life unless it is a specialty baby store. Run away from Birdseye prefolds, pins and plastic pants. (But considering that you're looking on MotherEase, I would guess you're past that).

Be open minded when buying your diapers, keep in mind that sometimes prefolds and covers can be just as easy as All-in-Ones. Definitely don't waste your money on AIOs in newborn or small size, they're not that size long enough to justify the cost and at that stage babies really need gussets. Avoid velcro closing diapers and covers if your baby is at that stripping age. Snaps are not only adjustable, but harder for babies to open.

For a diaper pail use a kitchen garbage can (the kind with the foot pedal to open the lid is easiest). Purchase 2 pail liners (so when one is in the wash you'll have a clean one to replace it) to put inside, for these you can purchase large pul wet bags online or nylon drawsting bags in the camping and hunting section of your local department store. When it's time to wash the diapers just pull out the bag and dump everything in the washer including the bag.

If your child is older and has solid waste you can purchase flushable diaper liners to place inside the cloth diapers. When baby poops, just remove and flush - no mess. If baby is younger and still has messy poops, purchasing a diaper sprayer is an option, this hooks onto your toilet, and is easy to use to spray off any mess into the toliet.

Consider buying used diapers, there are several online diaper resale shops, and you will be suprised over how many pages will turn up by entering "cloth diapers" into EBay's search engine.

There is an association called the RDA (Real Diaper Association) whose sole purpose is to educate and support people on today's cloth diapers and the benefits of using them. They have diaper circles that meet all over the U.S.

And finally instead of asking about cloth diapers in a mixed forum, do a web search for a online cloth diapering group or board, there's thousands of them, really. You will no doubt find even more help and support there. :)

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Firstly, use the liners you can buy - every single time you change a diaper. Even though it may seem like a waste every time your baby only pees, you will be grateful when you don't have to clean out a poopy cloth diaper!. Also, just keep a diaper pail with bleach and water in it, and put the diapers in when they are dirty (for poopy ones, clean them first). Don't let too much time go by before you launder them. Use Ivory Snow and a gently liquid fabric softener, don't use dryer sheets. GOOD for you for doing this - I did and all my family and friends thought I was nuts. But, my baby rarely had diaper rash. The trick is changing them quickly - and you're more apt to do that with cloth diapers than with disposables, because with the latter people think about the cost. Also, look for nice nylony "rubber pants" to use - they wash easily.
Good luck!

Answer 3

One More thing....

Not only is the Jell within a disposable diaper toxic, but if you are trying to be an Environmentally conscious consumer disposable diapers are not proper. It takes over 100 years for one disposable diaper to break down and disintegrate into the soil. Now multiply that with the thousands of diapers a baby uses in a life time.

I applaud you for trying to use cloth diapers but at the same time the sacrifice of convenience is in jeopardy. The only suggestions I have is to get a new washing machine because, it's going to get a work out. *smile*

Answer 4

I think it is great that you are going to use cloth diapers. I'm not going to repeat everything the others said, with the exception of those telling you to use disposables, all the advice is good and right on target, the sun, softners, everything.

I'm medically incontinent and I have to wear diapers 24 / 7 and even I use cloth. Sure, I have that extra laundry each week (2 loads) and have to have the diaper pail and all that goes with it.

Just use your common sense and everything will be just fine.

Remember the main reason for using cloth diapers is . . . . your baby's comfort and health, not your convenience. With disposables, people are putting their own selves first and not their baby, what a shame.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I used cloth for my twins. Use vinegar in the nappy bucket as this is a natural softner. The sun sterilizes nappies and removes stains so if it is sunny don't use whitners or nappy treatments as these are not so great for the enviroment so save them for a rainy day. If it is a windy day the nappies will dry quickly but they will not be too soft so 10 min. in the dryer will help.
I had an attachment on the toilet that was a trigger hose to clean the poo off the nappy, get one of these if you can they are brilliant. If ever there is a time for a disposible though it is nighttime. If your child is happy to sleep in a wet nappy (mine were) then no worries for cloth at night. You will need to use plastic pants over the nappy so make sure the baby gets naked time to help avoid nappy rash. I used a warm face washer to wipe them over when changing the nappy to get the acidity of the urine of them. Don't believe anyone that says cloth has as big a enviromental impact. I rarely used nappy treatments on the nappies and yes it uses more water but i would always do the wash on the lowest water cycle for the wash and made an effore to conserve water in other ways to make up for what i used. If you use a nappy whiening treatment flush it down the toilet instead of the drain as this is better.
Good on you for doing this

Answer 6

Research thouroughly on products for cleansing the diapers. Do not let the diapers sit for more than one day before washing.

1. Always remove any waste and rinse immediatly after changing your child (as soon as you can anyway).

2. NEVER use fabric softner or bleech. Fabric softner leaves a coat of waxy substance on the surface of fabrics which make cloth diapers far less absorbant. Bleech will weaken the fibers of the diaper causing it to wear out much faster. Bleech residue can also irritate your babys skin, especialy when the diaper becomes wet. A highly suggested natural stain remover for cloth diapers would be to dry them in the sunlight. It really does work. Stick them int he dryer for ten minutes to fluff them up if you like.

3. I suggest using Arm & Hammer laundry detergent as it contains no ingredients that have shown to irritate babys skin. Baking soda also helps to clean and remove odor.

4. Use a second rinse cycle.

5. It's probably not clean until it smells clean.

Answer 7

aren't you sick of people telling you to use disposables? and you even ASKED them not to say it! that's pretty rude.... anyway, i just made the decision to switch to cloth diapers because i got sick of buying disposable diapers all the time and having so much extra trash. I'm a stay at home mom, so for me the task of doing more laundry will mean I'll just have to stay up a little later at night. all i have heard from people is the convenience of the all-in-one diapers. i just purchased a few online to try and I'm pretty darn excited! :P do you use the ones with a flannel liner? people tell me those are great(you use those in AIO's too). i didn't want to mess with the flat fold/prefold deal. i think the others are worth the money.

Answer 8

http://thediaperlady.com has all sorts of info.
My brother was pre-disposable: "plastic pants" or other water-proof outer layer is a must.
Keep a good ointment on had for diaper rash -- a vitamin A&D w/Zinc works wonders. Dealing with "nasty" diapers is easy: flop the diaper in the toilet, hang on tight to a corner & flush. Swish the diaper around while the water swirls & most of the nasty goes away.

Answer 9

When she was a baby, my 23 year old daughter had so many diaper rashes it wasn't even worth the cloth. Why waste time and energy when disposables are available? Not only that, but if you change them frequently enough, disposables shouldn't be a problem. One more thing, should you need daycare, many centers won't take babies who are in cloth and *I* know, that as a mother, I hated lugging around those nasty diapers when we had to go out, when it was just as easy as chucking them out!

Answer 10

If you have the means - they have diaper services available in some areas that will pick up your diapers and wash them for you. The ones I have read about don't distinguish between different families diapers, but if they have been thoroughly washed, it should be safe. (still gross if you dwell on it...)

Anyway, here are some websites I found with some more info:

On how to wash your child's diapers - different methods and opinions: http://www.cutofcloth.com/cloth_washing.asp

More reasons to explain why you chose cloth if you ever feel the need to :) :
http://www.bareware.net/diapfaq.htm

Flushable, natural diapers (interesting, worth reading!):
http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101

Example of diaper service:
http://www.dy-dee.com/html/using_service.htm

Good Luck & Good Choice!