Cloth Diaper Maintenance

Cloth diapers are a very economical choice for many people, especially for those with multiple children in diapers at one time. While cloth diapers are over all pretty much exactly the same to use as disposable diapers there are some things that are different. One thing that is very different is the usage of diaper rash creams. There are very few that are safe for use with cloth diapers this is not usually a issue, you find a cream that works well and you stick with it for the length of time your child is in diapers. There are however times when you must use a different cream, one that is not safe for use with cloth. What to do then?

My youngest two children developed a pretty bad case of diarrhea a few weeks ago which resulted in a bacterial and yeast infection on their little butts. After several different Dr appointments and even more prescription creams they are finally doing better and almost healed. The problem is that even with a disposable diaper liner there was still some contamination on the diapers resulting in non-absorbent diapers. Now while cloth diapers are economical to use, they become some what less economical when you have to replace your entire stash. Stripping the diapers on the other hand is a great way to make your diapers like new for very little money and some elbow grease.

The first step in the process is to get some REALLY hot water in the kitchen sink. My water heater was not able to get the water as hot as I needed thanks to solar power so I boiled some water and added to the sink with a few Tablespoons of dish soap. Add the diapers to the mix and let soak till the water cools enough for you to be able to put your hands in the water.
Once the water is cool enough for you to put your hands in you will notice the water has turned cloudy. That is all the *stuff* that was accumulated in the fabric. In my case diaper rash creams...

Once you can handle the diapers you take a nail brush and more dish washing liquid and scrub, scrub, scrub. Once all the diapers are done toss them into the washing machine on hot with 1 more Tablespoon of dish washing liquid. Send the diapers through as normal being sure to check during the rinse cycle for bubbles if you see bubbles like in the picture below you need to keep up the rinses. It took me 4 rinse cycles to get clear water.

And there you go you now have stripped diapers :) I am very happy to say that my diapers are now as absorbent as the day I bought them....the Velcro on the other hand....well that is another post ;)

Cloth Wipes

Amazingly enough when you are diapering two babies you need twice as many wipes...shocking I know :) I didn't realize this fact until I started running out of wipes constantly though! I blame it on lack of sleep, lol.

Thinking that it would just be easiest to buy some cloth wipes I started looking at prices and was shocked at how much they are! They charged $1.25 per wipe, for 12 wipes that would have been $15 and that was without shipping charges. I decided to make my own wipes using some 100% cotton hand towels I was able to find on base for $1.99 each. I bought two towels and was able to make 12 wipes for $0.33 per wipe. All it took was breaking out my sewing machine and doing a simple zig-zag stitch around the edge to prevent unraveling. From start to finish it took me about an hour but then I kept getting up to start/restart the diapers in the wash so it probably actually took me half that time.

Now some of you may be wondering where the wipes I have came from to begin with. Years ago when I started cloth diapering Sara Beth I knew nothing about cloth wipes and decided to buy one of those cloth wipes starter kits....yeah huge waste of money! I bought it thinking I needed the cloth wipes solution to put in the wipes box...um...I don't think I used it more than twice. I actually found the still full bottle in a closet the other day when I was looking for something else. For us plain old water works just fine and is much more cost efficient especially when you go through two boxes of cloth wipes a day.

While we are talking about cloth diaper accessories I thought I would also let you all know about my favorite cloth diaper safe diaper rash cream. Northern Essence has a wonderful all natural diaper rash cream. I actually am still using the same cream I bought for Sara Beth on the twins. This stuff lasts forever, smells great, and works wonders on little butts.

Pre-folds versus Bumgenius 3.0's

So the twins are growing at an astonishing rate lately and have begun to outgrow their prefolds. While researching which diaper style to go with next I decided to go with the Bumgenius 3.0's since I was able to find some really good deals for used lots on eBay. We tried our first Bumgenius 3.0's last night and I am ready to give my review ;)

Bumgenius 3.0 Pocket Diapers

Pro's:

• By having the wet insert stay in the outer waterproof shell of the diaper there is no wet insert to touch.
• No need for a snappi which while easy to use is sharp and I do end up stabbing myself with it at least once a day.
• No leaks even though the girls slept for 6 hours straight in it. Since the insert was so thin I was expecting it to leak but not a drop got out.
• No tucking in around the legs or back to make sure there wasn't any wicking, just put it on and go.
• Thin and not bulky at all. I was expecting it to be bulky on Lacy who is only 6lbs. A diaper that is meant for 7-35lbs just seems like it would be bulky on the newborn setting but it really wasn't thanks to the pocket design.

Cons:

• The Velcro was crazy tight it took major muscle to get the tab off of the washing setting to use. Not a big deal if you know this BEFORE you have it on the baby!
• Diapers have to be stuffed when removed from the dryer...just one more little time drain in the day.
• You can not reuse the cover and have to have a new cover for each diaper change during the day.

Pre-Folds

Pro's:

• Slim fitting on the baby
• Drys very quickly
• Cheap, at $1.00 per pre-fold there isn't a cheaper diaper out there
• Very absorbent
• Easy to use and takes no extra steps once dried
• You can reuse the covers multiple times, sometimes one cover all day.

Con's:

• You have to touch the wet pre-fold to remove it from the cover. Not a big deal during the day but at night that sucker gets REALLY wet :(
• You have to use a snappi which is easy but sharp and my fingers are usually a victim at least once a day
• You have to tuck the pre-fold in to the cover around the legs and back, not a big deal but a already screaming baby doesn't enjoy being manhandled to get the back tucked.

So what is my final verdict?? Honestly I am indifferent at this point, there are pro's and con's of each system and I am not in love with one over the other. Both function equally well and serve the purpose they were bought for. We will be moving to the Bumgenius once the twins out grow their pre-folds and I honestly can say I am excited to be DONE buying diapers FOREVER! :)