Heather, of Lil Green Baby Blog, is here to tell us about her experience using and shopping for cloth diapers. She is the single mama of a sweet little 8 month old girl. When she’s not shopping for miniature clothes and baby toys, she’s researching and blogging about keeping little ones safe. Check out her blog and leave a comment here with questions or comments about cloth diapers!
I used to hate running out of diapers. It just felt like another chore that I had to add to a long list. That is, until I started trying out cloth diapers. Now, shopping for diapers is – dare I say? – FUN. Believe it. Shopping for cloth diapers is kind of like hunting for the perfect pair of shoes. They have to look good, fit great, and stand up to wear. Unlike the ho-hum boring white exterior of disposables, cloth diapers come in every shade of the rainbow. You like pink? You can buy cloth diapers in every shade of pink imaginable.
There are a few different kinds of cloth diapers, and no – they are nothing like what you’re thinking! Prefolds are the old standby, just a flat piece of cloth that can be folded around your baby and fastened with a pin. This option is the most labor-intensive but also the cheapest. Fitted diapers are a modified version of the prefold. They resemble your basic disposable, but they are not leak-proof. Covers are usually made of plastic or wool and are used over prefolds or fitteds to provide a waterproof layer. Pocket Diapers combine an absorbent lining with a waterproof shell, and have a pocket for inserts to add absorbency. All-in-ones, as the name suggests, are everything rolled into one. Diapers can also be one-size fits all, but most are sized.
The very first cloth diaper I felt won me over. It was so soft, it felt like my favorite slippers. There are many different cloth diaper designs and they are all different. Some diapers are super-thick and some are as thin as disposables. Personally, I don’t like to put my daughter in the thicker diapers because they make her clothes fit funny.
There are a few different cloth diapers that I really love. BumGenius makes a bamboo fitted diaper that is incredibly soft & absorbent. I like to pair these with a Thirsties cover, available in every shade of the rainbow. BumGenius diapers are available at http://www.simplewonders.com/, run by an awesome mom named Sultana. Simple Wonders Diapers also carries a hard to find brand called Mommy’s Touch that is really great. You can buy Thirsties diaper covers at http://www.cottonbabies.com/.
Online stores that sell cloth diapers are usually extremely helpful for beginners, including how-to’s on everything from washing your diapers to any problems you may encounter. So you never know until you try – you might like them!
Thanks, Heather! So, do YOU use cloth diapers? What’s your favorite brand and how has the experience been for you?
The Shopping Mama
April 23, 2009Thanks for the great post, Heather. It really makes me wish I’d just taken the plunge and started using cloth diapers with my son!
Abby
April 23, 2009We are using cloth diapers at home these days. We really love our Fuzzi Bunz. I have to say for me the hardest part of using cloth diapers is figuring out how to wash them correctly and dealing with losing absorbency. We have hard water so that has been an issue.
amy
April 23, 2009we use fuzzi bunz and love them! i agree w/ abby that it was hard to figure out how to properly wash them, but once you figure it out it’s a sinch. we have every shade of fuzzi bunz imaginable…AND, i just love how they look under my daughter’s dresses in the summertime. no need for bloomers or underpants because i pretty much have a diaper that matches every sundress out there!
jeff9
April 25, 2009The best way to clean cloth diapers is to pre-rinse them off in the toilet using a Hand Bathroom Bidet Sprayer. So convenient and if you are trying to help the environment (and your pocket book) you can give it a double whammy by virtually eliminating toilet paper use at the same time as you benefit from using it on the diapers, by using it on yourself. I think Dr. Oz on Oprah said it best: “if you had pee or poop on your hand, you wouldn’t wipe it off with paper, would you? You’d wash it off” Available at http://www.bathroomsprayers.com they come in an inexpensive kit and can be installed without a plumber. And after using one of these you won’t know how you lasted all those years with wadded up handfuls of toilet paper. Now we’re talking green and helping the environment without any pain. One review: http://jonathanandandrea.blogspot.com/2009/04/spray-it-or-scrub-it.html
Anonymous
April 27, 2009I use G diapers (www.gdiapers.com), which are a Cloth Hybrid. They have an insert that goes into the cloth/plastic reusable portion. That insert is flushable, compostable, and biodegradeable! So, if you have to throw it away it breaks down in three months. It’s like the convenience of a disposable with the eco-friendliness of a cloth diaper! I love them, although, I have to say, they don’t work great overnight!