For my family, the choice between using cloth and disposable diapers was a no-brainer for two main reasons: 1. cloth diapers are far better for the environment, and 2. they are much more affordable after your initial investment.
The other bonuses to cloth diapering is that they use absorbent fabrics instead of chemical compounds like many disposables, and they look down right adorable on your baby. I know the words "cloth diapers" conjure up images of moms up to their elbows in toilet water, scrubbing out poopy diapers. I have to say, this isn't really the case for me, and we use cloth diapers (and wipes!) exclusively. Here is how we make cloth diapering super convenient for us along with some of my favorite products.
Invest in Numbers:
Depending on how often you're willing to do laundry, you need to start with a good amount of diapers. We started out with 18 Perfect size small FuzziBunz pocket diapers, which fit a baby from 0 - 18 lbs, or up to approximately 8 months. With this number of diapers, we ended up doing a load of laundry every other day. Over time, I've purchased some One Size FuzziBunz and One Size Bum Genius 4.0 pocket diapers, that will fit Juniper until we potty train her. I LOVE both of these brands. We now have about 30 diapers and do laundry every 3-4 days. Ultimately, I plan to invest in about 20-24 One Size diapers total.
We also have the very reasonably priced Bummis Diaper kit, containing 24 prefold diapers, 6 diaper covers, along with fleece and disposable liners. I have these mostly for backup, when The other diapers are in the wash. I plan on keeping several of these for use at Juniper's daycare as well.
On-the-Go:
For on-the-go diapers, I really love the hybrid flexibility of Portland based G Diapers. You can use cloth or biodegradeable/flushable inserts. These are an excellent option for traveling and the come in adorable patterns and colors.
Wipes:
Our wipe system consists of several cloth wipes ( about 36 or so) and a cute vintage pump thermos filled with homemade wipe solution. We simply pump the desired amount of liquid onto each wipe for each diaper change. For this system, I prefer Grovia terry cloth wipes. They hold a lot of liquid, and gently erase any mess. They are also really reasonably priced.
Cleanup and Laundry:
I LOVE using the Coolcraft Diaper Sprayer to hose down poopy diapers. These handy devices are super easy to install and keep you from scrubbing and swishing dirty diapers in the toilet. A must-have.
We have used Charlie's soap, Biokleen, and Ecover detergents on our diapers. I have found Biokleen to be the most bang for your buck, particularly if you have a high efficiency washer.
There you have it. I hope you feel inspired to give cloth diapering a chance. While, this is how we make cloth diapers work for us, I recommend exploring a few options and go with what works best for you! xo!
