So lost
msbowling
member
ok, so we are planning to cloth dipaer and disposable, just to save on pricing and such. We have about 25 cloth diapers total. I am totally confused on the washign aspect. What is the best way to do it?
We have the cloth diapers with the inserts. I was told by a former cloth diaperer, that we can put the insert in the actual slot for the insert or we can leave it loose in the diaper to make cleanup a little easier, what is the best way that you have found for this?
Also, as far as the cleaning, right now we have one container of Rock in Green detergent, but it's quite expensive and I don't see it lasting that long. What other kind of detergents can we use? Do they have to be powder? On our ordinary laundry we use gain or xtra, and we have an HE, so idk if that affects anything. What is the cheapest type of detergent that is safe for cloth diapers, or does it even matter what kind you use?
Next question I have, is the cleaning? If LO poops, do you just dump it in the toilet and throw it in the washer? The whole diaper or just the insert? Seems kind of pointless to have inserts if you have to wash the whole diaper anyway, but what do I know. lol
Basically, I am totally lost and any and all help is greatly appreciated!
Re: So lost
My family is a Foreign Service family. Families like mine are posted in every corner of the globe. We live our lives away from family, friends and the conviences and comforts of home. We often live and work in dangerous places among those that misunderstand our intentions and purposes. Sometimes members of our ranks sacrifice our lives to further diplomacy. Please remember that we serve too. And I'm always open to questions.
I'll bite.
First off, I suggest you read the FAQ at the top of the main cloth diaper board on the right. There is a vast amount of information available.
Book https://www.kellyscloset.com/Changing-Diapers-Book_c_947.html Pretty much covers everything listed in the FAQ if you want something to 'hold and read'
Diapers Themselves.
With pocket diapers the inserts they are usually (90%) of the time made of microfiber, which cannot be left against a babys skin (will dry it out and cause a rash). Pocket diapers are not absorbent by themselves without an insert. There are some out there made of bamboo/hemp/cotton but that is for another discussion
Take out your inserts before washing. My newborn routine was to take the inserts out when I take the diaper off my daughter and put both in the diaper pail with the used diaper. Now that she is on solids, after she is changed and on her merry way in the crib, I take the diaper to the toilet, rinse off any poop then go back to the diaper pail take out the insert and put them in. It is pretty gross to take the inserts out right before washing, if you forgot to take them out before. - I know it seems obvious, but I did that for a week before the lightbulb went off in my head.
Detergent DOES MATTER.
As for detergent, it does matter. I've heard a few mention they use Tide Ultra powder - use the scoop up to one, and others say two tablespoons - even though it is on the detergent no-no list on some webpages. The real answer is what is How your washing machine and water quality (hard or soft) work together.. You need to do diaper laundry a few times to find the system that works for you.
There is a whole section in the FAQ about washing diapers- diaper laundry is a work in process there is no RIGHT way just the right way that works for you. One mostly consistent thing among all of us is an initial rinse in cold water (some use rinse & spin, others like me use quick wash setting) a regular wash Hot water with an extra rinse at the end. The initial rinse gets residual poo and some urine out of the diapers so they will wash better in the next cycle. I believe there is an FAQ about washing routines also. If not, post your wash routine on the board and ask for input/suggestions - if you do this be very specific, type/name of washing machine, Front loader, top loader, HE detergent used and how much, what cycles you are using etc.
My daughter is 10 months and I've changed my wash routine 3-4 times during that time frame. Don't freak out about it. Start with one, see if your diapers smell and look clean (remember there will ALWAYS be poop stains - they are diapers after all. But a stain doesn't mean the diaper isnt' clean - smelling is the true test of a clean diaper, if it smells like nothing, it is clean). If you have any issues you can always post them to this board, everyone is very helpful at troubleshooting laundry issues. - puttting the diapers out in the sun wet to dry will bleach out the stains nicely, some add lemon juice on the stains to "assist" the sun -if you do this don't forget to rewash the diaper - I didn't and my daughter got a sore bum from it.
Me personally, I use Tiny Bubbles (available at costco.com in bulk) works out to be .16cents a load, or charlies soap in powder (it is actually a detergent, but just called soap) , amazon 4 gallon contain available works out to be .13 cents a load if I remember properly. But to get these prices you need to outlay 60(TinyB)-100bucks(charlies). I bought a container of charlies to use on our household laundry over 1.5 years ago and I still have over 1/3 the container left to use. I was spending $7.00 every other week on detergent, so I've made my money back plus some. I think i remember someone saying Tide works out to .23 cents a load using the amount of detergent they recommend (to level 1 on scoop), however, it is available locally and you don't have to order in bulk to save alot of money, you can just buy a bigger box. Check out the FAQ on detergents/washing diapers it has links to companies who have done comparisons on which laundry detergent is safe for cloth. -AVOID dreft under all circumstances, laundry and diapers, the stuff is junk, filled with perfumes softeners additives and doesn't clean that well. I can't tell you how many times I've run into women whos kids are allergic to the stuff.
Poop.
Newborn poop disolves in water and you just throw it in the wet bag as is and let the machine do its magic in the first rinse/wash of your diapers. (breast fed and formula fed) Once you start solid foods, you must "dump" the poop in the toilet. If you want you can purchase disposable liners (thin pieces of "soft paper" you plan ontop on your diaper), but I found they would always bunch up on my daughter and i'd still have poop everywhere.
so I just bought a diaper sprayer and I wouldn't cloth diaper if I didn't have one. https://www.kellyscloset.com/-Diaper-Sprayers_c_629.html - they are also available on ebay for anywhere from $25-40 and there are directions on the internet for a do it yourself but you end up spending anywhere between $25-40 making one (from what I've heard) so in my humble opinion buying one is better because most of the time there is a warranty.
www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com is a great blog to visit, there is even a tutortial on how to use a diaper sprayer, there is vast information there as well as the board history here.
Phew. I hoped this helped you out some.
BrendaLou is right on.
The only other thing I would add, is that with an HE washer, a bag of RnG will give you 90 loads. Just like cloth diapers, it's expensive up front, but no problem in the long run. Detergent definitely matters, check out this chart for a good reference -
https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm
I started using All Free & Clear, and found I needed to strip my diapers after only a few weeks. I then switched to Bi-O-Kleen, which I also use for my regular clothes. I found for me, it was hard to wash out of my AIOs, and I would need to use 4 rinse cycles, so we swtiched to RnG. I love it to pieces.
For my pockets, I leave them together for the prewash. Once that's complete, anything that hasn't spun out on its own, I take out while the water for the wash is filling. The point of the insert being separate is drying time. It dries much faster than an AIO. I actually prefer AIOs, but I will be the first to tell you they do take a long time to dry - my pockets dry much faster because they separate.
WOW! I am in awe of this response. I feel terrible to give my short responses but that is all anyone can get out of my on the iPad (which I am usually on while I am nursing which is ALL of the time). I figure some response is better than none.
But YOU are a rock star.
My family is a Foreign Service family. Families like mine are posted in every corner of the globe. We live our lives away from family, friends and the conviences and comforts of home. We often live and work in dangerous places among those that misunderstand our intentions and purposes. Sometimes members of our ranks sacrifice our lives to further diplomacy. Please remember that we serve too. And I'm always open to questions.