Hello everyone! My husband and I decided to cloth diaper our little one when he was still in my belly. I read and read and read a lot of the posts here and did my own research as well. I just wanted to take the time to let people know what worked for me, especially for new cloth diaper families or those that are on the fence...
Green Mountain Diaper was a great resource for us and this is where we buy all of our cloth diapering products.
We went with the Cloth-Eez cotton bleached diapers. I bought about 10 of the workhorses in the newborn sizes and they were really great (didn't see a need for workhorses for us after the newborn size). We STILL to this day use some if the Flip snap covers that we used on him as an infant, but having a few of the Thirsties newborn size covers was really great for this size and time. All of the Flip covers are great, while the Velcro ones are easy, they do lose some of the velcro, where as the snaps will pretty much last forever! We use the Snappi's to fasten the diapers. We have some of the two-sided wipes and the white flannel wipes from Green Mountain (I like having both). We wash these with our diapers. To moisten, we dip in a mixture of distilled water (doesn't try out as quickly) and the Kissaluvs Diaper potion. We use a wipe warmer (which I always thought were silly until my mom bought us one and he stopped peeing on us!! ). I store the wet wipes in Gladloc plastic containers and re-fill the warner when needed. The warner is a Prince Lionheart, we really like it and they seem to be a great company that has provided excellent customer service for us when our first warmer went kaput on us after about a year.
When we change a poopie diaper, we immediately spray with Bac-Out (all natural enzyme product by BioKleen), then toss some baking soda on it for odor control. We have two washable diaper bags that we interchange and wash right with the diapers. We wash the diapers and covers in Charlie's soap... 1 delicate, cold cycle with an extra rinse. Remove covers and bags to hang dry, then another wash cycle on Heavy Duty, hot water. Dry for about an hour on High. Our diapers are still so clean, I cannot believe he has pooped in them as many times as he has. The Cloth-Eez are are little more expensive and you do have to buy them in the appropriate size (I have about 80 some diapers in my attic!), but they were TOTALLY worth it for us and never once did we have the slightest problem or issue.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the method that has worked so well for us. I never really post here and don't come to the site often (anymore), but I wanted to take the time to put all of this down... These message boards helped me SO much through my trying to get pregnant, being pregnant and a TON of other questions I had, I hope to at least help one person on their journey of wanting to cloth diaper their baby!
TTC# 1 since 5/10 Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect DX: Unexplained IF Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP! Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC #2
IVF #4 May/June 2014 ER 6/4 18R 8M 8F ET 6/9 1 blast, 2 frosties
Beta 6/18 BFFN
FET of 2 blasts 7/24...BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w3d on 3/17/15
TTC#3 IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy IVF #7 August 2019-....?
Two things about Charlie's--first--there's no disinfectant type element in it, and my understanding is that it leaves diapers washed in Charlie's more prone to bacteria build up. Second--I have heard of more than a few babies that had bad (allergic) reactions to Charlie's soap.
Where are you getting your information from???
If your detergent is working and getting your diapers clean, then they are clean. Charlie's leaves no build up at all.
The 'bad allegergic reactions' are mostly from people not using Charlie's correctly. If you are switching from another detergent, you must wash everything in Charlie's 3 times before wearing to rinse away the old residue that Charlie's brings out of clothes/diapers. People get rashes from not following directions and putting skin against the residue left after one wash in Charlie's.
Sure, you can be allergic to anything, but that's no reason to blame Charlie's. My kid is allergic to Tide but I wouldn't discourage someone from trying it.
TTC# 1 since 5/10 Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect DX: Unexplained IF Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP! Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC #2
IVF #4 May/June 2014 ER 6/4 18R 8M 8F ET 6/9 1 blast, 2 frosties
Beta 6/18 BFFN
FET of 2 blasts 7/24...BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w3d on 3/17/15
TTC#3 IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy IVF #7 August 2019-....?
Charlie's has definitely worked for us. We have never had any odor issues, etc. (maybe because we do the Bac-Out and the baking soda right away-?) From other things I have researched, it also has a lot to do with type of washers, diapers and water you have.I know all of it is personal for each family and situation and some things work for some people that don't work for others. Was just trying to leave some useful information that may help someone else!
& I don't work for a company, I am a stay at home mom to little one! I was really just trying to leave some advice of some things that had worked for us. It helped so much to read things here and other places, I thought I would try to do the same. It only took me about a year to do it... cold weather, wine and procrastination of cleaning and laundry finally got me to do it!!
Charlies is great for cloth diapers. I've used it for years (and I don't add a separate disinfectant fwiw. I think just have that to cya) and its recommended by people like Karen at gmd and Jillian's drawers.
NO detergent is right for everyone. But there's not something systemic wrong with charlies.
Mama to a little girl born July 2011 and a little boy born April 2014!
wow, it really didn't take long for the fluff love people and their bad advice to move in here.
Erm, the Fluff Love info I've read is really opposed to using Charlie's. Granted, that's the website as I'm not on Facebook. The site however is pretty much in line for how I handled diapers with my girls, and what I'll do this time.
I admit the F&C doesn't work as well, but my girls couldn't tolerate anything else so I had to accept needing to strip the diapers.
Having to spray bacout and baking soda on each dirty diaper seems a bit excessive. There should be no reason for all those extra steps and products for regular soiled diapers.
The only time I've heard bacout recommended is for soaked ON diapers, and usually not until the babies a bit older with more potent urine.
wow, it really didn't take long for the fluff love people and their bad advice to move in here.
Erm, the Fluff Love info I've read is really opposed to using Charlie's. Granted, that's the website as I'm not on Facebook. The site however is pretty much in line for how I handled diapers with my girls, and what I'll do this time.
I admit the F&C doesn't work as well, but my girls couldn't tolerate anything else so I had to accept needing to strip the diapers.
The Fluff Love people seem to have a weird vendetta against Charlie's.
It's important to read between the lines and look at a variety of sources when researching.
There are other options besides F&C detergents if your babies have sensitive skin.
Re: What worked for me!
Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect
DX: Unexplained IF
Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN
IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS
IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum
IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC#3
IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos
IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy
IVF #7 August 2019-....?
Two things about Charlie's--first--there's no disinfectant type element in it, and my understanding is that it leaves diapers washed in Charlie's more prone to bacteria build up.
Second--I have heard of more than a few babies that had bad (allergic) reactions to Charlie's soap.
Where are you getting your information from???
If your detergent is working and getting your diapers clean, then they are clean. Charlie's leaves no build up at all.
The 'bad allegergic reactions' are mostly from people not using Charlie's correctly. If you are switching from another detergent, you must wash everything in Charlie's 3 times before wearing to rinse away the old residue that Charlie's brings out of clothes/diapers. People get rashes from not following directions and putting skin against the residue left after one wash in Charlie's.
Sure, you can be allergic to anything, but that's no reason to blame Charlie's. My kid is allergic to Tide but I wouldn't discourage someone from trying it.
Me:34 Type 1 Diabetes, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Hypothyroid DH:35 Perfect
DX: Unexplained IF
Many IUI's with various meds all BFFN
IVF #1 11/11 canceled due to OHSS
IVF #2 Feb/March 2012 ET of 2 on day 3 4/7 BFP! 5/1 u/s blighted ovum
IVF #3 July 2012 ET of 3 on day 3 7/24 BFP!
Healthy baby girl born at 36w4d on 3/9/13
TTC#3
IVF #5 June 2018- PGS planned, no surviving embryos
IVF #6 August 2018- ET of 2 on day 3 - Chemical pregnancy
IVF #7 August 2019-....?
"Annnnnnd you win the award for best SN evar." -LindsRockies
NO detergent is right for everyone. But there's not something systemic wrong with charlies.
I admit the F&C doesn't work as well, but my girls couldn't tolerate anything else so I had to accept needing to strip the diapers.
The only time I've heard bacout recommended is for soaked ON diapers, and usually not until the babies a bit older with more potent urine.
It's important to read between the lines and look at a variety of sources when researching.
There are other options besides F&C detergents if your babies have sensitive skin.