Cloth Diaper advice

g_amoss · October 2017

It looks like there are a few of us considering using cloth diapers. For those of you who have used them before, what brand/type did you love or hate? How many was "enough" to have? Other must-haves associated with CD? Whatever else you have to share, lay it on us!

ekendall09 · October 2017

I did CD for about a year (6m-18m) Its been a while and I have some of my stash although i think i'd have to start fresh. Forgive mt lack of remembering things and terminology. I didn't want to buy a newborn stash and then an additional one but did like the adjustable ones as she grew. I am going to have to look for brands we liked best since its been 3 years. I recommend atleast 2 wet bags, daily laundry of course too. When poops were more solid I found the fleece overlays/inserts worked best. I know I like rumparooz, bumgenius and thirsties. I was able to trial through a local store for 2 weeks to figure out what brands worked best for me. I didn't have daycare use them, so we still bought a box of diapers a month for that.

Mattel · October 2017

I can’t remember how many per day. There are charts out there that tell you how many you need. We washed every 2-3 days so I had a big enough stash for that. I used several types/brands faithfully. I am in the minority and really disliked pocket diapers (except Glowbug!). Definitely a couple big wet bags. I swear by the ones from ragababe. They have a handle that hangs perfectly on a doorknob and they zip closed and contain all smells when they’re closed - even if you wait too long between washings (I know from experience). You will also need smaller ones for your diaper bag. Make sure to get a CD safe diaper cream. I loved our diaper sprayer for runny poop or those early stage poops that are very soft and liquidy. As far as brands, I was in love with Ragababe. They are pricey but they are not nearly as htf as they once were. I really liked Flips with the Flips brand inserts or prefolds. I love the prefolds That are shorter so you don’t have to fold the ends and add bulk . For bedtime, there was a bamboo diaper I loved. I can’t think of the brand right now. Goomamas were also good. They were guaranteed not to leak with a cover on them. My daughter was a heavy sleeper and a heavy wetter at night, and they would hold up to her 12 hour long sleeps without a single leak.

I’m happy to answer any other questions you have

ngolimento · October 2017

I am going to be honest, we tried it and haaaaated it. We tried several different brands, and while cute, they constantly leaked. Constantly. Then there's the tub full of crap-coated diapers that we were trying to pre-soak to have them get fully cleaned in the wash. I ended up hand-washing so many diapers, and finally I said "Nope, hell nope, and nope". We lasted for about 3 months. It hurts my eco-oriented heart, but I couldn't hack it.

ftm_ohio · October 2017

I'm a FTM, but was lucky enough to babysit regularly for friends who used cloth for their son and I knew it was for me!

I've bought my stash already, 21 diapers in total, no newborns, just planning to wait until he's 8lbs (if he takes after me and DH he will be at birth haha).

So I have Bum Genius Freetimes which are an all in one and should fit from 8-35lbs. I've used the pocket diapers as well (my friends have a mixed stash) and did not like them!

I'm planning to get the large size PlanetWise wetbags. Like the ones that
@Mattel was describing, they hang on a door handle easily and contain all the smells!

As far as laundry, Lucies List had a great chart for CD safe laundry detergent and I found a great collapsible drying rack at TJ Maxx.

They certainly take a little more effort compared to disposables, but can really help if your child has allergies our sensitivities to any diapers out there!

okayrunner · October 2017

We will be CDing again with baby two, and while I'm sad I don't need to buy any new diapers, it's also amazing that we don't need to buy any new diapers! Nicki's keeps posting all these cute patterns though. Gah!

For the newborn stage, we used prefolds and covers. I have considered investing in some larger ones for this baby because they were my absolute favorite before. We used Green Mountain Diapers for our prefolds.

Once baby got bigger, we used Kawaii pockets and Best Bottoms /w the snap inserts. I used kawaii because a friend used them and told me about their black Friday sale, five bucks a diaper. We were happy with both and we sent them to daycare as well. We have three smaller travel wet bags and two large ones for our diaper bin. We also had a diaper sprayer and used country save detergent. All in all, it was a really positive experience aside from the extra laundry.

kaymaroo · October 2017

I did with DS and I loved it. (Won't be for this LO because I don't have my own washer/dryer any more and that's way too much laundry to schlep to the laundry room all the time). I didn't start with DS until he fit the one-size diapers because I didn't want to invest in a newborn stash. So these recommendations are all for after baby hits 1-2 months.

I exclusively used pocket diapers and my favorite brand was Bum Genius. I could never get a good fit with Fuzzibunz. Kawaii were good too, and a lot cheaper, but I found they leaked a little more often than BG. You need about 18-20 to wash them every other day. My "system" was a trash can with a lid and a liner from BG. When he started solids I also got a sprayer for the toilet to spray out the poo before putting in the trash can/diaper pail--it was a total life-saver. When I was ready to wash I'd take the whole liner bag with all the diapers in it and dump it into the wash altogether. I used Rockin' Green detergent and sun-dried and didn't have any issues with odor and only minor staining.

Oh, and when we were out of the house we used Flips, which are an outer shell like a pocket diaper but with no pocket--the pad just lays inside the shell so that when you're out in public you don't have as much bulk to carry around in your diaper bag.

8bithearts · October 2017

I'm cheap and pretty much used prefolds and covers with my first two plus the baby I watch. I do use fitters and extra inserts overnight but switched to disposables overnight pretty early. I like Grovia and anything cotton. Not a Big fan of microfiber.

Mattel · October 2017

Found them! They are called Pooters. I bought both the bamboo and hemp leak free fitted. The hemp was stiffer but had higher absorbency. I notice they’ve expanded their product line in the several years since I’ve cloth diapered but they do still have those fitteds. It also looks like they have some pretty informative blog posts in CD topics

fancybelmont · October 2017

I CDed with #1 and did a little bit with #2. I really liked Bum Genius, both with the built in liner and the removable liner. I thought they were really easy. Once they start eating solids you want to get a rinser.

I think if you are a SAHM they are easy peasy. I found it WAY more difficult to do while working. I'm not planning on using them much for this baby because I just don't have the time or the energy to add more laundry to my life. But someone with the time and desire, they are worth it. I saved a ton of money using them.

lovesclimbing · October 2017

*lurker from June '17*

I use fitteds I sewed myself and Thirsties Duos covers. I have 20 of the smaller size fitteds (I made the fitteds to match the Duos, so it's essentially a smaller "one size" and a larger "one size") and it's sort of enough. I wash about every day and a half. I originally planned to wash every other day, but it wasn't really enough for that. I have six covers to go with them, and that is enough.

I do not have a big wet bag for the diapers. I registered for it, didn't get it, and was too cheap to buy it myself. I have a large trash bag lying on the bathroom floor and I stick them in there. I just twist the open end so it's sort of shut and there's no smell. I do have two small wet bags (free gifts with purchase) for out and about, and I'd say those are necessary.

If you don't know anything about types, I'd watch Jaimee Gleisner's Cloth diapering 101 video series on YouTube. Super informative!

dirtyboots · October 2017

We CD #1 (8/16) once he was out of NB size disposables and fit into the one size pockets until he was around a year (a couple months ago). We moved and the washer we inherited is over 30 years old and it doesn't rinse them well enough and the residue on the diapers end up burning him :,( I got a variety of 12 pockets (BumGenius, BlueBerry, and Rumparooz) from a gal who was destashing on a local bst group for super cheap to start with and would wash 2x a week. I then got 6 Alva brand on Amazon's Black Friday Sale last year. Alva are like the "China" brand of BumGenius. I CD during the day and used disposable at night and while we were out of the house. The 18 was enough for us to get though the week days then I'd wash/ hang dry (to try and extend the elastic's life) over the weekend so they'd be ready for the following week.

Preface: My son has always been a skinny baby, never had the chunky thighs/rolls. So my preference is what worked well for his petite size. He also was not a heavy wetter. So we could get away with using a single liner that came with the diaper and he never leaked. I know some babes are heavier wetters and mamas have to find higher absorbancy liners to keep babes from leaking.

What I've found with the diapers I have...

The Blueberry brand diaper is a bit bulkier/bigger then the BG/Alva and RR. The pocket that you stuffed was a bit more floppy (easier for bigger hands to stuff I suppose) and I didn't like that. Not that it affected how the diaper worked, just a cosmetic detail that I didn't care for. It also, just didn't fit my skinny babe as snuggly as the others. I didn't find myself reaching for it first off.

The RR was great for when he was smaller (maybe 9-18# and 24-28") and was a favorite while they fit. The double gussets were great for holding in the breastmilk poops. He did grow out of the height wise before the BB/BG/Alva.

BumGenius fit him all along (still do at 21# and 30"). I was always able to get a good fit on him with them. No complaints.

Alva like I said is pretty much the generic version of the BG. The flaps (?) are a little wider and the pocket to stuff is a bit tighter thus harder to stuff. But, for the price and performance it's not a big deal to me and if DH ever admits defeat with our dinosaur of a washer and gets a new on I will be investing in some more Alvas to up our stash as we will have 2 in diapers.

I also prefer the snaps to aplex/velcro. Just because you don't have all the fuzzies catching on the hooks in the wash and also ds is able to undo velcro, but can't undo the snaps.

I tried to "spoiler" the photos, but it wasn't working. Sorry.

kaymaroo · October 2017

Popping back in to mention, when we were done CDing I sold off my stash for about half what I paid for it all, which I consider a great return on my money versus shelling out all that cash for disposables. Being cheap was the main reason I chose to CD, actually.

Also, ditto others who mentioned using an extra insert overnight. DS slept 14+ hours at night and no way one insert would get him through. I ended up using the inserts from the CDs I had and didn't like (FB mainly) as my second insert, but if you buy all one brand you may want to buy 3-4 extra inserts for this.

Mattel · October 2017

@dirtyboots brought up an excellent point about fit. You may have to try several brands to figure out what fits and works with your baby the best. They do not all fit and work the same. Your beat bet to start is get a few different options from a BST and try them out to see what you do and don’t like before investing in an entire stash.

krrpe99 · October 2017

We use cloth, but not exclusively. We used disposables for the newborn phase. For a FTM I recommend this, because those diapers have to line of them that changes color when they're wet. This helped me keep track of wet diapers.
We use the cloth while at home, but if we go out, we use a disposable. This way we don't have to worry about a wet bag and carrying around a dirty diaper.
We did try a few different types, but ended up liking the pocket diapers the best. Honestly, I went on Amazon and found some that came in multiple packs to start my stash. I wasn't too concerned with brand. It was all too overwhelming for me! I also bought charcoal and bamboo inserts that are extra absorbent.

hedgepig · October 2017

Thanks for all this great info ladies! I have a couple more questions:

Did you used cloth wipes too? If so, what kind? Did you keep them in a wet solution, or use them dry?

Did you find you needed a bigger diaper bag? I'm planning on making my own, and wondering if I need to look for a bigger pattern?

Any recommendations for wet bags that were truly waterproof? Especially for traveling/out and about.

dirtyboots · October 2017

I did use cloth wipes with my Cds. You can find them super cheap on ebay or Etsy if you look. We used flannel ones beings they were softer. We did not store them wet, instead we just had a peri bottle filled with water (if you prefer more of a cleaning solution there's lots of "recipes" online) and sprayed the wipe when we needed it. They all (wipes and peri bottle) fit inside one of those hard (disposable) wipe containers.

riversdoctor · October 2017

I highly recommend the planet wise wet bags. We have two of the xl bags at home plus a medium wet/dry bag for travel/daycare. I will likely buy a second medium so I can have one backup when the other is in the wash
https://www.nickisdiapers.com/planet-wise-wet-dry-bags.html

https://www.nickisdiapers.com/planet-wise-lite-hanging-wet-bags.html

eta links

kaymaroo · October 2017

I used disposable wipes because I didn't want to deal with wetting fabric ones.

I loved the Planet Wise small wet bag to carry around in the diaper bag. I never had an issue with leaks or smell.

I traded in my medium-sized diaper bag for the biggest I could find. The diapers do take up a bit more room than disposables would (not so bad if you use something like Flips while out of the house), but I also just found I always wanted to bring a zillion things with me.

Mattel · October 2017

I had a pretty big diaper big but I didn’t need extra space for cloth diapers. My daughter never had a single blow out in cloth and I never carried spare outfits.

My favorite wetbags were from Ragababe -
all sizes.

I did use use cloth wipes, also flannel. I made them myself with a server. Super easy. I just kept a bottle of water with a little wipe solution mixed in and wet them as I went. It’s so easy to do the wipes right with diaper laundry.

ftm_ohio · October 2017

Okay ladies with experience, I am curious what detergents you guys have used with your CDs?

Why did you like it?

Mattel · October 2017

I tried everything. Homemade soap. Rockin Green. Some soap bead things?? At the end of the day we got the best clean with original Tide and a lot of CD moms I knew did the same. It’s been a while, but I do remember it had to be the original, not the HE - although I don’t remember why

ftm_ohio · October 2017

@Mattel the liquid?

Mattel · October 2017

@ftm_ohio I used both. I can’t remember which was better.

8bithearts · October 2017

ftm_ohio said:

Okay ladies with experience, I am curious what detergents you guys have used with your CDs?

Why did you like it?

Tide powder handsdown!!!

8bithearts · October 2017

hedgepig said:

Thanks for all this great info ladies! I have a couple more questions:

Did you used cloth wipes too? If so, what kind? Did you keep them in a wet solution, or use them dry?

Did you find you needed a bigger diaper bag? I'm planning on making my own, and wondering if I need to look for a bigger pattern?

Any recommendations for wet bags that were truly waterproof? Especially for traveling/out and about.

hedgepig said:

Thanks for all this great info ladies! I have a couple more questions:

Did you used cloth wipes too? If so, what kind? Did you keep them in a wet solution, or use them dry?

Did you find you needed a bigger diaper bag? I'm planning on making my own, and wondering if I need to look for a bigger pattern?

Any recommendations for wet bags that were truly waterproof? Especially for traveling/out and about.

Cloth wipes yes! We actually do family cloth (basket of wipes on the back of the toilet and use for adults #1 and kids for both. Just toss dirties in with the diapers and bleach regularly)

We do mostly dry with a spray bottle of plain warm water. I tried a wipe warmer but it was a hassle.

We used a bigger diaper bag but i'm a heavy packer. At one point tho I would bring a few clean in a wet/dry sseparate bag and thats it. Loved my planetwise, but i also buy through diaper coops and havent really had any problems!

dirtyboots · October 2017

I used the tide original powdered. I originally used All free and clear liquid, but was then informed it wasn't cd friendly so that's when I switched to tide beings that was what was recommended to me by the fluff love community.

krrpe99 · October 2017

I read that liquid detergent can build up on the diapers, which is why powdered is recommended. We use the Tide Free and Clear.

Mattel · October 2017

The other ladies are right. It was powder Tide that we used. My hubby remembered

lesliegolem · November 2017

I CD with my first. We used Bumgenius pocket snap/velcro diapers. So easy! We had about 24 I believe. I used the Bumgenius powder since it could be used in HE washers. It worked for quite a while! Eventually we had issues though. My DD started to have diaper rash as a toddler its like they weren't keeping her dry enough and she was peeing larger amounts as a toddler. Then our washer started to stink. I got the thicker liners to help once she was bigger but we got sick and got out of our every other day habit of washing and just couldn't go back to CD. It hurts my recycling heart. I could of tried other things but i had spent over $400 on my collection. That with everything else i just decided I was done. Also because the diapers are more bulky than disposables I always had to buy bigger pants. I sold them all btw for pretty much what I paid so they stay valuable even after being used which is nice.

Also second planet wise wet bags rock!!! If you can be commited I think CD is awesome. Just be prepared to adjust your routine or what you're using if something comes up. Oh and get stuff to specifically wash/deodarize your washer because you may need it.

keeksie84 · November 2017

I wanted to chime in and say that I wasn't really considering CD until reading this thread. I've been doing some research and am quite intrigued. A friend recommended GroVia brand...has anyone tried them?

ekendall09 · November 2017

@keeksie84 google cloth diaper stores around you. The one by me does a trial program. Basically the give you brand new diapers to try for 2 weeks so you can figure out 1. if you like cloth diapering 2. what brands you like best 3.get a feel for it. After two weeks you can purchase the diapers you like or return them all. I don't remember the cost to do it but it was worth it to try without a full investment! I got hooked!

Mattel · November 2017

@keeksie84 I really like will Grovia diapers. I esP like their newborn diapers. However, they do seem to fit better on smaller babies so until you know how your baby is going to grow and fill out, I wouldn’t invest in just one brand.

dirtyboots · November 2017

@keeksie84 I never used them, but i have a friend that loves them. She also has a slim baby, like @Mattel mentioned.

keeksie84 · November 2017

Thanks @ekendall09, @Mattel and @dirtyboots! I was hoping to put them on my registry, but now I'm thinking I should wait??

pghren · November 2017

Ok, advice on registering for cd's and supplies?

dirtyboots · November 2017

@allowachick I had Cds on my registry and didn't get a single one, but got all kinds of disposables(that I had none of on my registry). I really feel like, with mine atleast, no one really looked at the registry and just bought what they thought was best/cute, cause I sure didn't register for half the stuff I got.

pghren · November 2017

@dirtyboots that's what I'm afraid of

g_amoss · November 2017

@allowachick - I want to CD, but want to try some different styles/brands before committing. Someone mentioned a trial period at CD stores. Unfortunately for me the closest store I can find is 2 hours away

Have you looked into a trial period?

ftm_ohio · November 2017

Hey ladies! I just got an email today, Cottonbabies (the makers of bumgenius and flip) have come out with a brand new pocket diaper! It's called "Elemental Joy." They are priced VERY well (6 diapers for $36). This might be a good way for those who want to try cloth, but not invest a lot before they know they like it!

I personally love Bumgenius diapers and flips. Obviously I can't say what these will be like, but from previous experience with Cottonbabies products, I would trust this.

So far they don't have many cute prints, but I'm sure they will come out with more.

riversdoctor · November 2017

g_amoss said:

@allowachick - I want to CD, but want to try some different styles/brands before committing. Someone mentioned a trial period at CD stores. Unfortunately for me the closest store I can find is 2 hours away Have you looked into a trial period?

Nickisdiapers.com has a few sampler packs. https://www.nickisdiapers.com/one-size-pocket-diaper-sampler.html

they also offer a 15 day trial so don’t order until baby is here! https://www.nickisdiapers.com/15-day-wash.html

Cloth Diaper advice

Re: Cloth Diaper advice

Choose Another Board

Search Boards