Cloth Diapering 101?

[Figwit]

I've heard nothing but amazing things about Kissaluv fitteds, so I got a dozen of the size 0 ones (which won't last for very long, but I think they'll be a good introduction for my husband to cloth diapering). My husband has a hard time putting a collar on our corgi, so I'm trying to ease him into cloth diapering :)

Cake - be sure to check your local craigslist! I found a really great deal of 8 bumgenius, 1 kissaluv, 2 dream-eze fitteds, 3 grovia and a wetbag for less than $100. Also, ravelry forums have been great, too. I've gotten prefolds, wool covers (not hand knitted), and the kissaluvs from there.
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good, clean, fair.

small is possible.

[mohawk]

I am still loving our Kissaluv fitteds. She is 10 pounds and still fitting into the size 0, although I might try her in a Size 1 to see how it fits. I would suggest getting enough covers to go over the Kissaluvs. I only have 2 that fit her right now (she grew out of the prowrap newborns) and that makes me reach for other diaper options over the Kissaluvs.

I just started using our BumGenius Elementals and I like them pretty well. They take much much longer to dry though!

My favorite are the Thirsties Duo Wraps. Here she is modeling the fave style:

P1010018 by akuhlrock, on Flickr

[racheli]

Ahhhhh mohawk she is the cutest!!!!

We LOVE the Duo wraps too. I think they fit a LOT better than the one-size covers, yet there are only two sizes so I haven't spent a fortune on covers (although I now have to buy a whole new set of snap covers because L likes to open the aplix if he doesn't have pants on, and since it's getting warmer that's happening more and more often!).
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float like a floatbot, sting like an automatic stinging machine!

[ali171]

We are using cloth diapers now. We decreased our costs significantly by buying second hand diapers on kijiji and at a yard sale. I gave them a good wash and they are perfectly clean. They are the all in one type. We have three different kinds but that's ok. It takes a bit of getting used to but I have found cloth to be easier than the disposables. We don't need to use diaper cream with the cloth diapers which removes a step. My son often pees when the diaper is removed so having one less step is great.

Ebay also has some good deals on cloth diapers.

People looked at me funny when I said I was using cloth but they have been working out so far and I'm glad I tried them. In total, they were certainly less than $200 and no diaper rash so they are definately worth it.
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[dance]

Okay, I am late to the party- E is about 14 months now :) But I just went part time at work, and so now I think I can tackle this. I have 2 fuzzibuns pocket one size diapers, two thirsties duo wrap covers, one other cute cover w/o gussets, and some really random diaper stuff...
6 pack gerber prefolds
2 thirsties hemp inserts
tons of flannel and other prefolds that we had used as burp cloths

Can you kind of just try anything in there, as long as you are using recommended detergents?
I need to but some detergent, then I am good to start this process. I guess I also need a 5 gallon bucket or something? I am looking to just play around and still use 'sposies till I figure this out.
Racheli, do you snappi or pin the flour sack flats? Or just tuck them in your thirsties?
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[browneyedgirl]

I'm not near as much help as the ladies that are already CDing, or that have, because I'm still waiting for the arrival. My only knowledge comes from what I've read/heard.

But my understanding, is that you can mix and match a lot of your prefolds/inserts with other covers. And even that X insert/prefold maybe isn't amazing with X cover, but it IS amazing with Z cover.
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I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows.
- Drew Barrymore

[dance]

That's good to know, I will mix and match them! I got some Rockin Green detergent and have a load in the dryer right now. I have a bunch of receiving blankets and flannel prefolds, so I want to see what happens using them inside the wraps. I found a video on folding receiving blankets as diapers, but it showed a little baby. E is 21 pounds, so...I will be doing some experimenting!
I also realized I have no pins or Snappis- snappis seem really overpriced! How many would you need?
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[racheli]

I trifold the flats (which I first fold into quarters, of course) and place them in the covers. I semi-tried to fold them properly a few times, but I think the Target "flats" are smaller than standard Birdseye or other real flats, and they wouldn't fit L by a long shot. I'll probably use them with the new baby, though.

I have three Snappis right now, but I only use them on two fitted diapers that don't have snaps/aplix. One can be reused indefinitely as long as you don't accidentally throw it out :) I would just try to have two in case you lose one. The infant ones are generally sold in a three-pack, the toddler ones in a two-pack.

They do "expire" after a while - I've heard six months, but I think we got a year or so out of our first set. But the plastic does get brittle and for us, the little stretchy bits on the edge of the tabs broke off.

Snappis are much easier than pins, IMO, and work just as well. I tried pins briefly but I could not get the hang of it.

I mix and match EVERYTHING. I put gDiapers cloth inserts inside a Flip cover, a trifolded diaper service prefold inside a gDiaper, Econobum prefold inside a Thirsties cover, etc. Whatever's clean and near at hand :) I have only one cover that I really can't use with the "wrong" diaper (a Mother-Ease Wizard Duo, which sadly L is about to outgrow).
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float like a floatbot, sting like an automatic stinging machine!

[dance]

Good deal. I went for it today, and just threw all kinds of stuff on that poor baby! I think the flannels that I had (old burp cloths) were really wet against her skin, so she was a little pink. I have a decent amount of ama zon gift cards, and I think I will order some birdseye flats and some flushable liners..though I also really want to make some fleece liners. And by make I mean cut out rectangles, how easy is that? But I like the idea of just flipping the poo off a liner.

I was wondering how much it mattered that my existing stuff had been washed with fabric softener and all so many times. I did a big rockin green soak before I used them, but this is two kids worth of regular washing.

Also curious about how much it matters if I prewash new things 8 times like they say- it's just to increase absorbency, not to protect the bum, right? So I just would need to change more often? We had no leaks today, even with the crazy mish mash of stuff I put on her.
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[racheli]

I have gotten very few diapers new, but when I have, I have washed them only once before putting them on L for the first time. Honestly cannot tell the difference between that and after they've been washed a bunch. Maybe other people can, or maybe I just haven't used diapers that you really need to wash that many times :)

And yeah, I think it's just for absorbency. Anything yucky on the diaper from the manufacturing should be washed off after just one wash.
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float like a floatbot, sting like an automatic stinging machine!

[browneyedgirl]

I washed my new diapers a couple times. Three maybe? On my prefolds it DID help plump them up a lot. After washing and drying twice, I put some water on them, curious. Seemed to absorb just fine. But I washed again just for good measure.
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I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows.
- Drew Barrymore

[Figwit]

Prewashing is for absorbancy - especially for non-bleached diapers which have a lot of oils on them. I've bought most of my diapers used, so they're already prepped, but otherwise I've been using bigger sizes as a changing table cover and for covering the work mat where Rowan rolls around naked (so they get prepped through use and I'm not wasting water). Hemp needs more prewashing than cotton, and it benefits from using a dryer in between. I would just keep using them and they'll get steadily more and more absorbent.

We have about 6 snappis - mainly so there are extras around in the medicine bag, by the changing table, by Ro's work mat, etc. People are always amazed by them.


We've been cloth diapering since birth and I LOVE IT. Ro's never had a disposable on his butt and I'm happy about it.

I use prefolds and wool almost exclusively - I have 2 flip covers for longer car rides and long baby wearing outings, and 3 thick felted wool wraps for overnights. We use cotton fitteds with hemp doublers and newborn sized prefolds trifolded for overnight and they work great. I have 1 bumgenius that is enh. I totally prefer wool.
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good, clean, fair.

small is possible.

[dance]

Thanks for the help!
So the only things that you SHOULD dry in the drier are hemp diapers, right?

So far I am happiest with the Thirsties duo wrap. I have been using all kinds of different fillings :) I ordered some birdseye flats after lots of exhaustive research/procrastination on the diaper pin site. They aren't here yet, but I am stoked about having something trimmer in there.

I also like the fuzzibunz pockets if I'm running errands, just because they keep her skin drier, so it doesn't pink up. I've read that can make potty training take longer, but we aren't there yet. And I'm a proponent of nude potty training anyway. But when I am at home, I don't mind changing more often and just reusing the cover on the thirsties.

I really need to make fleece liners- i have heard micro fleece and polar fleece...any experience with that?
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[Nemesis]

Gearing up for le bebe to arrive! I know I don't have enough CD to do exclusively, but I am continuing to search second hand.

I have 2 newborn size AIOs from Kushies and 5 of the same brand one size up (I'm guessing that my baby will big from the get go). I also have 4 g diapers. I bought some cloth inserts that I'm going to use with the g diapers as I don't have access to a place that sells that flushable liners, and I'm on a septic field anyways. I've got one random wool wrap and one random kushies wrap.

Anyone else used the Kushies brand? I read this thread and didn't see it mentioned at all.

I hope I have figured most of this CDing business out. I'm going to have a look into prefolds and flats to see if I can use them with the wraps or g diapers. I also hope like heck that more people in my area want to sell their diapers!
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Everyone thinks I do it to make people stare, but really, it's to keep them from looking too closely.

[dance]

I strongly prefer covers to AIO's to save on laundry and expense. I haven't used kushies, but I have heard good things on the diaper pin forums. I like flip covers the best right now, because they are so trim.
You can totally use prefolds and flats with your g diapers. I like flats best cause they dry so quickly, and they seem like I could use them for other stuff when I'm done diapering. When we are going out for a while, I prefer inserts because they hold more.

For cheapie inserts, cassiejane and I have been sewing microfiber towels from the car care section of target (on sale 12 for $6) in trifolds, with a layer of thin fleece on top. It takes NO TIME and even less skillz to make these, and they are my new favorite ever.

All we did was cut the stitching off off the ends, then fold in thirds. We cut out a matching rectangle of fleece and then sewed around the edges with an overlock stitch (could just zig zag and trim threads though).

For some of them, I cut extra layers into thirds and added them inside the fold. I like the one with two added strips. I like that I can customize them, and that they are crazy cheap!

We just tried making wool covers from sweaters, too..mine turned out cute, but way too big. I will have to try again if I can score another sweater. I am all about doing this cheaply :)
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