Being that I am a stay at home mommy- cloth diapers are a wise choice for my family in saving money. They are no less convenient for us than disposables. My role as a wife and mother is caring for my family and home- including financially. Obeying a budget as well as helping to provide smart and efficient ways to save money so that we can put it towards better things vs throwing it away here and there. It simply required a little education and an open mind. Plus- this is super awesome for the environment. Always a good bonus. But, it is something each family will have to look into and decide for themselves what they find most beneficial in daily living. Again, for the Gladden 3, it made perfect sense.
My sister donated 44 cute little cloth diaper shells with cloth inserts to Ellie. Here, in this blog, is what she taught me and showed me and I researched in order to make this decision easy, beneficial, and efficient.
How to care for the diapers / What you Need: ***NOTE: The diaper care given below is for specifically "pocket diapers."
When changing the diaper, any poop should be first sprayed with a hose attachment into the toilet. Then the diaper insert needs to be be detached from the shell- then both parts placed into the special diaper pail.
Above is the Water sprayer to attach to toilet, and the spray board to which you attach the soiled diaper. The board holds the diaper in the clip, easily fits within the toilet seat, then is sprayed and relieved of any heavy soil. Then simply flush toilet. Bought from Amazon.
(Above: Cloth Diaper pail and reusable bag to hold the soiled diapers between washings. Best to purchase 2 of these pail liners so that one may be a replacement while one is being washed. Again- we found on Amazon.)
If in public- shake off into the toilet and then place in your wet bag to transfer home. There are cloth diaper special "wet bags" made to contain odor and soil discreetly in public until they can be transfered to the pail at home or the wash. These just go into the diaper bag.
Here is the kind we bought from Amazon:
Diapers should be washed every 2-3 days. With a newborn, I suggest not exceeding 2 days between washes.
In the diaper pail, there is a slot in the lid for a charcoal filter. This filter is used to absorb odors between washings. It is disposable and lasts approximately 4-5 months. Just use good sense......of smell! ;)
Time for the washer! So we have separated the insert from the shell and sprayed off poop into toilet. (Side note: Breastfeeding mamas may not always have need of a pre-spray as poop consistency is different from formula fed babies.)
Now, take your diaper pail bag full of soiled diapers and wet bag from the diaper bag to the washing machine and dump inside. No more than 24 diapers at a time. You do not want to overload the washer as to be sure the soap gets to each piece thoroughly. I tend to average a dozen per load. The amount of diapers used and washed will change as baby grows and has less wet/dirty diapers. The laundry loads will be a little heavier in the beginning. But, it easily becomes routine.
First- Do a soak cycle with NO detergent.
Second- A HOT wash cycle with detergent with extra rinse.
Third- A final rinse cycle.
The purpose of the seemingly excessive rinsing is very important as it fully rids diapers of lingering detergent. This can be very irritating to baby if not thoroughly rinsed away.
Then simply dry diapers in dryer at a lower heat and speed. A gentle dry. Once dry, reassemble the insert inside the shell and put away.
As for the detergent you use- you want to be sure it is safe and gentle for baby but also free of fabric softeners found in baby clothing detergent such as Dreft as the softeners over time break down the absorbency of the cloth diaper. I make my family's own detergent that is safe for babies and softener free- but I do use Tide original powder detergent on the diapers as was highly recommended for cleanliness of the soiled cloth and safe for baby.
Another step we have taken in order to cut costs and save money as well as care for the environment is to not use disposable wipes but instead use cloth wipes. The cloth wipes were given to me by my sister as well but are basically like little baby wash cloths. I wash these with the diapers. For a clean, wet, wash on baby's bottom we use Kissaluvs, "Diaper Lotion Potion Spray." It uses tea tree oil and lavender essential oils. It can be sprayed either on cloth wipe or sprayed directly on baby's bottom.
Once again- we purchased from Amazon.
There are natural alternatives to diaper stripping, you can research without the use of bleach. Know that the bleach does not have affect on baby's bottom if rinsed properly.
Financial Benefit:
I found this chart of averages of money spent per child/ per diaper/ per brand/ over a 3 year period at an avg. of 8 diaper changes a day. This does not include the cost of wipes.
We are VERY fortunate that my sister supplied us with diapers and cloths. So our cost is/ will total much less than $800 over a 2 year period as I plan to potty train using the "naked technique" at age 2 with Ellie. But for those who do have to buy all of their diapers and supplies and for whatever reason continue diapering for 3 years- the price comparison is still quite a difference. Again though, the cloth diapering has to be feasible for your family and lifestyle for the best benefit---though, I will say, one of my closest friends is a working mama and her and her husband manage to easily and successfully use cloth diapers, too. It can be done with the right willing day-care and ambition.
This chart shows another comparison of averages but it also shows that there is a resale value to cloth diapering. So the money you put into it you may also redeem a percentage back into your wallet. Really makes you think about what you could put that saved money towards in the future.
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