melissad2 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I used disposables with both my other ds's and I almost bought cloth a couple of times when my youngest was still a baby. What kind do you use? What do I need to buy? How much will I need to invest? Do they really potty train faster? How do I convince my DH to give it a try? What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? :bigear: TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? We use pockets and fitteds right now, but started with prefolds. What do I need to buy? Depends on what you want. I find these essential: large wetbag or pail liner (wish I had 2, though) small wetbag (for being out and about) cloth wipes diapers hemp doublers (for long trips or overnight) Diaper sprayer if you need it. How much will I need to invest? Again, depends. You'll need about 2 dozen to have a comfortable stash. I spent about $150 when I was starting out - 3 covers, 2 dozen pfs, a 3-pack of Snappis, 1 large wetbag, 1 small, and a dozen wipes. I made my own wool covers to save a bit. To redo our stash I bought Sunbaby pockets for about $50/dozen and some fitteds for $8 each. Then I have some Goodmamas that were $35 each, but I really, really like. It all depends on what you buy, really. Do they really potty train faster? Not always, but they can. I think it's all in how you use them, though. If you go for diapers that wick the moisture away like disposables, probably not. My 20mo has been using the potty part-time for about a year now. We used mostly natural fibers and change him as soon as he's wet or dirty so he doesn't become immune to the sensation. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? I took over laundry duty and made sure to get a few guy-friendly dipes. When we started, I waited a few months in the budget before putting aside the money we would have spent on diapers. As the year went by, it became our WDW fund. Seeing it add up in the account makes even dh grumble when we have to spend $30 on a box of disposables (we use them for nighttime and overnight trips). :D That, and I told him, look, if we hate it, well, we'll use them for X number of months to cover the cost, so at the very least we'll break even. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) I use Charlies because my little is sensitive to fragrances and dyes. But there are several that are diaper friendly. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I don't soak. I do a quick rinse cycle and a full wash with an extra rinse at the end. I've had no problems with stains or stuff not coming out doing it this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I used cloth diapers for dd. MIL gave me a year of diaper service as a shower gift. (She is really great in this way) The big downside I noticed was the size of the diaper needed to absorb all the urine my 1 year old could excrete in one go. More than two. Looked funny. Difficult to find pants that fit. So I switched to disposables at that point. My neice wore cloth until potty trained. It was not early. I don't even want to think about how many diapers and extra pads they were using on her. She looked silly with a huge bum. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 There is a wealth of information at http://www.diaperpin.com It is the website that got me started cloth diapering. I found the extensive reviews there very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? I have some Bumgenius, Fuzzibunz, and Sunbaby pockets. Dh likes them, I don't like synthetics, so they're on hand for him. I use prefolds in wool (Kissa's or homemade usually) or my new Flip and Bummis Super Lite covers. I really like Motherease Sandy's, too. What do I need to buy? All you really need are prefolds or flats and a few covers. They are washed frequently-PUL covers like Bummis can be wiped out, even, and then washed with dipes. It depends on your preference and your baby. I only need 1-2 dozen as I wash them frequently. How much will I need to invest? You can get a full stash under $100 Do they really potty train faster? Yes! How do I convince my DH to give it a try? Well, my dh is a chemist, so he already knew the horrid chemicals in sposies, so I didn't have to try very hard. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) All free & clear works. I had bad luck with Charlie's. I hear Planet Ultra and Country Save are the best. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I have a top loader, but I just run a short cold cycle and then a hot cycle with my dipes instead of soaking them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use?What do I need to buy? How much will I need to invest? Do they really potty train faster? How do I convince my DH to give it a try? What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I cloth diapered both of mine. But remember that my youngest is 13, meaning I'm not exactly up to date on current brands and products. We started with a diaper service with our daughter, and I bought about four or five of the diaper covers they recommended when we started. I don't know what brand they were, but they were basically just vinyl covers with velcro that you wrapped around the cloth diaper. When we decided to stop using the service and go off on our own, I went to Babies 'R Us and bought about three dozen of whatever the least expensive kind they had at the time. I think they were Gerber brand. I got through two kids with pretty much that investment. I don't remember how much the covers were, but it looks like fancier ones are available now for $17 each. So, if we assume four covers, that's $70-ish. Gerber brand diapers are available on the Babies 'R Us website for $17 a dozen, meaning three dozen would be another $50-ish. Add a diaper pail for $25, and, if I were to be setting up from scratch now, I could be in business for $150. Mine absolutely did potty train faster, because they can feel when they are wet or dirty so much more emphatically than with disposables. I don't know how to convince your husband, except that it seems to me you could make a case for it being less expensive over the long haul. We also found that our kids had no diaper rash at all as long as we stuck to the cloth. I didn't buy any special detergent. I tend to use natural, cruelty-free household stuff. And I just used whatever detergent I was buying anyway. (Seventh Generation is my favorite.) Like so many other things that often get presented as hard, I found cloth diapering was really no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I did prefolds with my oldest because I had a diaper service. I loved having the diaper service, but prefolds are a pain to deal with. The investment was minimal because I only had to buy the wraps. I used Gerber brand wraps. I used shaped diapers with my other two. I started off with Kooshies and used Gerber wraps on them. When I needed the next bigger size, I got the Kooshies All-in-Ones that had the wrap built in. It was an investment, but I was able to use the same diapers for both of my younger girls and then I passed them on to a friend at the end. I did need two sizes. You don't need very many of the smallest size, but you need a lot of the bigger size. I don't remember now for sure how many I had of each, but I think it was in the range of 12-15 for the smaller size and 25-30 for the bigger size. I didn't presoak. I had a diaper pail that I kept the diapers in until I was ready to wash them. Then I dumped them into the washer and soaked them there for about an hour before finishing that load (just started the washer and left the lid open so it wouldn't go into spin). Then I ran it a 2nd time before moving them over to the dryer. I used 7th Generation Laundry Detergent because there are lot's of detergent allergies here. I'm allergic to Tide and Bounce. My oldest is allergic to Wisk and Surf. My youngest is allergic to All and some store-brand detergent that was used at the B&B we stayed at in Maine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seraphina Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I used cloth diapers with my oldest only, after that I had a bunch of kids very close so it wasn't as easy. He is 15 so I also am not up on brands. I do know that the cloth diapers of today are way more user friendly than what I used. I know a ton of people who swear by Gdiapers. I've looked at them and they seem really easy to use. When my ds was a baby they had plastic wraps with velcro but they were not very easy to use and they didn't last. I used a trash can to soak the diapers in and soaked them in borax. I have to say it was really easy. I should have used cloth on all the kids. My oldest also potty trained the earliest at about 18 months but he was early at doing most things so I can't say it was because of the cloth diapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Keep in mind that my babies are 30 and 33yo, lol. We did things differently back in the day--but I don't see a reason to change anything. :D What kind do you use? Gauze--not birdseye--prefolded. Infant through toddler. Gerber makes a diaper-service quality; those would probably be good. What do I need to buy? 3-5 doz. diapers Gerber plastic pants; several of those. They are inexpensive. A diaper pail How much will I need to invest? If you use Gerber diapers instead of the pricey fancy-schmancy diapers, and the plastic pants instead of "covers," you'll spend a whole lot less than buying the pricey diapers and covers. Do they really potty train faster? Ummm...I don't know. I never thought about cloth diapers and potty training being connected in any way. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? Why would he be opposed?:confused: What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) I only use Amway laundry products (Mr. Ellie is allergic to every brand in the store). We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I had top loaders when I was doing diapers, and the front loader I have now doesn't drain the water when I stop the cycle, so you got me there. It's possible that you won't need to soak the diapers before washing them; I never tried *not* soaking. I had a diaper service for the first six months and those diapers were SO WHITE, I was spoiled and didn't want to take any chances.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) I love cloth diapers. Just a different perspective: When I had a top loader, I didn't mind washing the diapers in it. However after we upgraded to a front loader I hated washing them. The front loader eats diapers, takes forever to wash (many cycles), and doesn't even really get them clean. We're actually going back to a top loader so we can use cloth diapers for our next LO. As for laundry soap...depends on your water (hard or soft.) I really don't think it matters, but some people SWEAR by certain brands. We used whatever we wanted. And the type of diaper, whichever you like. Personally we use prefolds and plastic covers for really little and then at mobility age, we use fitted with wool. ETA: There are a few forums like this one that have a FS board for used diapers, diaperswappers.com is one. I bought some from there for a lot cheaper to decide what kind we wanted and then resold the ones we didn't like. Edited September 28, 2011 by jadedone80 ETA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 ETA: There are a few forums like this one that have a FS board for used diapers, diaperswappers.com is one. I bought some from there for a lot cheaper to decide what kind we wanted and then resold the ones we didn't like. Just a heads up, that board is known for passing on computer viruses and the owner ignoring it. Do any search on "diaperswappers" and "virus" and you'll come up with a TON of hits. Clothdiapernation.com is much more reliable, as are any of the ones on this list - http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/clothdiapering-forums.php (minus Virusswappers, of course. ;) ) I think one of the owners of CDN is on this board. She'll probably chime in later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Just a heads up, that board is known for passing on computer viruses and the owner ignoring it. Do any search on "diaperswappers" and "virus" and you'll come up with a TON of hits. Clothdiapernation.com is much more reliable, as are any of the ones on this list - http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/clothdiapering-forums.php (minus Virusswappers, of course. ;) ) I think one of the owners of CDN is on this board. She'll probably chime in later. Thanks for the notice. lol! virusswappers.com :lol: Yeah, I hadn't been over there at DS for about 2 years, but I vaguely remember them beginning to have that problem. I couldn't remember the name clothdiapernation.com, but I did remember it was a bit better than DS because there weren't all those annoying ads. Thanks a bunch for the link reminder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? I used chinese prefolds, pins, and pull-on (Gerber-style) covers. What do I need to buy? Depends on what kind of diapers you want to use. I had a few dozen diapers and 6+ covers on hand at all times. I used a cheap Sterilite trash pail with a lid as my pail. I used regular detergent and bleach. It wasn't expensive. How much will I need to invest? Depends on what kind of diapers you want to use. Do they really potty train faster? Nope, not in my experience. I've potty trained four, three of whom were cloth diapered right thru to toilet training and the fourth who was in disposables by the time he started using the toilet. They all began using the toilet right around age 3. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? I don't know your dh. I just told mine that I was going to use cloth diapers. He said it sounded gross, but after you change a few of them you get used to it quickly. It wasn't a big deal and he changed diapers without complaint. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) I use All Free and Clear. It worked well on my diapers. Homemade detergent...not so much. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? IDK because I don't have a front loader. I never soaked my diapers though. I ran them through a hot rinse cycle, then laundered in hot water with detergent/bleach, then ran another hot rinse cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? Mostly Chinese DSQ prefolds with Thirsties Duo covers What do I need to buy? Enough diapers to last through a wash cycle plus one day. For us, that's 36 infant diapers and 24 premium diapers. I have about 6 or 7 covers in both sizes. I also have about 3 Snappis, 4 BumGeniuses for fun (although I don't really like them), 2 diaper pail liners (one in use and one to be used while the other is washed), and a diaper sprayer with a 5 gallon bucket to spray in. Oh, and some gloves for when I spray diapers. I use all of these and wouldn't cloth diaper without them. How much will I need to invest? My stash cost me about $350 2 years ago, and that was with watching deals very closely and comparison shopping. I bought everything over the course of about one year. I started cloth diapering when my oldest was 8 months old, and my second has always been cloth diapered. You can spend less or more, depending on your needs and how fancy you decide to go. Do they really potty train faster? Not in my experience. My daughter finished potty training right after her 3rd birthday. I found that she thought the underwear was just another cloth diaper, albeit thinner. She has her own issues, though, so she may be an outlier. It took us about 4 tries over 8 months to get her potty trained. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? Haha, make a powerpoint showing all the benefits and explaining about it and give a cost/benefit analysis. That's what I did. I also showed that even if I only used them for x number of months, they would pay for themselves, and I was planning on reusing the same diapers for the rest of our children. Even if I didn't cloth diaper full time, it was still monetarily worth it. Before cloth diapers he hardly changed diapers anyways (it just sort of always fell to me), so he knew it wouldn't effect him much. Plus we are totally poor students, so he knew it was probably more responsible to view disposables as a luxery rather than a requirement. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) I use All Free and Clear, usually, and sometimes add oxyclean. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? We have a top loader HE machine, and I find that it works just fine. I run about 3 different loads for every load of diapers. First I run a rinse on cold to get rid of the bulk of the "stuff." Then I run the longest, hottest load I can with some detergent (sometimes with vinegar as a fabric softener). Then I run the longest, hottest load without detergent. I don't love cloth diapering. I would probably switch to disposables if we had more money, but really, it isn't bad. I spend probably a half hour a week more doing cloth diapers than I would otherwise. It is seriously not a big deal. I also switch back and forth between cloth and disposables, depending on the situation. For example, we're going on a trip soon, so disposables it will be. My youngest sleeps in a disposable because I just can't seem to find a diaper that will "contain" her for the night time. I keep disposables in the diaper bag because they are smaller and more convenient. I would say I cloth diaper 80% of the time at this point. Probably the biggest downside for me is how cloth diapers fit with normal baby clothes. They are so much more bulky that a lot of outfits look funny with cloth diapers, especially with younger babies. So that is something to think about. Also, my daughters get rashes more often in cloth than in disposables, so I don't understand why everyone always says otherwise. It isn't true for my family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_melody_ Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Just a heads up, that board is known for passing on computer viruses and the owner ignoring it. Do any search on "diaperswappers" and "virus" and you'll come up with a TON of hits. Clothdiapernation.com is much more reliable, as are any of the ones on this list - http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/clothdiapering-forums.php (minus Virusswappers, of course. ;) ) I think one of the owners of CDN is on this board. She'll probably chime in later. Thanks for the notice. lol! virusswappers.com :lol: Yeah, I hadn't been over there at DS for about 2 years, but I vaguely remember them beginning to have that problem. I couldn't remember the name clothdiapernation.com, but I did remember it was a bit better than DS because there weren't all those annoying ads. Thanks a bunch for the link reminder. Clothdiapernation.com is my board. We'd love to have you come check it out and hopefully stick around. We work really hard to keep it a fun, safe place to be. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Oh, BTDT last summer! It can be overwhelming trying to educate yourself about cloth diapers, but it's soooo much fun too! I got the majority of my info. about cloth diapers from http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/newmom.htm She really answers the majority of your questions, and will answer even more if you email her. Personally, I ended up going with prefolds in the newborn and small size, since they are cheap and they grow out of them within 5 months or so. Once my dd got into size medium, I am using Workhorse Fitteds as my everyday diaper, Bottom Bumpers AIOs at night, and OsoCozy fitteds for quick and easy changes. I stayed away from anything synthetic, since I felt there were too many problems associated with them, so I've gone with only cotton and some bamboo liners. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? What do I need to buy? How much will I need to invest? Do they really potty train faster? How do I convince my DH to give it a try? What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I used prefolds exclusively with DS, DD prefolds at first then pockets with the prefolds as inserts. Most of the pockets are home made - if you are even remotely able to use a sewing machine they are surprisingly easy to make. Cost - it depends on how fancy you get. Prefolds with covers is the cheapest path, but there are so many cute patterns out there now it's easy to get carried away. I had 18 NB/Small prefolds with four covers and 12 medium prefolds with 6 covers. I use different (fitted) nappies for nights which cost more again. Potty training - I don't know, what's faster? DS was day trained at 2 (right on his birthday) and DD at 2.5. DS night trained at 3.4, DD, not yet. To get him to give it a try - you could get a stash of 'daddy nappies' - either pockets that are prestuffed and he just puts on like a sposie, or even easier, all in one jobbies (expensive), but easy to use. You could also tell him the cost of sposies per week (over estimate ;) ) is coming out of his beer money. Laundry detergent - we use something called 'Ecostore' but I don't know if you can get that there. We have a front loader. I run a normal cycle with an extra rinse, no need to pre rinse. All we do is roll off what ever solids we can into the toilet, then toss the nappy into a (dry) bucket until laundry time, then wash as usual. No problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skadi Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kind do you use? Grovia. There are four major advantages they have over other brands: 1. They are one-size, so you can use them from 8 lbs. to potty training. (If you have a small newborn, you can either buy some disposables until they are big enough to use the one-size or you can buy Grovia's very reasonably priced Newborn AIOs.) 2. It's a hybrid diaper, which means you can re-use the same diaper shell multiple times and just change out the cloth insert. You save money by not having to buy as many shells and it's much less work to just change the soaker pad. 3. If you are traveling or you just want to cut down on laundry, you can use biosoakers, which are disposable inserts. 4. You can choose either snaps or velcro. It's basically just personal preference, but I prefer the velcro because it's not scratchy like old style velcro and it makes the diapers really customizable and super easy (dad doesn't have to remember which snaps to use). What do I need to buy? The Grovia Live Package should be all you need. If your newborn is particularly small, you could also pick up a 12 pack of Newborn AIOs. How much will I need to invest? The Grovia Live Package is $400. The 12 Pack Newborn AIOs are $161. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? By keeping it as simple as possible. In my honest opinion, prefolds and so forth are just too complicated for most dads. Show him how much a family spends on disposables and he'll get on board. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) Here's a list of the approved deteregents by Grovia. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? Grovia strongly recommends NOT soaking their diapers because it will damage diapers over time. Their recommended cleaning routine: 1. Store dirty diapers in a dry pail. 2. Wash on warm with an approved detergent. 3. Give them an extra rinse. I love these diapers because they are simple, simple, simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Clothdiapernation.com is my board. We'd love to have you come check it out and hopefully stick around. We work really hard to keep it a fun, safe place to be. :) Signed up! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 Thanks for all the replies! I think we are going to give it a go and see how it goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I used disposables with both my other ds's and I almost bought cloth a couple of times when my youngest was still a baby. What kind do you use? So far we only use prefolds and fitteds from greenmountaindiapers.com. They are awesome! What do I need to buy? Diapers, covers, a couple wetbags for home and one for the diaper bag, snappis or pins if you use flats or prefolds, a cloth diaper friendly rash treatment (in case it ever comes up) I like the Grovia Magic Stick, and cloth friendly detergent. How much will I need to invest? Depends what way you go. You could invest $200 or $1000 just depends. Usually the more you spend the more convenience you buy. Do they really potty train faster? IDK from personal experience yet because we just started with baby #3, but I have heard it is true for some kids and not for others. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? I think he just has to do it to see how easy it really is. My DH is not the guy you would imagine would be into cloth diapers and he loves them! There are some sites that you can rent a diaper package and give them a go. Also remember that anything you buy (as long as you take care of it properly) will have good resale value. I've never had anyone pay me $50 for used disposables ;) What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) We use Country Save, but I have heard great things about Rockin' Green We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? I never soak my diapers. I do a short cold cycle with a tiny bit of detergent, then a long hot cycle with 1/2 cap full of detergent then a cold rinse with NO detergent. Come to think of it, I actually don't know of anyone who soaks diapers. :bigear: TIA! I would really encourage you to go for it! I got into cloth diapering because I wanted to have the most natural fibers/products on our daughter and was really excited about it, but deep down I was nervous that it would be too much work and I would hate it. It's turned out to be NO extra work at all. I LOVE IT! When you use disposables you have to do something with the diapers anyway and with cloth you throw the bag of dirties in the washer instead of in the garbage. AND no late night diaper runs!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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