tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post260408345897290010..comments2009-09-15T12:04:03.232-08:00Samantha @ Mama Noteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898070917378988019noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-68220228283201191152009-09-15T12:04:03.232-08:002009-09-15T12:04:03.232-08:00Thanks for the reminder that it is not &quot;all or nothing.&quot; I realize that in someway I feel that way about a lot of things: baby sign language, solid foods (once I start I HAVE to give so much every day), and so on. It is reassuring to realize that there is no &quot;failing&quot; if we need to use disposables on a vacation or overnight or something. I am SO glad I switched to cloth! It is cute, chemical free, saves us money, comfy for the baby, and good for our environment.<br /><br />We use prefolds (wonderful soft cushy things) from Green Mountain Diapers. There is a WEALTH of information on that site and some of the nicest prefolds out there at an economical price. Also there are so many cute covers out there to try! On our chubby baby, Bummis are currently our favorite.<br /><br />The Diaper Pin website is a wonderful resource to look up every variety of diaper to learn people&#39;s opnions on them. Also, JILL, their cost savings calculator is very helpful: http://www.diaperpin.com/calculator/calculator.asp<br /><br />I hope that can help someone!James, Andrea, and Clara Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05749456330682609832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-17765408167080224182009-09-15T11:21:12.394-08:002009-09-15T11:21:12.394-08:00My number 1 tip: buy a diaper sprayer! Cloth Diapering is a topic near and dear to my heart and I often write about it on my blog. Please feel free to ask anything you need to! I have posts written about the different types of CD&#39;s, washing, stripping, troubleshooting, as well as tons of reviews. http://LifeMoreSimply.blogspot.com . Good luck in your endevor!Life More Simplyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13740159198016197628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-52006705210735141002009-09-15T07:55:40.862-08:002009-09-15T07:55:40.862-08:00Amber &amp; Melinda- <br />I need to try used. I can&#39;t believe I haven&#39;t yet!!Samantha @ Mama Noteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898070917378988019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-49917400486210460492009-09-15T06:01:55.494-08:002009-09-15T06:01:55.494-08:00I have to agree with melinda--buy used!!! My husband was kind of grossed out by this but I figure we wash them in really hot water all the time, I don&#39;t think it&#39;s a big deal. I&#39;ve gotten tons of diapers off craigslist and from swapmamas and that allowed me to try all different kinds. I don&#39;t think I would&#39;ve been able to try as many kinds if I&#39;d bought brand new.Amber Liddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049947191143341720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-50767138845934938122009-09-14T21:45:51.319-08:002009-09-14T21:45:51.319-08:00this post was so informative - thank you! i&#39;m due with a little girl in just six weeks, and am starting my cloth diaper research now.<br /><br />so many different opinions, but i&#39;m already getting an idea of what i need, i think. thanks again!laura @ peacoathttp://www.peacoatpapers.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-51809690800597162622009-09-14T16:00:32.650-08:002009-09-14T16:00:32.650-08:00My routine:<br />Baby wears diaper<br />Use diaper sprayer for poopy dipes<br />all dipes and cloth wipes go into plastic diaper pail with foot release<br />(sometimes I line pail with old pillow case, most of the time I just use diaper sprayer to wash out pail and dump into toilet)<br />About every other day I do a load<br />Dump diapers in wash<br />Rinse cold<br />Wash w/detergent HOT<br />Rinse cold<br />Hang covers<br />Dry inserts<br />Stuff then next day (or stuff as I go, depends on my laziness)<br />Baby wears diaper again<br />SO SO SO SIMPLE<br /><br />I thought I didnt like smarti pants, they LOOK cheap they do come with 2 inserts each, Im not sure what previous commenter said that. I love their inserts. I double the diaper up for Zealand who sleeps 12 hours and havent had a leak yet.<br />I like my BG OS which I double or triple at night. I hate the velcro, but they are discontinuing it, so no worries there.<br />I like Fuzzi bunz OS, because both my kids can wear it, but hate the inside adjuster, and these often leave marks on Zealands legs (we have never tried these overnight)<br />Overnight favorite is Drybees fleece. Never a leak although I hate how you cannot overlap the waist, so skinny babies suffer:(<br />Happy Heinys are GREAT and really made for the larger baby...similar to BG but larger and prints!<br />Covers and fitteds is just one extra step I dont wanna take.<br />Never tried wool.<br />Use the right detergent, build ups and stank is NO FUN!<br />I never change diapers at night<br />Each diaper was around $18.00 if not I won it through a blog<br />I used 12 then 15 diapers for just Zealand for a WHOLE YEAR....definitely doable.<br />Look at Diaper Pin for a cost analogy with water detergents and energy factored in.<br />Yes you can use bleach, but you&#39;ll be surprised at how LITTLE staining there is and how easy the sun will remove said stain.<br />All colors will show the same, it is the insert that will stain, not the actual diaper. I sent my BG back twice because of the velcro but they have a one year warranty. Snaps is the way to go!<br />Inserts come with the diaper and you can buy them individually, but sets of 3 are cheaper.<br />Good luck!zealandsmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651654526153514070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-82205955025813321602009-09-14T15:45:52.756-08:002009-09-14T15:45:52.756-08:00My tip echoes a lot of the others- get a variety. I use different diapers for different purposes. Some of my diapers are trimmer and better for going out, some seem super comfy but are a little bulky to fit under clothes. Cloth diapers are lots of fun! Don&#39;t go crazy buying all at once!Gigihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14376203832573841276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-20716321847295648242009-09-14T15:45:48.321-08:002009-09-14T15:45:48.321-08:00I use prefolds and covers. And I love it. I think people are afraid of them because they aren&#39;t as &quot;convenient&quot; as all in ones or pocket diapers. But they are awesome, the cheapest option by far, and so much easier than people think. Got my package deal from Clothdiaper.com. And I make my own covers in AWESOME prints:)<br /><br />ps if you need an extra boost in absorbency, I made diaper doublers out of my son&#39;s old hospital receiving blankets- just cut 4 rectangles, stitched em up and poof, instant extra absorbency. We use them for overnights!brookiellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519002111149008497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-5890607899873867912009-09-14T15:44:48.361-08:002009-09-14T15:44:48.361-08:00My tip:<br />Buy used.<br />It&#39;s a great way to try out many different types of diapers without breaking the bank.Melindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385199648152257249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-19655421650623289872009-09-14T15:41:59.280-08:002009-09-14T15:41:59.280-08:00My #1 tip is not to invest in just one brand, but to buy a variety (within your budget if you have one). You may be suprised what you like and don&#39;t like.Life Happens During Naptimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18435057354731884602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-44682961829584982272009-09-14T13:32:49.812-08:002009-09-14T13:32:49.812-08:00Anonymous, <br />I have never tried Smartipants! <br /><br />Jill, <br />I love all your questions! :) It would take me forever to answer them all here, but maybe I will do another post on it some time! Did you see my article on how I wash my cloth diapers? <br /><br />You can buy them separately. I use disposables at night.Samantha @ Mama Noteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898070917378988019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-67748893641328797472009-09-14T13:05:40.648-08:002009-09-14T13:05:40.648-08:00My number one tip is to go at your own pace. There are a lot of people who are very gung ho about cloth diapering and balk at the idea of anything like disposables. We started out using disposables whenever we went out places and at night, but slowly we have gotten to the point where we are able to use them 100%. <br /><br />Jill, there are a lot of different ways you can clean your cloth diapers. Some people do a wet pail (soak) before putting them in the wash, and some (like me) use a dry pail and put them right into the wash. I have heard that if you dry them in the sun, the stains are less noticable, but I&#39;m not sure about bleach. I have only been cloth diapering for about 4-5 months so I still don&#39;t know all there is to know. <br /><br />Economically, I don&#39;t know. I don&#39;t do it for those reasons :)<br /><br />They cost varies by type and brand. I just bought 6 covers and 12 diapers and it all came to $94. Not bad. <br /><br />Sizes, you can get a grow-with-you type, or you can get anywhere between Newborn and Large.<br /><br />You can buy separately! <br /><br />I do not change my son&#39;s during the night. He gets changed when he wakes up, and his diaper does not leak!<br /><br />My favorite brands are Bum Genius and Thirsties :) I have heard a lot of good about Swaddlebees, as well!<br /><br />Uummm. Most diapers I see are white on the inside. So I guess that is all up to your preference!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01377041367975882464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-20143300094827271012009-09-14T12:48:01.688-08:002009-09-14T12:48:01.688-08:00I&#39;m using disposables but have considered going cloth. However, the questions that hinder me are as follows:<br /><br />How do you clean them (soak first?)? How long do you spend cleaning them? If they stain, is it safe to use bleach? Is it really economically better considering how much water you use to clean them? How much do they normally cost? Do they leak easier (through the fabric or around the edges)? How do the sizes range? Can you buy them separately or have to buy a whole pack (I&#39;ve heard they are expensive, especially the good ones)? Do you usually have to change them during the night? How often do they get old and need to be replaced? Which brand really is the best? What color makes the most sense to have (maybe dark to hide stains? Or white to know the stains are gone?)?<br /><br />That&#39;s all I can think of right now. I&#39;d love to hear answers from Moms who have found an easy and successful way of using/maintaining cloth diapers. Thanks!Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00714716804770338195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-48729183310780689012009-09-14T12:41:50.763-08:002009-09-14T12:41:50.763-08:00My number 1 tip/advice is to just jump in - it isn&#39;t as hard or gross as you think it would be. I have mostly bum genius 3 and a few knickernappies. There are so many cute ones out there that I&#39;d love to try, but the BG 3.0&#39;s work so good for us. And a few drops of tea tree oil take the stink out if you can&#39;t use the sun (our apt patio gets no sun).Brie Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00141254650382502683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-63911707290231457892009-09-14T10:10:07.394-08:002009-09-14T10:10:07.394-08:00Anon,<br /><br />I do have 6 smartipants in my stash. I like and dislike them...I love how the insert agitates out in the wash. A big plus! You don&#39;t have to pull out a stinky insert and maneuver it all into the wash. Just toss it in and it takes care of itself.<br /><br />What I don&#39;t like is the sizing. they only have one row of snaps, so getting a good fit around the legs can be difficult if you have a skinny kid with chubby legs, for example. For the rise, they only have two snaps across instead of three, which creates a bit of a gap. I haven&#39;t really found this to be an issue, though.<br /><br />Also, they only come with one insert. Now for most people that would be fine, but my boy is a very heavy wetter...I double stuff all of his diapers, even during the day. I&#39;ve put the smartipants on him a couple times and he&#39;s peed through in less than 20 minutes. Again, this is because he just pees so. darn. much! If you have a lighter wetter this wouldn&#39;t be an issue. But I highly doubt anyone could use this diaper for overnight without purchasing and using an extra insert. <br /><br />Personally, they aren&#39;t my favorite. But they are a very trim diaper at cheaper price point, and I know many people have had very good success with them. I&#39;m glad I have a few in my stash, but I wouldn&#39;t buy more.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08196736618026314772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-49285078626273509912009-09-14T09:34:16.984-08:002009-09-14T09:34:16.984-08:00My number one tip? Don&#39;t knock it til you try it! People I knew laughed in my face when I said that we were using cloth diapers! But 6 months later we are still going strong...and they are still going to the store every week for their diapers!<br /><br />Oh, and get a hanging wetbag. I tried to go cheap with a trash can and a cloth bag from walmart...did not work. It stank, for one. And it leaked. And made my life miserable. And then I broke down and paid the money for three hanging wetbags....I am in love.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08196736618026314772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901065607998794426.post-12684503078078887672009-09-14T09:02:38.158-08:002009-09-14T09:02:38.158-08:00Have you ever tried Smartipants diapers? Just wondering how well they work. They are pretty new, but I&#39;ve already read several good things about them. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com