cloth diapering - a how-to guide at lunapads
In my last post I was grousing about parents letting themselves off the hook with respect to choosing disposable diapers. As with the 12 steps, my philosophy of marketing is more about attraction rather than promotion, which is to say that I’d rather tell you about how easy it is to cloth diaper than to give you a guilt trip. In my experience, a positive role model is unbeatable when it comes to these matters. When I had Genevieve I already knew that I wanted to use cloth and got some to start me off. But it was Suzanne (pictured is Aiden, in a limited edition Lunapads organic cloth diaper) who took me step-by-step through taking care of them. Over the years I adapted to suit my own living situation and would like to share my recipe for successful cloth diapering in the hopes in inspiring any fence-sitters out there.
You will need:
- 2 dozen cloth diapers and 6 covers (see resources list below for sources)
- a pail with a lid (get an inexpensive one at your local grocery or drug store!)
- biodegradable detergent and hydrogen peroxide
- washing machine and (preferably) dryer
- some people like to use diaper liners (disposable or cloth), but I have never had much luck with them.
Use the diapers, remove any fecal matter into the toilet (this is easier once your child starts eating solids), and leave the used diapers in the bucket. If you are out of the house, store them in a plastic bag. I have a very handy “wet bag” that took the place of a second plastic bag, that was also a great place to put soiled clothing. I used to wash a load about every 3 days. Initially I soaked the diapers, but after a while realized that it wasn’t really necessary in our climate, which made things a lot easier. Wash the diapers twice in hot water with biodegradable detergent and tumble or line dry.
Once I got comfortable with the diapers, I moved on to wipes. I liked these so much that I now make a package of a wipe warmer and cloth wipes as a shower gift for friends. Take these on the road with you as well! You will need:
- 1 “wipe warmer”
- about 4 dozen kiddie washcloths (the thin terrycloth kind, or make your own - I recommend knit fabric)
- liquid soap
Note: the wipe warmer instructions will tell you not to put water in it - ignore this. Take the cloths and fold in half and stack them inside the warmer. Take a tall drinking glass and add 1 pump of liquid soap, then fill with hot tap water. Empty the glass into the warmer on top of the cloths. Use the wipes as necessary and put the used ones in with the diapers & wash together. You will notice that these homemade wipes work better than disposables and are also not chilly on baby’s bum.
Resources: (Please note that we are of the opinion that there are TONS of great cloth diapers out there - these are just the ones that we happened to choose and worked for us, and not necessarily what we think are the “best”)
Diaperware - a fantastic selection, run by one of our wholesale customers
Earthy Babes - I got my first diapers from Julie, she also put me on to the wet bags
Mother Ease - Canadian company, great quality (Garret is now using Genevieve’s, so they will last for more than 1 child!)
Much like using and caring for Lunapads, cloth diapering requires a routine. Word of mouth is the best way to tell others how easy and great it is. Please share your cloth diapering routine for others to learn and adapt from.
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I just want to add that for me, flushable diaper liners were helpful during the newborn phase (when almost every diaper is poopy.) Cotton diaper liners or ‘doublers’ with a polar fleece lining work well to keep baby dry, especially at night.
For me, the wipe warmer didn’t fit well for my diapering routine. I prefer to have a thermos of hot water at the change table, fill a small bucket with the water and use a cloth wipe to wash baby’s bottom.
My next post will be about how I’m using ‘elimination communication’ to cut down on the number of diapers all together!
October 24th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I made & used flannel diapers for my kids. Only plastic covers were available then, but still this method produced less diaper rash than disposables. As to environmental concerns, with cloth, we need power & water to launder, and with disposables there is the landfilling effect. As we got our water from a well, and in our humid climate needed to dry in a dryer, our power bill went up $30/month with each child in diapers. Toward the end had 2 in diapers at once, and with the cost being the same (power for water or cash for disposables) and the amount of time spent laundering, after about 4 months of that we chose to use disposables until the older child was toileting regularly then went back to flannel.