Cloth Diapering

I know a few ladies on this board CD. Anybody feel like chatting about diapers? (Man, that sounds SOOOOO lame!!!)

You're funny, Laureen! We've been cding for awhile now, but only about 1/3 of the time. We want to make the switch to all cds soon...after we move.

We LOVE the cds at nightime...especially since he STTN. They're so much more absorbant over long periods of time. We've been lovin' the Bum Genius AIO. What do you use?

LAureen- I'm Su by the way:) I was gonna reply on the other topic but since you made a diaper area i will reply over here:) I love talking about dipes:) We cd 100% of the time- I have actually never bought any sposies for Lily:) As for the stinkies you mentioned- are you using any microfiber? I only do cotton dipes and have heard MF causes stinkies and rashes. I think you said you use BG- try the organic cotton AIO's if you want the ease of a sposie minus the stink:) We use all cotton prefolds and the cotton kissaluvs. My wash routine is easy- cold rinse, hot wash on the heavy setting with Tide powder, extra rinse. Then I line dry my covers and dry the rest in the dryer. I don't have a HE machine though. I am so not looking forward to starting solids cuz then we have to rinse the dipes with a sprayer. YUCK.

I don't CD but am very curious as to what the "stinkies" mean.

Lisa-Stinkies are this EVIL stench that gets into the diapers and is SO hard to get out. Basically, detergent builds up (if your diaper laundering routine hasn't been figured out...like mine) and bacteria sits in the detergent build up leading to stink no matter how many full washes you do. It takes bleach and all sorts of stuff to kill the icky!

Emmy-I use bumgenius OS, one bumgenius AIO, a have a couple of Sbish fitteds (which I really like), kissaluvs contours (which were great when DS was small, but now we're having blowouts), drybees (because I got them for $10 each of babysteals!) That's the bulk of our collection. I DO have 8 cheap ol' coolababy diapers, but they have yet to fit my son. I should try them again, since his thighs are getting chunky now. I LOVE the BGOS!! They are very absorbant and I never worry about them leaking on him. They're great! the bulk of my stash is BGOS.

Su-that's fabulous that you CD 100% of the time. i do as well, though we had a couple of weeks in sposies. Carter was 5lb 2oz at birth, so I had a hard time justifying buying preemie prefolds and covers for a few weeks. He started part time CDing around 2 weeks wearing these adorable blueberries. By about 3-4 weeks, we'd figured out how to CD full time with prefolds+covers, fitteds and blueberries. I am proud to say, I think I killed the stink!!!! I soaked those suckers in oxyclean last night, which I THINK did the trick. We'll see. I'm finishing up washing those stupid MF inserts. They're just so absorbant that I hate to get rid of them...but if I keep getting these stinkies, I'll be buying pf's to stuff them with. Do you use just regular ol' Tide? I bought tide Free, but now I'm afraid that since it is a liquid it isn't going to clean well. I hear you on the solids. SOOOOOOO, not wanting to start them for that reason. Maybe he won't show any interest. LOL. I need to buy a sprayer soon.

I think the free and clear stuff is bad for cloth dipes. I use regular tide- with the extra rinse. Lily doesn't have sensitive skin so it is fine for her. Do you go to diaperswappers.com? I love that site- it helps me alot and maybe u could get some help with your wash routine? i am doing dipes right now:) I hate how long they take to dry though!

I'm finishing up my diapers now as well. I've been trying to soak my whole stash in oxyclean.
I'm doing a boatload of rinses lately, which makes me think I'm doing too many. I am having a tough time finding the balance between too much/too little detergent and not enough rinses. DS has sensitive skin and gets these nasty burns if I don't rinse enough. I was using Country Save, but I don't think that it was getting the diapers clean. i might go out and invest in YET ANOTHER detergent. I have a natural foods store that carries a few brands, so I may try one of theirs. I'm not on diaperswappers, but I've browsed there before (like last night) when I had questions.

Hey, how did I miss this before??? I was only looking at posts with stars not realizing there's a whole mess of unread posts.

Anyway...I CD too! I use mostly prefolds with Thirsties covers. (We also have Bummis but I notice they tend to run smaller. Jeffrey is still in XS Thirsties, though I'm thinking we need to move up soon.) I have Kissaluvs as well, but I only use those with doublers these days. At night time I use BGOS with preemie prefolds added to the MF inserts. Sometimes I stuff with infant prefolds instead of the MF. I agree that MF is the devil when it comes to stinkies. YUCK! I feel your pain Laureen! What detergent do you use? I use Planet Ultra, but I'm thinking of switching to Country Save or Allen's Naturally. (My local CD store owner swears by Allens as do all the mamas that shop there.)

Last night I used Fuzzibunz and I am a big fan already! (Thanks for those Elisa!) Sometimes, when we are on the go and I don't want to deal with prefolds we use BG AIOs.

Hey crystal! Good to see ya over here:) Our babies had the same due date remember? Lily was born on the 16th cuz i was induced for diabetes:) How have you been? Jeffery is so stinkin cute:)

Laureen- there is a website I found once that rated all the laundry detergents for CD . If I stumble across it I will post the link. I think the only reason we haven't had issues is b/c I don't have any MF.

I was thinking of getting a few dozen premie prefolds to use as doublers- do u think it'll work? There is a lady with some to sell me on diaperswappers. what do ya think? The KL0's really need a doubler. I have some cloth wipes I stuff in with the dipe when I use them but even that isn't enough lately:) Do you guys have a sprayer yet?

Hi Su! Of course I remember you! You were one of my due date buddies. Thanks for the compliments. We think Jeffrey is cute too.

As for detergents, I think I know that chart! Are you talking about this one? => http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm If not, this one is really good too!

And yes, I think preemie prefolds are GREAT doublers, especially after you use them a lot. I use those as doublers all the time, Indian and Chinese. Sometimes I even use NB ones now that Jeffrey is getting a lil bigger.

Hi!! CD Mama here too! I have a mixed stash: 5 BGOS, 1 BG AIO, 4 blueberry w/ obv inserts, 1 bb with mf/hemp insert, 2 happy heinys, 4 Rocky Mountains, 2 mommys touch and 1 bumwear...can you tell I like pockets? lol I also have a dozen prefold with several covers that I don't really use.
I too am trying to figure out a good laundry routine. I was using Tide Free for the first few weeks, but found a local store that carries Allen's so I am using that now. I have no idea how much to use so I use a capful and have the same wash as Sue - hot wash/cold rinse + extra rinse. I think I might be starting to get the stinkies. I may start using the pfs for inserts. I don't really like my BG AIO because it takes twice as long as any other diaper to dry!

Su-I've looked at a few different websites that rate detergent. The tricky thing is that one site will say a detergent is great and another will give it one star. It gets confusing. I have a natural foods store near me that carries some off brands of laundry detergent, so maybe I should try one of those. i think the pfs would do a good job as a doubler...especially if they're GMD. I LOVE my GMD prefolds. Kissaluvs are fine if you don't have a heavy wetter. Carter has always been a super soaker. Carter has the kissaluv contours, which I'm guessing are like the size O. Barely absorbant!! By 2 hours, they're pretty sopping! They were useful when he was really little and was being changed frequently though. I had a few fitteds for him as a newborn that he would soak through in a matter of seconds. It was pretty frustrating!

Crystal-Do you find diaper laundry a little challenging with your HE machine?? I have yet to figure it all out! Oxyclean did wonders for my stinkies though!

Punky (what's your name again? Sorry!!)-you've got a nice mix in your stash. Did I hear you liked your blueberries? I have a STUPID question..what is OBV? People keep talking about it and i'm too embarassed to ask I too, LOVE my pockets! Our first diapers were blueberry pockets (minature version...they were so cute!) If you're not sure how much to use, just make sure you are rinsing well and go on the larger amount side. I started off doing great with Country save. I THOUGHT things were going well and all of a sudden they started smelling a little bit. STUPID me, used clorox 2 on them....not realizing that has brigteners, enzymes and stuff. I thought it was just NC bleach! DUMBO! I swear, ever since then, they started getting less and less fresh. I tried 6 hot washes with NO detergent, dawn, bleach...and NOTHING. It would smell like he pooped in them when he just peed. ICKY! I ended up soaking them in oxyclean, which I THINK did the trick. I was so afraid of wrecking my whole BG stash! With my BG AIO I just hang it up overnight, since I don't need it right away.

Overall, are you liking CDIng???

Su-I've looked at a few different websites that rate detergent. The tricky thing is that one site will say a detergent is great and another will give it one star. It gets confusing. I have a natural foods store near me that carries some off brands of laundry detergent, so maybe I should try one of those. i think the pfs would do a good job as a doubler...especially if they're GMD. I LOVE my GMD prefolds. Kissaluvs are fine if you don't have a heavy wetter. Carter has always been a super soaker. Carter has the kissaluv contours, which I'm guessing are like the size O. Barely absorbant!! By 2 hours, they're pretty sopping! They were useful when he was really little and was being changed frequently though. I had a few fitteds for him as a newborn that he would soak through in a matter of seconds. It was pretty frustrating!

Crystal-Do you find diaper laundry a little challenging with your HE machine?? I have yet to figure it all out! Oxyclean did wonders for my stinkies though!

Punky (what's your name again? Sorry!!)-you've got a nice mix in your stash. Did I hear you liked your blueberries? I have a STUPID question..what is OBV? People keep talking about it and i'm too embarassed to ask I too, LOVE my pockets! Our first diapers were blueberry pockets (minature version...they were so cute!) If you're not sure how much to use, just make sure you are rinsing well and go on the larger amount side. I started off doing great with Country save. I THOUGHT things were going well and all of a sudden they started smelling a little bit. STUPID me, used clorox 2 on them....not realizing that has brigteners, enzymes and stuff. I thought it was just NC bleach! DUMBO! I swear, ever since then, they started getting less and less fresh. I tried 6 hot washes with NO detergent, dawn, bleach...and NOTHING. It would smell like he pooped in them when he just peed. ICKY! I ended up soaking them in oxyclean, which I THINK did the trick. I was so afraid of wrecking my whole BG stash! With my BG AIO I just hang it up overnight, since I don't need it right away.

Overall, are you liking CDIng???

Laureen - it's Shauna

I do love my blueberries! OBV is organic bamboo velour (it took me a long time to figure out what it was too)...I just checked blueberry's website and they're not OBV , they're Blueberry Bamboo and the inner and inserts are made from bamboo/cotton velour. They're super soft and not as bulky as fleece/mf. I like the blueberries because D is small and they don't ride all up his back.

I bought NC bleach a few weeks ago and did a soak with it...I kept reading lots of threads about people doing it so I thought I should I dunno if I should or if it was a bad thing to do...are all NC bleaches the same or is there a difference?

Overall, I like CD'ing...I feel an addiction with buying them...I never understood why people loved fitteds, but I'm now itching to buy some...I've been eyeing goodmama's and there are some adorable prints! Now it's warmer I can let him where them without covers in the house too. I love love love wool longies/shorties too, but don't have any.

Shauna-thanks for the clarification on the OBV. I've been eyeballing a few swaddlebees diapers in the outlet store with OV (I"m assuming organic velour?) hook and look closure. They're $12.99 due to discontinue colors. I'm not sure why I haven't just purchased them. They're a good price. I REALLY like the ease of pockets/AIO (though I find AIO are difficult to get clean!) I"m guessing if it really is NC bleach it should be fine. I'm guessinng they're all the same. Just make sure it really is NC bleach, unlike the clorox 2. Did it help with the smell at all??? I hear you on the addiction. I justify my purchases with "hopefully we'll be able to use them for two more kids after Carter." What a deal!!! (what sposie can you use for 3 different kids.
I've heard such mixed things about the Goodmamas. i'm not sure I can justify $35 for one diaper unless it is a godsend! I have a few fitteds and like them, but they really don't last long. I have sbish fitteds, which I really like. I can add a few doublers if I want. I also like my dream eze fitted. I'm not sure how the whole wool/fitted thing works. I feel like it would completely leak if I did a fitted with wool overnight. I have two shorties that someone hand made for me from work. I haven't used them too much, but it was fabulous on a hot day a while back when he was just chilling in a diaper.

Oh, I don't have an HE Laureen. My mom does, but I never do diaper laundry over there.

Shauna, you have a pretty good stash goin! Pretty cool. I'm a simple kind of gal though. Like I said, despite my mixed stash I mostly go for the prefolds since I'm home with Jeffrey all day. I do love pockets though. I will use nothing else but them at night! I have some Aristocrats wool soakers but I have yet to try them. I'll let you know how that goes once I try it.

P.S~ It's so cool how many March mamas CD!!

Hey ladies- so I was planning on finding the wool love and didn't and so I sold my SBish soakers and longies. BUT I kept my aristocrats soaker and LOVE IT for nights. It is all we use at night so her lil bum can breathe! TRY IT! It works great!! I am thinking we are needing to get something more absorbent soon- she still uses the kissaluvs but I change her like every hour- which isn't a big deal but when we are out and about i NEED SOMETHING TO HOLD US OVER MORE. opppps- caps lock:) You pocket gals- is it icky to pull the liner thingy out of a nasty diaper? Sounds gross to me. Crystal- do you use doublers with the prefolds? I love PF but it seems she poos out of them ALOT! I need more folding practice- do you snappi or pin? We snappi. I am trying not to buy tons of dipes cuz I really want this cd thing to be a money saver- but I am with you LAureen-we want 2 more kiddos and it would be sweet to reuse these dipes more!!!

Theodore is 100% cloth diapered. We have 9 medium BG AIOs and 15 BG one-size organic cotton with snaps. LOVE them all! I used the AIOs only for size XS and S. I still can't believe he already needs mediums at 4 months old.

Awww lucky Theodore! I would love some BGOS with snaps!! I hate the velcro. That's why I have been favoring Fuzzibunz the past couple nights.

I'm not a fan of the snaps because I can't seem to get a good fit. they're either too tight or too loose. Drives me up a wall!
Jmark-do you like the organics? I've heard mixed reviews.
Shauna-So here's my issue. I would LOVE to do a wool cover for breathability, but I think it would leak. Carter has his bgos with BOTH inserts and they're SOPPING in the AM. How does the whole wool thing work anyway. Is your LO just a normal wetter? pulling out the inserts isn't TOO bad. A little gross, but not bad.

Laureen - LOVE the organics. Makes me feel better having that right next to his little bum. I prefer the regular AIOs at night, though. I stuff an extra insert in and the wetness stays away from him all night. I prefer the aplix to snaps as well but I've seen pics of how it looks long term and it can get kind of ratty looking. Also, my 11 month old niece can get diapers with aplix off no problem but can't work the snaps.

SOOO not looking forward to Carter removing diapers!! I figure they get worn out a bit. Apparently cottonbabies has a GREAT return policy and replaces the ratty/curled velcro within a year. People have wonderful things to say about them.

madismom wrote:You pocket gals- is it icky to pull the liner thingy out of a nasty diaper? Sounds gross to me. Crystal- do you use doublers with the prefolds? I love PF but it seems she poos out of them ALOT! I need more folding practice- do you snappi or pin? We snappi. I am trying not to buy tons of dipes cuz I really want this cd thing to be a money saver- but I am with you LAureen-we want 2 more kiddos and it would be sweet to reuse these dipes more!!!

Wow...I totally responded to this way earlier and when I hit send the site timed out. I guess it never posted! Anyway, I snappi my PFs, and I don't use doublers with them either. Maybe your PFs are too small and that's why Lily is pooing out of them. Jeffrey only poos out of the orange edge but that's because he's outgrown them. When I moved up a size we stopped having that problem, but because they are a little big I just have to put them on well and roll up the legs. I also fold them down really well so they don't peek out of his xs Thirsties. (Yup, still in xs Thirsties, but I'm thinking I need to move up on those too!) We don't need to use doublers with those because I change him so frequently during the day. I do use doublers with KL0s though, and when I do pockets I always ALWAYS double stuff! I usually stuff with the BGOS mf insert + a PF, but sometimes I use 1 NB PF + 1 preemie PF for stuffing instead. Microfiber stinks too much, I've noticed, and nothing I have done has made it go away.

Getting the inserts out of the pockets isn't bad at all. I don't even need to touch the inserts most of the time. I just open up the pockets wide and shake vigorously from side-to-side til the inserts fall into the pail. If they're extra stubborn and I'm impatient I'll pull them out with 2 fingers. Gross as it sounds getting tinkle on my fingers doesn't bug me too much. I just wash my hands really well.

I prefer snaps to aplix as well. I like the look of snaps better, and they don't get ratty looking. But is so easy too.
Laureen, D isn't a very heavy wetter. At night I generally use 2 inserts but I think I can get away with just 1. I think the way wool works is, as long as it's lanolized, if it gets wet, you just let it air dry. Urine is sterile and there's something about wool that neutralizes it or something. It's quite breathable too, so I don't think it's too warm for babies.
I don't mind pulling out the inserts. I barely touch them if I have too.

If you want I'll merge this with the CD sticky I made. I would start a new category or group, but can't.