Okay, so, last time, I talked about what diapers we picked and why, along with a few negative things I've been told about using cloth. What I really didn't do was go into much detail about what to do once your nappies have arrived. So, here we go...
We decided to use disposables during the newborn stage, and we also needed Little Stevie to be big enough to fit in her cloth. Babies need to be around 4 to 4.5Kg (9-10lb) to really fit BG. Let me just say, I couldn't WAIT to get her in cloth. We had more blowouts in those blasted disposables than I care to count! It's 2 am, I'm trying to feed her in the dark, and I'm like "what's that wet spot?!?" Yep, leaky diaper, and more often than not, it was poo. It would come out the back, out the sides, and it didn't matter what size she had on...they leaked!! We tried a couple of different brands, and still, they leaked. See why I'm not afraid of rinsing used nappies? Rinsing cloth isn't nearly as bad as snuggling your baby against you only to realize you're drenching yourself in baby poop.
Thankfully, the day arrived that we felt comfortable with the fit of her cloth. We knew how to put them on, but what happens once they come off? Well, that's easy, and it depends on who you ask. Again, everyone (you know who everyone is...the internet Cloth Diaper Guru Moms) has something different to say, but I go by the general consensus. I do the following: take them off, take out the insert, unsnap them, give them a good rinse, squeeze out the excess water, and pop the nappy into a dry pail. A dry pail, well, my dry pail, is a plastic storage container that sits in my bathroom. It has a lid that I put on, but I don't seal it. I have nothing in the container....no water, no detergent, nothing. On wash day, I tip the pail over my washer, pour everything in, turn on my washer, and clean my bucket. Often, I'll set the container outside to air out and get some sunshine. No smells!
You can also get a wet bag, which is what I use when we're out and about. Some people find them to be a great option because you can hang the bag wherever you need it to be. I find my dry pail more convenient because I have the perfect space for it to sit, and I don't have to unzip and bag. I kinda just kick my lid off with my foot. Here's the lowdown on wet bags. Wet bags work like dry pails. They're lined zipper/snap bags. You store diapers the same way as a dry pail. On wash day, pour the nappies in the wash, pop the bag inside out, toss the bag in washer, and turn on your machine!
Speaking of washing, there's a big hooplah over "the right way to wash". Basically, here's what I think, if it works for you and doesn't ruin your nappies, go for it. Again, be careful and go by your diaper manufacturers' guidelines. You don't want to ruin them or void your warranty. Other than that, it's variable based on your diaper, washer, detergent, and water. I do the following: cold wash on the longest cycle with the most amount of water possible, extra rinse, hang outside to dry. I use an eco friendly wash that's not harmful to nappies. I use 3/4 of the recommended amount because nappies will get a detergent build up if you use too much, and they won't get clean if you use too little. Build up prevention is why I do an extra rinse after the wash cycle. Sometimes I pre-rinse in the washer, if for some reason she's been really rough on the diaper, but we do a good job of rinsing them when we take them off, and we've had no issues with my routine.
Some hot wash because it gets them cleaner, or they think it's more sanitary to wash in hot. I'm fine with cold washing. We have no smell or diaper rash issues, so I know my method is fine. I can bleach them per BG with 1/4 cup once per month, but I haven't needed to. I line dry in the sun, and if it's raining, I use the clothes horse. Sometimes, the inserts get dried in the drier, but only if there's no chance of sun, or if they're just not drying inside and we're soon going to run out of nappies. I never ever ever dry my shells in the drier. It's not good for them, and again, if it is harmful to your nappies, just don't do it. I really don't like drying my inserts in the drier either because I'm convinced it will wear them out if done long enough. I don't think it really will, but I don't want to risk it. Just to be safe, and because the sun is awesome, if possible we do all drying outside.
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| Clothes Horse Drying |
Sun is nature's bleach, and each time they come in after being outside, they look brand spanking new! Also, the sun works to kill the fungus that causes nappy rash. Here's another little handy dandy sun fact. If you have a little one that has a bit of a rash, or a stubborn rash you can't seem to get rid of, stick that little bum outside in the sun. Use common sense here, don't let the little tush burn!! If you lack common sense, just don't do this, continue to use your over-the-counter products and consult your doctor.
You can tell, washing and sunning are kind of a big deal. I'm a bit anal over these two things because I want to continue to not have issues. Yes, I will admit, I've been known to get so hung up on my washing routine that I have gotten a bit grumpy at Ben over not washing the way I want them washed. He chunks them in, sets it on a quicker cycle, uses the amount of water that you would usually use wash a similar sized load of clothes, and then sets the washer for another rinse cycle. I walk in, see this, and go Mommy Dearest on him. You know Mommy Dearest? The movie where Joan Crawford spazzes out over wire hangers? Well, that's me except I'm all "No short cycle with low water!!!!"
In case you don't know about Mommy Dearest...here's the clip
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| Mommy Dearest No Wire Hangers Ever!!!! |
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| Me Being Spaztastic Over The Washing Routine |
He now uses the longer wash cycle, since I asked, but I'm still not sure rather or not he uses the water setting I prefer. I make a point to not walk by the washer if he's thrown them in because I don't want to go psycho over it, and mainly, I'm just thankful he'll take the time to wash nappies for me. I could be one of those women grumbling about how her husband never helps around the house. Nope, I'm going to keep my mouth shut and be grateful for the chance to snuggle under the cover and sleep in a bit longer while he goes on nappy washing duty.
So, what are these horrible things I'm trying to prevent? Detergent build up, ammonia build up, stink, and repelling. You read a variety of causes and a variety of solutions. Some people get worked up over the right way and wrong way to remedy each problem. Again, I think the remedy is whatever works for you based on your nappies, washer, and water type. I have no personal experience for dealing with any of these things, so I'm going to refrain from saying what does and doesn't work for each issue. If we do have any of these issues, I'm sure you'll get to read aaaaaallll about it in a blog post.
There you have it. My thoughts on washing and cloth problems. We've been in cloth full time for two months now, and I really am pleased with our decision to use them. I can't complain about BumGenius, and I would recommend them to anyone. They're user friendly, and it's nice to not feel like you're asking for your family to put forth a lot of effort when they babysit. We've had no blowouts due to diaper error, and only 2 or maybe 3 due to Mommy error. I didn't stuff the inserts correctly a time or two, and another time I didn't put the diaper on her straight. You know what happened! The cloth still did a better job containing the blow outs than the disposables EVER did!!
I like cloth so much that I'm anxious to try the different types. I really want to get my hands on a few prefolds and covers with varying blends of material. Any other children we have will be in cloth from the moment a nappy is first put on their behind, so I think it would be wise to get accustomed to prefolds now, since they seem to be the best fit for newbie babies. No, there's no newbie on the way, but it never hurts to be prepared! I am also a bit curious about the absorbency of different nappy fabrics. We don't have any complaints now, but again, for future reference it would be nice.
Any materials or brands you would recommend I try?
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