Thursday, June 12, 2008

Cloth Diapering: Easy, Economical and Chemical-Free



When I was pregnant with my son, my husband and I knew we wanted to use cloth diapers. Everything about cloth is positive, as far as I am concerned! Now, each time I wash and dry my son's diapers, I know that I'm doing something excellent for him and that makes me feel great inside. For those who want to use cloth, the challenge is settling on the way to do it that best suits your needs. There are so many products on the market that it can make your head spin- and seem complicated and expensive. So what is the cheapest and easiest method that will still stand up to wear and tear? I spent a good deal of time researching those very things and compiled some information for parents interested in cloth diapering. Here's how to get started.



What you need:



- 3 or 4 dozen indian or chinese prefolds (depending on how much you do laundry)

- 10 nylon pants

- a "snappi" or two (that is the fastener)

- a regular size kitchen garbage pail

- a waterproof laundry bag to line the pail



How to prep:



- Wash the diapers and dry them two or three times to get them to their full absorbancy.

- Stretch the snappi about 30-40 times to get it feeling more elastic and pliable.

- Line the garbage pail.



What you do:



- Fold on the diaper (there are plenty of sites to show you how to do this- just Google "cloth diaper folds").

- Fasten with snappi.

- Cover with nylon pants.



Clean-up:



- If the diaper has poop on it, swish it in toilet and rub clean (I keep a pair of rubber gloves nearby so I don't get my hands dirty). You don't need to do this if it is just a pee diaper.

-Throw the soiled diaper in the pail ( you don't have to throw the cover in if it's not soiled- I use the cover a few timese before tossing it in the pail).

- Sprinkle in a little baking soda. The pail doesn't need water- it won't smell and it's a lot less messy to do a dry pail than a wet pail.

- Once you're almost out of diapers or the pail is full, throw the bag and the diapers into the machine and wash them with Soap Nuts. Nuts that grow on trees that create soap- just throw them in the washer. Crazy, I know- look them up on Google! (I used to use Biokleen Powder which is natural. There are also other natural detergents on the market as well, which you can find in Whole Foods, for instance.) . Then dry- I personally hang them on a drying rack. You certainly could put them in the drier if you so desire- I just choose to save money/energy. Also, do not use a drier sheet if you choose the drier method. Not only do they make the diapers less absorbant, they are also FULL of chemicals. Really not needed.

- You may be wondering about bleach- I buy unbleached prefolds, so I don't need to bleach them. Bleach is harsh on the baby's skin and there is no need for it. So even if you can't buy unbleached prefolds for whatever reason, do not bleach your cloth diapers.



Specs:



- Indian or chinese prefolds are really, really absorbant and the cheapest to buy. Make sure you get 4x8x4 weave. The "8" means that the middle has 8 layers. Anything less will not be as absorbant and that means leakage. Wherever you buy the diapers, pay attention to that middle number. You will have to get at least two sets of diapers as your child grows. One size is for newborn -15lbs, then next size is for 15-35lbs. I found this site to have the cheapest prices.



http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=clothdiape&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=592266261&Count2=509406685&ProductID=41&Target=products.asp



- Nylon diaper covers are the cheapest, other than plastic pants. Nylon actually breathes so it's much better than plastic...it also doesn't crack like the plastic pants would. There are several sizes you might need, but they are cheap, so it's not a big deal. You only need about 10 pants for each size. You don't change them at every diaper change because they won't be dirty. This site has the cheapest prices for nylon pants.



http://www.babybestbuy.com/diapering-nylon-pants-2.asp



- The Snappi you can buy anywhere. Cloth diapering sites sell them, but I got mine off Ebay for cheaper. They are great because you don't have to mess around with pins.



Prices:



- If you go this route, you will not spend more than $400 max. The actual figure depends on if your baby will be potty trained by the time he reaches 35lbs (if not, you'd need the third biggest size), if you buy 3 or 4 dozen, and the shipping. But over the course of 2+ years, you'd spend WAY more on disposables than $400. You should also figure in the cost of using the washing machine (and the drier if you do not choose to use a drying rack).



- Another way to keep costs down is to make your own reusable baby wipes. What I did is cut up old T-shirts into 5x7 inch rectangles. I use a spray bottle to spray water on to the wipe (or my son's bum, if there's a big poop!) and clean with that. Then I just throw it in the pail to be washed with the diapers. Soft and free- they are just great! And think of all the money you save on wipes.



-A good place to shop, if you know what you're looking for is http://www.diaperswappers.com/



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