Household

On part 14 of our series this will discuss our cloth diaper routine.  As well as discuss options for woman to use a natural alternative to maxi pads.

When I was a new mother I just did what everyone else did and that was to buy disposable diapers.  I never really thought much about what that was doing to the environment or to my children.   There are many websites devoted to cloth diapering facts, The real Diaper association has many up to date facts about why it is better to use cloth diapers.

After years of wasting money on disposable diapers we finally had to for financial reasons start using cloth.  At first I just use the old-fashioned pre-fold, pins, and rubber pants and that was okay.  Then as time went on and I was able to buy a “better diaper” I came across these.

BumGenius4.0  these are the best diapers for our family.  They are a one size fits all diaper.  I have used these for the last 5 babies and they are still working like a charm.  When my  babies are new-born they snap down to a smaller size and as they grow, you unsnap and elongate the diaper.    I love them and would recommend to anyone that is having a baby or wants something that will hold up for the next 5 babies!!

This is our cloth diaper routine………. when I need to change a diaper, I grab a wet washcloth and use that instead of wipes.

Here is our diaper pail, lined with a diaper bag.  I think we bought the “trash can” at Lowes. Throw the diaper and washcloth inside the can.  I only dump the messy diapers into the toilet, if they will easily come off the diaper. I used to wring the diapers out in the toilet water, but got so tired of that, I realized that if the diaper solid was hard it will roll off but if not the washer will rinse it away just fine.  I do not separate the inserts from the diapers takes way too long. Full can, time to do a load Grab your diaper liner bag with the diaper contents inside dump it into the washer do a cold rinse cycle on high speedAfter the load has rinsed out, I then reach into my washer and find the diapers that didn’t spin themselves apart and separate the liners from the diapers.  Usually there are only a few that don’t make their way out.  To me this is way easier than separating them into the can.

I then add a scoop of homemade laundry detergent.  Never use commercial laundry soap on your cloth diapers it leaves a residue that will make your diapers not absorb and hold in “pee” smell. Do a hot water “whites” load, heavy-duty with an extra rinse.  Do not add additional things like fabric softener or vinegar just the homemade soap will do the trick.As the washer is going, put in another diaper pail liner so that your pail is ready for the next dirty diaper.  I still have the same liners after 5 years of washing and they are in great shape.
After the washer has finished, you can put the inserts into the dryer and dry on a high heat, when finished you can put your covers on a low heat for about 20 minutes.  But if you have dry weather get those diapers outside.  Nothing is better for your diaper stains and smells than an all natural bleaching from the sunshine.  I use a drying rack and let it sit out all day long.  Makes the smells and stains completely disappear,When dry, bring them inside, I usually put them in the dryer on fluff air cycle to make sure there aren’t any bugs inside of them. I stuff each diaper and set in the basket, ready for the next days wear.  We love our cloth diapers and would recommend to everyone to use this brand.  ****please note I am not being paid to say this, I just want to share what works for us.

UPDATE

So I am out of the cloth diaper stage.  Would I do it all over again? Absolutely, the only difference is that I would have started out right away with my first children.  There are so many positive benefits as to why you should cloth diaper your babies….unfortunately I have never sat down and crunched the numbers….but there is a Mom who has done that:) Jenny over at Mom’s Know Best has a great article on the 10 Cloth Diapering Benefits.    

There really is a lot of neat information with images.  Check out the photo of the landfill….it may just inspire you to change:)

The other part of this post was about the woman’s alternative to maxi pads.  We would never even think that disposable diapers are good for our babies but what about for us woman???  The sanitary pads that we use are just as harmful as disposable diapers.  I have never even heard about using cloth sanitary pads, until a friend showed me years ago,  I will admit I do not do this personally but think it is worth noting for those seeking a more natural household.  You can do an internet search and find hundreds out there.  Many woman make them homemade like cloth diapers or you can buy them.  I have heard you use them just like a cloth diaper.  With a separate container to put them inside for washing.  I would recommend using peroxide as a natural stain remover as I know it removes blood easily.  Hey something new for everyone.

Next up…….switching cloth items for disposables in your household