As I’ve now had 2 weeks to test our cloth diapering system (we used newborn disposables the first week), I thought I’d share it. Cloth diapers really are the best way to go– they’re cheaper, and they hold in the messes 10x better. I’m glad we had that week of disposables, because we were able to see just how much money we would’ve spent on diapers!! Gregory went through 72 diapers in one week. Unless we had decided to buy generic (which really don’t work…talk about poop explosions…), we would’ve been spending around $100/month on diapers. Again, that’s $1200/year. Yikes! The extra 10 minutes it takes me to throw everything in the wash is worth it to me!
Overall: We spent around $100 for this entire system, which will work until Gregory is 6-7 months old. Once there, we will have to spend around $30 to buy bigger prefolds. But that’s about it!
Oh, and guys can totally do this. Jesse has become just as fast as my mom and I. He has expressed on numerous occasions how glad he is that we decided to go this route and save so much $.
Our basic go to system is the Bummis Organic Cloth Prefolds. Because they are so cheap ($15 for 6), we were able to buy 24. This way, I’m only washing diapers every 2-3 days.
These things are super absorbant, and with the use of a Snappi (no pins needed!)
which works just like an ace bandage clip, they hold everything in, even the runny newborn poo (sorry, those of you who’ve never changed a diaper!). We can even add another fold to catch more of Gregory’s pee.
We then throw one of our 5 cute covers on top. We have a combination of the Bummis Whisper Wraps and the Thirsties Duo Wraps. I got them all on Ebay for $6-8/each.
For nighttime, I have stocked up on 2 Fuzzi bunz Perfect Size Small Pocket Diapers (work from 8-18 pounds), where there’s no folding to be done. I thought that we might want them for nights when we are too tired to take the five minute to use a prefold. It’s been a whole week, and we haven’t even needed them yet! Anyways, I bought a really cute train print on Ebay:
We also have 2 G Diapers, which I mentioned in a previous post, that we will be using with flushable biodegradable inserts when we are out and about. We’ve also stuffed in one of the Bummis prefolds, and they work great.
I have many friends who use cloth diapers, but none so far that I know of who use cloth wipes as well. I decided that if I was going to be washing diapers anyways, I might as well TRY cloth wipes.
After some trial and error, here’s what I’ve come up with. We bought a Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer, filled it with water, and stuck the hemp wipes (that I bought for $10 total) in. That’s it! Warm wipes that get the job done.
We also occasionally use some organic California Baby Diaper Products, including:
Last but not least, you may be wondering about how we wash everything. So far, it’s pretty simple: we have a PUL waterproof drawstring bag that we threw inside a cheap white trash bin from Walmart. When I wash the diapers, I just pull out the drawstring bag and wash it with everything. No mess! No plastic trash bags contributing to landfills! Occasionally, I also dust a little bit of baking soda in there as well, although odors haven’t been a problem yet.
So there you have it. If a grad student/mommy has the time and patience to put up with it, so can you! Save money and the environment!! (there, my rant is now over).
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Morielle says
I use cloth wipes! It didn’t take me but a few days before I realized that trying to put cloth diapers in one sack and throw away wipes in the other was WAY less practical than just putting the diapers and wipes in the same darn bag. So yeah, I just cut up my own wipes from old receiving blankets (still use them even now and in fact prefer them to a few thicker bamboo wipes my sister gave me).
Kelly says
The receiving blankets are a great idea! I bought some from a lady in Austin who makes her own diapers.
Do you have a DIY wipes solution formula I could try?
Morielle says
Since Solomon has been eating more solids I started just washing his bottom off in the bathroom sink bc I put his poo in the toilet anyways and I just like things being super clean. But before I started doing that I used water in a little spray bottle with a few drops of grapefruit seed extract (he has really sensitive skin and i’ve struggled with him getting diaper rash since he was born so the grapefruit seed extract helped with that) and a few drops of some natural scent (rose petal is really nice). It always worked just fine. Too much soap or other “cleansing” type stuff can really dry a bottom out and since baby poo and pee really isn’t that stinky or unsanitary you don’t really need anything too strong. 🙂