And now for a post that’s a bit more “living” than straight up “home improvement” related. When people ask what question we get here at YHL most often, they’re probably expecting it to be about paint or demo. Not so. It is, without a doubt, some iteration of the following:
How are you liking cloth diapers? How many do you have? What brand are they? Did you get the kind with the liners/inserts? Do they work? Does Clara like them? Are they difficult? Do you regret it? Is it annoying to wash them? Do they really get clean? Are there times when you don’t use them and opt for disposables? How long will they last? Are they bulky? What do you do when you’re out running errands? How exactly do you wash them? What colors did you get? How do you store them when they’re dirty? Does Clara have a lot of blowouts with them? Do they give her diaper rash?
Who knew it could be such a hot topic? But we’re happy to address the many (many) questions that we’ve received right here in this surprisingly exhaustive post. So fasten your seat belts and get ready to read the word poop at least once. And by all means, if you’re not a parent and have no interest in hearing about baby bodily functions, skip this post and stay tuned for more house-related fare tomorrow. You have been warned…
After a lot of research and chats with family and friends who went the cloth diaper route, we settled on the Bum Genius Elemental One Size All In Ones – the ones that are organic with snaps instead of velcro. They’re so easy to use and should last us through multiple kiddos. We’ve heard that velcro can wear out after tons of washings but snaps are good for the long haul so that’s why we opted for that feature. As for inserts or liners, the ones that we chose don’t have them. We figured if we were going to have to wash part of the diaper we might as well get all in ones and wash them all (instead of dealing with liners/inserts). It seemed simpler and so far we have found them to be extremely easy. Plus we love that they’re one-size-fits-all, which will save us a ton of money (they adjust with some easy snapping to accommodate Clara as she grows).
The dozen that we purchased should not only last us through Clara’s potty training days but we expect to use the same dipes for future bambino(s) as well. We picked up 12 and have never needed more than that thus far but we wouldn’t mind 18, which seems to be the magic number for many other cloth diapering parents. We might grab six more someday, but we’re definitely getting by with 12 so far. Oh and as for diapering duty, you might be shocked to hear that John changes way more diapers than I do around here. He sweetly decided that if I would be feeding her multiple times a day, he could be the go-to diaper guy, which is such a big help and actually really cute to watch (Clara loves to pee on him from time to time).
And as for washing them, we’ve found that with a baby you’re always doing laundry anyway. So tossing in one big load of diapers every day-and-a-half or so is no trouble at all. Really, we anticipated the switch from disposables to cloth diapers to be waaay harder (Clara didn’t fit into her cloth diapers for the first 9 weeks so we had some time to get used to disposables and were shaking in our boots about making the switch). Thankfully it was really easy and fun. They’re just so darn cute on her, and she seems really comfortable and happy in them too. Speaking of the aesthetic factor, we got three orange ones (clementine), three green ones (grasshopper), three light blue ones (twilight), and three yellow ones (butternut). That way they’re gender neutral for any bambinos down the line.
How has our experience with cloth diapering been so far? In short: we love them, they’re no harder than disposables (the time we spend tossing them in the wash seems equal to the time we used to spend trudging out to the store to buy disposables before Clara could fit into her cloth dipes). Clara seems to love them more than disposables too (she sleeps longer at night, never appears uncomfortable, etc) and she has experienced 95% fewer blowouts and zero diaper rash since trading up from disposables (where those occurrences were a tad more frequent). Oh and the only time we don’t use them is when we travel overnight somewhere, since it’s more of a challenge to wash them while road tripping.
And have we mentioned that they’re hugely cost effective? Especially thanks to our Energy Star front loading washer and dryer (which make the cost of cleaning them negligible and keep our water/energy usage extremely low). We also often line dry our diapers out in the sun to save even more energy and keep them looking mint (more info on that in a minute). For around $265 (for a 12-pack of cloth diapers) we have unlimited dipes on hand for the rest of Clara’s diapering days. Plus we’re not sending tons of disposable diapers to the landfill so that makes us feel good. In retrospect, the only thing we would have done differently is purchase some newborn sized Bum Genius diapers as well. The one-size-fits-all versions are a bit loose on most newborns, so they also make cloth newborn-sized dipes, which we opted to skip since we didn’t know how big Clara would be at birth (the doc estimated she’d be 10lbs (!) but she was only 7lbs 10 oz in the end). So since we skipped the newborn sized cloth diapers, Clara’s first nine weeks were spent in Seventh Generation disposable diapers- and we learned just how expensive the non-reusable diaper route really was.
We’re actually happy we experienced life with disposables so we have some point of comparison. If we hadn’t relied on them at first, we never could have kept track of the money we spent on them (and the money that we would thereby be saving moving forward). After nine weeks of disposable diapering we had spent more than $180. That’s only a bit less than we spent on our entire stock of Bum Genius diapers that will easily last through the end of Clara’s diaper days and hopefully through future babies’ as well! And by our $180 for 9 weeks estimation, we could have easily spent another $3000+ on disposable diapers to last her until she turns two. Crazy, right? We also hope to make the change to cloth wipes sometime soon for even more savings in the future (we’re currently using Seventh Generation ones, which we like a lot).
As for our dirty diaper system, we have a pail for dipes and a smaller pail for wipes in the nursery (we snagged both pails at World Market). We rinse the dirty (read: not just wet) ones with the diaper sprayer that we mentioned a while back (pictured above). Some people say that you don’t need to spray dirty diapers when a baby is exclusively breastfeeding but we have found that a quick spray helps them come out a lot cleaner and less discolored so it’s worth it to us (and for what it’s worth, our friend Katie Bower also had the same experience). What can we say, we’re pro-spray kinda girls. And it only takes a second. It’s kind of fun too (but I won’t get into that as I’m probably one of the weirdest people on the planet since I get an inordinate amount of joy from cloth diapering).
After spraying the dirty ones, we place them in the larger pail, while only-wet ones go right into the same pail without a spray. The dirty wipes go straight into the smaller pail for disposal (both pails are lined with “recycled” plastic bags that we have laying around from places like Target when we mindlessly forget our reusable ones). Note: we hung the pails off of the hard-to-see corner of the dresser with coat hooks and anchors, which keeps them much easier to reach than placing the pails on the floor. Then we added small strips of weatherstripping on the bottom edge of the pails (where they meet the dresser) to keep them from scratching the wood.
We haven’t experienced any issues with odor thanks to the lids (of course we hear that things can get stinkier once we transition to solid foods but we have a few family friends who still use the pail method so we don’t anticipate having a problem as long as we continue to wash our diapers every day and a half or so). Which brings us back to dirty diaper laundering. As recommended by Bum Genius, we prefer to launder them at least every other day. We usually wash 11 of them in one big load every day-and-a-half while Clara wears the remaining 12th diaper- that way we’re not washing just a few at a time.
And as for our detergent, we use Seventh Generation Free & Clear (update: we learned our diapers would last even longer thanks to Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder so that’s now all that we use) and we just wash them once on the warm heavy duty setting and either machine dry them or lay them out in the sun. We have heard that you can do a cold pre-wash before the warm heavy duty wash, but so far that hasn’t been necessary (possibly because we pre-spray the dirty diapers into the toilet as soon as they come off).
Oh and we learned that occasionally one may come out of the wash with a slight orange tinge (very rarely, this isn’t an everyday thing). The good news is that it’s 100% clean and sanitized, sometimes one every few weeks is just a bit discolored from breastfeeding poop (since the pure organic cotton liners are awesomely absorbent). It’s kind of like how old tupperware containers can get stained from tomato sauce and even if you run them through the dishwasher and they’re totally clean they can still have that tint. Luckily we learned if you lay them out in the sun while they’re still moist from the washer it bleaches them white again- it’s like magic! Seriously, you might want to cross your fingers for that tinge every once in a while just for the fun of seeing the sun undo it in a few hours. We wish Clara was old enough to watch in wonder like we do. She’d probably make this Zoolander face:
Oh and they’re also pretty easy on the go (we only use disposables when we’re traveling somewhere overnight, but for day trips and errands and things we stick to cloth). If we have to do a diaper change while we’re out – at Home Depot for example, haha – we just slip the dirty cloth diaper into a plastic bag and rinse it when we get home. We hope to upgrade to a reusable zippered wet bag for dirty diapers while we’re on the go (we currently just reuse Target bags and stuff that we have laying around) since we’ve heard those work well and contain everything nicely (no smells or leaks).
Now for the bulkiness question. They’re definitely a bit bulkier than disposables but nothing too terrible. In fact we think they’re super cute! Clara can still fit into a few newborn sized outfits with them on and she’s almost three months old! So they can’t be that huge, right?
So there you have it. Over 2,000 words on cloth diapering. Can you tell we’re enthusiastic? Of course this is a completely personal parent-how-you’d-like-to decision, so we’re just sharing our experience when it comes to diapering. And we’re not anti-disposable by any means! Tons of our family and friends opted to go that route because it worked best for their household and we still rely on disposables when we travel. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in three months of parenting it’s that there’s no right way to raise your wee one, and it’s all about sussing out what works best for you and your family. So go forth and diaper your beans and beanettes any way you’d like with a smile on your face. Or am I the only weirdo who grins every time I snap a fresh diaper on those cute little buns?
UPDATE: We switched from diaper tins to wet bags a while back (since they’re super easy to toss into the laundry with our diapers too keep things smelling fresh – here’s that info for ya). As for how cloth diapering is going, we still love and use the same 12 cloth diapers that we purchased over a year ago! That’s it (we haven’t purchased any more or tried any other brands). They still look mint, work well, and don’t smell or anything. Best money we ever spent.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Our cloth diapers are still holding up really well two years later. Check out the update post here.
Stephanie says
Hi Sherry,
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while and I love it! Its great to see someone else is as big into home improvement/decorating as I am. After reading all of the posts on cloth diapering we ordered our bum genius’ yesterday! I only ordered 12 so far but my mom seems to think we will need way more than that. Our baby wont be here until August so I’m wondering, how many diapers did Clara go through when you first switched her over?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Most people prefer a stash of 18-24 (we just got away with 12 because we’re always home and we don’t mind washing them every day and a half – which is actually what they recommend to keep them fresh). I would start with 18 (Clara went through around 8-10 diapers a day when she was a newborn) and see what you think. You can always add more, but if you get too many off the bat you have to wash them every two days (since that’s the longest they recommend you going with them dirty to keep them in good condition) and you’ll end up with a bunch of unused diapers sitting in the drawer because the 12-18 that you wash are clean again and you never got to those extras. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
Do you think Bum Genius is better than FuzziBunz? I really love the look of gDiapers, but we hate it that they aren’t one-size fits all. We’ve looked into the FuzziBunz the most, but they look very similar to Bum Genius. We’d love to hear your input! :) Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard from a few people on this post who use both but they seem to prefer BumGenius (it’s a bit more $, but they seem to work the best). Maybe try scrolling back through the comments for more info? Or posting a question on a cloth diapering forum on babycenter.com? They’re so helpful there!
xo,
s
Renee says
Hi there! I love this post! I thought of y’all the other day when I was watching a news program, divulging some myths about products that claim to be natural and I was shocked to see that Seventh Generation diapers were one of them! They actually dye their diapers brown to look more natural. Not sure if someone already posted this in the comments, but since you guys do use disposables for travel, I thought I’d pass it along!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We did hear that but we did a bit more research and are still very happy with them.
xo,
s
RhodeyGirl says
I see you mentioned switching to cloth wipes.. did you do that yet? If so, what are you using?
My pediatrician mentioned that we should use washcloths instead of wipes while we are home because they are better for the baby’s bottoms and to save wipes for travel only. Now I need to figure out where to find the softest washcloths! Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
Unbelievably we still haven’t switched. We’ve just been so happy with the Seventh Generation wipes that we use and they’re so convenient, but we really do hope to make the switch someday!
xo,
s
Trish says
Love your blog! In the post http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/diaper-tins-out-wet-bags-in/ , you said you’re now using the wet bags. Do you keep water in the bag, or just throw the rinsed dipes in there until washing?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, they’re dry except for the rinsed diaper (which goes in wet and stays moist until it’s cleaned). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kelly C says
Thank you so much for taking the time making all this information available. We are expecting twins in November and are going to CD. Your blog has really helped tremendously in educating me and my hubs on the ins and outs of cding.
steph says
you mentioned that you use Charlie’s Soap Powder – are your front loaders High Efficiency? I thought though machines could only use laundry soap with the”he” symbol on them. Are you finding there are any issues?
Totally researching these for future kiddies
:)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, they’re HE and Energy Star. But the Charlie’s Soap is “HE compatible” so it works!
xo,
s
sophia says
I’m trying to decide whether to buy the bum genius 4.0s or the aio’s. Maybe you can help! How often do you line/air dry your diapers? How long does it take for them to dry (I heard they take forever to dry in the dryer, but what about air drying)? I do not plan to machine-dry them, but what do you think is best for maintaining the diapers?
Also, I read reviews that solids tend to get in between the layers of the bum genius aio liners. Have you experienced this with Clara?
And how many times did you have to wash your aio dipes before using them for the first time? Did you use Charlie’s soap for this or vinegar?
Thanks for your help!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s definitely one of those personal preference things but we love our AOIs. We especially appreciate that our energy star washer spins things so fast that they come out much drier than some other top loaders and front loaders, so our diapers only need 30 minutes of drying time in the dryer (or we sit them out on a sunny windowsill at night and in the morning they’re ready to use). Ours still look mint even though we usually dry them at least partially if not all the way in our dryer (after 14 months of use!). Seriously, there’s no pilling or staining or ripping or anything. And we’ve used the same 12 diapers the entire time. I think it’s partially because we spray them first into the toilet when they’re dirty and wash them every 2 days at the latest (letting them sit around dirty and not spraying them so you have to pre-rinse them in the washer probably leads to more wear and tear/damage). As for solids getting in the middle layer, every once in a while it happens but I just blast that with the sprayer and wash it and it’s all good when it comes out. Not much of a deal at all. As for how much we washed them in the beginning, I don’t remember. Maybe twice? Once with vinegar and once with Charlies? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
tosha says
hey guys! great post! I’m researching all of this since we have a baby bean due in November :) One question (I read the post twice and skimmed the comments, hope I didn’t miss this!): did she require any sort of extra covering over the bumgenius at night or was 1 diaper sufficient to contain the nightly pee? I see that other cloth diaper systems often require a special type of extra-waterproof cover like a wool soaker or something for nighttime – do you need any of those with the bumgenius or was 1 diaper enough for night? THANKS!
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve heard that it varies by baby, but Clara has always just slept in one cloth diaper (no extra insert or cover). I’ve heard some other folks say that some boys pee more and need something extra, but for the last 14 months just the regular diaper has worked for us! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Veronica says
We just finished washing our first set of bumgenius in preparation of our little one who is due late next month. They are adorable and we can’t wait to use them! Your post was actually what convinced me many months ago to give cloth diapering a try. I just did some more math and wow, we’ll be saving thousands every year we use these. Yay for saving money!
Alanna L. says
I just ordered 2 bumgenius diapers as a trial period for our 3 month old (one elemental and one 4.0). Our little man is exclusively breast fed and his first poop in the diapers already left a stain?! I had rinsed it off with cold water first and then washed on heavy duty warm cycle too. I was hoping they’d come out of the wash sparkling white and only expect to have a stain every once in a while. Did you get stains every time with Clara when she was EBF or did you pretreat the diapers with anything before the wash? Do you sun them after every wash when they do stain? I guess I was hoping for some reassurance before ordering a big stash of cloth dipes. thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
In the beginning they seemed to stain more and it used to bother me so I’d lay them out in the sun whenever I could. Then they seemed to stain less over time, so most of the time they all look mint and occasionally we lay them out in the sun if we notice that one or two are looking “cloudy.” Maybe once or twice a month? They still look like new!
xo,
s
Jenn says
Do you guys still like the BG diapers? I’ve read some comments on Baby Center that the Elemental ones are known to get holes.
YoungHouseLove says
Ours still look mint and Clara is 14.5 months old. No holes or even any pilling- they’re awesome. We definitely recommend the sprayer though (it saves an extra wash every time which definitely cuts down on wear and tear).
xo,
s
milany says
Hi,
I’m so glad I found your site, not only for the DIY projects but for this informative post as well. My 2nd son just turned 1 month today and am thinking about making the switch to cloth diapers in the next few weeks. I’m just curious to know how often are you changing out the diaper if they’re only wetting themselves? Right now, I’m changing his diaper maybe every 2-4 hours when he’s wet and of course when he poops. I’m breastfeeding so he only seems to poop maybe twice a day. How did you last with only 12 diapers and only washing every other day?
Thanks for this great post! I’m looking forward to hearing your response.
YoungHouseLove says
We usually used about 7 diapers a day (since Clara sleeps for such long stretches at night, we just went through about 6, while she was awake, changing them every two hours or so). The next day we’d go through the rest (and usually wouldn’t make it until night, so sometimes we’d do them every day and a half if that makes sense. We just played it by ear and changed her every 2-3 hours or so (except overnight), which it sounds like you do as well.
xo,
s
Lara C says
Not sure if I posted this before, but there’s a super cloth diaper trial on jilliansdrawers.com for folks who want to try it with low obligation. It’s about $160, but $150 of that is refundable. The kind folks there send lots of different styles and brands for you to try for 21 days, and then you can choose to keep them (at a great price) or send them back (or send some and keep some, etc) and get your money back. We’re testing this next week, so hopefully we’ll find a winner for our household!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it- what a great way to find out what works for ya!
xo,
s
Amber says
Hey!
I know this post is old, but I have a diaper laundering question…
We are expecting our first baby in a few weeks and have decided to go the BumGenius Elemental route. I am in the process of washing them 5-7 times before use and noticed that (because they are all in ones and thick) they take quite a while to line dry. I noticed that you mentioned occasionally tumble drying yours…any special setting that you used? I don’t want to wear them out too fast or bake them in the dryer! I am thinking that I will start them on the line and then finish them up in the dryer.
Also, in retrospect, were you happy just having the one style or would you recommend getting a few different ones? Some people swear by those pocket dipes and prefolds! =)
Any advice on this is appreciated!
Thanks!
Amber says
And sorry if you have already answered some of this…I tried looking through the comments section, but there are a ton! Feel free to reference me to one of those other replies. =)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re still very happy with the same 12 original diapers we got. They look like new (not even gently worn after 15 months of use!) and we prefer not having to stuff them since they’re all in ones. As for drying them, we have front loading energy star washer/dryers so the wash cycle ends with a super fast spin cycle that dries them a lot, so they only need about 20-30 mins in the dryer or can be air dried overnight. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ann Merry says
I have 5 daughters. They were all cloth-diapered (late 70s, early 80s). I used birdseye diapers, and folded them to fit, and used those big dangerous diaper pins. The diaper was covered with plastic pants, which usually became brittle and scratchy after repeated laundering. After emptying a dirty diaper into the toilet, I pre-scrubbed it in a pail by hand before it was placed in the actual diaper pail, which was a plastic pail filled with water and 20 Mule Team Borax. I usually had two at a time in diapers, and so we washed diapers every day, but those pails…phewy….never did smell nice. We never used wipes, just old washcloths and warm water, and then tossed those into the diaper pails as well. Sounds like some of the modern day improvements such as the toilet sprayer would make cloth diapering a lot less work!
Emily Glicksman says
Have you ever had ammonia build up in your diapers? I am having trouble kicking the ammonia funk since I got a HE washer….bummer since those things are so expensive! I have read a million tips online and tried so many of them but to no avail :( Since you two are my go-to peeps for pretty much everything, I thought I would see if you have any secret tricks for me. Thanks a million!!!
Ps – I use rockin green detergent and have fuzzi bunz.
PPs – thanks for being so awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, so sorry! We’ve never had that issue. Anyone have any ideas? We don’t use fabric softener or diaper cream on our dipes if that helps!
xo,
s
Emily Glicksman says
yeah…we don’t either..I will keep working on it! thanks for the feedback!!! Emily
Kara says
We use the same cloth dipes as you guys do, and we have the same diaper sprayer too. My little peanut is 3 1/2 months old, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to spray out her poopy dipes without getting water all over the wall of the bathroom. We lowered the pressure, and when we got it low enough so it didn’t spray all over the place, it was too light to get the poo out. I exclusively breast feed too. Any thoughts or suggestions on the sprayer or what we’re doing wrong?! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely have moments where there’s some “ricochet spray” but mainly have just learned to keep the diaper mostly in the toilet (with the seat down) and spray towards the bowl. That should help keep the spray contained (at least in our experience).
-John
Sarah says
I have a question about the sprayer too…we have the same one and no matter what I do it seems to make a ginormous mess. But I wonder if I’m trying to clean the diapers too much, rather than just giving them a quick rinse? My daughter is exclusively breastfed right now. How “clean” did you try to get diapers with the sprayer at that stage?
Thank you thank you for continuing to answer questions on these old posts! You are the best!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe try turning the pressure down a little (it’s adjustable). As for breastfed poop, we just gave it a rinse so it was washed away and wet. Maybe for a total of three seconds. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
natalie says
i am due in less than a month (!) and have the same diapers as you guys. i know i have to wash them before i start using them, like regular baby clothes, but the bumgenius website recommends washing them 5-7 times before using them. i am thinking this is kind of excessive, but there may be a reason for it that i don’t know. how many times did you guys wash clara’s diapers before you started using them on her? thanks
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’s to get them “primed” so they’re nice and absorbent. Maybe we washed ours 3 times? Just to get them nice and plush and ready! Haha. We’re generally too paranoid not to follow rules, so we might have even done it five times. Can’t remember for the life of me. Good luck!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi Peterskis, a quick question… Do you guys use any liners inside the cloth diapers or just the diapers themselves? I plan on using BumcGenius cloth diapers as well (the exact same as you) for baby that will be here in January… I already bought a wet bag from Amazon, Im just wondering if I should get some liners as well… Also, did you guys ever try the Bum Genius detergent??? Thanks guys… Know you probably get asked these questions ALOT!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
We bought that all-in-ones which means we don’t have to stuff them or add liners, they have everything built in and you just toss the whole thing in the wash. We never tried the Bum Genius detergent, but love our Charlie’s and Seventh Generation (we switch off with whichever one we have on hand).
xo,
s
Michelle says
I would really like to start out with cloth diapers from day one. I am just not sure what diapers I should start out with. I could go with bumgenius newborns, but they will last such a short time. What size will a baby actually fit into bumgenius? They say 7 lbs, but is that really accurate?
YoungHouseLove says
Clara couldn’t fit into her one-size-fits-all AOIs until about 8 weeks. I think we would have had to buy the newborn ones to use for the first two months, but it probably depends how big the kiddo is!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi, quick question. We also use bg one-size diapers with our daughter and have been for about 19 months. At around 13 or 14 months ours started repelling, so now there are a few that we can’t use because they will leak as soon as she wets! We’ve always washed them as recommended and I’ve tried stripping them with dish soap to no avail. I’ve even contacted cotton babies for advice (they never responded). Have you noticed any leaking problems with yours, and if so, did you solve them?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we haven’t had any issues like that. Maybe try a super hot wash with vinegar (no detergent) to see if you can get that solved? No idea why that would happen. Maybe you have used oily diaper cream? We have heard that can cause issues. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katie says
Darn! I was hoping you’d have the magic solution! I’m going to try vinegar. We’ve never used vinegar without dish soap as well. After another day full of leaks, we’re about ready to buy disposables…but the thought of paying for diapers makes me cringe, especially with potty training just around the corner.
YoungHouseLove says
Wishing you lots of luck!
xo,
s
Valerie says
Thanks so much for this article. Before our little girl was born we loved the idea of them, then put it on the backburner as she came and we got into the routine of diposables…six months later you have convinced us to go with the more eco-friendly approach. We just ordered a 12-pack and are bringing them home to Switzerland after we have visited family in the States at x-mas:) Thanks again and I think your website is great! Love all the decorating ideas.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Valerie! Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
Jenn says
I would love to hear a cloth diaper update! I’m due with our first baby in 99 days (yikes) and trying to get all our stuff in order!! Do you still use Charlie’s? Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s an update for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/05/dog-days-cloth-dipes/ – Still very happy with everything and using the same 12 dipes! We never did switch to cloth wipes though! Haha.
xo,
s
Jenn says
One more question…did you ever switch to cloth wipes? If so how did you store them??
Margaret says
@Jenn – I got the BumGenius diapers in part because of John and Sherry’s positive experience. I use GroVia cloth wipes ($11 for 12) and have come to love them. I store them dry and just get them wet with warm water. When I’m done, I throw them in the diaper bag with the dirty diaper. I moved my daughter’s changing pad to the floor so I can leave her there safely while I go get the wipes ready. It helps that she LOVES hanging out on her changing pad. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Bailey says
This is more of a question of going through the night than cloth diapering, but Sherry when you were breastfeeding how did you go the entire night without losing your milk supply?
YoungHouseLove says
I was completely engorged by morning for the first month or so (let’s just say we had to get a waterproof mattress cover) but somehow my body adjusted and produced lots of milk for lots of frequent day feedings and then somehow knew not to make much overnight (I still had lots in the morning but over time I wasn’t engorged anymore). It’s amazing how the body can adjust!
xo,
s
Holly says
My husband and I are expecting twins in a few weeks and we would like to do the whole cloth diaper thing. I mean, it worked all right for the both of us! Anyways, I am confused about liners. Do you have to have them or do the prefoldable things serve the same purpose? I guess with twins we’ll have to buy 24 cloth diapers, and lucky for us we’re having one of each, so we’ll have it covered for kids down the line. Any help or advice you can give would be great. My mom made my diapers and held them on with safety pins, but that was 27 years ago. I’m afraid her information will be a bit outdated. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
We knew we might not have time/patience to stuff diapers with liners so we got them built-in (all in ones) that are one size fits all. Still using the same 12 diapers since we got them! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda Nowak says
I know this post is forever old, but I just randomly found it. My husband and I don’t have any kiddos yet, but I was planning to do this when we get there. I had no idea you guys were cloth diaper people and it ups my “i love john and sherry!” meter even more… which is crazy since…. I already loved you. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Amanda!
xo,
s
Jacy says
These “Elementals” sound so nice. I have the BumGenius 3.0’s that I used with my son for a good 2 1/2 years, now I use Pullups only at daycare. I have 22 diapers in the rotation (used to have 24, but two were lost at daycare). I have had countless episodes of poop under the nails trying to clean them out before washing, but hey, it is worth it in the long run with the environmental and economic cost savings! I plan to use the diapers with #2 due in mid-April. I might have to try some of the “Elementals” though – it can’t get any easier than that. P.S. Love your blog!
Jamie says
I know this post is quite old but I came across it recently via Pinterest and was amazed by all the answers given in your post. I considered cloth diapers when I was pregnant with my son but by the time he was born, family had scared me out of the idea. I wish I would have seen this sooner, I would have had more confidence in the product and definitely had given it a try. Maybe for baby #2 :) I do have a question, how do you dispose of the baby wipes that you use? Normally with a disposable diaper, the wipes would be wrapped in it and thrown away together. So how would dispose of the wipes ie: in public?
YoungHouseLove says
We still use disposable wipes by seventh generation. So at home we have a wet bag for them (we empty it and toss them when we wash the diapers) and just put them in a leftover plastic bag and toss that if we’re out (we keep a few in our diaper bag) or just toss them directly into the trash in a restroom.
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Question? Do you still use charlies soap? If so do you use it on all your laundry or just diapers.
YoungHouseLove says
We only use Seventh Generation now. It’s easier to get in our area and has worked great. We still have and use the same 12 cloth diapers and Clara is almost two!
xo,
s
Katie says
Thanks so much for this post!! We decided to use cloth diapers on your son, and with help from some research and this post from you, we alos decided on the bumGenius one sie fits all/all in ones!!!
http://ktdlzll.blogspot.ca/2012/03/aint-no-lie-disposables-bye-bye-bye.html
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! Happy cloth diapering!
xo,
s
Kim says
Sorry if you answered these questions a bunch of times, but I was wondering how often do you wash the bag you keep your dirty diapers in. Also, when you wash the diapers, what temperature water do you use? Do you do an extra rinse? With the Charlie’s soap, how much soap do you use in each load? The diaper instructions mentioned not to use as much soap, and I’m not sure what you guys do. Thanks for all the information! Your article has been invaluable!
YoungHouseLove says
I just wash the bag we keep our diapers in every time we wash the diapers (it all goes in the same load). We follow the directions from the BumGenius site for washing (every product is different, so I’d look up whatever type you buy and follow their directions). We only use a teaspoon of Charlies in each load or a half a cap of Seventh Generation (we get that when we run out of Charlie’s and can’t find more).
xo,
s
Amanda P. says
I’m currently preggers with my first and planning to cloth diaper. I’ve been a long time reader and just went back over your old cloth diapering posts. Any plans for a cloth diapering update post? Thanks! Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Update: Still using the same 12 dipes and love them. They are holding up well – don’t look mint, but still do the job and look pretty darn amazing for nearly two years of use! Very happy with them.
xo,
s
Pep says
Hey, I’ve read through all the comments on this post and the update one. So much useful information! I’m planning to transition my one-year-old to cloth diapers and have a question about the detergent. We’re thinking about using Country Save or Charlie’s Soap (HE front load washer). If we do this, do we have to use that detergent for ALL of our washing? We currently use Tide Free & Clear and I’m not sure if there would be residue that would negatively affect the diapers if we keep using the Tide for other loads. Any idea? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We just use the same detergent for everything since it’s easier (we don’t worry Clara will get a rash or reaction from being held against our clothes that are washed in something else). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lori says
I was just wondering about your pails. Now that your daughter is a little older and eating solids, probably, do you still have success with them? We’re trying to find a good system for our and after almost a year, haven’t found one yet. PS… I looked on world market.com to try and find them and didn’t have any luck. Do you remember what they are specifically called? I love the way they look!
YoungHouseLove says
If you click the link on the bottom of the post to the wetbag update that’s what we still use and love! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Have you had any problems with the BumGenius Elementals ripping? I am pregnant with my first and the Elementals look like the best choice for me, but a lot of the reviews say they have had small rips near the elastic in the legs once they were about a year old. Have any of yours ripped yet? Are they still in good condition for a second baby?
P.S. Great post! Lots of good info =)
YoungHouseLove says
No rips after two years and lots and lots of use! We spray them off before using our front loaders to wash them, so we think that combo (of removing solids first so they don’t sit like that for a while) and washing them in a newer machine that might give them less wear and tear than a top loader) might be the trick! We’re definitely planning to use them for a second kiddo!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Have you had any issue with diaper rash? We read your post when expecting and decided to go with the BumGenius Elemental All in Ones and our little girl is now 2 months and we use them currently (we had to use disposables from birth because the cloth were too big). But it seems like when she is in the cloth she still gets diaper rash – even if we change her every time she wets or poops. Any advice? We purchased 24 of them so we have quite an investment in them and not sure what we can do? When her rash gets bad we have to switch back to disposable so we can use diaper cream to clear it up before we put her back in cloth. My mom used the old cloth diapers, pins and plastic pants and she says to use the Ammen’s medicated powder but not sure if that is safe to use on the diapers. When she is in them and rash free we love the BG Elementals but her rash gets so bad we keep having switch back. Great post :) Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! We have the opposite! Clara seems to get rashy in disposables (when we travel, etc) but seems to do better with the cloth since they’re more pure. Perhaps it’s the detergent you’re using to wash them that irritates your little one? I would try switching to something else (even if it’s eco, maybe try another eco brand since some things just don’t agree with certain people’s skin). Hope that helps! Oh and we totally use diaper cream with cloth all the time! Have done it for over 2 years while using the same 12 diapers and we have never had an issue with absorbency (our diapers are in awesome shape for all the use they’ve had). Just be sure the cream is natural/eco so it breaks down in the wash and doesn’t stick to the diapers, because that’s when you get into trouble!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
That’s what we thought maybe it’s the detergent – we bought the bumgenius detergent and I don’t even use a full scoop (now use 1/2 to 2/3 scoop – used full scoop the first time I washed them brand new but then she got the rash so rewashed all in 1/2-2/3 scoop – maybe not using enough to clean). So maybe it is the detergent. Do you recommend any particular brand? Also what type of natural/eco diaper cream do you use? Have you had to strip yours at all? I read that you have to do that every month or so to get the absorbency back if they start to leak. We haven’t had any issues with leakage besides it leaking out the sides near her leg, not really an absorbency issue though just the way she was situated in the diaper when she went.
Do you have a washing cycle that works for you all – we have front loads and used a few recommended on YouTube and kind of adapted them to our washer. Thanks for your quick response – other than the rash thing (which may not be the cloth’s fault) we love them. And Madison’s little bottom does look pretty cute in them. :)
YoungHouseLove says
We used to use Charlie’s Detergent but it was harder to find so for the last year or so we’ve used Seventh Generation Free & Clear from Target and love it. About once a month we’ll strip them by running a load with bleach but then rinsing them again to be sure none of that remains to irritate Clara’s skin (it’s sensitive too). As for diaper cream, we used California Baby Calendula Cream for the last two years until they very recently changed the formula and we heard it was burning kids bums so we switched to Burt’s Baby Bee Ointment (or something like that, also sold at Target in a little pot in the kid aisle) and that has been great so far. We don’t have any issues with leaking or absorbency. And as for the wash cycle that works for us, we do a heavy duty hot wash using detergent with an extra rinse at the end and then one dry cycle (our washer spins them so hard at the end they’re not too wet when they come out, so they don’t take too long to dry). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Diana says
My husband said I belonged to an Internet Cloth Diapering Cult! It does get exciting. I used Bumkins (this was 9 years ago) when my 3 year old got very sick (bowel and bladder disorders) and it became clear she wasn’t going to be potty trained any time soon. I used cloth diaper with all my 4, but had switched to pull ups for training. The doctors said it would be awhile (she was finally continent at 5) and I couldn’t afford pullups for long. By going with the All in Ones, she didn’t realize/understand/care that she was in diapers (we had used the pin one type quite a bit before) and she liked the colorful prints.
matilda says
I had a quick question. I know this is an old post. I am new to this whole thing and still in the baby in my belly stage. I thought babies went through more than 12 diapers in a day. How do you manage to stay on top of the washing of those? How long does the 12 last?
YoungHouseLove says
They lasted about a day and a half for us, so we would then do the laundry (Bum Genius recommends not going more than two days with them sitting without being washed anyway, so it worked for us). Now they last two full days and then we wash at night while she sleeps.
xo,
s
Cait says
This is the second time I have stumbled upon your blog this week! You posted this a while ago and I am wondering if you still feel the same way? We are having our first at the end of August and realllllly want to cloth diaper but are going CRAZY with all the options. SO far I like how you simply used one brand and stuck to it! The pockets and prefolds and inserts and covers and all of it is really overwhelming. The all in one one size seems like it has worked for you and held up. any new advice?? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, still cloth diapering and they all work and look great. We love them. It’s simplest for us to go with all in ones and one size fits all just so there’s no changing them out for different sizes and nothing to insert each time we wash them.
xo,
s
Cait says
So I just noticed you have answered my previous question very recently so no need to repeat yourself! You may have also answered this next question but I didn’t see it… What do you do about family or others watching your child and making it easier on them or just getting them to “buy into” cloth diapering. I am not sure how others will take to handling dirty cloth diapers… Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
We usually offer disposables and if the person is relived at that thought (we don’t want to make more work for them) we just send some of them with Clara. Some people who are with us a lot (ex: our parents) are completely comfortable with them, since they cloth diapered us when we were kids!! So that’s always nice.
xo,
s
Courtney says
This post has been so helpful to me. I’ve referred back to it several times now that we are expecting our first. Do you mind telling me where you purchased your diapers? I can find them for individual sale online, but I’d like to buy a set of them. I found a set for girls on Amazon, but we’re having a boy.
YoungHouseLove says
I think it was through cottonbabies.com. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Haley says
Hey Guys,
Huge fan. I read everyday! : ) We are expecting baby #2 in March ’13 and after going with disposables for 2.5 yrs now with baby #1, I’m thinking of going the green route. My question is about the frequency of changes. Disposable diapers hold a lot of liquid. Do you change Clara after each time she pees during the day? We currently change Emma every few hours, using about 3-4 diapers per day.
Thanks for everything you post. You really have no idea how much you blog inspires/educates : )
Haley
YoungHouseLove says
We usually changed Clara every 2-3 hours when she was little since she peed and pooped more (not every time she peed, just every few hours like you said). Now it’s less frequently since she spreads things out (maybe 5-6 diapers a day including the overnight one)?
xo,
s
bean says
Two questions:
Do you spray the diapers that are wet (ie number one, not number two)? I know that number two must be sprayed of course.
How did you handle those days when Clara had 8-10 diaper changes, and you had only 12 diapers? Or had she outgrown this phase by the time you started with bumgenius?
Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Just sprayed #2 diapers. As for how we handled it, Clara went through about 8 diapers in the beginning, so it was every day and a half that we were doing laundry, but BumGenius doesn’t recommend that the diapers sit around dirty much longer than that (you shouldn’t have them festering and dirty for 3+ days so the recommend cleaning them every other day) so that worked out well for us. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Eileen says
Since you mentioned it in this post, cottonbabies is having a sale right now on newborn bumgenius. Just FYI…
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks!
xo,
s