I’m sure you’ve heard all the reasons why people cloth diaper (the environment, money, health, cuteness), but I know a lot of people who are interested and feel very intimidated.  There’s a lot of information out there and a million choices.  Some people love this — my best friend has a ton of different brands of diapers and loves the variety.  Personally, I’m all for simplicity and ease of use (also the cute, I can’t lie).  I think cloth diapering can be very easy. Here’s how I keep it simple.

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Pick a brand and commit

I did a lot of reading about people’s advice regarding getting started in cloth, and a lot of people advocate getting a variety of diapers to see what you like, then picking your favourites, and maybe selling the rest?  This sounds exhausting to me.  I also noticed that families who bought their entire stash from one brand tended to be very happy.  Even if it was a brand that a lot of people didn’t like, they were happy because the diapers worked well enough and they didn’t know any better.  Now, I’m not saying that any brand will do.  I also see people fail because the choose the cheapest brand they can find, and then give up because the diapers leak or fit poorly.  Do some research and get a quality stash, but keep it simple.  After all of my research, I bought a stash of Applecheeks.  I love them to death (yes, yes, I love the poop catchers) and have never tried another brand.

If you commit to one brand, you only have to figure out how to use one style of diapers.  Your SO only has to figure out how to use one style of diapers.  Your parents (should they be as lovely as ours and help out) only need to figure out how to use one style of diapers.  It’s easy, and you will get more people willing to help if they feel confident in using your system.


You don’t have to touch the poop

Well, at least not anymore than you do with any baby.  I mean, they poop, and you have to clean their little bums no matter what diapers you use.  Before you start them on solids, you can just ball that poopy diaper up and toss it in the laundry bag.  Seriously — they come clean.  When your kids start on solids, you can buy flushable liners.  Peel them off and flush them, then throw the diaper in the laundry bag.  Done.  Admittedly, sometimes it gets eeeverywhere in the diaper and you have to dunk a bit, but I think that’s cancelled out by the fact that my kids never blow out in cloth.  I use cloth wipes, which are baby washcloths sprayed with water. I have a spray bottle in the diaper basket. (Okay, it’s actually a peri bottle.).  I used to use a homemade wipe solution, but bums seem to get just as clean with water.  Cloth wipes are thicker, which means less chance of poop on the hand.  After wiping, just put it in your diaper and throw it all in the laundry bag.  Which leads me to my next point.

Don’t overthink the laundry

Okay, so this also goes against nearly all the advice I’ve ever seen, but my laundry system is ridiculously easy.  I grab my laundry bags and empty them into the wash (I just push them inside out and throw the bag in — no touching the poop!).  I add a little scoop of detergent (I recommend Rockin Green), and push all the buttons to make the cycle as long as possible.  The extra rinse button is key.  I wash on cold.  Everything but the covers go in the dryer and I hang the covers to dry (they dry pretty fast).  Every couple months or so I strip them, and I try to let them get some sun in the summer.  Usually I fold them, but they work just as well if you don’t.  My sister-in-law says she just pulls clean diapers out of one laundry bag and puts the dirty ones in the other.  The laundry takes very little actual time or effort.

So there you go.  I use disposables at night because my daughters rash if you look at them funny (seriously, most sensitive skin ever).  I’ve made my peace with it.  I think nights are easy for most people as long as the diaper fits well and has plenty of absorbency.  My girls never leaked at night, just rashed.

Anyone have any tips on how to make cloth diapering even simpler, or are you all horrified by my laziness?

Cloth Diapering part 3 of 11

1. Cloth Diapering by parenting
2. On Cloth Diapering a Newborn by Mrs. Superhero
3. Easy Cloth Diapering by Mrs. Superhero
4. How to choose a cloth diapering system by Mrs. Superhero
5. Cloth Diaper Styles by Mrs. Pen
6. Cloth Diapering Diaries by Mrs. Sketchbook
7. Confessions of an (Ex) Cloth-Diapering Mom by Mrs. High Heels
8. They really are genius! by Mrs. Tea
9. Who, What, Why, and How: Cloth Diapering by mrs. tictactoe
10. On Cloth Diapering at 4 Months by Mrs. Stroller
11. Real Registry: Diana's Cloth Diaper Registry by Real Registries

Cloth Diapers part 8 of 17

1. Cloth Diapering by parenting
2. Washing Cloth Diapers by parenting
3. Cloth Diaper Update and Potty Pail Review by parenting
4. How to choose a cloth diapering system by Mrs. Superhero
5. Real Registry: Diana's Cloth Diaper Registry by Real Registries
6. On Cloth Diapering a Newborn by Mrs. Superhero
7. Cloth Diapering Update by Mrs. Hopscotch
8. Easy Cloth Diapering by Mrs. Superhero
9. Who, What, Why, and How: Cloth Diapering by mrs. tictactoe
10. On Cloth Diapering at 4 Months by Mrs. Stroller
11. Building a Cloth Diaper Stockpile by Mrs. Hopscotch
12. Confessions of an (Ex) Cloth-Diapering Mom by Mrs. High Heels
13. Cloth Diapering Diaries by Mrs. Sketchbook
14. They really are genius! by Mrs. Tea
15. Wool, the Other Sleep Sheep (and Adventures in Early Toileting) by Mrs. Twine
16. Adventures in Cloth Diapering by Mrs. Lion
17. Cloth Diapering: We're back! by Mrs. Deer