I’ve had several friends and soon-to-be mamas ask me about how cloth diapers are going. So here is a an update for anyone who might be interested. The short version is that it is going great! We are very happy with our Bum Genius 3.0 diapers. Washing them seems no more inconvenient than going to the store to buy more or emptying the trash can full of dirty diapers. Here are some helpful tips we’ve learned along the way.
We bought 15 diapers and that seems to be an ideal number to get through two solid days between washing. Whoever said you change a baby’s diaper 12-16 times a day is insane. If we changed him every time he wet the diaper it would be every 10 minutes.
We waited to start him in the BG diapers until he was about 6 weeks old. He was so teeny it just didn’t make sense. The diapers were so big on him. Plus he had to be changed so frequently at first and meconium is super hard to get out.
Do not use regular detergent or dryer sheets. The store you buy them from should recommend a gentle soap that won’t cause build up. We use Charlie’s Soap. I almost ruined ours by putting them in the dryer with dryer sheets. They came out with slippery feeling and wouldn’t hold liquid. We had to do a strip wash. If you accidentally do this call me and i’ll explain the strip wash.
Get a trash can with a lid to collect them when they are soiled. The store you buy the diapers from should also sell wet bag liners for your trash can. You can wash these right along with the diapers. I recommend getting two so you have one to use when you are washing diapers.
They also sell small wet bags with zippers for your diaper bag. I would get two for the same reason. You’ll need one when the other is dirty. We take one to day care each day for them to collect the dirty diapers in.
At first you’ll think you need to rinse the poo off the diapers before washing but you really don’t. Just throw them in the bin. It will all come out in the wash.
The directions say that you need to wash in two cycles. We just wash on hot for one cycle and achieve the same results. The guy we bought them from gave me this tip.
When the babies are small the jumbo diaper seems to be quite big until the grow into it. Each diaper comes with a big liner and a small one. We use the small liner during the day so the diaper is smaller and he can move more easily. We use both overnight and he rarely leaks.
The best party is that they are just so darn cute!
Feel free to email me if you have any additional questions that i’ve missed.
