(Part 3) Top products from r/clothdiaps

I have 2 that I have cloth diapered since birth. Can I ask why you want to wait a few months before starting cloth? Just my opinion, but it might make it harder to transition if you get a routine and get comfortable with disposables. For our first, when we were nervous about how to do the whole cloth diapering thing, we used a diaper service for the first two months. That way we could cloth diaper and get used to doing that, but didn't have to worry about the laundry aspect just yet. It was a really good experience and only cost $21/week.

Ok onto your questions!

1. If you do prefolds, I would recommend anywhere from 24 to 36 of them, depending on how often you feel like you want to do laundry. We always had 36 because I like to do laundry every 3-4 days. Covers also depends on how often you want to do laundry. I have 9 covers and I never run out before laundry day. My preferred closure for prefolds is snappis. Anywhere from 2-4 would be fine.
   
   
2. You tube has great videos on how to fold diapers. Particular folds you probably would like to research are the "angel wing" or "newspaper" fold, the "jellyroll", and the tri-fold. The Jellyroll should be your best friend if you do decide to try cloth in the newborn phase. They tend to have very explosive poo and the jellyroll is almost guaranteed to hold all that in. I have never had a leak from jellyroll :)
   
   
3. Yes, totally put that pail to use with your cloth diapers. I love my Planet Wise Pail liner. I have had it through 2 kids and it is still going strong. I wash it along with the diapers.
   
   
4. Laundry is one of those things, like a crock pot recipe, where someone can give you the general rules but you might need to tweek it to fit your particular taste and what you have to work with. My personal routine is: Launder every 3-4 days, pre-rinse on cold with 1/4-1/2 cup of white vinegar (depending on load size), hot wash with Tide Free & Gentle and OxyClean, cold rinse. Some people do extra rinses, but I generally don't and have not had a problem. Once per month I strip with blue dawn. This means one small squirt of blue dawn (maybe 1/2 tsp) in the machine after my regular wash, run through a full wash cycle and then do an extra rinse. I only ever use bleach if my kid has been sick or had a yeast rash, to sanitize. I wash everything together. I am not about making this hard. All of my stuff goes into the same load, end of story. I dry everything together if its later at night on the second highest heat setting. If its during the day I hang anything with PUL/TPU and dry everything else on the hottest setting. I do not use wool, so keep that in mind as wool has its own special set of laundering needs.
   
   
5. Yes! But as with anything, its going to depend on your baby. My babies are long and slim, so Thirsties covers seem to work well for us. I love the Thirsties xs diaper covers for newborns. The Thirsties duo size 1 will fit from about 8 lbs until around 16 lbs, then the duo size 2 will fit until potty training. I also used Bummis Super Brites sz small, they are a bit roomier and seem to accommodate night diapers well (doublers). As for prefolds, I love Green Mountain Diapers. Very absorbent and sized well. And they last very well, I have used mine with both kids and they could easily go through 2 more, if not more. I would also recommend looking into an "easy" diaper for when you go out. I like to use fitteds, pockets or all-in-one's. I linked my personal favs there.
   
   Some other tidbits I have learned along the way:
   
   

• If you breastfeed, don't bother rinsing your diapers in the toilet before you wash them. Breastfed poo is completely water soluble so there is no need to worry about it, just throw them in the diaper pail then directly into the wash.
  
  
• I tried all the "cloth diaper friendly" detergents out there and none of them wash as well as good old tide. I don't like the scent in original Tide so I use the free and gentle which has no scent. Basically you will be ok if you just make sure to use detergent that is free of dye and don't use fabric softener!!
  
  
• When you wash, make sure to use lots of water. I generally just use the highest water setting. If you don't you might find things not rinsing as well as you'd like.
  
  
• Check out Diaper Swappers. You can get quality used diapers there, and if you end up with a diaper that doesn't work for you, you can sell it there as well.
  
  Good luck, its super fun!!

Everything seems super complicated but you'll soon find it's a lot simpler than you thought. At least, that happened to me. Make sure you have a proper wash routine for your washer. Check out Fluff Love University to find your washer and determine the best routine and detergent. This will ensure everything gets as clean as possible and prevent things like diaper rash from retained waste, or plain old stinky diapers. My wash routine uses tide powder and looks like: express wash on hot/hot, then another round on heavy duty with hot/cold. We also dry the diapers on delicate.
This works well for us. Once you get in the routine you'll probably want to wash every other day. We don't stuff (put inserts into the pockets to prep them) after we wash. I hate stuffing the diapers and find it simpler to stuff on the go but that is a preference thing.
Do you have a discard system? We got 2 of these buckets with charcoal filters and a wet bag liner. Odorless Cloth Diaper Pail (7 gallon: 1-2 days) by Busch Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053Y2B6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hzyfzb7E65P80


We ended up using an open pail system as it seems to smell less so the tops of the buckets are just hanging out under my daughters dresser haha.

Just another note. We have bumgenius and the same Alvas you have. We love the Alvas, especially for the price. We have had no issues with them. Just make sure you are snapping them at a good size and stuffing with the correct absorbency. If you have leaks before 2 hours, you will likely want to increase the size or number of inserts. Also make sure you do change every 2 hours. It is normal with cloth diapering for the diapers to leak around 2-3 hours. But even with regular diapers they should be changed every 2 hours or if you smell poop or know the baby has peed. I'm training to be a nursing assistant right now and it is apparently the same for adults- 2 hours. My grandparents are super helpful and in love with my daughter. They were watching her yesterday and they mentioned they had to wash her clothes because she leaked so I asked how long it had been since they changed her, and they had gone nearly 4 hours. Another note- this changes at night! We let her sleep and she sleeps 12 hours (she's almost 1). We just double stuff the diaper. You may be getting up to change at first but as your baby gets older, you should be able to double stuff with inserts and let him/her go longer. Sorry if this is way too much info!

1. I used these liners and these liners I double them up. Sometimes they go on sale. I have also used the grovia brand, they worked well but were not reliable in stock.
   
2. I have not used mama kangaroo, but I have used Alvas, I liked them okay. My kids both out-peed microfiber quickly. I actually use tri-folded burp rags laid into a cover. I have tried other brands and Grovia diapers did not work at all for either of my kids (with the exception of a couple of their older newborn diapers). I think you should get a variety of diapers to try and figure out which ones work best. I like Flip covers and rumparooz
   
3. I have only CD one newborn and I used mostly newborn cloth, but I think most of my one size diapers would fit a newborn. It would be a matter of figuring out absorbency, I think. I definitely recommend getting some newborns as you don't really have to figure out sizing and if will make it easier for both you and your husband if you don't have to figure out sizing right from the start.
   
4. I can't help with that one :)
   
5. I bought a $10-ish 5 gallon trash can from walmart and made my own liners from PUL that I got at Joanns. I was super easy.
   
   Take your time figuring sizing/absorbency out and don't be afraid of secondhand diapers. I tend to find a lot at those huge consignment sales.

Total dissolved solids are different than total or general hardness.

Calgon is a non precipitating softener and borax is a precipitating softener. They work differently but achieve the same the result of not allowing minerals (mostly calcium and magnesium) to bind to the fibers of your diapers where they will then attract bacteria and buildup to the point that diapers won't absorb liquid.

You'll need to retest your water hardness for a number. Test kits can be found a Walmart, pool supply stores, hardware stores, pet stores, and online. You'll need to make sure the kit says it tests for Total Hardness or General Hardness. Testing water directly from the machine is best. If you plan to use hot water to wash, both hot and cold should be tested.
** Avoid the free Whirlpool and Water Boss brand tests as they have been known to give inaccurate results. Also, avoid the electric TDS tests as they do not test Hardness.

If you have a Petsmart nearby they test water samples for free. Canada Home Hardware tests for free, as well.

If you don't want to search for a kit, here's one you can order from Amazon

Tide original powder covers up to 180ppm on its own.

For water hardness 181ppm-250ppm add 1/4 cup borax or a half cap calgon to the prewash and a 1/2 cup borax or a cap of calgon to the main wash.

For water hardness 251ppm and above add 1/2 cup borax or a cap of calgon to both the prewash and the main wash.

Detergent and softener amounts are the same for all machines 2.0 cubic feet capacity and greater.

Happy to look over your routine if you'd like, but those are all the details and guidelines I believe you were looking for. They're starting points and minor tweaks may be necessary but you shouldn't need to strip every couple of months following this.

My daughter (now 17 mo) has the same issues, and they started around 8 mo too. We figured out it was a yeast rash, so the pediatrician gave us prescription diaper cream. We use that when she gets the sores/blisters, and use extra strength Butt Paste to keep it at bay (like every time she poops but doesn't have a sore). Try airing her bottom out every time you change her--give her a few minutes of "naked" time before putting a clean diaper on.

We found that changing up the detergent also helped. I was using Tide for a while, but had to switch to Rockin' Green. It's been gentler on her skin and we don't have as many rashes with it.

Also, to get rid of any lurking bacteria in the diapers, I started adding 1/4 cup bleach to the wash. I did this when she had sores, and it helps clean the diapers better. Sometimes rashes may be caused by not getting diapers clean enough. You may need to increase detergent (tablespoon by tablespoon) until you feel that your diapers are getting clean enough.

We chose to use disposables only at night because her skin is sensitive to being in contact with wet cloth for that long (she sleeps through the night about 10-12 hours).

Hope it helps!

• There is absolutely nothing wrong with going back and forth. Any amount of cloth diapering you can do will be beneficial - so dont sweat it. I used disposables for the first 5 weeks (until he was big enough for the BG's to fit well, and until his stump fell off). You are not a bad person for using disposables temporarily.
  
  
• I currently use 4.0's and love them. They are easy to take care of, and I very rarely have a problem with leakage. Breastmilk poops were almost always contained well, whereas when I was using disposables, almost every single time he pooped it was up his back. edited to add I currently have about 40 of the 4.0's but I have WAAAAAY more than is necessary. I had more than enough at 24 or so, I am just lazy and like to wash every three days instead of every one or two (my kid is like a freakin water fountain - we are ALWAYS changing wet diapers so I got more than was really necessary..)
  
  
• My wash routine is this: one long (normal) cycle, cold water, heavy cleaning, extra rinse, extra water. Then one short cycle on hot (NOT sanitize - just hot) heavy cleaning, extra water, extra rinse and I use Tide Original Powder (although I'm thinking about switching - I'm starting to get a smell that I can't get rid of..) If you breasfeed, you dont have to spray off the poops until you start solids because the poop is water soluble until then. If you use formula or are on solids, you have to spray/dunk/whatever to get the poop off before they go in the washer. I just recently switched to formula (booo... :( ) and was worried that spraying them off would be a huge PITA, but its really not at all. Super easy and takes about 30 seconds. Totally easy.
  
  
• I have heard good things about Soap Nuts, Nellies, Charlies, BumGenius brand, and Rockin Green. I dont have experience with any of those but I have read good reviews and bad for all of them. You would have to figure out what would work for you and your family.
  
  
• I have tried All Free and Clear and was not happy with how it left the diapers (had major buildup/stains/smells out the wazoo) after using that for a month. Also tried Soap Nuts and I am neutral on them. The clothes were clean, but it irritated me to no end to try to find that stinkin drawstring bag in the load of wet diapers so I wouldn't throw it in the dryer. And I'm now using Tide Original Powder but I'm starting to get a little smell. Although Tide has worked the best so far. I think I just need to strip my diapers again.
  
  Cloth diapering is SO much easier than I originally thought. Just keep in mind that EVERYTHING is negotiable. There is no one set way of doing things that will work for everyone. It really is a lot of trial and error.

Has anyone used bar mop towels as diapers? I know flour sack towels are a thing, but I have a few Snappi brand diapers that are terrycloth with some sort of center panel inside, and that got me to considering the aforementioned towels. I have a friend who said she used wash rags as diapers when her sons were little, but I'm thinking either her kids were tiny or her washcloths were huge. This is the sort of thing I'm talking about, though I think they're cheaper somewhere like Sam's Club.

Also, does anyone have interest in a Tunisian crochet prefold diaper pattern, or regular crochet contour diaper pattern? I'm asking before I work on writing them. I do not sell my patterns, ever, so this isn't a business thing, and I already have a Tunisian fitted (though it's really more contour) diaper pattern on Ravelry that in my experience works really well, but I'm tossing around the idea of coming up with one based off the Snappi diapers

Honestly I don't remember which sprayer we have I think my husband just got an attachment from Menards? It has an extra long hose which is really nice.

This is the spray shield we use and it's fabulous. Totally worth it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S1I4P1S/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499000673&sr=8-5&keywords=diaper+sprayer

Here's the diaper pail we use and I love it too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0053Y2B6E/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499000855&sr=8-4&keywords=cloth+diaper+pail&dpPl=1&dpID=310yH6-EseL&ref=plSrch

We have this portable drying rack and, with a few sandbags to keep it stable, it works really well. It rotates, too, so if you need to spin it to get sun on all sides, you can. A great solution!

I'm still bringing my babe to work with me, and for that I bought this wipes case https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01APOEVV4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I may be a crazy person but in the morning I'll take a glob of coconut oil and put it in a big bowl, and fill about 1/3 with hot water. After giving it a minute to dissolve, I soak my flannel wipes in there before folding them into the case. That case fits about 12 wipes which lasts half to 3/4 of the day for us now. It's super convenient for me. But when we're home at night and my husband is primarily on diaper duty, he usually just runs to the faucet in the bathroom—perks of having a small house?

There are ways to [test your water yourself]
(https://www.google.com/amp/m.wikihow.com/Determine-if-You-Have-Hard-Water%3famp=1), or you can buy a testing kit, I'm sure.

We definitely have hard water, and I put Rain Drops on my Amazon Subscribe & Save list so it just comes every few months without me having to think about it. I got a cheap jar from the dollar store, threw the right size measuring cup in here with it, and just add a scoop every time I have to wash diapers.

I'm currently pregnant but was thinking of using a wipes container like this to hold a couple damp cloth wipes. Since its meant for moistened wipes I'd hope it doesn't leak! Also interested to hear from some other mama's experiences!

It's a pocket diaper with two petal soakers sewn in the inside layer. You can pull the diaper inside out to wash and dry. The pattern was super easy (and I'm a person who has to call my mother whenever I have to put in a zipper or figure out how to turn a handbag inside out through the liner hole when sewing). I found the pattern in this book that I found at Jo-Ann.

Here's a picture of the diaper inside out: http://imgur.com/ZkkQugT

I have "slightly hard water" but they recommend just using the hard water treatment I have this on my registry and hopefully will be able to try it out.

I use these

Wegreeco 100% Bamboo Unscented Biodegradable Diaper Liners,Fragance Free and Chlorine Free - 100 Sheets Per Roll (1 Roll, Bamboo) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017U5287A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nlJkDbY0SSP9J

I use these dryer balls. It's a great price, and they work really well. I just leave them in the dryer for all loads and it's definitely cut down on drying time when I don't dry outside.

I recently got my first wool cover. Lanolizing it was tough -- I got big greasy splotches at first that I had to wash/massage out, then re-lanolize the whole thing. This is the lanolin I have... I'm a cheap-ass but if it emulsifies better with the water, liquid lanolin might actually be worth the extra $$!

The third time she was wearing it, she got poop all over it -.- You're supposed to be able to go 2-3 weeks without washing! And it's still not quite lanolized properly. I'm too lazy for wool, I think. I might wait to use it until she can wear her fitted diapers and she's got more solid poos that don't get on the cover so easily!

http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Towels-Commercial-Grade-12-Pack/dp/B003BS4856/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416127032&sr=8-2&keywords=flour+sack+towels&pebp=1416127038476

They are used like flat diapers but they are a lot bigger than flat diapers are. I can still do the origami fold on my 10 month old. You can fold them in the pad fold too, and then tuck them inside a cover like an insert or prefold. They wouldn't be the best option for daycare, a prefold would be better, but they are great for weekends. They also dry a hell of a lot faster.

do you know offhand if any pure lanolin would be ok? I found a jar of it on amazon for $8 for a huge 7 ounce jar. Seems to be cheaper than anywhere else. This is it.

I've done great with this one.

Well liners and inserts I use totally different things.

Inserts I use a microfiber on top of a thirsties hemp insert. They’re relatively thin and SO absorbent. For liners I just usethese disposable ones because I haven’t ventured into the land of reusable liners yet. The disposables work well for right now so we’ll see how it goes.

KaWaii Baby 6 Newborn Pure & Natural Cloth Diapers w/12 Mom Bamboo Inserts 6-22 lbs/0-18 Months Slim Fit Very Absorbent Eco-Friendly https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y4471WY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pi53Db5ZP8M5H

All of my OS covers are HiBaby from Amazon. $7-9 each and we recently bought a few more. I like them as much as the Thirsties covers we used for the newborn stage.

I don't see why not, people use old receiving blankets so that's basically the same thing. These are the flats we have, and they fit my 2-year-old very nicely. It says they're 27 x 27, but I know the ones we have aren't quite square, so they must have shrunk up some.

Planet wise pail liners (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Wise-Diaper-Liner-Avocado/dp/B003XSEV2O/ref=br_it_dp_o_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=J9P0PZ85MGTG&coliid=IGJK1823WFCS)

I made my wipes from flannel, some two ply and some single layer. For the two ply ones, I cut 8 1/2" squares and sewed them together with a 1/4" seam allowance leaving a small opening to turn them. Turned them right side out and then top stitched them. For the one ply I used the left over flannel from the two ply wipes so they range in size from 5 3/4" to 7" square. I used a stitch on my machine that mimics serging on the edges.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DIJ0W30

This is a brand I’ve seen them recommend quite a lot!

I'm looking for more suggestions like these: https://www.amazon.com/OsoCozy-Flushable-Diaper-Liners-Convenient/dp/B004N3C2YM?SubscriptionId=AKIAINJNYNCDYDBGXQVA&tag=bab0284-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B004N3C2YM

> Flour sack towels

Do you mean something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Towels-Commercial-Grade-12-Pack/dp/B003BS4856

Amazon! These are mine: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GA9P5P0/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Q9bwtb0C28BTZ

Here is the mobile version of your link

I use Charlie's soap, but only 1/2 a scoop. Its cheaper than tide powder (around 17cents/load if you use a full scoop). It works well for us. A lot of it is trial and error with what type of water you have. I've heard that trader Joes' laundry powder is very similar to charlie's soap if you have a TJs around you.

We got these for my son's poops. I flushed them but then realized how much of a hassle more they are then aren't.

Reading this thread makes me wonder if we should be doing a prewash? We have a bidet hooked up to the toilet for the BM and just do a single hot cycle with this detergent and do not get any pee smell or residue on the diapers.

Is there another reason to be doing a prewash?

Just the covers, we use bamboo diapers and then the covers. Never tried the all in ones or pockets.

We are using a pattern from this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Dritz-Babyville-Boutique-Cloth-Diapers/dp/B0068RQPZI

If you have hard water you might want to try something like Charlie's Hard Water Treatment. Our diapers were getting stinky after we moved to AZ and this has helped us tremendously!

Has anyone used rain drops for hard water...[link] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NZ4MGU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lMOAxbXMGNC33)...? I can't find Calgon in the store and is it expensive on Amazon. 😞