Thoughts on Cloth Diapers - 1 year later

Last year I wrote two posts about cloth diapers and my review of them. So I thought I should give a follow up a year later and how I felt about them.

We have 3 kinds that use an outer waterproof cover:

-prefolds with snappi's
- sandy's
- kissaluvs

and gro-via all in ones.

My favourite cover is Thirsties, and when we bought the larger sizes we only bought this brand. The velcro seems to be wearing abit on these guys but still working fine. My advice is to close the velcro each time when washing, I assume this would increase the lifespan.

We also use wool covers at night, we don't use them during the day because they are alittle more cumbersome and also they need time to air out between uses so only at night works well for us. They also cost much more than other covers so we only have 2. I like them for the breathability. But this also means you can smell pee sooner than in a plastic type cover. I am always amazed that the wool doesn't feel wet or leak.

The prefolds are alittle harder now that my daughter doesn't like lying down much, this makes changing diapers alittle harder sometimes and thats my only complaint with them. Don't follow Bummis method of these diapers, use snappi fasteners.

Sandy's are great, no complaints, they are my favourite

kissaluvs, I don't like how they fit my daughter now that she is bigger, they are very similar to Sandy's which I like much better. They have a different layout of snaps which is the biggest difference.

Gro-via are showing considerable wear along the edges of the diapers. Not sure how many babies they will last for. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend them which is too bad because they are the easiest to put on while my daughter is standing up. These are also the most streamlined of the ones I use. A friend of mine also uses these and hasn't had this problem, so maybe its just me but I am not sure what the difference is......

All the diapers and wipes are showing minimal staining. I haven't done anything to specifically treat any stains although I hear that hanging them outside that the sunlight does wonders. Stains on diapers don't bother me especially since they are covered.

We have used disposable a few times on trips and I still return to cloth when we get home. Sure its an extra load of laundry every 2 or 3 days but since I seem to do a load of laundry every day its just part of the routine now.

(The only thing that might be an issue is poopy diapers, these are not fun, but more on that later.)

After using disposables the best part of returning to cloth is probably the wipes. Cloth wipes are far nicer to use than disposable (in my opinion) and disposable wipes can be expensive! The cost of them adds up!

- Lauren

Cloth Diaper Review

Now for my review on the specific cloth diapers.

Its crazy how many different types are out there! I have tried a few different types and liked some more than others.

Kissaluvs, bummis with snappi and sandys cloth diapers

We primarily used Bummis Prefolds with snappi diaper fasteners. There are a handful of ways to put them on, we did not use the bummis method, but for newborn we liked the bikini twist and then moved to a partial fold. The snappi ties are fantastic and I can only imagine so much better than pins my mom used to use. (There are many websites which show various techneiques such as here). These are sized and so you need to buy different ones as your baby grows, I don't think the "preemie" ones are necessary - you can just fold the infant ones. These were great, I think they are the cheapest option out

there, they do require some skill to put on so that there isn't any leaks. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton.

Kissaluv's - these were fantastic. They are fitted diapers with elastic around the legs for no leaks and snaps at the waist. These are sized so you have to buy different ones as your baby grows. These are great for newborns as they have a fold down section so that the diaper doesn't interfere with the umbilical cord. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton.

Motherease Sandy's cotton fitted diapers - These are sized, and so you have to buy different ones as your baby grows. Similar to the kissaluvs but they have two rows of snaps which make you feel like its more secure around the legs but I haven't noticed any difference one set of snaps or two. These are alittle bulkier than the kissaluv's but still great. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton. These work best with Motherease brand covers.

Waterproof Covers

The beauty here is that you don't have to wash these after every use, unless it gets pooped on, you can put it aside after a diaper change and let it air out and then use it again for the following diaper change.

clockwise from top left: motherease, thirsties, bummis, flip

Bummis Wraps - Some with snaps and some with velcro, they are sized so you have to buy more as the baby grows. You had to wash the cover after each use because it is more cloth like on the inside it absorbs the pee more. I would not recommend.

Flip - this one expands as the baby grows. Lots of snaps for adjustability. Great.

Motherease - snap and velcro versions, the velcro ones have extra elastic at the legs which is great. You need different sizes as your baby grows. Great.

Thirsties duo wraps - velcro at the waist and snaps to adjust the size. Two different sizes. Great.

And finally, All-in-one's (AIO's)

Gro-via and Monkey Doodlez

Monkey Doodlez - These come in different sizes so you have to buy multiple sizes as the baby grows. I believe they are a canadian company, have a fleece lining, seemed pretty good but I found that when she had a big pee - the moisture would soak all the way to the edge and out onto her pants. I did not like these.

Gro-via -These are great, they are one size, so they didn't fit right away, but I think they will grow with the baby until they are out of diapers. My only concern is that the snaps at the waist are on the inside which makes it look alittle more appealing but I think would easier if they were across the outside. (You might have to see one to understand what I am trying to say)

Basically, the only thing I wouldn't recommend is the Bummis wraps and the Monkey Doodlez All-in-ones. But I am sure some people love them, as I said there are so many different types out there you just have to see what works for you.

My fave's are probably the kissaluv's fitted or prefold with snappi with thirsties cover, followed by the gro-via's.

My husbands fave's are the bummis prefold with snappis in a thirsties cover.

One warning is that once you start its easy to get carried away, its a whole new world of shopping! Does anyone have some favourite types I should test out?

Thoughts on Cloth Diapers

Now that we have been using cloth diapers for 3 months, I though I would give a recap of our thoughts and experiences.

Alot of people said that we wouldn't last very long, which probably made me even more determined to continue since I am stubborn, but when we did use disposables one weekend while camping, it didn't seem any easier - you still had to change the diaper and throw it in a bag to deal with later. I found it really hard to tell if my daughter had even peed, so I would just change the diaper anyways, so this means that you could leave the diaper on much longer - but is that really what you want? And an extra load of laundry every other day doesn't really bother me.

Why I choose Cloth.

Most people seem to assume that its for environmental reasons - less waste and although that is great, its not my primary reasons. My mom used cloth for all of us growing up and so it seemed like an obvious choice for me and when I looked into it more, I liked the natural aspect. Would you want to wear a plastic diaper all day? It doesn't breath. I want cotton on my bum so thats what I will use on my baby. Also, you can tell much easier when the diaper needs to be changed which I think is a plus and some people say that cloth diapered babies toilet train earlier. Also diaper rash hasn't been an issue.

We went to a fantastic workshop at extraordinarybabyshoppe in Waterloo, Ontario. They explained all the types (there are ALOT of options out there!), laundry, benefits and also sell lots at there store. They also have a store located in Ottawa.

Wipes.

We primarily use cloths (some sold as cloth wipes, some designated baby face cloths), wet them in the bathroom and then wipe away. Add them to the dirty diaper laundry.

We also use traditional disposable wipes, I like to research the brand on cosmeticsdatabase.com to see the ingredients and potential hazards added. Generally I choose something for sensitive skin with no scent, organic if possible.

Laundry.

We have a front loader high efficiency washing machine. We wash each load of laundry on a normal setting with extra water, hot water, high soil level and add a pre rinse as well. We find the diapers always come out clean and never stinky. Some times there are still some stains but I am not too concerned since they are diapers and always covered by clothes. Some people are more concerned with this and I hear that hanging to dry outside the sun is great as a natural whitener (although I havent any experience with this).

You also have to be careful with the detergent that you use on cloth diapers, many soaps have additives which leave a residue on the diapers which will reduce their absorbency over time.

We use Shaklee Laundry Detergent and Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent. I have been happy with both.

Dryer.

I was intrigued to learn that dryer sheets actually leave a residue on your clothes - I believe all fabric softeners do. With cloth diapers this reduces the absorbency which isn't great. So we have stopped using dryer sheets and switched to dryer balls. Dryer balls bounce around with the clothes and lift and seperate the items reducing static as well as decrease the drying time. We use Nellie's dryer balls and have been satisfied so far, although it is louder than a typical load in the dryer. It takes our diapers about an hour of drying time which is longer than our typical load.

And for all types of cloth diapers - you are saving money, waste and putting something more natural on your babys bum.

Thoughts on cloth diapers? Would you/do you/did you use them? What was your reasons or what's stopping you?