| Cloth diapers have become pretty popular in recent | | | | diapers with this baby than I did with disposable diapers |
| years There are tons of styles to choose from and | | | | and my two older kids. We use bumGenius 3.0 cloth |
| many parents rave about them. But many fear that | | | | diapers, and they really don't have a leak problem if |
| they're a lot of work. Are they really worth all the | | | | you care for them properly and change the diapers |
| trouble, the extra laundry, rinsing in the toilet? And what | | | | regularly. Any diaper will leak if you leave it on the |
| about leaks? And stinks? | | | | baby too long. |
| I've been using cloth diapers on my daughter for about | | | | If leaks start to be a problem it's time to strip the |
| a year now and I can tell you that for me these things | | | | diaper to be sure that you don't just have a buildup |
| are really not a problem. It's just not as bad as you | | | | problem. |
| might think. | | | | So do cloth diapers stink? |
| For starters, the extra laundry really isn't that much. | | | | They can, sometimes. But that generally means that |
| Yes, you'll be doing a load every 2-3 days. One load of | | | | your washing routine isn't quite right. Maybe you use |
| cloth diapers. They'll need an extra rinse cycle to be | | | | too much detergent. Maybe they need to be stripped, |
| sure the detergent gets out, but they only use 1/4 the | | | | which is a special wash of cloth diapers using original |
| amount of detergent a regular load uses. The diapers | | | | Dawn dish detergent and hot water, plus extra rinses |
| should smell clean after washing. | | | | because that Dawn can be a bit hard to get |
| You can dry cloth diapers outside in the sun (I strongly | | | | completely out. Be careful with this if you have an HE |
| recommend this if at all possible) or in the dryer. The | | | | machine, because Dawn most certainly is not low |
| sun does some nice natural bleaching as well as saves | | | | sudsing! |
| energy, making it a generally good deal. Hanging the | | | | Bio-Kleen Bac-Out is another popular solution to stink |
| diapers out is certainly some extra effort compared to | | | | issues. Just spray it on the diapers as you drop them in |
| just throwing them in the dryer, but if you have the | | | | your bucket. It's an enzyme cleaner and is very |
| time it's really not so bad. I find they stay freshest this | | | | effective. |
| way. | | | | I know, this is sounding like a lot of effort. It's really not |
| But what about solid wastes? Aren't they a pain? | | | | that bad. Baby care in general is a lot of effort. At |
| Strictly speaking, even with disposable diapers you're | | | | least with modern cloth diapers you aren't fussing with |
| supposed to put the solids in the toilet. I think most | | | | pins and such. Some brands go on the baby in ways |
| packages even say that, although I don't know that | | | | that are very similar to how disposables go on. It's |
| many parents obey that part, and that's why this | | | | simple. |
| seems like such a big deal with cloth diapers. | | | | Just think of all the advantages. Over time cloth |
| For the most part solids shake out pretty well, | | | | diapers tend to be cheaper than disposables. They're |
| especially as baby gets older. For wastes that are on | | | | less wasteful. You can even use them for more than |
| the runny side of solid I like a diaper sprayer, which is a | | | | one baby. Many babies get less diaper rash with cloth, |
| simple attachment to the toilet. | | | | and you can't forget to note how many cute styles |
| And leaks? | | | | there are in cloth diapers. |
| On the whole, I've had less trouble with leaks with cloth | | | | |