Cloth Diapering....

Okay, so I have had A LOT of requests about cloth diapering...I have decided to stop being LAZY and get on it! I also decided to get a couple different people views and experiences and put them all in one place.

My advice is VERY limited because I use ONE kind of diaper and they are all pocket diapers. There are so many brands out there. So I have some fabulous bloggers that are going to help with this post ;)
I use Fuzzi bunz. So to say the least I am EXTREMELY bias! I LOVE Fuzzi Bunz One size Diapers. They are amazing. They do not leak, they VERY rarely explode (less poop to clean up), and when I say rarely I am talking I can count on one hand how many times it has happened in the last year! and they can be double stuffed for night time.

The only reason I do not like cloth diapering is the the smell if you do not strip diapers. Seriously, It is hard to handle an overnight diaper if it is not properly washed...Rundown of how to wash below :)

So I will start with buying. I searched for days on www.diaperswappers.com/ at the suggestion on a friend for new diapers. I couldn't fathom putting my baby in diapers that someone else had used. Yes, they are fully cleaned and wonderfully taken care of BUT it still freaked me out. My sister, who is a nurse, has made me a bit of a germ freak :) Thank a lot whit! Just personal preference. But used diapers are clean, affordable and look and feel brand new! A fabulous choice!

 I found a lady on diaper swappers who was selling fuzzi Bunz for $13.50 a diaper. That included shipping. They ended up being almost half price. If you look hard there are some Fabulous deals out there. I would do your research and find out what diapers would fit your baby the best. Some have wide waists for chunkier babies, some are fitted so they will only fit for a period of time.

In this time in our life we NEEDED to save money. We have been living off of savings since September 2010 and will continue to live off savings till December 2011, when Jon graduates from school. When Rivers was Born I knew we needed to do something different. We spent well over 900 dollars on the first year and a half of London's life, on diapers alone. We couldn't afford that with Rivers. That being said, we spent $310.50 on 14 diapers for Rivers and 9 for London. ( London still uses them at night and nap time.) 23 diapers total. We spent another 20 on soap and we were done. A grand total of $320.50 and we were golden... :0)

That is, until the diapers started stinking. ;) So with the help of my friend Stephanie, figured out how to correctly wash diapers.

I have to say, top loaders are the BEST for diaper washing. I don't have one, I have a front loader. Therefore I have a bit different way of washing diapers. I wash a load every two days because there is less bacteria growing in that time. But you can go up to three days before washing. Newborns are THE BEST! You can just stick a poopie diaper in the wash without doing anything. Fabulous right? But, as soon as solids are introduced they need to be rinsed before washing. As soon as there is a poop diaper I flush the excess, I put on a glove and wash it in the toilet until the excess is gone. Then I put it in the washer, or stick it in a wet bag.

When I am ready to wash I use a half scoop of charlies soap and two squirts of Bac out Biokleen. and HOT water. I dry the inserts in the dryer without a dryer sheet and hang the diapers to dry.

For stains, oxi clean can be used. DO NOT use bleach. But the best way to get stains out is hanging them in the sun. If the stains will not come out then you can put a bit of Bac out Biokleen directly on the stain and wait a few minutes before washing.

The Bac out Biokleen takes out the smell fabulously. Every month or two I will soak the diapers overnight in the bathtub with some Bac out Biokleen and that helps a lot too. BUT if you have a top loader you can just soak in there! Saves A lot of time!

Diapers these days are SO easy to use. To me, they are, so much like disposables. I LOVE it!

Plus, I read somewhere that there are 50,000 diapers put in landfills everyday. Yeah, 50,000 that is A LOT. It is an encouraging fact.

In a year I have bought 4 charlies soap 80 load containers and just started using my fourth one. I use it for ALL out laundry too. It last FOREVER. I only use the Bac out Biokleen on diapers and it doesn't last as long but for 5.00 a pop it is worth it!

So...Grand total on a year and counting for EVERYTHING I need is $382.50 ! FABULOUS Right? Granted I don't pay for water. So that could make a difference.

We chose fuzzi Bunz one size diapers and have not had to buy any new ones!

Now, onto a few blog links that will help those wanting to do prefolds and other diapers!

Abby from The Chou Life has two babies in diapers and uses a variety of diapers! Check out here post HERE
She also started her stash slowly! That is a fabulous option we would have liked to do! She started HERE then collected a bit more...HERE Now she is a cloth diapering diva!

Pickles and Paisleys and a Rundown of Where to start and the different kinds of diapers out there! Check it out HERE!

The happy house wife has a great article including guest posters with a run down of cloth diapers :) HERE!

If you have any questions I would LOVE to talk to you and help in ANY way I can! Thanks for reading!
XOXO,
Kels