Every time I talk to a die-hard disposable diaper user about cloth diapering, the first thing out of their mouths is, "Gross". What? You have fond memories of bolting in from a great game of hopscotch, racing upstairs to relieve yourself and finding your baby brother's diaper soaking in a tub o' poopoo in the potty? "MOOOOOOOOOM! I hafta go pee and Bobby's diaper is in the toilet!" Or worse, you had to get it out yourself before you could go to the bathroom?
Puuuhhlleeeze. I started cloth diapering because I wanted my life to be easier, not harder.
I'm not going to lie to you, as you can see in my Why Cloth? story, I'm not one of those people who is going to sit here and tell you it's just as easy or easier than disposable diapering. It takes a little more effort, I've been over that already. But it's not this gigantic huge chore either. I'm a busy gal, I hardly have time to brush my teeth or do luxurious things like trim a hang-nail. Extra loads of laundry sounded like a prison sentence. But it's nothing, really.
One thing I noticed when I first started using cloth diapers, was how many cloth diapering websites listed complicated washing routines. First I was overwhelmed by all of the diapering choices - no sooner had I finally figured out which diaper style to buy, I began being assaulted by 18 step laundry instructionals that nearly pushed me back into the ever-present arms of Pampers. Look, you're the only one who knows what your life style is like, and I have no doubt you'll find the perfect diaper-laundry solution for your household. But for what it's worth, here is mine, and it's a piece of cake.
When I was first pregnant I received a lot of advice. One gem in particular was, "You don't need a changing table, just change those diapers anywhere." Well, maybe you don't need a changing table. But I do. I'm tall and I don't like hunching over the floor or couch or bed to change my son. I bought a dresser that was just the right height for me at a second hand shop for $12.00, Eric and I stripped it and painted it. I bought a contoured changing pad at one of those gigantic super stores and found a little basket to hold wipes, Snappi Fasteners, diaper pins, and diaper creams.
There will be more about my diaper pail in The Stink Factor article, but I'll just mention here that we have a tall Rubbermaid trash can with a lid outfitted with a washable, waterproof liner as our "diaper pail".
Enter child with a diaper in need of changing. If the diaper is just wet, it gets tossed right into the diaper pail standing next to the changing table. If it's a poopy diaper, the messy diaper will get set aside until baby is crawling or running away with a clean, dry diaper on.
There is no longer a need to dunk and rinse like our mothers and grandmothers did. A Mini-Shower is a must have! This cool sprayer is a pretty neat alternative to dunking. It has a powerful spray which is great for spraying off even sticky peanut butter style poopies, but can spatter poop all over Kingdom Come if you aren't careful. Hold the diaper by its driest corners down in the bowl, flush the toilet and THEN spray. The water flushing makes the spray less fierce so you don't end up wiping down the bathroom afterwards. All in all, it's a groovy little invention that I highly recommend. Attaches to your toilet with ease. We purchased ours at Katie's Kisses, but loved it so much we now carry them and you can buy one here.
If you don't feel like shelling out the dough for a Mini-Shower, you can still rinse diapers in the toilet without getting your hands dirty. If you don't also have a diaper pail in your bathroom, drag the one you have at your changing station in with you. Shake any loose solids off into the potty, then, if needed rinse that poopy diaper princess style. Hold it by its driest, cleanest corners and delicately dunk and swish, NEVER submerging the whole thing! This is NOT baptism by immersion. Just swirl it around until you think most of the big stuff is off. Drop it into the pail in the bathroom and forget about it until wash day.
How often do I wash diapers? I'm really not sure. I tried to kind of pay attention so I could tell you, but I don't have a clue. I wait until my diaper pail is full. When my husband starts laying dirty diapers on top of the lid, I know it's time because he can't jam any more in. My pail holds enough diapers for one large load. I think I do diapers every 3 days or so.
I set the washing machine for the longest cycle it has and set it for Hot Water. I pour one quarter cap full of All Free and Clear into the machine. I then shake a few drops of tea tree or lavender oil into the load for a fresh scent and to kill any germs. I dump the diapers right in while it's still filling up with water. I close the lid and walk away. Thankyouthankyouverymuch.
Ohmygosh is that it? Yes, that's really it. No prewashes, no soaks, no messy borax solutions in the bottom of the pail (yuk), no double rinses, nuthin. When the cycle is done I throw it ALL in the dryer - no dryer sheets! I'm very lazy and also dry my PUL covers. A friend of mine lays hers in a heap on top of the dryer. The warmth raidiating from the dryer itself dries them nicely that way, she thinks air drying them helps them last longer. Mine have made it through one and a half kids without leaks so I'm not terribly careful. I don't worry about stains at all, they just don't bother me but you can lay the clean, wet, diapers, stain side up, out in the sun (even on a cloudy or cold winter day) and then toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them up. Sun drying makes them stiff, but bleaches even OLD stains right out.
I have never had stinky diapers or a violently smelly pail. I shake a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender oil on a cloth wipe and drop it into the empty pail. Ahhh, smells so nice and it's anti-bacterial properties help keep the diaper pail germ-free.
Oh all right. A FEW diapering items do need a few extra steps, but it's no biggie. Don't wash your wool covers with your other diapering items. These need to be washed on a separate load. If you have enough wool covers to merit a whole cycle you can wash them in your machine. Fill the machine with cold or lukewarm water and a lid full of Eucalan Wool Wash or gentle baby shampoo. Leave the lid open and let your wool covers soak for 30 minutes or so. Shut the lid and finish the cycle. You can take them out before the spin cycle and roll them in a towel to squeeze out excess water, but I alwasys forget and haven't had any problems with distorted shapes. I lay the clean wool covers flat on a towel on top of the dryer to finish drying.
Hand washing wool is easy if you've only got one or two covers that need to be washed and you don't want to waste even a small machine cycle on them. Fill your bathroom sink with cool water, pour a cap of Eucalan in and toss those covers in to soak while you go load the dishwasher or something. Come back and swish them around a bit to make sure they're clean, roll 'em in a towel and either lay flat or hang to dry. Ta Dah!
If lint on your fleece covers or fleece all in one diapers bothers you, don't wash them with regular diaper stuff. Fleece is a lint magnent. (You can wash microfleece liners with your other diapers, as long as they're quality fleece, they won't attract many pills at all). I wash fleece items JUST like my other diapers. On HOT with a 1/4 of a cup of All Free and Clear. I put them all in the dryer on HOT. And though I carry Nikwax in the shop for re-waterproofing, I've never had to use it on any of those items.
You can easily make a wet bag to keep in your diaper bag by sewing a rectangle of waterproof PUL into a pillowcase like little bag. I keep a little squirt bottle full of water and a handful of wipes in my diaper bag as well. Any dirties on the road get tossed in the bag, poopies and all and get dealt with when we get home. I turn the wet bag inside out and throw it in with the diapers on wash day. My favorite work-horse diaper bag is the Skip Hop Dash, it has plenty of room for cloth diapers, a change of clothes, and the other assorted baby items we can't leave home without.
I mention this because busy moms don't want any additional things to think about. Putting diapers away can be as simple as emptying the dryer into a laundry basket and shoving the laundry basket next to the changing table. No folding, no fuss. Just a clean bunch of diapers and covers at your fingertips. But, if you're like most cloth diapering mamas, you'll find that folding diapers and stacking them in drawers or on shelves is REALLY FUN. It's easier than folding clothes, and it looks so down to earth and homey when you are done.
Now admit it, none of that was as bad as you thought, hmmm?
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