Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Are Expensive!

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth #4: Cloth Diapers Are Expensive

 

Ok this one is more of a misconception than a real myth. I say this because yes, it can be, especially if you are into all the cute little prints and cannot resist, or if you are trying to buy only AIOs or other more expensive types of diapers. I'm not saying if you are in it to save money that you have to just have flats and prefolds, but I find it best for me to have a large stash of more affordable diapers with some fitteds and AIOs accenting the stash rather than making up the entire stash. Plus, unless you are going way overboard and buying a lot more diapers than you could ever use, you will still save money in the long run, especially if you use them for more than one child! Plus you can resell your cloth when you are done with it, cloth actually holds it's value very well.

The fact of the matter is, you don't have to spend a lot to save a lot!

 

Buy Used, Save the Difference

 

You don't have to spend a lot on cloth diapers, but you sure will save a lot if you use them! There are several ways to do this! You can buy used, which may sound weird at first but I just strip and steralize my used diapers and they are as good as new. Stains don't bother me because usually I can get them out with BacOut or by sunning them! First I strip them like normal. If you don't have a whole load or a good amount to do you can just soak them in a tub or sink overnight with a little bit of stripping agent. Then I fill the washer with HOT water, no detergent. When it is completely full of hot water I put in 1/4 a cup of bleach. I close it and let the agitator run for 10-30 seconds to mix the bleach in, then I toss the diapers I want to sanitize in there. Afterwards I do a hot wash with detergent and then as many hot washes as it takes for them to not smell like bleach whatsoever. I am a germaphobe when it comes to diapers and even I feel comfortable putting used diapers on my baby after that routine! 

 

Buy Simple, Buy Affordable

 

Another way to save on your start up costs is to buy simple types of cloth diapers! Generally the most affordable diapers are the simplest. I found that the cheapest way to start my stash was to buy prefolds, flats, and covers. Maybe they aren't the fanciest, but I got some adorable diapers and most importantly, my baby was diapered! It does take a little extra work because you have to fold the diapers and then put a water proof cover on over them, but it works out! You can see my post about Flats here and my post all about prefolds here. If those don't work for you, you can just stick to the type of diaper you like, but more affordable brands. One VERY affordable brand is OsoCozy diapers! OsoCozy is based here in Utah and they have VERY affordable prices but they don't seem cheap at all. You get what you would get with a more expensive diaper, for a fraction of the price. I have their AIOs, Better Fit Prefolds, Better Fit Staydry Prefolds, and fitteds. I don't dislike one thing I have from them, and they are one of my most trusted brands. I know that if I buy something with the OsoCozy name on it, it will be good and I won't be throwing my money away! You can buy OsoCozy brand diapers at Mama's Emporium. I really want to try their flats out next!

 

Find A Diaper Bank Near You

 

For those in dire need of financial assistance diapering their baby, you can still afford to cloth diaper! This is especially good for those who are in such a financial situation that they cannot afford to start a stash, but would also struggle to keep their baby diapered in disposable diapers. Help a Mother Out, Jillian's Drawers (run by cloth diapering store), and Giving Diapers, Giving Hope are just a few where you pay a small fee and are shipped diapers. Then you return them when you are done and in most cases get most of your small fee (I've heard some are as low as $20 or $30) back minus some for sanitizing and repairing diapers as long as they are in great condition and they are all returned. Here is a list of resources I found, but I cannot personally vouch for any of them. You can also google "free cloth diapers city,state" or "cloth diaper lending city, state" etc to find local cloth diaper banks in your area.

 

Save Up Points

 

One of my favorite ways to get free/cheap cloth is to save up rewards points. I shop almost exclusively at Mama's Emporium for this reason in particular. I enjoy supporting Work At Home Moms and I want to shop as much in one place as possible to save up as many points as possible! I buy all my EcoSprout detergent there, the diapers I need and love such as OsoCozy products, diaper fasteners, all my Diaper Rash Cream, EcoSprout disposable liners for when we are out and about, and baby gifts for new and expectant mommies I know such as Melissa and Doug toys and Amber Teething Necklaces! You can save up your points for free products and for gift certificates to the store! I make the most of my points! Right now I'm saving up for another gift certificate!

Enter Giveaways 

 

This one is a little out there, but hear me out! I enter giveaways A LOT. I figure if I can spend five or ten minutes entering a giveaway, liking facebook pages, tweeting about the giveaway, etc, and have the chance to win something, why not? My time doesn't cost me anything when I'm just relaxing after the kids go to bed, or in the morning when I'm all ready for work but have a spare 20 minutes to sit and relax! If you don't win, what have you lost? If you do win, you have free stuff! My favorite giveaways to enter are, of course, cloth diaper giveaways! I have won so many things by entering giveaways! My first cloth diaper giveaway I entered was a Mama's Emporium giveaway and I won a gift certificate! Since then I've entered so many giveaways sometimes it is hard to keep track. I have won free Rumparooz diapers, free aprons, free books, free diaper covers, and all sorts of other free things! If you want to enter giveaways but don't know where to find them, follow cloth diaper companies on facebook and twitter! Especially on twitter, companies like to promote giveaways where their product is being given away! I follow OsoCozy, EcoSprout, and many more cloth diaper related companies on twitter and that is where I find some of the best giveaways! When a blog does a giveaway I make sure to follow their twitter as well! You can follow me on twitter, I always retweet giveaways I enter or am involved in, even if I don't put them on my blog. Also, I now have my twitter linked to my facebook, so if twitter just isn't your thing, follow me on facebook.

 

Make Your Own and Re Purpose Materials

 

This is where the Internet becomes your best friend! There are SO many tutorials on pinterest and floating all over the Internet about how to make your own diapers. You can also re purpose tshirts, hand towels, receiving blankets, wool sweaters, and much more to make diapers, covers, doublers, etc. Sure, some take some talent sewing, but if you already have that talent, or you are determined to learn, you are in a good place! Shop around for cheaper fabric, use coupons, and see what you can come up with! Necessity is the father of ingenuity after all. One thing I did was reuse a bunch of flannel receiving blankets. You know, the things you swaddle baby with until about a month when they are too big. The ones that the hospital gives you a bunch of, that everyone and their mother gives you, and that you can find at thrift stores for very very very cheap? Yeah those ones! I stripped them all and then cut them into squares. I sewed (with a simple zig zag stich, it was my first time ever even touching a machine) two squares together and voila, I had homemade cloth wipes! I have also heard of people using the same method but instead of squares measure your diapers, newborn diapers, one sized, whatever you want a doubler for, and insetad of just two, sew four, five, six, seven, eight, how many ever you think will make a good absorbent doubler together with a simple stitch and then lay it inside the diaper at night or whenever to add extra absorbency. You can also stuff it in a pocket with the normal things you stuff them with. You can also fold tshirts into diaper shapes, or into a pad fold to lay in a cover. You can even use tea towels, flour sack towels (usually about $5 for 5 at walmart or target!) or hand towels as inserts, flats, or doublers. Just remember to strip whatever you are going to use so it is absorbent. When your baby outgrows those tiny preemie/newborn/infant prefolds, use them as inserts in your pocket diapers! They are so absorbent and a great way to get more bang for your buck as it's usually much cheaper to buy pocket diapers without inserts!
Some of the MANY tutorials out there:

Newborn Cloth Diaper Pattern

Lots of DIY Diaper Patterns

Diaper Cover Tutorial 

Cloth Diaper Tshirt Tutorial

No Sew Tshirt Cloth Diapers

China Cheapies

I am only going to touch on these briefly as we haven't really gone over them much before. I am planning on doing a blog in the future comparing different kinds of China Cheapies and discussing them more in depth. China Cheapies is what people call cheaper diapers that literally come from China. You usually pay less because it's cheaper to manufacture them in China, but it can also be hard to deal with people who speak limited English when customer service issues arise, and it can take a long time for them to come over, 2-4 weeks, sometimes more from ordering them till you get them in the mail. They also are often not as well made. I'm not saying they don't work, a big part of my stash is made up of china cheapies and they will catch poop and pee just fine, but I feel you really do get what you pay for when you buy higher quality stuff. Another drawback is often you cannot order just one or two to try out, but must order in intervals of 6, 12, 24 etc. Sometimes you can't decide what kind of inserts come with them. Sometimes you can't decide much of anything. But they are cheaper. You can get them even cheaper in Co-ops, which I think we will save completely for another day. It's where many people join up in a group, one person orders a HUGE order so they pay wholesale prices, and then that person ships the items out to the individuals. A big draw back is it takes longer to get things, but a big rewards is they are generally a lot cheaper. More on that later though.

 

Bottom Line

 

Yes, cloth diapering can be expensive, if you let it. If, however, you start early and take your time, and watch for ways to save money, you will be able to build a stash cheaply and it will save you a lot of money. You will also save more money in the long run if you reuse your cloth diapers for more than one baby. Obviously, a mom who buys cloth diapers once and uses them on one baby saves money. One who buys cloth diapers once and uses them on two babies, will have saved twice as much and so on and so on. Our pediatrician has cloth diapered seven babies. She said she used the same prefolds and covers for the first four, and added a few more around that time to replaced worn out ones but never had to buy a complete new stash. You can also do other things to save money on cloth diapers such as entering giveaways, buying used, reusing materials you already have, making your own, saving rewards points, and more! It can be done very cheaply, and it's worth the investment!

A Post All About Covers

It recently came to my attention that, while I've posted all about all sorts of diapers that aren't waterproof and require covers, I haven't actually posted about covers. I get A LOT of questions about what covers I would recommend, which are the cheapest, the sturdiest, etc, so I figured I'd do a post.

 

What are Covers?

 

Covers are water proof covers you put over diapers that are not waterproof such as fitteds, prefolds, and flats. Covers are not absorbent whatsoever, they just act as a waterproof barrier between the diaper that absorbs and the rest of the world! The diaper (absorbent part) goes against baby and the cover goes on after the diaper. Some diapers such as pocket diapers and AIOs don't need covers as they have the waterproof layer built right in already. Covers do not need to be fastened with fasteners such as a snappi or boingo, they usually fasten with snaps or velcro/hook and loop/aplix. They can come in sizes or one sized. They are usually made with PUL.

 

I Recommend

 

Super Green Label Covers found here

Rumparooz Covers found here

Econobum Covers found exclusively at cottonbabies.com

 

Covers May Be Right For You:

 

If you are planning on using a diaper that is not water proof such as fitteds, prefolds, or flats.

 

Bottom Line

 

You need covers if you are going to be using any sort of diaper that is not water proof such as flats and prefolds. You do not need a fastener for a cover but you may need one for your flats/prefolds, although you shouldn't need one for fitteds.

All About Accessories - Fasteners!

So now that you know all about the different types of cloth diapers, you may want to know more about cloth diaper accessories. There are many accessories and many options you may want to consider before deciding for sure, just like you want to consider each type of cloth diapers before deciding which one is right for your family! Hopefully this post will give you a good idea of what you would like to try. Just like with each type of diaper, diaper detergent, etc, I recommend you try a variety to decide what you want to use. Just because something works for me doesn't mean it will work for you, and just because something works for your friend, your mother, your first child, doesn't mean it will work this time around! Each baby is different and you kind of have to find the right groove for you! For this post I would like to stick to fasteners!

 

 

Fasteners 

 

Diaper fasteners are very important if you are using or planning on using flats and prefolds! While you can fold them in such a way that you won't need a fastener I highly recommend having one on hand, or two, or three. I like to have one upstairs and one downstairs, as well as one spare. There are a few different options for fastening but I'm going to stick to the more popular three options.

 

Diaper Pins

 

Diaper pins are what our grandmothers, and in some case mothers used! They are simply safety pins that pin the diaper. Pins aren't used as much anymore because you can poke the baby or yourself very easily. They can be a little difficult because you have to un pin them, pin them back, and close them all on a wormy baby. I have not ever used pins because I don't like the idea of a sharp needle anywhere near my sweet baby or my clumsy fingers! Pins may enable you to get a tighter fit and are harder for older babies/toddlers to remove. I honestly do not know anyone who uses pins anymore but I know they are still available!

 

Snappi

 

I use snappi fasteners on my kiddo. Snappis are very user friendly and easy to learn, although it can be difficult to get a snug fit with some folds. It is possible to scratch yourself or the baby with the underside of the snappi but I have never had this happen and I think it might be difficult to do so.

 

A snappi fastener:

 

 

A Snappi fastener's underneath

  

 

 

Boingos

 

Boingos are two part fasteners. I have not tried them but I have heard good and bad things about them. Hopefully I will be trying them soon and can do a review for everyone! Some things that may be more difficult is you have to keep track of two separate pieces, you also have to fasten and unfasten two fasteners. I have heard some say they are easier than snappies and let's face it, they are way cuter than snappis. I'll know more when I try them! 

A set of boingos. One goes on each side so it's like the snappi without a bottom part that hooks to the crotch area.

 

So as you see there are a few different options to use as fasteners. You could try each and every one of them, or you can just try one and see how you like it and go from there. Whatever you do I hope you find what you need and that you have fun doing it!

I got my fasteners at Mama's Emporium! You can find them on her website: 



Click here to visit Mama's Emporium


UPDATE: I have since tried boingo fasteners. I like them but I prefer the snappi. They are very functional and quick to use, I just prefer the snappi because even if my little one is squirming and rolls around, it stays hooked and I just pull and snap. With boingos you kind of have to start over again. Honestly though I use both now.

Bottom Line

I use a mix of Boingos and Snappis. I prefer the snappis but I prefer either to pins.

A post all about Flats!

I've decided to do a series of posts on the different types of diapers. So since it's where cloth diapering started, I'm going to start with Flats!

What are flats?

Flats are a tried and true way to cloth diaper. Some people use receiving blankets as flats (And you can too if you strip used ones first with RLR, blue dawn, or the like.) Other's use birdseye flats, osocozy flats, etc. Flats are basically a big square of fabric that you fold in different ways for your baby. You should use a fastener such as diaper pins or snappis and a water proof cover to make it go from just a piece of fabric to a fully functional diaper! There are many different folds you can try and you should try many to find the right one for your little one. I also suggest washing flats a few times before using them so they are at their maximum absorbency. Flats are awesome because they are easy to wash and quick to dry. They are simple and versatile, flats and covers can take you from newborn to toddler hood without buying new diapers! Flats are the predecessors to prefolds and all other diapers!

I Recommend

OsoCozy flat diapers. You can buy them online here!

Flats may be for you if:
 

You are short on time or don't have your own washer/dryer. (they dry faster)
 

You are trying to go the most economical route. (receiving blankets can be found used for less than a dollar, stripped, and used or cheap flats run $1-$2 a piece)

Some Problems You May Encounter With Flats:

They can take more work and time to fold

They can take more time to fasten which is especially difficult with a sqirmy baby

May be difficult to get a tight fit

First Things First, the Lingo!

Cloth Diapering is an awesome hobby, one that comes with lots of funny terms and abbreviations that are kind of hard to get the hang of right away. I learned a lot hanging around the boards on BabyCenter and asking questions, observing, and, I'm not gonna lie, googling! I still don't know all the abbreviations and terminology but I learn more all the time! I figured I would share what I know and I'll keep adding when I think of more!

AIO - All-In-One are fitted diapers that are waterproof on the outside. This outside water proof layer usually consists of fabric that has a PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) backing, polar fleece or wool. These are great for people who like the convenience of disposables, for daycare, the babysitter, grandma's house, etc. They are a lot like disposable diapers because they are only one piece and the soaker/insert is usually sewn into the diaper. 

AI2 - All-In-Two AI2s are a lot like AIOs except the soaker/insert is not attached to the diaper at all. Usually they don't take as long to dry as AIOs.

Aplix - Velcro closure.

CD/CDing - Cloth Diaper/Cloth Diapering.

China Cheapies - cheap (affordable) diapers that are usually one size pocket diapers that are meant to go from birth to potty training but don't fit newborns too well. They are very affordable but shipping can take a while because they are literally coming on a slow boat from China.

Contour Diapers - Contours are preshaped diapers with no elastic like other diapers have. They are held together with diaper pins, snappis, boingos, or other fasteners. They aren't waterproof, so you have to have a waterproof cover. There is no folding required and they are generally cut and sewn into an hourglass shape.

Covers - Covers can be very different. There are different styles, shapes, colors, closures, etc. The purpose of a cover is to be a waterproof layer for diapers that aren't waterproof. They usually have elastic to give them shape and fit and fasten with snaps or Velcro and some pull on like pull-ups. They are usually made from PUL (Polyurethane Laminates), waterproof nylon, fleece, or wool.

CPF - Chinese Pre-Fold. CPFs have heavy duty stitching, mostly made of twill, stay nice longer, may pill more than other prefolds, soft but not the softest,  and it takes 7-10 hot wash cycles to make them usable and absorbent. I've never actually used these.

Diaper Service - a service that picks up, cleans, and delivers fresh diapers to your door eliminating the laundry part of cloth diapering for you.

Doubler - A doubler is an absorbent soaker that can increase how much a diaper can hold. They are great for long car trips, overnight, or heavy wetters.

Flats - a big square or rectangle of material, usually Birdseye cotton, that are folded and secured with a fastener like a snappi or diaper pins. They are not waterproof and need a waterproof cover on top of them. Flats are the most old fashioned diaper, the original cloth diaper. They dry really fast and fit children basically from birth to potty training. They are one of the more economical choices.

Fitted Diapers - Fitteds are a lot like disposable diapers, similar to AIOs. They are already fitted with elastic and fasten with Velcro or snaps. They aren't waterproof and need a waterproof cover to keep them from leaking. 

Hemp - hemp is made from the inner bark of the hemp plant. It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbency and natural anti-microbial properties.
 

 Hook and Loop - Velcro closures.

GN - Gender Neutral.

IPF -  Indian Pre-folds. Indian Pre-folds are a type of pre-fold. Unbleached diapers wash up quicker (in as little as 3 washes), softer cotton, may wear out faster than CPFs, Lighter weight thread is used so the thread can wear out faster than the fabric.

Liners - Thin layer of cloth, paper, paper towel, etc that is placed in the diaper to make it easier to clean. There are disposable liners that go strait in the trash, flushable liners that can be flushed down the toilet, and washable liners such as fleece that are great for when you need to use regular diaper rash cream or something else that may affect the use of your diapers. Liners make it easier to clean up the poop and pee and protect the diapers from stains. 

Longies -  Wool Soaker that has long legs that form pants. They are very warm and absorbent so they are great for winter time. They can also be called soaker pants, soakers, or sweater pants. Can be made of fleece or wool.

NB - Newborn.

OS - One Size diaper that usually fits a from birth up until about 35 lbs.

Pre-Folds - The next step up from flats, pre-folds are rectangular or square shaped diapers that have to be folded. The main difference between flats and pre-folds are that pre-folds are thicker in the middle. They have three panels usually, the middle one being thicker than the outer two. Must be secured with a snappi, diaper pins, or other fasteners. The measurements are usually something like 3x6x3  which stands for how many layers are in the different sections: 3 layers on the left and right outside panels, and 6 layers of fabric in the middle section. Pre-Folds are more economical and are not waterproof so you need a waterproof cover over them. They are not a one size option, you have to buy different sizes. Preemie is usually the smallest and used for newborns. Infant is usually used for newborns, stuffing pocket diapers, and babies until about 15lbs.

Pockets - Diapers with pockets in them. They have a layer of waterproof material on the outside and on the inside is a stay dry material like suedecloth, microfleece, etc that wicks away moister. Inside the pocket these two layers form will be a soaker, doubler, insert, etc and the liquid gets wiked away from the skin and soaked into the insert, soaker, etc. They are similar to AIOs or AI2s in that once they are "stuffed" you can just put them on the baby. I like to stuff mine with a trifolded pre-fold. A lot of China Cheapies are pocket style diapers. They are waterproof and do not need a cover and come with fasteners already so you don't need diaper pins, snappis, etc. The absorbency of the diaper can be customized by adding more or less inside the pocket. Pockets can also be used as covers when a pre-fold is fastened on the baby and the pocket diaper is put cover the pre-fold. 

PUL - Polyurethane Laminate, a waterproof material used to make diaper covers/wraps, the outer of many pocket diapers or AIOs and the insides of wetbags. PUL needs to be sealed when you first get it and periodically to maintain waterproofness and prevent delaminating. To seal it you just have to put it in the dryer and dry it on high heat.

RLR - RLR is a

 laundry additive that softens the water and helps remove/prevent build for people who have hard water.

Snappi - a type of fastener used instead of diaper pins. You should have 1-2 at least of these. They don't get dirty and if they do they can just be wiped off with a baby wipe but they are easy to rip, stretch out, or loose!

Soaker - Either the absorbent part of the diaper that absorbs the moisture or a wool diaper cover. The first may be sewn inside the diaper, partially sewn to form a flap, snapped in the diaper, or you can just lay it in the diaper or stuff a pocket with it.

Stalking - Waiting for a product to stock. Sellers on Hyena Cart will make x amount of diapers and stock them on one day, and the more popular ones sell out almost immediately. People ask for stalking help to have better odds at scoring items on HC.

Stripping - Removes buildup of detergent, oils, minerals, and/or hard water. If you are using a cloth diaper safe detergent and avoiding rash creams, you probably won't need to strip but it is good to periodically strip the diapers anyway. Doing extra rinses to make sure your diapers get completly rinsed and using water softener like Calgon can greatly decrese the need to strip your cloth diapers. If you are using a detergent that does not rinse clean or that does not work well in your water, you may need to strip your diapers much more often.

Wagon - Going on the wagon is when you are trying to not buy anymore diapers. Cloth diapering is very addictive and can get expensive depending on what you are into so a lot of people go on the wagon to try and save some money. Not many people aer actually able to stay on the wagon long term.

WAHM - Work At Home Mom. This is usually used as "I got a great WAHM custom cover and I'm in love with it!" It describes a diaper made by a mom who makes and sells diapers.

Wet Bag - used to hold dirty and wet cloth diapers, usually when out of the house. I use wet bags in the house because they lock in the smell, zipper closed, and are completly waterproof. It's good to have 2 to switch out on laundry day! I turn mine inside out or else it will hold water.