How the destitute deal with crap.

OR how the destitute save by using cloth diapers on their babes…

This article first appeared on my friend, Kristin’s blog– http://www.kickedoutofmomsclub.com/ which will appear on my blog roll as soon as I figure that part out.  Thanks for giving me my big blogging break, Kris!

In these days of environmental consciousness, we’ve all heard the statistics about disposable diapers in landfills- 50 million every day. What if cloth diapers were easier on your bank account, and not just the environment?
When my husband started doing research on-line and found out that the cost of disposable diapers would come to roughly $2,500 during her first two years, he was all for cloth, too, even if it meant changing a few (okay, way more than a few) himself.  $2,500!! I knew raising a child was expensive, but disposable diapers are thrown out!
I wanted to use cloth instead of disposables, primarily because of the environmental impact, but also because of the desire to have something more natural on my baby.  Disposable diapers are made of plastic, and chemical gels and are frequently bleached with chlorine, and I didn’t want that in constant contact to my baby’s skin.
My first vision of disposable diapers made me think I would need to wield diaper pins and be able to fold cotton like an origami master. After a bit of research, considering ease of use and availability, we settled on using the gDiaper system, and then ended up modifying it to fit our needs.  Here is a short, but not definitive, list of cloth diaper possibilities:
gDiapers– a system that combines cloth and disposable.  They call it ‘the new hybrid’.  This system consists of a cloth pant with a snap-in plastic liner, and either a flushable or compostable insert that resembles the inside of a disposable diaper or a washable hemp/cotton one. Here’s why I love them: the cloth pants are doggone adorable, making that cute little bottom even more wiggly and squeezable (okay, maybe I’m nuts, but just look at the pictures on the website, and you’ll see I speak truth) but because they’re easy.  No pins (that’s so last generation) and the Velcro closures make them go on just like a familiar disposable.
bumGenius– these cloth diapers are an All-in-One variety, meaning the cloth and the waterproof outer layer are already put together for you, and you won’t need waterproof plastic pants like you would with traditional cloth diapers.
Bumkins– this company offers a wide variety of products, with plenty of colors, styles and accessories to choose from.  They carry the All-in-One’s as well as cotton diapers with Velcro closures that also require a plastic cover.
Snazzipants- my sister-in-law turned me on to these guys, and is useful for ordering only if you live in New Zealand (and I did a lot of it when I lived there), but it’s also a fantastic, honest resource for what’s out there.  They candidly review and carry products from Canada, Europe and the US, as well as their own brand.
Now that you’ve gone shopping, you’re ready to make it happen, with your baby’s help, of course.  Where else did you expect to get the poo?

Ingredients:
15-20 cloth prefolds or flats (thinner, bigger, and not folded)
6-8 cotton boosters- these are inserts that can increase absorbency, and are great for a heavier wetting period, especially through the night.
5-8 pairs of cloth pants- gdiapers sells these as gpants, and has them in a constantly updated and dizzying array of colors.
10-12 plastic liners- for gdiapers, each pair of cloth pants comes with a couple, but it’s worth having a few extra.
4-5 pairs of plastic pants- just in case of leaks for bigger babies and through the night
For cleaning: A five-gallon bucket of water with one cup of white vinegar, baking soda and eco-friendly laundry detergent.
Cleaning:
If you’ve just got a wet one, rinse the cloth insert in the sink, then dump it into your bucket. If the cloth pants got wet, dump them, too, but leaks are pretty infrequent.
If you’ve got a dirty diaper, it’s going to take a little more work (about three minutes) and some down and dirty cleaning.  Start by washing the plastic liner and let the cloth pants air out, unless they’re dirty, too, in which case, they get washed with the rest.  Just like our mothers and grandmothers before us, I dump what I can from the cloth prefold into the toilet and flush it down, just like the adults doo, I mean do. Using a little bit of liquid soap, rinse, and toss into your bucket.  Some stains may remain, but it’s well on it’s way to getting clean, and either the washing machine or a little added bleach (for cloth only, not the pants or plastic liners) will help.
Don’t be turned off by these down-and-dirty details.  It’s not that bad.  Really.  If you’re going to have to wipe up a dirty bum, cleaning out the diaper isn’t any worse.  And at least the diaper doesn’t wiggle while you’re trying to clean it.
And, of course, after all this, WASH YOUR HANDS!
Every two or three days, dump the bucket into the washing machine, with plenty of detergent and a little baking soda, maybe a tablespoon, and wash in hot or warm water.   The best way to dry cloth diapers is the old-fashioned way, out in the sunshine.  Sunlight and fresh air are two of the best disinfectants, and they’re easy and free. Drying racks are great, because they’re less obvious than a backyard clothes line, and mobile, which is especially nice when it rains.
I haven’t kept an exact count over the years, but a quick glance at all these numbers has me calculating that by using cloth diapers and washing them myself, we’ve spent less than $400 on diapers.  And we can use them on consecutive children, too, which of course, you can’t do with disposables. By using cloth, we’ve saved over $2,000!
So go Green, and save some green!  Everybody’s dooing it cloth it’s so fashionable these days- just think of all those cool hybrids running around full of groceries in reusable bags. Yes, that’s right, poo can be fashionable, too.

Resources:

Gdiapers http://www.gdiapers.com

Bumgenius http://www.bumgenius.com/

Bumkins http://www.bumkins.com/cloth-diapering/

Under the Nile http://www.underthenile.com/underthenile/categorybyTheme-DBC.htm

Snazzipants http://snazzipants.co.nz/

Cotton Babies .com http://www.cottonbabies.com/

Target http://www.target.com/Reusable-Diapers-Baby/b/979626011/ref=sc_fe_l_4_2242001011_18?node=979626011
(the link’s so stinkin’ long because you’ve got to get through all the patio furniture, baby clothes and expensive disposable diapers first. You may have to copy and paste.)

Good luck with this crap 🙂  and let me know if you have any questions or comments.  I’ve been at this for a few years now– I’m a pro!
Ciao, ya’ll!
Destitutin’ Mama