Doublers

Easy t-shirt diaper wipes

Getting 'em Clean

 Okay, now that you know about my simple system of diapering, let's talk about washing diapers.  After having tried many methods of washing cloth diapers, I have found the method that gets my diapers clean.  Really clean.  It's simple.  First of all, store wet and dirty diapers in a dry pail (no water in it) with a loose-fitting lid.  A plastic kitchen-size trash can with a diaper pail liner works great.  Diaper pail liners can be found here.  Do not put your diaper covers into this pail.  They get washed differently (explained at the bottom of this post).  Wash diapers every 3 days using these steps:

1. A cold rinse

2. A cold wash using Tide Original powder.  I've tried the "free and clear" detergents and the "gentle" detergents.  They just didn't get my diapers clean.  Tide works the best.  The liquid works okay, but the powder seems to work the best.

3. A hot wash using Tide and just a little bit of bleach (maybe a couple tablespoons).  I have a front load washer and I put the bleach into the bleach dispenser, never right on the diapers.  Since I use 100% cotton diapers that don't have elastic, I don't worry about the small amount of bleach ruining my diapers.  This is the best way to really get them clean and sanitized.  I have been using a bit of bleach in every load of diapers for years and haven't noticed any damage to my diapers, compared to when I didn't use bleach.  I have noticed them smelling much cleaner though! 

 

That's it!  Simple and easy- and clean diapers every time.  

As far as diaper covers go, do not wash them the same way.  They are not cotton, and they have elastic and PUL (waterproofing material), that will get damaged with bleach.

Using my simple cloth diapering system, your diaper covers will stay relatively clean, so you won't need bleach and hot water.  They will get stinky though.  I have found that just washing them with regular loads of clothes in warm or cold water works well.  Hanging them to dry (no dryer) will help them last longer too.  In the event that they do get soiled, I wash that part in the sink really well and then wash them with regular loads of laundry. 

100% Cotton

What about stay-dry fabric (polyester) against baby's bottom?  Yes, that is a popular diapering fabric.  I have tried poly fabrics (fleece and microfiber) and, while they may keep baby feeling drier, they tend to hold in the stink, even when washed.  They also pill more quickly and just don't stay as soft for as long as 100% cotton does.  I have never noticed my babies getting fussy when their cotton diapers get wet, so I don't worry about needing a stay-dry material.  And a bonus is that when they are a little older, they can sense the wetness a little and that really does help with potty-training.  So, while I did used to use polyester fabrics, I don't anymore because I don't think they are needed and because I think cotton is better for diapering since it is absorbent and stays nice and soft longer.  Cotton has a been a safe, time-tested diapering fabric for generations, and it is easy to see why.  It is natural, safe, and very easy to wash.  Clean diapers mean less diaper rash.

The Snappi

Night time diapering

The Prefold

Prefolds, which are made of 100% cotton and are the thickest in the middle where you need the most absorbancy, are the backbone of the simple cloth diapering system that I use.  Prefolds are the absorbent part of the diaper/cover system.  Pictured is a stack of my favorite kind of prefold, Diaper Rite prefolds.  You can check these great prefolds out here: Cloth diapers & diaper covers at Diaper Junction

What makes these so great is that they are super soft, easy to use and wash, last a very long time, and have other uses when your baby is potty-trained. (They make perfect cleaning cloths.) Did I mention they are very inexpensive too?

 

These wonderful, high-quality, super soft prefolds come in 4 sizes (newborn, small, medium, and large), pictured below.

At around one month of age, my babies fit into the size small (purple-edged).  At around 4 months they fit into the size medium and could wear those until potty-training.  So it is possible to pretty much get by on just 2 sizes.  The newborn is great in the beginning, but you could use size small with a newborn too.  If you have a large toddler the size large is nice, but you may not need it.  These prefolds come in bleached and unbleached.  I have both and prefer the unbleached.  It seems a little softer and wider and a hair stretchier, so it is able to fit my babies longer.  I can still snappi the size medium unbleached prefold on my 30-pound 3-year-old. 
There are many, many ways to put prefolds on your baby, but my favorite way to put on a prefold contains the most and keeps messes off of the diaper cover; it is the jelly-roll method.