Cloth Diapering for Dummies

I felt like a big dummy when I started researching cloth diapers. Not because it is dumb, but because I had no idea what modern cloth diapering was like! So I decided to do a little Cloth Diapering 101 for my readers out there.

1. You Need a Cleaning/Waste System. I bought a regular white 13 gallon plastic trash can from Wal-Mart. I think it was 12 dollars. Then I bought a hefty cloth laundry bag from Wal-Mart, it was like 6 dollars.

Then at Target, I got these Arm and Hammer disc used for odors. I threw them into the bottom of the pail before putting the bag.

When a diaper is wet, i take out the insert, spray it with this then spray the diaper. Then drop into pail.

Ok, easy enough, but what about a scary poo diaper???? Many people have asked this. So lets break it down.

There are 3 types of baby poo (well, really 4, but this is considering they are not sick). Ok, so three:

1. Breast-fed poo. This poo is usually runny and has little or no smell. This poo is water soluble and nothing has to be done to it.

2. Peanut butter consistency poo. There are 2 easy way to discard this poo. You can buy biodegradable flush-able liners, like these. Once they poo just take the liner out and flush it. Easy peasy. Or you can buy or make a diaper sprayer and attach it to toliet. Spray poo off in toliet and there ya go.

3. Solid poo. Just dump in toliet.

Seriously, how easy is that???? So easy. Yes a little more work, but to me, its so worth it!

So now, we have a waste system. We need a diapering system. I do not have this completely worked out, my child has leaked almost every time so far. I am learning and figuring out what works for us.

1. We have 12 bumgenius diapers.
2. We have like 25 inserts.
3. We have liners.

Right now, Im trying to figure out what size she needs. See the diapers come with snaps on the front, to make them small, medium or large. I know she doesnt need small. And I dont think she is quite large, so I will stick with the mediums. Tonight, I will try 2 inserts. I think I will end up buying some hemp inserts which are more absorbable.

And what about when we are out and about?

We will use disposables for church and babysitters. I am not sure yet how its going to work when we go somewhere for the weekend. But I have bought a wet bag which is like a big ziploc bag with fabric on the outside. I will put dirty diapers in there until I can get home and discard them in the diaper pail.

Ok thats all I got for now. I will do some more as we get further into this cloth diapering thing.