The Verdict on Cloth Diapers is...

That I like them.

I have to admit that despite my initial excitement about trying something new and about how cute they are-- I was still REALLY skeptical about them and wasn't sure if I was up for them. But we have been using cloth diapers for about a month now and I've realized that they aren't as much work or as gross as I thought they were going to be. In fact, I wouldn't say they aren't too much different than using disposables-- except for the fact that you have to rinse them out and then wash them. Which turned out to be a lot easier than I thought.

I had a few BIG initial concerns when we started this cloth diaper adventure, but I think that over this last month I've resolved each one to my and Jon's satisfaction. So here were my concerns and how we resolved them.

1. Rinsing out sticky, smeary poopy diapers. This was my biggest concern because I can hardly even look at those really gross diapers-- let alone wash them! But it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be-- which is saying something! When I first thought of cloth diapers I imagined myself having to rinse and wash the diapers out in the toilet-- but really all you have to do is get the chunks off and flush them. If the diaper is smeary you might have to swish it in the water for a little bit, but it doesn't have to be all off and it doesn't have to be all clean. Just enough that there aren't big pieces (sorry, I hope that isn't too much imagery for some people). The washing machine gets most of the rest off-- and Jon is going to make me a diaper sprayer hose that connects to your toilet so I can just spray them and not have to dunk them (you can also buy sprayers online, but I have a handy husband who says he can make one cheaper). So poopy diapers haven't been the nightmare I envisioned them to be, and I think they will be NO big deal once I have a diaper sprayer. But it does add a bit more work than if you did disposables, but not really too much.
   
2. How cloth diapers work when you are out and about. This one was really super easy to figure out. I just take plastic bags with me in my purse and in the car and wrap the diapers up in them until I get home. My friend even found some bags at the dollar store that are scented. Dirty diapers can sit for a day or two before they need to be washed and start to smell, so carrying them around in my bag hasn't been a big problem. Also, I am not above using disposables for car trips, times I don't want to bother with cloth, or when I won't be home to wash them for awhile. For wipes I just put some of my homemade cloth wipes in a Ziploc bag or in my regular portable diaper container and then wrap them up with the stinky diaper like I would a disposable wipe. Oh, and the pocket diapers and the all-in-one diapers are SO easy to use that it is no big deal for other people to change them if the need arises.
   
3. What about wipes? I was concerned about wipes and how they would work with cloth diapers. This issue was easily fixed by making my own cloth wipes out of some old terry cloth material I've had sitting in my basement for ages. I've made about 30-40 wipes and then once a week I make a batch of wipes (the recipe is here) and then I can just wrap the wipe up in the cloth diaper and put them both in the pail. I actually like these wipes MUCH better than disposable wipes and even have been using them when I use disposables because they get Asher cleaner faster and make him smell better. I've found though that if you let them sit for longer than a week they start to smell musty, so I usually only make about 20 wipes at a time (only use 1 cup in the recipe instead of 2) and that seems to give us all we need for the week without them getting musty. Maybe when I have two babies I will make the complete recipe.
   
4. Diaper stains and used diapers. So far I have been AMAZED at how nice and clean my diapers get after washing them--even the really gross ones. I've only had one of my diaper inserts get stained so far, which was mostly because I really should have washed it once more (it was a pretty bad poopy diaper) and didn't. But it isn't that bad. I tried putting it out in the sun to get rid of the stain (everyone has been telling me that the sun will get rid of stains) but it didn't work. It made it lighter but it is still there. So maybe I'll put it out again next time it is dirty or just hit it really good with a stain remover. But overall, the diapers clean up really nice and I've heard that when they start to stink (someday) you just have to put them through a few intense hot washes and it gets rid of the smell. After seeing how nice diapers clean up I really don't have a problem with getting used diapers. I've found that lots of mom's take REALLY good care of their diapers and so used ones are almost as good as new ones-- except MUCH cheaper.
   

I'd say that there are only two things that make me hesitate about shouting the praises of cloth diapers to the blogging world-- 1) that you do have to dump/spray out the poop AND 2) that they are bit more bulky than disposable diapers are (when disposables aren't wet). Like I said before the rinsing thing isn't as big a deal as I thought-- especially with a diaper sprayer-- but you still have to do it. Some days this is a little bit more a of a pain, especially when life is busy or your toddler is crazy wiggly and demanding. So I've decided to keep a stash of disposables around as well so that on the days that get crazy or overwhelming I don't have to feel like I committed myself to something that is too overwhelming. We all have those days when even the little things push us over the edge-- and actually on those days ANY poopy diaper, cloth or disposable, is too much for me!

My other hesitation is about bulky diapers, which really is more of a vain fashion preference of mine. I don't like it when Asher's bottom looks poofy or when you can tell that he has a cloth diaper on. But I've pretty much resolved this one because I found that there are some brands and some types of diapers that are slimmer than others. I've found some brands and padding combinations that I really like and which make Asher's diapers about the same size as a disposable. I am going to write another post tomorrow (maybe?) about my personal recommendations on types of diapers and what I like the most. So, all in all we really like the cloth diapers and have decided that it is the best thing financially for our family. I could say more, but I think I'll end this post for today because it has gotten long enough already ;)