I’ve cloth diapered 2 of my 3 children, and have used hundreds of diapers in my nearly 4 5 6 years of cloth diapering. However, it wasn’t that long ago that I was making the switch from disposables!
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If you have a cloth diaper question, have it answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, and get other Moms’ opinions too!
Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.
Elsie says::
Hi there!
I’ve got a question for you…. I’ve been cloth diapering for 3 years now. My son does not want to give up his diapers any time soon apparently and we have another one on the way, so I’ve got to figure this out! haha We’ve had a diaper sprayer for a long time and I LOVE it. We recently moved and my husband informed me that there is “no way” the diaper sprayer will connect to the the toilet in the new house. I now avoid using my cloth diapers if I think my son is going to poop in it because the poop seriously does not come off by just swishing in the toilet. I am LOST without my diaper sprayer. Is there another option out there? Something with an alternative connection or something that connects to a faucet? Right now I’m looking into flushable liners because I figure that’s better than just not using the diaper. Thanks!
Hi Elsie, congratulations on the baby! My son is almost 3 and I’ve never used a sprayer. I just scrape off what I can and the rest goes in the washer, but I know lots of Mamas love their sprayers!
If the issue is a rigid supply line, you can replace those with flexible supply lines (the Diaper Sprayer brand comes with it’s own, as does the Potty Pail’s sprayer.)
If you want to avoid the toilet’s plumbing entirely, the mini shower can connect to your sink and comes with it’s own hose so you can reach the toilet to spray diapers. Alternately, you can buy a sprayer like this one (designed for doggie baths) that connects to your shower head, then spray into a 5-gallon bucket (or potty pail bucket.)
There’s also a new product called a cloth diaper butler that is designed to allow you to soak the diaper in the toilet, then it holds the diaper while you spray it. Even without a sprayer, soaking in the toilet would help loosen solids, so they would be more easily removed once you swished & flushed. I would love to hear back from you once you find something that works!
How do you handle poopy diapers?
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Need cloth diaper advice? Every week, I answer a question asked by a reader, and give other readers the chance to weigh in.
Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.
Aislinn says::
My little girl is due in a week and a half, and I can’t wait to start cloth diapering her! I’m from Florida but live in Asia right now. I have no washing machine or dryer, but I do have a house helper who does our laundry by hand. Our CD stash is mostly prefolds & covers with a couple of pocket diapers plus some additional inserts (microfiber and hemp).
I am looking for any and all advice you might have on hand-washing diapers! What’s the best process? What detergent should I use? How often should I wash?
I need to make sure I understand this well enough to try it myself and then teach it to someone else in another language I’ve only been learning for 6 months! Thanks so much for your help.
Hand washing won’t be as easy as using a washing machine, but it can be done! The key to successful hand washing will be similar to machine washing: using enough water, hot enough water, enough detergent (but not too much), agitation and thorough rinsing.
Several moms I know have to pay to wash their diapers, so they partially hand wash them (pre-rinsing and such) to save money. Last year, Alyssa wrote a guest post on cloth diapering without a washing machine, and she details her wash routine there. Hannah used flats while traveling to Italy, and while she had access to a washing machine, flats do well with hand washing since they are a single layer (they will dry quickly too.)
The prefolds and covers will likely be much easier to keep clean that microfiber (the shape of the fibers tend to grab oily material more than natural fibers) but they’re not impossible to hand wash; they will just require more agitation and rinsing.
I don’t know what detergents you have available in Asia, but stay away from anything with bleach, fabric softeners or optical brighteners if at all possible. Often, less expensive store brands have fewer additives than premium brands.
Have you hand washed cloth diapers? What was your wash routine!
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All In Two Diapers Cloth Diapering Cloth Diapers Diaper Covers Giveaway How To/Demo Hybrid Diapers Inserts Made in the USA Microfiber Natural Fiber One Size Diapers PUL Review Side Snapping Snap Closure
Diapering Today DVD Review & Giveaway w/ Sprout Change Cloth Diaper (11/24) US/Canada
Catherine Bolden is the owner of The Willow Store and creator of Willow Pads reusable feminine products, Willow Sprouts accessories, Everyday Willow natural living & natural laundry products and of course, the Sprout Change cloth diapering system!
In March, I posted my Sprout Change Cloth Diaper Review. If you missed that, I strongly suggest you check it out! My review includes detailed photos of the one-size AI2 insert/reusable and reversible shell system, detailing how the size adjusts, how the reversible shell works, and I also have measurements of each size! The winner of this giveaway not only receives their own copy of the DVD set I’m reviewing today, but also a Sprout Change shell & insert!
Catherine’s latest project is the Diapering Today DVD set. The set is a comprehensive “how-to” with everything you want to know about cloth diapering, from the “why” to the “how.” Some people are fortunate enough to have cloth diaper stores near by that offer cloth 101 classes, or have cloth diaper groups near them. Some of us don’t! I know when I wanted to start cloth diapering, I spent a ton of time trying to gather the information from all over the place online, and make sense of it all.
The Willow Store is selling the Diapering Today DVD set for $17.95, and 1% of the profits will be donated to providing cloth and education to low-income families. When you buy the DVD bundled with an Organic Super Saver Starter Kit (1 shell & 3 organic inserts), it costs you just $11.20 more than buying the starter kit alone. I think that would make an awesome gift for an expectant Mama, but I do wish they had an option to purchase the DVD by itself perhaps with a coupon for $10 off your first Willow Store order to offset the cost.
The set consists of two DVDs. I watched this on my laptop, so I don’t have an exact running time, but the DVDs are each about an hour long. The really nice thing is that they are broken up into bite sized chapters. You can watch it all, a little at a time, or only watch what interests you. Pertinent information is repeated (such as in types of cloth diapers, and the terminology section) so you won’t miss anything if you don’t watch the whole thing. That said, it was not monotonous and didn’t seem repetitive!
Throughout the DVD, you will hear genuiune, unscripted responses from actual cloth diapering parents on various subjects. This is broken up by photo and video demonstrations, information from Catherine herself, and awesome cloth diaper facts from the RDIA’s Heather McNamara.
I watched the trailer (below) before receiving the DVD for review, and I saw some familiar faces!! Do you see anyone you know?
I saw Calley of The Eco Chic, and I saw Baby Makin’ Machine’s daughter, Lil’ J! By the time I finished watching both DVDs, I felt like I knew every Mom in the film. I’m not sure if some of them genuinely looked familiar, or if it was just because I’d heard them chat about cloth diapers for 2 hours, LOL!
So here’s what you’ll find on the DVDs and approximately how long each section is:
Disc 1:
- Intro (2 min)
- Why Cloth (15 min)
- How to Use (3 min)
- Types (13 min)
- Getting Started (10 min)
- Washing (10 min)
- Cloth on a Budget (4 min)
- Community (4 min)
-
Disc 2:
- Tips & Tricks (15 min)
- Accessories (5 min)
- Resources (3 min)
- Potty Training (10 min)
- Evolution of Diapers (18 min)
- Terms (13 min)
- Credits (1.5 min)
- Trailer (2 min)
I’m not going to go into great detail as far as what you’ll find in each chapter; I think you can gather that from their titles! This isn’t a big budget, Hollywood produced film with fancy effects and actors with scripts. It feels to me like what you’d find out if you went to a few cloth 101 type classes, a few meetings at a cloth diaper group, and chatted with a lot of moms who used cloth diapers.
There are a lot of things that I love about the DVDs. First, it’s not an ad for Sprout Change. I believe the Sprout Change diaper was pictured as one all-in-two option, and was also pictured on a baby. The DVD gave very unbiased information on all types and brands of cloth diapers. I love that all of the types of diapers were demonstrated on a baby doll, so a potential cloth diaper user could see how easy it really is.
Although I felt the DVD series was quite long (about 2 hours total) it is absolutely not necessary to watch the whole thing. If someone already knows they want to cloth diaper, but they don’t know what to buy and are afraid of washing, they can just watch the types, terms and washing sections.
I also love that it gives a lot of information, without getting so detailed that your head would spin. For example, they showed an “all-in-one” style diaper, but didn’t go on to say that they can have a sewn in soaker, a flap soaker, a snap in soaker, a tongue soaker etc. etc. Just tell ’em what they need to know!
I felt like this DVD covered everything I’d want to tell a friend who was interested in cloth, and it was done in a very similar way. All of the parents were genuine, loved cloth diapers, but at no point were “holier than thou” about diapers. Several stated that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, that you could do part cloth/part disposables, build your stash slowly, or just buy or borrow a couple to see what you think!
The DVD also seemed to advocate the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, sweetie!) method of washing. They recommended the simple wash routine that I found works for us (and so many others) and did mention that you don’t want a detergent with fabric softeners, whiteners, brighteners etc. However, they didn’t whip out the “detergent police” badges and say that you had to stick to a certain list of pricey detergents. Basically, choose the detergent with the simplest ingredients.
They also didn’t try to make cloth all sunshine & roses. They addressed the fact that sometimes people do have smell issues with cloth, that such a problem isn’t normal, but that the resolution is usually quite simple!
I also loved that they addressed the “what about the poop” issues in the same way I do. I swear I touch less poop (and do less poopy laundry!) now, since what’s supposed to stay in the diaper, stays in the diaper! With disposables, I was changing entire outfits (including socks, and sometimes my own clothing!!) instead of just a diaper.
I am going to lend my DVD to a friend who wants to cloth diaper the twins she’s expecting. Until now I’ve totally overwhelmed her with huge chunks of information. This will be awesome for her to sit down with her hubby and watch a little at a time!
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Giveaway: One winner will receive a Diapering Today DVD Set (ARV $17.95) and a Sprout Change Cloth Diaper Cover & Insert (ARV $21.70.) The combined retail value of this prize is $39.65. Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.
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EcoMom sells eco-friendly and organic products for moms, kids and babies. I received a $30 gift certificate to spend on a review item for the virtual baby shower, and I had a hard time choosing. I felt like a kid in a candy store with a pocket full of money! EcoMom sells organic food, cloth diapers, natural/organic bath and skincare products, wooden and organic toys and way more eco-friendly gear than I could possibly list.
EcoMom is offering free shipping on all U.S. orders for a limited time. If you buy an Ecopass, you get free shipping all the time, plus 15% on all your orders! They have my favorite…a sale section! All products EcoMom sells are EcoMom approved, and their customer service is excellent!
EcoMom has quite a few slings and carriers, and I finally decided to put my $30 gift certificate towards a Maya Wrap Ring Sling. I love the plum and olive colors, but I decided on the neutral chocolate. The slings retail for $74.95 and are available in small, medium and large sizes. There’s a 6″ length difference between sling sizes, and the small is recommended for people under 5′ 2″ and/or who are slender. Even though I’m not exactly slender right now at 34 weeks pregnant, I am petite and small framed, so I went with the size small so I don’t have to worry about tripping on, or getting tangled up in the sling’s tail!
The slings are recommended for babies from 8-35 pounds, and the strong, light anodized aluminum rings are smooth, weld free and tested to 250 pounds. The 100% hand loomed cotton is soft, cool, breathable, durable and gives without stretching, for support and comfort. The shoulder is padded for comfort, and the unpadded tail can be used as a nursing coverup. The sling came with an instructional DVD, and it also has a zippered pocket to store keys, phone, burp cloths etc.
I was a little overwhelmed when I first opened the sling, but I was determined to figure it out before the baby came! I took lots of photos and videos to share with you. I’m sure I made mistakes and some seasoned ring sling’ers will point them out for me. 😉 I think it will be easier with a real baby vs. a teeny, squishy bear too.
To get your sling ready to use the first time, hold each end of the sling with the tags facing each other. Gather the edges of the tail to the middle.
Put the rings over your wrist to make this next step easier, then bring the tail through the rings.
Then you bring the the tail over the closest ring and under the other ring, then spread the fabric over the rings, making sure it isn’t twisted.
Hold the ring at your shoulder and pull the tail through the rings until the bottom of the pouch is around your hip bone.
Quick video demo (and yes I know my videos aren’t very good! They look so darn dark now, but they didn’t look that way on the camera or my computer. I need to find time to edit them more (just added fill light in YouTube!), but I’m hoping to do this better after I’ve used it with the new baby!):
Once you have done this, you’re pretty much ready to use it every time.
Put your arm through the sling, then bring it over your head.
You will make a pocket for the baby, then support the baby’s weight while you place them in the pocket.
Continue to support your baby’s weight while you tighten the ring sling. Make sure you have read all about babywearing safety! The material that came with the sling had lots of good info about using the sling safely. You want to make sure the baby is positioned correctly, is snug & secure, has his/her face/airway clear and head supported
Again, I’m sure I didn’t do this perfectly!
It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be though!
The zippered pocket on the tail is really convenient.
Here’s another terrible video, this time of me putting the sling on:
One reason I really wanted a ring sling is that it’s really easy to take it off without disturbing/waking the baby.
Just support the baby’s weight while you pull the rings away from yourself to loosen the sling. Then lift the fabric over baby (while still supporting the baby’s weight of course!) and you’re done. Then it’s just as easy to put it back on again!
Be sure to follow the EcoMom blog, EcoMom on Twitter and “like” EcoMom on Facebook!
Giveaway: One winner will receive a $30 Gift Certificate code to spend towards anything you want from Ecomom. Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.
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Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
