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If you have stumbled upon this post, but aren't sure what I'm talking about you might want to head here.
I'm sure by now you have looked at the different types and looked at the finer details to decide which is best for you.
And now you're ready to begin.
There are a few things you will need besides just diapers (another reason why this endeavor can be a little overwhelming to start).
Must Haves!
24-48 diapers - depending on how many babes you are diapering and how often you plan to wash. I wash every other day with 2 babies and I have... (......calculating.....) 32. I would rather wash every 2 days, but I'm really hoping Bug will potty train soon and I can sell the handful of girly prints I have and still have plenty for Peanut.
Dirty Diaper Storage - also known as a hanging wet bag, wet pail, dry pail.
- I use a dry pail with a pail liner. You can get something fancy and specifically for diapers, or you can be frugal like me a get a kitchen trash can with lid or a wicker laundry basket. The wicker doesn't look as bad as the garbage can, and it allows for air circulation, which lessens the "stink".
- A hanging wet bag is just that. A waterproof bag that hangs either from a hook or on a door knob. There are different brands and different styles. Some zip closed, other have elastic at the top. I just read a review from a lady who said hers has a zipper on the bottom so when it's time to wash she just unzips to drop all the diapers into the wash. This option is good for tight spaces with limited room. I am thinking about switching to a wet bag to hang in the bathroom so I can keep the pail in the nursery for changes in there, but don't have to travel with a sprayed poopy diaper *yuck*. Speaking of traveling, you can take a wet bag with you, where as I don't reccomend loading a pail up into your van for that mountain vacation. Some bags even have a front zipper compartment to store clean diapers! *Hint: You may want to get 2 or more, so you always have a clean one handy when the other is in the wash*
- A wet pail is an option I don't see many people using. It's a bucket you fill with cold water, and an additive if you wish, such as oxyclean or vinegar. When the bucket is full, you just dump it, water and diapers, into the washer, spin cycle to rid of the water, and begin your wash routine. I have used this option before when we had a stomach virus or something that caused the poop to be very difficult to rinse off and soaking was just a better option. This option also cuts down on the smell a lot. The trick with this method is keeping the bucket of water away from little ones. I kept mine in the tub, but that meant it needed to be relocated during bath time. I have seen some use a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid.
Diaper safe detergent - This aspect can get overwhelming. I will touch on washing routines and troubleshooting later on. For now I will share with you a list commonly used to compare detergents.
Diaper safe rash cream - Though the rash happens a lot less in cloth than in disposables, it does occur sometimes. However, you need to make sure that you do not use a cream that will create build up and repelling within your diaper, which is most creams. Here is a great site for a list of cloth friendly creams. I simply use coconut oil. Coconut oil is amazing natural substance that is good. for. EVERYTHING! It doesn't cause build-up and is very healing to the skin, I usually see improvement from a rash within a day of using C.O.
If you have a favorite cream that you love, but isn't cloth safe, you can just use a disposable liner or homemade liners made from an old teeshirt, just something that provides a barrier between the diaper and the cream.
Nice to haves:
Diaper sprayer - Some might consider this a must have, but I have gotten along for almost a year now just fine without one. Although I'm now considering getting one. It's simply a sprayer like what is attached in most kitchen sinks, but it is hooked up to your toilet's water system so you can spray any poopy residue on your diaper right into the potty. When I started, Bug's poo was pretty solid and "ploppable" however Peanut's poo has been pretty, um, sticky and making me wish I had a sprayer. I usually use my bathroom sink since it has high pressure, but I'm pretty tired of constantly washing my sink out.
Clothes line or drying rack - We will get into it some more when we discuss diaper care, but PUL and elastic wear out faster when dried in the heat of the dryer, so it's better for their lifespan to be air dried. I have a clothes line and I love using it, and honestly my diapers dry faster on the line than in the dryer. Lately it's been raining all month, so I haven't really been able to use it and I lost 2 snaps on my diapers due to dryer use.
Cloth wipes - If you want to really be frugal and environmental then use cloth wipes.
This may seem daunting as it adds cost to your upfront cost of cloth diapering, but don't worry, check out my Tips and Tricks for getting started on a budget!
