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Cloth



We may be switching to cloth diapering. I have really wanted to try this for a while now, but man those websites make me crazy! It's a bit overwhelming! No? I'm a minimalist when it comes to baby gear, I don't carry a diaper bag (Yes I keep a few extra things in the car, but for the most part I just throw a diaper in my purse and go). I have one of those cart cover things, but I never remember to use it. I used our bouncy seat more for taking pictures than I did for it's intended purpose. With the exception of Tim, not one of my babies have really cared for a swing. I said all that to say that when I go on a website or forum and it looks like you have to have loads of "gear" to try something new, I'm usually turned off. This I wanted to try bad enough that I decided to dive in and find my own way. I think I'm on the right track! 


I started by just buying a bit of PUL and micro fleece, there are loads of free patterns online but I got a booklet with a coupon for $6, and I used worn out burp cloths (old prefold diapers) for my inserts. Done. I made two diapers, two diaper covers, an insert with a micro fleece top layer, and an insert from an old worn out receiving blanket (and I have loads of old burp cloth "diapers" already to use as inserts). I'm not going to buy anything else until I've made a decision, but so far it has been very uneventful! It only took a few hours to make the few things that I made (it would have been less if I had sewn them all in one sitting, but my body didn't cooperate with that), and I have enough to last me a day if I'm careful.


I hope this is encouraging for those of you who have also wanted to try cloth! It really doesn't have to be rocket science, or cost an arm and a leg just to try it out. So far we haven't had any leaks, I washed after I put her to bed last night and that was as easy as throwing in a load of towels, and did I mention how cute she looks in cloth? Goodness those cloth diapers are so stinkin cute! Last night was her first night in cloth and we had no leaks!! YAY! So far I think I'm sold, at least for at home use. I haven't tried to take this show on the road yet, but it doesn't have to be an all or nothing deal.

So what has been your experience? Do you have a simple set-up and routine that you could share or link? Any tips for newbies? Or for keeping it simple for minimalist mamas? xo, Sam
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Comments

Lise said…
I used cloth and far preferred it to the disposables the kids I teach wear. I loved to make wool "longies" by sewing together sweater sleeves from shrunken thrift-store sweaters, and "shorties" by cutting a triangle from the sweater body, pulling the points together (forming two legholes) and then crocheting around all the edges. Simple, fast, and adorable.

Sounds like you've done a great job avoiding all the "stuff!"
July 30, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Brooke said…
I really like cloth,too. Nothing beats it for keeping in blowouts! I second the wool sweater covers. Doing a search will bring up some tutorials. They are quick, easy, and work!
July 30, 2012 at 11:32 AM
LadySnow said…
I've never made my own, but we love cloth diapers!
July 30, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Anonymous said…
I've been wanting to try it but also suffered 'analysis paralysis', i.e. I got overwhelmed by too many choices so I stopped. If you used a tutorial that is to be found online would you mind posting the source? Our son is starting to use the toilet but better late than never, right? ;)
July 30, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Alisa said…
I've used cloth for all of mine (5) but it wasn't until the last one that I splurged and bought fuzzibunz diapers and they were amazing! So easy and so cute too! If I have another baby I think I'd try to make some too.
July 30, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Elise said…
I won't lie - it becomes a little addicting! We love our CD and can't imagine going back to sposies!
July 30, 2012 at 5:48 PM
Leslie said…
We've had a 14 month old staying with us for a month now, and I started using cloth on her the minute she came to our home. I never cloth diapered my own 4, but I've made a stash of diapers because we've been trying for another one, and I wanted to use cloth for the next one. I have a simple setup which works well for us. We have a diaper pail (which is actually just a smaller trash can with a click-top lid), and large wetbag that we keep in the pail. That's pretty much it. lol I have enough diapers to last 3-4 days, but I tend to do laundry every 2 days.

It's slightly more time consuming than disposables, but much cheaper than sposies, and cheaper is better at the moment. Admittedly, being cheaper isn't the only thing that makes them better to me, but it really is a driving force to continue to use cloth. We even went on a weekend trip this past weekend, and we used cloth for the trip as well.
July 30, 2012 at 10:20 PM
Angelina Lynn said…
LOVE CLOTH!!! We just have a trash can with a wet bag liner and I made a stack of wipes (I just throw them in the wash with the diapers). The only extra thing I carry with me is a zippered little wet bag for my diaper bag/purse for putting dirty diapers in. it holds in the smell lovely! (it's just PUL with pretty cotton on the outside and a zip top)
July 31, 2012 at 8:30 AM
Unknown said…
I have cloth diapered since the mid 80s...love cloth I used it on my children and then the grandchildren. For the minimalist momma, if you put 1 diaper in a grocery store bag in the car (same as you do with posies your always backed up. I would toss a diaper into a ziploc bag, and into my purse it went. Off we would go and we were set. I had a 5 gallon bucket in the bathroom for the used diapers. I did wash every other day but that is the normal in my house...
July 31, 2012 at 8:45 AM
Anonymous said…
our children have always been in cloth. i am new to sewing so i never made my diapers but would have liked to but the time has come and gone. the one thing i found absolutely essential for cloth diapering is a portable diapers bag. take a look at planet wise, they have a dry and wet bag in one. you would make the inner wet bag out of diaper cover material and the outer out of whatever you want. so that when you are on the go, in the dry pocket you keep a clean diaper and wash cloth and in the wet bag, well we know what goes in there. :)
July 31, 2012 at 11:27 AM
mandi said…
How is she is this big already! My goodness, she is so cute!
We turned to cloth diapering late in the game too, and I loved it. Now that we are waiting on our 3rd, I have a nice stash built with cast offs from friends.

If you are looking to buy some, the Ecobuns line is super affordable.
July 31, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Anonymous said…
We did CDs with our middle kids. I LOVED them. Hubby did not like the laundry and poop swishing, so I gave them up, but they really are incredibly cute addicting.
July 31, 2012 at 3:52 PM
Anonymous said…
The onlything I will add to all of the great advice is to get some snappies. I found with a EBF newborn I got better coverage and fewer leaks when I wrapped the diaper and secured with a snappy and then put a cover over the top. It was much better than safety pins and were ~$3 a piece. Hope this helps!
August 4, 2012 at 5:50 AM
Patricialynn said…
I would prefer cloth, although I personally never used it. I was poor when my kids were in diapers, and the free Pampers we got from the local food pantry was far cheaper than all the quarters it would have cost to wash cloth diapers at the laundromat. But I do have a suggestion for carrying! My younger two boys are only eleven months apart, and when they were in diapers it was a nightmare to carry two diaper bags plus my purse - especially as I didn't have a car and had to use public transportation. So I found a couple of small cheap backpacks and had each toddler carry his own stuff! Even with a change of clothes, a couple diapers and some wipes, the backpacks were uber lightweight, and the littles felt thrilled to carry a big boy backpack like their older brother.
January 16, 2013 at 10:29 PM
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