Try cloth diapers out; use a diaper service

Want to try cloth diapers out?

Taking the jump by purchasing a couple hundred dollars worth of cloth diapers isn’t an easy thing to do. What if you end up HATING it? What if it really is a hassle like all those doomsayers have told you? What if it just isn’t convenient and doesn’t work out for you?

I love cloth diapers, and I’d like to see you try them out. So here’s what I suggest:

Use a cloth diaper service.

Yes, there are cloth diaper services these days. Isn’t that just wonderful?! In fact, there are two right in the Twin Cities and another in southern Minnesota. I was tickled pink the other week to see these diaper services splashed across the front page of the Star Tribune variety section. In case you missed the story, click here http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/112823874.html.

It wasn’t too long ago that the same newspaper reported that the last cloth diaper service in Minneapolis was closing. But folks want cloth diapers these days, and they want easy options. We want to be able to save money and not contribute to overflowing landfills. And because of that, new businesses have started up.

All Things Diapers, based out of Blaine, was started by a husband and wife duo who used cloth for both of their children. “We truly believe that everyone can use cloth diapers, and our mission is to make them both convenient and cost effective,” said owner Patti Cross. She and her husband offer a three-day trial for only $10! The prefold package is then $10.50 a week, or use SoftBums Echo diapers for $30 a week. Parents place the wet diapers in a diaper pail; if it’s a pooper, shake the solids into the toilet, but you don’t have to scrub them. Customers pick their own delivery day, and can opt for once or twice a week at no extra charge. There is also a package for folks who want to use both cloth and disposable diapers. The company will also work with your daycare, and provides a list of daycares that that accept cloth diapers.

All Things Diapers prides itself on being green, using bicycles or hybrid cars for delivery and line-drying diapers when weather permits.

All Things Diapers

(Cloth Diaper Delivery Service & Cloth Diaper Baby Store)

12064 Central Ave NE,

Blaine, MN, 55434

(763) 439-1973

www.allthingsdiapers.com

E-mail: allthingsdiapers@yahoo.com

I love the slogan for Do Good Diapers, based out of Minneapolis: “Let Do Good Do the Dirty Work”! Owners Peter and Kathy started the company while searching for a diaper service when baby Elliot was born. Most of their customers pay $20 a week. Prices range from $18 to $24 a week and are based on the number of diapers you use. The cost for twins is $24 — which sounds pretty cheap to me! The trial package is $20 for one week; if you decide to continue, the $20 is applied to your future bill. Do Good Diapers combine cotton pre-fold diapers with either the water-proof Pro-wrap velcro or Thirsties Duo covers. They also provide the Snappie (today’s version of the diaper pin), the diaper pail and deorderizing discs.

Do Good Diapers

3134 California St. NE

Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 990-2183

dogooddiapers.com

Email: DoGoodDiapers@gmail.com

Want to see cloth diapering in action before you commit? Monthly Cloth ‘Nappie’ Hours have been set up at two local stores that cater to moms. Stop in for a quick 10-minute demonstration, ask questions and get a hands on cloth diaper demo at either Peapod’s or Bellies to Babies. All attendees will receive a coupon for $10 your first invoice from Do Good Diapers.

Peapod’s Natural Toy and Baby Care (Thursdays):

• February 10: 4 - 6 PM

• March 10: 4 - 6 PM

• April 14: 4 - 6 PM

• May 12: 4 - 6 PM

• June 9: 4 - 6 PM

Bellies to Babies Maternity Consignment (Thursdays):

• January 27: 5 - 7 PM

• February 24: 5 - 7 PM

• March 24: 5 - 7 PM

• April 28: 5 - 7 PM

• May 26: 5 - 7 PM

• June 23: 5 - 7 PM

In case you’re not convinced yet, did you know that on average, cloth diaper users save $661.44? That’s something to crow about!

Cloth diapers

I love cloth diapers. I don't understand why everyone doesn't use them. They're better for the environment. They're easy to use. And they're oh so cute!

If you're going the cloth diaper route, here are a few things to consider:

Get a diaper sprayer. It's a must have! We bought the one from Bum Genius, but I think a few others make good ones too. My husband first tried to make his own sprayer, figuring it would be cheaper. After spending about the same on supplies as specific diaper sprayer costs, he hooked it up, we tried it and noticed a puddle on the floor that didn't go away. So, it was off to shop online and we ended up with the Bum Genius one. It was easy to install and has worked great. It's so easy to spray out the gunk with one of those. I don't know how people do it without a brush. I have a plastic garbage can with a lid next to the toilet. I spray out the diaper and into the bin it goes. I wash diapers about every 2/3 days.

I've used a bunch of different brands in my quest to find the best cloth diaper for my chunky-legged monkey. I wasn't thrilled with the Bum Genius diapers.They were hard to clean. I used the all in ones and the insert didn't come out. It got stained pretty quick. They also take a long time to dry because of the insert -- they're so thick.

The diapers I REALLY love are the Thirsties. They come in the cutest, brightest colors, fit well, and wash really easy. But these days my favorites are the basic white Motherease. We add an insert and they work great overnight. Others may be cuter, but these ones just work well.

Stay away from Kushies from Walmart - they NEVER come clean, and don't keep stuff IN very well either. I've got lots of Kissaluvs - they come so soft and adorable, but quickly get worn out and lose the softness.

Instead of using wet wipes I bought a bunch of baby wash clothes (20 or so) and a wipe warmer. Keep the washclothes wet in the wipe warmer (add water every day). They're warm. It's Josey's favorite thing about diaper changes! She's never been a baby who disliked the diaper change and I think that's because she loves that warmness on her butt!

A MUST is Biokleen Bac Out. I love that stuff. After I spray the diaper clean with water, I spray it with the Bac Out. It smells like lime and helps keep the wet diaper bin from smelling up the bathroom. It works so well. You can buy it at any Coop. After I decided I liked it, I bought 4 gallons off Amazon to save $ and avoid running out. I was using a bottle every other week, but the four gallons have lasted me a year.

The easiest way to whiten a diaper is just to dry it in the sun. Hard to do in the winter. I'm waiting for that sunlight to come back to get mine back to beautiful. I was AMAZED at how fast and easily that worked. A few hours and presto. White.

If you notice your diapers start to smell, most likely you're using too much soap when you wash them. Use only about a teaspoon of soap. The soap builds up easily and stops the diapers from doing their work; they can't absorb anymore. And yeah, there's the smell issue. I usually wash with a second rinse. Every few weeks I wash them 1/2 more times in just water to keep the soap from building up. That's actually been the most troublesome part of the cloth diapering system for me. I've been searching for a good laundry soap too, but haven't found one I'd recommend yet.

A great resource for mothering stuff is kellymom.com. She does alot on breastfeeding, but also cloth diapers and other issues.

Other diaper tools

If you do opt to use cloth diapers, here are a few other 'tools' I've found helpful.


Make your baby happy by buying a wipe warmer. I know some people say not to do it because then the baby hates when you're out of the house and have to use cold wipes. While that may be true, the happiness a warm wash cloth brings to my baby is worth it! Diaper changing time is her favorite time. All crying stops when she's on her diaper changing table. We don't use wet wipes, but instead fill the warmer with baby-sized washclothes. I fill it up with water every day (even though the package said it would only need filling once a week. Yeah, right!).



Connect a sprayer to your toilet. It makes clean-up so much easier. We decided at first to do it ourselves, so we trotted off to Menards and dropped over $40 on supplies. My husband spent the better part of a Sunday afternoon connecting the sprayer up. The next day we discovered a puddle on the floor; it had a slow leak. After looking it over a bit, my husband decided to give in and purchase the ready-made package from Bum Genius for $40. It was easy to install and works great. I love it.

To keep the odor down between washings and to get the diapers cleaner, I spray each with Bac Out after I spray it out. You can purchase Bac Out at natural food co-ops; I stocked up by buying 4 gallons off Amazon.com. It has a fabulous lime scent that I love.

Not your momma's cloth diapers

Cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be. I know what you envision when you think ‘cloth diaper’. You picture a white square and sharp safety pins. Well, think again!

Today’s cloth diapers are actually oh-so-easy to use. Think velcro and fleece. Plus, they’re actually adorable! Picture Dr. Suess and frog prints.



Today’s cloth diapers consist of an inner layer of cotton or fleece and an outer layer that is waterproof. Pop the diaper on and then put the cover over it. Others, known as all-in-ones or AIOs, have both the inner and outer parts in one diaper. I prefer those for use when I’m not at home. Daddy also prefers those and thinks they’re easier.

I began my quest for cloth diapers by visiting Pea Pods (www.peapods.com) on Snelling in St. Paul. I wanted to see and touch. I spent $100 and got a variety to test, including Bum Genius, Bamboozle (made of bamboo!), and Kissaluvs. I figured after I had tried them I could then order seconds off Craig’s List. The nice thing about cloth diapers is that although they are not cheap to buy new, they do retain their value very well.

Here’s what I’ve learned after three months of use:



My favorite diapers are Thirsties, and they’re not easy to find used. Thirsties are made of soft fleece and have velcro. They resist staining the best. And they come in great colors: bright orange, melon green, hot pink and more. The accompanying covers have gussets around the legs, which work well for my chubby-legged daughter.



I also love Bummies covers. They are great! The Bummies Super Brites also have gussets, but the regular have worked just fine for us. I love the frog print the best. Oh so cute!



The diapers that leak every time for us are the Kushies. Although they are the cheapest, and easily available at walmart.com, I wouldn’t recommend them. The triangular shape doesn’t keep anything in; it all seeps out around my daughter’s legs.




Although many rave about Bum Genius, I am not part of their fan club. They’re not terrible diapers by any means, but they’re not the best either. What I dislike most is that they are hard to get clean. With the Thirsties, the poo practically rinses out. The Bum Genius require scrubbing and whitening in the sun.



Kissaluvs are my second favorite. We actually started with about 20 used Kissaluv newborn diapers. They lasted my 9 lb, 12 oz baby only 2 weeks, but they worked great. The snaps are nice and make it easy to adjust for a tight fit around baby’s waist. Kissaluvs tend to be on the lower end of the price range for cloth diapers.



I also have about five AIO Bumpkins. They come in great designs. I use these most when I’m out of the house. They are Daddy’s favorites because they take just one step to put on.

PRICES:
Bum Genius 3.0 One Size Pocket Diaper $17.95
KIssaluvs pre-fitted $12.95
Thirsties Fab Fitted $14.25
Kushies: $49.95 for five
Bumpkins AIO: $24.95 or 6-pack bundle for $109.95

Bummies Super Whisper Wrap $12.25
Thirsties diaper cover $11.50

SIZES
Thirsties: XS 10-15 lbs, Sm 12-19 lbs, Med 14-22 lbs, Large 16-25 lbs
Kissaluvs: Size 0 - 5-15 lbs, Size 1 - 10-25 lbs, Size 2 - 20-40 lbs
Kushies: 10-22 lbs
Bumpkins: Sm 6-12 lbs, Med 12-22 lbs, Large 22-32 lbs, XL 32-42 lbs, Youth 42+ lbs
Bum Genius: one-size; adjust the snaps to lengthen