Well, it's been a full week since we began this little experiment with cloth diapers. (Don't you just love how I make a big ol' deal like I'm the first person in the world to attempt such a major feat?)
So what is the consensus from the Parker household?
So far, so good.
On the whole I'm not finding the switch to be as much of a challenge as I anticipated. There was a bit of a learning curve in using the liners. Since dealing with poo is a major mark on the disadvantage side of using cloth for pretty much everyone considering the switch, we purchased flushable liners that promised to make poo cleanup less disgusting. The idea is you just place this thin, biodegradable liner in the diaper and when there is a stinky you simply pick up the liner by the edges and toss the whole mess in the toilet. Ta-da! No scraping of poo or dunking diapers in the toilet or any of that yuckiness.
Sounded good to me. Except the first two or three times we changed a dirty diaper it seemed the liner was shifted to one side and the solid mess had miraculously landed on the other side. So there was scraping and dunking and yuckiness. It was frustrating.
But through a little trial and error we've learned to make sure that a tiny bit of liner is caught in the elastic of each leg and then it stays nice and centered and does its job as advertised. Ta-da!
The laundry has not been a problem. I shopped high and low for one of the recommended detergents and found some Mountain Green for a reasonable price at Sprouts. And since the care instructions call for using 1/4 of the recommeded amount (which works out to only 1/2 a tablespoon) for each load it is going to last us quite a while.
I've done a load of diapers every other day. Since I was only doing three loads a week before that seems like quite a bit more. But it hasn't bothered me yet. The part of laundry that I dread is the folding, hanging, dealing with wrinkles and putting away. Throwing stuff in the machines isn't a big deal at all.
I do kind of wonder if there is still some novelty attached to the whole process that will soon wear off and I'll be slightly less enamored with the flushing of poo, washing, drying and stuffing. But for the time being I'm content.
The diapers are slightly bulkier than disposables. This has actually worked out well for us as Bennett needs 24 month or 2T pants for length but anything without a highly adjustable waist was falling off of him. So the extra bulk is helping his new clothes to stay on! He's extra fluffy at bedtime as we double-stuff the diapers to withstand 12 hours worth of pee. We laugh about all his "junk in the trunk" when he struts around in his pjs. Too cute!
We've continued to use cloth even when out of the house. It's not hard to bring and extra diaper and plastic sack with me. The only difference from using 'sposies is that I put the wet diaper (remember that poo goes in the toilet) back in my bag to take home instead of trashing it. That might gross some people out but doesn't bother me in the slightest. I even just spent three days at my parents' house in Fort Worth and used cloth the whole time. I ran one load in Mom's washer and that was that.
I guess I feel like I'm doing something that is right for my family and for my child so the slight bit of extra work is almost enjoyable. Kind of like making a yummy, healthy meal from scratch requires more time, but I feel proud that I'm doing good for those that I love. I (usually) take joy in providing for them in that way. You know, when I have the time and ingredients and inclination.
So, there ya go. Way more than you ever wanted to know. Do you have any thoughts or questions? Am I seeming way to Pollyanna about the whole thing?
A great site for the nitty gritty details about cloth diapering is Pin Stripes and Polka Dots. Check it out if you are interested!
4 comments:
oh, i'm excited to read your review as i had been wondering how it was going. great job!
i think it is a lot less work than folks imagine it will be. i'm like you, i don't mind the extra laundry b/c they don't have to be folded.
and they're so CUTE!
i'm impressed that you're using cloth while out and about. did you use them in the church nursery? i always wondered how they'd respond.
i agree with you--it's very fulfilling to feel like you're doing something good for your kiddo even if it is extra work. way to go!
i got some allen's detergent online but i haven't used yet. i am confused b/c i have read conflicting things about the all free & clear that i normally use--some say it's fine and other sites say it's not.
Great post! I'm glad for the review! Maybe you should check in again at one month or so to let us know if the novelty has worn off.
The flushable poo seems to be a great compromise! I actually found some flushable things, but they were more expensive than 'sposies. How do yours compare? After all, one of the huge perks of cloth is the low cost, and I wouldn't be so inclined if I had to deal with pee AND pay the same cost as 'sposies. And, having something flushable means that you still have an ongoing cost, instead of rewashing everything with an all-cloth setup. Have you done a comparison?
Also, the flushables I saw required that you swirl it around in the toilet with a stick to help the material biodegrade. Do you have to do that?
The pin stripes link is very informative! One question it brought up: what has the smell been like? Better/worse than disposable?
I really admire you for doing this. I think if I would have known these fancy things existed I may have given it a shot b/c I'm so tired of buying diapers. Shooting for first round of potty training with Laney in December, hopefully it's the first and only round, but I don't want to push it if she's not ready.
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