This week's post is how to easily cloth diaper your children - AKA a lazy mom's cloth diapering system.
I literally googled this.
I wanted to find the most basic form of cloth diapering. Articles without any drama. I needed to know what would be required of me if I decided to jump on the cloth bandwagon. And after a ton of research, I found out that cloth diapers didn't seem all that scary or overwhelming after all.
So for you mamas that are still wondering if cloth diapering will be too time consuming or complicated compared to disposables - this week's post is for you.
Again, there are so many systems and so many different things that work for one family, but don't for another. I am not claiming that my way is the best or only way - I'm just offering a humorous and honest look at how simple cloth diapering can be.
A Lazy Cloth Diapering Mama Must:
1// Use One Size Pocket Diapers
See the picture above? These babies last you from start to finish. Buy them once up front and use them until your little one is potty trained. No pins, no confusing folds - just stuff them with your choice of insert and you are good to go. This helps diaper changes remain quick and easy - no real difference from a disposable.
2// Choose The Right Wipes
Cloth or Disposable. Either works just fine. But don't assume cloth wipes are any more difficult. Cloth wipes can be purchased online, from Etsy, or you can make them out of cut up blankets! They store just as easy as disposables and get washed with your diapers. You can use water or wipe solution to wet the wipes. Regardless of which you choose, you NEED this wipes dispenser:
No joke - this thing will save your life and shave a lifetime off diaper changes.
3// Buy an Ubbi Diaper Pail
This is the best diaper pail you could purchase. The Ubbi can be used for both disposables and cloth. When we brought home Rilynn and initially used disposables, you just place a regular tall kitchen bag inside. When you move to cloth, you use a waterproof liner instead. One pail. Two uses. That way if you suddenly back out of one or the other, your pail works for both. This thing locks in smells and doesn't hold on to them - it's stainless steel.
And there are no expensive refill bags that you have to buy. Score.
4// Organize Your Diapers
I stuff my diapers after they are dry and place them in a drawer. I use IKEA drawer organizers and keep extra inserts stacked on the right. If you keep things in order, diaper changes will be fast and you won't be tempted to grab for a disposable. In the picture above, the diapers aren't stuffed (this was for me to show off all 24 Sunbaby diapers) - but normally they are...unless I've been exceptionally lazy...
5// Use The Easiest Wash Routine Known To Man
You can check out my wash routine and choice of detergent here.
This is honestly all you need to do/know to successfully cloth diaper. And to show you how simplistic adding cloth diapering into our life was - here is a rundown of diaper laundry day and laundry free day.
Diaper Laundry Day
7am // Change Rilynn out of overnight disposable diaper and into cloth (5 minutes)
9:30am // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
12pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
2:30pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
5pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
7:30pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
7:35pm // Empty dirty cloth diaper pail & liner into washing machine and set to cold rinse (2 minutes)
8pm // Set washing machine to heavy duty hot wash with Tide detergent & extra rinse (1 minute)
9:30pm // Move inserts to dryer and hang pocket diapers to dry (5 minutes)
10pm // Change Cloth Diaper & put Rilynn in overnight disposable (5 minutes)
Diaper Laundry-Free Day
7am // Change Rilynn out of overnight disposable diaper and into cloth (5 minutes)
9:30am // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
9:35am // Stuff clean inserts into all 24 diapers - only have to do this every other laundry-free day! (20 minutes)
12pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
2:30pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
5pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
7:30pm // Change Cloth Diaper (5 minutes)
10pm // Change Cloth Diaper & put Rilynn in overnight disposable (5 minutes)
As you can see, the five minute diaper changes would occur whether you're using cloth or disposables. So the only additional time added to my normal day is 8 minutes on a Diaper Laundry Day and 20 minutes every other Laundry-Free Day. That's only a little over 70 minutes A WEEK. I used to spend more time than that doing my hair and makeup before a Friday night out on the town. And you don't even notice the stuffing of the diapers. I do it while I am watching TV or talking to Ryan.
So see! Cloth diapering is extremely simple and even the laziest lady can tackle it. I promise you that it is now so second nature to us, that we prefer it over disposables and see no real difference as far as time commitment.
What are your other cloth diapering questions? I would like to post next week and list out the most common questions I have received over the past 4 weeks.
Please note that any comments that hint at a motive of judgment will be deleted. I want all moms to feel free to discuss cloth diapering without being criticized.