I've been cloth diapering my little guys for a year now, so I thought I'd write down some of the tricks I've learned since the last time I posted about cloth diapers. I am still so happy with our decision to cloth diaper. I'm going to put in a little disclaimer here and say that I really, really am not offended or disappointed if you don't cloth diaper too. I do not want you to feel bad if you use disposables. There is nothing wrong at all with them. Cloth diapering is just something I happen to enjoy. People might not consider using cloth so I want to share my experience in case you would like it too. I also still get lots of questions about cloth diapers (which is awesome!) and wanted to write about the things I get asked about most often.
First of all, I have completely switched over to Grovia diapers now. I am so grateful that I was able to try out lots of kinds and find what I liked before I invested in a whole set. I still love prefolds for little babies, but now my boys are too big for the ones I had and too wiggly for me to bother with snappis and folding. I'm a big fan of Grovia's Hybrid Diapers. These are an all-in-two system with an insert that snaps into the cover. They are easy to use and you can use the shell multiple times. I love the soft, stretchy TPU that the covers are made out of, instead of the stiffer PUL that most other diaper covers are made of. I love the snap placement on the snap covers and the soft, much-cuter hook and look strips on the velcro covers. My favorite insert is the No-Prep. It is the most absorbent. I also use Organic Cotton. I don't like the Stay Dry because they do not hold nearly enough for my boys. I've heard that Grovia is discontinuing the Stay Dry inserts so it seems they agree with me. We use the hybrid diapers for daytime. For nighttime, I use the Grovia ONE diaper. It is seriously so amazing. This diaper will keep my babies dry all night long. It is extremely absorbent and less bulky than the other nighttime solutions I have tried. I'm a huge fan.
One thing about cloth diapering that took some trial and error was the wash routine, but now I've got one set that is easy and works great for me. I do a 'light wash' with line 1 of regular powdered Tide, then a 'heavy wash' with line 3-5 of Tide (depending on load size) and either 1/2 cup of Borax or a capful of Calgon. Borax and Calgon are water softeners. My water is very hard, and so the combination of Tide and a water softener is what is needed to get my diapers clean. If I feel like my diapers need a little extra clean, I use a Grovia Mighty Bubbles pod or 1/4 cup of bleach. Then I hang all the shells to dry and put the inserts in the dryer with wool dryer balls. Do not use dryer sheets or anything with fabric softeners on diapers ever. We just moved to a new place that has a water softener, so I'm going to have to tweak my wash routine by taking out the Calgon and see how it goes!
My advice for cloth diapering on the go is to bring along a wetbag that has a zipper and a carrying strap with a snap. As long as you have that, it's just as easy to cloth diaper away from home as it is to use disposables. I also pack a small spray bottle with water in it and some cloth wipes. You can usually dispose of the poop in a toilet, but if you don't have access to one, I like to use a second wetbag to keep those ones separate. This makes it easier to take care of when you get home.
I think that's all the extra tips I have to share with you today. Cloth diapering has been so great for our family. I am so grateful that I have not had to buy any disposable diapers ever! Let me know what other questions you have about cloth diapering. And those of you who do cloth diaper, what are some of your best tips and tricks? I'd love to hear them!
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