Plus I think they're adorable :)
1. Adjustable snap nappies - If you've got multiple children, you're going to want ONE SIZE FITS ALL nappies so every nappy adapts to every baby. This is practical for single child families, too, because they can grow with the baby. Why snaps? Because they tend to last longer than Velcro. I do love the Velcro, too, but if you're going for a set that will last, snaps are your best bet.
2. Have a huge inventory - Buy or hand make at least 15 nappy outers per child. I have approximately 50 outers for 3 children. If all the nappies are dirty, you find yourself having to wash too frequently, you will burn out or be tempted to buy disposables in a pinch. Have a huge inventory of plastic pants (I recommend 10-15), pre-folds (50-60), inserts (20-30), liners (20-30), and cloth wipes (50-60). With 3 in diapers, there will be days where you simply can't get to the laundry like you want to, and being well stocked will set your mind at ease.
You don't need to spend a fortune on supplies. I was able to purchase all the above second hand online for a total of $70, and I was given a few hand me downs. Making your supplies is a great option. You may even have materials laying around the house right now.
3. How to clean the nappies so they come out looking brand new - I use a wet pail method of pre-soaking (the dry pail method only stained my pre-folds and stunk). With the wet pail method, the nappies are soaking as long as I need them to until laundry day. I have no stains, and no lingering odours.
TO PRE-SOAK NAPPIES: Fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with cool water. Add a scoop of Vanish, NapiSan, or OxiClean and a scoop of laundry detergent. Stir until dissolved. Soiled nappies get rinsed by a sprayer or brushed into the toilet to remove as much solid as possible, then go into the wet bucket solution face down until washing day. Keep the wet pail near the washing machine, up and away from toddler access. Ours is in the garage, so no smells penetrate the house. The Vanish gets rid of any smell anyway.
TO WASH: Wash the nappies in the washing machine with the maximum amount of water, on either a cool or warm water setting (hot will set a stain). Limit your load to about 15 nappies. Add a normal amount of laundry soap and 1 scoop of Vanish, NapiSan, or Oxiclean to your load. Use 1 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle to kill odours. I like to do an extra rinse to remove as much detergent as possible. This is optional, but it keeps the pre-folds nice and thirsty.
*Note some people are very particular about the type of laundry soap used on cloth diapers. I make my laundry soap, so I know its a gentle recipe and free of harsh chemicals, but there are great brands out there designed specifically for cloth diapers. That being said, most moms I know use store bought, everyday detergents with fine results.
TO DRY: Cloth nappies do best when air dried on a clothes line where they can be exposed to the sunlight. If you prefer an automatic dryer, avoid using the hot setting. Hot heat will damage your elastic and plastic linings over time. Use the cool or warm setting and your nappies will stay looking fabulous for a really long time.
4. Strip nappies every 3 months - Over time the fibres of your cloth will collect residue from laundry soap, causing them to repel liquid and leak. To strip the nappies of residue, wash the entire inventory of nappies, inserts, and liners. Begin by running a load using cool water. Instead of laundry soap, add a half cup of dish soap. Rinse the load once with 1 cup of vinegar, then run an additional rinse cycle. Dry as usual.
5. Make it convenient - Set up several diaper changing stations around your home, especially if you have a big or multi-level home. Create a station in the nursery, where you bathe the babies, near the night time feedings, and where they go down for naps. Equip all these areas with cloth wipes and wipe solution. Another convenient preparation is having additional wet pails set up in discrete places, just be sure to keep out of kids' reach.
6. Creating a leak-proof nappy - Wrapping your baby in a cloth diaper is an art, especially if you have babies like mine who really know how to pee and have skinny legs. I've collected tips from friends and my own trial and error to come up with a leak-proof method.
-THE LAYERS: I use a nappy cover, a pre-folded cloth, an insert, and a liner. Some nappies already have a built in insert, allowing us to skip the removable one. The liner is meant to hopefully catch all the solids so we can just spray that down into the toilet without soiling the other layers. Liners can be disposable, but I've got many cut pieces of a micro suede type fabric that work like a charm.
-FOLD IT CORRECTLY: A friend taught me to fold the pre-folds in the opposite direction that you think they should go (so they are shorter, rather than longer). This way the most amount of layers are placed in the centre of the diaper. Some people pin their pre-folds at the sides, I've never had to do this, since the cover holds it pretty well in place.
-WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD PLASTIC PANTS: I cover my nappy covers with a pair of plastic pants when we leave the house and at bedtime. This extra layer has never let me down. Think of your nappy covers as water resistant, they aren't necessarily water proof. If you've ever had a baby with skinny legs, you'll find this tip particularly useful. And who couldn't use insurance against the untimely blow outs?
Yes, cloth diapers are a little more work, but I love not having to rely on store brands, saving money, and using gentle products on my babies. Their little brightly coloured bums look so cute running around outside.
What tips do you have that you'd like to share?
