Rebecca says that used diapers are just as good as the expensive new ones. And, keeping it simple and easy is what this mama is all about.
Her little guy, Haakan, is 18 months old and has been in cloth diapers since birth. Rebecca and her family firmly believe in leaving as little waste as possible and have taken cloth diapering one step further by using mostly used diapers.
Here she tells us about her cloth diapering adventures.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
1 boy – 18 months cute.
How long have you been cloth diapering?
Why did you decide to use cloth diapers?
Environmental concerns, and because everyone we told we would use cloth said yeah right.
How did you get started?
We were lucky enough to get hand me down diapers from friends who got them and then decided not to use them.
What are your favorite types of diapers?
We like to use pocket diapers when out and about, and prefolds at home.
Tell us what’s in your diaper stash?
- 5 All in Ones
- 8 (used) Pocket Diapers
- 10 (used) Pro-Wrap Covers
- 20 pre-folds (new gifts from our baby shower)
- and some assorted (used) Fitted Diapers
What are your favorite diaper brands and why?
I cannot remember the brand name but it’s the European version of Fuzzi Bunz, I got them used. They are very easy to use.
What does your washing routine look like?
Diaper into pail (5-gallon bucket with lid). If poopy, it gets rinsed into the toilet first. If using pro-wrap and it is not dirty I hang it to air out and use it next time.
Once the bucket is full into the washer (front loading) for a HOT prewash with 1/2 amount of soap (Bio-Kleen) than I would normally use and 1/2 cup vinegar.
Then in for a full wash on regular (same amount of soap and vinegar) and into the dryer- or if the sun is out on the line for sun bleaching.
Do you have a diaper store you prefer to buy from?
We got some used diapers from craigslist and the rest just came from friends not using them or not yet into that size, to be returned when we are done.
What problems or issues have you had while using cloth and how did you fix the problem?
Once they got really smelly and I triple washed them with no soap only vinegar, and now use a little less soap for each wash.
Tell us a funny, cute or memorable cloth diaper story
Our friends’ parents were watching Haakan and were OK with using cloth because they had used cloth for their kids (30 years ago). When we got back he had 3 diapers on, one pocket diaper with 3 prefolds sticking out the top, and a pro wrap cover over all of it. Needless to say, he was well covered!
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Nothing. We have a huge stash and have only spent 60 bucks and we have used many types and have a good rhythm.
What’s the best advice you have for someone just starting out?
Find someone who has tried/used cloth before and asks lots of questions. Check out Craigslist and other used stores to find used diapers to try before investing in a whole stash you may not like.
We love cloth diapers and would recommend it to anyone!! It isn’t as gross as you think it will be. We are going to have to deal with our kids’ potty issues for many years. Everyone should read the book The Trail of Trash , we would all take more responsibility for the waste we create, including human waste!
