Did you or do any of you use cloth diapers?

[MangoFlamingo]

I thought of asking this in the parenting forum, however I thought it was also applicable in the green forum just as much!

To answer my own question, I did on both of my kids. More so with my 4 year old daughter than my 6 year old son as "back then" I didn't know that there were such cool cloth diapers "out there". With my son I used Kushies, which were ok, but far from great. With my daughter i found thediaperpin and learned about all of the on line diapers which were really much better.

Ok, so what about you guys? Anyone? :D

[rfdrfd]

Yes, when I was young, everyone was using Cloth diapers. Much cheaper than disposables.

[bfr]

I want to use cloth diapers for my upcoming baby! Any recommendations?

[brunes]

For people who want to use cloth for environmental reasons but don't like the idea of all the cleaning hassle, look into diaper services. We have priced them out and really it is only a percentage more to us ea diaper service vs. using disposables.

[Owbist]

Does one really know how the diaper services clean their diapers? That is not suggesting they are not cleaned but more the other way with caustic chemicals and the like.

Our eldest daughter had very sensitive skin and it would have been impossible to use any type of diaper service for her. Disposables were not available in those days nor were diaper services so my wife had to wash them herself with gentler soap powders.

[MangoFlamingo]

I want to use cloth diapers for my upcoming baby! Any recommendations?

well there are SO many different types...I DO recomend you buy them on line as you get MUCH better quality. You can even buy second hand ones unless that bothers you (some people don't mind). I recomend doing some research and reading on the diaperpin forums www.diaperpin.com and figure out if you want to use prefolds (what the diaper services use, you need to fold them...I personally didn't like them but other's do...and they ARE the cheapest) or pockets or all in one's. So decide on a system and then ask the gals at the pin which ones they like best these days. My daughter potty trained nearly a year ago now so I don't know what's "new" in cloth diapers. (it's amazing what changes in a year sometimes!)

I did actually ask a friend of mine recently (who was a poplular diaper manufacturer-WHAM really, but recently put the business on hold indefinately) what diapers to recomend to a newly pregnant friend...as normall I'd recomend my friend's brand but you can't get them anymore. :( Anyways, she said bumgenius. (ya ya, silly name).

Here is a link to them...
http://www.jamtots.com/NEW-BumGenius-30-Pocket-Diapers-C536.aspx

(FYI I've bought stuff from jamtots MANY times over the past 4 years and HIGHLY recomend the retailer).

Don't be put off by the price. It is STILL cheaper (but more "up front" cost) to buy a 2 day stash of cloth than to buy a whole bunch of single use diapers which are put in the landfills. :| I think the diaperpin has a calculator which helps you figure out how much you'd spend in cloth vs sposies...I think....

[MangoFlamingo]

Does one really know how the diaper services clean their diapers? That is not suggesting they are not cleaned but more the other way with caustic chemicals and the like.

Our eldest daughter had very sensitive skin and it would have been impossible to use any type of diaper service for her. Disposables were not available in those days nor were diaper services so my wife had to wash them herself with gentler soap powders.


I'm not really sure. Washing diapers at home is really not that hard plus the diapers you buy yourself and wash yourself are just SO MUCH nicer and easier to use. So I never persued the service route...

[bfr]

Thanks mangoflamingo - you know your poopie options. :)

[robertalan]

I'm wearing one right now!

[trini]

I have only used about 150 disposable diapers in two years do the math it really saves you a bundle, i only used disposables when we travel on a plane or on a boat for vacation.
Kushies are not what i would suggest.
Diapereez in the Bloor West Village is where i bought my first set after you figured out how much you will need etc you can buy the material and sew your own.
If you are looking to save money and the environment avoid the pick up service it's still more expensive.
Around 30.00 gets you 12 diapers and a cover about 8-12.00 you'll only need 2-3 at first, i have about 5 in all.
All it takes is a little more effort.
I hope this helps.

[beerbaron105]

disgusting...yea i said it!

[ChiefRocker]

We are doing a mix, disposeable if we are going out for a while, and cloth the rest fo the time. We were licky enough to get a bunch of different styles of diapers from people and in the end we went with the Mother Ease (http://www.mother-ease.com/). They are snap close so the kids can't just tear them off. We have been using then for 18 months now and love them. We managed to get then second hand from a conisignment store so the price was right. We use the Kushies liners inside them to make the removal of the "waste" easy and the laundry cleaner. PM me if you would like any further information or have any more indepth questions.

[MangoFlamingo]

Thanks mangoflamingo - you know your poopie options. :)

hee hee hee, thanks. :)

[Bobui]

I just started cloth diapering my second a couple of months ago when she was about 8 months. I won't go in to detail, but I'd say at the beginning it is a fair bit of extra work...and then you just get used to it (like all things involved with having a baby =P). Laundering the diapers correctly is important, and I suggest you read up on that before you decide. My favorite out the ones that I've tried is the bumGenius...the way you put it on is more like a disposable (velcro tabs). And they're pretty absorbent!

[MangoFlamingo]

I just started cloth diapering my second a couple of months ago when she was about 8 months. I won't go in to detail, but I'd say at the beginning it is a fair bit of extra work...and then you just get used to it (like all things involved with having a baby =P). Laundering the diapers correctly is important, and I suggest you read up on that before you decide. My favorite out the ones that I've tried is the bumGenius...the way you put it on is more like a disposable (velcro tabs). And they're pretty absorbent!

I never had a chance to try bumgenious as by the time they came on the market I was established with the diapers I bought plus my daughter was getting near to potty training. I hear they are great though, and very easy to use. :)

[SirAlain]

I'm wearing one right now!

Pics please.


I wore cloth diapers as an infant - more of economic reasons than
being environment-friendly.
Although my younger siblings (1 year & 4 years younger than me)
used the commercial ones.

[canswim]

we are using kushies brand cloth diapers - not sure why most people on here doesn't seem to like them. we've had no problems so far. very absorbent a few leaks here and there but nothing we cant handle. we decided to go with these guys from a recommendation thru a friend, plus they are canadian!

washing isn't that bad just soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water after use and then throw them in the washer when you have a full load. diaper services will save you time, but you may want to consider all the chemicals they use for washing and the fuel they use to drive around and pick up all those loads (lol) and the impact that has

thanks for thinking green :D