We started using cloth diapers around 3 weeks of life. If I had it to do over again, I would have waited a little bit longer. We go through so many diapers every day when they are that young.
Supplies:
24 Bum Genius diapers
2 spray bottles
Cetaphil
2 wet bags
2 trash can liners
Charlies soap
Micah & I have spent very little money on this experiment. We bought all of our diapers from Buy Buy Baby using gift cards or were given the diapers at showers.
I wash the diapers every other day. When I wake up for the 5 AM feed I try and throw the diapers in the wash. I empty the trash can liner into the washer. I don't pull apart the diapers or anything, that happens on it's own during the wash. I have a top loader washer, and I run 3 cycles. I run an entire cycle on cold/cold. Then I run an entire cycle on hot/cold. Lastly I start the cycle at rinse/soak and let it go from there on hot/cold. Am I doing this right? I'm basing this off the information on the bum genius website. I don't know how ladies with HE machines get these done every other day. The HE machines take forever per load. I've been hanging the diapers and liners to dry outside. I takes almost 2 cycles in the dryer for the liners to dry.
What I don't like:
The diapers smell like wet dog. Every time I walk past them as they are drying I smell my stinky dog Barley. Is this normal?! I think not. I need some help on how to get these diapers smelling better. Once they are dry they don't smell bad.
I've had problems with leaks. I'm not sure if his legs are too skinny, or what. I've taken to adding a little bit of Dawn every SINGLE load. Some days we have no leaks, and some days I have a leak at every diaper change. Any hints with leaks?
Future Problems:
I can see it being very difficult to get the diaper laundry done when I have a full time job. I'm planning on returning to work part-time in September. I could work the schedule where I do diaper laundry on my days off.
Next Steps:
- Make my own detergent and add an Essential Oil for fragrance
- Buy different liners
- Buy more diapers
They smell like wet dog/mildew b/c you're line drying them outside. Even the slightest bit of humidity will make them gross. I finally had to stop drying outside.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a LOT of washing. I don't have an HE machine, though. In my top loader I run a cold rinse, then hot/cold load and that's it. Of course, I'm having trouble with smells (sort of ammonia-y? maybe? not mildewy), despite multiple strippings, so I might not know what I'm talking about. No leaks, though!
ReplyDeleteThey might need to be stripped. http://www.littlefornow.com/how-to-strip-cloth-diapers.html
ReplyDeleteWhen he hits the 5-8 month mark, you won't be changing him so much...I think we only go through about 4-6 diapers a day with Anna now. So, once you go back to work the laundry won't be so bad.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I had no idea you had to run the cycle so many times!! When do you do your other laundry?!?
Regular diapers leak too...I think that feature is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. :)
Good luck!
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