DWD#3

So I've been using my own cloth diapers for a week. In that week I've done wash three times, we've started using cloth wipes, and we traveled over the weekend. So here’s my thoughts and some pictures from the past weekend visit with the G-parents.

Pop, Nona, Anna, Gram, and Granddaddy

Take me out to the ball game...

Wash - What was I worried about? 

It's super easy to wash diapers. I try to wash about 24 at a time so I don't overload the machine. I throw them (along with the wipes) into the washer and run a cold cycle with no detergent to get rid of all the messy stuff. If needed, I then soak the diapers in some OxiClean Baby for as long as time allows. One day I soaked the really messy ones overnight, and this morning I soaked all of them for about an hour. When it comes time for the real wash cycle, I add detergent and run a hot wash with an extra rinse. I still want the diapers to quilt up some so I'm drying them in the dryer on hot for 60-90 minutes until they are dry. It's a good thing I don't want to use the sun because I usually have my timing off and wash at night OR it is too cloudy to hang them outside.

It's hard to get two kids to smile and stay still at the same time!



Doesn't that look like it's going to be a great laugh? I can't wait to hear it.



Cloth wipes - really?

So originally I thought cloth wipes were gross. I have NO idea why I thought washing wipes was gross when I was signed up to wash diapers. As we used cloth diapers while we were away from home, I realized I never had a place to put the disposable wipe. I could very easily tuck the dirty diaper in the wet bag but then I was stuck holding a dirty wipe until I could find a trashcan. By using cloth wipes, everything can go into the wetbag after a diaper change. Using cloth wipes at home is a little bit of extra work. We wet a dry wipe (basically a washcloth) with some soapy water from a spray bottle before we use it instead of just grabbing one out of the pack. The only extra thing for the diaper bag is a little spray bottle. Best part is that on wash day, I don’t even know I’m washing wipes!

My sister, My mom, and I

What's wrong with this picture?

Use cloth, will travel.

We haven’t traveled long enough to have to do wash on the road, so it’s just like traveling with ‘sposies. Well, clean cloth diapers do take up a bit more room than disposables when you are packing up the car, and they come home with you of course. And traveling means the need for a wetbag of sorts. We have a fancy one that is a wet/dry bag so we can keep dry clean diapers on one side and wet dirty diapers on the other. This works great for the diaper bag. As we found this past weekend, a trash bag works for a couple of days as a diaper pail. My nephew watched me change Anna’s diaper and wanted to know, “Why don’t you use the diapers you throw out like everyone else?” I kept my answer simple for him, “I can save lots of money this way and we have to take the trash out a lot less.” To which he responded, “But it’s gross, and you have to do lots of wash.” This was my chance to slip a life lesson into our everyday conversation… “Well, if you believe in something the extra work is always worth it.”



After 2 attempts of getting her hair to lay flat, I gave up!



Our nephew playing ball.