Cloth Diaper Report

Back when we were just parents-to-be, Linda and I made the decision to use cloth diapers. With Linda taking time off work and with us lucky enough to have a washer and drier at home, we figured, “Why not?” We also had friends offering to give us sets of their cloth diapers, so it was an easy decision. Once made, however, the decision led more than one person to say to us, “Let me know how that goes,” or, “Good luck with that.” I even had someone tell me, “Oh, you’ll change your mind after a few weeks of that business.” It left me wondering if they were right. But after 80 days of changing cloth diapers, I have to say that it’s no big deal. We do a few (2-3) extra loads of laundry a week, Linda found an easy, homemade recipe for natural detergent online (10 min. to make, 8 cents(!) a load, and good for grownup clothes, too. The link’s below…), and we don’t even think twice about the whole process. I should point out that today's cloth diapers have come a long way from the thin cloth diapers of the past, and there are no pins to deal with (ours have snaps). It also helps that we installed a sprayer on our toilet (a “personal” cleaner, basically a hand held bidet) that allows us to clean the diapers quickly and easily before putting them into the diaper pail. I never thought I'd be spraying someone's else's poop into the toilet, but here I am and it's fine. It's amazing how quickly you become accustomed to it. I had a mom-to-be ask me about cloth diapers a few weeks ago. It was nice to be able to tell her how it has worked out for us, and another plus? Violet’s diapers won’t be in a landfill when her grandchildren are around.

81 days old
Link to make your own detergent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfEJHb5lfds (Tips: Use a food processor, if you have one, to grate the soap (We used a bar of Dr. Bronner's), and add essential oils if you want it to smell like something besides soap)