We hear everything and anything about cloth diapers. It’s often frightening and especially very discouraging. We have been using them every day for almost two years now. Yes, it’s work, but with our routine it’s far from being insurmountable and especially, it’s a big proof of love. Because beyond the work that it represents, cloth diapers allow to preserve the planet for your baby, but also his health. Cloth diapers guarantee that your child does not have his genitals in contact with chemicals. Some brands are trying to improve and make disposable diapers more ecological but we are not there yet. And as always, the best waste is the one we do not produce. But a child, from birth to potty training, is about a ton of waste in disposable diapers (on average 38000 diapers from 0 to 2 years and a half). This is huge! Especially when you think that these wastes will have a longer life than your child… Cloth diapers, for me, allow me to sleep better at night and it also allows me to make big savings. In short, I tell you everything in this article, the good and the bad moments. And above all, I explain you why I don’t regret my choice at all.
First of all, there are three types of cloth diapers, te1, te2 and te3. This translates into all-in-1, all-in-2 and all-in-3. The te1 are, as their name indicates, in one part. They are similar to disposable diapers. The diaper is waterproof on the outside and soft on the inside. For ultra absorbency, we add a piece of fabric inside called an insert. There is a slit made for. It is very simple to use. We started by trying these. We soon stopped. The problem is that it is complicated to wash. I explain you why. The external part of the cloth diapers, the one that is waterproof, can be washed at 40 degrees and in rare occasions at 60 degrees but it damages them faster. But the inner part of the diaper, the one that is made of vegetal fibers and that receives the excrements, needs to be washed at 90 degrees from time to time. Knowing that these two parts are sewn on the te1 you understand the problem! In my opinion, this type of diaper, it is difficult to keep them really clean without damaging them.
That’s why we switched to te2. They are in two parts, which is much more convenient for washing. There is an insert part and a waterproof part. We have adopted them. They are great. However, at the beginning, we were afraid that it would add a lot of work to us. And yes, because unlike the te1, the te2 have to be assembled. Depending on the brand, you have inserts more or less easy to place in the waterproof part. One of the brands number 1 Bambino mio, has inserts that must be folded for example. I thought I would be discouraged because it’s not my thing and yet…they are great! The folding is very easy and in a few days you won’t even think about it anymore. I fold my diapers in the morning. It takes me 10 minutes and then I don’t think about it anymore during the day. The te3 for us, it seemed too complicated as a system. Moreover, we didn’t really like the patterns of the brand specialized in te3, Hamac. But sincerely, each one its tastes and its needs. The main thing, no matter the brand, is to be very careful with the materials. Not all countries have the same standards. It is necessary at least that there is the CE standard, it is the minimum with the products for children. This guarantees the absence of toxic products. I will soon put online a comparison of the brands of diapers that we used to help you, it will be in the product tests.
With hindsight, I advise you to buy at least 10 waterproof overlays and 20 inserts to get started. I know, it seems like a lot but honestly, it’s the minimum. A baby, at the beginning, needs to be changed at least 8 times a day, sometimes more. With the configuration I’m talking about, it allows you to do a diaper wash every day and a half. It also allows you to have extra diapers in case of problems. Normally I would advise you 100% to buy used but we did and it didn’t go very well. When you buy used, you can never be sure of the maintenance of the product you buy. We were supposed to have used them twice. They looked fine and yet they didn’t absorb anything…At the time, we were neophytes, it took us a while to understand that they were clogged. We discovered percarbonate baths and with a newborn, COVID and fatigue, it was hell. We couldn’t take it anymore. So we broke down and bought new ones. It was magic, no more leaks. We bought second hand ones when our baby changed size because at that time, we already knew how to use them and we had a good washing routine. I will soon publish an article to share my routine with you. So my advice, for the start, buy new. Once you find your rhythm and master your subject, you will be able to move on to the occasional item more easily. In any case, always have a pack of disposable diapers at home. It’s reassuring, it allows you to put less pressure on yourself and it can always be used in case of a problem. If your machine breaks down for example, which also happened to us.
I also strongly suggest that you buy disposable veils. They are placed on the diaper at the crotch. When the diaper is dirty, you take the veil and you throw it in the toilet. It’s the same composition as toilet paper, it’s very soft and it doesn’t scrape the poop off your diapers. We use the ultra soft ones from Bambino Mio but there are plenty of them. There are also washable ones but I confess that for us it was no. We didn’t want to scrape or soak. I know that it is not totally zero waste but on this blow there, we chose the simplicity.
Finally, you will also need to buy a storage bucket for your diapers. For that no problem, you can buy second hand or recycle an old bucket. I advise you to take a washing net. It’s to put in the bucket, it avoids to put your hands in the diapers when you want to put them in the machine. It’s really practical. The net has to be thin and open so that the diapers can come out during the machine wash otherwise your diapers won’t be washed properly. Again, we chose to use Bambino Mio because it works really well. Whatever you choose, take at least 2 nappies, this will allow you to continue to change your baby serenely while your diaper machine is running.
Now I’m going to tell you about the products for changing baby. With cloth diapers, you should not use greasy products at all. It will clog your diapers and they will not absorb anymore. So you can’t use liniment. We simply used tap water. When the stools were too big or everywhere, we added a little baby soap and rinsed with our washable wipes. I made an astronomical amount during the pregnancy and I did well because it takes a lot. By the way, we will soon post a video of the making of these wipes if you are interested. Why washable wipes? Because it’s zero waste. Because I made them with recycled materials so it didn’t cost me anything but mostly because it’s chemical free. The midwives in neo natality had strongly advised me to use disposable wipes only occasionally, even the cleanest ones, on a daily basis it is not good for your child.
I also want to say that cloth diapers do not interfere with children’s motor skills. I know that this is a question that often comes up. We had asked ourselves the question to our pediatrician and at the present time nothing proves that the layers impede the motor skills, that they are disposable or washable. Don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician. Another recurring concern is diaper size. Yes, cloth diapers are thicker than disposables, but that’s really not a problem. Just go up a size for onesies and pants. And, this padding will come in handy when your child will start to learn to walk, because it will cushion his falls. Last but not least, the washing machine. It is your best ally in this adventure. It is important to have a quality washing machine and to maintain it well. This is what will determine the difficulty of your experience.
Here, I think that we made the turn to start well with the cloth diapers. Above all, have fun choosing them. This is the big advantage of cloth diapers. There are some really nice ones. No need to hide the ugly diapers with panties, you’ll want to show them off.
I’ll be writing more articles on the subject and on eco-friendly babies so be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you don’t miss out. We’ve also posted some assembly/folding videos on our Instagram account, so feel free to go check them out. See you soon.
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