Cloth Diaper Primer, Part Five: Dirty Details

Now that I've overwhelemed you with information, I'll wrap up the series (for now) with the details on our process - changing, laundry, and travel. Note that this is what works for us, so remember you can modify anything to fit your family's needs! Cloth can work for everyone, and there isn't just one correct way to do it! Let's start with how it works in our house day to day.

Our Changing Process (using an AI2 System)

Wet Diapers
If the diaper is just wet, we unsnap the diaper, remove the insert, place the insert directly into the diaper pail/wet bag, wipe (we use cloth wipes & a spray bottle), replace the insert with a fresh, dry one, and resnap the diaper. Covers can be reused a few times before they need to be changed!

Dirty Diapers

If you have poop to deal with, the process changes a bit. The first part is super simple: we unsnap the diaper and remove the whole thing from her bum. Then we wipe and put on a new cover and insert. The next steps are the involved part.

• If your little is EBF (or even EFF), you can toss the entire dipe, mess and all, into the diaper pail/wet bag. EBF poo is water soluble, so you don't have to rinse/remove before washing. 
• If your little is on solids, like The Bird, you'll want to remove the poo before putting the dipe in the pail. We use microfleece liners, so the mess typically falls off into the toilet. For messier messes, we use a diaper sprayer (and SprayPal) to remove as much as we can. Then, we toss the rinsed insert and cover into the pail. 

On the Go
Cloth while out is really no different than cloth at home! When we leave the house, we make sure to take several clean inserts, several clean liners, and an extra cover or two. We also take a small, zippered wetbag and disposable wipes (but you can use cloth wipes while out, too). When we go to change, we do the same thing as we would at home - unsnap, wipe, add clean dipe. If it's wet, the insert goes into the wetbag and is replaced with a dry one. If it's dirty, the entire dipe goes into the wetbag (I shake it off when possible), and a new dipe goes on the bum. When we get home, I dump the wetbag and contents into our pail to be washed with everything else.

See? It's not that much more involved than using disposables. It sounds like several steps, but once you get your process down, it's super easy! Now, let's talk laundry.

Our Laundry Process

We wash pretty much every other day. I start in the mornings after The Bird's first change. I grab the wet bag (replacing it with our second bag) and toss the contents and the bag into the washing machine. Then, our wash routine for an average sized load is as follows:

• Quick wash on COLD with 1 line Tide Original (powder or liquid)
• Heavy wash on HOT with 3 lines Tide Original, a scoop of washing soda*, and a scoop of Oxiclean
• Tumble dry liners and inserts 
• Line dry covers

NOTE: When washing, you want your fabric-water ratio to be like a stew. The diapers should not float freely around (like items in soup), but should not be so crammed that they can't move. You want them to agitate against each other to aid in cleaning. 

(*we use washing soda because we have VERY hard water. It's not a requirement for everyone)

Then, I prefold our inserts (so that they're easy to grab during changes), and place all the covers, inserts, and liners in baskets under the changing table. Done.

Tips & Troubleshooting

• I'm getting leaks - what can I do? That will depend on WHERE you're getting leaks and what system/materials you're using. 
• Microfiber inserts are prone to what we call "compression" leaks (i.e. squish leaks). If you're noticing an all over type leak that seems to happen at night or during naps (or when your little wears a snug onesie), you may need to add additional absorbency or change more often to fix it. 
• Fleece lined covers are prone to "wicking" leaks (leaks that occur around the legs). This can be solved by ensuring that none of the leg material is tucked inside the diaper. 
• Leaks around the legs are typically a result of poor fit. Either the diaper rise needs to be adjusted, or the diaper is not tight enough. Go in a few snaps to see if it helps. You want a snug fit, not too loose, not too tight. 
• How tight is too tight, you ask? Check your little's legs for marks when you take their diaper off. If you see pink marks that begin to disappear within a few minutes of removing the diaper, it's fine. These are called "sock marks" (just like the marks tube socks leave on your ankles) and are an indicator of good fit! If, however, you see bright red, raised marks that stick around, you've gone too tight. These are called "angry marks," and they can lead to rashes and abrasions. Avoid those and go out a snap setting. 
• What if my diapers are starting to smell? Your washing routine is likely to blame - either too much or too little detergent. When in doubt, decrease what you're using. You want just enough to get the load clean, but no more. It may take some trial and error to figure out your perfect balance. In addition, you want to be using the correct amount of water (see "stew" v. "soup" comment above)
• What do I do about stains? The sun is your best friend when it comes to stains. A few hours in the sun can usually get out even the trickiest stain. If not, Buncha Farmers is a great CD-safe stain remover, and, in desperate times, a drop or two of blue Dawn and a toothbrush may be the answer. However, I've found that additional washes and additional sun usually does the trick, even on stubborn spots. If you're fighting dinginess, consider adding something like Oxi to your wash or checking to see if you have hard water. If so, adding a softener will help brighten everything up!
• My diaper pail smells, what can I do? There are a few options. One is to consider an open pail. They honestly do not smell like you'd think they would. The air circulation helps to keep that from happening. If that's not an option (like at our house...where we have pets and a mobile baby), you may want to sprinkle a bit of baking soda into the bottom of your pail or wet bag. It will help to control the odor a bit.
• How about traveling? Can you cloth while you travel? Sure! We do it all the time. We also occasionally go the disposable route, but both options work. More on that below.

Traveling with Cloth

It's totally doable! With the right supplies and a little dedication, you can cloth anywhere. When we travel, our supplies and plan differs depending on where we'll be.

• If we're going to be staying with family and have access to a washing machine, we pack our diapers, wipes, and wetbags and use the exact process and set up that we have at home.
• If we're going to be staying at a hotel, we pack a few extra supplies. Since I know washing machine access will be hard to come by, we take disposable liners and wipes (to make mess disposal a little easier), and I take zippered wetbags for storage. If we're going to be gone for less than 3 days, I just make sure I have enough to go without washing. If we're gone longer than that, I take detergent and either find a machine or wash in the tub. Clearly, it's trickier when staying in a hotel, so we frequently go the sposie route for those trips. It can be done, however, if you really want to!

That's it for our process! If I've missed anything that you want to know, let me know in the comments. Also, if you're having issues, I'm more than happy to help! Shoot me a note and I'll do my best to help you solve the problem. I love to spread the fluff love and help others embrace it!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've found some helpful information!