Cloth Diapering Odds and Ends

So what else do you just have to have in order to cloth diaper your baby?  Nothing, really.  There are some nice things, but we started off with just four cloth diapers and inserts because we weren't sure if we'd stick with it.  But as time has gone by, I know I'm in love with cloth diapering, so there are a few other things that are nice to have. 

Cloth Wipes:  If you're washing cloth diapers anyway, why not wash wipes too?  This just adds to your overall savings and reduces your waste if you're wanting to be "green."  You can order some really adorable and fabulous wipes or you can make your own.  I've got instructions on one of my previous posts (see How to Make Cloth Wipes).  Storebought wipes vary in price depending on if you're going with organic cloth or cute designs.  The Thirsties wipes pictured here are $10.25 for 6.  My homemade wipes cost nothing but my time, since even the fabric was free.

Wipes Solution or Booty Wash:  This is definitely not an essential.  Lots of people use nothing or just water when the diaper is dirty.  Check out Diaper Pin's reviews if you want to buy a solution.  You can get wipes solution drops that you just drop into water or soap chips that you mix with water, like the Baby Bum Drops pictured.  I do like using a solution, but I've never purchased one. I've just made my own, using recipes from Zany Zebra and other websites.  I've tried one recipe using castile soap (Dr. Bronner's from Target), and it was nice, but because it was a recipe that required a few ingredients, it was a little bit more of a hassle.  Lately, I've just mixed water with a couple squirts of baby bathwash, and I find it much more handy.  Most recipes call for an oil of some sort, and the oil just makes the baby's skin soft, so I don't think it's a big deal to leave it out, but you may want to include it.  Everyone has different ways of using the solution.  Some people keep a spray bottle of water or solution on the changing table so that they can spray wipes as needed.  Others use a wipes warmer with solution in it and pull wipes out as needed, all ready to go.  I just use an old wipes container.  I add the dry wipes and pour solution over it.  If you do it this way, be sure not to keep a lot of wipes in there at once, or your wipes might get moldy before you have a chance to use them all!       

Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Rash Cream: OK, this actually is an essential.  If you use normal rash ointment, it can totally ruin your cloth diapers.  Diaper rash creams repel moisture to protect your baby's rash and keep the ointment from coming off in the diaper.  If a cream gets on the cloth diapers, the diapers will repel moisture instead of absorbing it.  Not good!  California Baby and Grandma El's ointment are both safe for use with cloth diapers.  California Baby is the only one I've found where I live (Target, $9.99).  You can also make your own.  Check out Lindsay's instructions over at Passionate Homemaking.  I don't know if it would be any cheaper or not.  I know I haven't had any success at finding those ingredients anywhere in my town, but if you're in a larger city, it's possible you can find raw shea butter and other unusual ingredients.  Another option that I've tried is still using an ointment like Desitin, but then putting a disposable liner in as a barrier between the ointment and the diaper.  My "disposable liner" was a paper towel, folded in half.  It worked, but I wouldn't choose to do that frequently, because I don't care to run the risk of ruining my "investment" in cloth diapers.

Diaper Sprayer:  I didn't think it was a big deal to have one of these at first.  In fact, I think a diaper sprayer can double as an excellent water gun with a mischievous toddler.  And really before solid foods, it's not necessary at all, if you're breastfeeding.  This may be TMI, but breastfed baby poop is water soluble, so it can go in the washer as is, with no need to dump it in the toilet.  But after solid foods, you really need to get as much off the diaper as possible.  Some days, it's no big deal to just dump it in the toilet.  Other days, I feel like I did a few days ago and say "Ew!  Honey, I really, really need a diaper sprayer!"  My husband thinks they're great, so we priced them online, and they all seem to be around $40, except for the Sigma Diaper Sprayer.  Most diaper sprayers look just like kitchen sprayers, so it seems like a bit of a waste.  My husband is pretty handy, so quite a while back, he began putting our diaper sprayer together himself, using a kitchen sprayer he bought at Lowe's.  However, after a couple trips back to Lowe's for parts, it still leaks a bit, so he needs one more valve and then it should be functioning fine.  In the meantime, I've found fleece liners to really help with the messy diapers.  I think we figured out that we only saved $5-$15 by doing it ourself, so you may want to save yourself the effort and buy one.

Fancy Schmancy Diaper Pail:  You can use a trash can or diaper pail and purchase or make your own reusable liner for it, or you can go the plastic grocery bag route like we do.  The longer we stick with cloth and as Isabelle's diapers are getting stinkier, the more I think we need a better solution.  I'm looking for a system that will work well for me, not take up much space, and enable me to still have a trash can in the nursery too.  I love the FuzziBunz hanging diaper pail.  It has elastic at the top so you can hang it and (the best part!) a zipper at the bottom for dumping the diapers in the wash.  I did read a review that says it doesn't keep the stink in very much and it doesn't hold up well with wet diapers, so I may just make my own version of it, using PUL fabric I bought from Snap-EZ. 

Wet Bag:  A wet bag is a small bag made out of two layers of fabric and fastened with a zipper to keep in odors and moisture.  The inner layer is usully PUL or some other waterproof fabric, and the outer layer is a cute print.  I actually registered for one of these at Target when I was pregnant, thinking it would be great for dirty (disposable) diapers and later, wet swim suits.  I used one of my Target gift cards that we got as baby gifts to purchase my wet bag, and I loved it long before I started cloth diapering.  I can think of a ton of ways a mom could use a waterproof bag in her diaper bag, but none better than cloth diapers. Of course grocery bags can also do the trick just fine.  Mine, a Wet Happened? bag (similar to the one pictured, but not as cute), cost somewhere between $10-15 at Target.  I made a wet bag for my friend, Melissa, who uses cloth diapers.  Using $1 fabric remnants, the bag cost less than $3, with the bulk of the cost being the zipper, and I had plenty of fabric left over.  I used vinyl for the inside, but if you can find PUL, it'll be much nicer and easier to sew (I broke my needle on it because the fabric was so thick).  Now that I do have PUL, I'll definitely use it next time.  And Melissa and I both agree that the $3 wet bag I made for her is cuter than my $15 store bought bag.

So go crazy, and get all the cool gear, or take it slowly.  If you're at all crafty, try making your own of at least some of this gear.  I don't have a crafty or creative bone in my body, and I'm really not very good at sewing, so if I can make this stuff, trust me, you can!  Just remember, there are 10 different ways to do everything when it comes to cloth diapering, so figure out what works for you and go with it.  Keep it all in perspective though---if it's gonna be pooped in or pooped on, it really doesn't need to cost a fortune!  I'd much rather be able to help my kids out in college or pay my house off early than have the world's cutest cloth diapering gear.  

I think we've covered the basics of cloth diapering this week.  Thanks so much for all the positive feedback.  I'm so glad you've found this helpful.  If you have any other questions or ideas, please comment on here or shoot me an e-mail.  Thanks!