Parenthood, but make it sustainable: Cloth Diapering Part 3
Parenthood, but make it sustainable: Cloth Diapering Part 3
by Nicolette Zangari, M.A
a member of Long Beach Moms since 2021
The Nitty-Gritty of Cloth Diapering
Babies poop. A lot. If you choose to cloth diaper, you will most likely be coming into contact with poop more frequently and/or more intimately than you otherwise would with disposables. What I mean is, once your baby is eating solids, you have to find a way to remove the poop from the diaper before washing it in the washing machine. If you put a poopy diaper in the wash, the poop will not dissolve and your laundry will be covered in grape casings and tomato seeds and whatever other lovely treasures your child was unable to digest. The good news is, if your baby is exclusively breastfed or formula fed you can literally just pop them right into the laundry basket (yes, even the poopy ones.) Babies with a liquid diet have water soluble poops!
Side note: Technically, even when using disposables you are still supposed to the dump the poo from the diaper before throwing it in the trash to prevent contaminants like E. Coli from going into the landfill and polluting the water supply.
So how do you remove the poo? There are several methods. We are partial to the “spatula method.” We use an old spatula and scoop off the poo into the toilet. The diaper does not have to be completely poop-free before washing it; as long as all the 3D poop is off, you are golden.
Another popular method is the “dunk and swish.” Basically, you dunk the diaper into the toilet water and agitate it so that the poop falls off.
Another method is using a diaper sprayer. This is a sprayer you would connect to your toilet that uses water pressure to remove poop from the diaper. Some say this method can be a little messy so they recommend some kind of guard or bucket.
The truth is, even when you use disposables, you cannot escape poop. Whether it’s on the end of your spatula or in your trash can, poop is just a fact of being a parent. Thank you for coming to my poop Ted Talk.
Product Recommendations
Once you have made the choice to use cloth, you will be faced with an immense number of options in terms of what system to use and what brands to buy. Like everything in life, every cloth diaper system has its pros and cons. I will share some of my favorite systems and brands here, but this is definitely not an exhaustive list.
Let’s start with the basics. What even are cloth diapers? Modern cloth diapers are different from the image you probably have in your mind of something white and bulky held together with safety pins. Essentially, there will be an inner, absorbent layer and an outer, waterproof layer. Sometimes all the layers are sewn together, so you put the diaper on all at once, like a disposable. Sometimes, the layers are separate, so you put them on one at a time. Typically, the diaper stays on with Velcro or with snaps so you never have to worry about poking your baby.
Cloth diapers come in two sizes—Newborn Size and One Size. The Newborn Size diapers are generally smaller and will fit your baby from birth to around 3-4 months. One Size diapers are meant to fit your baby from around 8lbs. until potty training.
Here are some of my favorite picks for different One Size systems and brands:
Fitteds + Covers
I love these diapers. We scored a stash of fitteds from our local second-hand baby store in perfect condition and I was so sad when my son grew out of them. They are super absorbent and very easy to put on. This is a 2-step system because you put the fitted on first, then cover it with a waterproof cover (see links below). BUT- for days when you are just lounging around the house, you can let your baby hang loose in just the fitted if you don’t mind the potential for leaking through the cotton.
Pockets
I’m gonna be honest, I did not have a great experience with pockets. The ones we had were previously loved by several families and the elastics were pretty worn out so we had a lot of leaks. I never invested in new ones, but some people love them. Now I mostly just use the shells as swim diapers. I’ve heard great things about this brand.
All-in-Ones (AIOs)
Our stash is mostly comprised of AIOs (some new, some used) for a couple reasons. One, because my son has been in daycare full time since he was 2 months old and these are the easiest system for daycare providers. Two, because he fights every diaper change so there is no way he could tolerate a 2-step system like a fitted and a cover.
I love these diapers because of the Velcro closure and the cute patterns. They are sort of a hybrid because they have an insert inside that is sewn in, but they also have a pocket which makes it really easy to customize absorbency. The downside is that the insert inside is microfiber which is a synthetic material that releases microplastics into the sewage system every time it is washed.
These diapers are super absorbent and are great for overnight! The material is somewhat moisture-wicking so they are good for wetness sensitivity.
- Thirsties Natural: https://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Natural-Diaper-Closure-Woodland/dp/B01EIQU5GU/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=natural+all+in+ones&qid=1626739753&sr=8-1
Fully cotton AIOs are awesome because you do not need to worry about microplastics being released every time you do laundry. Cotton is very gentle on the skin and you can easily lay down extra inserts inside them to increase absorbency. However, cotton does require a lot of water to grow and to produce into textiles.
Inserts
Inserts are great for adding layers of absorbency to your diapers. As your baby grows, their bladder will too, so you may need to keep adding layers to the diaper to keep up with their absorbency needs. I prefer natural fibers like hemp, cotton, or bamboo. Microfiber is an option, but it is prone to compression leaks and it is not as absorbent as other materials. Here are some of my favorites:
- Hemp: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C2H27VX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Bamboo: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079NH1T97/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Cotton: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HU44H8Y/ref=twister_B01HU44GEO?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Other helpful items
Wet bags
Great for on-the-go! Keep one in your diaper bag and pop the dirty diaper in there until you get home. These waterproof bags are also useful for wet clothes and bathing suits.
Cloth Wipes
Cloth wipes are life. 10/10 would recommend, even if you don’t decide to use cloth diapers. I keep a stack of dry wipes next to my changing table, spray some water on the soiled area, or directly on the wipe, and go to town! They are very gentle on their little tushies and you can wash them with the diapers. You never have to worry about buying wipes again!
These flannel ones are my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5R77VP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Glass Spray Bottle
These are useful to have, but you can really just re-purpose any clean spray bottle. Just fill these up with water and spray away!
Laundry Detergent
There is lots of advice out there about the best laundry routine and the best products. For me personally, I wanted a product that was natural so that the material coming into contact with my son’s genitals would not be harmful to him and so that I can feel good about not releasing harmful chemicals back into the water. This laundry detergent has always worked very well for us, but there are lots of other great options out there that will do the trick as well.
Rockin’ Green: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DL7LGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Want to learn more about sustainability and cloth diapers?
Here are some helpful resources to learn more about the environmental impact of disposable vs. cloth diapers. I tried to select sources that appeared to be unbiased and represent multiple perspectives.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/cloth-vs-disposable-diapers/
