Seven Days of Diapers - Accessories

In addition to the diapers that I purchased, I also bought a few items to make my cloth diapering experience easier.

The first, and possibly most important, accessory I purchased was a pail liner for the dirty diapers. Rather than buy a new diaper pail, I decided to just use this one that we’d been using for Zach’s (and Abby’s) dirty disposable diapers. The Kissa’s Antibacterial Pail Liner by Kissaluvs works great with this pail. The elastic keeps the bag securely in the pail, it holds a generous amount of diapers and it washes well. I actually purchased a second liner, so I can immediately re-line the pail on laundry night. While the liner can be tumble dried, I usually line dry it, in the hopes of keeping it in good condition as long as possible.

I also purchased several Kushies on-the-go wet bags for Zach’s diaper bag.

Obviously, I need a way to bring a dirty cloth dipe home with me when we’re on an outing, so these waterproof bags allow you to bring the dirty diapers home, without making a mess in your diaper bag. I bought three bags, so I’d always have a clean one on hand. The large bags are generously sized – they can easily fit 2-3 diapers – and are very reasonably priced.

One of the first things that posed a problem when we started cloth diapering was what to do with diaper wipes from poop diaper changes. Before, we’d just bag up the dirty diaper and dirty wipes, and throw the entire stinky package out. Now, since we weren’t throwing out the diapers, it seemed a waste to use a big grocery bag to throw out one or two wipes, but I couldn’t just put them into the garbage, because Zach’s room began to smell. So, I decided to purchase a pack of cloth wipes. I keep the dry wipes stacked next to Zach’s changing table. When I know Zach has pooped, I grab a wipe and run it under warm water, and then use it to wipe that cute little bottom. The dirty diaper wipe and dirty diaper both go into the diaper pail. I bought a package of FuzziBunz Double-Sided (organic cotton and fleece) cloth wipes, and I really like them.

They are thick, wash very well, and are big enough that I only need one wipe per diaper change. The edges are curling slightly, but it doesn't affect the performance of the wipes, so I don't really mind. (The only reason I’m still using disposable wipes at all is that Babies R Us has a huge Black Friday sale where boxes of wipes (492 count total) are only $5. Needless to say, each year, Carey buys enough to stock us for the entire year. We still have a whole bunch of boxes left, so I use the disposable wipes for non-poop diaper changes, since they can be thrown in the trash without creating a stinky, smelly mess. We’ll probably still keep some wipes on hand for when we’re travelling, but next year I expect that we’ll drastically cut down on the number of boxes that we buy and purchase another pack or two of reusable wipes.)

One thing that I purchased but haven’t used yet is bummis BioSoft diaper liners. (I bought the Large sized liners. Both liners are 12 inches long, but the large liners are 7.5 inches wide, as opposed to the small liners, which are 5 inches wide.)

This is basically a roll of thin liners that are placed over the surface of the diapers. If your little one pees, the pee will pass right through the liner and into the diaper. However, if your little one goes poop, the tissue paper-like liner will catch the poop, so you can simply lift it off and flush it down the toilet. I thought these liners would be good for when we’re at other people’s homes. I haven’t really felt the need to use them so far simply because Zach’s bowel movements have become more formed since he began eating solids a few months ago, so diaper clean-up has been pretty easy so far.

Most diaper brands suggest line-drying diapers, outside if possible to bleach out stains. Thankfully, we haven’t dealt with any staining yet, but I do hope to dry our diapers on a clothesline once the weather is warmer. (Carey and I had talked about installing a clothesline last year, but never got around to it. Since I have to run the dryer on the low cycle at least twice to get the diapers dry, we’re both itching to get a clothesline installed!) In the meantime, since some of our diapers, especially covers, must be line-dried, I purchased a simple drying rack that we keep downstairs near the laundry room. I also line dry some of our liners/inserts that take a super long time in the dryer, since removing them helps everything else dry quicker.

It’s also very important to use a no-residue detergent on cloth diapers, otherwise your diapers won’t rinse clean and you risk decreasing the absorbency of your diapers or having diapers that begin to stink. I purchased two different types of detergent. Many people had recommended Allen’s Naturally to me, so I purchased a box of that from the manufacturer. (Allens Naturally is currently holding a Customer Appreciation Sale, and all products are 15% off!)

However, that was going to take a while to ship to me, so I also purchased Rockin’ Green Classic Rock Bare Baked Babies. Rockin’ Green makes detergent for hard, normal and soft water, and it comes scented or unscented. (The detergent is supposedly scented naturally, so it washes clean. However, I went with their unscented detergent.)

I’ve been happy with the Rockin’ Green detergent. Even doing laundry every other day for the past seven weeks, I still have a quarter of the package remaining. The price is reasonable, and I haven’t encountered any staining or funky smells.

One thing I cannot speak to is a diaper sprayer. This is a nifty little device that attaches to your toilet and allows you to rinse messy diapers off in your toilet without having to “dunk” them. Since we didn’t start cloth diapering Zach until he was almost six months old, his bowel movements had become much more formed than they were before he’d started solid foods. We just haven’t found it necessary to buy a sprayer since most of Zach’s poops just “plop” off into the toilet. I will admit that there have been a few times when I’ve had to dunk an especially messy diaper, but it still hasn’t made it worth it to us to purchase a diaper sprayer, which run around $45. (If you’re diapering your little one earlier, or your little one has especially messy poop, a diaper sprayer may be a good idea. It couldn’t hurt to budget for one, and then if you don’t need it, you can use that money to buy a few adorable diapers instead!)

Finally, I just wanted to mention a few of the websites I used to purchase my diapers.

• Kellyscloset.com: this website has a great selection of diapers, plus helpful advice and tips. Their prices are competitive, and they’re usually running a promotion for a free diaper or free cover with a purchase of a specific amount. (I received three free one-size diapers with my three orders from Kelly’s Closet!) Plus, this website offers a rewards program – you receive one point for each dollar you spend, and you can redeem points for gift certificates to be used at Kelly’s Closet. I’m saving up points in the hopes of buying Zach a swim diaper for the summer. Plus, I’ve never paid a dime in shipping. (One other thing I liked about Kelly’s Closet was when I purchased my second Flip day pack – two covers and six stay-dry inserts – I was able to pick the colors I wanted for my two covers. At Diapers.com, the Flip day pack comes pre-packaged, so you have a limited color choice. Plus, the price is the same at both places.) In the interest of full disclosure, the link above is my affiliate link. I love Kelly's Closet so much that I joined their affiliate program. However, I didn't join the program until after placing my orders and being extremely satisfied, so I would like to think that my opinions have not been influenced by my participation in the affiliate program.
• Diapers.com: their cloth selection isn’t great, depending on which brands you’re looking for. But, they have a good selection of accessories and shipping is fast and free with a minimum order. (I placed an order on Saturday night, around 10:30 pm and received the order on Monday.)
• Brand websites, including GroVia.com and Motherease.com: I had trouble finding these diapers at the websites that I mentioned above. (The Gro-Via diapers were always out of stock at Kelly's Closet - I must not be the only person who loves them!) I had good luck with purchasing direct from the manufacturer with these two websites, and I expect to purchase from the KaWaii website in the future.

Other stores, like Target and Babies R Us, also offer cloth diapers in their online stores, so you should shop around before placing your orders.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed SEVEN DAYS OF DIAPERS here at All Things Ng. I have loved learning so much about cloth diapers, and we’re so happy that we’ve been able to share this experience with our little man.