Exploring Cloth Diapers and Wipes

Those that have followed our diaper dilemma are well aware of poor Jackson's reaction to suede cloth.  After swapping diapers with my sister, I've had the opportunity to try all different kinds of diapers.  Personally, I still see no need in using prefolds unless I've run out of other diapers.  I know they are cheap, but it's a bit too rustic for me.  I'm also not a big fan of countours since there is no elastic.  These are the only diapers thus far that we've had problems with leaking on the cover.  (Knock on wood, we've yet to have any diaper blow out that requires a wardrobe change.)  Of all the diapers we are currently using, I prefer fitteds that have a snap closure and a Thirsties diaper cover.

I would still prefer to use a one-size pocket diaper.  I've been searching for a cheap one-size pocket that is not made of suede cloth.  Most one-size pockets are at least $15 per diaper.  My sister recommended Kawaii diapers, which are about $7-$9 a piece.  After lots of research, I discovered even cheaper one-size pockets.  Alvababy and Sunbaby are the mass produced, Chinese knock off versions of BumGenius.  Unlike BumGenius, they are microfleece, come in adorable designs, and are $4-$5 per diaper.  They claim to be all-in-one diapers, but they are really pockets.  From what I've researched, Sunbabies run smaller and Alvababies are more comparable to Kawaiis. 

I decided to use my birthday money to order the Alvababy sale package: 20 one-size, solid color pocket diapers for $84 (free S&H).  Since the website is a bit sketchy, I wanted to use my PayPal account instead of entering credit card information.  I was completely shocked to discover that I have over $100 in my PayPal account!  (I have sold a few items on TeachersPayTeachers.com and I won a cash prize from a weight loss challenge last year.  I never access this account so I totally forgot those earnings were deposited in the PayPal.)  Anyway, it feels like we've ordered 20 knock-off BumGenius diapers for free.  I am so excited to share a review of these diapers once we're able to use them.  Based on other people's experience, it might take a month before the diapers arrive.  If these diapers exceed our expectations, we'll consider selling some of the BumGenius.  (A used BG 4.0 is still worth way more than the cost of a brand new Alvababy.)

Our diapers should be shipping from China this week!

Now, onto the topic of cloth wipes.  I wanted to use cloth wipes since we were already using cloth diapers.  Jesse was much more eager than I thought he would be and he was the one who really investigated the various options two months ago.  You can sew your own wipes using a square of fabric (flannel, terrycloth, or fleece).  For those less talented, you also buy them online or at Babies-r-Us.  We purchased 24 wipes, since we had 24 diapers.  There are essentially two options for using cloth wipes.  You can soak the wipes in a solution and keep the moist wipes in a wipe warmer.  You can also keep dry wipes handy and spray them with a solution before each use.  Jesse wanted Jackson to have warm, moist wipes on his behind, which is slightly more expensive.  We spent $50 making a one-time purchase of 24 cloth wipes, a wipe warmer, and the oils.  It would take us about 6 months to use $50 worth of disposable wipes, but our cloth wipes should last a few years.  We could have spent significantly less if we made our own wipes and simply sprayed them before each use.  Either way, we are saving money and helping the environment in the grand scheme of things.

Here is our 10 minute cloth diaper routine that we do every three days: 
(Of course, you must wash and dry wipes with diapers before doing any of this.)

Step One: Fill a mason jar with water, a few squirts of baby oil, a pump of baby wash, and a few drops of scented oil.  (The scented oil is an unnecessary luxury that Jesse likes.)

 Step Two: Shake it up!

Step Three: Soak wipes in a bowl with the solution.

Step Four: Wring out excess moisture from wipes.

Step Five: Roll the wipes.

Step Six: Place rolled wipes in the wipe warmer.

There you have it; clean, refreshing, reusable wipes.  And 20 one-size pocket diapers on the way!!