Cloth Diapers, Part 2 (aka Cloth Diapers Can Stink... Literally)

It's been about 4 months since I started using cloth diapers, and it seems as though my opinions, favorite diapers, routines, etc. are still changing every couple of weeks. I thought I would have it figured out after a month or so. Silly, naive me.

I've experienced some interesting downsides to cloth diapering so far. Leaking, repelling, diapers not getting clean enough, detergent residue, rashes, reactions, humungo bulky diapers, crunchy/stiff/rough/scratchy diapers,  etc. I've learned much more than I knew when I did my last cloth diapers post, but the more I've learned the more I've realized how inexperienced I am and how silly it is for me to give advice as if I'm some sort of expert! So, I am not going to give my advice as much as I will just share my experiences and thoughts with you.

I should also add that I am still excited when I hear that someone is interested in using cloth diapers, but I don't feel as anxious to convert people as I used to. I've had enough difficulties with cloth diapers by now to know that people probably won't stick to cloth diapering unless they are already determined to do it for monetary reasons, environmental reasons, sensitive baby skin reasons, etc. If you are not determined to cloth diaper, there is a good chance you will just get frustrated and go back to the familiarity and simplicity of disposable diapers. So it's fine if you don't want to use cloth diapers - I can't really blame you! :) But if you do, then good on ya, mate! To each his own, I say.

As I mentioned earlier, I've had my fair share of frustrations with CDing. Here are some of them with their solutions as well:

Leaks
The diaper either wasn't fitting correctly (too loose), or it was repelling. So the solution was to wait until Isaac was bigger (or put the diaper on tighter if possible), and to switch to cotton diapers, as polyester-based diapers can repel pee right out of the diaper and onto your baby's clothes if you aren't using them correctly.

Stinky Diapers
After a month or two, my diapers were still a little stinky-ish when they came out of the washer and dryer. They weren't getting clean enough. I tried switching detergents (which resulted in the next problem listed), but ultimately went back to the detergent I was originally using (Rockin' Green) and... here is the magical solution: added vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar is miraculous. It also acts as a fabric softener. I didn't totally believe that until I skipped the vinegar once, and noticed my cotton diapers didn't seem as soft as usual. It really works!

Detergent Residue
I switched to ECOS and then to Tide after having stink issues, but these detergents weren't rinsing out as well as my last detergent (Rockin' Green). Isaac got rashes from the leftover detergent in the diapers. Embarrassingly, this was right around our 4 month appointment with the pediatrician, and when he checked Isaac's diaper area, he seemed surprised by how red it was down there. Poor boy! I had to use disposables for a week or two while I worked on getting rid of his rash and thoroughly rinsing out all of his diapers. This was probably the most frustrating point of cloth diapering for me thus far, as it seemed like I had to choose between stinky diapers or rashes. But as I said earlier, once I switched back to Rockin' Green, the residue problem was fixed. And the vinegar got rid of the stinkiness. Win-win!

Rashes/Reactions
I have learned that Isaac is sensitive to suedecloth, the stay-dry lining that is used by BumGenius, Flip inserts, Alva Baby, etc. He is fine with microfleece (used in Fuzzibunz and many others), but suedecloth gives him a rash if I am using it consistently. So, of course, the solution to this problem was to stop using diapers with suedecloth and only use diapers with cotton or microfleece.
I still have my Alva Baby diapers, if any of you want to take them off my hands. :) I have 6 that are all boy colors, originally $5 each. I'm happy to sell all 6 for $15 to whoever wants them. Most babies don't have reactions to suedecloth, but it can happen, so it's best to only buy them if you know that's not an issue for your baby.
Also, you may or may not know that you shouldn't use diaper rash creams like Desitin when you are using cloth diapers. (Apparently it can stain them, make them stink, and/or cause them to repel.) I had gotten some Coconut Oil to help with diaper rash, as I had read that it is a natural, cloth-diaper-friendly option. Well, all signs seem to point to Isaac being sensitive to Coconut Oil as well (more rashes). Bummer. Thank goodness Coconut Oil has a ton of other uses. I mostly use it as a moisturizer and makeup remover. And it smells so delicious. I love that stuff! Anyway, I'm getting off topic. :)

Bulky Diapers
Before I had Isaac, I thought that the bulkiness of cloth diapers wouldn't bug me. But it does. I don't like when I put cute little pants on him and it looks like he has a pillow for a bum. They don't design baby clothes for cloth diapers these days! A lot of cloth diapers are pretty bulky.

During the last month or two, I've been on a mission to find cloth diapers that are trim but still absorbent. It's not very easy! But... I think I've found the ultimate trim diaper, nearly as trim as a disposable. I'm still trying it out, so I may change my mind, but here it is: Fuzzibunz Minky Inserts set in a diaper cover (such as the Flip covers, Thirsties Duo Wraps, or Grovia shells). I am in LOVE with the Fuzzibunz Minky Inserts. They are meant to be used with the Fuzzibunz Elite One Size Pocket Diaper (my favorite [and the most trim] pocket diaper by far), but you can buy them separately. They are SO SOFT. The softest inserts I've ever felt. The downside is that they aren't made out of natural fibers. However, I don't think these repel very easily. AND they are ridiculously trim and absorbent. They dry super quick in the dryer, too, and if you line dry them, they don't get all crunchy and scratchy like cotton diapers tend to do (more info on that later). They're only about $4.00 each - pretty affordable. Of course, you need to buy the diaper covers as well ($12-16/ea), but you only need a few of those since you can use them through multiple diaper changes. Long story short, I may have found my favorite diapering system -- it's by far the trimmest diapering system I've tried (ridiculously close to a disposable in trimness), absorbent, super soft, affordable, easy, quick to dry (no big electricity bills), etc... but, only time will tell!

Side note: The trimmest all-in-one cloth diaper I have found (the last one I mentioned is an all-in-two system) is the Grovia AIO. Really cute, easy to use, absorbent, and almost as trim as a disposable as well. Unfortunately, at $23 per diaper, they are quite expensive. While I am recommending diapers, the diaper that I would recommend as far as ease of use goes is the Tots Bots Easy Fit. It is practically a disposable diaper in cloth diaper form, and the velcro-type closure they use is great quality. It is also pretty trim.

Crunchy/Scratchy/Stiff Diapers
This is a problem I had when I started trying to air-dry (line-drying without the line) my diapers. They don't dry all fluffy/soft like they do in the dryer; in fact, they get really scratchy and stiff. I'm not a big fan of that. If you really want to line-dry, the best way to avoid this problem for the most part is to air-dry/line-dry them 95% of the way, and then do the remaining 5% of the drying in the dryer (especially with some wool dryer balls to fluff them up even more). Either that, or use flat diapers and/or Fuzzibunz Minky Inserts, as they only take 15-20 minutes in the dryer before they are completely dry. Compare that to the 2-3 drying cycles I have to do for some of my other diapers (especially All-In-One diapers)... 15-20 minutes isn't too shabby!

So that's it for this segment of my cloth diaper posts! (Yes, I think I will continue posting about my cloth diaper adventures on occasion if that's alright with you!) Any questions? Ideas for future posts?

Video of Isaac bathing coming soon. Be prepared for cuteness.