Frugal cloth diapers and potty-training
So, you all know I'm a big proponent of frugality around here and you also know I am a big fan of cloth diapers. However, I never realized you could mix the two and come up with frugal cloth diapers. Thanks to reader Ashley for sending me the link to this really brilliant idea for making cloth diapers yourself out of - get this - old clothes you already have. I think even our great, great grandmothers might be impressed with this one (er, maybe they made it up!).
The website includes patterns and all sorts of helpful information. I can't even sew most basic things, so it's beyond my ability, but I know that many of you domestic queens could whip up a diaper wardrobe in an afternoon. Talk about a cheap and ingenuitive. I love it! If someone actually does this, please report back and tell us how it worked out for you.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, for all you cloth-diapering mommies, tell us what diapers you like and how you've gone about obtaining them frugally (if you have!). Using cloth diapers has saved us a boatload of money, but I know the initial investment can seem rather forboding to some. We were given all of our diapers, so I really didn't have many excuses for not trying them out. And, I got hooked.
We're almost done with diapers for Kathrynne (she's in panties pretty much full-time except for naptime and nighttime and away-from-home-time), but we definitely plan to do cloth in the future should God see fit to bless us with more children. Speaking of potty-training (not meaning to bring up a dozen different subjects here, my brain is just so "rabbit-traily" sometimes!), anyone have great tips for potty-training during naptimes and nightimes? I'm planning to tackle away-from-home-time next, but I'm already trying to come up with a game plan for naptime and then bedtime, so experienced mothers do share your secrets!
The website includes patterns and all sorts of helpful information. I can't even sew most basic things, so it's beyond my ability, but I know that many of you domestic queens could whip up a diaper wardrobe in an afternoon. Talk about a cheap and ingenuitive. I love it! If someone actually does this, please report back and tell us how it worked out for you.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, for all you cloth-diapering mommies, tell us what diapers you like and how you've gone about obtaining them frugally (if you have!). Using cloth diapers has saved us a boatload of money, but I know the initial investment can seem rather forboding to some. We were given all of our diapers, so I really didn't have many excuses for not trying them out. And, I got hooked.
We're almost done with diapers for Kathrynne (she's in panties pretty much full-time except for naptime and nighttime and away-from-home-time), but we definitely plan to do cloth in the future should God see fit to bless us with more children. Speaking of potty-training (not meaning to bring up a dozen different subjects here, my brain is just so "rabbit-traily" sometimes!), anyone have great tips for potty-training during naptimes and nightimes? I'm planning to tackle away-from-home-time next, but I'm already trying to come up with a game plan for naptime and then bedtime, so experienced mothers do share your secrets!
posted by Crystal Paine at 2:28 AM
25 Comments:
We've used the same set of terry-towelling nappies(sorry diapers)with plastic pilchers for both our girls.We usually only use disposables for the 1st 6 weeks,night time & going out.When I started potty training Zara (our 2nd),I put her in disposables at first & would peel them off at potty time & put them back on again if they were OK.Now she's in cloth training pants & is at about the same level as Kathrynne from what you say.I'm not quite game yet to take her in the car without a nappy,as it's usually "on the way" when she let's me know.One thing that's worth trying if she has a nap during the day,is to lie her on a flat change mat on the bed,with a nice soft towel on it,& see if she wets,& if so, see if she wakes up or sleeps through it.Some children are heavier sleepers than others & grow out of it over time.If anyone has any better tips,I could use them myself.
Sorry my comment is so long
Claire
Lydia is at the same stage with potty training. We've been here for a while, but I am glad she at least can go without a diaper at home. When she first started, I would have to take her to " go potty " about every half hour or else she would have an accident. I think she is getting more control over her bladder as time goes, by, though. Yesterday we were out for the whole day and I put a diaper on her. She told me that she had to go when we got there, so I took her. About six hours later as we were getting ready to leave the museum grounds, she told me that she had to go again. She was dry all day! I was so excited. =D I think we're almost ready to take the hurdle and go out without diapers. = ) So, my advice... go slowly and take your cues from her. When you think that she is to the point where she can hold it long enough to get from bathroom to bathroom, give it a try (but don't forget to bring along an extra outfit and maybe line her car seat with something!). Around here we have to drive at least a half an hour even to Wal Mart, so just getting there without an accident is a big hurdle for us. =O =D My family use to take their children's potty right along with them in the back of the van. (Not very helpful advice if you have a car like us, though.) Hope this helps a little!
Oh boy, you decided to blog on one of my favorite topics - Cloth Diapers. I could write pages and pages and pages. LOL =) I'll come back and write about my experience CDing when I have more time. FYI, I sewed almost all our diapers.
Crystal - quick question for you - can you give us an update on your FuzziBunz? We have been using bumGenius with our son for about a month and we LOVE them (they are a one size pocket dipe). Right now they are on sale at CottonBabies - so you can get them a good bit cheaper than FuzziBunz at the moment. I'm also looking to get more diapers so I'm not washing quite as frequently - so I'm looking to try Fuzzis. I ordered a few off of ebay the other day and am waiting for them to get here. My question is this - how long did you end up using your FuzziBunz on Kathryne and how well have they held up? Do you think you will be able to use them with your next child? Thanks so much! As far as potty training - I'm afraid I can't help much!!! =)
No big scerets here. Just no drink a few hours before bed time at night and at least an 30 minutes to an hour before naptime. I never trained mine separately. It was kind of all at once. They would wear a pull up for a few weeks or maybe a month at night. But before long with my children it was obvious that they were using pull ups just like a diaper and if I didn't get rid of it they were never going to be potty trained. We put waterproof covers on the beds in case of accidents. I have to say I think girls are easier to train than boys for us anyway. My son was not trained until almost 4 years old. Hewas as stubborn as a mule. LOL! But my daughter was trained by the age of 2-2-1/2. I have not attempted to start training my 2 year old yet. I hope to start that within the next few weeks. I also used cloth diapers with my daughter. She was allergic to some of the store bought diapers. I loved them. I had all the cute little fitted diapers that the wahm's are making. I didn't make my own. I can sew but didn't want to tackle that.
Will be thinking of you during this time.My 'baby'will be 12 this Saturday so we are long gone from potty training.
Seems to me naps and night time training happenned by themselves.As the child grew so did thier bladders.As far as being away from home-it is a matter of going before one leaves home,them asking every so often if they have to use the bathroom.Eventually they just learn to ask when they need-but a few times there were accidents because by the timw one asks they are ready to go when no toilet is near!!Also both of my children were 2.5-3 before they were potty trained.
Potty training was so *not* my gift as a mother nor did I use cloth diapers. This comes from my Mom who used cloth diapers for me... Mom wanted me to be dry for naps and night. My Grandma told Mom to have me wear panties to bed and if I didn't stay dry the first time, I would know what to do the second time. Oddly enough it worked. I woke up dry and never had a bedtime accident again. I was just over a year old. I think this method is for brave Mommies!
I know cloth diapers are alot cheaper, but can anyone help me out here? I dont know anything about them, and frankly are afraid of them. I dont want my hands stuck in poop everyday! Isnt that what I would have to do? Dunk them in the toilet? Or am I wrong? I am potty training a little one right now, and have had enough of soiled clothing. Help! Jennifer
I have to say that Cloth Diapering is a little scary for me, too. I want to do it, but not sure how it will work out. I like the idea of trying to make the diapers, even the non fancies can be expensive. I will check out this website.
Thanks for posting it:-)
Sommer
My son is 18 months old, and we have been using a potty with him since he was 2 months old. I got a book called Diaper Free by Ingrid Bauer (you can also check out www.diaperfreebaby.org). It's not potty training, more just watching and responding to your baby's signals (like feeding them when they are hungry). It tends to lead to earlier and easier independent potty use, so less diapers. We use cloth training pants and infant size prefolds (I trifold them and lay them in a wool snap cover without pinning them). This saves me from having to buy the larger size prefolds. His poops almost always go in the potty, so I don't worry about getting poop on the covers since the diapers aren't pinned. We cosleep, and he squirms when he has to go, so I get up with him to use the potty and nurse. This method also saves on diaper washing, since there are less wet diapers.
Usually for me when the boys were potty trained in the time, they still wore a diaper through naptime and when they grew out of naps then they didn't need them anymore. Nighttime, well, some children wet until they are older so I wouldn't push that issue. I let them wear a diaper as they really can't help it. I have 2 like that.
My sister obtained cheap diapers on accident. Her husband details cars as a side job and bought a big load of old diapers from the local diaper service to use to polish cars. When they went throught the bundle most of the diapers were in good shape so they sorted them out and boiled and bleached them. I think she had to mend a few seams but most of them have held up through her 4 girls. She did buy some velcro covers to go with them.
I've seen diaper patterns to sew from purchased material and wool soaker patterns to crochet and knit but this is a wonderful and simple way to be thrifty! Thanks for the heads up!
For training during naps and at nighttime:
After we had the 'potty training' thing down for several weeks, and our dc were consistently telling us when they needed to go, we just started putting them to bed in underwear, with mattress covers (they make vinyl ones that zip on like a large pillowcase) under the fitted sheets. My oldest daughter wet the bed once, then never again. My oldest son is six and still wets the bed at least three times a week, but it runs in dh's family to wet until about nine or ten, so he just changes his sheets and clothes, and nothing is said about it. We don't put pull-ups on him at night, b/c we feel it would demoralize this particular child. An extra sheet and blanket to wash isn't so bad. Child #3 wet maybe once or twice, he's 3. We're currently potty training #4, and he's a little behind Kathryn, but getting there. I hope to do cloth diapers for the first time with the baby to come, so I'm learning a lot!
Anonymus and Sommer,
You may want to check out Crystal's previous post "Cloth Diapering for Dummies." Being a newbie to cloth diapers, it was my starting point.
I went to e-bay and bought 18 Fuzzi Buns diapers, including liners, a washable bag and cloth wipes for around $140.00. It was a great savings, because new, they retail for $14 each with no liner. I have since used them with my 2 year old son for the last six months and they've held up well.
Since there's no other way to put this, as long as your child's stool is firm, it just peels right off into the toilet. It will be messy if the stool is runny, but I don't even bother to dunk it. I just pull the liner out, and put it into the washable bag to wait for the laundry.
To wash the diapers, make sure all liners are pulled out (I do this before it goes into the bag), open the bag, and throw them in the washer with laundry detergent and Borax. First I soak them, then I put them through a pre-rinse cycle. Then I wash them for as long as possible in hot water with more laundry soap, vinegar, and baking soda and set the machine for a double rinse.
When they are ready for the dryer, I just put them in for about 30 minutes, on low, with no fabric softener. I have also hung them on the line in good weather.
For some people, the little bit of extra work might not be worth it. For us, it is. Before my husband and I bought our new house, we were finding ways to slash our budget. Spending $50 per month - that's $600 per year -for diapers and wipes (of course, my son has sensitive skin so I can't use the cheap brand) just didn't make sense. So we converted.
My husband is happy. My son is happy - he gets way less diaper rash - and I'm happy because we're saving all that money. Should the Lord decide to bless us with more children, we'll definately continue.
Hope this helps :-)
Yeah! I love cloth diapering! I use Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers, Rumpsters, and have a few others I have tested here and there that I didn't like as much but kept in case of an “I forgot the laundry” emergency.
As for making them yourself, You can use old sweat shirts or sweaters that you can get from thrift shops. Also, there are MANY cloth diapering supply coops online. I belong to two of them.
Fabrics are SO much less expensive here and you can get PUL (the water proof outer of most modern cloth diapers), as well as highly absorbant hemp and bamboo fabrics. I just got my first couple yards of bamboo and it is beautiful fabric!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClothEssentialsCo-op/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cloth_diaper_supplies/
There are more of these groups, too, but these are the best I have found and have the nicest people.
I will warn you, though, these are lefties groups and every so often biting my tongue has become necessary. Most of the time the topics don't stray from fabric.
I paid full price for my Fuzzi Bunz way back when. Then, when I was opening my baby store I added them to the mix of what I sold.
To get them cheap if you don't want to make them... Well, Fuzzi Bunz have an excellent resale value so even eBaying them might cost you a bit but that does make for the possibility of a nice chunk of change in your pocket when your babies are finished using yours. Although we are required to hold up a certain MSRP many stores, including mine, have tried to institute certain programs to help with that. We have a layaway program, trial program, and a buy back program (which also acts as an exchange program). There are a good many stores that have programs like these. Just do a little research before you buy. See if there is a local web store or physical store in your area. Many web store owners are happy to set up appointments with you for "touch, feel, and try on" sessions.
As I said before, they have EXCELLENT resale value so if you can be patient you could receive quite a bit of your money back when you are finished using them. Fuzzi Bunz are made for a full two to three years of use meaning you can use them over and over again for many children.
Rumpsters are great, too. They have built in absorbent wings that ensure complete washing and quick drying. That means no stuffing or un-stuffing like with pocket diapers. They have a long life as well.
Another diaper I like is Bum Genius!. I have one of these diapers and it is good quality and easy to use. It isn't as "pretty" as Fuzzi Bunz or Rumpsters but they are made to fit your baby from birth through potty training, making diapering much less expensive.
As for having your hands in poo, many of these newer diapers are made of fabrics that release poo very easily. I just drop what comes off easy in the toilet and never touch, swish, or rinse anything. The rest dissolves in the wash. I have NEVER had a problem with this. I have used prefolds with pins and plastic pants (another good and cheap option!) but I didn't like the dunking and rinsing and quickly gave it up. The nice thing about Fuzzi Bunz is that the pocket is all the way in the back of the diaper and you can sort of dump the insert out without touching anything yucky. This is the one draw back of Bum Genius! diapers. Most of the time I have to reach in and grab the insert. If you are determined to rinse your diapers there is this little gadget called a Mini Shower that connects to your toilet somehow. You just flick a button and you have a little rinsing tool. I have never used one but it seems like a neat idea.
Wow, I can type a lot!
Good Luck!!!
My husband figured out our cloth diapering expenses for our first 4 children(assuming #4 potty trains at the ame age as the other 3)and we have diapered all of them for less than the cost of one in disposables. This includes soap and utilities as well as the cost of the diapers themselves.
I am expecting my first in January so I have no advice for the potty-training aspect nor for how cloth diapers work but I can tell you I bought my cloth diapers at an outlet.
The Kooshies/Kushies company was a Canada/USA company that split?? recently[and Kooshies became USA only and Kushies is Canada only? or something like that]We have a Kushies outlet near us that has been selling all their Kooshies items (with tags cut off) for drastically reduced prices($3-$4/ diaper) The diapers I bought look exactly like a disposable diaper with a velcro fastener so they appear to be easy to use. Some have a plastic coating and the others are just cloth. They also had rolls of BIODEGRADABLE/FLUSHABLE liners. The purpose of these liners isn't to absorb liquid but so that you just throw the liner in the toilet with the mess. I am not sure actual retail cost but at the outlet they are $5 a roll. Since they aren't in the store packaging I don't know how many are in a roll but I'd guess about 250. They of course also have cloth liners and I bought some of these as well.
Like I said, I haven't tried these yet as my baby isn't due until January but I am excited about trying them.
You could do an internet search for Kooshies/Kushies outlets in your area and see what they have avail. Our outlet also has clothing, toys, blankets etc.
(Long post I know!)
Jennifer V
As if I didn't write enough in my last post...
Washing them isn't as grueling as you might think. We wash with Tide (only about 1/4 the recommended detergent is needed) and water softener, which helps release extra detergent from the diapers to pervent the stinkage caused by detergent build up mixed with pee. We wash warm/cold with a prewash and second rinse. That is all that is needed to get them completely clean.
Some people like to do more and that is fine, too. Also, the kind of water in your area has a little to do with how you need to wash.
Cloth diapering is MUCH easier than people think.
TAS: Our FuzziBunz have held up extremely well. At the rate they seem to be going, they should last for at least another 2-3 children. I tried a few other kinds of diapers and really think I like Fuzzi Bunz best. I did want to mention that I personally think it's easiest if you pick one kind of diaper and stick with it. Washing and drying various kinds of diapers together is difficult for me because they seem to need different washing and drying processes. Just my two cents. Anyone else found this as well? If I were line drying, it would be easier, but that's not an option right now.
I've seen that site, and even made a few of my own diapers... In my opinion, the 100% cotton t-shirt diapers aren't very good :| I don't like the ones I made from t-shirts. If I make more diapers I will always use flannel (like receiving blankets) (100% cotton). Those are better. :)
I was really excited when I found that site, too! I just wish I liked my "free" diapers! :D
When rinsing cloth diapers out - wear a good pair of rubber gloves. This eliminates the possibility of getting anything on your hands (it can be a problem if it gets under a fingernail) and if, like myself, you need to rinse them in the toilet, then you don't have the disgusting task of having to stick your bare hands into the bowl! That was really hard to do until I bought the gloves!
For frugality, quality, simplicity and longevity I don't think you can really do better than getting some nice, basic chinese prefolds.:-) Prefolds make up the bulk of my stash. (I am cloth diapering my 18 month old and have since he was a month old and will soon be diapering two!) I have several Wonderoo pocket diapers and a couple hemp fitted diapers that I use for overnight. But as much as I drool over and would love to try many more cute "fancy" diapers I really have come to appreciate my prefolds, for the following reasons:
~ easy to wash, and since they have no elastic or plastic bits you don't have to worry about ruining them if you use vinegar in the rinse, as I do. (Vinegar can be hard on elastic and weaken it.)
~ versatile. You can fold them a variety of ways from just folding them in thirds and lying them in a cover or using pins or Snappis and folding them in the way that suits your baby best.
~ no need to buy a multitude of sizes. They do sell prefolds in several sizes but it is possible to use the same regular size for a long time in most cases. I used regular ones with my newborn (bulky, but I love cute fluffy cloth bum anyway!) and am still using them now. I have increased my stash with hand me downs from another mom and these are the cheaper Gerber/store bought type and as they are slightly smaller and less absorbent than my chinese prefolds I plan to use those for my newborn. I also have flat gauze diapers that can be folded nice and small.
So my main tips would be to start with prefolds: they are a very affordable option. But I WOULD reccommend ordering "diaper service quality chinese prefolds" rather than just buyign the Gerber type if you plan to be cloth diapering long term. The quality is very different: the former being much more durable.
I also think it's worth investing in durable covers, though I did start with pull on plastic pants and it is do-able. I find that wrap style covers are much more versatile/longer lasting as far as sizing goes. I have mainly Bummis Super Whisper Wraps but if I were to do it again I would order the ones with snaps instead of Aplix (velcro-stuff) fastenings as I prefer snaps now.
My later discovery for cloth diapering was how much I liked wool covers! Yes, wool! Not everyone is a huge fan but for my son it makes a significant different, esp. overnight. Wool allows his skin to breathe more and more urine to evaporate so he is dryer in the mornings than he is when in a PUL/plasticy cover. I have recently learned how to knit and have been making my own knitted wool covers (SO CUTE! I'm working on a matching set for my two kids.:-D) mainly following this pattern.http://community.livejournal.com/punk_knitters/110889.html (I always add cuffs.) They are really fun to knit, once you get the hang of it, and I've been testing them on my 18 month old. No leaks, breathable, and he is so cute running around the backyard in his little striped wool soaker. (It's spring going into summer in my part of the world so a diaper and a t-shirt is all he wears most days.:-D) Wool covers can be very expensive to buy so I am definitely saving money making them myself and lanolizing them...am having fun, too.
Oh, I was thinking about my comment, and wanted to add another thought. Cloth diapers + fabric softener is a big no-no because it decreases absorbency. So maybe the t-shirts I used to make into diapers had had some fabric softener used on them by previous owners (since I don't use any but I always get second-hand stuff).
Also, the ones I made were the prefolds (not the stuffed prefolds) as described on the site.
And another thing that happened was that the t-shirt material got small holes where I used pins to fasten the diaper, almost immediately.
Maybe I just used "bad" t-shirts... but I thought they were nice quality, 100% cotton shirts (we just didn't need them, and some had writing on the front, which I didn't use in the diaper, of course).
I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried the ideas from that website! :)
I have made many cloth diapers (or nappies as we call them in New Zealand).
I currently love pocket style diapers. They are so much cheaper to make than buy new and really aren't that difficult to sew. I am a very basic sewer but there are some fantastic diaper sewing tutorials around on the internet with step-by-step photos and they are easy to follow. I get all my patterns off the internet for free too. I get them at www.thenappynetwork.org.nz
I bought a snap-press so I wouldn't have to use velcro and this has been an excellent purchase as I am able to use snaps on clothing in place of buttons!
I made up a whole lot of side-snap training pants for toilet training, they have PUL outer and flannel inner (so child will feel wet) with a flannel soaker pad sewn in. These have been excellent and I often use these when going out rather than put my dd in nappies. They stop clothing from getting wet (although do not hold more than one "wet") and clean up is easy due to the side-snaps.
I have used cloth through 4 children and am so impressed with the cloth nappies of today - they are so much better than what was available when I had my first two children (back then I thought Kushies were fantastic, now I love pockets).
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