Cloth Diapers: A Year Later

It's been a little over a year since I started using cloth. So, how's it going?

Cloth diapers are easier than I thought they would be. What makes them even easier? Diaper liners. My life is so much easier when I don't have to clean that up. It makes it so easy to put the solids in the toilet without mess. Sometimes the liner doesn't catch it all, but it's better than having it EVERYWHERE in the diaper.

Washing them is easy as well. Once every other month or so I need to strip them because they do happen to get a bit of a stink in them after awhile. A good hot wash and a few runs on the rinse cycle to get out all the soap build up does the trick, and they are back to smelling fresh. My only problem then is the drying. Drying a cloth diaper in the sun is supposed to be the best. The sun is a natural bleacher and having your diapers in the fresh air helps freshen them up. But, we have no clothes line. I hang the covers in the bathroom and dry the soakers on a low, tumble setting in the dryer. I'd much rather have them in the sun, but you work with what you've got.

The thing I have love/hate relationship with is the snaps. I have two velcro diapers. A Tinybots diaper and a diaper made by my wonderful friend from her Mommyx3 Monter's shop (check her out here and her etsy here). The velcro is quick and easy. The snaps though, take time to get on and that gives Grayson lots of time to wiggle and turn and in one case, get up too early and run, swinging his diaper around one foot while laughing at his naked run. The good thing is that he can't get them off. We've had only a couple of issues with the velcro, and thankfully, they weren't messy. He likes the sounds that the ripping velcro makes.

I did try to put Claire in a cloth diaper, hoping that if she felt wet in the cloth, it would entice her to use the potty. No luck. She laid flat on the floor after I put it on and screamed. I ignored it for a bit, thinking that she would stop after a few minutes. She screamed for 30 minutes...Flat on the floor...Right where I left her.

So, as of now, Grayson is still a part time cloth wearing baby. He wears disposables while we are out and about and at bedtime. He wears cloth at home and during naps. I've got my fingers crossed that even the part time will help with potty training later. Potty training Claire is.....Well, that's a story for another day.