We recently took a two day (one night) trip to see my grandmother who lives a short drive away. Since it was only for an over night we decided to try out our cloth diapers on the road (in the past we have always traveled with Seventh Gen sposies). We packed as many diapers as he usually uses in a day (5) plus 3 extras and an extra absorbent night-time diaper (for a total of 14 diapers and about 36 hours of trip). We made it home with a diaper to spare, a clean dry bum and the proud success of not having left any diapers to mottle other people’s trash!

I am always surprised when I hear that folks are not “willing to venture into the world of cloth diapering.” Seriously, if you have a good cloth diaper it is not any more difficult than using disposables. And, in fact in the long run, it may be easier because (1) if you run out of diapers they only have to be washed (versus a trip to the store) and (2) babies get fewer diaper rashes. The last one I wondered about until I tried out disposables and cloth on my son. The only times he has ever picked up a small diaper rash is when he has been in disposables for a day or two, such as our trip to Michigan last week. I’ve been told that it is because cloth is more breathable, which perhaps makes sense. In fact our son has never had a full blown diaper rash and any minor ones have cleared up in less than a day with a little California Baby Wash, Badger Diaper Balm and a fresh cloth diaper!

Right now we use Bum Genius diapers although my son started out his life in Organic Swaddlebees, followed by a mix of Kushies and Fuzzi Bunz. We were accidentally turned onto Bum Genius when my mother-in-law picked up a few at the fantastic Tree City Diapers in Ann Arbor. First we used only the Bum Genius pocket diapers, but then we also tried out their All-In-Ones (AIOs). Now that he has moved on to a bigger size, we just bought a lot of size large AIOs, which are technically on the big side, but that doesn’t seem to have affected their ability to do the job.

How we cloth diaper:
At night time my son wears a triple packed Bum Genius pocket diaper with 2 hemp liners and a third liner (whatever is on hand). During the day he wears Bum Genius AIO. We only wipe down his bum (with a mixture of water and California baby calming diaper wash) if it is dirty. We only use Badger butt balm if his bum is looking a little pink. And, we always give him a few seconds to dry out before we fasten on a clean diaper. Any poo is dumped in the toilet and sent where poo is supposed to go (rather than the land fill). Did you know that technically speaking, even users of disposable diapers are supposed to dispose of baby poo in the toilet and not in the trash?

When it comes to washing we do one cold wash with 2 TBSP baking soda, followed by a warm wash with unscented bio-kleen laundry soap & 1/4 cup vinegar, followed by 2 cold rinses (this goes against Bum Genius directions but it works for us). We run a wash about every 48 hours and have not noticed an increase in our water usage or our water bill. Part-of that might be because I go through fewer clothes as a stay-at-home-mom and I also toss in extras, such as towels and bibs when I do the second run of his diapers.

For some reason people think that cloth diapers are gross, but they really are not. When babies are tiny and only drink milk (breast or formula) their poo is simple and washes out in the laundry. No problem. Seriously. When babies get bigger and eat solids, their poo gets solid and is usually easy to shake in the toilet. Thin cotton liners (Biosoft Flushable Diaper Liners) can be used to make it really easy to transfer the poo. And, doing laundry about every 48 hours we never have a problem with a stinky pail and we even use a simple flip lid pail. (Unlike most folks who use disposables, we never have 2 or more days of poo fermenting in our pail.)No magical diaper genie required. And, the best way to remove stains from the diaper whites? A little good old fashioned sunshine works wonders on the occasional stain, so there is no need for bleach!

We do continue to keep a few disposable diapers on hand, which we use on outings, although the more I use cloth at home the more I find it easy to use cloth when out and about. I seriously think the only challenge to using cloth diapers is the mindset. Plus, if you get cute durable diapers like the Bum Genius, you can use them on more than one kid and feel good not only about saving financial green, but also helping the planet.

For those of you who insist on disposables, perhaps you should try out the newest entrant to the diaper market: Nature Babycare Diapers, which are plastic free and wholly biodegradable. Read their review at Cool Mom Picks and pick up a discount code while you’re at it!

*For hard core greenies or current Bum Genius fans — supposedly they’ve just come out with an organic version! And, all their diapers are made in the US.