Thoughts on Cloth Diapering and a GIVEAWAY

10 October 2014

If you're just here to enter a giveaway - no shame in that, especially because it's a Cloth Diapering giveaway - then scroll on down to the bottom.

So...we cloth diaper. You knew that right? Most of you probably weren't around when I first wrote about cloth diapering here, my sister tells me it remains her favorite post I've ever written...? Our cloth diapering method hasn't changed very much over the years.

It's basically just this:


                          Prefolds                                       Covers                              A Place to Put Them

I don't think I'm gifted at blog tutorialing, so I'll spare you details, but Sheena has a great tutorial on a basic diaper stash here. There are of course lots of other ways to cloth diaper, and Nell has a great breakdown of the different types of cloth diapers here. There are entire WEBSITES dedicated to it you can check out if you've got the bug.

I have been cloth diapering a long time, and here are some things that have helped me with the cloth diapering "mental game."


MY THREE CENTS OF A SOAP BOX ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS


1. Find your rhythm. Expect to change your rhythm.
Cloth diapering takes getting used to, but when you're used to it, it's not that big of a deal. There will be hiccups that make you feel like throwing in the towel, but you can work through them and then it will go back to being easy again.

When Jake was a baby I washed diapers every other day. Then I got a few more diapers, and I washed twice a week. Right now we use disposables at night and we have a large enough cloth diaper stash that I only have to wash the diapers once a week. It's great. It's working. I never have to think about it. Circumstances will change and babies will change and you will have to rework your system, but you can do it, and soon you'll be settled into a new rhythm.


2. Win the war and lose some battles. 
 Cloth diapering doesn't have to be ALL in ALL the time.
I know mothers of multiple children who have diapered every baby differently. Some of those sweet little bums have been 100% cloth diapered, while another bum was disposable all the way. I've known moms who cloth diaper one kid and use disposables on another at the same time.

I almost threw in the cloth diapering towel soon after my second was born. I was cloth diapering both kids and cloth diapering at night and living in a small apartment with a tiny little washer and it just wasn't working. So I chilled out and stopped cloth diapering at night.

Don't let cloth diapering turn you into a screeching little teapot on the stove. There will be nights, vacations, and seasons in your life where cloth diapering might not make sense, and that's OK. Get back on the wagon when you can.


3. Own it. Own the fluff butt. Own the extra chore. Feel good about doing it.
Now, when you ARE on the cloth diaper wagon: be your own little cheerleader. Remember why you're cloth diapering and feel good about it. Feel good how much money you saved this week by cloth diapering. Enjoy how it helps make your home more self-sufficient. Cloth diapering is not that hard, but it is a little something extra in a time of life when you don't have much extra to give. Chances are you're not getting too much encouragement, so encourage yourself or e-mail me and I'll encourage you.



>>>>>> GIVEAWAY <<<<<<<


All of our covers are Thirsties Duo Wraps save one... and I never reach for that one...because it's not my favorite. Thirsties are my favorite. Thirsties Duo Wrap covers are simple and durable; they come in two sizes that together last from birth to potty training.

I've been a Thirsties fan since the beginning of my diapering days. Once I received a Thirsties Duo Wrap that had a minor defect; I contacted them about it, and they sent me a new one right away, and they also sent me a prepaid label to return the flawed diaper cover so they could repair it and donate it to families in need. Tell me that doesn't break your little dear heart??

Thirsties recently sent me one of their Duo Hemp Prefolds to try, and man if that thing isn't a workhorse.
Hemp is great for cloth diapering because it's more absorbent than cotton and it cleans more easily than synthetic materials. I'd had a couple hemp doublers in the past, but I'd never tried any prefolds other than cotton ones. I don't have years of experience with it to speak from, but so far, I love it. My favorite thing about this hemp prefold:
It's like a big tube. So you get all those layers of absorbency, but that hole makes it easier to clean and faster to dry, and like the Duo Wrap the Prefold comes in two sizes and can be folded to grow with your baby.

This hemp prefold is knit, and thus seems stronger and more flexible than my woven cotton prefolds. After years of use, some of my cotton prefolds are starting to tear and fray, this has been kind of devastating, and I've been living in total denial about it, but the existence of this Duo Hemp Prefold has me positively excited that it's time to resupply.

They're made in America - often by women working from home - and sourced in America. They make a great product, and they stand by it.

So they're great. Has that been communicated? American made great. And they're letting me give a Duo Wrap and a Duo Hemp Prefold to one lucky winner! I hope you win, but if you don't, visit them on their facebook page where they do giveaways weekly because they're swell like that.


62 comments :

  1. I would love to try thirsty's wipes. I have never tried them, but I have heard great things.

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  2. Oh there's nothing like a cloth diaper GIVEAWAY to bring me out of the woodwork. Hemp me, Thirsties! I've heard great things about hemp, but so far cotton has been my go-to. I'd love to try some hemp diapers!

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  3. I would def try these with inserts to see if we can cloth at night. He's currently in disposables at night because there is like 5 lbs of pee in it when he wakes up. We've been in disposables for over a month due to rashes and travel and I cannot waaaait to get home and get his bum back in that adorable fluffness.

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  4. I love Thirsties! I'm in need of some smaller covers for a newborn since I didn't start with Noah till he was 4 months old :-)

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  5. New-ish to cloth diapering and I didn't know about either of these! We just have Thirsties covers, but I am excited to learn about these. Kate, thank you!

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  6. 1. I need more cloth diapers because I need more cloth diapers.
    2. That hemp pre fold is a mind blow. What the heck! Gimme.

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  7. I love my Thirsties newborn covers. I'd really like to try out their pockets. My stash is in sore need of updating after 3 years of near-constant use.

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  8. I think I'd like the Thirsties one size pocket diaper to start with. Never done it before.

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  9. Wraps to replace some old covers, or pocket diapers... Currently trying to CD two so definitely need a bigger stash.

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  10. Ever struggle with ammonia that WON'T go away? I am feeling so discouraged these days. After a perfectly wonderful year and a half with my first child in cloth diapers, I now have a newborn and I feel stuck with disposables. I've tried stripping the diapers with Dawn and Bleach and that strong ammonia smell comes right back along with red bottoms for my babies. (I use BumGenius 4.0s) I'm very interested in trying these hemp duo diapers. Maybe, like you say, hemp would be easier to clean, thus eliminating my ammonia struggles. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent, and for hosting the giveaway! Hopefully I can go back to cloth diapering soon.

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    1. I've totally been there...many times...and sometimes it's felt like it would NEVER go away. I've had to abandon all my synthetic inserts since moving to Houston...so I feel you. Maybe hunt down some newborn cotton prefolds on craigslist and stuff your pockets with them? Now I can keep the ammonia at bay with my prefolds by occasionally doing a hot wash with baking soda and then a hot wash with vinegar. Good luck to you!!

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    2. Thanks, Kate, I will definitely try that! Do you mind a few more questions? What kind of detergent do you use? I've been using Charlie's Soap. I've also been doing about 4 hot washes per load of diapers---is that overkill? Or is that about right? Thanks in advance. :)

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    3. Hi Margaret,

      I know I am butting in here, but if you are on Facebook, please consider joining the Fluff Love & CD Science group. They will totally help you with your wash routine and seriously solve all your issues. I was stripping with Dawn and washing with Country Save and no...just no. Charlie's has some unbuffered caustic agents in it, and can cause burning on baby's bottom. Anyway, I cannot recommend this group highly enough. No more stink, no more rashes, no more ammonia, no need to strip again. Like ever.

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    4. I think that facebook group sounds awesome. I've been a little shocked by how "sciencey" laundering cloth diapers, and laundering in general, can be. I used Charlie's soap for the first couple years and it worked well, but I had to rinse and rinse and rinse to get it truly suds free. Now I'm using Country Save and I'm not loving it, but we're surviving.

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    5. I know! I was shocked to find out that basically all the cloth diaper advice I'd read and been given is wrong. As in. "detergent build up" is a myth (what makes detergent, detergent is that is rinses clean), all those extra rinses really just redeposit minerals on your diapers and cause mineral build up, and cloth diaper "safe" detergents are mostly boosters and softeners without any real cleaning power. Hello rashes and stink. I had been using just a little bit of Country Save to avoid said "detergent build up" but I wanted to use it up before buying new detergent so I had to switch to using a full scoop in the prewash and two full scoops in the main wash. It helped a ton.

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    6. So...this Fluff Love facebook group is kinda rocking my world. It might make me brave enough to try my microfibers again.

      So much of my cloth diapering journey is making sense in retrospect after reading their documents. I was SO afraid to overuse detergent because of "build up" - but I eventually just started putting in extra detergent and I had so much less stink...I was surprised and delighted. But I'm wondering now: what exactly was so surprising about that??

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    7. I feel like a crazy person going around preaching the "Fluff Love Gospel," but for real- life changing. WHY did it not occur to me that washing your dirtiest laundry with a teeny tiny bit of detergent is a bad idea? I mean, hello? I did the RLR strip on my sheets and towels and they look brand spanking new. Which is kind of exciting. And also kind of disgusting.

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    8. Ok, this info is GREAT! And so timely!! I cloth diaper my 3 month and 18 month old, generally to good success, but man, over the past week I have been getting super discouraged because it's like rash-o-mania. I canNOT get the rashes to go away unless I keep them (esp the 3 month old) in disposables! We use the disposables at night always, and typically I have 2 days per week they're totally in disposables (read:weekend/hubby home/out of the house. It's more sane). Anyway, I'm getting all bothered about it, so I will be very excited to check out this group!! Thanks!

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    9. Thank you so much! I'm going to go check out that Facebook group right now. I'm re-inspired to cloth diaper my babies! :)

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  11. Love the duo wraps, especially the polka dots!

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  12. This is so encouraging. I've fallen off the cloth diaper wagon a couple of months ago and I keep sighing and feeling guilting about it. This was such a gentle reminder that - hey, I can go back and if I don't right away that's okay too.
    I'd love to try hemp as a prefold for true.

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  13. Thirsties are my favorite cover!! I'd love to try the hemp! I do have some hemp inserts that are super absorbent but no prefolds.

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  14. We've used Thirsties covers for newborns, but I would love to try the bigger size for older babies! Love how easier they are to wipe clean between changes.

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  15. I would love some of their Duo AIO diapers. They sound perfect for on the go!

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  16. I'd love to try covers and prefolds. We use AIOs (and pockets at night), but I'd like to diversify my stash some!

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  17. That prefold looks awesome would be great to have shorter drying time

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  18. I love cloth diapering and would love to add this to my stash!

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  19. I meant to include: is love to try a duo wrap wrap and insert!

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  20. I looove Thirsties covers. I actually put them over disposables sometimes to curb blowouts. I only have newborn/small baby ones, though, so would love some larger babies!

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  21. No leaks at night would be so great!!! Thank you for the sweet shout out. We love cloth still with three and I think you covered all the bases here. What a pro!

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  22. Oooooh. Thirsties covers are great and I am intrigued by this new fancy new prefold!

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  23. Would love the covers. Fingers crossed!

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  24. HA! your routine is the same as ours- thirsties and pre-folds. Other friends who cloth diaper in town just don't understand. :)

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  25. Ok, I have exactly ONE Thirsties, and it is hands-down my favorite cover! I would love, love to get more... and also, that insert/prefold looks so great. I'm wondering if the cotton prefolds are causing my girls' rashes, because they're just not absorbent and the moisture stays on their skin.

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  26. I've never tried a Thirsties! I wonder if we'd be able to make it all night in that. I'm doing disposable at night currently.So I'd love to try the wrap and hemp insert.

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  27. I love their covers, but am very interested in the hemp prefold!

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  28. Love thirsties covers!! My favorite are their velcro duos!

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  29. We love cloth diapering but are often unable to line dry. Our dryer is inefficient! I'd love to try to hemp diapers.
    Our 1st is not potty trained and our 2nd is expected in just a couple weeks.

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  30. I would have to go with the hemp prefold all the way!

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  31. I'd love to try out this wrap and hemp prefold, but I'd also like to try out a thirsties Duo AIO. 💚

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  32. I get VERY little support clothe diapering my little guy. I'm pretty sure everyone thinks I am crazy. At my baby shower, I heard my aunts talking about how long I would keep it up before I caved and gave into disposables. For that reason along, I will clothe diaper that guy until he is potty trained! (Maybe I'm a little stubborn). Although I will admit, we only clothe diaper about 50% of the time. Weekends, nights, and the day grandma watches him (because she refuses to do clothe) we use disposables. But I figure it all adds up!

    I could always use more covers or stay dry duo inserts! We have all Flip diapers but would love to try another brand. Are the all in one diapers a little slimmer? I would love to be able to put Henry in some jeans.

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  33. Reading your post has me seriously interested in giving prefolds and/or Thirsties covers and a hemp prefold a go! We have been happy with the Kissaluvs fitted and Flip cover combination.

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  34. Kate, do you prefer snaps or hook & loop on the duo wrap covers?

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    1. I prefer snap. But I do have some newborn size ones that are hook&loop. When they need so many changes the hook&loops the convenience is nice, and you don't have to worry so much about it coming undone before they're mobile :)

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  35. I loved the hemp prefolds and covers for my son. I switched to BG 4.0 once he was older but still use their hemp doublers at night. The flip covers make awesome swim diapers too!

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  36. Our ONE fab fitted has held up really well over the years, and I'd love to add more of those to the stash! Although we have enough diapers to last for like, a week without washing, so I can never really justify buying more :P

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  37. LOVE thirsties covers! That is what we primarily use, with a cotton prefold. But the hemp liners sound amazing!

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  38. I love my thirsties duo wraps. I just had to buy the size large hook and loop for my two year old...maybe it's time to potty train?

    However, I'm at my wits end with the ammonia stink and the red red rash. I feel like such a horrible mommy. I'll check out Fluff Love & CD Science group right now!

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  39. I dabbled in cloth diapering with kiddo #2, but he always was so cranky when I would put them on. Your enthusiasm makes me want to try again now that #3 is 5 months. With 3 (well, 2 1/2) in diapers, any cost reduction would be superb!

    That being said, I would love the two items you're giving away! A cover and a prefold that are new and not hand me down? Sounds good to me!

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  40. We cloth and I can't agree more with the rhythm comment! The hardest part for me is the build up (which we are working through again now)! Thanks for the opportunity; I've never tried Thirsties!!

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  41. Would love to try the hemp inserts!

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  42. I'm like you girl - Ryan came along and we have done disposables at night ever since.I have never tried Thirsties, and I have only ever done pocket diapers. I'm thinking the pocket diaper in Storm Cloud or the duo hemp prefold for nights.

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  43. I want to try ALL the things! Really! But I guess I'll start with the prefolds and covers for now :)

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  44. Duo hemp prefold for naps/nights! Oops -- didn't comment that before. :).

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  45. I'd like to start out just by trying the duo hemp prefolds and diaper cover (argyle & owls!).

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  46. Perhaps winning (or just reading this post?) will be the push I need to get back into cloth diapering! ;-)

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  47. I have so many of those wrap covers on my registry! Never mind that our baby is due in February, and a trip to our laundry room requires going outside and down two hazardous sets of steps. It's going to be great!

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  48. I would love to have another Thirsties diaper cover. I have 3 and am preparing to bust them out again when my little one is born in a couple of weeks! I found they work better than disposables at containing newborn breast milk poo.

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  49. I'd love to try the hemp prefold! Thanks for sharing!

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