By: Haley

Haley — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:09:07 +0000

I’m glad to hear you’ve got a system down. On a somewhat related note, my mother still uses old cloth diapers from her children as dust rags. They are fantastic at grabbing dust, and they have had more years of use as dust rags (30+) than I’m sure she ever imagined they would.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:49:09 +0000

In reply to Amanda.

Amanda – That is a great question! Cloth diapers can be trickier when you’re dealing with daycare, but it is possible!

First of all, I’d say that with cloth diapering making a big comeback lately, some daycares are willing to work with them. But from what I can tell, it’s rare. You might have some luck finding a daycare that will do cloth since you live in a somewhat progressive community.

If that’s not an option, and you really want to do cloth, I’d consider “hybrid” cloth diapers. G-Diapers and Flips are two options. They have reusable covers, but they offer disposable inserts that can be thrown away. The waste is reduced, but they wouldn’t be as big of a hassle for daycare staff. In the evenings and weekends, you can use the covers with regular reusable prefolds, which would cut down on expense and waste.

I used Flips covers with regular prefolds, so you’d be able to switch out the disposable inserts with regular prefold diapers or reusable inserts when the baby is at home. G-Diapers have a similar system, but I don’t think they work as well with regular prefolds, so you’d have to buy their specialty disposable inserts AND their special reusable inserts. They’re pricey, and I don’t have any experience with them, so I recommend Flips.

If your main concern is environmentalism, hybrid diapers might be your best bet. Most of the inserts are biodegradable and generally better for the planet than regular disposables.

Unfortunately, it’s a more expensive option than using cloth exclusively, and might even be more expensive than disposables since the inserts are specially made. You’ll be able to offset that expense by using cloth in the evenings and on weekends, though, so you might come out ahead or at least break even.

If you absolutely can’t get a daycare to work with you even on hybrid diapers, I still think it would be worth it for you to use cloth in the evenings and on weekends and buy diapers just for daycare. You can use coupons and price compare to get the best deal on disposables, and you’ll go through WAY fewer if you’re using cloth at home. Plus you’ll be reducing the number of diapers you’re throwing away, which is good for the planet.

Even if you can’t use cloth full time, you’ll go through a lot of diapers at night and on weekends, so it’s worth doing when your baby is at home.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:02:45 +0000

Ok. I don’t have a baby, nor am I pregnant. But I do have a question out of curiosity/future thinking. Cloth diapering and day care … Obviously you don’t have this issue, but I was wondering if day cares would use cloth diapers. It seems like it could get complicated. I think cloth diapers are a great idea, but I’m just wondering about this logistical issue for moms who can’t stay home. What do you know about this, if anything? Just thinking ahead…

Comments on: Cloth diapers 101: Caring for cloth diapers

By: Haley

By: Karen

By: Amanda