I'll admit, using cloth wipes is one area of cloth diapering that I get really lazy about.

It's a little extra work, depending on how complicated you want to make it.
But really, if you're using cloth diapers, you may as well use cloth wipes. They are so easy!


This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. I'm saving up to buy myself a cup of coffee so I can keep this thing going. As always, I would never recommend something I don't stand behind and use myself!

I started going through a sickening amount of disposable wipes.
Like, we were flying through boxes.

Okay, maybe that's a little exaggeration, but it's really something to think about, when you see a whole box of wipes and realize, this is how much waste I'm creating.

When there's an easy alternative to something ending up in a landfill, not to mention literally throwing my money in the garbage, I like to take it.

Then there's the other benefits of cloth wipes, like;

They're softer,
They clean up better,
They don't contain ingredients I can't even pronounce,
They aren't as cold as the shady side of an iceberg.

Basically, it's like a spa day for your baby's bottom.

There was once upon a time where I used to make up some wipe concoction with filtered water, Castile soap, and coconut oil
But now, I keep it super simple: I wet them with warm water as needed.

That's it.
Wet with warm water, wipe baby, toss into the diaper pail with the dirty diaper.

There are all kinds of DIY cloth wipe solutions out there- along with ways to store them in spray bottles, squirt bottles, pre-saturating the wipes, ect..., but I'm all about simple.
And water is all that they really need.

Grovia wipes are my favorite, hands down. I highly recommend any kind of terry wipe.
A lot of people are fine with flannel, like Bumgenius, and Buttons wipes, but I just prefer Grovia for messes.


I've also used baby wash cloths, and cut up receiving blankets, per other's recommendations, but honestly if you can swing it for a pack of real cloth wipes- do it.
I found baby wash cloths too thin, and the receiving blankets have no traction, so they don't do so well in cleaning up the mess.
The Grovia wipes are thick + soft and get the job done with less.

There is one little cloth wipe tip I picked up from another mom, though:

When your baby poops, use toilet paper to get the initial bulk off so you don't need to worry about having to rinse/spray your wipes off or about getting poop in your washing machine.
The toilet paper can be flushed with the poop, or thrown away with the liner. (psstt...have you made fleece liners yet?)

Then the cloth wipe will get the rest of the nasty off, real good.

Do you have any cloth wipe recommendations? I know there are tons of awesome WAHM moms who make them. I think I may be in the market for some more, if only out of curiosity of what else is out there.

NEXT

I will be going over cloth diapering on the GO. I know I kind of already covered this in my Traveling With Cloth Diapers post, but more specifically, I will be talking about the day trips and grocery store runs.

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering

Shop Diaper Junction:

I feel the need to write a huge disclaimer at the top of this post. For some reason, nothing polarizes people more than the topic of washing poopy linens. All recommendations here are my own, what I stand behind, and has worked for my own family with zero issues.


This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. As always, I would never recommend something I don't stand behind and use myself!

So, first let's talk about your diapers. Your kids poop in them, and even though you're either flushing, tossing, or rinsing the poop away, that residual stuff that stays on them is still nasty. It's poop. Plus, these things are saturated with pee. They are the most heavily soiled laundry you will ever clean in your machine (I hope).

Okay, now that we've established soiled cloth diapers are dirty-dirty, let's talk  
Detergent:

You need something that actually says "detergent". In the US, there are regulations on the word "detergent". If it says the word "soap" it's not detergent, it's soap. A lot of "detergents" specifically formulated for cloth diapers are just baking soda and washing soda. They are weak, at best, and will not carry the punch needed to clean your dirty, disgusting diapers.

Chances are, whatever you use on your regular laundry is safe and effective for cleaning your cloth diapers. As long as it does not contain fabric softeners or optical brighteners. DO NOT use any fabric softeners with your cloth diapers (unless it's plant-based).

You will need to strip your diapers if you do, because fabric softener coats fibers, and will cause repelling/stink issues on your diapers.


I personally use Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus (the citrus scent, not free and clear) liquid laundry detergent for my diapers. It's what I use for all my clothes, it's plant-based, but it's one of the strongest non-synthetic, and it doesn't make my kids' skin break out.

Plus Target's subscription service is amazing.


Between washing, I have an open garbage can with a Planet Wise pail liner in my laundry room. I, or a lot of times, my toddler, just toss dirty diapers in there after every change.
Leaving it open allows for airflow, which actually reduces stink.
You can't smell the diapers unless you stick your head in there, and that'd be just plain weird.



When it's time to wash, the basic wash routine looks like this:

Quick wash (with a little detergent (usually "line 1" of the detergent): this will remove the majority of the yuck.

Long, heavy wash on hot/warm (with a lot of detergent (whatever is recommended for a heavily soiled load*)): this will deeply clean the now-just-normally-dirty, but not totally-disgusting diapers.


It's seriously that simple.

There's a few important notes I would like to make:

1. READ YOUR WASHER'S MANUAL. I know, groan, grumble, eye-roll. But your manual will most likely give the most accurate usage instructions. It will tell you how full the washer should be with laundry. Hint- most are most effective at at least 1/2 of the way full.

2. If you have hard water, like I do, adding a water softener like borax  (or Calgon, or washing soda (the least strong)) will help your detergent work more effectively. When you wash with hard water, not only will your detergent not be as effective (ESPECIALLY plant-based), but the minerals from your water can build up on your diapers and cause issues down the road. Some people add 1/4 cup of borax, some do 1/2. I do 1/4 cup, in my main wash only.

3. It may take some time to tweak your wash routine to perfection. The biggest part of getting your routine down is knowing how your washer works best, and which load size is going to be optimal. For example, when I started washing when my diaper pail was 2/3 of the way full instead of almost completely full, my diapers started smelling so much cleaner. Try more/less diapers or detergent until you find the sweet spot. If your diapers feel slimy or sticky, cut back on detergent or add an extra rinse.

4. Note about HE machines. I see *so* many recommendations about trying to "trick" your machine into using more water if you have an HE machine. Most of these tips are actually ineffective, and beside the fact, HE washers are MADE to wash with less water. HE washers (especially those without an agitator) work solely by having the clothes agitate against each other to get clean. With less water, the clothes will be agitating together much more than with extra water. THIS is how they get clean. Make sure you are filling your machine to it's recommended level. Most HE machines are most effective at 1/2 - 3/4 of the way full of laundry. I have effectively used both HE and standard, "old-school" machines for cloth diapers.



This is my exact routine:

I put line 1 of detergent in the washer. I dump the diapers directly into the washer from the pail**
I put the washer going on a light wash, cold water, corresponding-sized load.

When the "pre-wash" is done, I peel the diapers off the sides***, pour in line 4 of detergent (what is recommended for a heavily soiled load), and measure out 1/4 cup of borax (throw this right in with the diapers)
I put the washer going on the super heavy wash, with hot water.

I occasionally do an extra rinse, if I feel like my diapers aren't fully rinsing, or accidentally put in a little too much detergent.

** I only wash my pail liner every few washes, as needed.
*** I used to "fluff" my load between washes, but then I realized this was probably pointless with a standard top loader, so I quit that! Another myth I fell for *face palm*

When the washing machine is done, I separate my covers, toss the inserts (mainly FST) into the dryer for 30 minutes (or less, they dry FAST).
I air dry my covers. I throw everything in the dryer, unless it's summer, then they all go on the line!

Want a free, customizable wash routine printable? 
Hang this in your laundry room, for laundry helpers:




For the rest of my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering


Okay, folks, today we are going to learn how to put a diaper on your baby.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. As always, I only share products I love and use myself. I am sincerely grateful for the support of blog.

Now that I covered what you need to cloth diaper, lets see these guys in action!

Cloth diapers, especially the way I cloth diaper (pad-folded inserts and covers) comes with a very slight learning curve to make sure you have a snug, comfortable fit. But it quickly becomes second nature.

I'm going to show you how to pad-fold a flour sack towel. This is considered the "boy fold" but, wha-ever, I'd still use it if I had girls because it's a fold I could do in my sleep.

1. Lay the flour sack flat and fold it in half.

2. Fold one edge one-fourth of the way down.
*side note- FST do shrink a little over time, so I do a little less so it's long enough for my boys*

3. Fold in half again, so the part you just folded is now flush with the edge.
*again, I now do just below*

4. Fold into thirds towards the center

5. Ta-Dah! Repeat 65 times for all your flour sacks while catching up on your favorite Netflix show.
Or maybe that's just me.

6. Into the cover it goes.


I know it seems pretty simple to get this on the baby, you just lay in the cover and put it on, right? That's what most people do, but there's a slight variation I do and showed my husband that makes it just that much easier, in my opinion;

1. Lay the padfolded FST down so it is lined up with the back of the diaper. Doesn't matter what the rest is doing.  

2. Holding it in place on the back of the cover, slide it under baby's bum, slightly lower than you'd do a disposable. Fold only the insert up over baby. Hold.

3. Pull the cover up and around the insert.

4. Snap each side.

5. Adjust between legs. Tuck in any insert that might be outside the elastic, make sure diaper is sitting well into the leg creases.

6. Pull up back of diaper, if necessary.

7. Not pictured, but totally necessary: stand back admire your cute lil fluff butt.

Folding the insert up, then forming the cover around makes for a very snug fit that keeps the insert in the perfect position. I do prefer to use more snug covers (Buttons are my favorite), so this is an easier way to me than just lying it in the cover and not have it lay very well where it needs to be in the front.

When it's time to change, I open the diaper, pull the FST out, fold it in half on itself (the back is usually dry so I lay it like this right next to me), put a new one in, then toss the wet FST into the diaper pail.

*If there's poo in the diaper, it needs to be removed prior to being put in the diaper pail, unless your baby is exclusively breastfed. You can use liners, dump it into the toilet, or spray. Read all the poop removable options here. 

NEXT
I will be covering how I wash my cloth diapers. Arguably the most overwhelming part of taking on cloth diapering. Spoiler alert! It's actually very easy! 


Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering

Shop Diaper Junction:

There is an overwhelming amount of information out there on cloth diapers.
Seriously overwhelming.
I know, becausse four years ago, I was a pregnant mom, trying to figure out what on Earth I needed to do once I had a little bum that needed to be diapered.

If this is you, breathe.
Then, jump in.
Once you start cloth diapering, everything will just. make. sense.

After over a year and half of cloth diapering, and two babies, and my laziness reaching it's height, this is the system I have fallen to.



This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you.. As always, I would never recommend something I don't stand behind and use myself!


I use covers with cotton flats (which replaced my flour sack towels), which I think is the easiest way to cloth diaper after all this time, with two in cloth currently (I originally thought pockets would be).

My favorite are one-size Cloth-Eez birdseye cotton flats, but there's so many varieties available from elsewhere.

I like to keep things simple.

I like to keep things easy.

I also like to keep them cheap, but that has been an unexpected bonus to accomplishing the above.


Most of my routine and recommendations do apply to whatever cloth diaper system you choose, but I will be going very specifically into what I personally do.

Firstly, I want to go over what you need to cloth diaper.
Simply.

You need waterproof covers.

This in itself is beyond overwhelming because the brands out there are overwhelming, and if you haven't cloth diapered before, you won't even know what features you'd like.

I personally like a snug fit and double gussets, so Buttons are my favorite covers.
I also have Best Bottoms, Lalabye Baby, Grovia, Smart Bottoms and Thirsties (and have tried quite a few other brands).

You can see my complete budget brand cover post here.
Or my review list here.
 


You need something absorbent go in the covers.

I use birdseye flats, now.

But I initially started with flour sack towels, when I wrote this post:
I buy the packs of ten from Walmart for $7.88. I've tried the Target brand also and I cannot tell the difference between the two whatsoever.
It's recommended that you have 3 inserts per cover, since your cover can be used multiple times. I think this is a really good rule of thumb, though I will be honest and say I went a little overboard buying FST every time I ran out and now I have half a million.
So I need a few more covers. Hee.

You can use any prefolds, flats, fitteds, (or even snap-in inserts if you buy a diaper like Buttons, Best Bottom, Lalabye Baby, or Grovia) in a diaper cover.
EXCEPT raw microfiber, since it is too irritating and drying to go against baby's skin.

Shop inserts at Nicki's Diapers. 

You need somewhere to put dirty diapers.

I use an open garbage can with a large Planet Wise pail liner.
Some people just use a plain 'ol laundry basket, but again, I'm lazy, so I prefer something that can just be tossed in the washer when it needs to be washed.
If you leave your house, ever (I rarely do, but I still use them), travel wetbags are nice to have. Though I do tend to forget anything that is not a baby, so I've used plastic bags in a pinch.

You need laundry detergent.

Real laundry detergent. 
Diapers are the dirtiest, most disgusting (hopefully) laundry you will do. You need something that has surfactants, preferably with enzymes. This is what I use and love.
If you're thinking "what the heck is this lady even saying?" Chances are -you can just use whatever laundry detergent you use on the rest of your clothes. As long as IT DOES NOT HAVE FABRIC SOFTENER.

I REPEAT, NO FABRIC SOFTENER NEAR YOUR FLUFF!


There's the optional items I use and recommend:


Cloth wipes are nice to use in place of disposables.

Snappis (or another closure) work awesome if you will do anything but pad- fold (that's all I generally do because -lazy


I initially recommended making fleece liners:
If your baby is not exclusively breastfed and you don't want to dunk 'n' swish your diapers or get a diaper sprayer, this is the easy way to deal with poop once your kid's is no longer washer-safe.

*Another optional supply is a WATER softener, like Borax, if your water is hard.
Mine is. Hard water doesn't clean the diapers as well, especially since I use plant-based (AKA weaker) detergent.

Here is a post on extra cloth accessories I use and love, but are definitely NOT needed! I have gone a long part of my diaper journey without.

That's it. Diaper covers, diaper inserts, wet bags, and laundry detergent.
Fleece liners, Snappis, cloth wipes, accessories optional.

NEXT!
I will be walking through the actual diapering process. The folding, putting it on baby, with a few fit tips I've picked up over time.


Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For the rest of my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering