Aaahhhh. Summertime. I know I’ll be sick of the heat by August, but for now… it’s just peachy. Playing outside all day and into the evening, the smell of freshly mown grass, and CLOTH DIAPERS!

Oh how I love cloth diapering in the summertime. It’s so much easier to get cloth diapers smelling clean and fresh when I hang them to dry on the line outside.

My backyard clothesline

For those who remember cloth diapering “back in the day” with those huge diaper pins and rubber pants, cloth diapering sure has evolved since then! I use pocket diapers, which consist of the covers – shown in the picture – and microfiber inserts that are stuffed inside. The covers are a waterproof shell that’s still so soft on the outside and a suedecloth or fleece inner to keep baby’s bottom dry. They fasten with either hook and loop (like velcro) or snaps and are almost as easy as a disposable.

Brands of Pockets (that I have)

BumGenius

There are several different brands to choose from. Pockets are one of the more expensive routes to cloth diapering, but they are more convenient than some of the other available methods. My favorites are my 6 bumgenius one-size pocket diapers. I’ve had them for almost a year and they still look brand new. The newest ones retail for $17.95 apiece for the solid colors and $19.95 apiece for the cool “artist series” which have several adorable prints. You can order them online at CottonBabies or get them delivered free in the Quincy area at Cloth and Carry.

Kawaii

Kawaii One-Size Heavy Duty diapers are my second favorite of the cloth diapers I have. They are also one-size pocket diapers (meaning they snap down to change sizes for different size babies, so baby can use them from about 2-3 months till they’re potty trained). They have held up perfectly – still look brand new after nearly a year, but they run a bit larger than bumgenius, so they are a little loose on my 5 month old 14 pound daughter, even at the smallest setting. They’re perfect for my two year old daughter though, and the inserts that come with it are fantastic. They retail for $8.99 apiece at Cloth and Carry.

Nubunz

The last kind of pockets I have is Nubunz. They were the most inexpensive, and they work well, but they definitely don’t look quite as nice on the inside as the other two. Instead of suedecloth on the inside, they are microfleece, which still wicks moisture away from baby’s bottom, but pills up like crazy after only a few washes. It doesn’t affect how the diaper looks, though and they still look great on the outside. Nubunz run about the same size as bumgenius, so my youngest daughter is able to wear these with nearly no leaks. They are on sale right now for only $4.50 per diaper at Nubunz.com, a price that can’t be beat for new diapers! Their website looks crappy and kind of shady, but I’ve ordered from them twice and gotten these great diapers in a reasonable amount of time.

Try it out! And get some good detergent!

If you just want to try cloth diapering, order one pocket diaper and just try it out. It’s not as bad as it seems! One more super-important thing about cloth – get the right detergent to wash your diapers, otherwise your baby could end up with a wicked rash. I had no idea what I was doing when I started, and I got a “free and clear” detergent that gave my older daughter a terrible rash. I’ve had good luck with Rockin’ Green. If you’re just trying cloth for the first time, you can get samples of this awesome detergent here. Our local cloth diaper web store – Cloth and Carry – also has several types of “natural laundry” detergents, so if Rockin’ Green doesn’t work for you, there are other options.

If you have questions about starting cloth diapering, please feel free to comment, and I’ll get back to you via email as soon as possible.