Flats Challenge Day 3: Flats 101

Today is Day 3 of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! So far it has been going really well for us over here. I washed my second load of flats in the camp washer today and felt like it went better and quicker than yesterday. Due to a rainy day today I hung the flats on my indoor drying rack and placed it near a window to get at least some indirect "sun" to help with stains.

Today is an open topic day for the Flats Challenge bloggers, and I decided to write a Flats 101 post! Before I started researching for the challenge I didn't know much about flats, and a post like this with all the information in one place would have been so helpful!

What is a flat?

A flat is simply a large square of fabric. The edges can be turned and hemmed or can be simply serged, and the size can vary from 27"x27" to 30"x30" or even larger! Most flats are only one layer of fabric, though sometimes you can find some that are two layers in order to have a decorative side. Flats can be made from really any type of absorbent material. Most are cotton, bamboo, hemp, or some combination of those. If you are looking for flats on a budget you can use cotton flour sack towels that can be found at most stores near the kitchen towels for around $1 each, or you can use receiving blankets as flats! You can even upcycle old t-shirts as flats: just take an XL-XXXL 100% cotton t-shirt and cut off the bottom, side, and top seams so that you end up with two large squares that you can use as flats! If you are on a very small budget a great option is to go to a thrift store and look for receiving blankets and t-shirts on a day when the thrift store offers $0.50 items. You could feasibly get a whole stash of 24 flats for as little as $6 - $12 if you found twelve t-shirts for $0.50 - $1 each and cut them to get two flats out of each shirt.

How do you fold a flat?

Since a flat is just a large square of fabric, it must be folded into a diaper to place on your baby. The amount of folds you can do is only limited by your imagination! There are many flat folding tutorials available online in both pictorial and video form. I have step by step pictures of four folding options and each one that I list has a link to a video tutorial from Dirty Diaper Laundry.

• First up is the Kite Fold: to do this fold, you first make sure your flat is square. Once it is square, the corners get folded in to make a kite shape. The bottom of the kite folds up to determine the rise height, and the widest part of the kite becomes the diaper's wings. Check out the tutorial to see this in action!

• Next is the Diaper Bag Fold: each side of your flat folds toward the middle, and then the bottom folds up to determine the rise height. Then trifold it like a prefold and fan out the top for wings. Fold the back down slightly to help contain poop, and then put the diaper on baby. Check out the tutorial to see this flat fold.

•  This is the Jo Fold: you fold all corners of the flat in toward the middle to make a smaller square and then trifold and fan out the wings. I have found this to be one of the quickest folds and it fastens really nicely onto baby. Check out the video tutorial here.

•  Lastly, this is the Origami fold: after you fold the flat in half to make a rectangle, you take one corner and pull it across so that you have a triangle facing you. Then you flip the whole thing over so the triangle is on the backside, and you fold the oblong side in toward the middle to make a thicker pad for the wet zone. This fold is tricky to explain, so definitely watch the video. Once you try it, it is really doable though!

• The other fold that I use often is the Pad Fold. I don't have pictures of this one, as it is pretty basic. Take your flat and fold it in half to make a rectangle. Then, fold it in half again so that you get a square. Then just trifold your square like a prefold and lay it in a cover. This is a great way to pre-load covers to keep in your diaper bag or to send along to Grandma's house. This is also a great way to continue using flats that might be too small to fit on your baby using a "fancier" fold. 
• There are a lot of other folds out there and in fact I just found this Master List of Flat Folds the other day. I can't wait to experiment with some new folds! Whenever I am trying a new fold I just remind myself that it really doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it stays on baby and contains messes. Once you get the hang of a fold it is easier to make it look pretty.

How do you fasten a flat?

There are three main options that I know of for fastening flats. The first one that most cloth diaper mamas are familiar with is a Snappi. You just clip it to each wing and to the front of the diaper and you're all set to go. I have found that some flats are very hard to snappi due to the type of material they are, though. Another option you can try is the Boingo. I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but it is the same type of concept as a Snappi but it has only two ends so you use one Boingo on each side of your diaper to hold the wings. The last option that you can use is a diaper pin. When I first started using my flats there were quite a few times where I found myself wishing I had a diaper pin, something I never thought I would have wished! Since my Snappis don't work on every fabric, I ended up going out and getting a few diaper pins to try and honestly I really like them. I have read that if you keep them stuck in a bar of soap between uses, it helps the pin glide through the fabric better. I need to try this because I have had a little trouble getting some of my pins through the flats. Overall though I like the pins because they give me the ability to fasten some of the fabrics that my Snappi struggles with. The great thing about diapers pins is that you can pick them up at most stores in the diaper section for about $1 for 4 pins. Much cheaper than the other alternatives and great for diapering on a budget!

What do you use to cover a flat?

Almost any cover will work over flats, depending on what fold you are using. If I have done some of the bulkier flat folds then I reach for my Blueberry Coveralls or my Bummis covers. If I am pad folding a flat, I reach for a GroVia or Flip cover. At night and naptime I always reach for my wool covers! If you are starting out on a budget, check out Imagine and Sweet Pea one size covers. I know that both of those are around $10 for a one size cover. You could even try a Gerber cover from your local grocery store. At around $5 that would be a great cheap way to start cloth diapering with flats, and with the money you save on disposables you could invest in a couple better quality covers. If you have a heavy wetting baby I highly recommend wool, even if you are on a tight budget. Check out my review of Gordy's Girl for a very affordable wool option!

I hope that this Flats 101 post will be a great source of information for someone looking at flats for the first time, or even someone looking into flats again! I will have another post later in the week comparing the different types of flats I am trying. I hope the Flats Challenge is going great for everyone participating!

Sweet Bobbins Cloth Wipes

When I first started researching cloth diapers I had never heard of, or even considered, cloth wipes. Once I heard about them and started thinking about the benefits to my budget and the environment, cloth wipes just made a ton of sense. I also love that I'm not wiping chemicals on Ava's bum with each change. Personally I think that if you use cloth diapers, then it is just easier to also use cloth wipes! There isn't much extra work involved if you're already doing a load of diaper laundry anyway, and with cloth wipes you don't have to worry about having a separate place to put used disposable wipes. Cloth wipes are a great way to go green without much extra effort.

When I contacted Sweet Bobbins to see if she would like to do a review with us during Earth Month, she offered to send me a 12 pack of cloth wipes in my choice of gender and theme. I chose a girly woodlands theme, and got twelve adorable wipes! Sweet Bobbins also sells flat diapers, blankets, crib sheets, wet bags, unpaper towels, nursing covers, and more. Make sure to check out the awesome products she makes!

Don't you just love these prints? Sweet Bobbins' wipes are flannel on top and organic bamboo velour on the bottom. They are so plush and soft! The prints have held up great through many washes are aren't getting faded really at all.

I use cloth wipes not only for diaper changes, but also for dirty hands, noses, and really anything that Ava manages to get dirty! These Sweet Bobbins wipes are my favorite for her nose because the bamboo velour is so soft and gentle on her skin. I also love the velour side for changing dirty diapers. It is soft, but has enough texture to get her bum nice and clean!

These wipes have quickly become some of the most reached for ones that we have, and I am excited to tell you that Sweet Bobbins has offered to give away a set of 12 wipes in the winner's choice of gender and theme! Enter in the form below.


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Buncha Farmers Stain Stick

You just received a set of lovely new organic cotton all in one diapers for your daughter. Opening the packaging, you inspect them all and take them to the washer to begin the prepping process. Three washes and dries later the soft buttery cotton awaits its first use on your daughter's bum. During her next diaper change you happily choose a fun print, snap it on, and head downstairs. Then it happens. The biggest, nastiest poop she has had in weeks... covering the whole inside of your brand new diaper! Not just any poop, this is a bright greenish yellow color due to some new food that she tried recently. You groan as you realize that your lovely new unspoiled diaper is now permanently stained beyond recognition, and you see the resale value dropping before your eyes. Or is it?

Has this ever happened to you? Friends, I have found a solution! The day that this happened to me just happened to be the day after I received a Buncha Farmers Stain Stick to review.

Buncha Farmers is an all natural stain remover that is 100% biodegradable. It has a lovely eucalyptus smell that I love, and comes in a stick that is about 4 inches long. All you have to do to use it is wet the stick and rub it directly on the stain.

Truthfully, I was not holding out much hope that it would work on this diaper. I mean, just look at these stains! These are what was left after the diaper had gone through my usual washing routine. Yikes!

So like any good review blogger I snapped a couple pictures of the stained diaper just in case Buncha Farmers worked. When I went back to my washer after another wash cycle I was greeted with this sight pictured below.

I was amazed that so much of the stain had been lifted! You can see on the lower layer of cotton the darker areas are where I didn't get the stain stick the first time. I rubbed the diaper down with the stain stick again, making sure that I actually got all the stained areas this time, and threw it in with my next load of laundry. When it came out of the washer the second time I put it on my drying rack in my dining room to catch any sun that might happen to show up. I'm pretty sure there wasn't much sun though, since I live in Michigan and it is dreary winter here still. The results below are purely due to the Buncha Farmers Stain Stick.

I am so amazed by how good this diaper looks! Yes, it is the same diaper that was gross and stained just a few pictures back! It looks like new again, and I really can't find any traces of the stains that were there.

I was so impressed with how this stain remover worked. I only had to use the stick twice on this terribly stained diaper to get this result. I found that it worked well to apply the stain remover to the diaper when it was wet and clean out of the washer, and then I just added it to my next load of laundry. If you cloth diaper or have kids or pets, you need this stick! It retails for around $5, and you can find a list of retailers here.

Buncha Farmers is distributed by Green Team Enterprises Distribution, and they have offered to giveaway a Buncha Farmers Stain Stick to one of our readers! Enter via the form below.


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Back to Basics - How to get Started With Cloth

If you're a veteran cloth diaperer, you might think this post is not for you - but, pros, we would LOVE for you to chime in! Getting started with cloth diapering is one of my favorite topics. I have had a lot of friends thinking about making the switch lately, and it is so fun to sit and discuss! So, what do I share when someone asks me "how" to get started with cloth?

First, I share a couple of tips -

• Cloth diapering does not have to be an "all or nothing" thing. Using cloth diapers does NOT mean you can never use a disposable again (you probably won't WANT to, but, that's another story) ;-) I usually see a huge look of relief when friends hear this! Seriously though, it can be overwhelming, and while most people can take any cloth diaper, wash it however, and have no problems, you might have to troubleshoot a little. Don't stress over it!
• I would not suggest investing in 2-3 dozen of the exact same diaper. What works for your best friend might not work at all for you! Your neighbor may love one system of diapering, like pockets, but you may love another, like the simplicity of prefolds.

How do you figure out what will work? 

First, figure out what type of diapering system you would like to use. The options may seem completely overwhelming to those starting out. Your options include the following:

• Pockets - These are a two-piece (or more) system. Consisting of a cover with a pocket and an insert. Most Pockets require you to remove the insert from the pocket before washing.
• All In One (AIO) - This style is most like a disposable (in terms of looks). It has all the absorbency sewn into the diaper. Nothing needs to be removed or inserted.
• All In Two (AI2) - This style has removable absorbency. The layer(s) of absorbency is either sewn in, or snaps in and removes for a quicker dry time.
• Fitted - These do not have a waterproof lining sewn in and require a cover of some sort (more on covers in a minute). Depending on where you purchase from, the absorbency is either in style of AIO or AI2.
• Prefolds - These are most like your "parents" cloth diapers. They resemble a towel, and are folded in various ways to contain messes.
• Covers - There are three types of covers: PUL (which ultimately means "waterproof", but it stands for the type of material used), Wool and Fleece.

Many cloth diaper retailers (that sell a variety of diapers), have "trial packages" - you can rent this and included will be a little bit of everything. That way you can figure out if learning "all" the different twists/folds for prefolds is just not for you, and using All-In-One's (AIOs), that resemble disposable diapers, is! You may think that you will love Pockets and find out that Fitteds and Covers is your dream come true!

If a trial package isn't an option for you, I would still avoid purchasing a lot of one style or brand. Get a couple different kinds, see what you like. Cloth diapers have great resell value, and you will earn back most of what you spend!

What ever you decide on is great! AND you don't have to decide on just one kind! It's your diaper stash - make it what you want! I have found that as my children grow, and their (getting gross here) poop and pee (textures and amounts...sorry!) change, as well as their body size and shape, my preferred diapering style has changed.

So, you know what you want (or are open to anything!) 

How do you go about acquiring diapers and building your stash? A quick google search of "cloth diaper retailers" will bring up oodles of stores, fanning their Facebook pages will probably also earn you a discount code (eventually, if not immediately!) Then, you're free to shop your heart out!

But what if finances are an issue?

• If you have a local Freecycle, ask - the worst you'll hear is nothing. 
• Check on Craigslist - many people buy a ton of diapers, and then their child outgrows them, or they decide not to use cloth anymore. Some people are selling a diaper they thought they'd like, but find out otherwise. You'll never know what you'll find! 
• There are swap websites (like diaperswappers.com) and many (many) groups on Facebook that are Buy/Sell/Trade (including CDA's own swap group!)  
• Ask your friends! True story: we were looking to build up our newborn stash with our 3rd (as we were told he would most likely be smaller than our first two due to a cord issue restricting his growth). We didn't have a lot of money to spend, but knew that we wanted our 3rd to be in cloth diapers from the start. We had about 4 newborn diapers at the time, and knew that I didn't really want to wash every couple of hours ;) I put a call out on Facebook and a friend was looking to sell her entire newborn stash for $100+shipping. For about $115, I received about 4 dozen prefolds (if not more), along with pockets/AIOs/fitteds/and covers, coming out my ears! It was a HUGE box. I actually tallied the amount and it came to nearly $600 worth of diapers - yes, used, but, she was done, and I needed them! We all won in that deal!  
• Borrow! That huge box of diapers I bought for just $100? A dear friend across the state borrowed it for her newborn...and then she sent it back and another friend borrowed it...and she's done with most of them...and the ones she is done with...another friend is starting to borrow! So, I won, the selling friend won, and 3 other friends have won in this deal! 
• Almost all cloth diaper retailers have sales, clearances, coupons, and more often than not, a Seconds and/or Gently Used section on their websites. Take advantage of these! You will find amazing deals! 
• I've also noticed the past year or so that cloth diapers are becoming a hit at our local Consignment Sales. Again - rock bottom prices for something you NEED!

So, your diapers are in hand - now what?

Next come accessories! While these aren't required to cloth diapers, depending on who you talk to, you may hear (or find out from personal experience) that one or more of these items will help make your cloth diapering journey easier!

Cloth Wipes:

This can be as cheap or expensive as you'd like. Some families cut up receiving blankets and use that, while others prefer some thing more uniform and with nicer materials (like bamboo or velour!) You can find wipes through any online cloth diaper retailer, or support WAHM's through etsy and Hyena Cart shops. Many moms continue to use disposable wipes with their cloth diapers, so this isn't required (we at CDA would encourage you to give it a try though!) :-D

Wet Bags: 

A wet bag is simply a waterproof bag that holds dirty diapers. And to wash, you simply dump the contents of the bag and wash! Wet bags come in a variety of sizes (and usually really cute fabrics) and some have the option to hang. Having a smaller sized one is a great addition to a diaper bag for outings, as well.

Diaper Detergent:

A cloth diaper specific detergent is not required to successfully cloth diaper, but many moms find that the gentler, more natural ingredients help to get their diapers cleaner. And of course, these detergents are better for the environment, and your family, as well. 

Diaper Cream: 

Most diaper creams are not safe for cloth diapers, due to ingredients in the creams.  Just about every cloth diaper retailer carries cloth diaper safe diaper creams, or you may find that coconut or olive oil work just fine for your little one without causing damage to your diapers.

Other Accessories:

Other accessories you may find that you need include:

• Liners  - to help keep diapers looking new on the inside, as well as make removing poops easier
• Diaper Sprayer - to clean off dirty diapers before washing
• Doublers/Boosters - To add more absorbency to your diapers - especially helpful for nap/night time and traveling
• Snappi or Pins - If you choose to use prefolds, or snapless fitteds, you might find that you need something to help close the diapers

So, there is the very basics of cloth diapering in a nut shell. The rest of the week, our other contributors will be sharing other basic cloth diapering information!

Please feel free to leave a message here, or on the CDA Facebook page or on Twitter, if you have any questions!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Don't worry, I'm not going to break out in song! However, I am going to follow in Kristina's footsteps in sharing some of my favorite cloth diapers like she did on Wednesday. Portions of our lists might be similar, so bear with me.

She started with covers, so I will too..

• Thirsties Duo Wraps by far. These fit my itty bitty 7 pounder last summer and my 30+pounder both like a dream.
• We also love Bummis Super Whisper Wraps as we use them at night on our toddler with some jam packed prefolds. However, we use the snaps version (I really don't like velcro) and have for over 3 years - they still work as well as they did the first day. Since we use them at night and fill them up with absorbency, we go up a size, so we have all the sizes and love them all.
  
• Fleece and wool tie in a win, hands down. If I could keep my guy in fleece or wool all day, I would in a heart beat (and some days I do!)
  

Pockets. These are probably our favorite type of diaper as well.

• My favorite is probably FuzziBunz. I felt they were so-so on my toddler, but when I received a set for Caedmon when he was born, I fell in love (with the sized, not OS).
• I love the old school Pocket Change (you can see my refurbished Pocket Change here. I will hang on to these as long as I can! But I'm not a fan of the new style (new meaning about 2 years ago, haha).

AIO/AI2. I don't really have a favorite AIO, but I shared yesterday about one of my new favorite AI2's.

• So, Wild Mountain Mommies is definitely on that list.
• Bright Star Baby is another AI2 that I love.

Prefolds. Other than trifolding prefolds for nighttime use with our toddler, we had never used prefolds until our 3rd baby came along. I have a conglomeration of prefolds, but my favorite

• Definitely our Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold. This thing is soft as all get out!

Fitteds.

• For newborns, Thirsties Fab Fitted (which I think have been discontinued??) Love those things. The XS fit my guys like a dream.
• Nifty Nappy is probably my absolute favorite.
  

Wet Bags. No real favorite here.

Wipes.

• Kissaluvs wipes

If I could say only one diaper could be in my stash, hands down, I would say, Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper. OS (that really is). AIO. Absorbency liner comes out for fast drying, but it's attached. With a pocket to add absorbency. Bamboo liner. Reliable velcro. Fun colors.

What are some of your favorite things?

What I like...

I have been asked a few different times what are some of the things that I like for cloth diapering as far as favorite pockets, aio's, prefolds etc. So I thought I would through together a little post sharing what my favorites are!

Covers: I have tried numerous covers. WAHM covers and Big Brand covers. I have to say that so far the Big Brand Covers are the ones that have worked the best for us. This might not be true for everyone but it is for me. I get asked which is my favorite and that is a hard choice between the Thirsties Duo Wrap and the Bummis Super Whisper Wrap. Here is why I like these two:

• Thirsties: Comes in two sizes, awesome colors and prints, covers have rise adjusters, comes in velcro and snaps ( I personally don't care for the snaps on these covers), always can get a good fit on my LO, gussets are great on these, the color doesn't seem to fade, its a little stretchy so its easy to pull around a prefold or fitted. I guess the one thing I didn't like about these covers was that when I put them on my son (18m at the time) with a prefold they would start to sag and droop down after time because he was constantly moving around. I would recommend using a snappi with a prefold under this cover to help prevent this from getting saggy.
  
• Bummis: Comes in fun prints (and white), available in 5 sizes (newborn-XL) I have only ever needed the small and medium. The large was to big on my older son, younger son hasn't grown into that size yet but probably will. Comes in velcro which I have found to hold up great. We have had our for a year now and it still looks practically brand new! Covers are very strong and durable and hold snug in place with out sagging. The legs do not have gussets on the SWW but I haven't found this to be a problem because they are sized and always fit around the legs just right.
  

Pocket Diapers: Pocket Diapers are probably my favorite kind of diaper because I can easily adjust the amount of absorbancy they have. Which is super because my boys are massive heavy wetters and I always have to add extra into the diapers they wear. Pockets make up the majority of my stash. I have tried so many different kinds of pocket diapers I can't even count the amount! Here is my pick for pocket diapers:

• bumGenius 4.0: Now I know some people have issues with 'big brand' companies and would much rather prefer to support WAHM which is super but when you find a diaper that works for you, you use it. I have mostly BG 4.0 pockets and a few 3.0s. These are the pocket diapers I have had the most success with. They fit my skinny minny and my chunky monkey. I can say that even with the 'new and improved' velcro that I still HATE it and had almost all of my velcro 4.0 diapers converted. I find that the pockets are easy to stuff, easy to un-stuff. I don't the the shells have stained at all from poo but the inserts have but that's not a big deal. If I had a readily available clothes line they would sun out.
  

All In Ones (AIO's): Finding an AIO that is trim can be pretty easy. Finding an AIO that drys quick, dones't get stinky from holding so much bulk...that can be tricky. I have tried quite a few different brands of AIO diapers and liked them each for different reasons. Here are my picks for AIO diapers:

• Bummis Easy Fits (Tots Bots): These are hands down my favorite AIO diaper...why? That's pretty easy, they are soft, super adorable prints and colors, they dry fast, they are trim, they UNSTUFF Themselves. Wait, what? An AIO that un-stuffs? Its all one piece but its insert is a long strip that you have to tuck into the diaper, that's why it drys so fast. I also like this because even though its an AIO it has a pocket that I can stick an extra hemp insert into for my heavy wetter. Here is the bonus: I have NEVER EVER had a stink issue with this diaper. A lot of my other AIO diapers tend to get stinky after a while. I have not had an issue with this diaper and stink. SWEET!
• Drybees AIO: This was a favorite of mine when my son was smaller. I have a few of the size smalls were are so cute and trim. They also have a pocket that you can add extra inserts into. I found that the best way to dry these diapers was to turn them inside out after taking them out of the washer. Otherwise it did take longer for them to dry. As my son got older and started peeing more I noticed that he would leak more around the legs so I started using these less. Oh, these also hold up GREAT over time.

All In Two (AI2) Diapers: I will honestly say that I'm not a huge fan of AI2 diapers. Maybe its because the ones I have tried haven't really impressed me that much. Some have the snap in liner and you cansupposiely 're-use' the shell but after the baby pees the shell is all wet so why would you want to reuse it? My pick for favorite AI2 diaper is:

• SoftBums: I think I liked this one because of the fit, softness, and least amount of problems. I never reused the shell though....

Prefolds: I have used only a handfull of different prefolds and my favorites were Bummis and Osocozy prefolds. They are pretty much identical and I can't tell the difference of which is which in my basket of prefolds.

Fitted Diapers: Okay here is where I turn sides and favor the WAHM's products over the 'big guys'. I have tried neumerous fitted from bigger companies and haven't been to impressed, they worked but never really gave me that 'tingly feeling' that you get when you find the right one...okay sorry i didn't know how to describe it. Give me a couple of adorable WAHM made fitted diapers and I am sold! My picks for fitted diapers are:

• Star Baby Designs: Stinking adorable prints, pretty trim, snap in soaker, OS, absorbent, soft, you name it its there.
  
• Cheeky Diapers: OS, cute prints, completely customized all the way down to the trim fabric! There is an additional snap in soaker, great for over night, bulker but not bad. Not as soft as it started out but not bad either.
  

Wet Bags:

• Monkey Foot Designs: I like the waterproof material they use the best, plus the amazing prints they have.
  
• Planet Wise: I love the variety of sizes they offer, cute prints, I have had fading and some hole appear on my bags though.
  

Wipes: I am for the most part using all cloth wipes which is going really good. I love my wipes from Ecobuns (Just bought more today) They are the right size and have a great material on the back for getting the yuck off in one swipe and the other side is a soft fun print flannel material. They are $1.50 a piece and I could probably make some myself for cheaper but I don't have time for that at the moment and Ruthanne, the lady who makes them, does a great job.

I would do more items but its time for me to get off the computer. I hope you liked my list of items I like the most. I will try and do a list of items like detergents, creams etc that I like in the next few weeks. Feel free to share your likes and dislikes in the comments below or if there is a kind of product you want to know what my favorite is of ask below! Thanks!

The Top Ten Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting Cloth

This is just my personal list of things I wish I had known before starting our cloth diaper journey. Everyone's list will vary...

1. Despite what you think now, cloth diapering is really, really easy! - They really are just like disposables - just a lot more fun!

2. Cloth wipes are the way to go! - I still can't believe we waited as long as we did to make this switch (about a year of cloth diapering with disposable wipes!) It made so much sense and we wondered why we spent all that time trying to get poo-covered wipes into the diaper champ without it clogging...over and over...

3. The love that I would end up having for cloth - I'm not sure if it's the dollar signs, the environmental impact or the ingredients inside a disposable (probably all the above), but my stomach turns at the thought of having to use one on my sweet boys' bottoms.

4. How much money we really would save - I saw the numbers on all sorts of websites telling me how much we would potentially save, but actually seeing that money in our account has been amazing.

5. How the wash routine would naturally fit into our lives - I anticipated loads of laundry to consume my life, but it's just one load every couple of days and it does anything but interrupt our lives! I also expected to spend hours slaving away over diapers, but when you think about it, the washer does all the dirty work, then hang to dry, or toss in the dryer, then stuff - so easy!

6. How accepting our family would be - We have great family, and instead of laughter and criticism, we got offers to help purchase what we needed.

7. How fun it would be when friends would announce their switch to cloth - I love when a friend calls me up and asks for advice as they make the switch to cloth! I feel that I, too, get more educated as they ask more and more questions.

8. How my hubby would join right in! - Well, that's misleading! It was his idea to make the switch, so it's a very good thing he joined in!

9. We never thought we would be using coconut oil on our boys' bottoms! - Coconut oil has been our go-to diaper cream - it's very effective and cloth diaper safe, not to mention, yummy smelling!

10. That our children would come to know cloth as a way of life - It is SO great to see our children playing with their stuffed animals and using itty bitty cloth diapers and scraps of cloth as wipes. Hopefully, one day, our boys will come to us with the news that they will be cloth diapering their own children!

What do you wish you had known?

Dana's Top Ten

I have a lot of likes and dislikes in cloth diapering. These here are just a few of my top tens that I would like to share with you!

Number One:
My detergent, I have tried so many different kinds and I have found my favorite to be the Rockin Green! That seems to clean my diapers the best in my HE washing machine and with the hard water that we have! The next favorite would have to be the Mountian Green but that does not do well with the hard water!Number Two:

My Bumgenius AIO organics! These are my all time favorite cloth diaper ever made! I at one point when I started doing cloth diapering had 2 of them full time in cloth and I had tried so many different kinds of diapers and this one hit the spot! I love that its all one piece and it has the seperate layers yet all sewed together so its still an all in one! The one draw back is it takes forever to dry I usually have to put them in the dryer about 3 times to get it fully dry and it does stain very easily.Number three:
I love my new Smartipants diaper! Has a nice trim fit and fits over top of all of Kaiden's clothing. I just got this diaper a few weeks ago and its been used tons of times. This is one that is on the top of my stash so when my bgs are all used I grab it! I love the pocket that holds the liner its so easy to slide in and out for washing! Cute colors too!
Number Four:
Thirsties duo diaper! I have tried the covers and prefolds and I did not like them at all. I hate bulk and so does Kaiden. He would pull them off every time. I got this diaper thinking he would do the same but he does not! I like that the two liners snap together and then slide inside the diaper. They have really cute prints too, not that you see them much but they are still cute. The inside of the diaper is really soft on babys bum too.

Number Five:

I just got a Bootyfuly baby side snaping diaper. I really like this diaper. Though its kinda tough to get on a wiggly lil guy but once its on its nice. I used it for night time 2 nights ago and it worked wonderfully! I inserted the snap in liner and put another one of top of it so it had 2 liners and BAM no leaks at night. I love that these diapers come in long too. My son has a very long torso and a skinny body so its nice these come like that! I have found no flaws with this diaper yet!
Number Six:
I have a planet wise wet bag that I use for my diapers. I use it at home and on the go. At home I have the HUGE one that I hang on the door nob in the bathroom and I put all my dirty and wet diapers in there after they are rinsed and I never smell them even with the bag open. I have a small planet wise bag also that I use for on the go. I never smell stuff in there either! I love my bags. I have made a few of my own too and I really like them also!

Number Seven:

Rockin Green makes a shake that you can put into the bottom of your pail liners. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!! I have used it in my trash cans, my kid floors and then vacuum, my sock drawers put it in a sock and leave it in the drawer...awesome stuff just leaves a fresh smell in your pails and in your bathroom with the stinky diapers in there.
Number Eight:

My handmade diaper sprayer! My husband did not want me to spend the $40 bucks to buy a sprayer so I told him to come up with one for me. HE DID! He is so awesome! I would reccomend to everyone that you get a sprayer with cloth diapering! This one costed me about $25 bucks with everything! I just put the diaper in the toilet and spray the poo away! It has an adjustable water pressure so you have to be careful not get it too high or you get a face full of nasty poo water or it sprays all over the floor. Once you get the hang of it, ITS WONDERFUL!

Number Nine:

Bac-out! This is a must have for me! I spray every poopy diaper with it and throw it in the bag. It retails for about $10 for a big bottle of it and I get it at the health food store around us! This is amazing. You may have seen my post on here before about the blueberry stained diaper. I sprayed the heck out of the diaper with Bac-out and washed it with my Rockin Green and it came clean. So yeah, this is a must have in my house!Number Ten:

My Grovia Magic Stick! This stuff is amazing! I use it on all of my kids including my Five year old! This stuff is like $13 or so dollars and I bought it because I hate putting stuff on my finger to put on their butts. This is also safe for cloth dipaers. You just wipe the stick right on their butt and away you go. Kaiden had an awful red rash when he went to bed one evening and i put this on and he woke up and it was gone. Same with Xavier my five year old, he has accidents alot and he gets red so we put this on him and the next day its gone! Another one of my MUST HAVES!!

A lot of people have differnet Top Tens in cloth diapering and these are mine! Hopefully I have helped some of you in making some decisions! Got questions just ask one of us, we will always try to will help you out!!!

My Top Ten Picks

While looking over all my cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories I started thinking about what I like the best of all the different types I have. I thought I would share my TOP TEN favorites. Please keep in mind that What I have in my stash is different from your stash and that our children are built differently so different diapers work better for me then they do for you!

Here we go:

1. Favorite detergent: Allen's Naturally. This is one of the top five detergents recommended for cloth diapers. I have been using this from the beginning and have tried other kinds of detergents (which have worked out alright) but I seem to have the best of luck with Allen's. My diapers usually come out nice and clean after using this, my boys seem to have the best of luck with not getting rashes or red bums from this detergent.

2. Favorite Wet bag: Planet Wise - I love my large wet dry bag. I hang it from the changing table in the nursery that my boys share. All non poopy diapers go into it and I can never smell the yuck. I love that this also had a 'dry' zippered section that you can put clean diapers in if you plan on being gone for a longer period of time. (Or if you send your boys to the grandparents for an overnight trip!).

3. Favorite pocket diaper: Bumgenius 4.0 - I love this diaper. My boys are super soakers and this diaper seems to be the best one to hold it all in. I like how the insert snaps over to fit the correct rise size of the diaper. That way you don't have to worry about finding an insert that fits or worrying about the folded over part bunching up. I seem to have the best of luck with this diaper. The back of the pocket is nice and wide and easy to stuff. The only thing I don't like is on the velcro diaper the laundry tabs are against the babies back and seem like they would bother my baby's back.

4. Favorite AI2 diaper: SoftBums Echo - I have a couple AI2's. I liked the GroVia until I got the SoftBums. The snap in insert is soft and will stay soft after many washes because its lined with fleece. Plus the insert is long so you can fold it to where the most pee will be, middle for girl and front for boy.

5. Favorite AIO diaper: BumGenius Elemental - I love that this diaper has separated layers so that it will dry faster. Plus this is the trimmest diaper I have yet to find. Fits great under pants as well. I don't like that this stains pretty easy with the poopies.

6. Favorite Cover: Bummis - These are perfect size you have to put out a little more money for covers but its worth it. The material is nice and thick, won't stretch out while on baby, and the velcro holds up well.

7. Favorite Prefold: Bummis - These prefolds are so soft and stay soft. They wash up nicely and come in three sizes, preemie, infant and toddler. They fold up nicely and are easy to put on.

8. Favorite One size diaper: BumGenius - My boys both are built differently, one tall and skinny, one average height and chunky. They are both on the same rise currently and rarely a leak from this diaper. Its easy to adjust the rise if needed. I found this to be helpful because with snaps it is versitile. I would use the same diaper on both boys and could easily change the rise of the diaper and get it on the baby. I have some other diapers that you have to open it up and pull out the elastic and use a toggle or buttons to adjust and even though they are great diapers, they DO NOT work well if you have two in diapers that are different sizes.

9. Favorite Perfect size diaper: Drybees AIO - I really like the sizing and fit of these diapers. And even though they are an AIO they have a pocket so you can add extra inserts if needed and can be turned inside out to help try faster. This diaper also seems to not stain very easy from poo!

10. Favorite Night time diaper: Drybees fleece. Even though this will drop you 20 bucks just for the shell its worth it. I stuff it with a 13 dollar superdoo soaker from knickernappies and never have a leak with my toddler. I also have it for my 6 month old and Im working on finding the perfect insert solution for it. I think I might have it with two loopydoos from knickernappies folded just right.
I would love to hear what some of your top picks are! Share below in the comments section.