Cloth Diapering- the day to day details

In this post, I want to talk about how I actually use, store, and clean my cloth diapers.  Also, what accessories I have and how I have my house set up for cloth.  *There is quite a bit of poop talk ahead!*

I bought a metal trash can from Walm.art that has a pedal you push to pop the lid up.  I had 2  Planetw.ise diaper pail liners to go in the trash can.  I keep this right beside the changing table in her room.  When she was only on breast milk (so up until about 6 months of age) this was all I had for my diapers.  I always changed her in her room and I threw the dirty diaper in the pail.  Breast milk poop doesn't have to be rinsed because it is water soluble.  So the diaper went straight from the baby into the pail.  I did buy some Bumgenius odor remover spray.  I would spray a few squirts onto a poopy diaper and then it went straight into the pail.  I don't really know if the spray helped or not.  I only used it for a few months and then I stopped.  I've never had any issues.  This stage was very easy.  

When Blakely was 6 months to about 8 months, I had to start spraying her poop diapers off because she was eating solid foods and her poop was changing.  I bought a Bumgenius diaper sprayer and had the husband attach it to the toilet in the bathroom closest to her room.    I would still change her diaper in her room.  If it was poopy then I would set it to the side and finish getting her dressed.  Then I would carry B and the dirty into the bathroom.  I put her on the floor and let her play...I actually kept a few small toys in the bathroom just for this reason. The girl loves to play in a bathroom, always has.  Anyway, then I would spray the diaper off.  I realized quickly that carrying the water soaked diaper back into her room where the pail was just wasn't working out.  I bought 2 more diaper pail liners and started keeping one on the floor in the bathroom.  That way I could just toss the diaper into it without a mess.  I didn't get a trash can for this one because I didn't feel like it was needed.  Keeping the bag on the floor worked just fine.  

At about 8 months, B's poop changed again.  It was no longer mushy.  We had little turds.  YES!  This makes life super easy because you can just plop them into the toilet.  No mess at all.  I still keep the trash can with the diaper pail liner in her room as this is the main place for changes.   I also still keep a pail liner on the floor in the bathroom downstairs just in case I need to spray a diaper.  It is pretty rare that I have to do that...I'd say once every two weeks or so?  Now that she is older I can just do quick changes upstairs (without the risk of her peeing on the couch).  I realized I didn't want to walk downstairs just to put the dirty diaper up so I bought a tiny metal trash can from Walm.art to keep in the laundry room upstairs.  I don't put a pail liner in it because the diapers are dirty but they aren't messy.  When it is time to do laundry I just dump the dipes into the washer and wipe the trash can down with a clorox wipe.  

**I do always take the inserts out of my pocket diapers when I take them off of B.  That way I don't have to do that on day old diapers.  I can just dump the bag into the machine.**

I have always washed my diapers every other day.  I do go to a third day sometimes now that B is older and not going through as many diapers.  I have a regular old top loader...nothing fancy at all.  I use Roc.kin' Green detergent.  I dump all of the diapers and the pail liners in the washing machine.  I run a cold rinse.  If there were a lot of poop diapers or if I am washing on the third day (so more diapers than usual) I run a warm rinse after my cold rinse. Then I do a hot wash with 2 heaping tablespoons of detergent followed by a cold rinse.  Once that is finished I run one more cold rinse.  I am sure on a fancier machine I could program this all in and not have to go back in and turn the washer on but, like I said, OLD top loader :)  

When the washing is finished I toss all of the inserts into the dryer (NO fabric softener) on hot for about 30-40 minutes.  

During the winter, or if it isn't sunny out, I put the AIO's and the pocket shells on my drying rack in the laundry room.  I do occasionally put everything in the dryer.  Most people say that is a big no no but I have had no problems.  Sometimes I just want to get it all done and put away...the dryer speeds things up a little bit.  If I have the pocket shells and the AIO's in the dryer then I put it on low for 40-50 minutes.  

If it is sunny out then I put everything (inserts, pocket shells, and AIO's) on the drying rack and take that outside.  The sun is a great bleaching agent and the diapers also dry much faster outside.  The only time I have ever seen a stain on a diaper was back when B was exclusively breastfed.  A couple of times I noticed a small stain when taking a diaper out of the washer.  I had read that the sun would bleach it right out.  I did not believe this.  Well what do ya know?  It totally works.  I was shocked.  After sunning the diapers and inserts they are so bright white!  The inserts can feel a little "crunchy" after drying in the sun so I usually throw only those in the dryer for a few minutes just to soften them up.  

So how do I store all of these diapers?  I keep them all in the bottom drawer of B's dresser.  Now that she is older and I change her upstairs during the day, I keep a few in the laundry room just for ease.  Here is a pic of the "changing station" in her room. 

I still use the diaper ge.nie for our disposable wipes.  I have yet to convince my husband to use cloth wipes.  I keep saying I am just going to do it and he will adjust.  

Wipes, coconut oil (I slather it on her booty a couple of times a day), hand sanitizer, and clo.rox wipes!

A look into the drawer.  Diapers all across the front.  On the back row, from the left, I have wipes (as soon as I convince the husband), extra inserts, and the extra pail liners and wetbags.  

I hope that helps anyone wanting to know what the day to day use of cloth looks like.  It really is easy once you get into a routine.  Isn't everything about routine?  Next time I'll talk about cloth diapering on the go!