How We Cloth Diaper

A Day in the Treches with Pocket Diapers...

So you think this all looks good on paper (or the computer screen) but how does it actually work in real life? This page will give you details on the actual diapering routine that we use in our daily life.

In our home, we choose to have two days (or rotations) of pocket diapering supplies. For us, two rotations includes approximately: 16 pocket diapers, 16 inserts, 20 cloth wipes, a doubler or two, 2 hanging diaper pails and a diaper sprayer. For more info on how we figured out our cloth stash, please see How Many Diapers.

Let`s assume that we`re starting with a clean stash of pocket diapering supplies. We`re ready to go with a mountain of clean diapers and just need a baby to fill them. That shouldn`t be a problem with a one-year-old around.

We start by finding a good location for the hanging diaper pail. This will be the "catcher" of all the soiled diapers so you want to be sure that it`s strategically placed. When our son was first born, we hung this off of the end of his changing table. Now that we`ve put away the changing table, we store it in a flip top trash can in the bathroom. This works great for containing odors.

Now that our pail is in place, it`s time to put these pockets to work. Each pocket diaper must be stuffed with some sort of insert. The insert is the absorbent component of the pocket diaper. You can use anything from prefolds to the microfiber terrycloth inserts that are custom made for each manufacturer`s pocket diaper. If your baby needs extra absorbency (like overnight or during nap time) add a doubler on top of the insert. Our son is simply not a heavy wetter so we stuff his pocket diapers with a single insert only.

Putting a pocket diaper on is quite simple. Lay your baby on the diaper and use the snaps or Velcro-type tabs to adjust to the perfect fit through the legs and around the waist. As our son has gotten older, he doesn`t want to take time out for diaper changes. Right now, it is much easier to snap or close one side of the diaper, have him step into it like underwear and close the second side around him - all while he`s still standing up. We also put his diapers with Velcro-type tabs on backwards so he can`t take them off himself. They work the same as long as the insert is in the correct place. (Note, this was only an issue for a few months and he outgrew his interest in stripping his diapers off at about age 1-1/2.)

Once the diaper has been used, we pull out the insert and both pieces go into the hanging diaper pail. For poopy diapers, simply hold the diaper over the toilet and shake; most of the poop will roll off of the fleece/suedecloth and into the toilet. We know this sounds unbelievable but it really is true! For poop that has been smooshed into the fleece, we use a diaper sprayer to spray the fleece/suedecloth clean. The fleece/suedecloth will not hold the poop or stain. With the sprayer we can always spray the poop off so the the inner is pure white. Diapers and inserts containing urine only, can go straight into the pail without spraying or rinsing.

Cloth wipes can go into the hanging diaper pail along with the diapers. When using cloth wipes, we have found that a spray bottle of plain water with a small amount of soap is helpful to clean off a poopy bottom. Simply take a small corner or some savings of your baby`s bath soap and put it in the bottom of a spray bottle with some warm water. Then shake it up and it will be ready to use in a few minutes.

Now we`ve reached the end of our day and we have about half of our stash, or one rotation of pocket diapers (approximately 8 diapers and inserts), and wipes in the hanging diaper pail. We simply take the pail out to the washing machine and turn it inside out, emptying it into the machine. Then we throw the hanging diaper pail in there along with the diapers to be washed as well. It`s very easy and keeps us from having to touch dirty diapers that have been sitting around all day.

While that rotation is washing (typically overnight), we use the second rotation. For specific information on our washing routine, please see Washing Diapers.

That is the reality of pocket diapering in our house. We have found our groove and are sticking to it. If you have questions as you`re trying to Discover What Works For Your Family, please let us know and we`ll be happy to help.

A note on using pocket diapers when we`re out and about: We simply bring cloth wipes along in a mini wet bag or recycled wipes container and also bring along a Wahmies Fun Print Wet Bag to bring home soiled diapers. It is so easy and the wet bag contains all of the odors. They come in handy for wet clothing and swimsuits too.