I’ve been feeling a bit naked lately…without schlepping cloth diapers to/from the office/childcare. You see, once we got serious about potty training and having Girly visit the Toddler room for potty visits, it became challenging for staff to tote clean/dirty diapers between classrooms with up to four Wobblers. I can only imagine the feet of patience that would require, so in an effort to support their effort, I agreed to no longer using cloth diapers at “school”… naturally hoping that this will speed the process toward no diapers altogether!
Not that I want to brag about our effort to use cloth diapers almost full time, but it is pretty rare. I was lucky that the first few months after Girly was in childcare she attended a place that provided cloth service (at no extra charge!), so when we transitioned, I didn’t really want to give that up. But I also knew that it would require quite a bit of effort on my part. Beyond doing
two extra loads of diapers per week
, one of my initial tests was getting full support of staff to use cloth. They were open to it, but still needed some support on the learning curve…some of these tips should be helpful to new parents too!
Note, most critical factor to hauling dirty diapers is a smell proof container. I bought snapping boxes with handles at Storables, and they truly keep the smell out. I skipped expensive diaper pails in our laundry area for a large snap close tub.
Here is the personal tip sheet that I made for staff to help with using cloth diapers:
Thank you for making the extra effort to use our cloth diapers!
I try to set them up in advance so you don’t have much prep work. Here are a few tips to help make both our lives a bit easier:
Before:
- There are a variety of style diapers – all of Makenna’s fasten in front (G’s are in back)
- Please use the thin liners whenever possible – helps remove solids easily
- Pocket diapers or All-in-ones: These can only be used once.
- Wraps can be used multiple times with fresh folding cloth inserts. They are designed to be very repellent and only need to be washed when poop gets on the wrap itself.
After:
- Please fasten the tabs to the inside Velcro squares – see photos below, this step doesn’t take any extra time really, but it does save me from fastening before washing.
- Using one bag to line the box daily is sufficient – saves time on both sides.
Thanks!!
Darcy and family
Here’s a review of the new Bum Genius diapers, which happen to be one favorite brand
Do you use cloth diapers in a childcare setting…any tips?
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Sustainable Family Finances
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.
Thanks for the tips on the diapers. Mrs. SPF and I are expecting our first in October and we plan to use cloth diapers!
Congrats! Cloth diapers are really the way to save money and reduce your family impact…diapers and cost sure add up. Let me know if you have any questions as you get closer to babyhood!