Natural Diapering

"Let me start out by saying that I love using cloth diapers! I love how soft & quiet they are on my baby; I love washing them and hanging them out on the line to dry in the sun & gentle breeze. There is no other chore that I find more satisfying than this simple pleasure, it's a form of meditation for me." …Kimberly, Natural Mother

Cloth Diapering 101

Everyone develops their own method for diapering eventually - here's what I do:

Lay the baby down. I use a changing table, while they aren't necessary parenting equipment I find it easier, everything is right where I need it when I need it. From personal observations of my friends I have noticed that babies who are always changed in the same place tend to hold still better than babies who are changed wherever - of course this also has a lot to do with individual temperaments. If you choose to use a changing table you have to decide where the best spot for it is. My ideal place would be in a large bathroom/laundry room on the main floor - that way you have warm water for cleaning baby's bum, the toilet & washing machine are right there and you don't have diaper pail odor in baby's (or mom & dad's) room.
Take the dirty diaper off and throw it in the diaper pail. If it just wet, no problem, toss it in the pail. If it's soiled with 100% Breastfed Baby poo you can probably just toss it in also - of course you can swish it in the toilet first if it's really messy. (I use a Diaper Duck™ for swishing & soaking diapers in the toilet.) When your little one starts solids the poos will become more formed and you will be able to dump them in the toilet (here's where Flushable liners become really nice) then throw them in the pail. I've tried filling the pail with water & borax but it gets too heavy to lift on wash day so I don't pre-soak in the pail anymore. I usually put a little baking soda in the bottom of the pail to reduce odor.
Put a clean diaper on baby. How you do this depends on what type of diaper you are using. If you have the all-in-ones it goes on just like a disposable diaper would. If you are using pre-folds (rectangular - divided into thirds, thickest in the center panel) you have a few options:

	Place the diaper under baby's bum.
	Fold the front half of the diaper in thirds lengthwise. If you are using pinless covers this is basically the fold you use, just put the cover under the diaper first.
	-Or- Twist the diaper at the center, right between baby's thighs, so that the inside becomes the outside in the front. This is called the "Bikini Twist" and is especially nice for babies with very chunky thighs and little girls (because they wet down). However, it doesn't hold in the poop as well as the basic fold.
	-Or- Fold the top 1/3 of diaper down. Take the corners of the folded top edge and bring them in towards the center until they just meet. This works well for newborns & preemies.
	Bring the diaper up between baby's thighs pinching it slightly in the center to help it fit between baby's thighs. Fold the top inch or so under if diaper is fairly long (so the front of the diaper stays just below baby's belly button).
	Bring the corners of the back edge around to the top of the front of the diaper and pin them in place with diaper pins (place the pins so they open towards baby's sides - not his tummy). Pull on nylon taffeta pants or a wool soaker & you are done!

Wash the dirty diapers. How you wash them, I've found, depends on what kind of washing machine you have. When we got our front loader I had to revise my washing routine accordingly. At first I was upset because I could no longer soak diapers in the washing machine but I've since discovered that it really doesn't make much of a difference anyway.
- For front-loaders Put the dirty diapers in the washer and run them through a cold water pre-wash. When the pre-wash cycle is over I set the washer to run a hot water, heavy wash cycle. I add my detergent to its compartment, some baking soda directly into the washer and fill the fabric softeners compartment with scented vinegar. I make sure I have extra rinse selected, start up the machine and I'm done!
- For top-loaders you can pre-soak the dirty diapers in the pail with some water and a little baking soda but you don't have to. If you choose to soak in the pail, on wash days dump the dirty diapers into the washer and spin out the excess water. Otherwise, fill up the washer with cold water and some baking soda. Let the diapers soak for a while - half an hour or longer should be fine. Spin out the soaking water and run them through a hot water wash cycle adding about 1/3-cup vinegar to the final rinse (I always used a Downey Ball™). When the cycle ends run them through the final rinse again to make sure that there isn't any potentially irritating residues left in the diapers (especially important if your baby is prone to diaper rash).
- Other Stuff:
  - Hot -vs.- Cold water Always use cold water for soaking & pre-washing to help prevent staining; use hot water for final wash to kill germies.
  - Detergent My kids have always had problems with diaper rashes, eczema and allergies so I always use detergent that's free of dyes and scents. I also use at least 1/2 less then the amount you are "supposed" to use for a normal load and my diapers still get clean. I find this especially important now that I have a front-loader.
  - Baking Soda helps to eliminate odors and whiten diapers, use approximately 1/2 cup per load to give your laundry detergent a boost.
  - Vinegar in the final rinse will help prevent diaper rash by restoring the pH of your diapers (essential if you use baking soda) and eliminate bacteria and detergent residues while softening your diapers.
  - Scented Vinegar: If you want you can scent your vinegar with pure essential oil for further odor elimination, use approximately 35-drops per 1/2-gallon of vinegar (depending on the oil & how strong you want it). I like to use Lavender or Tea Tree Oil which is a powerful natural antibacterial/antifungal agent, but there are other options.
  - Never use fabric softeners or bleach on diapers! Fabric softeners ruin the absorbency of diapers (and towels) and bleach will dramatically shorten the life span of the diapers. There isn't anything wrong with stained diapers but if you must have them really white try a little borax once in a while (not every wash).
Dry the clean diapers. Toss them in the dryer. The pre-folds dry fairly quick, the all-in-ones take a little longer. I like to dry mine outside in the sun whenever possible. The sun will bleach them and destroy any bacteria or fungi that may still be lingering in the diapers. If they feel a little stiff fluff them in the dryer before using them on baby.

Natural Diapering

Cloth Diapering 101

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