Cloth Diapers

so I bought the bum genius 3.0 I bought them 12 a piece....so that 24 and they go through 7-8 a piece a day....so I'm hoping to only have to wash every other day...I also bought 4 hemp liners for night times and I'm praying I got the right stuff.....I figure If I don't like them i'll used them long enough to get my money back out of them.....do you rinse even the pee ones right after you take them off so they don't stink? Should I keep them in water til I wash them? Or just use my diaper geni? I didn't get the diaper washer cause my shower head actually is right by the toilet so hey what's the difference?

 

I don't need to use my sprayer too often as most of the time now I can just shake the poop off into the toilet. Believe it or not, I find it better to put the used ones in a bucket without a lid on it. The smell doesn't get as concentrated. If you are concerned about the smell though, Bum Genius have an odor remover that you can spray in your bucket and directly on your used diapers. It really does work, but don't breathe that stuff in as it can irritate your throat.

I don't rinse anything out (apart from the poop shaking/spraying). I just throw them all on a rinse wash before I do the main wash. Its also better to use a natural detergent with as little suds as possible as soap buildup can leave a residue on your diapers after a while making them less absorbant.

Have fun! They are more work, thats for sure, but you really do save money in the long term.

 

Thanks I will try different ways and I'm going to start making my own laundry soap and was going to use vinigar for softener....would that be ok or just don't use anything.....do you have to wash in hot water or is cold acceptable?

 

I really wouldn't use anything in terms of softener. The BG's stay pretty soft anyway, and the insert won't be touching them so its not a problem.

I do a quick cold rinse cycle to get the initial pee and poop out of the diapers, and then I do a longer wash. I wash them using hot water, and then do two cold rinses. Its time consuming but its what cotton babies recommend when they send you their purchase email, and it really works to keep them clean. I haven't had any problems with soap residue buildup which is great.

 

I agree w/PP- we use cotton prefolds with diaper covers, but I think it's the same cleaning recommendation. Soak (ours is called "prewash") in cold water, then do a hot water wash with an extra rinse cycle. We use Bi-O-Kleen brand detergent, just a Tbsp or so per load. Be sure to dry on low, so you don't have too much shrinkage over time.

 

Oh, and as for the diaper pail- we just use a garbage can with a pedal-operated lid we got for $12 at Target, and my mom made 2 can liners out of a sheet. I just soak and wash the liners right with the diapers. No need to soak the diapers before laundry day, I don't think. We don't, anyway. I do a load about every third day.

 

You should dry store them. Don't leave them in water except for when you are washing as that can damage them over time. Also, go easy on the vinegar. It can be good for odor removal if you ever need it but it shouldn't be used all the time. You shouldn't need to rinse any of the diapers before "storing" them unless you have a particularly messy poop. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the tips I should have mine maybe Saturday or Monday....and I'll let yall know if I have anymore questions..