More cloth diapering questions

ok so If I get the bumgenius 3.0 they come with all the stuff I need??? I mean liners and if I get white ones can I bleach? Or will that break down the fabric??

How many to start with?

Do I need to wash every day to keep down the smell???

How often should I change them??

Which is better Happy Heiny's or bumgenius 3.0

 

QUOTE(Brown Eyed Gurl @ Apr 6 2009, 09:01 AM) [snapback]1260601[/snapback]
ok so If I get the bumgenius 3.0 they come with all the stuff I need??? I mean liners and if I get white ones can I bleach? Or will that break down the fabric??

How many to start with?

Do I need to wash every day to keep down the smell???

How often should I change them??

Which is better Happy Heiny's or bumgenius 3.0


BGs come with a big liner and a small liner if you buy them new from cottonbabies or wherever. If you get used ones from diaperswappers I think you have to check to see if they come with inserts. We bought all new ones because we didn't want to take any chances. I use both inserts together right now and they never leak. You don't have to bleach the BGs at all IMO. I don't have a single stain and I've been using them for over 6 months exclusively. If I have a really messy diaper, I rinse it in the toilet (cold water keeps it from staining), but most of the time I can just dump the poo in the toilet and throw the whole thing into the diaper pail dry. I just wash them with a tiny bit of All Free & Clear in hot water and they stay really nice.

I have 32+ so for us that's enough for two days. I have two diaper pails and one will fill up over the course of a day (they are bulky little things). At the end of the first day, I bring that pail to the basement (laundry room) and bring up the second clean pail for the next day. That way I don't have smelly diapers sitting in the main part of the house. I change diapers about every two hours all day, and then I have hemp inserts that are super absorbant for nighttime so they can go from 7 until 7 without a change unless someone poops (happened maybe twice so far). If you have enough for two days, you'll be happier than if you're always washing so I say get at least 28 if you go through at least 7 per baby per day.

I've never used happy heiny's so I can't say, but I love the BGs. Whisper wraps and nice covers if you decide to get a few prefolds as spares. I got about a dozen prefolds (because they're super cheap) and 4 bummis whisper wrap covers so that if I can't do laundry, I have back ups. They are also nicer for pictures because they aren't quite so puffy. My babies look like they've got really big butts most of the time from the fluffiness of cloth, but they never get diaper rash, we've saved a ton of $, it's good for the environment, and (my favorite part) they don't smell chemically (I hate the smell of disposables!).

If you have any more questions, feel free to pm me. I love my CDs, but I'm sure everyone in the FY is sick of hearing me go on about them!! Good luck!

 

ok so I need to buy extra liners? Along with the ones that come with them??? Do you think I should just get a couple and try that first??? I mean to make sure I can even tough it out.....

And has anyone got any info on compairing the Happy Heiny's with BG's cause the HH's seem way cheaper.....just wonder in the quality is too?

 

I can't say about the AIO, because I use prefolds, but personally I don't think I would like the AIO's. I have thought about getting fitted or contours, just so that I don't have to fold, but really the prefolds are very easy. I don't use pins or snappies; I just fold the diaper and put it in the liner (I like thirsties best) and then velcro it on like a sposie. They are bulky, though.

 

With the BGs you don't need any extra liners at all. They are pockets and they come with the inserts to stuff them. I just bought 4 extra hemp inserts because mine were heavy wetters at night. Other than that, I use what came with the BGs.

To compare to what pp said about the ease of prefolds - they are easy, but they are sitting right up against the babies' skin so if they get wet, so does their skin, KWIM? The BG pockets are easy, too, and they allow you to have the absorbant part inside of a layer of soft fabric so the wetness gets wicked inside. When I use prefolds with covers, I have to change them more and their skin always feels wet. When I use the BGs, the diaper feels wet, but their butts don't. Also, when they have a poopy diaper in the prefolds, it stains them so you have to bleach or sun them. In the BGs, even really messy ones wash right off with no special treatment. I've never used an AIO, but I hear they take longer to dry. To me it's worth stuffing the pockets so that they can dry fast!

If you buy in bulk, you can usually get a discount. If you just buy a few, I'm not sure what that will tell you since you won't get an idea of how often you'll have to wash them, but if it makes you more comfortable, go for it. There's nothing that says you have to use all of one type, either. Maybe you could buy 2 of each - BG, HH, and prefolds with covers. See which you like and then get more of those. Trust me, I use every kind to prolong doing laundry It won't hurt to have a few different types!

 

My SIL got BG's and I got HH's. The BG's have a flap that folds over the hole where you put the liner in as far as I know. They look pretty much the same. I think BG's get the better reviews, but I don't know why. They just seem like the same diaper to me.

I bought some hemp inserts for night time use. I am happy I did.

eta: You'll need a 'wet bag' or diaper pail to put the dirty diapers in before you wash. I have 20 diapers (one baby) and I do laundry every other day. HTH!

 

I have 2 diaper geni's I can just use a regular trash bag in them and just use that still.....I think I might see about getting both kinds and see which I prefert.....DH is really not on board with this whole CD thing but I think I need to do this....not only for the environment but we are really going to be pinching pennies to get by without my income....