Why Are All Of The Sippy Cups Dirty

Seriously. Why. And HOW. HOW ARE THEY ALL DIRTY. ALWAYS. THERE ARE NEVER ANY CLEAN SIPPY CUPS I SWEAR TO MAUDE I JUST WASHED THEM ALL.

*sigh*

You know, and it's really only in the past... month? Six weeks? That The Velociraptor has even really  understood what in the hell to do with a sippy cup. We've been offering them since... seven months? And zie totally got that there was MILK in there (well, formula), and got that you had to pick up the cup and put the spout in your mouth, but didn't understand the tilting part of the equation. Then all of a sudden it made sense, and any time zie even sees a sippy cup they want it. OKAY.

This post is mostly to talk about sippy cups though, and which ones I like, which ones I don't, etc. and so on, because this is the kind of thing I love to read, and judging by my blog stats, so do some of y'all.

Links in this are NOT affiliate links. All products listed are ones I bought my own damn self. I have received no compensation in any form for this post.

Okay so here's the sippy cups we have.

Munchkin Click-Lock Bite-Proof Trainer Cups

These come in a "bite-proof" and "regular" model, and we have both. I think they're trying to just have the bite-proof ones. Whatever, they're the same cup. These were some of the first we bought. These are probably my second-favorite, at home.

Pros

• The click-lock feature is awesome. There is an audible click when the handle/spout assembly is on correctly.
• Easy to put the handle/spout assembly on.
• Does not leak.
• Soft spout.
• 100% dishwasher safe.
• Silicone spout.

Cons

• You have to use the handles to use the cup, so as The Velociraptor gets older, zie will outgrow these.
• Large capacity. These will easily take 6-8 ounces of fluid, which on the one hand, great... but if you have a small baby and you know they won't drink that much, and you only put four ounces of fluid in there, they REALLY have to tip up the cup to get at it. We think this made it a little tougher for The Velociraptor to figure out sippy cups.
• The spout can sometimes be a pain to get in and out of the handles. On the other hand, you know it's really fucking durable because god knows it's gone through a lot.
• No cap, so I don't really take these out of the house.
• No ounce markings on the cup, so you aren't sure how much the kid had, and if you want to make formula, you need to either get out a measuring cup or make it in a bottle and pour. 

The First Years Take-and-Toss Spill Proof Cups with removable handles

These were the other first sippy cups we got. Now that I have more choices, they are not my favorites.

Pros

• Wicked inexpesive.
• Small size, so these are really what helped The Velociraptor "get" sippy cups.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• Removable handles, so they become handle-less sippy cups, then regular child cups as The Velciraptor grows (which is part of why I'm not getting rid of them).

Cons

• A four-pack of cups and lids only comes with two handles. Handles, seeing as how the child's HANDS are on them, often get SUPER GROSS and need to be washed. And then here I am with these extra cups on my hands...
• Jeezy muffin creezy, the handles are tough to get on. It is not as simple as "just squeeze and slide them up!" like it says on the package. No no no. You have to squeeze, the pry one side up over the lip, then squeeze just right and pry the other side up. I mean, they're secure once they're on! Getting them on is a pain.
• Hard plastic spout. Which, the kid isn't going to chew through, and since they have teeth I'm less worried, but on gums,  meh, not ideal I am told.
• Not leak-proof. There are always drips with these. 
• No ounce measurements on the cups.
• No caps.

 Nuk Learner Cup 

THIS IS MY FAVORITE RIGHT NOW. I wish we had it earlier. This was a "well, let's try this" cup I bought in the grocery store while I was waiting for my car to be fixed, and oh my gods, I wish I'd bought it sooner. My local BabiesRUs does not have these, so you might have to search. But seriously, try the grocery store, I'm not kidding.

Pros

• This is probably the easiest to learn from, I'd say. The Velociraptor took one look at this and was like OH. YES PLEASE.
• Soft, textured, grippy handles.
• Handles are easy to take on and put off.
• OUNCE MARKINGS ON THE SIDE OF THE CUP.
• Soft silicone spout. This is probably the most bottle-like of the sippy cups and spouts. 
• Super cute designs (I linked to Winnie the Pooh, but there's plenty of others).
• Easy assembly and disassembly all around.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• COMES WITH A CAP.
• Leak-proof.

Cons

• Kind of expensive. Part of that I think is because I was in the grocery store, but they're like, eight bucks a piece. (There is a link for a coupon on the page I linked though.)
• I ONLY HAVE ONE. 
• Can only be a sippy cup - can't use this as a regular cup.

Playtex TrainingTime Soft Spout Cup

I just bought these this past weekend, because huh, turns out only six sippy cups - only four of which are usable at a time WHY ARE THERE ONLY TWO HANDLES IN A PACKAGE OF FOUR, FIRST YEARS is actually not enough, if you offer a cup at every meal and with snack,  unless you do two loads of dishes per day and HAHAHAHAHAH no. Ours had its break-in voyage at a Red Sox game on Wednesday. Like you do.

Pros

• Vented spout is pretty easy to get in the lid.
• Comes with a cap.
• Removable handles!
• Cups are interchangeable with other lids in the Playtex TrainingTime line.
• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Comes in two-handled or one-handled styles.

Cons

• They SAY that it's a super-easy twist-and-click system. Uh, no. I have never heard a click, and it's not like I haven't tried. The arrow goes way past the lock on the cup when I finally get it as leak-proof as I can, and did I mention...
• Be careful, these will leak, unless maybe you're luckier than me.
• Can't use as a lidless, regular cup - you have to have some kind of lid on it. 
• Handle placement is a little fiddly. They fit in to a groove on the lid, which is super cool, but I have never gotten them to fit exactly perfectly and seamlessly.
• No ounce markings. 

Nuby No-Spill FlipN'Sip Cup

This is another one I picked up this weekend, and got broken in at the Red Sox game. This is actually a straw cup, although now that zie gets sippy cups, The Kid had no problem with it. Except for the part where you actually don't need to tip a straw cup, so maybe these are a better earlier choice. Ah well.

Pros

• Soft, grippy handles.
• Built-in cap - you just slide the cap over the straw and you're set.
• Soft straw that doesn't drip or leak.
• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Fine to use with juice, not just milk or water.

Cons

• This is another one where it's like, okay, I swear I know how to put on goddamn lids, WHY ARE YOU DRIPPING.
• Also WHY DOES THE STRAW ALWAYS WIND UP OVER THE HANDLE NO MATTER WHERE I START SCREWING THE LID ON. I mean The Kid can still drink from it just fine, but it bothers me. A LOT.
• Definitely close the cap when you have it in your bag. The Man didn't before we packed up at the game, and I opened up the bag to all kinds of wet burp cloths and blankets, so that was fun.
• The straw assembly is kind of a pain in the ass. There's two parts, and it takes a lot of fiddling, squeezing, and pulling to get it in place. And it's not completely obvious when it's in there correctly, too. Definitely take a very good look at it - maybe take pictures! - before you take it apart and wash it the first time.
• No ounce markings.
• Have to have the cap on to use it.
• You cannot remove the handles.

Playtex TrainingTime Straw Cup

We actually bought this in a set with the Playtex Soft Spout Cup - which, good on you Playtex, for selling a variety pack. That is actually pretty awesome, because then people can try both.

Pros

• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Soft silicone spout.
• Removable handles.
• Single or double handles, YOUR CHOICE woooooooooooo
• Integrated cap.
• Interchangeable lids with other Playtex TrainingTime cups.

Cons

• Mostly the same as for the spout cup - like the lid being fiddly to get on.
• Another pain in the ass straw assembly, that looks ALMOST like the Nuby, but NOT QUITE, so definitely be careful, take pictures, and HAVE FUN KIDS.
• Can't use as just a plan cup; you have to have a lid on it.
• No ounce markings. 

Playtex AnyTime Spoutless Cup

This was another grocery store buy. Because fuckin' why not, right? I usually fill this with water and keep it in the living room, for sips during play.

Pros

• Larger size.
• Leakproof. This one I have actually heard the lid click in to place!
• Easy assembly and disassembly.
• Cannot mistake this valve for anything else.
• Will take the handles from the sippy cups, which is good because right now it's just a wee bit too big for The Velociraptor to hold by hirself.
• Integrated cap, which The Kid is FASCINATED by.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• Even though there's no spout or straw, The Velociraptor drinks just fine from it.

Cons

• It is a little bit bigger and harder to hold, and it does not come with handles.
• Our valve... apparently didn't have any slits in it when we got it, so here I am, trying out this cup with the kid, and hahaha it doesn't work. The Man cut tiny slits in each side of the valve and now it's fine.
• No ounce markings.
• Have to have the lid on to use it.

BET YOU DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WERE THIS MANY KINDS OF GODDAMN SIPPY CUPS, DID YOU. And really, this is just scratching the surface. There are SO MANY. So what's your favorite?

Cloth Diapers, Six Months In

One of the other things I found immensely helpful when researching cloth diapers was how things worked as the babies grew. So here's my contribution.

Here is a link to the list of things we use.

We have added a bit to the stash. I bought more cloth wipes (like, 45 more cloth wipes), and have considered buying more but haven't yet. Sometimes we really do go through a dozen or more wipes in a diaper change. The "fold them up and dunk them as necessary" system still works a treat though.

I've also bought some more covers. I bought a half a dozen Thirsties Duo Wraps in size 2, a couple more of those in size 1, and some more Flip covers. Cotton Babies, the maker of Flip, regularly releases limited edition patterned diaper covers. Bet your ass I got Spence, the pirate cover. I also have Stellar, their new midnight blue solid colored cover, on pre-order. I know that the "limited edition" is marketing, and they're not any better than the regular covers, but I am susceptible to the marketing of cuteness, sooooo.

I've also sent in a few covers to be converted to snaps. In my last post, I mentioned a hook and loop Blueberry cover and a hook and loop cover from Nicki's Diapers, wherein I did not like the laundry tabs. Well, now I really don't fucking like them, because they stopped working about two months ago. Every time I washed those covers, the tabs would come open, and attach themselves to the flats in the wash. Leading to some tears in a couple of the Gerber flats. AWESOME. One of the Flips in hook and loop had this problem too (actually, from the time we bought it, but it was on clearance so whatever - and I do want to note, none of my other Flip hook and loop covers have ever had this problem). So I found a person on Etsy who will remove the hook and loop and apply snaps for a reasonable price. It's something technically I can do myself, but gods I hate setting snaps so I am happy to pay someone else to deal with that.

The Thirsties and Flips are still definitely our favorite covers, and we still strongly prefer hook and loop for the Thirsties. In fact, all of the new Thirsties covers I bought were hook and loop. We are using some of the size 2 Thirsties covers. They are definitely big on The Kid, but not so big they're unusable. They're big kind of like how a bunch of covers were big on hir as a newborn. When we close the size 2s, the tabs are definitely overlapping. Right now we're stuffing them with a prefold, and I think we'll continue doing that as The Kid grows. The nice thing is, we are still using the size small prefolds from Diaper Junction as diapers, since we just fold them and lay them in a cover. If I were fastening the prefold around hir, well, that stopped working about two months ago or so. The size mediums work just fine for that.

Oh, yeah - sometimes we do just use a Snappi fastener and fasten a prefold around The Kid's bum and don't use a cover. Usually this happens when zie has a diaper rash, and I want to give hir some "air time". I Snappi a prefold on hir, then lay hir in hir crib, because we always have a waterproof pad under hir sheets. Not that we've needed it - The Kid has pooped when this has been going on, and the prefolds have contained everything. So yes, I recommend the Diaper Junction prefolds, and I'll likely be getting more. I do not recommend the Econobums prefolds. They're perfectly fine cotton, and nice and soft, but they are the wrong size no matter how I fold them. If I fold them along the long seams, they're too long and skinny, and I have to fold down the front to get them to fit on The Kid. If I fold them along the short seams, they're too short and wide. Right now we use them as soaker pads on the changing pad, or as a mat under the bowl of wipe water, so the top of The Kid's dresser doesn't get ruined.

Oh, yeah, some of our flats and prefolds do have stains on them now, WELP. Guess what? They still smell super-clean and work just as well. If I wanted, I could move the drying rack in the attic to a window and sun them, but I don't care that much.

We were having a slight smell problem with the polyester/PUL covers we use. The cotton was fine after every wash, but after a month or so, the covers retained just the faintest bit of poop odor. I was bleaching them once a month, which worked fine, although they also hung on to the bleach smell for a while. Then I did a little more research and found out that perhaps a bit more detergent in the wash would do the trick, and it seems to have done so nicely. Right now we use the full recommended amount for a "medium" load in All Free & Clear, and the smell is gone. GOOD TIMES. For information about how much detergent might work for you, here is a handy chart of diaper wash load size and detergents. We usually wash 12-18 diapers in a load of laundry, but we've gone up to 21 diapers with attendant wipes and wet bag.

We are no longer using any of the Bumkins covers. The elastic started failing on another, then they all started leaking. That or they were wicking really badly, but long story short, if they were on for more than like, half an hour, The Velociraptor's clothes would be wet. So those are gone. We do still have a Bumkins wet bag that I use when on the go, and that seems to work fine.

Oh yes - we have traveled and I have gone on errands using just cloth diapers. They're bulkier in the diaper bag, but it's totally doable. I don't take cloth wipes with when traveling because I haven't figured out a good way to do so. I just use regular disposable wipes. I either throw them directly in the trash, or put them in the outside "dry" pocket of the wet bag, and put the diapers in the main "wet" pocket. Then I empty the wipes in to my trash at home and throw the diapers and wet bag in the wash. We actually did a weekend trip out of state using nothing but cloth diapers, and it wasn't horrible. I feel a little weird about my life right now, but honestly? Yeah, it worked and it's doable. It's also totally fine to be like "fuck all of that, give me a box of Pampers", because we do that on the regular too. Like when we go to my mom's house, because fuck if I'm going to figure out how to wash diapers in her HE washing machine.

I do still wash and dry a load of diapers per day. It takes a while in the wash, but it doesn't take much of my time, and honestly, it works for us. I'm the kind of person who feels the need to accomplish something each day, so even if all I do is keep myself and The Kid alive and wash a load of diapers, HEY IT'S A WINNING DAY alright. I'm unsure how much our gas bill has gone up, for all of the hot water. And we do use way more detergent than we used to. We'd be doing more laundry anyway, but seven extra loads a week is not free, you know? Plus diaper laundry is like fucking magic. I throw in a bunch of things with pee and poop on them and a couple hours later, MAGICALLY CLEAN it's amazing.

THINGS I LIKE: Cloth Diapers Edition

When I was pregnant with The Velociraptor, The Man and I (really I, and The Man acceded) decided we would give cloth diapers a try. Cue my reading every possible blog post about cloth diapers out there, from what were the best brands, to how to wash, to different types, etc. and so on.

Now that I am cloth diapering full-time at home, HAHAHAH NOW I GET TO MAKE ONE OF THOSE POSTS YESSSSSSSSSS

I'm not going to go in to the basics of types of diapers, etc. and so on. What I'm going to detail is what we use, what we like/dislike about them, details about fit, and how we wash the whole mess of them. Because this is the sort of thing I found immensely helpful when making my decisions. I will also note, if you're thinking about trying cloth diapers, SO MANY PEOPLE give them away ALL THE TIME. Here is a fabulous weekly giveaway round-up. That includes cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, and other baby products. People can also add their own "family-friendly" giveaways to the link-up at the bottom. Some of my stash came from giveaways, so hey.

Anyway so what we use are prefolds and flats with waterproof diaper covers (to date, all of them are made of PUL). We fold up the diaper, lay it in a cover, and apply that to The Kid. It seriously is no more complicated than using a disposable diaper. We chose this for a couple reasons. One, it's probably the cheapest way to cloth diaper. Two, it's fucking easy to wash. Everything I've read suggests that all of the human-made fibers used in some of the fancier options get a stink in them after a few months that is nigh impossible to remove. Plus, you can use pretty much any detergent on 100% cotton... the human-made fibers usually require special "cloth diaper" detergents.

I will now go through brand by brand what covers, prefolds, and flats we have. Links will be to the manufacturer's or retailer's website. These are NOT referral links, and I have received no compensation for any of this post - this literally is just my opinions and experiences. The Kid was approximately 8 lbs. at birth, and is built long and lean (seriously, their hips, SO NARROW). Their thighs are not what I'd call particularly chunky, either, although they aren't particularly bony or lean, either.

Covers

• Flip one-size covers
  The manufacturer, Cotton Babies, call these a "hybrid diaper system" and sells their own branded inserts for them. I have none of the Flip inserts, but I do have Flip covers in just about every color made, and at least one of the special edition patterns, and we have them in both hook-and-loop and snap closures. These are probably my overall favorite cover and the first ones I reach for (there's a reason I have so many... seriously, like EVERY COLOR THEY HAVE MADE TO DATE except like, Armadillo). These are designed as a "one-size" cover, and when The Kid was a newborn weighing around 8 lbs., fit hir the second best. They continue to fit very well, and it's just now that I had to adjust the rise. They're trim, they hold up well and contain messes, and I have no preference for hook-and-loop or snaps. They're really nice and widely available. I just wish they came in more patterns.


• Thirsties Duo Wrap sized covers
  These are probably The Man's favorite, and I like them quite a bit too. Unlike Flips and most other covers, these are sized - so, there's a smaller size for smaller babies, and a larger size for larger babies and toddlers. We have four or five of these in size one, and honestly, when The Kid was a newborn, these fit the best. They are very trim. I prefer the hook and loop of these - it's good, solid hook-and-loop, and provides a little bit better fit in the waist. I love that they have double leg gussets, but wish they had flaps to tuck your inserts in like the Flips (not that this has seemed to make a difference in effectiveness, I note). I adjusted the rise on these before the Flips, but they weren't the first that needed adjusting. They're also not all the way unsnapped for the rise yet, although the way The Kid is growing, they probably will be next week. The fabric is nice, although like the Flips, I wish they came in more patterns -  I don't like the colored cover with white trim they have going on. Buuuuut I will probably buy some size twos in a few months.


• Econobums one-size covers
  I actually won a trial kit of these, containing one cover and three prefolds. I'm prepping the prefolds right now, although they are nice and soft right out of the box. As for the cover, it's been in use a few weeks, and The Man's description of it I think is spot on: "It is 'econo'." It's the same cut as Flips (they are from the same manufacturer), but there's only one row of snaps to fasten the waist (Flips have a double-row) and the PUL used is definitely thinner, and a little see-through, and it doesn't have the nice flaps to tuck your insert in to like the Flips do. That being said, it does the job alright. 


• Bumkins one-size covers
  One of these in the turtle pattern was actually the first cover I bought (zulily was having a sale on them... although I think you can find them cheaper than what I paid. Oh well). They fit really well, and I like that they have the double leg gussets and flaps to tuck your inserts in to. But when they say "all snap", they are NOT KIDDING. SO MANY SNAPS. SOOOO MANY SNAPS. Honestly, I don't bother fastening all of the waist snaps when I use these. Also, these are the only covers we have that have the rise snaps totally unsnapped, and we did that pretty early on. Of our one-size covers, these are probably the smallest. The fabric is nice, and is softer and stretchier than any of the other covers, and almost silky. However, that turtle one I bought? Had a total leg elastic failure on one side a month in. It was an easy fix for me (I sew), but disappointing.


• Diaper Safari one-size covers
  Yeah a bunch of the diaper websites have their own in-house covers. WHAT. LET'S GIVE MORE VARIETY. Anyway, these have apparently been redesigned since I bought mine, but the old ones are definitely the biggest covers we have. They are BIG for one-size, and even now, at 2.5 months, the leg gussets are still loose on the kid. The rise is still as small as we can make it. We usually stuff these with prefolds. They also have many snaps, but not as many as the Bumkins. The fabric is nice, thick, and slightly stretchy, and my god, you can NOT beat the price. Diaper Safari also frequently runs sales and has a rewards program. However, these are probably our least favorite right now, simply because they are STILL too big, and the kid weighs close to 12 lbs. I would recommend them for very chunky-thighed babies.


• Blueberry Coveralls one-size covers
  I first got one of these in hook-and-loop because IT WAS A COW-SPOT PATTERN I HAD TO HAVE IT OKAY. These are the second-biggest covers we have in our stash, and they are accurate when they say that their sizing starts at 10 lbs. At 8 lbs., they were too big. By one month, they fit nicely. We haven't adjusted the rise on these yet, although I probably will this week. I like that they have double-leg gussets, but I definitely prefer the snaps in these. I don't like how they do the "laundry tabs" for the hook-and-loop, and prefer the one we have with snaps.  Also, the inside of the cow cover is slightly discolored, and the hook-and-loop band on the front has warped a bit, so it curls. Still works just fine, though. 


• Nicki's Diapers one-sized covers
  I got one of these because OMG HOUNDSTOOTH. This the third-biggest cover we have. We still haven't adjusted the rise. I like it fine, but it's not my favorite. But again, an excellent economy option for covers. I don't like how the laundry tabs are done on this one, either, for the hook-and-loop. but that's a personal preference - they work just fine.


• Imagine one-sized covers
  I bought one of these because OMG DINOSAURS... and we kind of hate it. Honestly, it's not even in use right now, and I'll probably sell it. In our experience, it does not fit from 8 lbs. up, and it still didn't fit quite right at 10 lbs. It might be better now, but since we have plenty of other options... it languishes in the back of the drawer. I have this in hook-and-loop.

Inserts

• Gerber birdseye cotton flats
  I wound up getting a package of these at my baby shower. I did have cloth diapers on my registry, and even Gerber cloth diapers, but I had prefolds to use as burp cloths. ANYWAY, I got them, and dutifully prepped them, and I am glad I did. Flats are the cheapest insert options, generally, and these are proooobably the cheapest flats out there. I will say "you get what you pay for", but also say that using these converted me to flats. They are thin, soft cotton, almost see-through. They will warp in the wash. The edges are finished just with some serging, and they will fray. And I still use them. They absorb well, wash easily, and it only takes me a few minutes to fold them all up via a pad fold for stuffing in to covers. Especially when The Kid was a newborn, these fit fantastically, and are still going strong now at 2.5 months. Plus, these are probably the most widely available flats - I know Babies R Us by me carries them, and I believe Target does too. Most other flats and prefolds are not sold in stores, although Babies R Us I think does carry OsoCozy.


• Diaper Rite birdseye cotton flats
  So as I mentioned, I got converted to flats. So then I wanted to buy more, because especially at first, prefolds were just too bulky on The Velociraptor. I priced out a bunch of places, and these wound up the least expensive. Y'all, these are NICE. The fabric is a good thickness - thicker than quilting cotton, less thick than denim, definitely not see-through. The diapers are cut selvedge to selvedge, and the cut ends are finished with a rolled hem (for those that do not sew and have no idea what I just said, just know that they are made very, very nicely and that the edges will not fray). They have stayed square through washing. The size small are still good-sized; they are slightly bigger than the Gerber prefolds. The Kid has slept through the night with just one of these in their diaper and has woken up with zero leaks. Definitely recommended. Diaper Junction, the retailer of these, also has coupons and a rewards program.


• Diaper Rite cotton doublers
  I got some of these for free with a couple of orders, and while I wasn't planning on getting doublers, I could not pass up free. These are awesome, trim, 100% cotton inserts you can fold in to the middle of a prefold or flat to add some extra absorbency. I have them bleached and unbleached, and both washed up soft and fluffy, and work great. Now that The Kid is a little older and can sleep 11 hours overnight, we usually fold one of these in to a prefold for the night.


• Diaper Rite cotton prefolds
  Huh I did not realize that we had pretty much all Diaper Rite inserts. Huh. ANYWAY so since nobody bought me the prefolds I had on my baby registry, I priced out prefolds and read reviews and bought half a dozen of the size small, and half a dozen of the size medium, in white. These are very nice. They are a good heavyweight twill, nice and thick, and hold up to anything we've thrown at them though. I will say, however, that the size small was still too bulky on The Kid at 8 lbs., so I'd recommend them for closer to 10 lbs. and up. We also use the mediums as a soaker pad on the changing pad, because The Kid really loves to pee all over in the middle of diaper changes. SIGH. Anyway, I have some Gerber "premium" prefolds for use as burp cloths, and while I'm sure those would work as diapers, you can tell the difference (not even Gerber promotes them primarily for diapers, they are all like OH LOOK BURP CLOTHS, CLEANING RAGS, YEAH). The Diaper Rites are thicker in the middle, thicker in the wings, quilt up nicer, and are softer. (But seriously, get you some cloth diapers for burp cloths.) These are bulkier than the flats when in use, but not OH GOD SO BULKY. Even with these, I have not had to size up any of The Kid's clothes to account for the diaper.

Washing

Y'all there are SO MANY WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLOTH DIAPERS OUT THERE I CAN'T EVEN.  It depends on what kind of washer you have, what diapers you have, what kind of water you have, etc. and so on. I will say that I found the instructions on washing from Green Mountain Diapers helpful, both on the website and in their booklet - although they can kind of ramble and repeat themselves.

Since we have all cotton with PUL covers, our wash routine is pretty simple. We throw the soiled diapers (and cloth wipes) in to a wet bag we have hanging off the changing table. (Some people say that you can wipe out a PUL insert if the baby has just peed and reuse it... we don't do this, because it kind of squicks us out.) We do not bother trying to get the inserts out of the covers; they come out just fine in the wash. When the wet bag gets pretty full, we take it to the washer and do the following:

• Run a prewash cycle on warm
• Run a "super-wash" long cycle on hot, with an extra rinse
• Dry the cotton in the dryer on medium for the max cycle length
• Hang the covers and wet bag to dry

We have a top-loading, non-HE washer. It has an automatic water level sensor, so in order to get enough water in the load, we not only put it on "bulky items" (which means it adds extra water), we override the water level sensor. We never fill it more than halfway with cloth diapers, since one consistent thing is that you need a lot of water for each diaper, and this way there's plenty. I definitely recommend reading your fucking washer manual to see all of the neat features you may like or need to counteract on yours.

As for detergent, since we are using cotton, we just use All free and clear, like we do for our regular clothes. We have had zero issues getting diapers clean with it, and have run in to zero issues with absorbency.  For each load, we use about half the amount recommended on the bottle for a "medium" load. We also live in a city with what is widely considered some of the best municipal water in the country - we do not have hard water. Oh, and definitely do NOT use fabric softener of any kind with cloth diapers, even dryer sheets.

For drying, we do have some wool dryer balls that I like to throw in with the cotton, to make sure it's fluffed up, but we did plenty of loads without them and it worked fine. The cycle length is long just to make sure the prefolds get dry - flats and wipes dry really fucking quickly. We hang the covers to dry to help the PUL last as long as possible. I have a drying rack similar to this one set up in the laundry area. I hang the covers and bags up and they dry pretty quickly.

We do a load of diapers every 24-36 hours. We've got... maybe 20 or so covers and flats, and when your baby can go through 14 diaper changes in a day some days, you need to. Plus, this cuts down on stink. The only time I have had a stink problem was right before vacation. I held off on doing a load of diapers because I wanted to get the last few from the next morning in. Fine, except that I left the loaded wet bag hanging in our laundry area, which is in our attic, so they basically roasted. I washed them with our regular routine, and they still smelled. So I went through the routine again, except I  added 1/4 C of bleach to the "super-wash" cycle, and that did the trick. Some manufacturers say to not use bleach; Cotton Babies recommends using a small amount of bleach once a month. A small amount of bleach once in a while is not going to ruin cotton or PUL, and sometimes you just need it.

Right now, we also don't rinse the poop out of the diapers. The Kid is partially breastfed, so the poop is pretty liquid. Sometimes if they have more formula, it's a little thicker, but even then, we don't bother rinsing it. We have found that with our diapers and wash routine, the poop comes right out. We haven't had any problems with staining, either. And no, neither the diapers nor the washer smell of poop. The diapers smell like either nothing, or grass - unbleached cotton has its own grassy smell, which I am amazed that it still hangs on to after so many washes.

Finally, in order to use cotton diapers, you have to prep them. Basically, you are stripping all of the natural oils from the cotton to make them as absorbent as possible. I prep mine by washing them five times on hot with detergent, drying in between.

And that's it. I am happy to answer questions in comments or via the Twittermachine.

Pooooooooop

[Contents: poop and ways of dealing with it; menstruation and related products]

Not my poop, although there is a whole lot we could talk about with being pregnant and what that does to one's digestive system. Baby poop.

So, babies poop. Kind of a lot. And pee. Kind of a lot. So you kind of need some way to deal with that business.

And oh my Maude, y'all, there are some STRONG. FUCKING. OPINIONS. out there about how to do that.

My opinion can be summed up as follows: look it holds bodily waste, so long as it does a good job containing that, whatever you choose is fine.

I do personally really like cloth diapers. Super cute! Supposed to be better for the environment! Soft and can cause fewer rashes! Did I mention cute! We are cloth diapering The Kid while at home (mostly - sometimes we use disposables, and we definitely use disposables while out of the house) and y'all, I really really do like cloth diapering The Kid. This post is mostly about why, what I like, and the concerns people have with cloth diapering.

There's a lot of bullshit that goes along with cloth diapers, including some of the OMG CHEMICALS ARE SO HORRIBLE WHY WOULD YOU LET ANY TOUCH YOUR BABY crowd (newsflash: everything, literally, on this earth is chemicals). Which, seriously, can we please stop trying to promote our positions by shaming the other position or position. (Unless the other position is something like "people don't need food" or p much anything else in the US Republican platform; then shame away.) So while I totally understand not wanting to do it because of that, there are a lot of nice things about cloth diapers, too.

One of the nicest things about cloth diapers is that if you are running out? It's a pretty easy fix - LOAD OF LAUNDRY. Admittedly, you can't just throw your diapers in with whatever other clothes need washing; they need to be a separate load. And it takes longer, because you have to pre-soak and then extra rinse and blah blah blah. And you can't throw all of them in the dryer. But hey! They ARE washable! If you have your own washer and dryer like us, you can be in your pjs! It can be midnight! Doesn't matter, you can have more diapers ready to go without having to get dressed, go to the store, deal with people, and come home.

For those who are now going OMG POOP IN YOUR WASHER, well, baby clothes and sheets and blankets frequently get poop, pee, spit-up, and drool all over them. And what do you do when that happens? You wash them. Same thing. Also, once the kid is eating solids and is pooping actual poop instead of the watery loose stool you get from formula or breastmilk, you shake the poop off in to the toilet and flush it. Our washer does not smell like poop, and we've been cloth diapering for like six weeks now. Our clothes do not smell like poop either (unless they have been freshly pooped on, which, for a while, The Kid liked to poop in that thirty seconds of not having a diaper on for a diaper change, and you would be amazed at how far a three-week old infant can launch poop. It is truly terrifying.).

The diapers also don't smell like poop or pee, they smell like clean cotton. One of the challenges of cloth diapering can be getting them clean. Depending on your water and washing machine, what detergent you use, what materials your diapers are made out of (we are only using cotton and waterproof PUL covers), this can be a challenge and require lots of trial and error. There's also about eight zillion recommendations online, making things even more confusing. I was lucky enough to hit on a good combination the first try, so that's what we do. Some people recommend special detergents; I have found that the all Free & Clear detergent we normally use works just fucking fine, thanks. It does take longer to wash and dry a load of diapers than normal laundry. It takes two wash cycles - a prewash, and then a super-long wash cycle with an extra rinse. They also take a longer dry cycle, because we have mostly flats but some prefolds, as well as some doublers, and since the prefolds and doublers are thicker, they take longer to dry.

But once the diapers are clean and dry, it takes maybe five minutes for me to fold and prep the entire load? Most of the time The Kid is laying on the bed next to me, watching in utter fascination. (Folding laundry is like a fucking AIR SHOW for infants.) Changing the diapers is no more complicated either. The covers are the same shape as disposables, and are applied the same way. They close with either hook-and-loop tabs or snaps. We do use cloth wipes with the cloth diapers, and that's easy too - there's a stack of clean wipes next to a bowl filled with water that has a touch of baby wash added to it. Dip the wipe, squeeze it out, apply to baby bottom. The wipes then get washed with the diapers. They're also super fucking absorbent, so like when The Velociraptor pees in the middle of a diaper change, hey, let's use a dry wipe to soak up the extra that landed on the changing pad, YEAH. And if it takes me a dozen wipes to clean up poop, WHO CARES, they just get washed.

Cloth diapers are bulkier than disposables. Some cloth is bulkier than others (this is why I have my favorite covers and usually use flats, but that's a subject for a whole other post). I have found that generally, I have not had to size up The Kid's clothes to account for this. If it fits them while wearing a disposable, it fits them while wearing cloth. Their butt looks bigger, but that's about it.

Also, we have not had any problems with leaks with the cloth diapers, even when The Kid went to sleep for the night way earlier than we expected and slept in a cloth diaper. We've had one poop leak in disposables, and one in cloth, so it's less the cloth and more OMG SO MUCH POOP. Because leaks happen, no matter what kind of diaper you use. The cloth diapers we are using - flats or prefolds in waterproof covers - work really, really well, y'all.

Finally, once we started cloth diapering The Kid, while the amount of laundry we did went up (and probably our gas bill, because we do use hot water), the amount of trash went WAY THE FUCK DOWN. Pre-baby, we generated one bag of trash per week. We are back to that now, from about 3 bags per week. This, I like, because I don't take out the trash, and trying to stuff yet another dirty diaper in the trash when it's already full is no fun. We also are not scrounging to find any sort of plastic bag to put dirty diapers in. It's way better for us.

Also did I mention cute? I mean, how can you argue with a cow-print diaper? Or dinosaurs? Or little birds? I mean seriously.