It took me too long to do cloth diapers. I looked into it when Simon was born, but it wasn't as practical back then. They have improved significantly. When I learned I could get a diaper that would fit 10-45 pounds I was sold.
I'll explain my method. However, before I begin I must confess that I didn't start until Jack started pooping in the potty at 2 1/2 years old so I lack experience with the poops of a younger child. We did have a number of poopy diapers even though he was pooping mostly in the potty we had our share of poopy diapers.
Here is my complete set of Fuzzi Bunz.
Aren't they lovely! I loved having my little boy As you can see I have only 6. (For the next child I'm going to get 6 more to streamline the process). These are quite absorbent. They have a fleece lining so I didn't worry that pee was on Jack skin all the time. I only needed 3 a day. And I handwashed the ones that only had pee in them. I rinsed them well and gave them a little bath in vinegar water.
There are 2 ways to handle poop:
1. Get these flushable biodegradable diaper liners. However, oddly enough once I finally broke down and bought these Jack became completely poop trained and I never once had a poopy diaper with one of these. A note of caution: only flush the poopy ones, particularly if you have and old house with old plumbing. One reviewer said they clogged his pipes.
2. (Number 2...ha ha) Before I had liners (this might sound gross to some, but I'm so over poop and all over hand sanitizer) I rinsed them in the toilet. As it flushed it kind of sucks the poop off the diapers. Then I'd give it another rinse in the bathtub and then put through the washing machine.
There are 2 reasons I'm sold on cloth diapering.
1. The smell of poop is gone. I think poopy diapers sitting around is disgusting even if they are in the black garbage can outside. I hate opening that thing up and get a whiff of week old poop. I love how the poop is in the toilet where it belongs. Much worse a sack full of diapers waiting to go to the trash like I used to have in Chicago. If they ended up in the kitchen garbage I could smell it when I walked in my front door even if it was just a couple hours old and the garbage had a lid.
2. The green factor...I think of all those disposable diapers I went through and it kind of makes me sick.
