And it wasn't even that hard...
I even did an entire week of hand-washing diapers as a challenge and to prove a point.
We started out with prefolds either fastened or pad-folded in covers for my little Honey Badger. Then we switched to using primarily flats pad-folded in covers. Now I have cycled back to prefolds, mostly pad-folded, inside covers. I would like to get into the habit of fastening his prefolds under his covers each change in order to make poopy clean-up a bit more simple.
Our system isn't complicated. When using a pad-folded prefold, I set up a clean diaper by tucking a tri-folded prefold into a cover. I then remove the soiled diaper, wipe his genitals down with a wipe, and apply the fresh diaper and cover. Our covers have flaps to tuck a pad-folded prefold or flat into so that this is hardly any more work that a disposable. I then set Honey Badger on the floor with some toys. If it was just a wet diaper I put the damp prefold in the diaper pail and wipe the cover out with a diaper wipe before hanging to dry on a drawer handle of our changing station. If he has poo'ed, then the whole diaper and cover get tossed in the pail.
Honey Badger's poo is getting more... poo-like. So far it is still of a consistency that our washer has no problem getting diapers clean, but I feel like that is coming to an end soon. Our plan is to use a diaper sprayer on the poo diapers, spraying off all the solids before the diaper goes into the pail. I may even set up a small diaper pail in the sprayer bathroom to handle the poopy diapers. There are few things less appealing than carrying a dripping poopy diaper back into the nursery.
Which brings us back to fastening his diaper under the cover. A fastened diaper would mean that the majority, if not all, of the poo would end up staying in the prefold. The cover would not end up being so filthy. It would make my life a bit easier if I were just spraying off a diaper, not a diaper and it's cover. I'm all for minimizing the amount of washing I have to do on any given day.
Pins!
I've learned to love old fashion locking head diaper pins. It tickles my inner pioneer woman and love of traditional things to use them. They are not nearly as hard as one would think and that is coming from a woman that has to pin her wriggly eight month old with one arm and diaper him with the other. Of course, if one were to be pin-phobic, there is always the option of using a Snappi or a set of Boingos. With pins my hand is always between the pin and baby, so I'm the only one risking getting pinned. Diaper pins also have nifty locking heads that require some dexterity to open, making it very unlikely that they would ever come loose. I doubt that I could ever convince my husband to use pins, so Snappis and Boingos will continue to grace my home.
Boingos!
Snappi!
We've recently been able to share the love by allowing another family to borrow and use some of our newborn and small size prefolds. They're hooked on cloth diapering now. Aside from the warm fuzzy feeling that I get from helping others, I feel as though the sturdy nature of prefolds almost begs that they be shared. We will definitely try to have another child in the future. Possibly a few more children. Prefolds are workhorses that can last through several children and then end up as rags or passed on to another family to use for their children if they are still in usable condition. I don't want to waste the potential money-saving and Earth friendliness of my diapers. If another family can use the ones that I am not currently putting on my baby, I am saving them money and saving some major resources.
Baby K wearing a small prefold and a Flip cover!
There is very little that I would change in our system. I love the simplicity in use and in cleaning prefolds and flats. I love the very custom fit at each change. I love that I could hand-wash in a pinch. However, it would be nice to have a half dozen hook and loop pocket diapers to use for Dr. appointments and less diaper savvy caregivers. Stay dry fitted diapers or pockets for overnights might be nice as well. Next time around I will probably go with sized covers instead of one-size. Since I will have all of Honey Badger's prefolds left over for our next creature, I won't feel guilty about investing in a more expensive cover system like that.
