Do you ever get tired of it all?

Have you read an article on nutrition or being green, and found that your eyes began to glaze over as you thought, blah, blah, blah? Does the garbage sometimes seem like a more convenient option than the compost? Do you just want to break down and buy toothpaste that doesn’t cost $5 a tube?

Sometimes I do.

And I'd venture to guess that I'm not the only one.

Today at Simple Organic I'm exploring what I call "natural living fatigue". I talk about some of the reasons that we become weary of living a healthier lifestyle and what we can do to prevent that feeling of burn out.

What about you? Do you ever get tired of natural living? Why do you think it happens and what do you do about it?

Image by santian

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This post marks the end of our short, but hopefully helpful, series on dispelling some myths about why cloth diapering is actually easier than you think.

I asked you for your cloth diapering questions, and you really let me have it! I couldn't answer every single question, but I tried my best to make sure that all of the various topics were addressed, so here goes nothing...

Q. So, my question is: what detergent do you use? Do you use this for all your laundry? I have been making my own detergent for a while and would like to continue doing so when we are doing cloth, but don't want to hurt the integrity of the diapers.

Shannon

A. I have two detergents that I use regularly. One is Country Save and the other is Biokleen Free & Clear Powder. I prefer Country Save for my diapers, and like Biokleen better for clothes, but I don't usually bother buying two different detergents so I just use them both interchangeably on all of my laundry. They're both quite cost effective (Country Save is cheapest) and I buy them in large boxes from Azure Standard, a natural foods co-op. Both brands are quite popular and if not carried by your local grocery store, you should easily be able to get them from any natural foods store or online (Amazon, Soap.com, etc.).

I think it's very important to use detergents that are safe for your diapers. The very best resource that I know of in this regard is the Cloth Diaper Detergent Chart at Diaper Jungle. It lists every detergent imaginable, giving it a rating out of 4, an approximate cost-per-load, and any specific things to note about that particular detergent.

Q. Intrigued, but to be honest, still not sold on it. Why not?

• my weak stomach. Though the washable bag option helps that one.

• my limited time. For now, I'll need to go back to work (teaching high school) a short 6 weeks after baby arrives. I'm not convinced I'd have the time. But this will be my firstborn, so maybe its because I'm unsure how ANY routines will go.

• the price up front.

Connie Z

A. I think you would definitely prefer the washable bag option. Another purchase to consider would be a diaper sprayer that attaches to the toilet to make even easier work of cleaning #2 diapers.

As for the time and price, considering that you will be working full time, why not consider partially using cloth diapers as a compromise? You wouldn't need to purchase nearly as many (maybe start with more like 4-8 diapers). You could use disposables while baby is being cared for by someone else, or perhaps at night, and use disposables during afternoon/evenings and on the weekends when you're home. This would keep the washing work much more minimal. It would still save you money and allow you to reduce your waste significantly as well.

Hemp soakers or inserts (these particular ones are Swaddlebees)

Q. 3 kids and 5 years of cloth diapering and I've never felt it to be a hassle, just part of daily life. I do find they hit an age where I have to use a disposable over night, they just seem to leak out of the cloth diapers. What do you use to overnight your kids?

Marci

A. For overnight, I use pocket diapers with doubled up inserts. When I was using only one insert, I had leaking problems. So I began using two inserts (microfiber) and that was better, but not perfect. Then I switched to one hemp insert layered with one microfiber insert (I put the hemp as the bottom layer, because I find the microfiber softer), and this seems to be the best combination I have personally used and the one that gives them the least rashes.

I also had several other questions about leaking, especially at night, and for older babies who are heavy wetters. I'm sure other readers have some fantastic and different suggestions for this problem, so please share in the comments!

Q. I know that disposables are more expensive in the long run, but it's a big expense up front to get the diapers and wipes for cloth. I guess I'm just worried that I'll spend a couple hundred dollars and then discover that it doesn't work out for us, or that I've picked the wrong kind of diaper. I wish I knew someone close by who did it. That might help me get up the courage to try it!

Teish

A. Here are a few of the answers from the comments on the original post, which I thought were very helpful:

Mom of 4: A lot of diaper stores let you do trials, which is an awesome way to test various diapers and see how convenient cloth really is.

Nola: Most places allow you to buy only a few diapers or a few different kinds. Eg. you could buy one prefold, cover and snappi, one pocket, one all in one, and one fitted (the cover from the prefold would work with this) or more than that if you want, and try it... and then if you didn't want them, you could probably resell them since they'd hardly be used. You can just use a plastic bag or ziploc while out until you want to invest in a wet bag, and you can just use any garbage can with a lid for a diaper pail (and then reuse it later if you decide not to do cloth).

My thoughts: Another thing that might really help you is to read through the diaper reviews at The Diaper Pin. This is a fantastic site with really thorough reviews on practically every cloth diapering product out there, and the reviews are very honest, helpful ones from regular moms (who even tell you how long they've been cloth diapering). I have often used it while trying to make purchasing decisions.

A Bummis diaper cover (my definite favorite when it comes to covers!)

Q. We are on the fence here. Want to go for it, but all my friends who have tried it have all complained about leaks, hard time finding the right detergent, sour smells, and limiting activities, later potty training, etc. What do you think about these issues.

RG

A. My answers:

• Leaks: This is why I choose only excellent quality covers or pocket diapers. Don't use cheap covers like Kushies or plastic pants. They leaked for me incessantly. Bummis or Motherease are much better and gave me very few leaks. Always check that every part of the diaper is properly tucked in and covered by the cover or tucked into the pocket's outer layer (around the legs, by the tummy, above the bum, etc.). These are the key areas where leaks happen. And, change more frequently. The nice thing about cloth is that you're not counting dollars down the drain each time you do a diaper change.
• Detergent: Use the link above to source out some good possible detergents. If you have hard or soft water, check out something more suited to your situation, like Rockin Green's unique formulas.
• Smells: If you've found a good detergent and are washing properly, you shouldn't have smell issues. To avoid this with diaper pails/bags, keep in your laundry room if you prefer (that's where I keep mine). Use homemade air freshener to keep things fresher. If a particular diaper is super stinky, wash that next load sooner than later. Use a good wet bag to keep your diaper bag free of stink. Also, drying diapers out in the sun helps to keep the stink away, too!
• Limiting activities: I have never found that cloth diapering limited what I do, whether it's going out, taking long drives, having sitters, etc. The only time we don't use cloth is for long vacations when we will not be staying with family and that's only once or twice a year at most.
• Potty Training: I have not found cloth diapering to make much of a different in potty training, either on the early or late side. My first trained early, my second late, my third will probably be average. I do know that many moms have attested to earlier training (as opposed to later). I honestly think it's more about the particular child than about the type of diaper you use, but that's just my opinion.

Q. We are currently in a rental and have limited access to a washer and dryer. Given that, I think we probably can't do cloth diapering since it is so dependent on having easy access to a washer and dryer. I'd love to hear ideas to get around this since I do believe cloth is definitely better!!

Annie

A. It does definitely help to have easy access to a washer and dryer, but you may be able to compromise. One idea is to ask your landlords if you can split up your laundry days throughout the week. Our tenants wanted to cloth diaper, so we talked about it and I gave them additional access to the machines on Wednesdays (instead of only weekends as was our previous arrangement), so they could do diaper laundry twice a week.

If that isn't a possibility, you could think about doing one mid-week trip to a laundromat. Yes, it's a bit of cost, but if you only do half of your diapers this way it might not be that bad. Or, you could consider doing cloth only Wednesday-Saturday so that you can wash those diapers on the weekend when you have access (or adapt this to your particular situation), and use disposables or something like gDiapers the rest of the week.

Any other ideas from those with limited machine access?

Image source

Q. A lot of you are mentioning that with cloth there aren't leaks.... It is true that I don't have any poop blow outs with my cloth diapers (I use Fuzzi Bunz), but for some reason, my son often gets wet clothes when wearing cloth and I have to change his clothes. He is 4 months old. For this reason I use Disposables when I am out. Does anyone have any tips on keeping your baby's clothes dry when using a Fuzzi Bunz cloth diaper. Am I doing the snaps too tight?

Lydia

A. You might just be changing less often when you're out (this is easy to do- I often catch myself going longer between changes just because I'm otherwise occupied while I'm out). Or you might want to try using double inserts for outings or long car rides. Especially when they're very young and exclusively breastfed, they pee so frequently that you probably need to be changing a solid 6-8 or more times per day. And some kids are simply heavier wetters than others and need more frequent changes.

You should also double check that the inner part of the diaper is tucked properly inside the outer cover in all of the main "leaky" areas: around the legs, by the tummy, above the bum. All the places where the insides of the diaper can creep above the outside cover and the wetness can wick onto the fabric of their clothing. Double check that you have a snug fit in those areas and that no cloth (only cover) is touching his clothes.

Lastly, every once in a while diapers begin to repel a bit and start leaking. This doesn't happen often (unless, of course, you are using a detergent that just isn't working with your diapers), but if it starts to happen frequently, it might be worth stripping your diapers and see if that helps.

Q. I have some FuzziBunz that I used with my youngest during potting training. If I had used them when mine were infants, how would I handle a poopy diaper? I could replace the insert but there is still poop on the inside of the diaper. I don't understand how the inserts are more helpful seeing as most infant diapers are poopy. I would really like some insight into the actual steps in dealing with wet or poopy diapers. Do you toss the whole wet bag in to the laundry open or zipped up?

Laura

A. When babies are small, you just toss the poopy diaper straight into the pail and then wash. No rinsing needed at all. You only need to start dumping poop or rinsing diapers once you get to solid poops.

But, you won't be able to pull out and replace only the insert. Generally, that is only for diapers like Flip or GrowVia. With a diaper like a FuzziBunz pocket, you'll have to wash the whole thing each time.

Also, for those using diapers with inserts, there is no need to actually remove the insert from the diaper before laundering. I previously thought that I had to and so I would sit there shaking them out, needlessly. Now I just toss the diaper, insert and all, straight in the pail and then in the wash.

If you're using a wet bag, you will want to unzip it and dump it's contents into the wash, so that the diapers can freely move around, otherwise the inserts won't come out and the diapers won't get clean enough.

Q. One thing I wonder though is washing the soiled diapers along with other clothes... how many fecal particles are getting on the other clothes or in the washer? I think I read somewhere to clean your washer once a month by pouring a cup of bleach in and washing an empty load. This will help sanitize it. What are your thoughts on this?

Ann

A. I personally don't worry about fecal particles. I always dump solid poo in the toilet, and give less "solid" ones a good swish to get most of the yuckies off before washing.

Since I always do a rinse cycle first, I would say that the majority of fecal matter rinses away before I even do my hot wash. With the second, full, hot cycle, anything remaining is rinsed away and sanitized because of the hot water and the detergent that I use in this cycle. I don't notice anything dirty left in the machine after this second cycle and it smells fresh as well.

If it really bothered you, I think it's reasonable to consider doing an empty cycle once a month, perhaps with a more natural bleach product or something like Biokleen's BacOut, to give the washer a really good clean and set your mind at ease.

An extensive cloth diaper stash!

Image by niftysmith

Q. I think your numbers are very conservative for disposables costs -- but HIGH on the cloth side. (i.e. further proving your point) -- showing that even with the most luxurious cloth diapers, you are still saving money! I've gotten most of my diapers as gifts (baby shower) or homemade (from flannel receiving blankets) or second-hand (passed on to me, as my original cloth diapers from 8 years ago are all worn out now). Sure, they aren't as fancy/convenient, but it has meant very, very little out-of-pocket! :)

Tammy L

A. I agree, my numbers are exactly as you said-- conservative for disposables, and high for cloth. I actually did that on purpose. I didn't want to have a bunch of people telling me that disposables cost less than what I had calculated (even though I know that many people spend more than the numbers I used and there are still some super-shoppers who spend even less).

I also wanted to show how, even with higher cloth diapers numbers than is necessary (because yes, you can do it so much cheaper than the numbers that I quoted!), the cloth STILL wins out as cheaper. Does that make sense? I wanted to make it a worst case scenario and have the cloth still be the obvious winner!

Q. OK, I'm going to ask my question. When you say you swirl the diaper in the toilet and then drop it into the pail, do you drag the pail into the bathroom with you, do you have an extra pail in the bathroom, or do you bring it back to the changing area and drop it in the pail (and if so, how do you keep it from dripping all the way back)?

Bekah

A. Basically, yes, I drag the pail into the bathroom (I keep it in my very nearby laundry room, but I know others who keep it right in the bathroom). I lift the pail up right next to the toilet so there's no leaking.

And now, allow me to demonstrate (yes, really-- blogging is a shameless job, you know!):

Q. Do you really end up with a pail full of wet cloth waiting for a whole load? Or do you let them sit for a while before washing them out?

Beccachan

A. I really do end up with a pail full (usually) of cloth diapers by the time I wash them. Sometimes, it won't be quite full but I will wash anyways because I don't like to go longer than 3 days.

Now, it's not really a "full" load in the sense that a load of clothes would be. I usually only only a small load setting or at most, a medium setting. Never the large setting that I use for clothes, towels, etc.

An inside look at a wet bag

Image from Leslie's Boutique (they make gorgeous wet bags!)

Q. But I have some fears and questions. How does the wet bag hold in the smell? What fabric is it made of that can do that? I've heard that even diaper pails with plastic bags can get smelly. My worst fear is having a house that smells like poo and not even knowing it. (I want my friends to love visiting!)

Laura

A. Wet bags are made of PUL, a water-resistant fabric. They usually have at least two layers, so the stink has to travel farther to get out and it can't leak out. They are not perfectly stink-proof (nothing is), but I find that it stinks less than a pail (but, I still use the cheap pail I bought 6 years ago, because the "green" girl in me just won't let me get rid of it!).

My main solutions to diaper pail/bag stink are:

• Go no more than 3 days between washes (and with a wet bag, you will always just toss this in and wash it at the same time)
• Use a dry pail, rather than soaking diapers in water.
• Keep it somewhere other than a frequently-used room (mine is in my laundry room)
• When it does start to smell a bit (usually, though, the smell is a direct result of opening it to toss a diaper in, not from the smell just naturally seeping out), use a simple homemade air freshener. I keep a bottle in my downstairs bathroom, which is where I swish my diapers and close enough to my laundry room that I can use it in there when needed. I will spray both inside the diaper pail and in the air around it.

Real Moms Talk Diapers

I had been hoping to share with you some of the reasons why other moms choose to cloth diaper, and also some of their best tips for diapering... but, this post had so many great questions to be answered that it is already long enough!

You can read all 79 of them on the Keeper of the Home Facebook page (this is a direct link to the answers). There are so many excellent answers and helpful thoughts in there.

Your Turn to Weigh In

I've done a lot of talking just now, but I know that there are so many knowledgable and experienced cloth diapering moms out there, who can help to answer some of these great questions.

I would love to hear your thoughts or tips for any of the questions above!

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• How to Prepare for Going on the GAPS Diet
• 3 More Reasons That Cloth Diapering is Easier Than You Think
• Dispelling the Myths: Why Cloth Diapering is Truly Easier Than it Seems
• Cloth Diapering a Newborn

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Last week, I began to dispel some commonly held myths about cloth diapering.

I began with two of the biggest myths, that cloth diapering is more expensive and that it is more disgusting. The reader response was fantastic and I think that you will find the comments section extremely valuable to take a read through.

{As well, the cloth diapering $75 gift certificate giveaway is still going for a few more days... go get entered!}

Today I want to continue on with three more myths, that cloth diapering is more time consuming, more inconvenient, and only for hippies. Au contraire, my friends!

Cloth diapering isn't more time consuming

Over the years, I have found that cloth diapering fits more and more seamlessly in with my regular routines and I hardly even notice that I'm doing it.

Here is the time that I consistently spend on cloth diapering my little ones (yes, I still have one in diapers full time, and one at night time only):

• Regular diaper changes and then putting that diaper in the pail. Every day or two, I add on maybe 2-3 minutes to do a toilet "swish" with a poopy diaper. (But, I don't have to spend extra time messing with a Diaper Genie, or taking garbage bags out to the trash)
• My wash routine consists of throwing the load into a rinse cycle (no detergent), then turning that cycle into a hot wash cycle (with detergent). It takes me about 5 minutes total, to set up both loads and give my pail a quick rinse. I do this 2-3 times a week, so maybe 15 minutes a week in total.
• Hanging my diapers to dry takes about 5 minutes or less, again 2-3 times per week. So we're talking 30 minutes weekly (absolute maximum) for my wash and dry routine.
• I don't fold or carefully put away my diapers. I dump all the diapers and inserts into a large basket, and the cloth wipes into a small one beside it. That's it. It's the easiest load of laundry I do!

No, doing laundry won't become your life.

When babies are very small, it is slightly more time consuming but hardly. The tasks are still the same, but you might do laundry more often (which happens anyways with a newborn).

I have found that because each component I mentioned is such a simple and quick task in and of itself, I can easily throw on a load while I wait on the phone on hold, or when I have 2 minutes before we need to run out the door, or when I'm waiting for a child to finish going to the bathroom or getting their shoes on.

As with any other common mothering tasks, all of these little things just become part and parcel of our daily and weekly routines. I have never felt cloth diapering to add a burdensome weight onto my schedule. Even when I was diapering my third baby as a newborn (with the extra wash that entails) and caring for two other young children, it still felt like the least of my worries

Cloth diapering isn't more inconvenient

When my firstborn was a baby, I held off on cloth diapering during outings for quite a long time, continuing to use disposables for going to church, to a friend's house, to the grocery store, etc.

I'm not sure why I thought it would be more difficult, but I did. When I finally got over it and gave it a try, I was thoroughly relieved to find that it was no more trouble than anything else.

So long as I brought the necessary diapers with me, and a bag of some sort for bringing them home with me, it was just as easy as doing a disposable change. Sometimes easier because I didn't have to seek out an appropriate garbage for disposing of the diaper (ever been to a home without children where they couldn't fathom what to do with a dirty diaper, so you ended up carrying it home anyways?).

I found this adorable wet bag at Etsy shop Snuggy Baby (lots of other great designs, too!)

A few ways to make cloth diapering even more convenient:

• I used to use a ziploc bag way back in the day, but now I use a zippered, washable wet bag which I love. It gets tossed in the wash and keeps my diaper bag totally free of stink.
• As I mentioned in the last post, rather than a diaper pail that needs the occasional scrub, try using a larger washable hanging wet bag which simply gets added in to your diaper wash.
• Use pocket diapers, which do up with either snaps or velcro very similarly to a disposable diaper. I've taught my babysitter to use them, my hubby doesn't mind, and the grandparents haven't found them complicated either. Additionally, if you pre-stuff (add the insert) before you leave the house, you just tuck the one piece into your bag, rather than dealing with a separate diaper and cover while you're out.

Image by Radio Saigon

Cloth diapering isn't for hippies only

I suppose it depends on your definition of hippie. In my opinion, I am far from a "hippie", despite all of my natural leanings. I live in a middle-class suburb, drive a minivan, use a cell phone and a MacBook, do not own a long flowing flowered skirt, have only 2 piercings and shoulder length hair, and I can't stand Bob Dylan.

That said, I do buy plenty of traditional, wholesome and naturally-raised food, as seasonal and local as possible. I keep my home free of toxins in my cleaners and in my beauty care routine. I do my best to reduce waste. I have an organic garden in my backyard (but no chickens or goats... yet). I cloth diaper my babies because I think it's gentler on them, the earth and my budget.

Living more sustainably isn't an option that's relegated to hippies any longer.

Green is the new black, and though I started this natural-living blog as somewhat of a lone ranger, these days everyone from big-city yuppies to high school kids to small town folk to my grandma are starting to learn that natural and sustainable living is for everyone.

Cloth diapering has really expanded to a wide-variety of people, far beyond the stereotypes that we might think of. And with the wide range of options available for cloth diapering, there's something for everyone:

• Hybrids like gDiapers (part reusable, part disposable) for those wanting something more ecological yet not prepared to go all the way with cloth
• Pocket diapers and all-in-one diapers that function and fit very similarly to disposables- super easy for dads, babysitters, grandparents, everyone.
• Traditional cloth diapers like fitteds with covers, or even simple prefolds with covers. Cheaper to buy and more like what mom or grandma used to use.
• Truly sustainable diapers made with textiles like organic hemp, bamboo and wool, 100% natural for baby's skin and for the earth.

Come clean, fellow hippies (just kidding!), do you find cloth diapering more inconvenient or time consuming?

For those not sold yet, I would love to hear your questions and concerns about cloth diapering, which I will do my best to answer in next week's post!

Top image by simplyla. Image of old-fashioned scrub board by CedarBendDrive.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Cloth Diapering a Newborn
• Dispelling the Myths: Why Cloth Diapering is Truly Easier Than it Seems
• The GAPS Diet: What It Is and Why You Might Consider Doing It
• Cloth Diaper Liners: No More Rash Overnight!

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I've been cloth diapering for over 6 years, but I still sometimes find myself surprised by the strange looks and the mistaken opinions that most people have when the topic arises.

I want to dispel some myths in what will be a short but hopefully clarifying series on cloth diapering.

In my experience I have found that using cloth dipes is simply not:

• More expensive
• More disgusting
• More time consuming
• More inconvenient
• For hippies only :)

Today I will begin by addressing two of the most common myths that I hear, next week I'll continue on with the following 3 myths, and then I will open it up for you to ask me all of your more specific questions that I will do my very best to answer.

Cloth diapering isn't more expensive

It baffles me to no end that people wonder this, although I suppose it might be because they gasp at the idea of the initial cost outset. Yes, cloth diapers do cost more upfront. No, they are not even a fraction of the cost long term.

Let's crunch some numbers.

The average baby goes through about 6 diapers per day. Many newborns go through twice that many, averaging 8-10 per day at least, while an older baby may get down to as little as 4 diapers per day, so we'll use 6 as the overall average.

6 diapers x 30 days= 180 diapers monthly

Case of Size 4 Pampers diapers at Amazon (with 192 diapers) = $33.14 (that's a very cheap price, actually- now you know where to buy disposables if my posts don't convince you to try cloth!)

Disposable wipes= About 200 monthly (this is very conservative- it's probably much higher)

Wipes cost (bought in bulk)= About $0.02 to $0.04 each.

Averaging that at $0.03 per wipe at 200 per month, that's another $6 monthly.

Total disposable diapering monthly cost: $39.14 approximately (higher for a baby under 3-4 months old)

(Not to mention the use of other products like a Diaper Genie and it's refills, etc.)

Image by trenttsd

Now let's crunch the numbers for cloth.

15 FuzziBunz One Size Diapers= $284.20 USD (includes shipping- this is from Nicki's Diapers)

Add $21.95 for a hanging, washable dirty-diaper bag, and another $25 for 24 unbleached cotton washable wipes.

A set of diapers like this will carry you from the time baby is about 8-10 lbs all the way through potty training. I use and adore these diapers myself, and they still fit my 4 year old who needs a diaper at night. 15 diapers will allow you to go 2-3 days between washes, depending how many diapers baby goes through. Note that there are much cheaper options (like cotton prefolds and fitted covers, but I'll stick with the pocket diaper example because of their popularity and ease of use).

Assuming baby fully potty-trains by 24 months old (idealistic, but not really likely):

Monthly cloth diapering cost= $13.80 per month

A few more things to note:

• If baby takes longer than 2 years to potty train (which many do), your monthly cost only goes down.
• You will also likely get to use each set of diapers and wipes for 2 children, not just 1, if you take good care of them (I will definitely get two kids out of my current pocket diaper stash). If so, you just cut your cost almost in half.

Now what about hot water costs and laundry detergent?

Yes, there is a slight cost increase, but it's very low. I wash 2-3 loads per week, and I do use hot water (keeping my water levels low). But, I air-dry my diapers, saving on electricity and preserving the life of the diapers, as many moms do. I would guess that the additional utilities costs are maximum $5-10 per month.

I buy my detergent in large boxes to keep the cost down. I use less detergent in my diaper washes than in my regular wash, to prevent build-up. I probably use the detergent equivalent of about 5-6 extra laundry loads, which doesn't cost more than $1 monthly (even with the use of a high-quality, natural detergent).

Even supposing we bump our $13.80 up to $22  to account for extra costs associated with washing, we are still at just over half the cost of disposables.

Final monthly cost comparison

Cloth diapering= $22

Disposable diapering = $39.14 (minimum)

Image by futurestreet

Cloth diapering isn't more disgusting

I know, I know. You don't believe me.

Let me ask you this... by using disposables, do you avoid having to wipe really dirty bums and avoid smelling nasty diapers? Do you avoid messy diaper blowouts on occasion? I didn't think so.

Additionally, did you know that even with the use of disposables, you are supposed to be dumping all solid waste into the toilet, rather than simply rolling the full diaper up and tossing it in the garbage can? (I know, hardly anyone does that, but it's true!)

When I take off a wet diaper, I get nothing more on my hands than I would with a disposable diaper, and I simply toss it in my diaper pail and close the lid. When I clean up a dirty diaper, I get no more on my hands than one might while cleaning up a disposable diaper with a disposable wipe (and then I go wash my hands, same as everyone else).

Dirty diapers go in a dry pail, so there is no dirty water sloshing around. Toss them in, close the lid, walk away. Spray air freshener if you like. When it's time to wash, open the washer, dump the entire contents of the pail in, turn it on and close the lid. I spray and rinse out my pail, dump the dirty water and only once in a while give it a true scrub when it needs it. And if you want to avoid needing to scrub out a pail, use a washable wet bag to store your diapers instead, which gets tossed straight into the washer with your diapers, and comes out smelling fresh.

The only time that cloth diapering is potentially less pleasant is when I need to rinse out a dirty diaper in the toilet before putting it in the pail. I grab the four clean ends of the diaper to hold, swirl it around a bit, flush the toilet, and toss the diaper in the pail. Short and simple, hold your breath if you like and I won't tell a soul.

Image by burstyriffic

What about dirty diapers in my purse or diaper bag while we're out?

Easy. Get a small, washable wet bag that fits your diaper bag (mine can even go in my regular purse). It keeps any wetness and stink inside, until I can get home to dump the contents and wash the wet bag so that it's fresh to take out with me once more.

Two cloth diapering myths dealt with, three to go next week, and then I'll open it up for any and every question you can throw my way... Until then, look forward to a cloth diapering store giveaway coming up this Thursday!

What do you think about the issues of cost for disposables vs. cloth? And be honest, fellow cloth diapering mamas, is it disgusting or not?

Top image by simplyla

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Although I generally try to avoid buying white clothing for myself or my young children (because they look good for approximately one day until someone spills blueberry smoothie or spaghetti sauce on them), sometimes white is unavoidable. We've been given white items here and there, I fell in love with a white maternity shirt once, and then there's the white insides of our stash of pocket diapers.

I have never been comfortable using bleach to get these stains out. It is harsh, toxic and corrosive, and I don't want to flush it down the drain, either. For me, bleach is a no-go.

There are definitely more natural whitening and alternative bleach products out on the market. I have heard good things about many of them, and they are certainly less toxic than conventional bleach, by a long shot.

For me, the downside is that (like many other natural/green products) they don't come cheaply and I still don't really find that they are as effective as I want them to be. But do you know what I have found to be the cheapest, most widely available and most effective bleach alternative out there?

The sun.

That's right. Somehow, someway, God has made the sun and its rays so that they are able to naturally bleach and whiten many things. Ever left a plastic child's toy outside in the sun and forgotten about it for a couple of weeks? When you finally notice it in the corner of the yard, the colors are faded and it looks nothing like it did originally. Voila... the power of sun bleaching.

The Ultimate Test

Over the course of the winter, my cloth diapers had begun to get particularly stained and nasty. We live in a location (on the West Coast) that is gray, rainy and cloudy from about October to April, with few days of sunny respite. Even though I line dry my diapers, I kept them inside, cringing every time I looked at them.

Finally in late April, the sun began to shine its face enough that I ventured outside with a basket of wet diapers. I laid them outside with the white insides face up and then forgot about them for several hours.

When I came back, lo and behold, the orange/brown stains had great, greatly diminished. In fact, there were a couple of places where the wind had blown the edge of one diaper over another, and you could actually see the line on the diaper where half of it had been sun-bleached and the other half had been covered up and remained stained. The difference was obvious (and I'm only sorry that I didn't grab a picture of it at the time).

How to Sun Bleach

Really, there's little to it. This is simple stuff!

1. Start with wet clothes. I'm not sure why (perhaps someone knows the science behind this?), but I have found it to be much more effective when the clothes are wet rather than dry, although even dry items will still be sun-bleached to some degree. And note that although I keep saying clothes, you can do this with any white fabric- towels, tablecloths, etc.

2. Lay clothes out as flat as possible. It's important to make sure that every part of the fabric is receiving direct sunshine. It is the ultra violet rays that are doing the bleaching, so if they can't get through, the item won't get bleached.

3. It may take 2-3 times for really dark stains. I have found that the darkest stains will lighten a little bit more each time you do it and may not be whitened to your satisfaction after only one sun bleaching.This was the case with my most-stained diapers. The first time made an obvious difference, but the second time took it just a bit further and got them closer to truly white again.

4. Try adding lemon juice for an extra boost. If you need extra bleaching power, try mixing up lemon juice in a spray bottle with water (about 1/4 cup lemon juice to 2 cups of water) and spray that onto the worst of the stains. The lemon juice reacts with the sun to whiten even more effectively. Another option for using lemon juice is to just add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice directly to the load of whites that you want to bleach, and then set them outside as soon as the machine has finished.

5. Don't leave them out too long. Usually a few hours will do the job. If you want the item whiter, try a few hours again another day. Leaving things out for days at a time could weaken and damage the fabric.

Have you tried bleaching using the sun? How effective did you find it and do you have any tips to share with the rest of us?

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Cloth.  Such a simple word.  Only five letters.  But, oh, what a money saver!

Think about all the paper products you use during the day.  How many of them do you throw away once they've been used?

Now think about how many of those products could be converted to cloth, washed and reused.

Here's my list:

paper towels

napkins

paper plates

baby wipes

baby diapers

baby bibs

baby changing mats

toilet paper

feminine napkins

Making the Switch

Out of this list, several things we already have converted easily to products we do not use and then throw away. For example, we use cloth bibs and baby changing mats that are washable.  Paper plates are easily substituted by real plates that can then be washed and reused.  Napkins aren't a giant leap to convert from paper to cloth to wash and reuse, but that still leaves a few things on the list.

Feminine napkins, toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes and baby diapers are still left. I will now explain how our family has reduced the use of these products greatly or completely gotten rid of them in our home.

Baby Diapers - we went to cloth.  It's cheaper and just as easy to use on the baby.  It rids the baby's skin from coming into contact with chemicals.  We like it.  It's not too bad to do an extra load of laundry every now and then for the benefits we receive and wow does it save us some money!

Baby Wipes - we converted over to cloth.  We can make our own solution and soak our little wipes in there and wash them with the baby diapers.  Since the solution we make doesn't have any chemicals in it, we can use that same wet washcloth for wiping all kinds of baby parts when neeeded!  No need to purchase wipes over and over anymore - we're saving money!

Feminine napkins - we went to cloth.  These can wash right in with the baby diapers on wash day.  But even if you're not washing baby diapers, place the cloth napkins in a basin with cold water and let them sit until wash day.  It's so nice to have the feel of cloth in such a delicate area than the feel of paper.  Yuck!  Wish I'd made the switch sooner.  Super easy and since you buy (or make) enough to get through one cycle of your period and no more, you're saving money!

Toilet paper - we, again, went mostly to cloth.  Just keep a little tub (we just use the tubs we were sent home with from the hospital) by the toilet.  Granted, we only use the cloth wipes for patting wet bottoms, not dirty ones, but it's amazing how much toilet paper it saves to clean up with a cloth wipe - wet or dry - than to use a string of paper toilet tissue.  The wipes get washed on wash day and are then ready for use again.  My family hasn't converted completely to cloth because we still prefer old fashioned TP for the BIG messes.  But we are saving money with every cloth choice we make - large or small!

Finally, the paper towel - practice using hand towels instead.  Always have a hand towel handy for drying hands.  Have a hand towel handy for drying off the counter, sink  and stove tops.  Having these two hand towels ready and keeping them separate for their special missions has saved us tons of paper towels.  For floor messes, we have less than beautiful rags that are kept in the kitchen and they are perfect for a messy cabinet or floor spill.  We are just careful to keep our wet laundry separate from our dry laundry to prevent molding.  And guess what?  We're saving money!!

Small choices, a little bit of planning and we can all be more responsible with the money which we've been blessed.

How do you use cloth to save money in your home?

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Find me over at Simple Organic this week, talking about how green and simple living ultimately lends itself to more generous living:

I have noticed a beautiful trend among those who make thoughtful, purposeful decisions about the non-toxic products they use, the whole foods they eat, the scraps they compost and the companies they choose to support.

Generally speaking, that mindfulness also seems to extend to the relationships they nurture and the generosity with which they give. Why is this?

Maybe it’s that as we delve into the why’s and how’s of sustainable living we learn about how crop pesticides from conventional agriculture are making farmers and their families sick, how your cup of Fair Trade coffee actually helps to support strong local economies and entrepreneurialism, and how big box store shelves are filled cheaply on the backs of child laborers.

Knowledge of these issues has bred a growing concern for the well-being of others. Globalism doesn’t permit us to remain ignorant about how our actions and choices affect the lives of real people. We become aware of our power to either help or hurt through the lifestyle we live and I think that awareness helps to foster a greater compassion for those living in dire circumstances.

Read the entire post.

Additionally, there are a few giveaway winners to announce!

The winner of the Cultures for Health starter cultures giveaway package (out of 735 entries):

Emily (who chose the Cheese package- fun, fun!)

The winner of the Lilla Rose Flexi-Clips (see my review of them here) (out of 424 entries):

Bri (dodsonmom@)

Deann (kennedyrdkd@)

Both winners get their choice fo any 2 Flexi-Clips. All winners will be contacted by email. Congrats, everyone!

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I love garage sales and our house is full of garage sale finds, bought for a song (sorry, no dance).

Frugality is the topic of the month, and I happen to think that buying used is one of the most important strategies for saving money on a regular basis. Not only that, but you can't get much greener than reusing something, saving it from the dump, and not needing to purchase a new item made with valuable resources (and complete with excess packaging).

These are some of my best tips for scoring big at garage sales this summer and saving yourself a ton of money in the process:

Finding sales.

There are lots of good ways to find sales... check Craigslist, look in your local newspaper for sale listings or maps, or simply drive around neighborhoods looking for signs (particulary nicer neighborhoods, as they will tend to have more quality items). If you're looking for certain items (furniture, books, children's clothes, etc.) then you may prefer a resource like Craigslist or one of the links below as the sale descriptions will help you narrow down which sales you should visit.

Three sites to help you locate sales:

Craigslist- On your local page, look under For Sale, and find Garage Sales. Not only will you find where sales are happening near you, but sometimes descriptions of what type of items are for sale are also included.
Yard Sale Treasure Map- I really like this site! You just type in where you live and you can give a mile radius that you want to find sales within. It will show you a google map with all of the upcoming sales pinpointed. If you click on the specific locations, most of them included a bit more detailed info about the sale. For Canada and USA.
Garage Sale Tracker- This seems to be for USA only. Search by zip code or city name.

Image by Rubbermaid Products

Map out a route.

You'll save a lot of time, energy and gas by pre-planning the sales that you want to visit and planning a route in an order that makes sense. You can always stop or make a quick detour if you see a sale that you didn't know about beforehand, but a few minutes of planning is well worth it.

Know your area.

Where I live, most sales happen only on Saturdays, from about 8am-2pm, with slight time variations. Some sales also continue on to Sunday, though not all.

But in Washington state, when I garage sale with my mother-in-law, I was surprised to learn that sales are usually held on Fridays and Saturdays. Crystal has mentioned that Thursdays are big where she lives. Find out how the sales generally work where you live in order to make the most of them.

Write a list at the beginning of the season.

Know what you're looking for. It's easy to go to garage sales and come away with junk that you don't really need because "it's so cheap!".

I hate to be a bubble burster, but who cares how cheap it is if you didn't really need it in the first place? The point is to fulfill legitimate needs in a cost effective manner. Knowing what you're looking ahead of time for will help you to maximize the time that you spend, avoid unnecessary impulse buys, and ensure that the things you really need don't slip your mind while you're out shopping.

I do this in particular with my children's clothes, because with 3 kids to shop for, it's easy to get mixed up and forget that the 6 year old needs capris and the toddler needs tee shirts, and not the other way around.

Image by BobnRenee

Be prepared to bargain.

Garage sale prices aren't set in stone. Ask them for their best price!

I find it best to group several items together and see if you can come up with discounted price for the whole lot. Don't be afraid to ask. Just ask. The worst they can do is say no, and the best is that they can say yes.

All that said, don't offer an insultingly low price. Think about what would be a win-win situation for both of you. It's nice to get a good deal, but not at the expense of the seller. Bargain, but still be considerate.

Bring cash.

For two reasons, 1) You'll need it to pay for the things that you want, and you don't want to have to run out to get cash from the bank and risk losing an item to someone else, and 2) If you go with a set amount of cash, you're more likely to stick within your budet and spend it more carefully.

I like to use this technique any time I go shopping for used goods, bringing only the cash that I want to spend in my pocket. It just keeps me very aware of how all those "cheap" prices are adding up, and helps me to prioritize what I really do and don't need. As well, it's a good idea to bring most of your cash in smaller bills and some coins, to prevent sellers from having to break large bills and make bargaining easier.

Go early.

The nicest items are usually scooped up quickly. In garage sale shopping, the early bird definitely gets the worm.

Learn what time sales open up in your area (for us it's usually around 8am, but every sale is slightly different). But please, don't be one of those people who come an hour before the sale is even open, while the sellers are still frantically getting set up. Just go at the appropriate time and you'll have plenty of time to snag the good deals.

Go late.

Though a lot of the high quality items may be gone, but the time sellers are getting ready to close up shop, they are far more open to bargaining and giving serious discounts rather than having to deal with all of the leftover items that haven't sold. I've often been offered 50% off at the end of a sale, or sometimes even been told to just take something for free.

Look for free stuff.

Many garage sales put out boxes at the end of the driveway with items that are free for the taking. Keep your eyes out for things that are being given away. I have gotten tomato cages, tons of canning jars, serving trays and other genuinely useful items this way.

Image by D'Arcy Norman

Sometimes it's nice to go by yourself.

Although we find it fun to garage sale together as a family, I generally prefer to go by myself. The main reason is that I can get quickly in and out of a sale if there's nothing good there, rather than taking the time to get 3 kids in and out of carseats.

My kids try hard to obey, but I still find that they get into stuff at sales, since everything is laying right there at a child's level. I also have the problem of sellers oh-so-generously offering my kids free stuff that I don't really want them to have- toys, stuffed animals, random junk that they just don't need and I don't want to add to our belongings.

And if you're a power garage sale shopper (like my mother-in-law!) you might find that you can really power through the sales and maximize your time best if you're not having to worry about mid-morning blood sugar lows, naptimes and that sort of thing.

Group sales are ideal.

If you can find sales that are neighborhood sales, multi-family or church/community center sales, make those first on your list. More items in one place means efficient shopping. As a bonus, these types of sales often benefit non-profit groups or are raising money for great causes.

Go prepared.

Have your cash ready the night before. Bring a bottle of water. Ditto on some sort of snack. If you're shopping for furniture, have measurements on paper and a measuring tape in the car. Have the list of items you're looking for. Bring a map or list of the sales you want to stop at.

Anything you can do to make the experience smoother and more pleasant will make you more willing to take the time and effort in the future, rather than giving up on the potential savings because of a bad experience.

I know I'm not the only garage sale shopper out there. Frugal mamas, tell us how you save money through garage sales!

Top image by E. Bartholomew

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If you have visited this blog regularly this month, you’ve probably learned a lot of tips for natural, healthy household cleaning.  It’s so important for our health and for our children to use safe, non-toxic cleaners. However, safer alternatives are sometimes quite hard to find when you need to disinfect your home.

I advise against disinfecting every surface in your home—germ exposure is important to build a healthy immune system. However, there are times when certain areas of your home may need a good sanitizing, such as after a stomach bug.  In our home, we try to keep the toilets disinfected and wiped down daily.  And after an illness, we try to kill germs on doorknobs and light switches, etc.

Mainstream disinfecting products, frankly, are just scary to me.  I don’t use them.  The good news is that there are great alternatives that can be acquired quite cheaply.  I’d like to introduce you to two of the options today.

Melaleuca (Tea Tree Oil)

Tea tree oil is a potent oil derived from the Melaleuca alternafolia plant in Australia.  It has a very pungent smell that some find invigorating.  My children and I quite enjoy the smell.

Tea tree oil has unique properties that make the oil an excellent germicide and fungicide. In the traditional cultures of Australia, the people have been using tea tree leaves as medication for centuries.  The use of tea tree oil as a germicide and fungicide is a bit more recent—about the last century.

Our family uses tea tree oil for a variety of uses.  On Saturdays, I fill a big bowl with hot water and castile soap.  I then add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to the water.  We use the hot, soapy water to wipe down kitchen appliances and counter tops, as well as the floor.  In the bathroom, we wipe down the counter and floor with the solution.  This is the only time during the week that I disinfect my floors.  The rest of the week, I just use my steam mop.

The thing I love about tea tree oil is that my kids can safely handle it, and therefore help more around the house.  The smell is wonderful, and it makes my house smell so fresh and clean while it kills germs.

If you are interested in using tea tree oil for cleaning, it can be purchased at most health food stores.  The bottles come in a variety of prices.  I would suggest that if you are just using it for cleaning purposes, that you start with the less expensive brands first.

Photo credit: Chiot's Run

Vodka

Okay, I know that probably half of you gasped when you saw the title of this section.  Vodka? Really?!

Yes, as controversial as it may sound, I have found that vodka does a wonderful job with multi-purpose cleaning.  Because it is alcohol, it kills surface germs effectively.  It is non-streak, so vodka is great to use on mirrors, windows, and other surfaces that streak easily.

But why not just use rubbing alcohol instead of something as controversial as vodka? I get asked this question quite frequently when I tell other women about my choice of vodka as a cleaner.  First of all, rubbing alcohol and vodka are not equal. Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, which is toxic when absorbed.  So, when you clean kids toys with rubbing alcohol, it leaves behind a residue that is not safe for little children who put toys in their mouths.  On the other hand, vodka is ethyl alcohol, which is safe for human consumption should your child put the surface in their mouth.

At our home, we use vodka to clean counter tops and faucets since it makes them shine brilliantly.  We also use it to wipe down the toilets and clean windows and mirrors.  Vodka is a wonderful sanitizer as well as deodorizer, so spraying some on furniture after someone has been sick will get the furniture clean.  Because it evaporates so quickly, and there is no smell of alcohol after it dries, so it won’t damage fabric on furniture.  I also use it to clean the kids’ bath toys periodically.

Now, I want to address some concerns you may have with using vodka as a cleaner.   First of all, I believe that you must follow the dictates of your conscience regarding having alcohol in your home—even as a cleaning product.

After discussion, my husband and I felt that vodka was a safe and cost effective way to clean.  So we allow vodka in our home and treat it the same as we would treat any other cleaning chemicals. We immediately pour the vodka from the bottle into a spray bottle and store it with the cleaning supplies.

Another concern that others have expressed with using vodka for cleaning is having to go to a store to purchase it.  That is totally understandable.  I have actually found that you can buy it online, and for cheaper than I assume you would be able to buy it in a store.  You don’t need to buy the expensive kind.  Since it’s not for drinking, the cheapest kind will do.  And the good news is that a little goes a long way, so you wouldn’t have to purchase it very often.

In conclusion, vodka makes an excellent cleaner, and I highly recommend it.  That said, I understand that all of you readers out there may hold different beliefs concerning using alcohol, and that is okay.  Please consult with your husbands and follow your conscience and his leadership.

Have you used tea tree oil or vodka as a disinfectant? Do you have any tips to share?

Top Photo credit: Arthur Chapman

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Written by Stacy Karen, Contributing Writer

Advertisers everywhere proclaim the germ fighting power of chemical-filled cleaners. Many would have us believe that there is no way to clean and disinfect without a chemical product. And doesn’t every good mother want to rid her home of germs and dirt?

May I encourage you not to buy into these messages? A little dirt won’t kill you or your children.

While it is true that some germs can be dangerous, so are the chemicals in the cleaners that claim to eradicate said germs! The toxins contained in most commercial cleaners are unhealthy for us and the environment.

In her book, The Naturally Clean Home, Karyn Siegel-Maier states:

"A study by the Toronto Indoor Air Commission concluded that, due to increased exposure to household carcinogens, women who work at home have a 55 percent greater chance of developing cancer than women who spend the majority of their time outside the home."

This is a sobering reminder that we should not be adding to our toxic load by using chemical laden cleaners day after day.

Thankfully more and more non-toxic cleaners are becoming available. However, these new choices can be expensive (and many are still not entirely safe).  Lucky for us, it is easy and inexpensive to make cleaners at home. And you don’t need a bunch of fancy ingredients to do it. Keeping vinegar, Castile soap, baking soda, and essential oils on hand will enable you to make just about every cleaner you need.

Today I’d like to show you how to make a variety of non-toxic cleaners using these four ingredients.

But first, here is a brief overview of each ingredient:

Vinegar

White, distilled vinegar is great for deodorizing, degreasing and general cleaning. It’s also extremely inexpensive and readily available.

The smell of vinegar does dissipate fairly quickly, but if you dislike it a great deal, try scenting it. To create scented vinegar, simply add 75 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil to a one gallon jug of white vinegar (this combination came from Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan, page 254-255).

Castile Soap

This gentle soap is made from vegetable fat/oil such as hemp, palm or olive (opposed to tallow). It is a versatile cleaner that works well with other ingredients as well as alone.

Baking Soda

The texture of baking soda makes it useful as a mild abrasive. It is also an excellent deodorizer.Many of us already have an open box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb smells, but it can also be used to scrub sinks and clean toilets!

To freshen carpets, add a few drops of essential oil to a box of baking soda, stir to combine, sprinkle on the carpet and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Then vacuum.

Essential Oils

These concentrated plant oils contain powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-biotic and anti-fungal properties. While they can sometimes be expensive, one small bottle will last a long time.  They add a lovely fragrance to your homemade cleaners, which provides psychological benefits too!

My favorite essential oils for cleaning are: lemon, orange, peppermint, lavender, and tea tree.

Image by Rowdy Kittens

Simple Recipes to Clean the Whole House

Floors

My favorite floor cleaner is made by adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of Castile soap and 10 drops of lemon essential oil to a large container. Fill with 1 gallon of hot water and stir to mix.  If the floor is greasy, add up to 1/8 cup of vinegar.

Walls

The above floor cleaner will work well on walls too. If you wish to disinfect walls (or door knobs, crib rails, and so on), mix equal parts vinegar and water. Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil, per 16 oz of mixture, if desired.

Mirrors

Mirrors can be cleaned well with water and a microfiber cloth. If you are looking for more shine (and germ killing power), combine 1 ½ cups of water with ½ cup of vinegar in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Add 5 to 10 drops of orange or lemon essential oil for extra cleaning power and added fragrance.

Counter tops

I often keep leftover floor cleaner in a spray bottle and use it on the counter tops. It works very well.

If this is not available I will make some disinfecting spray with lavender and peppermint essential oil and water. Adding two tablespoons of Castile soap to this mix will help loosen dirt or grime if necessary.

Toilets

Pouring a little straight or scented vinegar into the toilet bowl is a great way to clean and deodorize. For regular toilet seat wipe downs, keep some vinegar in a spray bottle. (Because it’s non-toxic and safe to use, why not give kids the job of swishing and swiping each day!)

Sprinkling baking soda into the bowl and scrubbing with a sturdy toilet brush is another good way to keep the toilet clean and fresh.

Bath and shower

The best way to keep the shower clean is to regularly spray the walls with vinegar, this helps prevent soap and scum from building up. Using a squeegee to remove excess water (a few times each week) is also very effective, especially on glass doors.

For a thorough cleaning, it is easy to make your own soft soap cleaner with  baking soda and Castile soap.

The recipes shared here today are just a sampling of the natural, non-toxic cleaners that can be made with four basic ingredients (or less). There are many other possibilities.

It is always a good idea to label your homemade cleaners. Writing the recipe on the container also helps make refills a breeze.

Further reading here at Keeper of the Home:

Carefree Cleaning
Natural Solutions for Cleaning Tough Stuff
Back to the Basics: Frugal, Non-Toxic Green Cleaning

Do you have any tried and true non-toxic cleaning recipes to share?

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• Natural and Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap Reviews: 5 Moms Test and Compare
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