We use the center pail which is a Rubbermaid 13 gallon tall
kitchen garbage
can with a foot pedal with a XLarge Diaper Pail Liner in it. Any garbage can will do, and they usually cost only about $10 dollars in a store. We prefer the tall
garbage cans so curious little fingers can't reach the top of them.
We tried the "true" diaper pails, but didn't find them any better
(just more expensive and didn't have a foot pedal) than a garbage can from a
regular store. Since we have a two story house, and mom was not excited about stairs following birth, we also
also had a pail made for disposables diapers downstairs (the one pictured on the left). When baby got older, and needed less frequent changes and
climbing stairs was easy again, we only used the tall pail upstairs.
The small disposable diaper pail worked fine was not my favorite because it
sealed too tightly. It tended to be quite damp inside with condensation.
Our old Rubbermaid has some gaps
at the lid. Even so, it didn't smell when closed. Actually, leaving the pail lid open is ok! If the diapers get air, they surprisingly are not very smelly at all.
The small sealed pail had far stronger odor than the Rubbermaid one with gaps. True! Give your diaper pail some air for fewer odors!
The most important part is to have a pail liner so
that you don't have to scrub out the inside of the diaper pail, because scrubbing out
a diaper pail is way too much work-- for me, anyhow.
I tried using cloth before and couldn't make it work, but I know cloth diapers are better for my baby.
Some common barriers to success with cloth are:
Social pressure to use disposables. This is sad but true. Be strong! Did you know that the average family income of cloth diaper users is over $95,000 per year? Most people who use cloth are highly educated, and are choosing cloth for environmental or health safety reasons. Cloth should actually be seen as a status symbol even though it's true that cloth diapers are far less expensive than disposables. Even the most expensive cloth diapers will save a whole lot over the cost of disposables!
Resistance from spouse or caregiver. This one is usually cured by having some all-in-one diapers on hand which are just as easy to use as disposable diapers.
Buying worn out covers or all-in-ones second hand. The life of a diaper cover or all-in-one is typically 6 to 9 months of hard use, or perhaps up to 1 year. Old covers need to be replaced since elastics get old and waterproofing wears out. If you use only old covers, you might be led to think that cloth diapers are leaky, when actually it's the old covers that are leaky and need to be thrown away. Good covers do make a difference. Even the best diaper won't be good enough if you have lousy covers.
Not owning enough cloth diapers to make a load of laundry. Often people will buy a dozen diapers to give cloth a try. Some will give up because it's a pain to wash them. Well, doing a whole wash load for just one dozen diapers is definitely not efficient, and washing with your regular laundry isn't appealing, either. You need to own enough cloth diapering supplies, including cloth wipes, to make a load of laundry or it may very well feel like it is not working efficiently. It takes commitment to make the initial investment in diapering supplies, but just like anything worthwhile, it won't take long to realize that it is definitely worth it.
Buying lousy store-bought diapers. Most actually have polyester padding in them and since polyester doesn't absorb, they are totally lousy as a diaper!
It's such a shame that stores carry so-called "cotton diapers" that are not really cotton. They give cloth diapers an undeserved bad reputation. Don't use them as diapers! Real prefolds are so worth it!
So what do you recommend?
This is a very hard question, but I am asked it daily so I guess I need to post my answer. Diapering is SOOOO personal. What's right for me at this time in my life is certainly not right for everyone. That's why there are so many choices! The hardest part about cloth diapering is picking out what to buy!
But Karen, what would YOU choose?
At this point in my life, if God were to bless our family with a newborn baby, and
I've thought about this a lot, I would get 70 Premium Wipes, 2 XL Pail Liners, 1 Kissaluvs
Diaper Lotion Potion Concentrate and 3 spray bottles,
20 Infant Fitted Diapers, 24 Newborn Prefolds and 24 infant prefolds.
2 Bummis Super Snap newborn - because those are the best for cord healing days.
2 Cot'nWrap newborn,
1 Lana wool pull-on small, 1 Disana Wool Pull-on newborn, one Covered Caboose small.
That's 7 covers. And I'd have a sleepsack, but I can count that as clothing, not part of the "diaper budget".
For accessories: 2 snappis and 2 packs of nappy pins,
1 Lansinoh Lanolin and 1 Lavender Eucalan Woolwash, 1 Woolwash soap and
1 wet bag tote.
I don't expect to need any rash cream at all until teething time. Frequent changing along with complete cleaning up after poops using the Kissaluvs Potion, slow and playful time at diaper changes gives baby's bottom plenty of "air time" and helps baby enjoy changes,
plus clean well-washed cotton diapers means no rashes (assuming no food allergies or other issues).
Once my baby is not a newborn I'd use some
size small Under the Nile fitted diapers and some Growing Greens for the diaper bag, and a variety of
wool covers and wool longies, plus some Litewrap covers when I prefer something trim or as a backup
to my beautiful, breathable wools.
I'm very happy snappi fastening or pinning prefolds, so I'd always have 2 or 3 dozen
prefolds on hand. Prefolds and wool would be the backbone of my stash, with fitteds for
sometimes and the diaper bag.
I'd have a few aios on hand for my husband or teenage daughter to use on the baby, but deep down I am a wool lover.
The softness and breathability can't be matched by the synthetics. I'd have no
polyester content diapers, no stay-dry and no
pocket diapers for me. Only cotton goes next to my baby's bottom. I'm a bit of a purist.
And I'd wash the diapers and all my laundry in Charlies Soap laundry detergent, adding an oxygen cleaner to the hot wash and vinegar in the first rinse.
I just love Charlies.
Also I can't live without my Potty Pail. I need that good sprayer with the bucket for my rather nutty and obsessive
desire to have zero stains on my beautiful diapers. To each his own! There is no best
or right way to diaper a baby, just a whole lot of personal preferences.
Ok, so diapering is personal. How do
I figure out what is right for me and my baby?
Figuring out what to buy is the hardest part about cloth diapering. But don't fret too much. Whatever you choose will work just fine (we only carry the good stuff!!). First, think about your budget. What can you afford, and of that what do you choose to spend? Then decide on snaps or hook and loop closures, (Velcro™ and Aplix™ are brand names of hook and loop closures) or some of both. Chubby babies do better in snap closures, while trim do better in hook and loop closures. Average babies can use either very well. Snaps are more fidgety to use, but hook and loop makes that "hrrrinchk" sound and can
stick together in the wash, if you forget to close the fold-back tabs. Unbleached, organic or white? Totally your personal preference. Sigh.... This common question is really too hard for me to answer fully... Only you can figure out your own answer. Remember that figuring out what to buy is the hardest part about cloth diapering! Using cloth is actually very easy.
After a whole page of Q&A, perhaps your eyes hurt and you are even more confused about what to buy, or perhaps you are narrowing it down by now. Just make a decision, and go for it. Trust your instinct and it will be wonderful. The diapers you choose will work very well and then you won't really think about it anymore. Your focus is (or will be if you are still pregnant) on the baby, not the diaper, so it's really no big deal after all. As long as the diapers work, and everything here does, then you are all set.
Don't miss the New Moms Page for newborn cloth diapering ideas.
A 12 page Green Mountain How-To Booklet comes with your order. All of your questions about using the diapers and covers and washing and such are answered there.
Tip - Customers often say "I'm glad I ordered from Green Mountain Diapers. The How-To Booklet is fantastic and my order really did arrive quickly!"
We've been in business for 10 years, established and reliable, yet still a caring WAHM business. See our ratings at the Diaper Pin.
Sample pails shown.
The Small pail on the left is 18 inches tall, and the Small Pail Liner fits it.
The center pail is 25 inches tall, and the XLarge Pail Liner fits it.
We don't sell diaper pails.
Actual dimensions of the Pail Liners:
The XL Pail Liner's top opening is 56 inches in circumference, and it is 29 inches tall. This is both wider and taller than other brands of XL pail liners we've tried.
The Small Pail Liner's top opening is 49 inches in circumference, and it is 25 inches tall. But the height measurement is deceiving because pails are 3 dimensional and the height measurements are
2 dimensional. So pay attention to the sample pail heights!
The small works if your pail comes up to about knee-height. Anything thigh-height needs either large or XLarge.
XL pail liner in a 44 quart Sterlite tall kitchen garbage can. The garbage can is 24 inches tall.
Large pail liner in same can. Works great on this narrow opening can. If you have wide opening at the top, choose the XL liner.
Small pail liner in same can. It's too short for this can, and will fall in if not snugged up around the rim to hold it up. This can is
24 inches tall. This small liner fits better in cans 20 inches tall or less.