Tariq's Prefolds Love Profile

My newest addition to the Prefolds Love Profiles was our sweet neighbor during our two years in Florida. Dalia stopped by to welcome us, invited me out to tea at an adorable shop in a neighboring town, watched my daughter so I could get a break, and even stopped by to borrow a cup of sugar. I love "real" neighbors and she truly was a real neighbor! Here's more about Dalia's experience cloth diapering their newest little one.

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Name and age of your little cloth wearer...

Tariq, 4 months old

Your cloth diaper system and why you chose it...

We use Fuzzibunz. I typed in Google "best cloth diaper" and that's what I found. I know... it's a little lazy but I didn't want to buy a bunch of different kinds of diapers to research and I wanted to buy a set and be done. I sort of relied on other people to do the research for me. So far I love what I chose.

Why did you decide to cloth diaper?

I chose to cloth because of finances. I'm not really an "eco-friendly" mom. I wish I was but I have to admit that I let the water run too long when brushing my teeth, I don't have a compost bin, and I don't recycle. But! I love cloth because I don't have to buy diapers ever again!

How long have you used cloth?

When my son was born we had a ton of disposables from size newborn to size 2 so I've been on and off since he's been born. I also moved from Florida to Puerto Rico and it was a little easier for me to use disposables while I was transitioning because I didn't have to think about them after he was done. If they hadn't been given to me I would have just used cloth. Although he does use one disposable at night but that's only because he leaks straight through his cloth. I am usually so tired when I wake up to feed him in the middle of the night that I fall asleep as soon as I know he's latched on and I wake up when he's done so I can put him back in his bed. I don't have the energy to change his diapers at night. One time I changed 4 diapers in one night because he wet my bed.

What processes or products have you changed from when you first started?

I haven't changed much other than the night time disposable. I like my cloth diapers. They are nice. The little guy is only 4 months though, so I might find myself changing something here or there.

What is your wash routine?

I leave the diapers in a plastic trash bag until they are all out. I only have 16 diapers and that's about two days worth of diapers for Tariq. When I'm down to two diapers I run them through a rinse cycle and then I put just a tiny tablespoon of regular detergent for the regular wash. Once a month I use bleach. They say not to but I do it because we only have cold water in Puerto Rico. My landlord is cheap and won't buy her rentals water heaters. (We're looking for a new place in hopes that we can get out of our contract). That's another story. Also, once a month if I don't want to use bleach I go to the laundromat so I can get a hot water cycle. I've only been here two months, lol, so.... I guess I'm saying that's what I'll be doing.

Do you have any preferred cloth diaper brands or products?

I only use Fuzzibunz and I haven't used any others. I really like mine. They are colorful and easy to use. I bought the one-size diapers so he can grow with them.

What is the #1 reason you love cloth diapers?

One time purchase! We're on a STRICT budget and so this has helped us to save a little money.

What is your biggest challenge with cloth diapering and how do you get over it?

Not having hot water. I feel like they don't get very clean. A few times I've washed them by hand because I feel like I can get the grime out better than the washing machine. But that takes a long time. I have yet to boil water but I've come close to it a few times.

Cutest diaper/cover you have...

The diapers are solid colors. There aren't any designs or anything but I wish I had purchased more red ones. That's my favorite color and I feel so happy to see him in it.

Money you've spent on cloth diapers so far...

Now this is my favorite part. Let me tell you that with my daughter I calculated that I would spend $2000 by the time she's done with diapers. That includes disposables and wipes. With my son I purchased 10 diapers at $20 a piece, was given one free diaper from the company (they had a buy 5 get one free deal), my brother bought me two, and my mom bought me three. I still use regular wipes because I buy them for my daughter (who is not in cloth) and I find a million uses for them besides wiping bottoms. I don't have a special detergent I just use what we have. And our water bill is not much higher than it normally would be so that isn't an issue. At the end of the day I have spent a little over $200 on cloth diapers. That doesn't include the $20 a month for wipes. I plan on making cloth wipes from old receiving blankets but I haven't had time. I will soon though, then I will save more money. :)

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also see:
new to cloth? start here...
prefolds & covers 101
all posts on pregnancy, baby, cloth