Been doing a lot of research into this topic, and will probably go this route when the baby arrives. Just wanted to hear from any on here who have had experience with them. Any tips or brand recommendations? I am swaying towards BG (bumgenius) or Blueberry.
Motorcylerider,
I used/am using cloth diapers on my two children. I have also been selling them in Taiwan for almost five years.
I’ve tried quite a few brands, and talked to a lot of local parents about their experience with cloth diapers, particularly the pocket/all-in-one style you are swaying toward. I guess a couple of considerations would be:
When do you want to use them (just at home/only daytime/nights only/fulltime)? (Some diapers like the AIO and pocket are easier to use outside the home than the cover/cloth option, but if you are camping or using them in a hotel, the AIO/pockets can take a while to dry indoors… I took them on several trips overseas and I would say they are not so convenient in a hotel situation.)
How often are you willing to change them?
How much do you care about the thickness of them? (There is a correlation between absorbency and thickness, but some people like to put their kids in close-fitting clothing, hence the consideration.)
How are you going to wash and dry them - cold water/hot water/machine/hand/line dry/drier hot/drier cool? (Some people are not willing to use a drier at all, which can rule out very thick diapers or thicker towelling in areas where clothes dry slowly.)
I use the pocket kind most of the time, where you can pull the insert out and wash the cover and insert separately. Sometimes the covers dry in a couple of hours but the inserts can take a day and a half in Taiwan’s weather if you don’t use a drier. The all-in-ones are easier to use b/c you don’t have to put any insert in them, but if your insert wears out first then you have a good cover and have to find a way to restitch an insert onto it. If you go this route, you have to be prepared to use a detergent without glycerin and other oils, and to do a hot wash every so often to keep the fleece layer from repelling pee. <<Plug for Mommy’s Touch here>> I chose Mommy’s Touch because they fit children up to about 18kg/110cm, which means if you do have to use them for nighttime diapering, long plane trips etc in future, you don’t have to go out and buy new diapers. The company also has a really good service policy which helps me work with my customers.
My husband prefers the organic covers with cotton foldable cloth inside, but you have to change the cloth more often and place it in the diaper well to make sure it absorbs what it is supposed to. They are really light and breathable, though. <> Their training pants are great.
There are many great brands on the market, and some of the more popular ones are available in Taiwan, which can save shipping and return hassles. You mention two popular brands, which are both sold by one of my retailers (English-speaking) in Taiwan. She did tell me that many customers in Taiwan have the issue with Bum Genius which doesn’t occur in less humid climates. That is, there is a layer inside that goes moldy easily. I don’t want to talk badly of this diaper as I know it is really popular with parents, but it is a pity that that layer does this in Taiwan’s climate and laundry conditions.
Anyway, I am sure there are a few parents here who use cloth diapers of all kinds. Let me know if I can help with more information. (I didn’t realise I had quite so much to say on this topic! 
)
My wife thought that too, when the baby was on its way. She changed her mind right quick when it arrived and she saw how much comes out of the little bugger. She did also hear from her friend about mould issues with those BG ones.
Wow, that’s quite a reply asiababy. I haven’t heard any mold issues about BGs, but will do some more research. I would be using them at home mostly, and take a few disposables when we take the baby out, because I don’t want to lug soiled diapers around. I would be cold washing (no heated water function on my washer), and will be putting outside to dry (no room in my place to put a drying machine). Leaning towards the pocket diapers that take inserts, so that I can adjust the thickness. Like the BGs because they can be adjusted for different sizes, and their 3.0 version has some elasticity to them, and a leg area that prevents leaks. But with this mold issue you and Sandman mention, I’m a bit wary now.
This is another thing that put us off – cold water wash and no dryer is going to make for a LOT of extra work for you (or whoever is going to be doing the laundry). Also, I’m sorry, but I simply don’t trust cold water wash to get the things properly clean. Even our own regular bath towels don’t get really clean, in my experience, let alone shit-smeared ones!
I’ve been the nappy/diaper meister since M was born, we’ve been using washable cloth nappies (forget the brand, have to go look, but we brought them over from the Uk). There’s an inner liner (next to baby’s skin), then the diaper, then a wrap to finish off. The inner liner takes the main force of the piss and shit and is flushed away, the diaper and the wrap are the reusable parts.
We’ve used them all day, every day, save for occasionally when we’re out for a long trip and don’t want to carry dirty diaper around. Wife insisted on M sleeping in disposables though, so she’s worn one of those each night.
Each diaper is quickly rinsed after use, and kept in bucket of warm water (with tea-tree oil added, for smell removal), until wash time. Wash time comes around every 2 days. All washed in cold water, dried on the balcony, and all nappies (2 years on) are still clean and usable. Sometimes in winter I’ve had to dry them inside, using a dehumidifier to speed things up, but this time of year - dry in a few hours.
No mould. Nowhere. Never 
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I reckon it’s worth the effort.
I used cloth diapers with the last two of my three kids and NEVER had any mold issues.
I used the ones sold by Asiababy and loved the all in one kind. I didn’t like fussing with liners so the AIO suited me much better and I didn’t find them a hassle to use at all. I got the Mother Touch ones with velcro closers and one size fits all.
Some of my diapers even match the leg warmers, very cute!
A few questions about washing, all the brands recommend a cold and then a hot wash. Is this really necessary? Can I just pre-soak and just do one cold wash. Having to wash 2 or more times seems a bit overkill, or is a necessary step to remove stains and odor. I also, plan to use the flushable paper diaper liners made by ImseVimse to avoid having to scrap poop off the diaper. Anyone else using them?
Motorcycle rider,
Basically the cold wash is to rinse stuff off. We put one of those spray hoses on our toilet and we use it to wash our kids’ bottoms and to rinse off diapers in the toilet. Then we do a cold wash with a detergent made for cold washes, and do an ordinary rinse. You can also just rinse with water from the faucet. In the beginning we washed all the diapers seperately from clothes but now the kids are little older they are really clean (used for nights/long trips only, no poop) and we just wash them with other clothes/towels etc.
The important thing in Taiwan is, if you are not washing everday, either do a dry pail, no water at all, or put in a good amount of water and change it daily. You want to prevent mold, just like with other clothes, and leaving them half-wet for a long time doesn’t work.
I also sell the paper liners but to be honest I don’t use them at all, and most of my customers don’t after the baby is about two months old and “things” settle down. The fleece is just so easy to get clean with just a good strong rinse with faucet or drop into the toilet.
BTW the part of the Bum Genius that goes moldy is the area around the snaps on the inside of the diaper. Bum Genius have an extra layer of fleece on the snaps, which other brands don’t have. I guess it’s harder to get that area really dry. If you read Chinese you can search message boards in Taiwan for more Taiwan-specific feedback.
Have you switched over, MotorcycleRider and Sandman?
I kept telling myself eventually I’ll switch over when the little one got bigger and now that he is, I think it’s really time to look at the switch. I don’t know anyone who is using cloth and I’ve mentioned it to two people but they’re against it. So I’m here asking the kind folks of Flob. 
I like the cloth diaper Nuit talked about, I think I would go with the liner as well.
For those of you that are using cloth, please be honest. Is cloth just as easy to put on and take off as disposable? Did you experience any leaks? How about bulkiness and mobility for baby? The guy is up and will be walking soon, so I wonder if cloth will be too thick for his mobility.
Cloth ones sold by asiababy are great!! I use them at home and trips to the local market, park. Since I already had a toddler when my son was born, I used disposables for a trip around town and night time. The cloth diapers are in great condition although I have been using them for a year and a half and so are the inserts. Not a snap has been broken nor have the elastics gotten loose or misshapen. Sometimes there are leaks, coz the kiddo hasn’t let us fasten the diaper properly, but I have had more leaks in disposable ones especially huggies…
They don’t sag like disposable diapers. They also don’t get stained by poo and are surprisingly easy to wash off.
The thing about using cloth diapers on baby’s day out, is that you need to carry the soiled one back with you and need a diaper bag et al. Whereas the disposable one can be disposed.
My kids never wore diapers at home, so I can’t be sure about postural and walking problems and yet I don’t think the cloth ones are a problem. If you are afraid of switching completely, buy a couple of diapers and use them at home or for short walks and decide wether its doable for you or not. In any case the diapers won’t be a complete waste coz you can still use them at home.
I recommend them, have been using them on my daughter since she was 2.5 months old. They are easy to care for once you get into a routine with them. I’ve worked it out, in 6 months of use we will have covered the cost of buying them. I used to buy 2 bags of disposable diapers a week, now I just buy 1 bag a month. We only use disposables when we go out. I recommend getting the pocket diapers, they add a few extra minutes when doing laundry, but they dry faster than the all-in-ones. In moist climates like Taiwan this will be a big factor. And to answer your questions, no leaks so far, and yes they are easy to put on and take off, and yes the are a bit bulky then disposables but shouldn’t be a big concern. Those people who just tell you to not use cloth diapers, and have never use them before themselves are either ignorant or lazy. Buy one or two first, try them out and see if they are for you and your kid. BTW, I have both BG 3.0s and MTs, they are both good, but I feel that the BGs have a better fit (for my baby), but every babies body is different so fit will vary with brands.
My daughter with BGs on: flickr.com/photos/ericdiep/3 … otostream/
flickr.com/photos/ericdiep/3 … otostream/
I am a full time mum of 10 months old twins and had been using Mommy’s touch easy snap washable diapers since they were 1 month old. I did tremendous amount of time researching other brands including organic, etc. etc., prior to committing buying dozens of them.
My personal views about MT washable diapers are, now that I have months of experience;
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If your time as a mother (as I do FULL daily household work too including cooking) is MORE VALUABLE than just removing poop by hand, cleaning, soaking, pre-washing, washing, drying and putting all the components together(2x inserts in the diaper)…then this is NOT a good idea. I had to result to using pampers disposable diapers when they sleep in the nights and during naps. The MT diapers leak (despite of 2x inserts) and it often woke up my babies too early.
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I kick myself now and with little regrets, even I have tried to justify that what I am doing is better for the environment and saving me money over the 3 years period or up until the twins will be potty trained. The amount of time, water, electricity, detergent, extra workload and stress is certainly NOT COMPENSATING as I first imagined.
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If I will have more children in the future, I would definitely use disposable diapers all the time. This is just my personal opinion. Maybe for mothers of singletons and those who have luxury of extra help around the house, the washable diaper idea works.
[quote=“mumoftwins”]I am a full time mum of 10 months old twins and had been using Mommy’s touch easy snap washable diapers since they were 1 month old. I did tremendous amount of time researching other brands including organic, etc. etc., prior to committing buying dozens of them.
My personal views about MT washable diapers are, now that I have months of experience;
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If your time as a mother (as I do FULL daily household work too including cooking) is MORE VALUABLE than just removing poop by hand, cleaning, soaking, pre-washing, washing, drying and putting all the components together(2x inserts in the diaper)…then this is NOT a good idea. I had to result to using pampers disposable diapers when they sleep in the nights and during naps. The MT diapers leak (despite of 2x inserts) and it often woke up my babies too early.
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I kick myself now and with little regrets, even I have tried to justify that what I am doing is better for the environment and saving me money over the 3 years period or up until the twins will be potty trained. The amount of time, water, electricity, detergent, extra workload and stress is certainly NOT COMPENSATING as I first imagined.
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If I will have more children in the future, I would definitely use disposable diapers all the time. This is just my personal opinion. Maybe for mothers of singletons and those who have luxury of extra help around the house, the washable diaper idea works.[/quote]
That’s pretty much my opinion too. We got several (can’t remember what brand, but they seemed VERY expensive to me) from my sister in the UK and tried them. A whole SHITLOAD of extra work! Dreadful, and we gave up on them after a couple of weeks. Maybe if you have a nanny or a domestic who does the laundry it would be do-able, but for normal working parents? NO WAY, IMO! Specially when the washing machine only has cold water. (I later discovered that my “green” eco-friendly little sis also gave up on them yet still touted them to us, the cheeky wee monkey.)
I guess it’s different strokes for different folks. I hate headaches and doing extra work for little gain, but I don’t find using cloth diapers as troublesome as some of you have made it out to be. At max it adds an 15 extra minutes of laundry time. Here’s my routine, we have 18 pocket diapers, my daughter goes through about 8 a day, so we do laundry every other day. When it’s diaper change time we take off the diaper and pull the insert out and put them in a pale until laundry time (same amount of time as taking off a disposable diaper and chucking in the trash bin). On laundry day we throw everything including her normal soiled clothes into the washing machine (we don’t have a heated washing machine so we wash everything cold, no problems so far). Once washed we hang everything up to dry on the balcony and by morning (we do laundry at night at around 9pm) the diapers and inserts are dry and ready for another 2 days of use. Hanging of 16-18 diapers and inserts adds about 5 extra minutes on top of hanging of her other baby clothes. Then in the morning I spend about 10 minutes or less putting the inserts back into the pocket diapers. That’s it, done, and I’m good for 2 days. 15 minutes of extra work every other day is well worth the savings, especially now that Taipei County charges for garbage bags, disposable diapers fill up those government garbage bags really quickly. Trust me, if I can use pocket diapers most of you guys should be able to. We work full time, have a dog, and are first time parents. But again, it depends on your lifestyle, and daily routines.
Like MooercycleRider I also found them easy to use. I had the All in one types so after the baby soiled them I threw them in a pail of water and vinegar. At the end of the night I did all the baby laundry hung everything out and in the morning they were ready to go. No inserts here but I don’t imaing it would be any more difficult or time consuming then folding socks!
Also all of my kids potty trained around 2 years old or sooner and I think it was paritally because of the cloth diapers. They were more aware when they were wet and when they would ask for the diaper to be changed.
Ours only gets changed in the morning, at night, and a couple of times in between. Still, whatever rocks your boat I suppose. We just found that the insert thingys just weren’t clean enough even after two goes through the wash cycle. Maybe we should shell out for a better machine, but that would kind of defeat the purpose. And yeah, too, he REALLY didn’t enjoy the wetness from the cloth ones, and you could see the beginnings of nappy rash, which was the clincher for us. It used to make him complain, too. He NEVER gets even a trace of redness from the disposables.
The thing about the cloth diapers giving the feeling of wetness more is kind of a positive. As mentioned they push kids to become potty trained sooner. And about diaper rash, we think using cloth diapers has prevented our kid from having any serious diaper rash. Cause it forces us to change her diaper right away after she wets so the yucky stuff doesn’t have time to start irritating her skin. When we used disposables, because they were so absorbent she wouldn’t fuss after having wet herself, and we wouldn’t even notice until after a long time, this was a period when she got diaper rash often.
Different strokes, then. Obviously the cloth ones simply wouldn’t be saleable if they didn’t satisfy a customer base. Me, though? No way Jose! I’ve tried both and for me, its disposables all the way. There’s not even a competition as far as I’m concerned. Disposables are just THAT much better.
mumoftwins,
I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your cloth diapers. If you are having troubles you think we can help with, please PM me or email me at littlewonderstw at hotmail dot com.
Cloth diapers and even certain brands are not for everyone, so I recommend if you are going to buy and try, you can just wash one or two to see if you like them. Most stores I know here and overseas will take returns on unwashed items, but can’t take them once they have been used.
We offer a free check-and-launder service for people who purchased through our store or one of our approved retailers and think they may have diapers that have leaking issues. Just send them in with return postage and proof of purchase.
Generally, cloth diapers have a high resale value and I know customers who used them until their baby was potty-trained and then sold them for about 75% of what they paid new. Yahoo auction or Ruten are good places to advertise them, as well as Babyhome.