First, let me tell you about the different brands of diapers she has and my opinion of them. Then I will tell you about my routine for taking care of them.
Most of Merry's diapers are one size diapers which means she can wear them now through potty training which is AWESOME!
Happy Heinys--These diapers are some of the cutest ones I've seen on the market. Merry has a few of them made from hemp. Hemp is super absorbent. However, the hemp diapers seemed sort of stiff until they had been used enough to soften up a little. They fit Merry okay but they aren't my favorite. These are a pocket diaper. (That means you stuff an insert in the diaper for absorbency.)
Gdiaper--The good thing about these diapers is that they are slim. They don't call babies who wear cloth diapers "fluffy bottoms" for nothing. I also like the fact that they velcro. These are not one size diapers but the medium size will last you for a while. You can just change out the "insert" on these diapers and keep using the same cover. (Unless your child poops...then it's almost a certainty that you will have to get a new cover too. That's not supposed to be the case but I've never had a poopy diaper where I didn't have to change the cover too.) There are disposable inserts that you can flush as well, but they are a little on the pricey side.
Fuzzibunz--This is a one size pocket diaper. (You can buy sized versions as well.) They are very colorful and are very popular in the cloth diapering world. However, they are my least favorite. They work well but are hard to adjust the size. (There's elastic on the INSIDE of the diaper.) My diaper guru, Stephanie, tried to warn me. I wish I had listened. I think they're sized diapers are probably better.
Bumgenius/Flip--I included these two brands together because they are made by the same company ( I think) and I love them both. Bumgenius is a one size pocket diaper and Flip is a one size diaper (much like gdiaper) with an insert and cover.I have Bumgenius with snaps and velcro. I know the snaps are more durable but I much prefer the velcro. It's quicker when little her little booty is wiggling.
My routine for caring for them is pretty simple. When I change Merry Ellen I take the dirty diaper to the bathroom and rinse it out. I have a diaper sprayer on my toilet and it is wonderful. It does a great job and is worth every penny I paid for it. It's like a little shower on my toilet. LOL! Then I put the diaper in a pail lined with a laundry bag made for cloth diapers. I try to wash diapers every other day but sometimes life happens and it's a while longer. First I run the diapers through a hot/cold prewash cycle with a little detergent. Then I run the diapers through a normal hot/cold cycle with detergent. Then I run them through a rinse cycle to make sure all the detergent is removed. I don't know this from personal experience but I've read that one thing that may cause your diapers to start smelling is a build up of detergent. There is a way you can strip your diapers but I haven't had to do it yet so I'm not exactly sure how that works. I do know that from time to time its good to let them dry in the sun. The sun is great for removing stains. However, I usually throw mine in the dryer. :) I use Charlie's Soap to wash them. It gets my diapers very clean. Some people say they have issues with it and it gave their child a rash. It has worked great for me though. I think alot of that depends on the hardness of your water.
I hope this didn't bore you to tears and that your learned a little about cloth diapering. If you want to know more let me know and I'll be happy to share.
