My Diaper Stash

What’s in My Cloth Diapering Bin

So I just did a load of diapers for my two year old, and thought I’d actually figure out what I own and use. I’ve used essentially this same collection since he was much younger, but the frequency of washing required has changed. Instead of washing every four or five days, it’s well over a week between cycles now.

I have five Kushies brand all-in-ones, because they were cheapest on Amazon back when I bought them to supplement my collection with my first kid. Now I use them almost exclusively for napping because my kid poops regularly once a day, generally during (or right after, and sometimes right before but after he’s already in the bed) naptime. Since I don’t want to risk any of my favorite Thirsties diaper covers getting poopy and being out of commission until I get around to laundering, I stick an all-in-one on him because I have to wash that diaper after one use no matter what. As an added benefit, the extra bulk in the all-in-one doesn’t bother him while he’s sleeping.

My Kushies look rougher than the regular diaper covers. That’s because I throw those in the dryer. The Thirsties (and Bumkins and whatever else I have laying around by my third kid) covers I hang to dry because they dry so quickly and it is less Velcro in the dryer to catch on things.

This load had 5 all-in-ones, three pocket diapers I used as covers (in other words I didn’t stuff the pockets, only laid inserts on top), 7 diaper covers, 34 shorter inserts, and 31 longer inserts.

In this load, I washed seven Thirsties covers out of my collection of 15. That’s because at the rate of one all-in-one per day, I used those up in five days and starter sacrificing covers. By that math, it’s been twelve days since I did a load (5 all in one diapers plus 7 Thirsties covers in the load by one poop per day), though it’s likely longer as occasionally he poops in a disposable in the morning..

I have two covers with two inserts each still in the drawer ready to go, and one cover with two inserts on my kid’s bum. That left me with two small inserts in reserve, and when I saw the bottom of my diaper bin, I knew it was time for laundry – though in fairness the overflowing diaper pail that didn’t even sort of close anymore clued me in a couple days ago. I’m just not motivated to do a load until I need more.

So for the first time since I delivered my first child, once I squeeze some math skills out, I know how many diapering supplies I own.

• 34 long inserts
• 39 short inserts
• 15 diaper covers
• 3 pocket diapers
• 5 all-in-one diapers

To further break it down for those who want all the numbers, I have the following kinds of diaper covers:

• 10 Thirsties one size (18-40 lbs, ages 9-36 months) with Velcro closures
• 2 Thirsties one size (18-40 lbs) with snap closures
• 1 Thirsties size Medium (18-28 pbs)
• 1 Bummis polar fleece size M (15-30 lbs)
• 1 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap size M (15-30 lbs)
• 1 Bumkins one size (UPDATE: he’s now outgrown this one)

My kid weighs 28 lbs, is 36 inches tall, and wears one disposable diaper overnight, plus the occasional disposable pull-up during the day. He uses 1-3 cloth diapers a day: definitely one during nap, and typically one to two more over the course of a day. I put two inserts, one short and one long, in most covers, because my inserts came to me secondhand and to that person secondhand, so these particular inserts have been through at least five kids. (I used prefolds with my first two kids until I inherited the awesomeness of pocket diaper inserts.) The long inserts, by BumGenuis, are all about equal in thickness and absorbency. The short inserts differ much more in thickness and absorbency as well as brand. (Most of those don’t have tags or if they do, it’s an illegible remnant, so it’s hard to be sure. Remember I invested nil in these inserts.) Also keep in mind the long inserts have snaps to shorten them, so you could easily get away with buying the adjustable longer size and not needing any shorter inserts at all.