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Help me decide. Which do you prefer...having all one fabric type in your stash or a mixture of diaper styles and fabrics?
I need to get one last batch of ME for dd and just can't decide as i like all the fabrics for different reasons. I have a mixture of them all for the newborn and small size right now, but these next diapers, she'll be in the longest and I want to be happy with my choice. Think I'm mostly concerned about drying time and possible stink issues...do you find one fabric is more prone to build-up than another? Or do you find it's easier if they are all one fabric so have the same drying time?
I see lots of people getting just one type in their stash, like a dozen bamboo Sandy's...what made you decide to go that route? Any particular factor that helped sway your decision?
Any input most appreciated. |
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Well, hey there! I'm a "Jason mommy" too! Mine will be 1 year old next Friday! Man, it goes fast!
Personally, I started out with MEOS cotton and switched to Sandy's bamboo. I switched because my Jason was so chunky and everybody said Sandy's fit better for chunky kiddos. I switched to bamboo because everybody(forum people) sang the praises of bamboo. It's softness, trimness. I do like the bamboo more than the cotton because of those 2 reasons, but bamboo takes a long time to dry. To me, that's the biggest downside. But the two materials don't seem that different in the "stink factor" and some people say the bamboo stains easier but I have not found that to be true in my experience. Duribility has been a lingering question, and only time will answer that one.
I'd choose bamboo again. And I think that's the main key, would you choose it again if you had a "do over". I would, no doubts. |
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Hello,
I went for an all-bamboo stash because one of the main reasons for me to use CDs was the environmental factor, and I believed that bamboo was the most environmental choice. Some people may not agree with that and it is another issue entirely, but I'm just saying why I picked one fabric and only one. I like the diapers and they work for me, so I have no intention of changing a winning formula!
As for style, I started out with OS and some XS Sandys, and I did find it annoying to have to go from one style to the other all the time. I guess I was rather sleep-deprived back then, so maybe it wouldn't be much of an issue now, but I was always searching for those snaps since they were not at the same place from one diaper to the other. I stuck with OS and love it, but it does depend on the child.
I had no stink issues, but bamboo does take a long time to dry!
Hope that helps! Good luck on making your decision... |
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I just recently made exactly the same decision myself. I had XSm Bamboo and organic cotton Sandy's. I upsized to all bamboo Sandy's because of their softness and trim fit, plus, my LO's bum looked healthier when I used the bamboo. I found they were the ones I was always hoping were clean when I reached into the basket. That's the real question; which ones do you reach for first when you have the option? As for stink I found that first thing in the morning, the bamboo had a smaller "stink radius". With the cotton, lifting the bed covers always produced a waft of odor, less so with bamboo.
Both washed well for me. You can cut down drying time by doing an extra spin cycle at the end of the wash. In my dryer, (after the extra spin) on med. it only takes an extra 10-15 min more than cotton.
As for the direct question of having mixed styles or fabric, I tried a bunch of styles and fabrics to start and I found only disadvantages: Confusing to dad (huge disadvantage!!!), tricky in the wash, performance not equal, every dipe has its quirks and I needed to remember them all, etc. etc.. Even when I narrowed the options down to cotton vs bamboo Sandy's, they still fit a little differently and required a different set of snaps in the legs. Close your eyes and reach into your pile of (clean!) dipes and grab one. What are you hoping you grabbed? Pick your fave and stick with it.
I admit, it has only been 2 weeks since I made the decision, but life is a little bit easier for it. I bought half my stash, tried them for a week, then went for it and ordered the rest.
Having said that, I am still hoping to find a good AOI for weekend trips. In my imagination at least, AOI's would be easier for short trips because I wouldn't need to worry about my covers getting soiled. Anyone have any experience/thoughts? |
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I haven't used AIOs so can't really comment on whether they'd be easier, but I have to think it's better to have two layers than one. We've travelled with cloth quite a bit, and have always just gone with the separate covers and diapers. I'm so much more confident travelling with them than disposables!
Regarding the original question, I have mostly unbleached cotton OS. If I were forced to choose only one kind of diaper, that's what I'd choose (though I'd probably go organic), but I also have 6 L Sandys, which I use mostly at night because they have greater absorbancy (don't need to, the OS are fine for night, but that was the original rationale) and also have one stay-dry OS and one bamboo OS, just out of curiosity. One additional reason it makes sense to me to have a few L Sandys is that they are more generously-sized than the OS, so could likely be worn at night a little longer even after you're not using diapers during the day. This was getting to be an issue with my DS#1, PTed at 34 lbs, still fit in OS but not with a booster, while I could get a booster into the L Sandys still for night use. But I still wouldn't get all L Sandys because they are bulkier, but that's me. I like having the choice, though, and having both in my stash.
I like having some Sandys and some OS, because they have their own strengths and weaknesses. I will say that when I had two in diapers, I would have wished for all OS. I would use the S and L Sandys up first so that I would be left with OS at wash time, so either child could use the five OS I had rather than having to do the wash sooner because I needed more diapers because they were sized.
Sometimes I get curious about trying other diapers, but think that sticking with at least the same line makes sense for me because then all diapers fit in all covers. DH has never seemed stymied by two diaper styles, but then he has always been on board with CDing, and if DH is borderline, that's really something to consider as well, making it as simple as possible. (In my case, DH hated the Rikki wraps and refused to use them, so eventually I went with all AF).
I line-dry, but do think that considering the dry time is important. If you are using 10 minutes extra each time through the dryer, that can really add up, both in terms of money and environmental impact. I'm not criticizing that choice, just saying it's worth weighing into the decision.
I find that the cotton OS dry the fastest, cotton Sandys next, and bamboo OS a close last (don't have bamboo Sandys, but those would have to take longer than the bamboo OS). Drytime would also make me want to go with cotton OS, because I can go a little longer between washes, or have a few fewer diapers, since they are ready faster.
If you line-dry, you can always use your cotton ones first, and by the time they are used up, the bamboo will be dry. In my last house I sure didn't have room for more drying racks, though, and since we line-dry just about everything, I wouldn't have wanted to be waiting longer for the rack space.
Ultimately, though, there isn't a right or wrong. In general (when my DS hasn't been eating grapes again, ugh) I truly _enjoy_ CDing, and that's because of the excellent performance of all of the ME diapers in my stash. So as PP said, if there's a type of diaper you hope is clean, go for that one. Or if you like variety, mix it up a little!
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Thank you all sooooo much for your replies. It is very appreciated. It really gave me some great points to ponder and helped me decide.
It helped alot, to think of what you wish to grab when you reach in for a diaper and what you'd want for sure, if you did it over again.
I decided to go with mostly bamboo Sandy's and a few organic Onesize and AIO's. It feels good to have made the decision as I've literately been stewing about this for months, lol! Guess b/c I really do love all the ME products for different reasons so it makes choosing that much harder! Plus, of course, it's an investment and a chunk of change to put out all at once.
So thanks again for the help!
And Hammer, about the AIO's...have you tried ME's? I used them for ds a great deal; infact daily as he was so hard to diaper as a toddler and I found these awesome. Very durable and leak proof; really the only AIO that I found as such and I tried a bunch of different ones! I plan on getting more as dd grows. HTH's |
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