Simple, reliable answers to all your cloth diaper questions

My Top 10 Must Have Baby, Cloth Diaper and Cleaning Products of 2014

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Having a toddler in the house has completely changed the way I live. Besides being eternally exhausted…my house is never quite clean, something always seems to smell and we are late everywhere we go. While I can’t help you with all those things, I CAN suggest a few amazing products that have turned into lifesavers for me. I just want to add a disclaimer that while I love these products and they work for me they may not work for you. Please stick around to the end of the post to see a special giveaway! {ended}

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Bac-Out

Bac out is one of my go-to cleaning and laundry products! Spilled milk on the car rug…Bac-Out. Stinky boots…Bac-Out. Smelly cloth diapers…Bac-Out! I’ve even got my mom using it!

Bac-Out is a stain and odor eliminator that uses live enzyme cultures to ‘eat’ organic matter. It works to remove odors from pet stains, spilled milk, stinky shoes, messes after your kids throw up. Just clean the mess as best you can and spray Bac-out on affected area. Allow to dry. The live enzymes destroy the source of the stink so it never comes back. As for the best use of all…cloth diapers! Click here for even more uses and how-to info.

Some people keep Bac-Out in the bathroom and spray all poopy diapers before throwing them in the wet bag. Personally, if a load of cloth diapers has a particularly…ripe…smell I use Bac-Out in the pre-wash/rinse. No more ammonia smelling diapers!

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm

Love this stuff! I actually keep extras around the house to give as gifts to anyone I know with kids. I couldn’t get my in-laws to use cloth diapers for their new baby, but I did get them hooked on Earth Momma Angel Baby Bottom Balm!

We use it at every diaper change to keep rashes away. It also works as a great barrier at night to keep the moisture (and ammonia burns) off your baby’s bum. What I love most about this stuff is that it’s not just for butts! It is awesome at soothing sore sunburned skin. Any small cuts or scrapes also get Earth Momma Angel Baby rubbed on them. Nicks from shaving…even bug bites. We use this on everything. It’s on our cloth diaper safe rash creams list!

Thirsties Hemp Inserts

Sophia has needed two inserts in her day cloth diapers since she was 11 months old. If the diaper I’m using didn’t come with two inserts, the second is usually a Thirsties Hemp Insert. My current bullet proof nighttime solution is three of the Thirsties Hemp inserts with a bamboo insert on top (for faster pee absorption) and cover with leg gussets. I like Pooters, Thirsties, Sweat Pea or Rumparooz covers for that.

Thirsties Hemp inserts wash easy, are very trim and super absorbent. They are made in the USA and are sold at a great price. All things that I really love!

The Wet Brush

Sophia has curly hair. It’s so pretty and we always get compliments on it when we are out. I only brush it when it’s wet, but by that time and especially  after I’ve shampooed it, her hair is pretty much a snarled hot mess. Months ago I had bought a Knot Genie. The packaging had promised it to be the BEST for curly hair. I think it promised to untangle anything easily and painlessly. For us, it did neither of those things. So I turned to our awesome fans on facebook. An overwhelming number of moms recommended the Wet Hair Brush.

I bought one on Amazon that night…guess what? NOW we have easy and pain free untangled hair. Looking at it, the bristles look like any other brush. But they aren’t…trust me! Apparently it’s got some magic called IntelliFlex bristles. If you have curly or wavy hair or a kid who does…you have got to try these! I can’t believe we went this long without one.

Elderberry Syrup

I’ve heard of this stuff in the past. All good things. I just never got around to trying it. This year Sophia had a reaction to the Flu Mist spray. I was begging people for any remedy that might help. It totally stinks when a kid is sick…for them and for us (for me anyway)!

Within a few hours of Sophia taking the Elderberry Syrup she began to feel better and by the next morning the runny nose and cough had cleared up. If that’s not enough proof, my mom got sick with a horrible cold. I talked to her on the phone and told her about the syrup. She sent my dad right out to get some. Within 12 hours I could hear the huge improvement in her voice when I talked to her on the phone. She said that she felt like a new person! We are all now taking it daily to keep the sickies away and so far so good!

For centuries the main ingredient, Sambucus nigra L., has been used as a winter remedy. It’s high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, is anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to possess anti-viral qualities. Perfect for keeping colds and the flu away or boosting your immune system to help you fight it off. It is available in both adult and infant versions and it tastes like  pancake syrup would…if it were made of elderberrys. It’s sweet, but you only need a little.

Cj’s All Purpose Cleaner

I’m not the crunchiest as people can go. But I do try to cut out toxins where I can. This is one product I’m glad I tried!

Cj’s All Purpose Cleaner is a concentrated solution that you mix with water. I use a 32 oz spray bottle from the dollar store for mine. This is a natural, alkaline soap that kills viruses, bacteria, and mold and is safe on almost any surface. I use it to clean everything; dried stuck on food comes right off with this stuff! What can be even better? It comes in a bunch of amazing CJ’s scents. I just wish they still carried Love Spell. I bought all the CJ’s BUTTer’s I could find in love spell when I found out it was getting discontinued. I hadn’t tried the cleaner yet or I would have done the same with that. Wink wink…if anyone has any CJ’s BUTTer in Love Spell you want to sell you know where you can come. ;)

Scarlet’s Naturals Hiney Honey Bites

If you follow the blog you might have also noticed that in addition to cloth diapers, I am also a huge fan of cloth wipes. I’m lazy, so I like to either buy a pre-made wipes solution or something that is easy to mix. Scarlet’s Naturals happens to have wipes solution in…Love Spell! How could I not?

These are all natural and dissolve easily in hot water. I throw 3 bites in my small spray bottle with the hot water and shake. That’s it. It cleans, moisturizes and has grapefruit seed extract as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Did I mention how good it smells??!! Made in the USA by an awesome WAHM.

Heart Felt Wool Dryer Balls

I do love me some dryer balls. They seem to help cut drying time and also help to keep clothes soft without using chemicals. You can even use essential oils to scent the dryer balls if you want. These are well made and come with a gift bag. I actually bought two sets as gifts…and ended up keeping them for myself. Looks like I need to get another set or two, lol. They have a discount on Amazon right now if you are interested. It is 20% off the second pack. Use code 2K8FLJX4 at checkout. :)

Geffen Baby Jersey Hemp Prefolds

What can I say…I love these. I was not a prefold user until I tried them. Then I wrote: “This One Is A Game Changer! I Wish I Could Switch Out Every One of My Cloth Diaper Inserts With This.”

I have about 10 of them now and I use them in all my covers. You can stuff in pocket cloth diapers as well. Good as part of a night time solution (you would need two for night). They are the trimmest ‘inserts’ I have. Read this post and see how absorbent they are compared to other brands and inserts. Oh, I almost forgot to mention…Geffen Baby Jersey Hemp prefolds are SOFT!

Buncha Farmers Stain Remover Stick

No more Shout Stain Spray for me! You can rub (wet first) directly on stains and scrub, you can make a spray, you can grate into hot water and use to clean your carpets (I do this in my carpet cleaner machine). You can even cut some up into a load of clothes or cloth diaper laundry to boost the wash cycle’s cleaning power. Click here to see how it works. I’ve yet to find a stain it couldn’t remove.

This is also another product that I keep a huge supply of at my house. First, you can see I use it A LOT. Second, this is something else I like to give as gifts.  My friends and family seem to be happy with it as well!

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for shopping through them.

Thank you collage

Now that I’ve gone on and on and on…thanks for hanging around till the end!

This year has been an amazing whirlwind journey for myself and for the blog. When I began looking into cloth diapers three years ago I was in the same place that many new moms are…complete and total confusion. I was overwhelmed and wondering if I could even do any of it…the mom part and the cloth diapers! Fast forward till now…

I started writing for Autumn and All About Cloth Diapers on December 31st of 2013. I became the proud owner on October 1st.  Finally,  today, we reached 30,000 fans on Facebook. This is huge and one of the goals I had set for myself this year. When I began writing a year ago, we had just 13,000 Facebook fans. It is so overwhelming and amazing!

I can’t tell you how blessed I feel and how thankful I am to each and every one of you. Thank you for reading the blog. Thank you for sharing our posts with others. Thank you for shopping through the affiliate links. Thank you to our amazing sponsors! I just really, really want you to know how much I appreciate everything and can’t say it enough…thank you for all your love and support! Autumn began this blog almost 7 years ago. As true as it was then and is true now…without you, All About Cloth Diapers would be nothing. 

Please come celebrate with me!

In celebration and in thanks, I am personally sponsoring this giveaway! There will be 5 winners!

    • Three AACD readers will win a copy of the Ultimate Guide to Cloth Diapers, a comprehensive guide that saves time and money by explaining in detail how to buy, use, clean and troubleshoot clothes diapers. Don’t hesitate to buy it now! If you win I’ll refund your money! <3
    • One Reader wins a Monkey Foot Designs Medium Wet Bag.
    • One Reader wins a Ragababe Doll Diaper.

This has ended! Thank you for entering! Congrats to Aubree L. Jenni G. Susan A. Mike S. Kristen P.

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Comments

  3. I could learn lots from it! I’m new to cloth diapering. I think it would be most helpful to me for figuring out nighttime and travel solutions!

    Reply

  5. I think it would help me find the best night time solution, but I feel like I’ve already learned so much from your website. I found it before my daughter was born and you helped calm my nerves about exclusive cloth diapering!

    Reply

  6. How to deal with the funk smell! I’ve been cding for over 2 years, with 2 kids, and still haven’t figured it out!

    Reply

  8. I am due with my first in May and I am so thankful to have found you! You are such a blessing to those of us who are just starting out on this slightly confusing journey!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for saying so. Don’t worry, I promise you will figure it out. Like anything there’s a learning curve. Just ask when you have a question :-)

      Reply

  10. I am just starting to cd my third and your book finally cleared up the confusion of the different fabrics for me. Hemp, bamboo, obv, etc!

    Reply

  12. The book would help me understand the differences in the different cloth diapers. Also more details on the best washing methods. :)

    Reply

  13. This guide has helped my learn all the differences between styles and wash routines while I was still pregnant with my first which really helped us in our journey into cloth diapering.

    Reply

  16. wow, this is an awesome giveaway! Whoever wins this is going to be one lucky momma ???? I could definitely use some help with nighttime cloth diapering, as my LO is a heavy wetter ????

    Reply

  20. I’d love to learn more about newborn cloth diapering because we didn’t start until my son was past that stage! Looks like the first Chapter would be great to learn about the most efficient system for newborns!

    Reply

  22. I would learn a ton from the ebook. Being a first time mom to a 3 week old, and first time user of cloth diapers, I need to learn more about wool, night time solutions, and how to fold Prefolds!! Thank you!

    Reply

  23. Getting a tight fit with a prefold caught my attention. Ive practiced with dolls (since baby #2 hasn’t arrived yet) and it looks so bulky and loose

    Reply

  26. I need to learn more about Snappis! I have 2 on there way to me for our prefolds but we mainly use AIO so that system of cloth diapering is all new to me!

    Reply

  35. I would check out the e-book to see a good review of multiple diaper brands. There are so many on the market, it would be nice to see an organized review of them all somewhere.

    Reply

  43. I am looking forward to just getting started! I love learning new ways to be healthier, & keep those I love healthy. Cloth diapering seems like a good way to go! More healthy for babies. Hoping to learn & experiment before having my own kids soon!! Wish me luck! :)

    Reply

  44. I think the most helpful thing for me to learn about from the book would be a washing solution. We are currently ebf, but it’s only a matter of time before I have to start worrying about stain and stink!

    Reply

  48. I would actually learn A LOT of things! I haven’t used them before, but am expecting our first and will use cloth diapers then.

    Reply

  50. I’m looking forward to expanding on my nighttime solution options and wash routines. It sounds like a good guide to help troubleshoot issues!

    Reply

  53. Seeing as the little one hasn’t been born and we are brand new to cloth diapering I have a LOT to learn so the book would probably teach me EVERYTHING!

    Reply

  59. I’d love to learn the info needed to perfect my wash routine. I have a front loader and am concerned about ammonia.

    Reply

  63. well, considering our son isn’t born yet I know i still have EVERYTHING to learn when it comes to cloth diapering. But I think what I’m most interested in learning from the book would be about all the different kinds of materials used in cloth diapers / how they vary and the differences they make. (hemp, cotton, bamboo, microfiber, etc.)!

    Reply

  65. I swear that i have read all the ways to wash that i can but i still have issues three years later from time to time. i would love to hear what you have to say on how to wash and what to use!

    Reply

  66. I absolutely love these diapers! I washed them once (just for my own purposes) and my little guy wore it for 4 hours with no leaks! The prints are cute, a little girly for my taste but overall these diapers are AMAZING! Plus they have great customer service! Fast shipping and they sent a sweet little gift :)

    Reply

  67. i hope to learn more about AIO’s and wool. I have fitters and covers and they seem to work well for us, but I’ve never tried anything else (other than prefolds with covers which we still use in a pinch).

    Reply

  68. Buy all the top 10! Lol thanks so much for your tips and emails! Still trying to figure out a night time solution but hope to learn more! 7 mths and going strong yayy

    Reply

  70. I would like to read more about measuring for the best fit. We’ve had a lot of fit problems with our daughter and I still am not sure how tightly to snap the covers and when to change the rise.

    Reply

  72. It would probably give me tips and the courage to go back to cloth for nighttime too. Thanks for sharing about these products!

    Reply

  73. Like others, if I won the book I’d like to learn about preventing barnyard smell. We’ve been using cloth for only about a week and already our diapers have a funky smell.

    Reply

  74. I can’t wait to try cloth diapers I am just nervous to use them since I have only used disposable on all the children I have nannyed for in the past but My friends have recommended them and said they have never had explosions like people who use disposable diapers get! I hope that is true no explosions would be amazing and maybe my sister would change her mind on use them when she is watching my son!

    Reply

  76. I would be interested to read what diaper extras you would recommend. I also like the EMAB bum balm, and will one day try the bac out- just need to find the best place to buy it as we are in Canada.

    Reply

  79. It sounds like your cloth diapering ebook is packed with information. I would love to learn more about ways to eliminate stains and how to fit diapers well on baby as they go from one size to the next.

    Reply

  80. I was wondering if Biz would be a similar product to bac-out? I would learn so many things from the cloth diapering handbook, but mostly how to clean my diapers and keep them freshy~

    Reply

    • I’ve never personally used Biz. It seems to have a bunch of ingredients that in theory would be good on stains and odors. I think I’m going to get some to try it out on my husbands clothes. It’s not really the same as Bac Out though. Bac Out using non toxic and natural ingredients to work. That is not the case with Biz. I guess you have to weigh out what is more important and decide that way which is a better fit for your family.

      Reply

  82. Night Diapering is one thing that has me nervous about starting clothe diapers. I have a 3 week old and we are planning on switching over soon.

    Reply

  85. I’m glad I decided to take the time to check out your book again. At first I was super turned off by CD books and other sources because I felt like they wouldn’t give a full unbiased detail . Now however, at 18 months of CDing my daughter and one boy on the way in April, I can appreciate the HARD WORK IT MUST HAVE TAKEN TO COMPILE SUCH A BOOK! I had to learn how to CD online,buy online, troubleshoot online and basically have explored millions of blogs, forums and websites (it feels like millions lol)! I feel comfortable with your experience, your passion to help other moms and your writing style is easy for me to read and relate to. Thus, I actually just bought your book. Thank you sincerely for your desire to be who you are!

    Reply

    • Thank you for taking the time to say all that. It’s very much appreciated Shaina! Thank you for you purchase as well!

      Reply

  88. I would like to learn more about nighttime solutions. We currently do disposables at night, but I would love to find other options that aren’t super expensive! :)

    Reply

  89. We want to cloth diaper when LO arrives, so I think this book would really help us wrap our minds around everything to figure out a system!

    Reply

  90. The best thing the Guide would do for us is give my husband one piece of material he could read that would give him all the info in one place (or at least a good foundation). I’ve sent him a few links here and there, but one guide would be exactly what he needs to feel like he’s in the loop!

    Reply

  94. As a long-time follower, I have already learned so much with you! I still feel like my wash routine could improve and I am sure the book would help. Thank you for all your hard work and congrats on 30,000!

    Reply

  95. I am new to cloth (started a month ago!) so I am sure there is a lot I could learn, I can’t really narrow it down to one thing.I already look here for an answer when I have a problem!

    Reply

  96. You’ve already been so helpful to me discovering the right washing process and nighttime diaper solutions!!! Thank you!!

    Reply

  97. Thanks for all of the great info! I have found so many answered to my CD questions through this blog and Facebook page!

    Reply

  98. I would be able to learn all about newborn cloth diapering from this book. When my son was born I was basically bullied out of cloth diapering him from the get go, and it took me months to get up the courage to take the plunge. But once I did I never looked back, even through the struggles, lol. So next time I will need to figure out how to cloth diaper a newborn ;)

    Reply

  100. We need one of those wet bags! My son would love a cloth diaper for his baby, too :) we already have the book, though :)

    Reply

  101. I think I would learn all about the different types of cloth diapers that are available and how to use and care for them. Lots of valuable information!

    Reply

  103. First off congrats on over 30,000 followers. That’s huge! The Bac-Out stuff sounds fantastic. I think there is so much I could learn from the book especially when it comes to washing and keeping diapers clean and stink free.

    Reply

  106. I love all the wash routine info…I can’t get enough education on that, and it was interesting to know that over 50% of problems are due to wash routines…makes sense over here!! It’s taken many trials and errors on my own learning what’s right, and it still gives me grief lol…thanks for all the info!! Greatly appreciated!!

    Reply

  107. I don’t think I could pick one thing that I would learn from this book as I’m a newbie, my LO isn’t here yet, and everything I’ve found online has all become jumbled in my brain!

    Reply

  108. You totally hooked me up with products I have never heard of in my 3 years of cloth diapering. Looking forward to some of those gjpf

    Reply

  112. I might learn why my diapers leak at night and what to do about it. I use disposables at night and honestly even the disposables leak. I almost always have to change sheets on both my twins. I joke that no diaper can hold in their pee.

    Reply

  113. I would like to learn more about fitteds or just night time solutions in general. I wish I had the guide before I started cloth diapering 8 months ago. I’ve made so many mistakes. Lol.

    Reply

    • It’s not just for beginners. There are actually a lot of useful tips that even experienced cloth users would find useful :)

      Reply

    • It’s all because I had an awesome foundation to work with. Thank YOU for all that you have done and continue to do. You are one special lady Autumn!

      Reply

  121. I am absolutely in love with Buncha Farmers stain sticks!! They work like a dream come true!! Also just wanted to say I really enjoy reading your blog and following you and Facebook. Bravo!!

    Reply

      • i guess I should say I’m planning to buy the e-book via PayPal as soon as I make it through Christmas. I’d love to learn more about cd’ing options for a baby with eczema.

        Reply

  122. while I have read a ton about cloth diapering and have been cd’ing for a year now – I did do sposies in the beginning… I’m very interested to learn more about cloth diapering newborns for the next kiddo…

    Reply

  127. Pretty sure I would learn everything a novice to cloth diapers would need to know! I have done countless web searches and spent hours on research for cloth diapers, but it would be nice to have all that info in one spot :)

    Reply

  129. Well I made many of the same mistakes & had alot of the same questions. I think a new cloth diaper parent would learn alot from this guide! hopefully others read it & follow the good advice so they don’t wonder the same things! Thanks for the guide!

    Reply

  130. I’d love to learn more about the best kind of nighttime diaper. We used cloth with our son for 2 years and are now using cloth with our daughter. Trying to find a nighttime diaper that works for her is next to impossible it seems.

    Reply

  132. I’ve been following you on FB for a month now and have learned a lot! I’m a newbie here! Thanks so much for all the info and help!

    Reply

    • I’ve never used a warranty on any of my cloth diapers. I personally don’t feel that the Bac out harms my cloth and I think it works. But you do have to go with what you are comfortable with. And if the warranties are important to you, then you need to follow what they say.

      Reply

  135. I have been following your blog and facebook pages for a few weeks now. I have already learned A TON, and I know how highly you recommend the Ultimate Guide to Cloth Diapers. I would gain a lot from the trouble-shooting, as that seems to be a consistent point of discussion among CD moms that I have seen! At this point, since my babies aren’t born yet, I haven’t had the opportunity to put any of my new-found knowledge to good use, so a guide book would definitely help me as I get started in the near future!!! :) Congratulations and keep it up! Thank you for all you do!

    Reply

    • Thank you Sara. It means so much to hear that <3 A lot of HARD work goes into this but I really do love helping people.

      Reply

  136. this book looks like it is filled with all sorts of tools and tips for cloth diapering mommas! this would help me as i venture into the fitted world for sure!

    Reply

  137. We would love to learn more about night time diapering. We just use disposables because our little one can’t stand the wet feeling. We’ve tried everything.

    Reply

  141. I’m a first time mom due in March & could use all the help I can get from the ebook and winning some items!!! Thank you very much for the opportunity!

    Reply

  142. Pros and cons of each material and diaper type all spelled out in one easy to identify and read place would be great when finding what needs need to be met during each stage. It’d be great for my husband to read too instead of going for the same few diapers over and over for anything and everything

    Reply

      • As for the book, it’s always nice to have additional suggestions for nighttime diapers. It is one of the hardest things that I found while CDing. My boys are superheavy wetters and I never can find anything that will help.

        Reply

  146. Really Awesome to have such cool prizes to win! Would be the perfect Christmas gift to win any of these great items!!! Thanks for being so awesome! Cloth diaper on!!!!!

    Reply

  148. The guide would make a great baby shower gift! I would hope to learn a bit on extending the life of diapers as well as properly caring for and storing them between children.

    Reply

  150. I’d love to see if there’s anything in there on how to prevent build up so you don’t have to strip your diapers. That was always my biggest pet peeve – when your diapers start to smell like ammonia even fresh out of the dryer!

    Reply

  151. Great giveaway and incredible post! Congrats on all of the success of AACD! I am a first time mom to a beautiful 5 week old baby so I have a lot to learn – I’m sure every page of the Ultimate Guide will teach me something, but I’m particularly interested in how to extend the life of my diapers with correct cleaning and troubleshooting!

    Reply

  153. This book helped me figure out what the the differences were in cloth diapers and what I would need to get started. Before reading this I was really confused and was becoming discouraged. It was a lot more detailed than I thought it would be.

    Reply

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