SUMMARY KEYWORDS

diapers, people, cloth diaper, cloth diapering, covers, stash, mom, storage, figure, store, add, disposable, diaper, inserts, find, curating, work, flats, love, pocket

SPEAKERS

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage, Bailey Bouwman

 

Bailey Bouwman  00:00

Today’s guest for the cloth diaper podcast is Vanessa. Now I’ve given you a pretty awesome introduction to Vanessa. But because cloth diaper storage.com didn’t have an About Me page. And I sure hope it does. But I’m I’m released this episode, I thought I would get her on the phone. And we could find out more about our brand. A lot of people on the internet have been wondering, well, who is the cloth diaper storage? And is this a legit site? And why should I even bother ordering from the site? though, if you’ve had those questions, or you just love talking about paper storage? This is the show for you. I’ll let her introduce herself. I think she does a great job. And we’ll see you on the other side.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  01:33

So I’m Vanessa. We started being my husband started off diaper storage in like say like about September the beginning of December. Okay. So I’m from New York City. city people. So cloth diapering. Is that something that you hear about?

 

Bailey Bouwman  01:55

I don’t think there is a single cloth diaper store in New York. There is?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  01:58

No There is well, actually in there is. But it’s more like urban area where it’s more or less in Brooklyn, New York has. I think there’s about two stores over there. But and then there’s some mainstream stores that carry like, genius and provia. But that’s about it. You don’t really like they’re in the corner, and no one really pays attention to them. No one, you know, everything. No one really talks about that kind of stuff. I found out about deciphering from a friend of mine, who she calls every both children. We both have daughters that are days apart. And then she was pregnant with her son when I was pregnant with my son. And she’s you know, she started telling me about cloth diapering. She’s like, Oh, you should right now loved it. And, you know, it worked out for us. Right? That was like, Oh, you don’t and you don’t hear about it over here I was everybody literally think about that piece of fabric pins on it. This day. Even when I tell my mother about it, she’s like, you’re gonna do what? Why would that? So? Yeah, so when I got into it, I started doing. I’m like a research head. I just love learning as much as possible about a topic, throw myself into it. They bombard my husband with all the information as well, because he’s like the only person I taught. So I got him on it, as well. And I, my son just turned one. So we’ve been doing it for a whole year. And I fell in love with it. And I you know, I found this thing and like, the variety and information and the lack of knowledge as well for people in my area. The fact that no one really knows that it’s a thing, how modern it is. And people are like afraid of it like that. They just think something grows and you’re dealing with on a daily basis that you’re like touching for whatever reason people think you

 

Bailey Bouwman  03:53

know, right. This morning, I had an interview with Liz, Michigan, and that’s what we talked about for an hour was poop and this weird fear that the world has around poop. It’s bizarre.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  04:04

Absolutely bizarre. And I find it so interesting, because I’m like you still deal with poop when you use disposables, though?

 

Bailey Bouwman  04:10

Yeah, it’s not like it magically disappears when your disposable diapering. Exactly.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  04:17

Yeah, so that’s how we got into it. I wanted to do something involved in a question, I suppose so madly in love with it. And then he’s like, well, let’s do something like you know, I’m a stay at home mom with my kids. And he’s like, if we can find some way. So you can stay home with them and, you know, generate somehow, let’s see if we maybe start a store and then as we were digging into it, realize that there’s really no storage solutions for cloth diapering. Yeah. Like you can’t. There’s no stores out there that provide that type. It’s mostly people creating their own way or a DIY thing it or like you did with your with your

 

Bailey Bouwman  04:58

I yeah, inscribe by other people, though, on the internet, yeah, there’s nobody doing specifically cloth diaper storage. So you’ve been like, this is the gap in the end. Right,

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  05:09

exactly. So I was like, this is it. This is how we’re going to get our foot in the door and keep saying, I know it’s something that’s

 

Bailey Bouwman  05:20

exactly. Oh, that’s where that all started. So your Buttons Diapers mama though, right? That’s what your stash looks like.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  05:27

. Because there’s because currently what we were living in a farm with, with the washer dryer we’ve moved on. So now we don’t have a washer dryer. And I I’m happy that I was using flats at the time because so much easier to wash flats. But I just had to hold them and use them in my in my covers, and they are amazing. Like, I find that they’re way more absorbent than most inserts surprisingly just like regular organic. lots are amazing. And Buttons is still great. I containing everything. Like I’m telling you I’ve used during the summer we use the buttons cover alone with nothing. And we went to the pool. And he did his business. And I’m like, oh man, we have, you know, some going on in there. And we went to the bathroom and it was watery in there. But nothing came out. Like No. Nothing at all.

 

Bailey Bouwman  06:24

The power of elastics right?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  06:25

Yeah,

 

Bailey Bouwman  06:27

Yeah, why do we trust non real elastics to keep boop in elastics job pretty good cover. I wonder then. Yeah, total tangent on your thought there if that’s apartment living is one of the reasons why we don’t see a lot of New York.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  06:44

Exactly. Because people think Yeah, cuz if people I mean, some people do like a lot of city a lot of farms who now have a washer, because like people just don’t want to go out and do laundry. But they are the ones for the one right now. Don’t have that option. So I have to trip it to the laundromat with my diapers and it works to make it work.

 

Bailey Bouwman  07:05

So for your stash. Does that mean that you’re like washing once a week, then do you grow your stash to fit that?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  07:10

 Yeah,

 

Bailey Bouwman  07:11

instead of going every few days?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  07:13

Exactly. Like when I was home. I mean, as my as my stash grew, I noticed myself getting a little longer and longer. But yeah, we go exactly. Because that’s as far as my stash can go. I also have a case, like, found them in the midst of trying to figure out why they were so popular and lighthouse diapers. And I fell in love with her design and all that. Like, I guess just a little less than half of my stash is like house diapers as well. They all

 

Bailey Bouwman  07:44

there but they just make an all in one. Right?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  07:46

They make it all in one. And then they have some prints they do come out in swim. So I use this one as Okay, yeah, cuz this one.

 

Bailey Bouwman  07:54

Exactly. So cloth diaper storage.com. That’s why I brought you on what I mean, your story is pretty awesome. But you’re selling you’re selling cloth diaper storage solutions. Yeah. And you we just order a bit and you ship it out first. Is that how that works?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  08:08

Yeah. Right. So most of the things that we have on our site, currently are dropship.

 

Bailey Bouwman  08:14

Okay,

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  08:14

because we are we just built it, and we wanted to have something up and running that would function without us having to invest in a lot of inventory, you know? Yeah. Ups, right. So a lot of our items are and we’re slowly trying to build up be able to have inventory in hand to actually sell diapers as well, because that would, you know, really wouldn’t make sense to only sell storage. Like if you have if you purchase something and you wanted to add another something diaper here or there that we have, you know, that would be a great add on to your purchase.

 

Bailey Bouwman  08:48

So you’re basically curating a store, you’re curating things that you know, that will work for the cloud writer versus a disposable, you’re going out there and you’re finding them for us

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  08:59

you’re doing. So I mean, there’s been mostly nothing’s really out there. You just kind of have to see what would what would work. I would love to Well, that’s, that’s one of the goals to create something specifically for off diaper storage, that would be functional, and also possibly, potentially grow with your stash because you know, I never thought that I’d go into it and be like, purchasing everything that I fall in love with. But that’s pretty much where it’s come to. So my current solution is outgrowing it. And I’m going to eventually have to step it up something else. And I see that happens a lot because you fall into the rabbit hole. Are we so cute? Yeah.

 

Bailey Bouwman  09:44

So what do you think is the biggest challenge for cloth store in cloth diapers? Do you think it’s just that there isn’t anything out there or?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  09:52

Right? Yeah, it’s a bit of fun that they don’t because they are obviously significantly bigger. In all around as disposables, and put them in like, flat, you know, you’re good to go. They’re super tiny, finding something that would fit them, and also something that can possibly grow or has enough space that you can add more for your staff. The long as that seems that seems to be what happens is the grobet. Right?

 

Bailey Bouwman  10:22

Yeah, that’s why was the crate because I figured I could just keep adding. Yeah, my biggest challenge is insert, I never really know how to store all the excess inserts. And I’m, like I’m fiddling around, because they’re kind of like this weird piece of fabric.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  10:41

Yeah, especially depends on what you use, like, some inserts, you just all you really do is fold them in half. And just like, you know, put them on a shelf or something kind of make a little pile. So with my flats, I just have them all pre folded. And I just back them up. I use the one of the utility cart available on our site as well. And a lot of people a lot of moms. It’s actually fit. Diapers perfectly like this. The dimensions are really great for it. Yeah, but I’m outgrowing it. So I’m kind of

 

Bailey Bouwman  11:11

Yeah, I have a utility cart as well. Yeah, it was good until you outgrow it, but it’s a good amount. I’d say utilities carts hold like a good three to four days of supply. Yeah.Or like a good size that the only problem is like maybe you know the do they make like accessories for the Utility Cart.

 

Bailey Bouwman  11:30

Like to put your snappis or boingos  or diaper creams?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  11:35

No, they don’t but adapt them. That was another thing I’ve actually come up with. Something to add on as well. You know, brainstorming things that we come up with to help, you know, make things easier. Something you can add on because the Utility Cart I love it works great. And I would love to be able to make it even more functional. It’s like for that, for example, like I have these humming away. You can divide, say the diaper creams and have a place to put your if you use cloth wipes. Yeah, having little attachments add to it.

 

Bailey Bouwman  12:05

Yeah, that’s really one of my biggest challenges with my utility cart. I’ve like pin like everywhere and they fall out of the car.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  12:12

Yes, exactly. Yeah. So if I can come up with something that we can perfectly fitting little slot like little accessory add ons with great like I know, the extra snap is a little annoying. Just throw them in there because it does have little holes in it.

 

Bailey Bouwman  12:29

Catch and then you’re like rummaging underneath your diapers. Like I knew I put a snappy and I was looking for a nail clipper the other day? Yeah, also, I’ve had that I’ve had that problem too. So we know what your storage you use a use of rolling cart before you were a mom, what did you do before you were a mom?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  12:48

Okay, so before I became pregnant with my first child, I was actually in New York State in New York City. They have because after that work within the school buildings as as a security guard, it gets called they call it a security guard. But we’re not crisis we work hand in hand with NYPD. Okay,

 

Bailey Bouwman  13:08

yeah. So totally not even related to not not even not even related to owning a business. So what’s been your biggest challenge was starting up this business with 13 cloth diapers stored,

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  13:20

figuring everything out. There’s not really anyone out there kind of guiding you as an employee, you know, someone’s always monitoring and telling you today this what, you know, this is what your day is gonna look like. It’s easier to follow. But when you’re starting your own business kind of figure out okay, what do I have? You know, what, what are the what are the guidelines, every state has different laws that you have to abide by as well. And just kind of fit everything, you know, trying to figure everything out while mom is. No, we get it, make it work. My husband’s very helpful when he comes home. He, he does a lot of the website, work himself and helps me with that. So it’s both of us simultaneous, just like bouncing things around and trying to figure everything out as we go.

 

Bailey Bouwman  14:04

Yeah, website work is probably what frustrates me most about anything? Yeah. Like, what is this? Because the internet was not. Alright. Yeah. I always wish I know, I probably would have rolled my eyes and not even before is that like a class about? Yeah, because about website design and a class about how to run your own business? Because I never even now I’m doing contract work for a PR company. And I’m like, I’m gonna have to do taxes. How do I legally set myself up? Yeah, like, nobody taught me this. And there’s not really and you don’t know who you can trust on the internet, either or what’s legit or what’s outdated? Exactly. Yeah, that’s definitely an overwhelming part about money sort of making money.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  14:54

Yeah. And the weird thing is, they’re, they’re difficult with when it comes to anything that has to do with business. So A lot of making sure you’re doing things correctly before you throw yourself in there because you don’t want to get in trouble with

 

Bailey Bouwman  15:09

anybody. And it seems so easy to start up a business and we can totally just drop stuff. But there’s all these other little things around it. So where do you want to take cloth diapers and storage in the next five years or even the next year?

 

Bailey Bouwman  15:24

What’s your big dreams?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  15:25

Definitely. I mean, we really just just started we’re like, this is like a baby race. So we, there’s a lot of goals. And I really want to obviously had to become a retailer for more diaper brands. We aren’t we only carry what is right now we are also a retailer. Best Buy items. But we haven’t purchased any inventory because we have to have a store that’s just moving and having fine areas to keep all of our inventory is is challenging as a loan. So it’s all that and then also trying, hoping that eventually we can come up with a system where we can curate our own products provide something that’s just perfect specifically made for cloth diapering. I was I was thinking that something that somehow some type of modular system that will grow with you with your badge would be amazing. Yeah, so you’re gonna tap on? Yeah, it’s gonna be challenging, but I am so forth. It’s, it’s exciting. It’s fun, right?

 

Bailey Bouwman  16:27

And people love building their nurseries like that is a huge phase a huge fad like, so you got to kind of hone in on it. I saw that you had this really cool boat structure. So it was sold out.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  16:40

That was really neat. But it doesn’t grow with your stash. Right? Like, be so I know, I saw and I was like all this stuff. Because it’s so appealing. It’s so attractive, up on the wall. And I always say I feel like cloth diapers are super cute, like, but like I wouldn’t, I can’t find I can’t see myself putting my diapers on the dresser. Like I know some people that do it because that’s just what works for them. And that’s I’m perfectly okay with that. Like, you know, that’s the simplest way to go. Just stick it in a dresser and you don’t have to deal with it. It could be a mess. And you don’t have to worry about it. But it’s like cloth diapers are so cute. You want to put them on display and use them as like a piece of artwork on the wall. Yeah,

 

Bailey Bouwman  17:15

yeah. And I was like trying to find those pieces of artwork, that’s like, that’s got to be kind of fun.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  17:19

also helping people try to figure out how to put it on the wall. I know, everybody’s always afraid of hanging because I’m like, eating some type of DIY videos like this giving people information. I also would love to make it easier for people to approach cloth diapering. Yeah, that’s why I’ve done those, those little off guide posts I do on Instagram, because I, I feel like a lot of influence. Like there’s so much information. It’s so overwhelmed. Totally, if you’re into coffee. I know people, they start reading. They’re like, Whoa, this is like, and they just give up. Because it’s just so much information. So it’s like trying to find a place where it’s simpler. And you just, you know, it’s straight to the point. But at the end of the day, it’s kind of you have to kind of figure it out on your own and find what works for you. Because there’s so many, everybody has different circumstances, and there’s so many different ways you can make it work for you that it’s hard, but you I would love to make it more easy for people to approach it. And yeah,

 

Bailey Bouwman  18:20

yeah, and I’ve heard that from a lot of guests. And I think a lot of us are like, it is so overwhelming. Yeah, how can we make it easier, but we can’t make it easier? Ya know? Right. Like, it’s just really you just gotta you just got to go into it and do it and try it and get overwhelmed. Yeah,

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  18:40

our once you pass those hurdles, it becomes so much fun. It

 

Bailey Bouwman  18:44

does become so much fun and so much Is there such a great cloth diaper community out there, especially amongst brands, and it’s like, how do we get everybody is that and I think you know what storage is a great way to do it. That’s gonna be one of those questions for people. And if you can make it look super attractive, it can talk back onto this vein that we all have we love right? We love pretty

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  19:09

is that for example, in New York City, there’s plenty of mom, never very much that would never be themselves walking or doing their diaper laundry. So that’s what that’s what we’re laundry service from. And I feel like last night people know about that either. Yeah, someone, but I just don’t happen to find in them in one of those mom groups, every mom groups on Facebook. And coincidentally, we went to high school together and I was like, Oh my goodness, I know you we went to high school together. Remember me? And I’m like, and then she’s like trying to figure and I found that she had commented and said she was trying to figure out for Washington, which is the big I find to be one of the biggest issues when it comes to off diapering for mom. And I I saw her I was like, you know, there are there are a few New York City she’s like what is this we’ve been talking about. I’ve never heard of this. I feel as if if people have more information as far as that with the first trying to get get it in people’s play, you will know about perfection and then telling them you know, if you’re afraid of dealing with it, there are services that help. I know who that is.

 

Bailey Bouwman  20:12

Yeah. And I know one of the services in town, like one of her big one of her big packages was just like the newborn first three month trial, and then people would usually get over the fear and they would start doing it themselves. Yeah, because they were exposed to it. And they kind of figured it out.  I wonder how that cloth diapers trials would also impact or cuz you have a different type of stash, wouldn’t you? Like, yeah, somebody who has a trial is Yeah, okay. So it’s smaller. And then it tends to be flats or be full tang covers, right? I’m not I’m not overly familiar with

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  20:49

Yeah, yeah, those those laundry services, they usually provide their diapers, I’m assuming because of liability. I wouldn’t want to borrow someone else’s diapers. If they if that were to happen. So it’s usually flattened. prefold. forfeited. They do fit it. Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. But you’d have, yeah, they, they provide the diapers. Just have to, you know, have your own covers and fasteners. If you’d like to use fasteners and things like that. Yeah, that’s about it. Pretty simple. It’s pretty simple. Yeah, to figure out how to do it.

 

Bailey Bouwman  21:24

What’s your best piece of advice for new moms? So what do you like to tell anybody who you meet for the first time?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  21:30

I would say just keep it simple. And don’t commit to one style. Like, right away? I find, I find so many people. Like I, I used use pockets in the beginning, pockets for the best. And then I started hating pocket so much. And I was like, there has to be something better. And then I found this mom, in clinics, Kristin, she has her own blog on cloth diapering as well. And he was saying why she got rid of pockets and started his lesson covers. And I was like, I’m gonna try that. And I love it. It’s so much easier, so easy. It’s so much easier. It’s like, unbelievably easier.

 

Bailey Bouwman  22:12

And if your parents knew our parents knew what they were doing, like, yeah.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  22:17

People are so afraid of flat. Oh, my God. And I’m like, flats are so great. There’s so like, there’s, they’re so great. They’re so simple. And they are amazing and dry. Like they’re just, like the only thing.

 

Bailey Bouwman  22:30

The only thing that cloth diapering really needed to modernize was p ul snap on covers. That’s it. And the rest of it. We kind of kept it. Yeah. But we had we have to evolve. And we’re going back. I believe we’re going back because more and more people I talked to are like I discovered that the best? Yes. Right, like yours already, after all the other. Yeah, I had to try it all first. I don’t know. I think there’s like an era of blogs out there from like 2008 to 2014 that are all like  bumgenius pocket rah rah rah and they still exist. And they still have a lot of dominance in Google. Yeah, people I think are still finding them. And they just absolutely yanked out of the web. They just need to be picked out as not being relevant information anymore.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  23:13

Yeah. Everybody wants the bumgenius. I’m like they’re the app. And I’m not going to not because they you know they work they do. But I feel like cotton is just so much better. Well, they do make

 

Bailey Bouwman  23:25

the flip is great. I don’t know why people don’t talk about the flip more like they do. Like covers with the Yeah, they do that they make a great stretchy tab cover. There are often I don’t know why the pocket is just rattle radicalized. Yeah, it’s super

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  23:39

cool. Have I feel like even more than the all in one? Oh, yeah. Like they take over and I’m why they’re so annoying.

 

Bailey Bouwman  23:47

So if people want to buy cloth diaper storage stuff or follow you or suggest you work me find you on the web.

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  23:55

Okay, so we have Instagram that’s cloth diaper storage, that app whatever stories. Yeah, then our website is WWE cloth. diaper storage. Calm is simple. Yes. And we have a Facebook we’re not very active is linked to our Instagram. So all our posts were foreign on facebook, facebook. Yeah, Facebook, we want to we haven’t started our group yet. We want more engagement with with moms and see what they’re looking for. They’re interested in yours, too. I

 

Bailey Bouwman  24:28

didn’t realize you were so new. Yes. You’re so so new only three months, which must be why I know people I really want to do on the show today because I see your name people will be like, this is coffee restores calm. Is this a scam? Are they gonna steal my money?

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  24:44

Oh my god. You’re not funny. You’re not to say that because we had it. We ran up an offer like right around by Friday that we were offering free covers with a small shipping fee. And you were like, what is This I’ve never seen this before. Is this this game? And I’m like, Oh my God, is it? Oh, I really am so sad that it came off that way. But it really weren’t even taking any of their information. It was all through PayPal.

 

Bailey Bouwman  25:13

So it’s not even you though it’s just like, that’s just this kind of weird culture we’re in is people are scared of the internet. Yeah, we shouldn’t be because there’s just real people working really hard behind the scenes and you’re watching

 

Vanessa, @ClothDiaperStorage  25:26

this trend. You know, everybody hear about us, and we’ll let new people know that, you know, it’s awesome.

 

Bailey Bouwman  25:35

So if our listeners are listening, what’s one way they can help you out in the next nine months to help you reach your goal? You just need more, like helping people dropping their name in groups and letting them know. Yeah, these guys or is there anything else?

Professional Cloth Diaper Educator

Bailey brings 5+ years of cloth diapering experience and conversation to the cloth diaper space. She's not just your every day mom blogger sharing her experience - Bailey is immersed in the cloth diaper community learning from other parents and growing as an individual. She wants to find the cloth diaper solution that truly works for you.

Bailey believes we need to stop and listen to cloth diapering parents. We need to recognize our own bias and preferences and focus on solutions that work for you, not us. The Cloth Diaper community needs to recognize the privilege of being able to cloth diaper, and provide spaces for more conversations and stories.

Cloth diapering is not about rules but about our own strength as parents to do the best we can for our children with the resources available.

About the Cloth Diaper Podcast

The Cloth Diaper Podcast is a somewhat regular podcast sharing stories from cloth diaper parents, brands and retailers from around the world. 

The Cloth Diaper Podcast is not affiliated with any school of thought of diaper laundry but instead focus on the power of peer-to-peer story telling to empower you to make your own cloth diaper journey. 

Cloth Diapering is not this or that, but rather many different experiences.