Do people still use cloth diapers?
Yes! As a matter of fact, cloth diapering has become quite the vogue thing to do, especially among environmentally
conscious parents. All of the new choices in cloth diapers have made it as easy to use cloth diapers as it is to use
disposable diapers.
What are the basic types of Cloth Diapers?
All-in-One Cloth Diapers (also known as "AIO"s) - These diapers are the easiest and most leak proof diapers to
use and have a built in diaper cover sewn into the cotton or fleece layer. They fasten with snaps or velcro and work
like the ease of a disposable. NO diaper cover required.
Fitted or Contoured Cloth Diapers - These diapers are fitted with snaps or velcro and do require a diaper cover.
One of the reasons why customers choose these diapers is because they dry faster than the All-in-One diapers.
Pre-fold and Flat Diapers (old-fashioned diapers) - These diapers are wonderful for not only diapering but are
used as burp cloths, household clean-ups, and so much more. These diapers need to be fastened with pins or a Snappi
and used with a diaper cover. Most of the covers we have available do NOT require the use of pins.
Pocket Cloth Diapers
What is a Pocket Diaper? The three main components of the pocket diapers are: first, a waterproof outer barrier fabric
that is sewn to the second component, an inner moisture-wicking fabric that keeps the skin feeling dry.
These two fabrics form a pocket for the third component, an absorbent insert. However, the term "Pocket Diapers" is so
much more than just two layers of fabric sewn together!
Pocket Diapers function in a way that no other diaper has in history.
They use special materials against the baby's skin to keep the baby's skin dry resulting in numerous benefits for
the mom and baby, not to mention the elimination and treatment of diaper rash which is why this style diaper was
created in the first place.
How many diapers do I need?
First of all you need to determine how often you will be doing laundry. With that in mind, here are some reasonable estimates of how many diapers you will need:
Newborn to 4 months - 20 - 24 diapers
Infant (4 to 10 months) - 16 - 20 diapers
Toddler (10 months to potty training) - 12 - 16 diapers
Please note quantities are based on an average sized baby and if you wash every other day.
More diapers will be needed if you go longer between washings.
My baby is in a daycare center. Will I be able to cloth diaper?
More and more daycare centers are open to the idea of using cloth diapers.
Most daycares that allow cloth diapers will only allow all-in-one cloth diapers.
They will require that you provide a place to store used diapers and that you take your diapers home with you each
night for washing. Be aware that your daycare center may be governed by state regulations related to diapering.
You may find that initial discussion with the daycare more successful if you take the time to educate yourself about
laws in your state first. Home-based or private daycare providers are probably going to be more willing to cloth
diaper your child. Remember that ease of use is going to be an essential bargaining chip! Because public perception
of cloth diapering still revolves primarily around flat diapers, vinyl diaper covers and pins, it may help to have
one diaper from the system of your choice on hand that you can use to demonstrate the ease of use.
What do I do about the poop?
First of all, your baby will go through different stages as they grow. Poop tends to change as your baby grows.
1. Breastfed baby poop is water soluble. You do not need to remove breastfeed baby poop before washing.
2. Around 4-6 months of age, many babies start solids through cereal. At this point, stools transition to a thicker
"peanut butter" consistency. For best results, this should be removed (as much as possible) from your diapers prior to
washing.
3. Formula fed and older babies typically have firmer stools. This should also be removed from your diapers prior
to washing.
The solutions below are what we commonly recommend to families. We have many families who love the diaper sprayers
and many others who swear by the flushable liners. We recommend that you evaluate the options and choose the one that
you will actually use.
1. Flushable diaper liners laid inside the diaper allow the poop to be easily removed from the diaper. Just peel
the biodegradable liner out of the diaper and flush the mess away.
2. Diaper sprayers are another fantastic solution. This handy little device attaches to the plumbing behind your
toilet and allows you to easily spray the mess off. The small holes and concentrated spray allows the Minishower to do
a better job cleaning diapers off than any other sprayer available. The Minishower does double duty during potty
training as it cleans out potty chairs. The adjustable spray can also be used for feminine hygiene during the
postpartum period.
3. It is easy to shake firmer stools off of the diaper into the toilet (no spray or liner required).
4. In a pinch, good old fashioned dunking will get the job done.
Will my house smell like a diaper pail?
You shouldn't have anymore odor that you experience with disposable diapers.
Many cloth diapering parents actually claim to smell less diaper pail odor when using cloth diapers simply because
their cloth diapers aren't full of perfumes (like disposables).
Deo-disks are an inexpensive way to deal with diaper pail odor. These non-toxic deodorizers smell like citrus and
do a great job cutting down on diaper pail odor. These deodorizing disks are used and recommended by diaper services.
The best way to combat diaper pail odor is to wash cloth diapers frequently, at least every other day.
Finally, be sure that your diaper pail has a lid on it and keep it closed.
How do I wash the Cloth Diapers?
The following routine has proven to work well for most people, regardless of what type of machine or cloth diapers you use:
• 1 short cycle cold water wash with detergent
• 1 long/heavy duty cycle hot water wash with detergent (use slightly less detergent)
• 1 additional rinse*
*Warm water rinses, if an option on your machine, work best at removing residue.
Detergents We Recommend:
• Allen’s Naturally
• Charlie’s Soap
• Vaska
• Country Save
• Planet
• Ecover
Baking Soda (1-2 tablespoons) - helps neutralize acid and odors. Baking soda can be used in place of detergent in the
initial cold water wash, or substitute ½ of your detergent for baking soda in the initial cold water wash.
Bleach: (1-2 tablespoons) - While bleach is typically a cloth diapering “no-no” - we do recommend a periodic
bleaching
of
micro-terry inserts; especially since micro-terry is more prone to build-up and stink issues. Do not use on other
types of cloth diapers, especially those with PUL.
Vinegar: (1/4 cup or less) works by breaking down residues making them readily wash away. Also helps restores the
pH balance in fabrics, reduces lint, and naturally eliminates static cling.
Not recommended or necessary unless you
develop consistent problems with residue build-up. Use in the rinse cycle—either with a Downy Ball or in the fabric
softener dispenser in your washing machine.
PLEASE NOTE: Some manufacturers explicitly state not to use these additives, and the use of these additives can
void certain manufacturer warranties. While every effort has been made to provide safe, reliable and helpful
information, we are not responsible for any damage or injuries resulting in following our recommendations/suggestions.
Some of our products have detailed manufacturer specifications in the listing. Please read them carefully and follow
the instructions listed there.
Do I have to sanitize the washing machine after washing my cloth diapers?
Absolutely not. If the diapers are clean, the washing machine is clean.
My diapers are stained. Now what?
The best stain remover is the sun! Wash your diapers and then lay them out wet on the lawn with the stain facing the sun.
It usually only takes a few hours before the stains are gone! If some remnants of the stain still linger, rinse the
load again and repeat the process.
What do you do with stinky diapers or covers?
Wash your diapers again! Most of the time, stinky diapers just aren't clean yet. Detergent residue or build up may
also cause odors to be retained. Check the rinse water to make sure that you don't see suds. If you do, use less d
etergent. A warm wash with a squirt of liquid Dawn (the dish detergent), rinsed well, does a great job removing
stinky residue from diapers. When all else fails, try 1/4 cup of bleach in a large hot wash load.
My diapers smell like ammonia after being worn. What should I do to fix this problem?
The chief culprit for an ammonia smell is detergent scent or detergent residue. Make sure that you are using an
extra rinse when washing your diapers and that you are using a detergent that does not contain any perfumes.
A warm wash with a squirt of liquid Dawn (the dish detergent), rinsed well, does a great job removing stinky
residue from diapers. Using 1/4 cup of bleach may be occasionally necessary to kill odor causing bacteria in the diapers.
How do I wash the Wool Diaper Covers?
Washing Wool Covers
To wash a wool cover, simply handwash in cold water using the wool wash of your choice. It is important that the
woolwash contains lanolin. We recommend LANA Lanolin Soap. If you need to lanolize your cover between washings,
try dissolving one tablespoon of lanolin in a cup of very hot water. Cool the water to the point that it feels
warm and then press the cover into the water. Swish it around gently. Drain the water and roll the cover in a
towel to remove excess water (do not rinse). Lay the cover flat to dry.
Dealing with Poopy Messes
Sometimes baby poo will get on the wool cover. If this happens, just rinse that part of the cover under cold water
until the stain is gone, pat and then hang to dry. If an odor remains, follow the directions above for washing the cover.
When is it time to wash?
If your wool diaper cover smells like urine or like poo, its time to wash. A wool wash with a high lanolin content
and high quality felted wool will increase the amount of time between washings.
What cloth diapering accessories do I really need?
When you are trying to figure out what kind of diapers to get, it seems like there are a million different accessories
you can buy. Each accessory has a very specific purpose. Some of those products have a wide audience and others have
a narrow application. So, here is what we would recommend as the basics for most families.
1. At a minimum, you need a diaper pail. A plastic trash bag will work as a liner, but it isn't the most
environmentally friendly choice available. We recommend a washable diaper liner and deo-disks to cut down on pail odor.
2. Cloth baby wipes are absolutely essential. When you are changing a diaper, the wipes usually end up on top of
or inside of the dirty diaper. It makes no sense to be trying to keep the wipes separate just so you can throw them
in the trash can. If you use cloth wipes, the whole pile just ends up in the diaper pail.
3. A wipe warmer is a nice thing to have. It keeps your wipes warm, wet and ready to use near your changing area.
Common Reasons Why Diapers Leak
Absorbency
First, it’s important to change your baby frequently. Although cloth diapers do absorb very well and are much
healthier than their disposable counterparts, you cannot leave baby in a diaper for 4-5 hours during the day and
expect the diaper not to leak. If a diaper becomes saturated it will leak!
Therefore, we recommend changing baby every 2-3 hours or as needed (usually more often for younger babies and less
often for older babies).
If your little one is a super soaker – then you may consider adding additional absorbency to prevent leaks.
Bamboo and Hemp inserts or doublers will provide you with the best absorption possible!
Size
If the diaper doesn’t fit properly, it will leak. Diapers that are too small or too big will cause leaking
and/or wicking. If you’re using a one size diaper – make sure you’re using the right setting for your little one!
Please note, while one size diapers are designed to fit babies from roughly 8-10 pounds through potty training
(usually around 35 pounds) – it’s important to realize that babies come in all shapes and sizes – therefore a
one size diaper is a relative term.
Newborns don’t typically fit a one-size diaper very well from day one. Therefore, we like to recommend the use
of either an X-small pocket (such as Fuzzi Bunz), All-in-One, or Prefolds and Diaper Covers in the early weeks
until baby has had the opportunity to thrive and thicken up a little so the one size diapers will fit better.
Residue Buildup
The third main reason you could be experiencing leaks has to do with residue buildup.
If you’re using a Free and Clear or commercial detergent (including commercial HE detergents) then it is highly
likely you’re diapers have a build-up of residues which is causing your diapers to leak/repel.
Additionally, if you’ve used any fabric softener or oily/petroleum based diaper cream without a liner – this will
also cause your diapers to completely repel as well.
Therefore it’s important to not use any fabric softener, non cloth diaper friend creams/ointments (without the use
of a liner) as well as an approved detergent.
Cloth diaper friendly detergents will reduce your chances of detergent residue build-up and are free from enzymes,
dyes, fragrances, fabric softeners, etc… which can cause excessive wear and tear on your diapers.
