Diaper 101

The road to cloth diapering can seem confusing and overwhelming. That’s definitely how I felt when I started!

Instead of bombarding you with too much information, I’ve decided to break it down into simpler format so you can get an idea of what options are available, the pros and cons to each, and the cost. Here you go!

Types of Cloth Diapers
General Overview
Cloth Diaper Savings Calculator
What do I Need to Start?
Extras
Washing Basics

Types of Cloth Diapers:

Flat
A rectangle of any absorbent fabric folded and fastened around a baby’s bottom. Requires folding and fastening with diaper pins or Snappi fasteners.

Prefold
Rectangles of absorbent fabric, usually cotton, divided into thirds. The center third has more layers of fabric than the "wings" for greater absorbency. Not waterproof so a cover is needed.

Fitted
An hourglass shape, with elastic around the legs and wings that fasten around the baby’s waist. Not waterproof so a cover is needed.

Pocket
A waterproof diaper generally with a fleece or suedecloth “stay-dry” lining and a pocket to stuff inserts, doublers, etc. for absorption. The lining allows the liquid to pass through and be absorbed in the layers below. These are available in either snap or Aplix closures.

All-in-One (AIO)
Similar to a fitted but with a waterproof cover and absorptive liner built-in. Some come with a pocket to stuff with inserts for additional absorption. These often have a fleece or suedecloth "stay-dry" lining that allows the liquid to pass through and be absorbed in the layers below.

One-Size
A pocket diaper that has snaps to adjust the rise and aplix to adjust the waist for a flexible fit. Generally fits babies from 8-35+ lbs.

General Overview

	How many will I need?	Absorption	Stay-Dry Liner Built-In?	Additional Sizes Needed	Daycare Compatible	Drying Time
Prefolds + Covers	24-36 and 4-6 covers per size	MEDIUM	NO	YES	NO	FAST
Fitteds + Covers	24-36 and 4-6 covers per size	MEDIUM	NOT USUALLY	YES	NO	MEDIUM
Pockets	24-36 per size	HIGH	YES	YES	YES	FASTEST
All-in-Ones (Waterproof)	24-36 per size	MEDIUM	YES	YES	YES	SLOW
One-Sizes (Waterproof)	24-36 total	HIGH	YES	NO	YES	FASTEST

Cloth Diaper Savings Calculator

What do I need to Start?

The amount of cloth diapers needed depends on the age of your baby. Newborns go through more cloth diapers then an older baby. I recommend washing every 2-3 days. Newborn and infants will typically go through 10-12 diapers in a day. Toddlers will need 8 to 10. Here are my suggestions for any age baby:

24 to 36 cloth diapers
24 to 36 inserts (if using a pocket style diaper)
0 to 3 all-in-one diapers
4 to 6 diaper covers (if using fitted or prefold diapers)
12 to 24 doublers (more if your child is a heavy wetter)
2 to 3 dozen cloth wipes
Booty Cubes if not using plain water for wipes solution
One Pail Liner
1 diaper pail (a 54-quart trash can works perfectly)
Wet bag for outings

Extras

Doublers/Stuffers
Doublers are pads that can be used in conjunction with prefolds or other diaper "inners" to provide additional absorbency. These are nice particularly at nighttime. Little Jumping Beans carries hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and stay-dry polyester doublers, all made in the U.S.

Fasteners
Gone are the days of diaper pins--fasteners are un-necessary with most covers, however using a fastener such as a Snappi can help keep poop off covers. And if poop stays off the cover, you can use it several times before it needs to be washed.

Cloth Wipes
Cloth Wipes are another great way to save money and help the environment at the same time. If you're washing your own diapers, you might as well wash your own wipes! Simply pout water over the wipes in a wipes warmer, or use Booty Cubes to make a wipes solution that will leave baby’s bum fresh and soothed! We carry a variety of wonderful eco-friendly wipes to choose from.

Wet Bags
Wet Bags are really necessary to tuck in your diaper bag when going out or traveling. Where else are you going to put a dirty diaper?? Having two is really helpful too, since one might be in the wash when you need to run out. We carry high quality designer wet bags in various sizes that feature zip closures and carry handles. You’ll be surprised at how much you love to carry around dirty diapers in these beautiful bags! They’re also really handy for other items as well.

Diaper Pail
There’s really no need to purchase a special “cloth diaper pail.” That’s why we don’t offer it on our website. Simply buy a good quality garbage pail with a tight fitting lid. Personally, I purchased a $13 54-quart garbage pail from Target that has a flip lid and it works great. You can do a number of things to keep your pail fresh, including sprinkling with baking soda or adding a few drops of tea tree oil to a piece of fabric and dropping it in.

Washing Basics

So you’ve probably seen a lot of opinions on various websites on the best way to wash your cloth diapers and covers. Yes, everyone has a different opinion and you can drive yourself crazy trying to make sure you do everything "right" with your diapers! You can read pages and pages of suggestions, but there are really just a few basic rules that if you follow you should have clean, unharmed diapers in the end! This simple method has worked for me and many others (still, make sure you check the manufacturer’s directions first):

Do a COLD rinse
Follow with a HOT wash, using ¼ to 1/3 cup of the recommended detergent amount (I only recommend Charlie’s Soap, Allen’s Naturally, Country Save, and Nellie’s)
Follow with a HOT or COLD rinse. (If you see soap bubbles do a 2^nd rinse)
Place items in dryer on medium and you’re done!! (Or line dry to save energy and $$$)

If you have stinky diapers after washing, you likely have detergent residue. You can resolve this by either scrubbing a tiny bit of Dawn dish soap into your diapers and then washing them again, or by using Charlie’s soap, which naturally strips your diapers of any residue whenever you wash them.

I have successfully used baking soda and vinegar on occasion as well, adding baking soda to the wash and the vinegar to the final rinse. It’s important to do both to balance the pH levels or your baby’s bum may react! (I learned this the hard way!!)

A few DON’T’s:

DON’T use fabric softener
DON’T use bleach
DON’T use detergents that have either of those ingredients or enzymes, optical brighteners, or other additives
DON’T overdo it on baking soda or vinegar; a little goes a LONG way
DON’T…oh, I think that’s maybe it. See, it’s not that hard!

For a information on how different detergents perform with cloth diapers, I like this detergent chart: http://diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

If you need help troubleshooting a problem, please call or e-mail me, I’d be happy to help!

Don't cloth diapers get stained?
Yes, every now and then you may run into the occasional stain. The best way to get rid of pesky stains is to sit the item in question out in the sun for a few hours. Make sure to wash those diapers after sunning again before putting them back on baby.

If you live in a not-so-sunny state like I do, however, occasional baking soda will help whiten the diapers. DO NOT USE BLEACH! This will break down the fibers in diapers and void any manufacturers’ warranties.

Need more info? Check out the Diaper Jungle here:

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