A lot of people scrunch their noses and are turned off at the mention of using cloth diapers. Probably because they have an image of safety pins and cheap plastic panties in their mind. Trust me, if that were the case, most people these days probably would not consider cloth. Cloth diapers today, are completely different than they used to be. There are tons of different options, different materials, and different methods of doing cloth nowadays. Although you *can* use pins and plastic panties if you really wanted to, there are better and easier ways to cloth diaper and today's cloth diapers come with snaps or velcro. Not to mention they come in adorable prints and colors!
Why choose cloth? Most parents choose to cloth diaper for environmental reasons, cost, or to keep chemicals off of baby's skin. (not to mention they are adorable!) You can get by with cloth diapering for cheap, but even if you bought a nice expensive stash of cloth diapers, you will still be saving a ton of money in the long run. By the time your child potty trains by 2-3 years old, most people will have spent between $1,000-$2,000 on disposable diapers! You can also use your cloth diapers to diaper any other children that you may have later on, so you would be saving even more money in that aspect.
Many cloth diapers even hold in poop a lot better than disposables. We have had way less blow outs in cloth than we did with disposables, and it almost never leaks up the back haha!
How much does it cost to start? This will greatly depend on the type of cloth diapers that you plan to buy. There are very expensive options, and then there are cheaper options. However, the cheapest options aren't always the most convenient, and the most convenient options aren't always the cheapest option. The cheapest option available would be prefolds/flats and covers. However, there are also several affordable pocket options available as well. You can get 24 good quality prefolds and 8 Alva covers for roughly $100, so that's one of the cheapest ways to cloth diaper. Or you could get 24 pocket diapers from Alva, Kawaii, or Sunbaby for roughly $5-7 each for a total cost of around $130 (may need adiitional inserts though). Some of the more expensive diaper options can run you $300-$500 for a decent stash, but you will still be saving money in the long run no matter which options you choose.
Where to start and what are my options? I had actually considered cloth a few months after Lincoln was born, but I was so intimidated by all the options and different diaper "lingo," that I kept putting it off. Finally, I got some help from some lovely ladies on my cloth diapering group, and I took the plunge when he was 6 months old. I seriously wish I would have started sooner! Getting started can be the most intimidating part. There is so much diaper "lingo" that it makes it hard to sort through all the information, for a person considering cloth for the first time. So to make it easier for you, I am going to list the different diaper options available, and give you some pros and cons of each of them.
* All In One: An "all in one" (AIO) diaper is exactly that. It's a waterproof diaper in and of itself and has the absorbent layers sewn on the inside so that there are no "extra steps." You simply put it on baby. Easy!
Pros:
* This diaper is the closest to a disposable, as far as how easy it is to use. There are no extra steps, you just put it on. I consider it "dad friendly" lol and it's great for babysitters or "on the go."
* Does not need a cover because it's already water resistant
*Great easy option for newborns
*Comes in newborn only sizes, as well as one size options
Cons:
* All in one diapers are typically the most expensive type of cloth diapers.
* Since all the parts are sewn together in layers, this diaper can be harder to get completely clean and takes longer to dry.
*Many babies quickly outgrow the absorbency of AIO's, and need additional absorbency added.
* All In Two: An "all in two" (AI2) diaper is made up of 2 separate pieces. A waterproof outer shell and then several layers of absorbent soakers that you can lay in or snap inside the shell. With most AI2 diapers you can just change out the soakers and reuse the shell between changes.
Pros:
*Easy to use like the AIO
*You can reuse the shell between changes
*Comes in one size options
Cons:
*Can be expensive
*May need additional absorbency added if baby outgrows the soaker it comes with.
* Pocket: A pocket diaper is a water proof diaper with a pocket opening at the back, so that you can stuff it with absorbent inserts. This is my favorite type of diaper.
Pros:
* There are many affordable pocket diaper options available (Alva, Sunbaby, Kawaii) so they are typically cheaper than the AIO and AI2.
* Easy to use
* You can control the level of absorbency by adding multiple inserts as baby grows.
* You can also stuff with prefolds, or folded receiving blankets, or even flour sack towels from walmart!
* Most pockets are lined with a synthetic "stay dry" material on the inside, to keep baby feeling dry.
*Most pockets comes in a one size option to fit baby as they grow
Cons:
* Different brands of pocket diapers will fit each baby differently
* If you don't get a good fit or have enough absorbency, it can cause leaks (which is easily fixed by adding more inserts)
* Most people have to use 2 inserts per diaper to prevent leaks, which *can* be slightly bulky, but that's with any diaper when you add absorbency.
* Cover: A cover is simply a waterproof shell that is used to make a diaper waterproof. Can be used over a prefold, a fitted, or a flat diaper. You can even try laying inserts inside, but they can shift around sometimes.
Pros:
*Affordable options (Alva, Kawaii, Imagine)
*Easy to clean
*You can wipe off and rotate between a few covers during the day (as long as it's not pooped on!)
Cons:
* Must be used with an absorbent diaper, since it is has no absorbency. It's only a cover
*It's a two step process
* Prefold: A prefold is a square or rectangular diaper, with several layers of cotton, bamboo, or hemp material. It can be tri-folded length wise and laid inside a cover, or it can be folded around baby and fastened in place, with a cover placed over it.
Pros:
* One of the cheapest cloth diapering options available
* Super easy to clean, and they are pretty indestructible
* Made of natural fibers (cotton, bamboo, hemp)
* You can lay extra absorbent inserts inside it for heavy wetters
* Take up less space in the diaper bag because they can lay flat
* You can wipe off and reuse covers and just change out the prefold
Cons:
* There is a bit of a learning curve when learning to fold onto baby
*If fastening onto baby, you need snappy fastener
*Not always the easiest option while on the go
* Can be bulky especially on tiny babies
* Flat: A flat diaper is the most basic old school cloth diaper that your great grandmother used. It's a large single piece of thin fabric (cotton or bamboo) that you can fold in many different ways, and then fasten it onto baby. It does require a cover. Bamboo terry flats are my all time favorite! They are super soft and soooo absorbent!
Pros:
* The cheapest cloth diapering option available if using cotton (bamboo can be pricey)
* Super easy to clean since they are so simple
* Natural materials (cotton, or bamboo)
* If you don't want to buy actual flats, you can use pretty much anything as a flat! (receiving blankets, flour sack towels, old T-shirts)
* Very trim!
Cons:
* There is a learning curve
* Dad might not like this option lol
* Requires a cover
* Not as easy while on the go
*Needs a fastener
* Fitted/Contour: A fitted diaper is a diaper that looks similar to a pocket diaper or an AIO, but it is not waterproof by itself. With elastic around the legs and in the back, it fits snug on baby to help contain blow outs. They are made of absorbent materials and usually have a snap in or sewn in soaker. Many fitteds also have snaps so that you don't have to fasten it on the baby. A hybrid fitted has extra hidden layers of absorbency to keep baby dry for longer (usually 2-3 hours without a cover) However to make it completely waterproof, you do need a cover.
Pros:
* Fits snug to prevent blow outs
* Many fitteds are trimmer than prefolds
* Easy to use
* Very absorbent
* Great night time option
Cons:
* Requires a cover
* Can be expensive, but there are affordable options
* Wool: Wool is a big favorite among cloth diaper users. Wool is used as a diaper cover, typically in the form of little shorts or pants. When lanolized, the wool becomes a "waterproof" cover and can absorb up to 1/3 of it's weight in moisture before feeling damp. It's also naturally anti-bacterial. You can use wool over a fitted, prefold, or flat diaper.
Pros:
* Anti-bacterial, so when left to air dry between changes, there is no odor
* Breathable in the summertime and warm in the winter
* Super absorbent
* You only have to wash and lanolize about every 2-3 weeks
* Really cute because they can double as pants/shorts
* A great overnight solution when paired with an absorbent fitted underneath
Cons:
* Must be handwashed
* Must be lanolized every 2-3 weeks to keep it "waterproof."
* Can be expensive, but there are affordable options
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* Insert/doubler: An insert or doubler is made up of layers of absorbent material that you can stuff inside a pocket diaper or lay inside another type of diaper for an added layer of absorbency when needed. These can be made up of microfiber, bamboo, hemp, cotton, or zorb.
* Snappi/Boingo: A Snappi and a Boingo are two different types of diaper fasteners that have taken the place of safety pins. They basically have little plastic hooks that grab the material and hold it in place. It makes using flats and prefolds super easy!
All these different options each come with a variety of options of their own, as well. (As if you weren't already confused enough lol!) Other options can include:
*Snaps or velcro. Velcro is really easy, but doesn't last as long as snaps. Over time, velcro also becomes easy for older babies to learn how to take off their diapers. :-p
*Synthetic or natural materials. Synthetic materials such as microfleece or microsuede, are stay dry options that allow babies to feel dry by wicking the moisture away from the skin. But some baby's can have bad reactions to synthetic materials, so using natural materials such as cotton, bamboo, or hemp, would be a better option for those with sensitivities.
*One size or sized. Many brands offer "one size" diapers. These diapers have a snap down "rise" that allows you to change the size of the diaper. Most one size diapers fit from 12-35 lbs. However, one size diapers fit every baby differently, so one brand might fit better than another. Sized diapers offer several different diapers in different sizes, to get a better fit for really small or really large babies.
Differences between absorbent materials:
- Microfiber is fast to absorb, but not the most absorbent. This material can NOT be placed directly against baby's skin. It's best used inside of a pocket diaper or wrapped in a prefold. The material is way too drying and will suck all the moisture away from the skin, and can cause rash or irritation. It's also known for compression leaks.
- Cotton is about as old as they come! It's been used for generations and it is still a great absorbent material, and loved by many.
- Bamboo is extremely absobent and many cloth diapering parents prefer this material over others. (bamboo is my personal favorite and I used a bamboo and microfiber insert together in pocket diapers)
- Hemp is typically considered the most absorbent. Also a big favorite among cloth users. Although hemp is usually made with cotton as well, to make it softer. All of these materials come in various forms and combinations.
- Zorb is a combination of bamboo, cotton, viscose, and microfiber. It supposedly absorbs 20 times faster than any other material, and each layer of zorb replaces 2-3 layers of most other materials.
I know that was a lot to read through lol, but I hope now that you at least have an idea of what each diaper does and how it works. Now that you know the different options that are available, I thought I would put together a list of cloth diapering myths that like to take over the internet and get people confused. I was an admin on The Cloth Diaper Asylum for a long time, and then stepped down to focus on my family more. My husband wrote the HE Machine file for that group, and the group focuses on busting myths, troubleshooting, and sharing factual cloth diaper information.
*Myth: You have to use a special "cloth diaper" safe detergent or you will ruin your diapers.
*Truth: You can use whatever detergent you want on your diapers, as long as it doesn't contain fabric softeners. (which will make your diapers not absorbent) Many cloth users have great success with Tide original powder. Although many people prefer to use all natural detergents, many of these do not have the necessary cleaning properties to effectively clean human waste. Many all natural "detergent's are not actual detergents at all, and are mostly made up of ineffective boosters like stain removers, and grated soap that is not menat to be used in modern washers. You can definitely try an all natural detergent if you want to, just be on the lookout for funny smells, etc. If you discover stink issues or ammonia issues later on down the road, you will know that your diapers are not getting clean enough and that they have lingering bacteria, which can cause rashes. If this is the case, you will need to bleach your diapers to kill off the lingering bacteria, and then switch to a stronger detergent. Whether a certain detergent works well for you or not, can also greatly depend on your machine and your water type. (hard, normal, or soft water) We are an all natural family, but the only product in our home that worked for our cloth diapers with our hard water, was Tide powder. We tried so many natural "detergents" that did not clean our diapers properly, and we ended up with stink and bacteria buildup. I do several rinses to help rinse out all the Tide, to reduce exposure to my baby.
*Myth: You have to use only a little bit of detergent or you will get "detergent build up" in your diapers.
*Truth: If you don't use the proper amount of detergent for your load size, then your diapers are not going to properly get cleaned, which can lead to ammonia issues, stink issues and bacteria buildup, which can cause burning rashes on your child. Many cloth users use only 1 tbsp of detergent per load and then wonder why they have ammonia rashes and stinky diapers a few months later...Remember that you are cleaning human waste. If 1 tbsp of detergent wouldn't clean your clothes, it won't clean poop and pee. Detergent buildup is a myth. The way it is formulated, it literally cannot buildup, because it's made to rinse clean. Buildup is something that happens over time and gets worse and worse. Although you *can* have residue if you don't rinse well, it does NOT buildup, because whatever is left will just wash back out next time you wash. It does not cause issues for the diapers.(just make sure there are no fabric softeners in the detergent, like Tide with downy)
*Myth: You cannot wash/dry your covers or pockets on high heat/hot water, because you will ruin the PUL. (waterproof layer)
*Truth: PUL is meant to withstand very high heat temperatures. Washing in hot water and drying on high heat will not delaminate the waterproof layer. If a diaper does delaminate, then it was already defective to begin with and it would have happened sooner or later. However, drying your covers on high heat *can* take a toll on your elastics, so just be gentle with them. We preferred to hang dry our covers, but they can definitely be dried in the dryer as well. We washed all of our diapers in hot water for 5 years with no problems.
*Myth: Bleach will ruin your diapers.
*Truth: With a good wash routine and the right amount of detergent, you shouldn't need to use bleach unless you run into a problem, but it's not going to ruin your diapers. If you ever buy used cloth diapers, it's also always recommended to do a proper bleach soak on them before using them on your own baby, just in case the previous owner did not wash them well.
*Myth: If you have an HE machine, then you can add a wet towel to give you more water since it makes your load heavier.
*Truth: My husband is an appliance technician and works on all kinds of machines for a living. Adding a wet towel does NOT give you more water. An HE machine fills with water at different times during the cycle. It only "senses" (by using electronics and balancing to determine how much water it needs to saturate the load.) Once the load is soaked, the water then fills to a standard water level that depends on the cycle you chose. So in reality, you are not getting any more useable water for the load to splash around in by adding weight. Although, depending on your machine, the standard water *can* change with different cycle settings (heavy/bulky setting, delicate setting, etc) it cannot be changed simply by making your load heavier. Another thing that many people try to do is add more water to their load manually. This is not only dangerous and can damage your machine, you will also void your warranty.
*Myth: Cloth diapers are expensive and I don't want to spend a bunch of money if I'm not going to like them. *Truth: My husband is an appliance technician and works on all kinds of machines for a living. Adding a wet towel does NOT give you more water. An HE machine fills with water at different times during the cycle. It only "senses" (by using electronics and balancing to determine how much water it needs to saturate the load.) Once the load is soaked, the water then fills to a standard water level that depends on the cycle you chose. So in reality, you are not getting any more useable water for the load to splash around in by adding weight. Although, depending on your machine, the standard water *can* change with different cycle settings (heavy/bulky setting, delicate setting, etc) it cannot be changed simply by making your load heavier. Another thing that many people try to do is add more water to their load manually. This is not only dangerous and can damage your machine, you will also void your warranty.
*Truth: There are many affordable cloth diapering options available and you can get by without spending a ton of money. In the long run, you will be saving a few thousand dollars. Cloth diapers also have an excellent resale value, so if you end up not liking them, you can sell them and get some of your money back! There are also several websites that let you do a diaper trial!
*Myth: Cloth diapering is a huge hassle and will take up a lot of time.
*Truth: Of course this varies from family to family, but for most cloth users, cloth diapering is not a hassle at all. If you have enough diapers, you can go anywhere from 2-5 days between washing. When out of the house, instead of throwing a diaper away in a trash can, you simply throw it in your wet bag and take it home! Diaper laundry is actually my favorite chore and it's not a hassle for us whatsoever. As with anything, there is a learning curve, but it's easy once you get the hang of it!
Ok so now that you know what types of diapers are out there, and a few myths are busted, how many diapers will you need and what should you buy first?
* To wash every other day, you will want about 20-24 diapers per child. If you plan on waiting even longer to wash, then you will need more diapers.
*For a newborn, you will want about 35 diapers. They poop a lot! If you plan on using cloth from day one, you will typically need a separate newborn stash, since most one size diapers do not fit well until 10-12 lbs. (even if they say they fit sooner)
* If you are just getting started, then I recommend buying a variety of diapers to see which ones you like the best, and to see which ones fit your baby the best. I will make a list at the bottom of this post of my favorite brands/sites. You can also get a diaper trial from Jillian's Drawers. She will send you a variety of diapers to try and then you send back what you don't like!
*A few side notes/tips:
*You can wash all diapers together
*Exclusively breast fed poop can go straight into the washer without being rinsed because it's water soluble. If your child has sticky formula poo or is eating solids, you will need to rinse before putting it in the wash. A diaper sprayer comes in really handy for this.
*You will need a wet bag to put your dirty diapers in while out of the house. (or you can use disposables while on the go instead)
*You will need a diaper pail. Many people just use a new trash can that is exclusively used for diapers.
*Cloth wipes are also super easy to use since you can just wash them with the diapers! We use cheap baby washcloths from walmart and a squirt bottle of water. You can also make your own using old receiving blankets or t-shirt!
*Depending on your washer, you will need to figure out a good wash routine. We have an LG HE frontloader and ours is as follows:
-Warm rinse/spin with no detergent (to rinse out poop/pee)
-Heavy duty hot wash on the cotton/towels setting, with an entire full scoop of Tide powder
-2-3 extra cold rinse/spins (one rinse in sufficient, but I like to do more)
Websites for diapers:
For a little bit of everything:
*http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/
*http://www.nickisdiapers.com
*http://www.cottonbabies.com/
*http://www.kellyscloset.com/
*http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/
*http://sunbabydiapers.com/
For affordable pockets:
*http://www.theluvyourbaby.com/
*http://www.alvababy.com/
*http://sunbabydiapers.com/
*http://www.assuntastore.com/Diapering-c24/
Popular prefold/flat diapers:
*Green Mountain Diapers
*Imagine
*Blueberry
*OsoCozy
*Cottonbabies
*Baby Monkeys on Hyenacart (bamboo flats)
Popular pocket diapers and All in One diapers:
*Bumgenius
*Alva
*Kawaii
*Sunbaby
*Assunta
*Charlie Banana
*Blueberry
*Swaddlebees
*Rumparooz
*Thirsties
Popular All in Two diapers:
*Grovia
*Flip
*Bumkins
*Imagine
*Best Bottoms
Popular diaper covers:
*Thirsties
*Assunta
*Imagine
*Bumkins
*Rumparooz
*Blueberry
*Kawaii
Popular Fitteds:
*Assunta
*TotsBots
*Green Mountain Diapers
*Kissaluvs
*Sbish
*Imagine
*Pooters
For troubleshooting issues/cloth diapering help/myth busting, check out The Cloth Diaper Asylum:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/diaperasylum/
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