New to Cloth?

Welcome to the wonderful world of cloth!  Seriously, cloth diapering is a lot of fun and has become a hobby for thousands of moms all over the world.  It's a fantastic way to save money, reduce waste in our landfills, and make your baby's bum the cutest! 

Care Instructions:

  1. Cold or warm rinse, no detergent
  2. Hot wash (less than 150 degrees), 1/2 the amount of detergent (mainstream) or full amount of detergent (cloth-specific)
  3. Cold rinse if necessary, no detergent
  4. Machine dry or hang to dry

Here's a tip for pocket diapers: when you take the diaper off of your baby, pull out the insert.  Lay it inside the diaper along with any cloth wipes you use.  Then fold the diaper over and place into your wetbag or diaper pail.  When it's wash time, it can just be dumped into the washer and you don't have to touch it all again!  (Please refer to each product's description for specific manufacturer's washing recommendations.)

How many diapers should I buy?  It depends on your child's age and how often you want to wash.  Most parents prefer to wash every other day.  For example, for a newborn, if you wash every other day, you would need 24-30 diapers.

Newborns ~ 12-15 diapers per day 
2-6 months ~ 10-12 diapers per day
6+ months ~ 8-10 diapers per day

These can include any combination of prefolds, fitteds, pockets, or All-In-Ones.

What's the best diaper?  Again this is personal preference.  Pocket diapers are wonderful for keeping baby's skin dry and are easy for caregivers to use.  We have two types of pocket diapers: our Custom Fit are sized diapers and give the very best fit for each stage of your baby's growth.  Our One Size diapers fit from approximately 8-10 lbs to 40+ lbs, so they're wonderful on the budget.  We also have high quality prefolds and covers that are easy to use and very affordable. 

These seem so expensive...how can I afford to use cloth?  First, it's important to realize that the most expensive cloth diapering option, spread over 3 years, is still cheaper than the cheapest disposable option.  (see Diaper Pin for a cost calculator.) And you can reuse cloth for your next baby or resell it.  Many times, you can sell used cloth diapers for nearly what you paid if they're in really good condition.  In addition, prefolds and covers are a great way to start for a lower price. 

There are so many options...it's all so confusing.  I understand!  When I started, I was completely overwhelmed at all the choices.  Again, my advice is to start as simply as possible.  Make it easy on yourself and buy a few pocket diapers (Happy Heiny's, FuzziBunz, BumGenius, Knickernappies, etc) to try out.  Because they're similar to disposables, they're the easiest option.  Later, once you've figured things out, then you can branch out and try different methods.  And you'll pick everything up pretty quickly.

What if I don't want to use a wet pail?  Then don't!  In fact, these days we recommend you not use a wet pail.  It's just not necessary, it's messy, and there's a danger of your child drowning in the bucket of water.  Just use a regular trash can with a reusable, washable pail liner.  Toss the diapers in and on wash day, dump it into the wash!  It's so easy...there's no need to make things harder for yourself! 

Do I have to swish diapers in the toilet?  Nope!  When your baby is exclusively breastfed or formula-fed, the diapers can go into the pail just as they are.  The baby poo will wash out with no trouble at all.  Once your baby is on solid foods, a diaper sprayer is a great thing to have.  Use it to spray poo off into the toilet.  They're super easy to install and they work very well.  Also, formed poos don't stick to fleece very well, so they will usually just roll of into the toilet and don't need anything else.