What are the different cloth diapering systems?
Prefolds and Covers: The most economical system, a prefold (or flat) diaper is folded in the style of your choice, usually pinned or snappied into place, and then enclosed with a waterproof cover.
Fitteds and Covers: Slightly more money and less learning curve than a prefold and cover, a fitted and cover system requires an absorbent fitted diaper which usually snaps or velcros closed, and is then enclosed with a waterproof cover.
Pockets and Inserts: A popular choice for convenience, a pocket diaper must be stuffed with the inserts of your choice, but requires no cover and keeps the moisture away from your baby’s skin.
One-size Diapers: One-size diapers may be fitteds that require a cover, pockets that require inserts, or covers that require an absorbent layer inside. Whichever style you get, one-size diapers snap up or down to fit an infant or a toddler, and eliminate the need to buy different sizes as your baby grows.
All-in-Ones: All-in-ones include the waterproof outer and absorbent inner in one simple diaper that requires no assembly. They are the most like disposable diapers when it comes to putting them on the baby. On the downside, they can take a long time to dry.
Hybrid diapers include an insert that lays against the baby’s skin and it’s changed with every diaper change and a reusable waterproof cover that is used more than once throughout the day. These are a favorite among new parents interested in cloth diapering.
Wait. But isn’t cloth diapering hard?
Probably not as hard as you think. On the one hand, it’s not as simple as disposable diapering, though most cloth diaper converts think the benefits far outweigh the bit of effort. And there are even some that say it’s easier, since the number of poopy blowouts you will see with cloth is usually far fewer than with disposables. But here are a few answers to burning questions:
How often do I change cloth diapers?
More often than disposable diapers. Because they are not loaded with the lovely absorbent chemicals we mentioned before, cloth diapers simply don’t have the capacity of disposable diapers. Ideally, they need to be changed every two hours or so, but this depends on your baby and your diaper system (ie, a pocket diaper that keeps the moisture away from the baby’s skin can be left on longer, particularly if it is stuffed with a lot of absorbent material).
How many do I need?
For a newborn, you’ll want to have 10-12 diapers per day, so if you’re planning to wash every other day you should shoot for around 24 diapers (but remember you’ll need fewer covers). When they hit around 5-6 months, you’ll generally need 6-8 diapers per day.
How often do I wash cloth diapers?
This depends partly on how many cloth diapers you have in your stash, and how often you change them (ie, if you have a frequent pooper or heavy wetter). With a small stash, you might wash every day, but even with a large stash, every other day is ideal. You don’t want to let them sit for too long before washing. While every other day may sound like a lot, it probably takes a grand total of five minutes to throw diapers in the washer and transfer them to the dryer. Calculate more time if you’re hanging them up to line dry, or stuffing pocket diapers when they’re done.
How do I get started?
The best advice is to try a variety of things when you’re first starting out. Pockets may appeal to you, but you may find you hate stuffing them and prefer AIO’s. You may think folding prefolds sounds intimidating, and it turns out you love them. Even the best brands don’t fit every single baby, depending on how your little guy is proportioned. So don’t go out and buy 24 of one brand and one size.
We offer diaper packages (like this one at Granola Babies) designed to let you try a variety of different diapers at one go. Or just put together a hodge podge of what appeals to you. Try them out and order more when you know what you and your baby likes. (And also be aware that may change as your baby grows and their elimination needs change.)
A word on laundry
Laundry routines are as varied and personal as cloth diaper systems, and you will have to figure out what works for you, your diapers, and your washing machine. But here are a few things to keep in mind:
All detergents are NOT created equally. Never use a diaper detergent with fragrances, dyes, enzymes or brighteners. Some detergents that are popular in the cloth-diapering world are Rockin Green (available at Granola Babies) Allen’s Naturally, Country Save (also at Granola Babies and our favorite!), and Sport-Wash. Some people have good luck with “free and clear” brands and others don’t.
It seems counter-intuitive, but you want to use less detergent on diapers than you would on clothes, or you will get a stinky build-up. Generally, for detergent that isn’t cloth diapering detergent, use about half the recommended amount of detergent in a top loader and a quarter of the recommended amount in a front-loader.
You will find what works for you, but some variation on a cold pre-wash, hot/cold wash, and extra cold rinse is common when laundering cloth diapers. Line drying is great for the planet, but any diapers with a PUL layer need to have a hot dryer cycle from time to time to seal up the waterproof barrier.
Wet pails (soaking soiled diapers until washing time) used to be the norm, but they are used with less and less frequency. Most people keep soiled diapers in a dry pail (and a bit of breathing room actually helps control the stink) until they are ready to be washed. The stink many people associate with diapers today actually comes from the reaction between urine and the chemicals in disposables. You will likely be surprised by how little you smell the dirty diapers.
Setting diapers out in the sun makes a world of difference in removing stains.