This FAQ covers some of the more common questions. If you have a question that isn’t covered here, Contact Us and we’ll answer it for you!
General Questions on Cloth Diapering
Q. What kinds of cloth diapers are there? Do I need separate covers?
A. There are several different kinds, including:
* All-in-One or All-in-Two; these diapers are made of an absorbent inner and a waterproof outer. No cover necessary. All-in-Ones are all one piece, as the name suggests; All-in-Twos have a snap-in or lay-in soaker for faster drying time.
* Prefolds; these diapers are rectangular woven cotton, and come in several sizes. They do need a cover (see “covers.”)
* Fitteds; these diapers are made of an absorbent material and go on just like a regular diaper. Then you put a cover over them.
* Covers; these go over a prefold or fitted diaper. Covers can be made of many materials including PUL, nylon, vinyl, fleece or wool.
* Pocket Diapers; these diapers are made of an inner layer that wicks (pulls moisture away) plus a waterproof outer. No cover necessary. Pocket Diapers use an absorbent insert between the inner and outer layer. Baby Blanket Diapers are pocket-style.
Q. Why use a pocket-style diaper?
A. Pocket diapers are popular because of their versatility. You can add as little or as much “stuffing” in the pocket as you need. You can stuff the pocket with different kinds of inserts and discover what works best for your baby. As well, the design of a pocket keeps moisture off baby’s skin, since the wetness is wicked through the inner lining to the insert. They dry quickly because the insert comes out of the pocket for washing. And they don’t require a separate cover which is convenient and economical.
Q. Is there a time that I shouldn’t use a pocket diaper?
A. Some people don’t use them for potty learning because they don’t allow the child to feel when they’re wet. This is easily remedied by putting a piece of cotton cloth (a prefold works well) inside the diaper (not in the pocket). In this way you can continue to use your pocket diapers for potty learning.
Q. How many do I need?
A. It depends how often you want to do laundry. For most (non-newborn) babies, 12 to 14 diapers a day is plenty. I also recommend at least one and preferably two pail liners as they make laundry so very much easier.
Q. Aren’t cloth diapers bulky?
A. Yes and no. Any cloth diaper will be a little bulkier than most disposables. With pocket diapers it depends how much material the pocket is stuffed with. It is true that certain items of clothing may not fit well over cloth diapers. Garments with little stretch that are very fitted are a problem sometimes (such as jeans).
Q. Don’t cloth diapers smell bad?
A. Well, all dirty diapers smell. However, a diaper pail full of cloth diapers smells much better than one full of disposables (sounds hard to believe, but it’s true). If you have a pail with a tight fitting lid and you do wash at least every 48 hours you should not notice any smells. A pail liner is also a really nice invention; this is just basically a reusable bag, made of PUL, that goes inside the pail. When you’re ready to wash, you just take the bag out, dump it in the washer and then throw the bag in with the dirty diapers. No stinky pail to rinse out, and no touching dirty diapers!
Q. Can I save money by cloth diapering?
A. Most emphatically yes! Cloth diapers are a bigger initial cost but will save a lot of money in the long run. My son has worn size large from age 6 months and they will fit him until he is toilet trained. Another customer with a 20 month old who bought a Baker’s Dozen when her baby was 10 months old. She is still using the same 13 large diapers. 10 months’ worth of disposable diapers, by contrast, would cost at least twice that—and that’s if you’re using cheap disposables, which don’t work well for everyone. Also, you can keep your cloth diapers and reuse them if you have more children.
Q. Is cloth diapering better for the environment?
A. Yes. Even though it uses energy (gas or electric) and water, cloth diapers still are ecologically much more sound than disposables. It takes water to manufacture disposables, and then they are thrown away, which adds to our landfills. I am sure we can all agree that less waste in landfills is a good idea. By cloth diapering you help to conserve our precious natural resources.
Q. Is it really okay to wash them in my washer? Will it contaminate my other clothes?
A. Yes, it’s okay and no, it won’t contaminate your other clothes. Washing machines are built to handle dirty clothes. If you have a high-efficiency washer (as I do) though, you have to be really careful not to use too much detergent, and I always use the extra rinse cycle. I also recommend sanitizing the washer occasionally by running an empty hot wash (nothing in the washer) and adding a cup or two, depending on washer size, of apple cider vinegar. This is a good idea whether you use cloth diapers or not, frankly, since washers get some pretty icky stuff in them!
Q. My child gets diaper rashes a lot; will cloth diapers help?
A. They probably will. Many sensitive children do best in cloth. My son has rarely had rashes since we switched.
Q. What about cloth wipes? What kind of solution should I use? How do I prepare it?
A. If you are using cloth diapers, you might as well use cloth wipes too. For a solution, plain water works well (unless you have a really messy change), or add a few drops of Burt’s Bees Apricot Baby Oil in it. It is non-irritating and smells very nice. There are many great recipes for wipes solutions out there that you can make yourself. To keep it simple, I usually just use a solution of warm water with a drop or two of baby wash followed by a wet washcloth.
Q. Can I use my wipe warmer with cloth wipes?
A. It depends on the warmer. I have the Dex Baby Products warmer and it can be filled with water. What I’ve done is take the plastic tub part of a disposable wipes container (the Babies R Us Brand, Especially for Baby) and filled it with water and put it in the wipe warmer. It fits like they were made for each other and it’s so easy to fill and clean. You can also use your peri bottle that they give you at the hospital when you have your baby. Fill it with warm water and lay it on its side in the warmer.
Q. Can I use diaper creams or ointment with cloth wipes?
A. Yes, but it’s best to use a fleece liner if you do, so that the cream/ointment doesn’t stain your diapers. Fleece liners are very inexpensive.
Sizing
Q. What size should I order?
A. See the “sizing” page for help, and email if you need more help! When in doubt, with aplix size up and with snaps size down.
Washing
Q. How should I wash my diapers?
A. It’s easy! Shake solids into the toilet. You can also purchase a Handy Spray setup that attaches to your toilet so easily and rinses all waste off of the diaper. Then, do a cold rinse first; this helps stains not to set in. Then do a hot wash with a cold or warm rinse. Use about ½ the amount of detergent you’d normally use in the hot wash. I like to add a few drops of tea tree, peppermint, or citrus oil to the hot wash. It’s not necessary, but it smells nice. Don’t use bleach or fabric softeners! This will ruin your cloth diapers and void their guarantee. If they are stained, laying them out in the sun can help. The inner fabrics we use stain very rarely, fortunately.
Q. Do I need to wash them before wear?
A. Yes, one wash is sufficient.
Outer and Inner Materials
Q. What is the outer material made of?
A. PUL (polyurethane laminate) is laminated polyester fabric.
Q. What is the inner material made of?
A. Suedecloth is a polyester fabric; microfleece and microchamois are polyester fleece.
Inserts
Q. What’s the purpose of an insert?
A. The insert goes in the pocket of the diaper and soaks up moisture.
Q. Which insert should I use?
A. I am partial to a combination of microfiber and hemp. This often works well for heavy wetters (as the mother of a supersoaker I can attest to its efficacy). I use a microfiber plus a hemp and rarely have leaks. Position the inserts in the diaper so that the microfiber gets wet first, as it wicks faster than the hemp does. If you are switching from prefold diapers to pockets (as I did) you can also fold the diaper into thirds and stuff into the pocket. This will make for a bulkier diaper. Every baby is different and the great thing about pockets is that you can customize the level of absorbancy that your little one needs!
Aplix (Velcro) and Snaps
Q. What are the pros and cons of Aplix and Snaps?
A. Aplix is very adjustable and very fast. However, it does wear out eventually, and some babies can and will take off their Aplix diapers. Toddlers are particularly prone to this. Snaps are not as adjustable and take a little longer to fasten. They will last longer. Most babies will leave snap diapers alone, but a few figure out how to get them off.
Baker’s Dozen Orders
Q. If I order a Baker’s Dozen, can I get the 13 diapers in different sizes and colors?
A. Yes. You can also pick any 12 in-stock diapers and get the 13th free. The only consideration with choosing all custom diapers is that your order may take longer.
Q. Can I add the “fun” options that cost extra (such as print suedecloth or PUL) to Baker’s Dozen order diapers?
A. Yes. The extra charge for each of those options would then be added to the price of the package (see the Baker’s Dozen Ordering page for those charges).
Special Requests
Q. Do you ever do special requests (larger sizes, custom prints, etc).
A. I am always open to ideas! Email me with your request and I’ll see if I can accommodate it. If not, I will try to give you an idea of who can.
Email me if you have a question not answered here!
