Do people really still use cloth diapers?
Yes! As a matter of fact, cloth diapering has become quite the vogue thing to do, especially among environmentally conscious parents. All of the new choices in cloth diapers have made it as easy to use cloth diapers as it is to use disposable diapers.
How many do I need?
A newborn can easily go through twelve cloth diapers in one day so we recommend purchasing 12-18 cloth diapers in the newborn or small sizes. An older baby doesn't need quite as many diapers, but you should still plan for 8 diaper changes and an overnight solution. Once you've picked out your diapers, don't forget to get two or three dozen cloth baby wipes, a waterproof diaper tote for your diaper bag and, if you have an older baby, a Mini Shower Diaper Sprayer is a must-have.
What does everyone else buy?
BumGenius Extra-Small All-In-Ones are the popular choice when convenience is essential. For older children, most of our customers prefer bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diapers or bumGenius All-In-Ones.
If you are cloth diapering on a tight budget, consider using prefolds and cloth diaper covers. Most families also buy a cloth diaper pail, pail liner and deo disks.
What about overnight diapering?
Our top selling overnight cloth diapers are bumGenius combined with two of our ultra-absorbent Cotton Babies microfiber terry inserts or our Hemp Babies hemp inserts. Our customers who prefer All-In-Ones are buying bumGenius All-In-Ones and using an additional doubler to boost the diaper for night-time use.
I just received my diapers. How do I start?
Prewash bumGenius, and other polyester diapers once before using. Microfiber inserts should also be washed once before using.
To reach their full absorbency, unbleached Chinese prefolds and hemp products should be washed 5-8 times with very hot water and approximately 2 tablespoons of detergent in each load. This removes oils and waxes from the cotton and hemp (normally removed during the bleaching process) that prevent liquids from absorbing into the diaper. White prefolds only need to be washed 3-5 times before use. To shink the products to their proper size, we recommend drying between each pre-wash.
My unbleached prefolds/hemp inserts are leaking!!
Make sure that you've prewashed them enough. Remember, they need to be washed 5-8 times in very hot water with a tiny bit of detergent in each load. If you have used your diapers before and haven't encountered this problem, I recommend putting a folded soft terrycloth washcloth (Kissaluvs Baby Wipes will work well) inside the prefold diaper. The terrycloth will be able to catch the pee before it rolls off the diaper. The cotton is absorbent, but sometimes it doesn't quite 'grab' the liquid fast enough to keep it from rolling off and around the edge of the cotton. This method will also enable your baby to go coverless in a prefold diaper with fewer leaks.
My baby is in a daycare center. Will I be able to cloth diaper?
More and more daycare centers are open to the idea of using cloth diapers. Most daycares that allow cloth diapers will only allow all-in-one cloth diapers (like bumGenius All-In-Ones). They will require that you provide a place to store used diapers and that you take your diapers home with you each night for washing. Be aware that your daycare center may be governed by state regulations related to diapering. You may find that initial discussion with the daycare more successful if you take the time to educate yourself about laws in your state first. Home-based or private daycare providers are probably going to be more willing to cloth diaper your child. Remember that ease of use is going to be an essential bargaining chip! Because public perception of cloth diapering still revolves primarily around flat diapers, vinyl diaper covers and pins, it may help to have one diaper from the system of your choice on hand that you can use to demonstrate the ease of use.
What do I do about the poop?
Good question! I think everybody asks us this question. It is important to note that it is EASY! Modern inventions (like flushable liners and the diaper sprayer) have taken the grossness factor out of this issue.
First of all, your baby will go through different stages as they grow. Poop tends to change as your baby grows.
- Breastfed baby poop is water soluble. You do not need to remove breastfeed baby poop before washing.
- Around 4-6 months of age, many babies start solids through cereal. At this point, stools transition to a thicker "peanut butter" consistency. For best results, this should be removed (as much as possible) from your diapers prior to washing.
- Formula fed and older babies typically have firmer stools. This should also be removed from your diapers prior to washing.
The solutions below are what we commonly recommend to families. We have many families who love the diaper sprayers and many others who swear by the flushable liners. We recommend that you evaluate the options and choose the one that you will actually use.
- Flusable diaper liners laid inside the diaper allow the poop to be easily removed from the diaper. Just peel the biodegradable liner out of the diaper and flush the mess away.
- Diaper sprayers are another fantastic solution. This handy little device attaches to the plumbing behind your toilet and allows you to easily spray the mess off. The small holes and concentrated spray allows the Minishower to do a better job cleaning diapers off than any other sprayer available. The Minishower does double duty during potty training as it cleans out potty chairs. The adjustable spray can also be used for feminine hygiene during the postpartum period.
- It is easy to shake firmer stools off of the diaper into the toilet (no spray or liner required).
- In a pinch, good old fashioned dunking will get the job done.
Will my house smell like a diaper pail?
You shouldn't have anymore odor that you experience with disposable diapers. Many cloth diapering parents actually claim to smell less diaper pail odor when using cloth diapers simply because their cloth diapers aren't full of perfumes (like disposables).
Deo-disks are an inexpensive way to deal with diaper pail odor. These non-toxic deodorizers smell like citrus and do a great job cutting down on diaper pail odor. These deodorizing disks are used and recommended by diaper services.
bumGenius Odor Remover does a fantastic job removing the odors in diapers.
The best way to combat diaper pail odor is to wash cloth diapers frequently, at least every other day.
Finally, be sure that your diaper pail has a lid on it and keep it closed.
