Cloth Diapers 101

Cloth diapers are back and are the come up with a lot of moms nowadays. When cloth diapers where first out they were a piece of cloth held together by pins, however, there is a new wave of cloth diapers with a totally new style. As a young mother, I used the cloth diapers as a burping cloth, but since the rise in $$$ in disposable diapers, I have been looking into using cloth diapers as diapers and not just burping clothes. Cloth diapers can be a very beneficial diapering option, hence the facts below;

Disposable diapers take up to 500 years to begin to decompose.  

There are chemicals and materials used in disposable diapers that have been deemed unsafe for sanitary products like tampons and pads (hint: gel stuff that disposable diapers have)

Cloth diapers save money, especially if you have more than one child.

They prevent thousands of unnecessary diapers from entering our landfills, lessening the carbon footprint on the earth.

Eliminate the need for repeat manufacturing processes to make, package and transport diapers to stores over and over again.

Limit the amount of raw materials and natural resources, such as crude oil and trees, needed to make your baby's diapers.

Reduce your household waste, using less energy for trash trucks to haul away your baby's diapers each week.

The new cloth diapers are adorable

They actually leak much less than disposables

Also you know exactly what’s going on your baby’s most gentle skin.  

The beauty of cloth diapers is the cost you can save for you,your household and they cater to the very specific needs of you, your child, family and/ or lifestyle.

From Birth to 2.5 years of age

$735.00
Cloth Diapers

                                $2,600                                           
Disposable Diapers

           VS 

                                 

                                                                    

The most amazing aspect of cloth diapering is saving money. Depending on your financial ability, you can invest a few hundred dollars on cloth diapers in comparison to the thousands of dollars you will spend from birth to the age of two and a half. With cloth diapers, you are investing money into a reusable product. Cloth diapers can be used to diaper multiple children over the course of time.

Types of Cloth Diapers

The most convenient type of cloth diapering is an All-In-One (AIO).  An All-In-One system mimics a disposable diaper. one piece diapering system has an inner absorbent layer attached to an outer waterproof layer has adjustable closures (either hook & loop or snaps) at the waist are just like disposable diapers except you wash them

 The least expensive system is the Flat Cloth Diapers. Flats are probably the type of cloth diapers are more old school and what most people picture when they hear the words "cloth diapers." Flats are large rectangles, usually made of a few layers of diaper gauze. They must be folded and fastened with diaper pins or Snappi's. Because they do not have a waterproof layer they must be covered with a separate cover, or wool or fleece diaper cover clothing, unless you choose to let your child go coverless. Flats wash and dry very quickly because they do not contain many layers of fabric. They are not the most absorbent choice of cloth diapers, but with diaper covers they are a low-cost cloth diapering system.

 Cover and Pre-Fold cloth diapers often considered to be a step up from flat diapers. Prefolds are rectangles of absorbent fabric, usually surged on all four sides, similar to flats, but with extra layers of material in the center section. Prefolds need to be folded, then fastened with diaper pins or a Snappi. Prefolds need to be covered with a separate cover, or wool or fleece diaper cover clothing unless your child is going coverless. Prefolds come in several sizes to fit from birth to potty learning and when paired with diaper covers are low-cost cloths diapering system. Prefold cloth diapers unfold in the wash for thorough cleaning and quick drying

There are more expensive cloth diapers, mostly Cloth diapers that offer an all natural option, like organic cotton, but besides that you saving a pretty good penny when purchasing cloth instead of disposable.

credits IG: @blackwomendoclothdiaper

Up Keep

When I thought of maintenance of Cloth diapers, I think of a whole lot of mess when cleaning off before washing and re-using. However, I have learned it is not as hard as I had imagined it.  When your baby poops and pees on cloth diapers, dispose of the poop by using a spatula, diaper sprayer, or the Dunk and Swish method (dunk the diaper in the toilet and swish it around until the fecal matter is removed). After ridding the cloth diaper of the waste, you then store the soiled diaper in a receptacle. Air should circulate through your soiled diapers until you wash them to reduce the smell.

Cloth Diapers Wash Do’s:

If soiled, proceed with dunk and swish method or  use the mini-shower to remove poop from diaper. Leave the diaper wet enough that it almost drips. Keeping the diaper wet until it is washed will help reduce stains.

Toss into a dry pail; wash every day or every other day.

Pre-wash your cloth diapers in order to get the initial waste out then do a main wash

Wash no more than 12 - 18 diapers at a time.

Use your washer's highest water level.

Pre-rinse with cold water and no detergent.

Use a regular hot water cycle and Tide (not Tide Free).

Dry diapers in the dryer or hang dry or a combination of both.

Don’ts:

Avoid using chlorine bleach on a regular basis. It will break down fibers and noticeably shorten the life of your diapers. In addition, it may irritate your baby's skin.  Some manufacturers, like bumGenius!, recommend using 1/4 cup bleach with your regular wash once a month.

No fabric softeners, which coat fabric and reduce absorbency. This includes 'baby' detergents such as Dreft.

Side Notes:

They are many child care centers or babysitters that do not do cloth diapers. Which means disposable diapers will be needed for use. However, if you are stern about only using cloth diapers depending on the state, there are laws that allow for cloth diaper usage with a doctor’s note. Also daycare facility cannot turn your child away regardless of the fact you rather cloth diapers.

Also there are extra resources that having lending programs for low income families as they do with disposable diapers.

Websites to visit:

https://www.facebook.com/Blackwomendoclothdiaper
www.alvababy.com
http://www.kellyscloset.com
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com
www.abbyslane.com