Getting Started with Reusable Diapers
The Basics:
Extras:
But how many diapers and covers do I really need?
Newborns need to be changed 10-12 times a day and will usually need a cover change with each diaper change. Toddlers may only need to changed 6-8 times and you will probably be able to wipe and reuse the cover.
Diapers should be washed every 2-3 days. You may want to get a few more diapers for extras when you don't have time to wash or if you want to leave a few in the car or diaper bag.
Washing at a laundromat
Diapers - You will probably want to get more diapers than recommended above. It's a balance between not going to the laundromat often and not having your dirty diapers sitting around so long that you can't get them clean. I recommend using prefolds since they are the easiest to keep clean and can be bleached occasionally and washed in hot water regularly. We recommend a dozen diapers per day for newborns and 6-8 diapers per day for infants and toddlers. A diaper sprayer is recommended to get as much off the diaper as possible before putting it in the pail.
Covers - We recommend covers that can be easily wiped out and reused. Covers that dry quickly can be washed in the sink and hung to dry. You will probably want two more covers than listed above. Bummis Super Brite, Proraps and Bumkins can all be wiped out and reused. Bumkins covers dry more quickly than the others.
On wash day run your diapers and covers through a cold wash. Take the covers out to hang dry and wash your diapers on hot.
Sizing
Manufacturers offer sizing based on weight. We also measure each diaper and cover so that you can select the best size for your child. You want to look for a size where your child fits comfortably into all ranges (weight, waist, leg). The rise measurement should be used to determine where the diaper/cover will sit at the waist. Please use all the measurements to make your size selection. Not all kids are the same shape even at the same weight. Go to the bottom of this page to see how we measure.
Night time diapering
Newborns do not need anything different for night since they awaken so many times. You will end up changing them as often at night as during the day. Infants and Toddlers will usually need a product with more absorbency at night (think extra liners or even an extra prefold in hemp or cotton). If your baby nurses or takes a bottle at night, you will need to change their diaper at some point during the night.
Most families use a combination of diapering types. Prefolds are economical diapers that are rectangular in shape. The fabric is folded and sewn into layers of three panels. The layers in the panels are where the numbers such as 4x6x4 come in. In a 4x6x4 prefold the two outer panels are 4 layers thick and the middle panel is 6 layers of fabric.
Fitted diapers offer a little more protection from blowouts.
Pocket Diapers are excellent for nighttime and offer an easy solution for sitters unfamiliar with cloth diapering. Their stay dry feature helps with preventing diaper rash. The entire pocket diaper needs to be changed with each diaper change.
Using a prefold diaper with a snug fitting velcro cover
1. Lay diaper out flat. |
2. Fold in thirds. |
3. Place liner on top of diaper. (A liner is optional) |
4. Place diaper in open cover. |
5. Slide cover and diaper under your baby. Fold the diaper down
in front* if it is too long. |
6. Bring up the front of the cover and fasten. |
*Some cover/diaper combinations work better with the diaper folded down in the back.
For a newborn, try folding the diaper in fourths along the short length.
Some diaper covers have a flap that is sewn on the top front (like the Bumkins above, there are others as well). Bumkins calls this a Leak Shield and recommends that you tuck your diaper into the pocket. I do not recommend that you do this. When a wet diaper comes in contact with the stitching where the velcro is sewn it will wick out onto the velcro. I think that it works better to keep the diaper out of the pocket and use the Leak Shield to keep the diaper off of the velcro stitching.
Care of Reusable Diapering Products
First Things First: Take a look at the detergent that you are planning to use. You will want one that has no heavy perfumes (you don't need any detergent smell to cover up odors) and no added fabric softeners (like Dreft). You also do not want to use laundry soap. The added fabric softeners and the laundry soap can cause the diapers to become moisture repellent (not what you want in a cloth diaper). Detergents that don't leave a residue are a good place to start. We do encourage you to try your normal detergent if it is free of additives like optical brighteners.
No fabric softeners! No sheets, no liquid, none added to your detergent.
Initial Set up before use: All diapers need to be washed (with detergent) and dried at least twice before they become absorbent. Unbleached and natural diapers will need to be washed more often in hotter (sometimes boiling water will need to be tossed on them) before they will be absorbent enough for use. Try dropping a few drops of water on your dry washed diapers. If the water does not absorb immediately, the diapers are not ready for use and need to be washed more. Microfiber does not behave in this way and water may bead briefly on a functional microfiber diaper.
Using HE washers: Use 1/2 the recommended amount of HE detergent. If you want to add baking soda (see below) add the baking soda to the detergent dispenser. If you want to add vinegar (see below) use the fabric softener dispenser. If you have an extra spin setting, use it to get more water out of your diapers to shorten your drying time.
Diapers and/or covers stink or not working as well as they used to?
Especially if your diapers and covers have some poly in them, at one point you are going to have to strip your diapers (remove all detergent residue). If recommended by the cover or diaper manufacturer wash in hot water, otherwise wash in the warmest water recommended - do not use detergent. Wash again using either 1/4 cup baking soda or 1/4 vinegar (usually you want to use vinegar as it helps break down detergent residue). Using both vinegar and baking soda at once has no purpose as you are creating a neutral PH when you combine them. Wash again using hottest water possible. If your diapers or covers smell like vinegar, run them through a wash with 1/4 cup baking soda and an additional wash with nothing added. Dry as usual. Test your covers and diapers by using them.
Toss that smell a curve ball
It is best to wash your diapers every two or three days. Any longer could result in a smell that is impossible to remove. Try using a Diaper Sprayer along with Diaper Odor Control Spray for excellent odor control.
Too much detergent can be a problem. Detergent needs to be completely rinsed out of all diapers each time. Detergent build up will trap old odors and that wonderful smell will be released when your baby pees. Only use half the recommended amount of detergent for one wash cycle and run the diapers through a complete cycle without any detergent (you can add a 1/4 vinegar to help break up the detergent). Check the diaper load when you haven't added any detergent. If there is foam on top, the diapers have detergent built up in them. Run them through another cycle until there is no foam on top. Try a detergent that mentions no residues on the label or one without anything special like brighteners or stain resistant additives.
Did you use any diaper rash ointment? Many diaper rash treatments leave an old oil smell. Soak your diapers overnight. It will take several more washings to totally get rid of that smell. Next time use Baby Bee Skin Crème or Baby Bee Diaper Ointment.
Dry those diapers out in the sun with a short trip in the dryer after. Or put in the dryer until half dry and them dry the rest of the way in the sun for a softer hand.
Any laundry additive should be added for a reason. Not just because someone else does it. Every situation is unique.
White Vinegar - The Ph of vinegar is about 4 and the Ph of Ammonia (a main component or urine) is about 10. So adding vinegar should balance the Ph in the wash. It will make it harder for your detergent to work if you lower the Ph too much however. Just try 1/4 cup at first, you can always add more, but the smell of too much vinegar can be as hard to get out as too much ammonia. If you have got a detergent build up on your diapers you can use vinegar to help get rid of all of that detergent. Put some in a one of those Downey balls so that it releases the vinegar in the rinse cycle. Put your diapers through an additional rinse cycle to make sure that you have gotten out all of the vinegar.
Baking Soda - Baking soda has a Ph of about 8, so adding it to your laundry will tend to keep the Ph level above neutral. That can be a great thing for killing germs. Baking soda also softens your water to allow your detergent to work better. You can soak your diapers and most knit covers in water and 1/4 cup baking soda in the washing machine overnight to help with cleaning.
Kissaluvs Potion Concentrate- has tea tree oil to help eliminate germs and odors. A couple of drops goes a long way.
In-between baby and the wash - Storing your dirty diapers so that no one in the house passes out.
- The wet pail - Keeping your diapers soaking in water is not necessary to keep them clean. A pail full of water can be a safety hazard to small children. The pail also has be on the small side or you will not be able to lift it. If you to soak, don't use detergent or bleach in the water and make sure that the lid on your pail locks. You can add a couple of drops of Kissaluvs Concentrate.
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The dry pail - Just dump any loose solids in the toilet. Keeping the covers separate from the diapers will help with the longevity of the waterproof materials on the covers. It will also help if you run out of covers and need find a dirty cover to hand wash. On wash day dump in your washing machine. If you can do a soak in cold water before you do a complete wash cycle - great!
Try cloth wipes
If you use disposable wipes, you will wash one or two. Some disposable wipes will make it through the wash without falling apart. Others will give you a nice shredded tissue like mess to pick through and get out of your velcro. Save yourself a ton of time (and lint) by using cloth wipes. Easy to use with Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion.
Washing methods will depend on the diaper type, but you can always wash using the most gentle routine and wash everything together.
All-in-Ones, Contour and Fitted Diapers
Wash and dry your new diapers a couple of times before using them, fasten the tabs before washing. Kissaluvs, like all unbleached cotton products, need to be washed more than bleached fabrics to get the fabric to absorb properly. For Kissaluvs the manufacturer recommends at least four washes (dry between loads) in hot water before the fist use. Kissaluvs will continue to get more absorbent the more that they are washed (up to about ten washings). After they get "used" dump out any solids into the toilet and toss the diaper into the diaper pail. The Kushies AIOs, Proraps AIOs and Kissaluvs can be presoaked in cold water for an hour or so (close the fasteners before soaking). When I am ready to wash, I dump the pail into the washer and run a cold rinse cycle. After the rinse cycle I run a complete wash cycle with detergent with some baking soda in warm water. You can use almost any detergent. Most detergents with bleach alternative clean well and wash away any bacteria in the wash load. I do not recommend Dreft or any of the made for baby detergents. They leave a fabric softener type coating on the fabric. Then I run an extra wash cycle with no detergent or additives to get out all of the detergent (I have found that it is best to use half the amount of detergent that is recommended). Don't use any fabric softeners, it will probably irritate your baby's bottom, it will harm the waterproofing on the All in One Diapers and it will reduce the absorbency of the diapers. Also, never use bleach or pure soap (e.g. Ivory Snow). Bleach is bad for the diapers and your baby's bottom and the soap will leave a fatty residue behind which will leave the diaper less absorbent. Dry AIO diapers, fitted and contours on medium. If you are washing Kushies flushable or Imse Vimse disposable liners, remember not to put the liners in the dryer. Bummis Biosoft liners should not be washed. If you do line dry, put the diapers in the dryer for a couple of minutes to fluff them up first before hanging them on the line.
Cotton Prefolds (Diaper Service Quality Diapers) and Hemp Prefolds.
Your new cotton prefold diapers look and feel stiff. Wash and dry your new diapers three times before using them and they will quilt up into thick fluffy diapers. They will shrink most after the first two washes, and slightly more for a few more washings. The unbleached and hemp diapers have to be washed with detergent in very hot water; you can also pour some boiling water over them. Wash them with detergent right after they get in the boiling water. Please be careful when using and transporting boiling water and remember, you are doing it at your own risk. If you have a smaller capacity washer, don’t overload it with unbleached diapers when you are getting them set up, they need some room to agitate. They have a light wax coating on the threads that need to be removed for them to work well. Soaking them overnight with detergent may help also. Unbleached diapers take longer to shrink than the bleached diapers and may have some fuzz on them for the first few months of use.
After they get used, dump out any solids into the toilet and toss the diaper into the diaper pail with some vinegar. When you are ready to wash, toss the diapers in the washing machine and run a cold rinse. After the rinse cycle I run a complete wash cycle with detergent with some baking soda in hot water (if your need your diapers to smell better - such as after a bout with some nasty stomach illness - let them soak in detergent overnight). You can add some baking soda – it helps to whiten the diapers and soften the water. Vinegar can be added to the rinse to help break down any detergent that remains in the diapers.
You can use almost any detergent. Most detergents with bleach alternative clean well and wash away any bacteria in the wash load. I do not recommend Dreft or any of the made for baby detergents. They leave a fabric softener type coating on the fabric. Then run an extra wash cycle with no detergents or additives to get out all of the detergent or an extra rinse cycle if your machine has one. Don't use any fabric softeners, it will probably irritate your baby's bottom and it will reduce the absorbency of the diapers. I dry prefolds and on hot.
If you are washing Kushies flushable or Imse Vimse liners, remember not to put the liners in the dryer. If you do line dry your diapers put them in the dryer for a couple of minutes to fluff them up before you hang them on the line. If you need to, prefolds can be bleached. I only recommend bleaching every four to six months. Just make sure you run the diapers through another wash cycle to get the bleach out. Constant bleaching will reduce the life of the diapers.
MicroFiber
MicroFiber products are made to absorb and pick up anything that they come in contact with. Lint from cotton diapers in the same load will stick to them. They are also made out of such small (micro) fibers that a trip in a too hot dryer can reduce their ability to absorb by melting the fibers. Don’t use too much detergent to wash MicroFiber products and only wash in warm water. Line drying is best, but they can be put in a dryer on low heat. Washing microfiber with natural fibers (cotton or hemp) may cause pills of lint to end up on your microfiber.
Diaper wraps
Don't store the used covers in the same pail with the used diapers. The elastic and waterproof laminates will last longer and you can wash them on a different schedule if you need to. Wash them at least every two or three days to help keep stains and odors at bay. Your velcro covers will stay good looking and work better if they are washed separately from the diapers. Lint from the diapers always gets stuck in the velcro, both on the hook and loop parts. Lint may also be attracted to fleece and micro fiber. It does not impair the functionality.
When enough wraps get dirty, I toss them in the wash on gentle with warm water and a tiny bit of detergent. After they are done I hang them to dry. If they get stained, use a stain stick or prewash spray. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash. You will need to repeat this a few times to get the stains out. Never use bleach, fabric softeners or pure soap on your covers. Don't dry your wraps in a hot dryer. The Proraps Classics, Happy Heiny's and Bummis Super Wrap and Fleece covers can handle a warm dryer, but the best way to dry your covers is just hang them to dry. They will last longer. Happy Heiny's take a few hours to dry when hung, the rest dry in about half an hour. In warm weather the Bumkins covers will dry very quickly when hung dry.
Training Pants
Wash like an all in one or fitted diaper. They will dry faster if you turn them inside out before putting them in the dryer.
At wash time check any diapers or covers with snaps to make sure they are intact. Loose snaps can be a choking hazard.
We do not recommend washing reusable diapering products in any appliance that is not specifically designed for washing clothing.
How we measure our diapers and covers.
For All in Ones, Fitted Diapers and Diaper Covers
 
The rise measurement is from the top front of the diaper (cover) to the top back through the legs. For covers get your best fit by measuring for rise over the diapers that you want to use. The smallest size legs measurements are taken with the diaper (cover) closed on its smallest waist setting. The largest leg measurements are taken with the waist of the cover open at its largest setting. I measure all of the covers and diapers so that you can be sure that they are all measured in the same way and you can compare sizes between the brands more accurately. Measurements may differ slightly from the manufacturer for this reason.
When trying to decide upon a diaper (cover) size, start with the suggested weights and then see if the waist, leg and rise measurements of your baby fall into the range of that cover. Check the rise on the diaper (cover) that you are interested in, it will help in being more accurate on where the waist on that diaper (cover) will fall on your child. If you start with the measurements you may end up with a cover that is way too big. Most diaper and covers have suggestions on the product page as to how they fit. For all the velcro covers and diapers, you are looking for waist and leg measurements that fall in about the same place in the range. The smallest leg measurements were taken when the cover was fastened on the smallest waist setting. If your baby’s waist measurement is on the lower end of the range and the leg measurement is on the higher end of the range, the cover will probably be too tight at the legs.
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