Have a question not answered here? E-mail me at squishytush//at//gmail.com. And if it makes you feel better, find out who "I" am >> here.
Getting Started
Where do I start?
Checkout the "New? Start here!" page of Prefolds Love. This list of 10 steps will help you see the full process of getting started using cloth diapers.
It's so overwhelming!
This isn't a question, but I get it all the time. Yes, it is! But doing your research is the most overwhelming part. It only gets easier from here!
What do all the terms mean?
A terms page is coming soon.
How do I choose a system?
A post to help you in choosing a system is on the schedule!
How many diapers do I need?
It depends on how many days you will go between washes. Newborns will likely need up to 12 diapers per day, and older infants or toddlers might be around 6-8 diaper a day. Washing every other day would mean you'll need a 24-diaper supply for a newborn and an up to 16-diaper supply for an older baby.
How do I convince myself?
You're probably starting with a "Yuck!" response. Do some research to help you get passed that--nobody is intentionally sticking their hand in poo when they cloth diaper. After this, you'll get to the "Wait, what?" response, where it's maybe not as bad as you thought. Continue learning terms, and seeing how others do it, and soon you'll realize "Oh, I could do that."
How do I convince my husband?!
Lovingly. See #3 of the "New? Start here!" page. Help him through the "Yuck! Wait, what? Oh, I could do that." process. Post coming soon!
Troubleshooting
How can I overcome the challenges of cloth diapering?
Join a cloth community either through your local cloth diaper store or online, so you have a reliable source to ask questions. Also see the challenges and solutions of cloth diapering.
What diaper rash cream can I use with my cloth diapers?
Here is a chart of cloth-safe diaper creams. We started with California Baby, and didn't have to use it much in the beginning--it was great on cloth, cleared up first site of redness, and smelled good. When Ian started teething and had terrible poops, the cream burned the areas of the rash. We now stick with our favorite (currently Aquaphor), and just put a baby wash cloth (or fabric) between cloth prefold and baby's cream-slathered tush.
Baby started solids, what do I do with the poop?!
When baby is no longer exclusively breastfed, the poop needs to be flushed down the toilet. You can do that with a diaper sprayer, or the old fashioned swishing method like we do.
My diapers aren't absorbing pee, what do I do?
If your diapers don't seem to be absorbing, they might have build-up and need to be stripped. If they are prefolds, they might need prepped more (wash on hot, dry on hot) in order to maximize absorbency.
My diapers stink, what can I do?
If the diapers stink in the diaper pail, try adding in baking soda, rinse the diapers before adding to the pail, or wash more frequently. If your pail is covered, try uncovering it. A covered pail tends to magnify stink. If the diapers stink after washing, they might need more detergent (if you're using 2 TBSP or less), or they might need less detergent to reduce build-up. If their are suds in your washer, do an extra rinse. Or try stripping your diapers to remove the build-up. If you use microfiber or other stay dry diapers, try switching to cotton. We've never had stink problems in our prefolds, but quickly did in our microfiber inserts.
Can I use cloth out-and-about, travelling, or camping?
Yes! Read up on how to use cloth on-the-go, considerations for travelling with cloth diapers, and how to use cloth diapers while camping.
How do I use cloth diapers at night?
It depends on the system you're using. There are nighttime specific diapers. Or you can absorbency to whatever you are currently using. Hemp is an absorbent yet thin (trim) option that we love using in our covers and prefolds. May not work great for super heavy wetters, or babies who nurse through the night.
Prefolds + Covers
Where can I learn the specifics of using prefolds and covers?
Checkout the Prefolds + Covers page for a full list of related posts.
How difficult are prefolds, really?
I think they're easy! Diaper changes take a few extra seconds to Snappi the prefold and snap the cover. But they're great against leaks, fit awesome, and are so easy to wash. Really.
How do I prep prefolds before the first use?
Wash in hot water, dry on high heat. Repeat 6-8 times to help prefolds "quilt" up and reach max absorbency. They can be used before 8 cycles, but will not be as absorbent which might lead to leaks. (A little detergent needed only in the first or last wash.)
What can I do for nighttime?
We use a hemp insert folded into the prefold. These work great on our toddler. When he was nursing through the night, we used disposables so I didn't have to change his diaper in the middle of the night.
Do prefolds save that much money?
Yes! A prefolds and covers cloth diapers stash can cost less than $200 birth to potty training (or $300 like we spent on everything in our stash), while all-in-ones or pockets more often run closer to $500 or more.
What covers work best over prefolds?
We love Thirsties Duo Wraps. They come in two sizes which are perfect for fitting a newborn through toddler. Here are a few covers we've tried. Everyone loves a different cover, so check reviews. We have the best experience with covers with a leg gusset.
What size prefolds do I need?
If you're starting at birth, you'll likely need a newborn size and an infant size. When baby is really little, I don't like folding down a too-big prefold and creating extra bulk on a very tiny body. When baby gets bigger, a little extra bulk isn't as noticeable. So we purchased newborn (GMD orange edge), small (GMD yellow edge) and large (GMD brown edge) sizes. We skipped medium and have not needed toddler. We used newborn only for a couple weeks (our "newborn" was 11 pounds!), but I was happy we had them and used them as burp cloths when we done using them as diapers.
How many covers do I need, and how many prefolds?
We had 6 size covers for newborn through about 4-6 months, and now have 6 size two covers that have fit from about 6-months through now and even fit our 4-year-old for night accidents. We had 12 newborn prefolds and 24 small, and now use 18 large. Those were plenty to wash every 2 to 2 1/2 days. (More prefolds for newborn and little infant that's nursing all the time, and less prefolds for older infant/toddler who's starting solids and not nursing as often.)
Where can I find an answer to my question about prefolds?
Feel free to e-mail me at squishytush//at//gmail.com. I'm happy to share our experience, or help you find an answer to your question.
The biggest concern I've had and can't find on the site is what sanitary precautions do you have to do in washing diapers and then washing other clothes?
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking. You haven't found anything, because I don't do anything for that :) From what I've read from others, most don't do any special sanitizing after washing cloth diapers. Poop is flushed down the toilet (or washed away in the washer when baby is exclusively breastfed and has water soluble poo), before diapers are put in the wash. There is a pre-rinse, a wash with detergent (and for us, a little baking soda or vinegar), and final rinse. This is enough to get the diapers clean AND to leave the washer clean for washing clothes.
DeleteThe only time there might be concern is if there happens to be poop particle remains. But that hasn't happened for us with exclusively breastfed poo, or when we swish diapers in the toilet.
We haven't seen any sanitary problems with this routine. I have heard of people periodically "washing" their washer according to the machine's instructions. But this is often just routine maintenance that some do between regular washes as well.
Hope that helps :)
Your site has been super helpful for a soon to be cloth user! (just waiting for baby to arrive!). I read through your section on washing and just wanted to ask if the colours from the washcloths, pail liner and diaper covers run into the white prefolds when you are doing a hot wash. Should I be washing the diapers separately if I have coloured cloths/covers? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI've never had colors bleed from the wipes or covers onto the prefolds. Shouldn't be something you need to worry about--just wash 'em all together :) And what an exciting time! Congrats!
DeleteI'm not sure if this site is still active, but I was wondering about your numbers. If newborns go through so many diapers, how are 12 newborn sized prefolds enough? Did you ever supplement with AIO's? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, newborns go through a lot of diapers and 12 isn't enough! I only bought 12 of the newborn size, and had 24 of the small and planned to use both newborn and small as needed. Small can work on a newborn, it just might need to be folded down to fit.
DeleteOur first baby was over 8 lbs, so I guessed our second might be over 8 lbs too. I didn't want to stock up on too many newborn items that could only be used a short time or not at all. Which ended up being the case for us--we had an 11 lb newborn who only used the newborn diapers a couple times.