Which Diapers Are Best For Me?

Well, that depends on a few different factors and frankly everyone likes different diapers for different reasons. But I can help a little. First, what are your reasons for cloth diapering? If it's first and foremost to save money then flats and prefolds with covers are what you're looking for. If your little one is going to be in daycare, you'll probably need to stock up on pockets or all-in-ones because they're the easiest to change. If you're looking for the most natural and breathable diaper, then organic fitteds and wool covers are the best for you.

All that to say, most people end up with a mix of several different systems. My personal favorite blend would be having a couple dozen prefolds and covers for daytime use. I just fold them in thirds and lay them in a cover. Easy as pie! Then, I'd have about 4-6 all-in-ones for going out and any babysitters. And for nights I love a good fitted with a doubler under a wool soaker. You'd only need about 4 fitteds and 2 soakers to rotate through because they need about 24 hours to dry totally.

So there's my 2 cents! But as always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to call or email!

Washing Instructions

It's a lot easier to wash cloth diapers than most people think. If the diaper is just wet, simply put it in a dry diaper pail, preferrably with a pail liner in it. If the diaper is soiled, you'll only need to rinse it off if your baby is eating solid foods. If your baby is breastfed only, just put all your diapers in the pail. If your little one is eating solids, rinse the diaper in the toilet, which sounds disgusting but isn't that bad really especially if you have a diaper sprayer. No need to get your hands dirty! Then wash diapers every other day.

I highly recommend using a diaper pail liner, which you can purchase on the accessories page, because it makes it so much easier to transport dirty diapers. Just pull it out and dump everything in the washing machine, pail liner and all. I didn't have a diaper pail liner with my first 4 children, so it isn't necessary just convenient.  

I recommend using a clean rinsing detergent for cloth diapers because they don't have and extra ingredients that may cause irritation like optical brighteners, enzymes, whitening agents, or fabric softeners. I really like using Charlie's Soap, Nellies All Natural Laundry Soda, or Rockin' Green. If you need to use a regular store brand, just be sure to use one that has doesn't have any fabric softener as that will cause build-up on your diapers and make them less absorbent over time. Tide Free is best.

On wash day, dump everything in your washing machine and do either a pre-rinse or a pre-wash on cold. Cold water won't make stains set in -- you just want to make sure they're good and wet for the hot wash. Next, do a hot wash with a warm or cold rinse. Last, do an extra rinse to make sure all detergent has been washed out. Every once in a while it's a good idea to put a little bleach or vinegar in the hot wash to get rid of any bacteria. You don't need much, just a tablespoon or two. Then dry on medium or medium-high.

Wool Washing Instructions

Washing wool diaper covers is actually very easy! All you need is lanolin, which you might already have on hand if you're breastfeeding, and wool wash such as Disana or Eucalan wool wash. Don't use Woolite because it will strip all the lanolin out. About every 2 weeks or when you notice your covers not smelling quite so fresh, put 1/4 ounce of lanolin in the bottom of your bathroom sink, then run VERY hot water over it to melt the lanolin. Stir in 1/2 ounce wool wash making sure everything is nicely mixed and there aren't any clumps of lanolin. Then run cooler water until the temperature of all the water is lukewarm. You don't want the water to be too warm or it can shrink the wool. Then, simply let your cover soak in the lanolin bath for 30 minutes. After it has soaked, gently squeeze until it stops dripping then roll in a towel and squeeze to help speed up dry time. Lay flat to dry. Most covers take 12-24 hours to dry completely. It may sound complicated but once you get the hang of it it takes less effort than washing PUL covers. 

If you have any questions about washing, feel free to e-mail me. I'd be happy to help! 

Rebecca@MomBecks.com  913-710-4138