I have to state health issues first; there are too many negative things about disposable diapers. First of all - the gel that absorbs all that "pee" inside the disposable is called sodium polyacrylate. Used commonly in diapers, sodium polyacrylate is a polymer that absorbs up to 800 times its own mass in WATER. Since sodium polyacrylate's behavoir relies on osmotic balance, its absorbency is limited by the purity of the water it is exposed to. In fact, sodium polyacrylate toys (gro-saurs, etc...) will shrink  when exposed to salt. As urine contains salt, diapers that use sodium polyacrylate are less effective with more concentrated urine. The "crystals" of sodium polyacrylate is what you will find periodically on your baby's bottom if you use disposables. This is the same substance that was removed from the Rely tampon (late '70's,early '80's) because of its connection with TSS(toxic shock syndrome) in women, and it is now in disposable diapers.

Also, dioxin is another well-known chemical residue found in disposable diapers. This results from the bleaching process, and is a highly toxic environmental pollutant and immune system-depressing carcinogen. Do you want these chemicals constantly touching your baby's reproductive organs for the first 2 1/2 years or more of his life. Cloth diapers are an incredibly safe alternative. The "bleached" chinese prefolds are peroxide-bleached, so no chlorine gases being released into the environment & no dioxin residue.

We are filling up our landfills at an alarming rate, and disposable diapers are contributing enormously. The average baby will go thru approx. 7500 changes in their diapering lifetime. We can either choose to throw all those disposable diapers into the landfills, or we can invest in 36 - 60 cloth diapers that we are able to reuse throughout the entire diapering period. Landfills were not designed with human feces in mind, and in many locations it is illegal to dump human waste, but with disposables this is a normal occurrence. With cloth diapering, feces are dumped in the toilet and go into the septic system or treatment plant where they are intended. Makes sense to us!

The personal economics of choosing cloth, coupled with home washing, are far superior to choosing disposable. The price breakdown is as follows:

The following calculations are based on 7500 diaper changes over 2 1/2 years. Your baby will need to be changed 9-12 times a day as a newborn and 7-9 times as a toddler. Local costs may vary.

Home Laundering

Diapers - The price of cloth diapers vary considerably depending upon which type and brand of diaper you choose. Using prefold diapers and wraps is generally less than fitted or all in one diapers. An adequate supply of flat diapers and diaper covers will run you about $222. Likewise an adequate supply of fitted diapers is $599 and all-in-ones $699 .

Laundry - for 7500 diaper changes and 24 diapers per wash load = 313 loads. Detergent will run you about $0.26 per load = $81.25; water and sewer, 2 cycles of washing at 40 gallons each at a water cost of $0.007 per gallon = $0.56 per load = $175.28; natural gas to heat the water = 40 cu. ft. at $0.0025/cu. ft. = $0.10 per load = $31.30; electricity to run washer and dryer = $0.45 per load = $140.85; depreciation on washer and dryer = $0.25 per load = $78.25. Total = $506.93.

Total cost = $699 all in one diapers + $506.93 laundry = $1205.93

Total cost = $599 fitted diapers + $506.93 laundry = $1105.93

Total cost = $222 for prefold diapers + $506.93 laundry = $728.93

Disposable diapers have an average price of $.24 a piece. So, let's see... 7500 x .24 = $1800 for disposables. This is not including all of the disposable wipes that could be replaced by cloth wipes.

So, if thrifty, you can save as much, and probably more, than $1100 on each baby! Not to mention, you can use the same cloth diapering supplies on more than one baby.

Lastly, the new cloth diapering supplies make it easy. Some incredible "work at home" moms and dads have designed beautiful systems that work very well, look good, and are EASY. It feels really good to know that we're supporting "work at home" parents and their products so that they may spend more.

I AM NEW TO CLOTH. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? TOP
New to Cloth?

Welcome to the wonderful world of cloth!  Seriously, cloth diapering is a lot of fun and has become a hobby for thousands of moms all over the world.  It's a fantastic way to save money, reduce waste in our landfills, and make your baby's bum the cutest! 

Care Instructions: This was one of my biggest concerns when I got into cloth diapering.  How much effort does it take to wash them?  I'm pleased to report: not much!  Here's a basic idea:

1. Cold rinse, no detergent
2. Hot wash, 1/2 detergent
3. Cold rinse if necessary, no detergent
4. Hang pockets to dry, tumble dry everything else

Here's a tip for pocket dipes: when you take the diaper off of your baby, pull out the insert.  Lay it inside the diaper along with any cloth wipes you use.  Then fold the diaper over and place into your wetbag or diaper pail.  When it's wash time, it can just be dumped into the washer and you don't have to touch it all again! 

How many diapers should I buy?  It depends on your child's age and how often you want to wash.  Most parents prefer to wash every other day, including me, so that's what the following guide is based on:

1. Newborns ~ 30-36 diapers
2. 2-6 months ~ 20-24 diapers
3. 6-12 months ~ 16-18 diapers
4. 12 months+ ~ 12-16 diapers

These can include any combination of prefolds, fitteds, pockets, or All-In-Ones.

These seem so expensive...how can I afford to use cloth?  First, it's important to realize that the most expensive cloth diapering option, spread over 3 years, is still cheaper than the cheapest disposable option.  (see Diaper Pin for a cost calculator.) And you can reuse cloth for your next baby or resell it.  Many times, you can sell used cloth diapers for nearly what you paid if they're in really good condition.  Just try selling a used sposie! Also, prefolds and covers are a great way to start for a lower price. 

There are so many options...it's all so confusing.  I understand!  When I started, I was completely overwhelmed at all the choices.  Again, my advice is to start as simply as possible.  Make it easy on yourself and buy a few pocket diapers (DryBees, Happy Heiny's) to try out, or buy a few All In Ones such as (Thirsties, Tiny Tush, Wahmies or Happy Heinys).  Because they're similar to disposables, they're the easiest option.  Later, once you've figured things out, then you can branch out and try different methods.  And you'll pick everything up pretty quickly!

What if I don't want to use a wet pail?  Then don't!  In fact, these days we recommend you not use a wet pail.  It's just not necessary, it's messy, and there's a danger of drowning in the bucket of water.  Just use a regular trash can or a hanging diaper bag.  Toss the dipes in and on wash day, dump it into the wash!  It's so easy...there's no need to make things harder for yourself! 

Do I have to swish diapers in the toilet?  Nope!  When your baby is exclusively breastfed or formula-fed, the diapers can go into the pail just as they are.  The baby poo will wash out with no trouble at all.  Once your baby is on solid foods, a diaper sprayer is a great thing to have.  Use it to spray poo off into the toilet.  They're super easy to install and they work very well.  Also, formed poos don't stick to fleece very well, so they will usually just roll of into the toilet and don't need anything else. 

WHAT A CLOTH DIAPERING ROUTINE? TOP

Cloth Diapering Routine (pictures to follow)

Preparation: The diaper pail is in close proximity of the changing table, and if possible, the potty is nearby as well.  I change our children in the bathroom.  Diaper, wipes and cleaning solution (or water) is nearby.  Diaper Pail is lined with a liner (optional)

1.  Take baby to changing station.  Prepare wipes by wetting wipes with water or cleansing solution (or have handy in a wipes container or sprayer).  Have cloth diaper available for the quick change!

2.  Take off old diaper and place in the diaper pail.  Re-use or hang cover to air, or place into another diaper pail or laundry for wash.  If diaper has stool and if stool is formed, spill contents into toilet.

3.  Wipe down baby with wet cloth wipe or spray bum with cleansing solution and wipe.  Place soiled wipes in the diaper pail

4.  Put on new diaper.

5.  Voila!  Success!  Wash hands!

I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE DIAPERING TERMS? TOP

AIO: All-in-one diaper.  A diaper with a cover already sewn with it. No other waterproofing component is needed

CD: Cloth Diapering

Contour Diaper:  A diaper without fasteners, to be laid in a cover.

Cover: Waterproof and water repellent.  Is used over diapers to prevent wetness to get through to the outside world!

Doubler: usually comprised of many layers of fabric laid on the cloth diaper to increase absorbency

Fitteds/Fitted Diapers: Diapers that are made to fit the baby's body more comfortable, using elastic at the waist or legs, and Velcro or snaps to fasten at the waist.

Hyena: mamas (or papas) that value cloth diapering and COVET the workmanship of diapers, its purpose and how it looks on their children.

Inserts: comprised of many layers of fabric inserted into pocket diapers to increase absorbency

Pockets/Pocket Diapers: Diapers with built in pockets (usually in the rear of the diaper) where inserts or doublers can be inserted to customize absorbency.

Prefolds: a rectangular diaper needed to be folded and laid or fastened and then covered.

Soaker: a knitted woolen cover.

Wipes: double or single sided fabric used to replace disposable baby wipes.

HOW DO I FIGURE HOW MANY DIAPERS I WILL NEED? TOP

Suggested Amount of Diapers - How many diapers you will need to purchase will depend on how many children you will have in cloth, how many diapers your child usually uses and how many times you would like to wash a week.  This is our formula

Amount of diapers needed=Amount of Diapers used per day   x  Days in between washes  x  Amount of Children in cloth

Covers= 2 for each day in between washes  x Amount of Children in cloth

Doublers=2 for each day in between washes  x Amount of Children in cloth

Wipes= appx 2 dozen per child in cloth

Snappi Fasteners= at least 2 per child in cloth

Pail Liners= 2

Newborns usually will need a diaper change between 10-14 times a day, young babies 8-12 times/day, older babies and toddlers 6-10/day.

HOW DO I CARE FOR MY DIAPERS AND COVERS? TOP

General Considerations:

The amount of times you wash throughout the week will depend on how many diapers you own.  We have the experience of washing every third day.  Our suggested general considerations are:

1) Take heed of the manufacturer's suggestions for wash and care of diapers.  There is a happy medium in the different washing regimens among each of the cloth diapering manufacturers.  It is up to you as you cloth diaper which method to choose, but you will find that the different regimens are similar.

2) PUL and Fleece can be washed with the diapers but does not need to be soaked in those initial steps.  To extend the life of your covers, you can line dry them.

3) Wool covers are washed and cared for separately from PUL/fleece covers or diapers

4) Wash your wipes, doublers and inserts with your diapers

5) Treat your wetbags and pail liners like your covers.

We do not suggest using:

Bleach, Detergents with bleach,

Fabric Softener (decreases the absorption of your diapers),

Natural soaps made with oils (Dreft, Dr. Bronner's, 7th Generation: They leave a residue on diapers which decreases absorption).

We do suggest:

• Only using 1/4-1/2 of the amount of detergent per load. 
• Do a 2nd rinse and even a third rinse after the final load.

General Wool Care: You will not need to wash your wool after each use.  If a wool cover has not been soiled by your baby's stool, then you can use a wool cover up to one to two weeks.  We would suggest rotating your wool covers by using one and air drying the second.

The combination of both HOT WATER and AGITATION will shrink and felt your wool.  Therefore we suggest these general instructions for wool.  (However specific wool cover manufacturers will have their instructions.)

Washing:   Soak covers in cold water and baby shampoo for about 5-10 minutes, then gently hand wash.  Rinse in cold.  Roll the cover in a towel until mildly damp.  Line Dry.

Lanolizing wool will aid in its waterproofing.  Lanolizing however will only need to be done about once a month or every other month depending on how often your covers are used.  Watch for wicking and that is a sign you need to lanolize. We suggest lanolizing your wool cover as soon as you purchase them, as most manufacturers do not lanolize the covers prior to sale.

Using Wool Buddies: Fill sink with lukewarm water.  Place one wool buddies in the water until dissolved.  Soak cover and work the lanolinized water into the wool.  Roll in towel, line dry.

Using Lanolin:  Take one cup of water and microwave until hot.  Dissolve about a 1/2 inch of lanolin into the water. Add a little bit of baby shampoo to keep the lanolin emulsified ( it will look creamy).   Add this solution into lukewarm water (in your sink).  Add your cover and work the lanolin into the cover. Soak for about 15-20 minutes.  Roll in towel, line dry. 

HOW DO I FOLD A PREFOLD AND USE INSERTS IN POCKET DIAPERS? TOP

There are very many different ways to fold a Prefold! I have picked out the two most popular styles that have worked well for me and many others. You will find step-by-step instructions for those. (Your Prefolds will fluff up and look like the ones in the pictures – they just need to be washed and dried 4 to 5 times!) I have also included images on how the Fuzzi Bunz/Wonderoos and Inserts get put together. My Favorite Fold (Basic Fold) Step One: Lay the Prefold flat on the changing table, with the color stitched ends at the top and bottom (lengthwise). Place the baby's bottom on top of the diaper so that the top end of the diaper comes to about the waist of the baby.       Step Two: Fold the lower side panels of the diaper on top of the thicker center panel, so that the panels come together under the bottom of the diaper. (The top edges of the Prefold behind the baby's lower back are spread out.) The diaper should now have a kind-of a V-shape. If you want to add a Diaper Doubler or Flushable Liner, you will need to it lay on top of the center section now.     Step Three: Grab the front section diaper and fold it over the baby. For Newborn's and babies moving into the next size of Prefold, the top section of the diaper will reach far above the waist.       Step Four: Fold the piece that is too long back onto itself. Some people prefer to fold the piece that is too long over before they start and have it positioned at the back of the diaper. You will need to try which one works better for your baby.       Step Five: Pull the tucked edges of the front of the diaper out and pull them around the sides of the baby. Grab the “wings” from the back and wrap each one around the side of the baby. Secure the diaper with a Snappi Fastener as shown in the picture (secure sides first; the bottom plastic hook gets secured last). Depending on the size of your baby, the Snappi Fastener can grab far into the side of the diaper or can catch the tips of the wings.     Step Six: Secure a cover around the diaper making sure that absolutely no part of the diaper sticks out of the cover anywhere. Your diaper will leak at the places where it sticks out! Basic Tri-Fold: Fold the sides of the Prefold onto the thicker, center panel. Lay the folded diaper lengthwise on top of the cover. Position baby's bottom on top the back section and fold the front diaper and cover over the front of the diaper. Secure Velcro. You may need to fold a section of the diaper back onto itself either at the front or the back if the diaper is too long. Once again make sure no piece of the diaper shows. This Fold requires a Velcro (Wrap) Style Cover. Twist-Fold: Start off once again with the diaper in a big V-shape (described above). Twist the front of the diaper once as you are folding diaper over the baby. The twisted section of the diaper should be positioned over the groin area of the baby. Fan out the top front area and fasten with Snappi Fastener as explained above. (You might need to fold the diaper over if it is too long.) Many moms like this fold as it leaves a lot of bulk where it is needed most. This fold never really worked for me, but other moms swear by it. Putting Pocket Diapers together (Happy Heinys, Tiny Tush, Thirsties, Drybees) Slide the Insert into the pocket (opening at the top of the diaper). You can insert either one, two or three Inserts depending on you much absorbency you want.  A special thank you to Bettina from Diaper Safari for sharing these helpful folds and photos.

WHAT DO I DO ABOUT STINKY DIAPERS? TOP

Over time you may notice that your cloth diapers no longer smell April fresh, even right after laundering. This usually means that they have build-up and need a good stripping. Build-up occurs when residue left by detergents, oils or other substances remain in the fibers. Diapers with either super-absorbant hemp or man-made materials like microfleece tend to gather stink more easily than diapers with all-natural fibers like cotton or bamboo. If the funky smell wasn't bad enough, build up can also decrease the absorbency of your diapers and cause leaking. But don't worry, removing build-up by stripping your cloth diapers is really easy - we'll show you how!

WASH

First, wash your diapers if they are dirty. You need not dry them as you are going to put them right back in the washer. Wash in the hottest temperature your washer will allow. You may even want to turn up your water heater (be sure and turn it back down afterwards). Wash without soap. Top loaders are easier as you can open the lid to check for bubbles from the build-up of soap. Front loaders may take more rinse cycles.

RINSE

Run through through the rinse cycle at least 2 time checking for bubbles. It may take up to 4 cycles before all the soap build-up is gone. Rinse in the warmest cycle your machine allows. It is that simple.

For information click here: http://www.zany-zebra.com/stripping-cloth-diapers.shtml