Your Cloth Diaper Questions Answered

Parents choose cloth for an array of reasons. Most refuse to toss a huge bag of garbage to the curb every week, many want to save some loot, lots want their baby to be safe and comfortable and a few just think they're lovely. If this is your first baby, or perhaps the first that will wear cloth, you will have plenty of questions, as there is a lot to learn.

Don't cloth diapers leak? If you have ever seen a newborn baby have a "poop-splosion" in a disposable diaper, you know what a mess is. It will be straight up their back, into their hair and out each leg. Then you'll be changing their clothes and their sheets and throwing away the diaper. The texture of cloth will make the poop stay where it's supposed to, inside the diaper. Very rarely will poop escape a cloth diaper. As for pees, a cloth diaper will generally last you a couple hours for a newborn (who poops every ten minutes anyway) and around 3 hours for a bigger baby. If you plan on changing your baby regularly, this isn't a problem at all. Doublers or extra inserts made with hemp or bamboo will help at night-time, nap time, long trips and for heavy wetters.

How many diapers will I need? It depends on a few things – how often do you want to wash?, how old is your baby?, are you using cloth full-time? and are you planning to use them for future children?

Newborn – three months – 12 diapers/day

Three to six months – 8 diapers/day

Six months to one year – 6 diapers/day

One year + - 5 diapers/day

If you're planning on washing twice a week (which is ideal for most families) 24 to 36 diapers is a good quantity. You'll be able to wash all of your diapers together in a single load.

What kind of diapers should I buy? Diapers are like blue jeans for babies. Every diaper fits every baby differently and every parent has a system they like the best. Go into any store that sells cloth diapers and you will get a different answer from every staff member when you ask "What's your favourite?" Diapers will also fit differently at different ages. Your best bet is to take advantage of your local cloth diapering depot's Trial Package. They will set you up with a package of diapers for you to take home, use and wash. You'll figure out what your favourite systems are and how many diapers you feel you need.

What do I do with the poop? Another great bonus to breastfeeding is that breastfed poop is completely water soluble and you can toss your diapers right into the washing machine. Once your baby gets older, or if you're formula feeding, the poop will have to be removed. "How?" one might ask. Once your baby is well into solids, their stools will likely be "turd-like" (pardon the expression) and they'll just fall into the toilet. Formula poop and transition poop is a bit trickier to deal with. Some people swear by flushable liners. Just lay the liner on top of the diaper, then remove and flush when they've done their business. They aren't for everyone, but they're worth a shot. Other people cannot live without their Diaper Sprayer, a handy contraption that hooks right up to your toilet and sprays the poop right off. Then there is the old spatula trick – get a spatula (with an attached head) and scrape the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. Make sure to properly label this spatula and keep it in the bathroom, perhaps near the toilet brush. It may not seem like the most pleasant method, but believe me it works and most prefer it over the "dunk and swish," which is exactly how it sounds. You dunk and you swish in the toilet, basically giving your diaper a swirly. Once you've done it once or twice, you get used to it. I highly recommend the diaper sprayer – for $50 for a couple of years, definitely worth the investment.

When should I start using cloth diapers? At birth, if cloth diapers are all you know, then it's an easy adjustment. Newborn babies' skin is very sensitive, especially on their tender little cheeks, which are wrapped in a diaper 24 hours a day. You'll want something breathable and chemical free to minimize irritation. Many parents have good intentions for using cloth after the first few weeks, then a few weeks turns into a few months and they haven't even started. If you want to use cloth from birth but don't want the "hassle" of washing or don't want to invest in 36 newborn diapers, use a diaper service for the first few weeks. If the washing isn't a problem, then look into a newborn diaper rental program, available at your local cloth diaper store. Cloth diapering in the first few days is a cinch too - meconium, your baby's first poo, washes off very easily and newborn diapers are made umbilical cord-friendly.

How do I wash cloth diapers? In the washing machine. The typical diaper cycle consists of a cold wash, a hot wash, a warm rinse and a cold rinse. The cold rinse gets any gunk off your diapers and preps them for cleaning. The hot wash disinfects and cleans your diapers. The warm rinse will clean out the soap and the cold rinse will ensure there is no detergent residue on your diapers. On both washes, use a quarter of the recommended amount of detergent. Avoid detergents with enzymes, softeners, brighteners, whiteners, phosphates and dyes. Any cloth diaper store will sell cloth diaper-friendly detergent. Just because it says "Free & Clear," doesn't mean it is. www.diaperjungle.com has a comprehensive list of detergents used for cloth diapers. Line drying covers, pocket diapers, and anything with Velcro will lengthen their life. Anything else can be dried in the dryer on medium. If your diapers become stained, hang them on the line or lay them on the grass in the direct sunlight.

What else do I need? You will want somewhere to store your soiled diapers before wash day, so a diaper pail or a hanging wet bag will do the trick. A smaller wet bag is great to stash your diapers when you go out. The above mentioned diaper sprayer will certainly help you out and cloth wipes are a must.

Diapering Systems. We like to keep it simple and classify diapers into two categories: ones that have covers and ones that don't. Diaper covers keep moisture inside the diaper. They are usually made of laminated fabric, fleece or wool. The can be reused until they get soiled or start to smell, usually a day or two of use. Alternative between covers will help prevent leaks and red marks on your baby's legs. Flat, prefold, contour and fitted diapers require a diaper cover. Flat and prefold diapers are folded (it isn't as hard as it sounds) and either fastened in place or simply placed inside the cover. Fastening flats and prefolds, with pins or a Snappi, will help to contain poop and save your cover. Contour and fitted diapers are shaped like a "diaper," making them a bit easier to put on. Contour diapers need to be fastened and don't have elastic to contain messes. Fitted diapers have elastic around the legs, across the back and have snap or velcro closures. No system will contain messes better than a fitted diaper with a good cover.

All-in-one, all-in two and pocket have a waterproof layer built in and do not require a diaper cover. All-in-ones are the simplest, most convenient system - just put them on and take them off. All-in-two diapers and pockets have a simple extra step of stuffing (with pockets) or snapping (with all-in-twos.) A lot of parents stuff or snap their diapers as they come out of the wash, like folding clothes, so they are ready to go.

One-size diapers are a huge trend these days. The perk to a one-size cloth diaper is that they usually fit from birth to potty training, making the initial investment much smaller. However, it may not be your best bet. One-size diapers generally don't fit well until 12 pounds and even on a 12 pounder they tend to be a bit bulky and wide through the legs, which isn't great for your baby's bone development. They will also endure an awful lot of washing over the span of two years. The life span of any synthetic diaper is about 250 home washes which, if washing every three days, is a little over two years. If you want to use your diapers for future children or want to sell them after you're done with them, choosing a sized system is the way to go. You could spend $1,400 on 60 One-Size pockets diapers for two children or spend $1,000 on 60 sized pocket diapers for two or more children. That is just a rough estimate for the popular pocket style diapers. You can cloth diaper for much less if you supplement with other systems.

There is no rule that says you must only use one type of diaper. You can certainly mix and match. If you want something cheap, go for prefolds. If you want something easy, go for pockets or all-in-ones. If you want something that will never leak, use fitteds and covers. If you want something that will grow with your baby, then try a one-size. Some people have prefolds when they're at home and all-in-ones when they go out. All-in-ones and pocket diapers are also daycare friendly.

If you still don't think cloth diapers are feasible for you, chat with other parents that currently use cloth diapers or pop into your local store to get a visual of what a modern cloth diaper looks like. You might be pleasantly surprised.