Cloth Diapering 101

Way back when . . . we used cloth diapers and put "rubber" pants (which were really plastic that eventually leaked, too). Thanks for the memory of that time so long ago. If you don't know what "rubber" pants are -- ask someone who is 50 or older and see the smile (or grimace) that crosses her face. Have a great day -- knowing that one days he will be potty trained and have no need of any kind of diapers.

I've used cloth on three kiddos (soon to be four) and I've found that
1) fit is important- if there's gaps around the legs it will leak

2) using a doubler may be necessary. I love microfiber towels bought in bulk in the automotive section at Walmart! But make sure they aren't up against baby's skin as they wick wthe moisture right out of the bottom!

3) I use half the detergent and then strip my diapers with every wash. I double rinse them, adding vinegar in one rinse (kills germs, removes excess soap which can hold smells and repel urine) and tea tree oil in the next (kills germs and smells nice.)

My favorite all in ones or fitteds allow the legs to be adjusted as well as the waist. Mother Ease has some great fitteds- I have the one size as well as the Sandies. I really like the snap in liners, they are quite convenient. And the covers are very adjustable and breathe.

I LOVE bum genius one size fits all pocket diaper. I use the extra layer micro insert at night, and my little girl is super dry. Unbelievable, but the Huggies she wears out leak worse than these. Hope you find something helpful here. Good luck!

Hello C.,
I make my own diapers and have tried a lot of different fabrics.Microfiber is a really good choice. it absorbs a ton and isn't bulky.If you need to used them in pocket diapers you can actually get microfiber towels at the auto parts store and fold them in 3.You can also double or triple up on prefolds.
You diapers may also be leaking because of the laundry detergent you use.
microfiber shouldn't touch baby's skin directly.
please email me with any questions, as I've done a ton of research.

I haven't used hemp, but have heard that it takes many, many pre-washings for it to reach absorbency. As far as bulk goes, that's pretty much unavoidable with cloth--just get clothes with wider cuts or larger sizes--they still look cute. I've used Kushies all-in-ones at night with a two thin diapers as liners and they don't seem to leak but they take a long time to dry after washing. I think good covers are the key to prevent leaks. For leak proof/resistant covers, even in hot climates I've used wool with success. I like it because it's all natural and you don't have to wash it much, surprisingly. It will get a little damp with excess moisture but it won't leak once you lanolize. Aristocrats are best at night (they actually keep their bottoms cool because wool breathes unlike other covers). Wool flannel covers aren't as heavy-duty but work for daytime. Check out greenmountaindiapers.com--they've got really good detailed explanations of all of this.
Have fun trying different ones!

With my kids I used both pocket diapers (fuzzi bunz) and all-in-ones (kushies) and at different points different diapers worked the best. I don't know if it was different growth phases or what but one would work better for quite awhile without leaking then it switched to the other and would flip flop like that. So maybe buy a couple all-in-ones and see what you think.

I know the hemp diapers are so absorbent but I cant fit them under my daughters clothes!LOL I have had the best luck with the bum genius. For over night I use a second "baby" insert and just get really big jammies!:)

Hi,
I agree with Laura, Bum Genius 3.0 ONe Size diapers are the best. I used Kissaluvs with covers until my daughter was about 3 months old and switched to Bum Genius. I know have 24 of them, as I don't like to wash diapers everyday. Like another mom said be careful what detergent you use. MOst of the traditional laundry detergents are not meant for diapers. I use Country Save liquid detergent and have never had a leak problem. You can buy it from your natural food stores or order it. Also, using any diaper creams will keep the material from soaking up liquids. I use a diaposable at night if I need any Desitin. I hope this helps. Cottonbabies.com is a wonderful site that gives a lot of instruction on caring ofr diapers as well as reviews. Hope this helps.

C.,
What detergent are you using to wash your diapers? If you are using a "Free and Clear" detergent this may be why they are leaking. Certain detergents will leave residues behind that cause the pee to run off instead of absorbing. To test your diapers, get a clean one and pour a small amount of water onto it. If the water beads at all, you likely have an absorption problem.
Other things that can cause this problem are:
the use of petroleum or fish oil based diaper creams like Desitin
fabric softener use of any kind in your washer or dryer

If you realize you have a absorption problem you can try to strip your diapers. There are lots of ways to do this, and which method you use depends on which type of diapers you have. If you can't strip them, or it doesn't work, you will have to buy new diapers.

Best of luck!

Fuzzi bunz are great and very soft, but man they are expensive! I used all types of cloth diapers on my son and daughter and really the size and shape of your kid determines which ones fit the best. I am not partial to all in ones b/c it seemed like they leaked more. I used fitted and chinese prefolds. The trick for me was finding the cover that best fit my kid, and it was different for each one. Bummis were great for my son but not my daughter. For her prowraps and bumkins did the trick. And to make super sure they didn't leak (like for nighttime) put on a pair of the plain old gerber plastic pull on pants over a fitted diaper and nothing will get out of those. I think I bought some of those at Walmart, the other brands I found online or at Ecowise in Austin.

I've got two kids I've cloth diapered and I've tried just about everything out there. All in ones, pocket, you name it. I've tried all the brands people have listed here and they've leaked. So maybe it really is a matter of fit. In the end, the thing that works best for my kids is a Bummis wrap cover over ... well, just about anything: prefold, contour diaper, or fitted diaper. In my nearly four years of diapering experience, I've never had a Bummis leak. Everything else I've tried has leaked. Yes, even the Bum Geniuses everyone loves so much. And especially disposables. Those seem to be the worst!

So get yourself some cheap chianese prefolds and a few bummis wrap covers and you'll be in good shape.

I've tried 'em all, and even made my own, but I think the Fuzzy Bunz are hands down the best. They are bulky so you have to buy roomy clothes, but there's nothing more useful at stopping the leaks than an extra little insert. The Joey brand hemp inserts come in small sizes so you can add them into a regular size one. The large inserts even have a little pocket for the small doublers. I wish I remembered where I bought them but it has been a long time.

No advice on the All-in-one's.

However, stripping would be my first suggestion on the one's you have. Then make sure you have quality pre-folds.

I began using the Gerber pre-folds. When I finally was able to get some diaper service quality one's I was amazed at the difference.

Try diaperswappers.com for great discussion, trading, and buying of CD.

Good luck!

I cloth-diapered both my boys (now 7 and 3) and had the best luck with Chinese pre-folds and great diaper covers...remarkably the ones that worked best for me were the economical ones that I first bought from a diaper service back at the beginning. They are called ProRap Basic Diaper Covers (I like these slightly better than ProRap Classics). If you can't find the Prorap Basics, then Prorap Colors are also great. They're very affordable and the velcro holds up. I tried a few fitted diapers, and while they were less bulky and I enjoyed them, when I was just worried about basic diapering, I always returned to Chinese pre-folds (high quality diaper service types) and my Proraps. Good luck!