Some Common Questions???


What is the cost difference between cloth and disposables?

If you were to figure one package of diaper per week (about $18.00) and two boxes of wipes (about $5.00) per month until the child is 2.5 years old, the cost would be about $2,310. This is actually a low estimate since most people go through more than one package of diapers per week.

Cloth diapers and wipes, on the other hand, would cost anywhere from $200 to $1000 depending on the diapering system and the amount you choose. That is a savings of between $1,130-$2110 . That is quite a savings! Assuming that two families have children in diapers for a total of 5 years, the cloth diapering family will spend $500 and the disposable diapering family will spend $3960.

It seems like a lot when you first buy some diapers, but they pay for themselves in about 3 months. These make great baby shower gifts. I can gift wrap, and set up great packages.

How many diapers does anyone really need?

The number of cloth diapers needed mostly depends on how often you wish to wash them. Keeping in mind that newborns will require more changes than an older baby, plan on 8-12 diapers per day for a newborn and 6-8 diapers for older babies. Multiply this times how often you plan to wash. This will tell you how many diapers you will need. I like to have at least 18-24 bumGenius or swaddlebees on hand. 



What is a pocket diaper? (bumGenius)

A pocket diaper is the biggest innovation in cloth diapering in the last, oh, 500 years! It consists of an outer waterproof layer sewn to an inner stay-dry layer. In between the two layers, you stuff any kind of absorbent material, from specially designed hemp inserts to kitchen towels. Once stuffed, the pocket diaper functions like an all-in-one diaper for ease of use. But you also have the additional benefit that the two pieces come apart for washing, so they can get cleaner and dry faster. Can you tell I love pocket diapers ?


Explain the options in diapers .

There are Five basic options.

1. All In One diapers : Just like it sounds, an all in one has everything all in one piece. They work exactly like disposables, except they are washed rather than thrown away. All in Ones usually close with hook-and-loop tape or snaps. Many people keep a few AIOs on hand for the diaper bag or babysitters. Swaddlebees are awesome!

2. Pocket diapers : A pocket diaper has an outer layer of waterproof material and an inner layer of micro fleece or suede, which wicks moisture away from baby’s skin. The two layers are sewn together, leaving an opening at the top – you stuff whatever material you wish into this pocket to customize the diaper to your absorbency needs. You can use special pocket diaper inserts or you can even use old kitchen towels. Once the diaper is stuffed, it goes on and off just like a disposable, making pocket diapers a great choice for babysitters, grandparents, and even reluctant daddies. The bumGenius I found to be the best because you do not have to order 3 different sizes, the diaper adjusts to fit your growing baby.


3. Fitted Diapers and Covers: A fitted diaper system has two separate pieces. The diaper is often made of flannel, cotton, or hemp, and fits comfortably around your baby with elastic at the legs and waist and an adjustable waist closure (usually hook and loop tape or snaps). The separate cover can be made of waterproof fabric, fleece, or wool and fastens over the diaper. Covers can be used several times before needing to be washed.

4. Prefolded diapers with covers: A "prefolded" diaper is a rectangular diaper with extra layers in the middle for absorbency. The simplest way to use a prefolded diaper is to simply fold it in thirds and lay it in the cover of your choice. The cover will hold the diaper into place, with no pins necessary. This type of diaper can also be pinned (or "snappied") onto the baby.

5. A new flushable Diaper called gdiapers . This is the newest choice in diapers and has been used in Australia for the past 14 years. You basically have 3 parts to the diaper. A cute outer cloth diaper, a nylon pouch in the center, and a flushable (like a menses pad) in the center of the nylon pouch. This a great design that really keeps your baby dry.
The best part about this diaper (besides being flushable!) is that the pee-pee ones are completely biodegradable. That is right folks, we finally have found an answer to Hawaii's and the worlds landfills problems. So if you really like the idea of a disposable diaper, why not choose is best the earth.

The five main " systems" are : all-in-ones, pockets, fitted diapers with a cover, or prefolds with a wrap, and flushable gdiapers. In my opinion, all-in-ones and pocket diapers (bumGenius) are the most convenient to use. Fitted diapers are often the most comfortable for baby, I think. Using a fitted diaper also gives you the option to use a completely breathable cover like fleece or wool. Or you can put a fitted diaper without a cover on your baby to be aware of when they wet so they can be change right away. Prefolds and wraps, if you buy good quality, are MUCH more convenient than they used to be – they can still be an easy, convenient diapering system, and are by far the most economical.

What types of rash cream are okay to use with cloth diapers ?

You do not want to get rash creams directly on the diaper itself as this would cause buildup. Buildup on a diaper can cause them to be less absorbent, or totally repel liquid all together and leak if you are using pockets or fleece/suede cloth lined diapers. If you need to use rash creams, go sparingly or use a  gdiaper with the rash cream until the rash is gone. You should also use a liner over the diaper to prevent the cream from getting on the diaper. These can be flushable liners, fleece liners, or any thin piece of fabric that wetness can pass through.

What are your personal preferences for different scenarios?

1. A day at the park with the kids, what type and how many diapers and wipes ?

2. At the house, what type and how many diapers and wipes?


. A day at the park with the kids I always use pocket diapers or gdiapers when I’m away from home. For a morning and afternoon, I would put 2 pocket and 2 gdiapers in my bag and 3-4 wetted wipes. Wipes always seem to come in handy for things besides dirty diapers, you know. And don’t forget a wet bag! • At the house At home I use a mix of pocket diapers and gdiapers. Changing between these two types provides a balance between quick convenience and giving my son’s skin a chance to breathe. I also have prefolds and covers available for when I get behind on washing. For a newborn, I recommend having 12 diapers a day available. Now (at 14 months) we probably go through around 6-8 diapers a day, including the diapers and covers we use at night. We probably go through 4-6 wipes a day. I don’t wash him off with every diaper change that’s just wet, but I like to do it every couple times. And in the morning when he first wakes up I definitely like to rinse him off with a wipe.


Can I resell my diapers when I am done? If so, where?

Absolutely! If you know other cloth diapering families in your town, they might be interested in purchasing your hand-me-downs. Another great idea is to see if you can’t entice families who are expecting a baby to try cloth diapers if you sell them your secondhand ones for cheap – I know many families who discovered they love cloth diapering because they got their start with someone else’s cheap castoffs! If you don’t know anyone personally who wants to buy diapers, there are many online places to sell used diapers. Ebay is a popular place, but there are also online groups (like on Yahoo) and message boards (such as on Delphi) set up specifically to trade and sell diapers.

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Is it possible to use cloth diapers on trips?

Cloth diapering on a trip IS possible especially with gdiapers. These diapers are the closest to disposables without the guilt. You can keep a wet bag if you don't have access to a toilet, and just flush later. You can also bring along some pocket diapers or fitted. With the gdiapers and the cloth you wouldn't need to do as many washings which will help when you need to go without washing for a few days.

Wait to wash until you get home. If you will be gone for more than a few days, you’ll need to plan to wash diapers while you’re gone. Again, take enough diapers to last you several days, as well as a few wet bags or a pail. Also take along your laundry detergent and some quarters! Most towns have a public Laundromat, and many hotels and motels also provide coin-operated washing machines. So when you know you will be without a launder mat for a few days, just use the gdiapers. This will help with the stress of finding a washing machine. When you do wash diapers on vacation you will do it the same way you wash them at home!


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What do you do with the poop?

If your baby is exclusively breastfed , their poop can go right into the bucket and into the washer with everything else. Breastfed poop is water soluble. Once baby starts solids, or if you are using formula, poop needs to go into the toilet . (Actually, poop from disposable diapers should go into the toilet, as well – read the packaging!) There are many ways to get poop into the toilet. If you are using diapers with a fleece or suede liner, the poop will generally shake off. Some families have a toilet sprayer (like the sprayer on your kitchen sink but with an on/off valve) that is used to blast poop into the toilet – this is what I do. Other families scrape poop into the toilet with a specifically-labeled rubber scraper.

How often do you have to wash your diapers?
How long does it take?

TOP Stephanie: How often you wash diapers will mostly depend on the number of diapers in your stash. If you have a small amount of diapers, you will need to wash more often to ensure that you do not run out of clean ones. Most people wash anywhere from every other day to every 3-4 days. Washing your diapers will usually take a few hours, depending on your wash routine. Most people will either do a short soak followed by a hot wash and extra rinse, or they will do a cold rinse followed by a hot wash and an extra rinse. Plan on the amount of time it takes for you washer to go through two complete cycles. The drying time will depend on the diapering system you use. If you are using prefold diapers, they will take longer to dry than inserts such as microfiber. Plan on 1-2 cycles for them to dry completely. Lisa: I like to wash my diapers every day or every other day. What I like to do is when my child goes to bed – I do a load of diapers. I move those into the dryer when they are completed and I know I am ready to go in the morning. I am doing clothes anyway and the routine insures that I have diapers ready each morning. I can also get away without having so many diapers and thus saving money. I also find that if the diapers are washed promptly there is less chance of the “stinky” diaper syndrome that people try to combat.

How much detergent should I use?

Very little – usually ¼ of the amount the manufacturer recommends. If you wash in hot water (which you should), the temperature of the water will do a lot of the cleaning for you. The biggest cause of trouble people have in washing cloth diapers is not getting all the detergent rinsed out. And since you probably don’t have time to do seven rinses on every load of diapers, the easiest solution is to not use too much in the first place.

What detergents can not be used?

It would be impossible to create an exhaustive list of “good” and “bad” detergents. In general, avoid the following ingredients: Bleach Fabric softener (found in many baby detergents) Fragrances Phosphates Brighteners and whiteners Louisa You definitely don’t want to use anything with bleach or fabric softener in it. In addition, most manufacturers recommend not using soaps or natural detergents, or “free and clear” detergents, as they can be very difficult to rinse out of diapers. And the biggest thing that will cause you to have smelly cloth diapers is if the soap doesn't’t all get rinsed out!

How do you store your dirty diapers?

Years ago, the only method used was the “wet pail” method. This method consisted of soaking the diapers in water with baking soda or vinegar until it was time to wash them. This method is not used much today as it is messier, difficult to get them to the washer, can even make the diapers have more of an odor, and poses a drowning hazard for young children. The easiest and safest method of storing dirty diapers is the dry pail method. Simply store the diapers in the diaper pail until it is time to wash them. It’s that simple! The nice thing about gdiapers is that you have no pail. I use both and still do not have a diaper pail. I know when my 20 month is going to poo, so I put him in a gdiaper and just flush the poop down the toilet, and for the rest of the day I use a bumGenius. Each time I change him out of a bumGenius I just put the dirty diaper on top of the washer and then at the end of the day I do a load of laundry before I go to bed so in the morning I clean diapers.
I’m VERY Thankful for my diaper sprayer . I think the mini-shower helps prevent stains because it rinses most of the poop off right away .

My daughter just had a recent yeast diaper rash. Is there anything special I should do to get her diapers clean after that?

There are a few ways to disinfect diapers to help prevent any reinfection from lingering yeast. * Disinfect your diapers with Grapefruit seed extract (GSE). In the the laundry it is effective against fungi (yeast) and bacteria. 10 - 15 drops of GSE added to the rinse water disinfects a large load of laundry. * If weather permits, diapers can be dried in the sun. The ultra-violet rays are effective at killing the yeast. * Yeast cannot survive in an acidic environment. Adding a cup of vinegar to your wash load will kill lingering yeast. * Heat: Boiling clean diapers for 10-15 minutes will sterilize and kill yeast as well as bacteria. If you have a high heat sanitizing cycle (check what temperature it heats to) on your washer, use it in combination with one of the previous methods. I would also recomend using gdiapers until the infection is gone. Because you are using a new one each time, you don't take the chance of re-infection.