These suggestions are based on my own experiences with my two children, and on the experiences of a few close friends with their children. Since 1999, we have experimented as we searched for the most environmentally-friendly way-utilizing the least water, detergent, and electricity-to care for cloth diapers effectively.
Care for new diapers
Always wash and dry new cloth diapers at least five times before using (for cotton diapers, this will remove the natural tannins in the cotton; for hemp diapers, it will help soften them up). We recommend washing in warm water and rinsing in cold water for these initial washings. You only need to dry the diapers after the 5th wash. Diaper covers, cloth wipes, and diaper doublers need only be washed two times.
Regular care
The method described below is for a basic system consisting of cloth diapers and diaper covers. Additional instructions for common accessories are described below.
- For dirty diapers, first dump as much poop as you can into the toilet and flush. Some people like to squirt a little enzyme-based stain remover on the dirty diapers at this point. Then place the dirty diaper in your diaper pail. Don't worry if you can't get all the poop out of the diaper--infants have runny poop and most toddlers have semi-solid poop for a couple of months, or years. It's okay if some poop runs through your washing machine, as the wastewater will go to your local water treatment plant, who will be equipped to deal with it just as they would the wastewater from your toilet. You don't need to wash the cover unless it has poop on it, or if it smells bad. Just hang it to dry, preferably in a sunny spot.
- For wet diapers, just place the wet diaper in your diaper pail. You only need to wash wet diaper covers if they smell strongly of urine (let your nose be the judge).
- When your diaper pail is full, empty it into your washing machine and soak for 8 hours or overnight in cold water. Or, for diapers with very little poop on them (if you use rice paper diaper liners and/or have older children with solid stools), you may just run the diapers through a cold rinse cycle.
- Wash the diapers with an eco-friendly laundry detergent, in hot water on the longest cycle of your machine with a cold water rinse, followed by an extra rinse in cold (this helps remove soap residue to prevent rashes). If desired, add a few squirts of an enzyme-based stain remover to the wash cycle, and/or 1/2 cup white vinegar to the first rinse cycle to help soften your diapers and remove any lingering urine odors.
- Hang the diapers and covers to dry in the sun to naturally "bleach" away stains and reduce electricity usage. Once dry, you may wish to dry the diapers in the dryer on a no heat (fluff) or low heat cycle for 5-10 minutes to soften and fluff them up. Some people prefer to completely dry only the diapers in the dryer on high heat. Always air dry your diaper covers-they'll last longer. Note that prefold diapers will dry faster than fitted diapers.
Some people also like to use:
- Diaper doublers: these may be washed and dried with your diapers as per the instructions above.
- Diaper pail liners: we recommend washing these every time you wash your diapers. For best results, please line dry your diaper pail liners. You may wish to have two diaper pail liners so you will have one to use while the other is in the wash.
- Flushable diaper liners: for dirty diapers, just flush the poop and the liner in the toilet. For wet diapers, the liner may be reused if it is still in good condition. Just wash it with your diapers and air dry. Liners that have not had poop on them can usually be re-used 2-3 times before they fall apart.
For best results, do NOT:
- Use borax when washing diaper covers. It can break down their
water-resistant coatings.
- Use bleach. It can reduce the absorbency of cloth diapers.
- Use fabric softener. It can reduce the absorbency of cloth diapers.
- Dry your diaper covers in the dryer. They will wear out sooner.
But please DO:
- Periodically remove lint from the tabs of diaper covers with hook and loop closures so they will stick well. We have found that an eyelash comb or other fine-toothed comb works well for this task.
- Use an eco-friendly detergent. Not only is it better for the environment, but it will reduce the incidence of rashes in your baby.
How many cloth diapers do I need?
The answer depends on many factors, including the age of your baby, how often you change your baby's diapers, and how often you want to do laundry. The guidelines below are just that--guidelines--and may be adjusted for your personal needs. Our recommendations are all based on a commitment to changing your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty. Read why we recommend changing your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty.
Newborn-6 months
At this stage, babies seem to be excreting nearly constantly (even during diaper changes!). Because of this, and because of the runny/loose nature of their poop, you'll need more diapers than you will at later stages.
If you change your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet or dirty, and wash every other day, you'll need:
- 3 dozen (36) cloth diapers, your choice of type (prefold, fitted, pocket, etc.)
- 6-8 diaper covers
- 4 dozen (48) cloth wipes
Optional:
- 3-4 newborn diaper doublers for naptimes, nighttime and long trips
- 1 diaper pail liner
6-18 months
During this stage, most babies transition to solid foods, often exclusively by the end of this period. This eventually results in more solid/formed stools that are less likely to get on your diaper covers. Many babies also settle into a somewhat regular routine for elimination during this period so you can plan appropriately for when extra absorbency is needed (for example, you may find you always need to use a diaper doubler during your baby's morning nap) or for when a flushable diaper liner may be used (for example, you may notice that your baby always poops within a couple hours after lunchtime).
If you change your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty, and wash every other day, you'll need:
- 2 dozen (24) cloth diapers, your choice of type (prefold, fitted, pocket, etc.)
- 4-6 diaper covers
- 2 1/2 dozen (30) cloth wipes
Optional:
18-36 months
By the end of this stage, most babies are completely potty-trained during the day. Your toddler may still need diapers at night, but will likely be wearing underwear during the day. Toddlers at this stage produce a lot more pee so we strongly recommend the use of diaper doublers during this stage, especially during naptime, bedtime, and long trips.
If you change your toddler's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty, and wash every other day, you'll need:
- 2 dozen (24) cloth diapers, your choice of type (prefold, fitted, pocket, etc.)
- 4-6 diaper covers
- 2 1/2 dozen (30) cloth wipes
- 4-6 diaper doublers
- 6-8 pairs of cloth training pants
How often should I change my baby's diapers?
As parents, we have found that most options that are safest/healthiest/best for our children are not always the most convenient/cheapest/easiest for us. With this in mind, we recommend changing your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty, rather than on some fixed schedule (for example, every 2-3 hours), because this method is healthier for your baby and makes potty training easier. Yes, we realize this means more work--after all, we have used this method ourselves with our own two children! Before you laugh at the perceived impossibility of this, we encourage you to read more about why we make this recommendation.
A brief background of human physiology is helpful to this explanation. Our bodies are designed to be self-cleaning machines. The human excretory system--which includes the sweat glands, lungs, liver and kidneys--constantly collects and eliminates waste from the body. Waste includes non-usable materials that have entered the body through eating, drinking, breathing, and absorption through the skin; waste products from metabolism; old/dead cells; and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, etc.). This waste is concentrated and excreted when you sweat, cough, sneeze, pee, poop and pass gas. You may think of your body's waste as the same as the contents of your trash can.
Now, I ask you: do you think it would be best for your baby to sit in the contents of your trash can for 2-3 hours at a time (or all night?!)? If your answer is what I suspect it is, then you'll see the importance of changing your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet/dirty. Your baby's skin will quickly become irritated and erupt in a rash if it is close contact with pee and poop for lengthy periods of time.
Another added benefit to changing your baby's diapers as soon as they are wet and/or dirty is that potty training will happen sooner and more easily. By the time your child has reached toddlerhood, he/she will have experienced hundreds of repetitions of the message that pee and poop are not meant to be on his/her skin (every time you change him/her promptly you send this message, whether you verbalize it or not). Your child will have learned to associate being wet and/or dirty with the immediate need to be cleaned. Children with this association transition more quickly and easily to using the toilet.
Which cloth diapers should I choose?
We recommend cloth diapers made from organic cotton and/or organic hemp because these materials are safest for your baby, most absorbent, and have a lesser environmental impact than their conventional counterparts. Your choice of cloth diapers should consider what works best for your budget, your baby, and your cleaning preferences.
Prefold diapers and old-fashioned square diapers:
Pros:
- Versatile - may all be used also as burp cloths, changing pads, and cleaning rags once baby has outgrown them.
- Inexpensive - less expensive than fitted diapers
- Quick-drying - this may mean less cost for gas/electricity and less environmental impact
- Highly adjustable - may be folded in different ways to provide greater absorbency where needed most (for example, more layers in the front for boys)
Cons:
- Complicated - Prefolds often need to be folded in different ways, depending upon your baby's body shape, gender and age; old-fashioned square diapers must always be folded. Instructions on various types of folds are readily available, but some people find it difficult to fold diapers.
- Needs separate fasteners - to ensure the diaper does not bunch up or sage, it must be fastened with a Snappi or diaper pins, which may present the risk of sticking yourself (if you use pins)
Contour diapers:
Pros:
- Versatile - may also be used as burp cloths, and cleaning rags once baby has outgrown them.
- Inexpensive - less expensive than fitted diapers
- Quick-drying - this may mean less environmental impact and less cost for gas/electricity for your dryer
- No need for fasteners - simply lay the diaper in the diaper cover
Cons:
- Limited coverage - may offer inadequate coverage for baby's hips, which may lead to leaks (especially for boys) and skin irritation from the diaper cover
- Not adjustable - may only be used as is, with no additional options to fold to adjust absorbency
Fitted diapers (also called Velcro/Aplix, pocket, and snap diapers):
Pros:
- Easy to use - similar to disposables in design and function
- Built-in adjustability (some styles) - built-in doublers, which may be folded to the front for boys or laid flat for girls, offer added absorbency
- Better containment - gusseted legs and elastic in the waist help contain poop better than prefolds, especially for those early explosive poops
Cons:
- Expensive - more expensive than prefolds, square diapers and contours (but still cheaper than disposables!)
- Slow-drying - this may mean greater environmental impact and greater expense for gas/electricity for your dryer
- Not versatile - fitted diapers may be used only as fitted diapers
Why should I use cloth diapers?
Well, why not? The issue of cloth vs. disposables has been widely debated, but cloth has won out pretty conclusively in the following areas:
Environment
Our cloth diapers use less resources to manufacture, are reusable, which means fewer diapers are required, and biodegradable and made from natural materials, which means they can break down into the soil, contain fewer chemicals than conventional disposables (which often contain super-absorbent gels (like sodium polyacrylate)), and are dioxin-free. Even Seventh Generation and gDiapers contain these gels, although Tushies and Nature Baby Care diapers do not. Consider these facts from Clear Air Council:
- An average child will use between 8,000 -10,000 disposable diapers ($2,000 worth) before being potty trained.
- Each year, parents and babysitters dispose of about 18 billion of these items.
- In the United States alone these single-use items consume nearly 100,000 tons of plastic and 800,000 tons of tree pulp.
- We will pay an average of $350 million annually to deal with their disposal and, to top it off, these diapers will still be in the landfill 300 years from now.
- Americans throw away 570 diapers per second. That's 49 million diapers per day.
Health/Safety
Our cloth diapers are made from pure, organic natural fibers, which are more comfortable next to baby's delicate skin and less likely to cause diaper rash, dioxin-free, gel-free, and do not contribute to pollution in landfills nearly as much as disposables (especially if your cloth diapers are clean when you finally dispose of them).
Economics (cost)
Cloth diapers cost a fraction of what disposables cost, even when you compare the most expensive cloth diapers to the cheapest disposables.
If you do choose to use disposables, please use them responsibly, keeping in mind that the World Health Organization (WHO), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and many other organizations recommend against disposing of human feces in landfills. If you look closely at any package of disposable diapers, it will instruct you to dispose of any feces/poop in the toilet, rather than the trash, to prevent groundwater contamination from landfills.
The choice of cloth versus disposable diapers is a personal one that each family must make.
Even though we wholeheartedly support cloth diapers, we recognize that every family has different needs and must make its own choices. Some families use cloth diapers during
the day, and disposables at night. Some do the opposite. Some use cloth diapers at home, and disposables when they are out or when a babysitter is watching the
baby. If using disposables part of the time encourages you to use cloth diapers at all, then go ahead! Every cloth diaper you use makes a
difference for your baby and the planet!
For more information, we recommend the following resources:
Mothering Magazine's "The Politics of Diapers"
The Diaper Drama at DiaperPin.com
How can I travel with cloth diapers?
It's easy! Just make sure you take enough supplies with you to last the length of your trip, plus a few extras just in case. For longer trips, take one of our large Diaper Pail Liners/Laundry Bags to hold your wet and dirty diapers.
