You baby will be so much more comfy in cloth! Would you want to wear paper or plastic underwear?

Cloth is a great money saver. You can customize your stash based on your needs and budget.

Cloth diapers seem so expensive. Can I really save money? TOP
YES!

There are many great reasons to use cloth diapers. If the environmental benefits don't sway you the savings will. Not only are cloth diapers better for our planet, better for your baby, they are even better for your pocket book!

With the tough economic times upon up many families are looking for ways to cut back spending. I took a peak on Amazon.com to check out the going rate of disposable diapers. A box of Size 1 Pampers is $24.69 (not including shipping) which makes each diaper about $0.25. Newborns go through about 12 diapers a day, so a month of diapering with disposables will set you back $88.92! Wow, and that is just one month! Of course you'll need wipes, that will set you back another $12 per month. Not to mention gas used to the store if you don't buy online. That adds up to $100 PER MONTH! This amount will be a little less once baby is older and you are changing less often. Lets guesstimate that older babies will cost $80/ month. Now lets see what the grand total in disposables will set you back ...... $80 x 30 months = $2400 YIKES!

Let's take a look at the cost of cloth diapers. The most economical diapering system would be prefolds and Thirsties Diaper Covers. Just because prefolds are the most economical don't underestimate their effectiveness. Prefolds are one of my favorite and best selling diaper option. They have many uses beyond diapering and wash up well.

Let's break down the cost from birth to potty learning:
2 dozen Infant prefolds at $22.20/dozen = 44.40

Ok, but what about the POOP! TOP
One of the most common concerns when making the switch to cloth diapers is dealing with poop. Trust me, it is really not that big of a deal! Most of the poop simply falls off the diaper in to the toilet and the rest is taken care of by your prewash in the washer. Sometimes if I have a really stick one on my hands I will use a bit of toilet paper to wipe excess off. A little to hands on for your liking? You can also use a diaper sprayer, just make sure that you do not get the diaper sopping wet and have your pail next to you. You do not want to carry a dripping diaper down the hallway. Flushable liners are the ultimate in easy poop clean up. Just toss the entire liner into the toilet and flush!

Did you know disposing of human waste in the landfill is illegal? That means you are suppose to shake off poop from disposable diapers into the toilet. Disposing of human waste in our landfills may cause leaching of harmful bacterial in our water. There is a tiny advisory notice on packages of disposable diapers but only an extremely small percentage of users actual are aware of this and follow it.

What do I need to get started? TOP
Use the following checklist for your diaper stash:

Pre-Washing Micro-Fiber and Polyester Products:

Fasten laundry tabs on items that have Velcro. Wash with a small amount of detergent. Do not pre-wash polyester products with natural fibers; this may cause pilling of the fleece.

Pre-washing Natural Cotton or Hemp Products:

Wash 3-5 times in hot water with a tiny bit of detergent. This enables the diapers to absorb properly. Dry between each wash for proper sizing.

Your Cotton Prefolds will arrive somewhat flat and stiff, but will fluff and soften wonderfully after washed. All prefolds require pre-washing. The natural oils of cotton is preserved in the natural prefolds. Prewash 3-5 times with a tiny bit of detergent in hot water. Dry between washes for proper sizing. Additional initial washings are required for ideal absorbency in unbleached diapers. Natural prefolds will continue to increase in absorbency and will reach their ultimate absorbency after about 8 washes.

Shake off solids into toilet and toss diaper in the pail. Wet diapers and breastmilk poo can go straight into the pail. We recommend the "dry pail" method. Simply use a pail liner or hanging pail to store diapers until wash day. Every 2-3 days toss everything in the wash, I do not recommend going more that 3 days between washings. Put diapers, inserts, cloth wipes and diaper pail liner into the washing machine.

1. Prewash cold
2. Warm or Hot extended wash with 1/4 recommended detergent and plenty of water!
3. One or two rinse cycles
4. Tumble Medium or hang to dry.

For best results, hang covers and pocket diapers to dry, or put on a lower heat setting in the dryer.

Do not use bleach or fabric softener! Bleach can break down the PUL and elastic in your diapers and is very hash on the fabric. Not to mention it is bad for the environment. Fabric softeners can leave residues on your diaper which will in turn cause leaks.

When washing diapers start by using 1/2 the detergent manufacturer�s suggested amount. Too much detergent can leave build up, you may see suds in the rinse. Too little won't get your diapers clean enough. It may take a little bit of trial but once you get it down, it's a breeze! Diapers are actually my easiest load of laundry I do, and I do A LOT!

How can I get stains out? TOP
I do an occasional overnight soak in a oxygen booster to brighten and remove any odors on my diapers. I use OxoBrite from Trader Joes, it has no additives which can leave residue on you diapers. You can also use Oxy Clean Baby which is readily available.

The sun is also a great stain remover. Take your wet diaper and hang to dry in the sun. If the stain is stubborn squirt it with a little lemon juice and it should come right out after drying in the sun.

I am using disposables at night and am ready to switch, what do you reccommend? TOP

One of the most common questions I get is about nighttime diapering. Many families who use cloth during the day resort to disposables at night because they are afraid of leaks or have not found the right solution. Nighttime diapering does involve some trial and error. The key is finding find a diaper that will hold an entire night's worth of wetness without being to bulky. I believe that wool and other natural fibers work fantastically for nighttime, this combination will keep baby cool and comfortable. Add a stay-dry liner, if desired, for that stay dry feeling. You can calso use pocket diapers as long as you add enough absorbancy. If using pockets be sure you have excellent leg fit, no buildup in your microfleece, and a pocket properly stuffed with something that absorbs fast enough for your baby. If the overnight diaper is wicking wetness because it is getting too soggy, then try some more absorbency. Be sure to check out our Nighttime Solutions section.

Why are my cloth diapers leaking? TOP
First of all, make sure that you washed everything before using. There can be residue left on the fabric from the production process that can cause leakage.

If the diaper is leaking out the top, make sure that the insert isn't pushing the lining fabric up against your baby's clothing. That will cause the diaper to wick moisture up and out of the top. The top edge of the diaper should be flat against your baby with the soft fabric against your baby's skin.

If the diaper is leaking out the side of the legs, change the diaper and remove the insert. If it is saturated then your baby either needs something more absorbent or a more frequent diaper change. If it isn't saturated, then you either have a fit issue or a repelling issue.

To observe fit, pick up your baby's legs after putting the diaper on and observe how it fits around the bottom of their bottom.

If the diaper is leaking out the back, make sure that the insert is tucked in completely. If the insert is sticking out the top of the diaper, it will wick moisture onto your baby's clothing.

Every baby is different. Some brands of cloth diapers and diaper covers may just not fit your baby well. It's a good idea to try a few different brands when first starting out.

A pocket diaper has a waterproof outer layer and a microfleece or suedecloth inner layer. A pocket (usually located in the back of the diaper) is where you can place an absorbent insert to draw moisture away from baby's skin. Because the insert is separate from the rest of the diaper, you can customize the absorbency to fit your child�s needs. This is great if you need varying levels of protections and absorbency. Another great feature is that you can use almost any naturally absorbent material to put in the pocket, including old flat and prefold diapers. The separate insert also makes washing and drying quicker and more effective. Examples of pocket diapers include Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Hieny, DryBees, and Just Ducky Baby Pocket Diapers.

Diaper odor is most likely caused by detergent build up. Run your diapers through an extra hot wash with no soap; if there are any suds, the detergent did not rinse out completely, and this residue is what causes the ammonia smell when the diaper gets wet again. Run your diapers through an extra cold rinse cycle after washing or use less detergent, or switch brands to prevent detergent build up.

�Stripping� is the process of removing detergent build-up from your diapers. These residues can cause waterproofing to wick, or persistent odor problems, or rashes. Begin with clean diapers. Fill washer with very hot water and and a few scoops of oxygen booster like oxo-brite (preferrred) or Oxy Clean Baby (don't holdback!). Allow it to agitate, and then soak for a few hours, I let mine soak overnight. Rinse and then run a hot wash with nothing but water. If there are any suds during the wash, repeat the plain-water wash until there are no suds. That should help. It�s best if you do not return to using the same detergent that caused the problem. In fact, repeated washing in a residue-free detergent will also remove residues, just not as quickly as an intense �stripping�. Some people have found better success with hand-washing in a sink filled with hot water and dish detergent, where you can scrub each individually with a nail brush to speed the removal of residues. That may not be practical, however, if you have two dozen pocket diapers! This is meant as an occasional treatment for your diapers, not as a part of your everyday wash routine. As always, do not hesitate to contact us for more help.

How do I fold a prefold or flat diaper? TOP
There is really no wrong way to fold a prefold or flat diaper! Many people simply fold a prefold in thirds and lay it in a cover. Using a snappi with a really helps contain messes and offers a great fit. Here are a few links for visual demonstrations of diaper folding:

Diaper Jungle
Diaper Hyena
Born to Love

Wash wool products in lukewarm water using a wool-safe wash. Make sure the water is not too hot or cold, this may shock the wool. Roll in a towel and lay flat to dry. Prewash and lanolize your wool before using on baby. You will only need to wash your wool from now on every few weeks or when soiled. Urine reacts with the lanolin to form a natural soap, this makes your wool self-cleaning between washes! Be careful not to shrink your covers! Just air dry between uses. Don't wash your covers by machine or put them in the dryer. Strong agitation will shrink them, and shocking the wool with either hot or very cold water will shrink them. Use warmer than room temperature water. Spot clean with a Wool Wash Bar, olive oil bar soap, Ivory bar soap. If covers are particularly dirty, soak in the sink for 15 minutes with a little wool wash and a teaspoon of vinegar. The vinegar will neutralize the urine (ammonia - high pH) that has built up on the cover over time.

Lanolizing is the process of adding lanolin, which is naturally present in wool, back into it. Lanolin is what keeps wool self-cleaning and waterproof.

Add a pea size amount of solid lanolin or liquid lanolin to the bottom of your sink. Add a bit of very hot water and 1/2 tsp. of baby shampoo (this helps emulsify the lanolin) Swish until well mixed. The mixture will become sort of white and you won�t see oil floating. You can also do this in a separate jar, if desired. Full the sink the rest of the way with lukewarm water. Add the cover and let it soak for a few hours. Gently roll the cover in a towel and lay flat to dry. I usually lay my cover to dry on top of the dryer. Do not put your wool in direct sunlight. How often you need to lanolize depends on how often the cover is used. You may notice the the cover does not seem to neutralize urine like it used to. For light lanolizing or touch ups, you can use a spray lanolin just make sure you really massage it into the wool. I have found the sink method is the most effective for night time covers.