Cloth Diapers- 'You're Gonna Use What!?'

     If you cant tell, I've fallen in love with cloth diapers.  I know, it sounds crazy, but come on, they are just so darn cute!  If you haven't seen the 'new world' of cloth diapering, then you are probably thinking 'How could this crazy lady think a diaper is cute?'.
  Cloth diapers have come a long long LONG way from what your parents or grandparents used.  It is difficult tho to enter the world of CDing (cloth diapering), and all of this world's lingo. So below Im going to give a breakdown of terms and various types of cloth diapers.

The costs:
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/diapercosts.htm
Helpful Info:
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/basics.htm

Most Brands come with a variety of colors, prints, one sized or sized and closure options.                

Pocket Diapers:                                                                                                    Bumgenius 4.0 pocket:

These diapers have a waterproof outer layer, soft fabric to go on babies bottom, and have a pocket to stuff an insert in to.
Most brands come with the option of snaps, or aplix for closures.
Some popular brands are Bumgenius, Fuzzibunz, Blueberry, Happy Heiny, and many others.
To wash you just pull the insert out and wash both pieces.

                                           Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size and Landon in a Fuzzi Bunz size small:



















AIOs (All in Ones):
All in ones, are just that. The diaper is one piece. These are the most similar to a disposable.  They are much like a Pocket diaper, but the absorbent part is sewn into the diaper and cant be removed. These are often the diapers of choice for daycares or grandparents because of their ease. They do tend to have longer drying times since the inserts can't be removed.
Shown is a Bumgenius All in One.



AI2s (All in Twos) or Hybrids:
These are newer on the scene of cloth diapering.  Most of these systems include a waterproof cover, and an insert.  Some inserts are simply laid under a small flap in the cover, some are snapped into place.
My personal experience has been with the Flip system.  It is a One Size waterproof cover, that comes with the option of a Stay Dry liner, an Organic liner, or biodegradable disposable liners.
These diapers are an affordable way to cloth diaper, because the cover doesn't have to be replaced at every change.  There is no need to replace the cover unless it becomes soiled, you just wipe over the inside and replace the insert.
Some other brands include Grovia and Gdiapers.
                                                 Landon in a Flip:












One Size Diapers:
Most brands of diapers carry a One Size diaper.  These are great!  They allow you (in most cases), to use the same diaper all the way from birth to potty training, meaning there is no need to spend money again on bigger sizes. You can find Pockets, All in Ones, Hybrids, Covers, pretty much any type of diaper with a one size option.  What makes them 'One size' is what is referred to as the 'Rise' on the front.  Most of these have rows of snaps, and you can snap the diaper into small, medium or large.

                              


  






                                                                                      

Sized Diapers:
Different brand's diapers are sized differently.  Some people prefer to buy sized diapers because they feel that the get a better fit, and that one size diapers are bulkier on a smaller child.


                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                            



                                                                                                                                 Kissaluvs fitted:

Fitteds:
Fitteds are made from various materials, and
need to be worn with a cover over them.  This is
another solution instead of using Prefolds or
Inserts in your diaper cover.  They come with
snap or aplix closures.




 Diaper Covers/Wraps:
These are what they sound like, a cover for your diaper.  They come in an array of prints, sizes, and snap or apliz closures.  Most AI2 covers can also be used in any way a regular diaper cover can.
Thirsties Duowrap Cover:                                                               Landon in Thirsties Duo wrap:





















Closures:
Many diaper brands now have a choice of closures, snaps or aplix.  Many people like snaps because of their durability, and many people like aplix (velcro) because of the ease and similarity to disposables.

Prefolds:
These are a very budget friendly way of cloth diapering.  They do require a little more prepping than other diapers, but this only has to be done once.  They can be fastened around baby with a snappi, or trifolded. There are various other folds that can be used.  You will put a diaper cover over your prefold.
Unbleached prefolds:                                                              A trifolded prefold (you just lay it in the cover):

Snappi:  

Wetbags:
A waterproof bag for your soiled diapers, available in small sizes to fit up to 3 diapers for use in your diaper bag, to medium and large, all the way up to sizes called 'pail liners', to line a big diaper pail at home.
Planetwise wet bag:

Cloth wipes:

      I was hesitant about these at first, but think about it....   When

 poeple use disposables, don't they usually put the wipe in the

 diaper and throw it away?  Well when you use cloth diapers,

 you will be putting them in their pail/bag, and then have to put

 the wipe in the garbage. (And ive had more than one wipe that didnt make it to the garbage and ended up in the washer..)  So why not use a cloth wipe, and still be able to throw it in the diaper, and wash them both!?  Its really so much simpler.  There are various kinds of wipes, fleece and terry cloth being common.  Im personally partial to the terry ones.

There are also solutions for cloth wipes.  You can buy them in a spray form, that you can spray directly onto babies butt, or in a tablet/drop form that you dissolve into water and pour over the wipes.

Cloth Diaper Detergents:
That's right, they do need a special detergent. Some detergents can cause your diapers to repel moisture, or create buildup.  Some good detergents are BumGenius Cloth Diaper Detergent, Rockin Green, Tiny Bubbles.  There are many other approved detergents, here is a great list:
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

Prepping your diapers (my recommendations):
When you first get the Diapers they will need 'prepped'.  For most diapers, I'd recommending washing 3 times, full hot cycles, with extra rinses. Then dry completely, wash a full hot cycle with extra rinse one more time.
For prefolds (they take a bit more work to prep):
For the first wash, do a Hot wash, with a couple drops of Dawn dish soap. Rinse, and Extra rinse. Wash full hot cycle again, no detergent, with an extra rinse. Wash again, full hot cycle,with detergent, with an extra rinse.  Wash again, full hot cycle,with detergent, with an extra rinse.  Dry completely.  Wash again, full hot cycle, with detergent, extra rinse.

Washing Your Diapers:
There are many many different ways of washing diapers, it depends on many factors, including your location, water type, detergent, and washer.
What works for us is:
Keep Diapers in a Dry pail.
Put in Washer, Do a cold rinse.
Do a hot wash, with the recommended detergent amount (about 1/4 or less of what you would use for the load size), with the normal cold rinse.
Do an extra cold rinse.
(To tell if you are using too much detergent, check your diapers during the last rinse. If the water is still sudsy, do ANOTHER rinse, and add less detergent the next time that you wash.  It may seem a little much at first, but Once you get the routine down it will be second nature.)

For stains:  The SUN!  Really, I was skeptical how well sunning would work, but it has taken out every stain Ive had so far.

NEVER use fabric softeners or bleach on your diapers.