Specific questions about Cloth

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Gaunt

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I have a few very specific questions about Cloth diapers before I see about buying one or two in the near future.

What are the washing requirements like? Am I able to throw them immediately in the washing machine after use? Or do I need to let them soak/rinse them off before hand?

Also is there any special detergent I need? Or can I just use any old kind? (Obviously no fabric softener)

And do they dry well in the dryer?

I've been trying to read through a few threads and different articles, but none of them really pertained to just the bare method of doing it. Seeing as I'm still living at home and I don't really have the time/budget to do any sort of fancy washing methods I've seen out there.
 
I understand. Its ok to use and throw them right into the washer with whatever and dry in the dryer.
What kind of cloth diaper you get can make a difference though.. old fashioned prefold ones are easy. I define those as a non waterproof diaper that you cover with waterproof pants. Use, throw in wash then dryer till done.
Next are 'modern cloth diapers' There are two types for the purposes of your question, pockets and all in ones -(AIO's), with pockets you stuff the diaper shell with a diaper or insert, use it, separate it and wash/dry it like the old fashioned ones.
I don't recommend you try the AIO's now. they are thick, take a long time to dry and will drag out dryer time greatly.
 
Hi - I basically use a contoured cloth diaper. The ones I use have elastic legs with an elastic back. The fit feels incredible. I am incontinent and I soak them in the tub with a mild detergent and hand wash them. I wring as much as I can out, throw them in the washer in wring cycle and then dry them in the dryer for about an hour or a little more if needed at medium heat. I'll usually change into one right away. A fresh warm diaper on is heavenly!
 
I just drop mine in the shower rince them when i take my shower then in the washer.
If they start to pick up an orders then they need to be stripped.
Wash with a little vinegar hot with borax soap.
You need to wash them a 4-5 times to get them fuffy and ready for use when you first get them.
Nothing like it :)
 
i usually give them a rinse before laundering as normal with my other clothes (you to be careful to balance the load so that the machine doesn't dance about the kitchen). i also often add washing-up liquid (yeah, the dishwashing kind) especially if i've used a lot of cream and extra hot water (as the towels absorb more than your everyday clothing).

with the absorption and dancing points in mind, when the machine begins it's spin cycle after rinsing (your machine may rinse twice before doing the final spin cycle), it's worth keeping an eye on how much water has been spun out on the first bit of spinning (before the full speed begins) as you may need to pause the cycle to allow retained water to drain from your diapers/nappies/ towels. 'pause' on our machine is the on/off button, but some machines have a 'pause' button.

oh, and with extra soap i use, i also have to do extra rinse cycles.
 
drawer said:
old fashioned prefold ones are easy. I define those as a non waterproof diaper that you cover with waterproof pants. Use, throw in wash then dryer till done.
Next are 'modern cloth diapers' There are two types for the purposes of your question, pockets and all in ones -(AIO's), with pockets you stuff the diaper shell with a diaper or insert, use it, separate it and wash/dry it like the old fashioned ones.
I don't recommend you try the AIO's now. they are thick, take a long time to dry and will drag out dryer time greatly.
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Would you have any good links to US sites I could find good prefold ones? I was looking at ABDL factory and saw some nice velcro strapped/pull-on ones. I wasn't sure if these would fit well on me, and I'd rather purchase from the US to make shipping and purchasing a lot easier.

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Paddedfanny said:
Hi - I basically use a contoured cloth diaper. The ones I use have elastic legs with an elastic back. The fit feels incredible. I am incontinent and I soak them in the tub with a mild detergent and hand wash them. I wring as much as I can out, throw them in the washer in wring cycle and then dry them in the dryer for about an hour or a little more if needed at medium heat. I'll usually change into one right away. A fresh warm diaper on is heavenly!
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Do you know what specific brand it is? And do you think I would get a decent level of clean if I just rinsed them/wrung them out when I showered? I have a mild OCD problem that's unrelated to diapering, it causes me to shower 2-3 times a day. And this is when I change the most, so anything I could do in the shower with them would be incredibly optimal as well as private seeing as I'm still living at home at the moment.

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I'm also a dumbo and forgot to ask other questions besides washing, seeing as that was by far my largest concern when I first started the thread.

How absorbant would your typical cloth diaper be? Right now I don't even use proper disposables, just doubled up depends. And I'm content with how much these hold, just not the quality of the fit and other obvious things about depends.

And I've heard that plastic pants and cloth work well for side sleepers when it comes to wetting in bed/while you're sleeping. Is there any specific brand of either plastic pants or cloth diaper that would be ideal for this? Or would any old combo be reasonable at it?
 
To keep it simple I'd order a twill prefold from "Changing Times Diaper Co" in small or a medium if your waist is 34" or more.
CTDC also has plastic pants but they are made by Gary mfg an I think have scratchy elastic add that and some pins and you're set. also-
"Babykins" in Canada has my favorite pants. the #10300V I think, its a very light, $12 thats like the old fashioned kind.
I cant do links but those two companys are easy to find and great to do business with!
 
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If doing laundry is going to be a pain your best bet are thin prefolds or flatfolds and plastic pants. Thin is the key, thick ones take forever to dry. If you want thicker you add more layers. You need to learn to fold and pin them but you can just put them in the wash with some regular clothing or towels. For plastic pants you either wash them with the diapers and hang to dry or hand wash and hang to dry.
 
drawer said:
To keep it simple I'd order a twill prefold from "Changing Times Diaper Co" in small or a medium if your waist is 34" or more.
CTDC also has plastic pants but they are made by Gary mfg an I think have scratchy elastic add that and some pins and you're set. also-
"Babykins" in Canada has my favorite pants. the #10300V I think, its a very light, $12 thats like the old fashioned kind.
I cant do links but those two companys are easy to find and great to do business with!
Click to expand...

That sounds perfect, and these are really cheap too. Are there any good pins I can buy instore? I wanna limit what I buy online as much as possible, seeing as I'll be having it delivered to a friend. I don't wanna burden him.

Do you know how well these would hold up if I slept in them? specifically if I wet on my side while wearing them with the plastic pants?
 
My best pins have all come from the dollar store.
 
WildRoseBaby said:
If doing laundry is going to be a pain your best bet are thin prefolds or flatfolds and plastic pants. Thin is the key, thick ones take forever to dry. If you want thicker you add more layers. You need to learn to fold and pin them but you can just put them in the wash with some regular clothing or towels. For plastic pants you either wash them with the diapers and hang to dry or hand wash and hang to dry.
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Even though I do live at home still, I have a lot of the day hours to my self. I could definitely afford to spend two maybe three hours drying. I'd much rather do that and have bulkier diapers, than thinner ones.
 
I prefer single-layer flat gauze diapers, folded in half. For overnight, I double up. I use pull-on plastic pants at night and snap-side ones in the daytime. For washing diapers, I run a cold pre-rinse cycle, then regular hot wash cycle. Regular detergent, no fabric softener. When done, I put them in the dryer for about 30 minutes. I wash my plastic pants in the washer on gentle cycle then put them in the dryer with a couple of towels.
 
chuck said:
I prefer single-layer flat gauze diapers, folded in half. For overnight, I double up. I use pull-on plastic pants at night and snap-side ones in the daytime. For washing diapers, I run a cold pre-rinse cycle, then regular hot wash cycle. Regular detergent, no fabric softener. When done, I put them in the dryer for about 30 minutes. I wash my plastic pants in the washer on gentle cycle then put them in the dryer with a couple of towels.
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How well do the snaps hold? My budget is really for two diapers and a pair of plastic pants, one for sleeping and on the heavy side of absorbancy. And another that I could wear under clothing and still retain flexibility without the diaper pulling apart or anything. (bulk does not matter to me, I wear baggy clothing anyways. I just need something I can move around in without worrying about leaks or it coming undone).

I've seen pull ons/ups, velcro, snaps, and the kind you secure with pins. I would prefer without pins, but I don't mind either way.
 
All of my diapers are pin-on type. That way they can be as tight or as loose as I want. Velcro wears out after a while, and I guess snaps would be ok if you can get the right fit.
 
chuck said:
All of my diapers are pin-on type. That way they can be as tight or as loose as I want. Velcro wears out after a while, and I guess snaps would be ok if you can get the right fit.
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All of the non-pin types appeal to me more, since they seem easier to put on by yourself.

Are there any types of cloth diapers that are already formed to fit? Something I can use pins with but isn't just a flat material?
 
Gaunt said:
All of the non-pin types appeal to me more, since they seem easier to put on by yourself.

Are there any types of cloth diapers that are already formed to fit? Something I can use pins with but isn't just a flat material?
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Now you're talking about contour or pre-fold diapers. They are formed to fit but usually very thick. I have seen some of them with snaps or velcro but that makes them a lot more expensive. You might also look at pocket-diapers. Some of them are very nice too. A lot of them come with snaps or velcro. Also in many colors/patterns. Check out CTDC for these.
 
Babykins has contour diapers as well, shaped like a disposable but made of flannel with velcro closures I think, that and some pull-on pants from them sound like what you're wanting to try.
Part of the great protection of cloth for side sleeping is there's a fair amount of material out around the hips. Instead of pooling and running out around the tapes of a disposable the cotton diaper wicks away the moisture to other areas. Side snapping pants are only good if you're vertical. As others have said you'll be able to adjust absorbency as needed for the situation by adding more or less in the main diaper. This system (cotton and plastic) was the gold standard of dryness for like 60 years till the super absorbent polymers came out in 1985 or so.
 
chuck said:
Now you're talking about contour or pre-fold diapers. They are formed to fit but usually very thick. I have seen some of them with snaps or velcro but that makes them a lot more expensive. You might also look at pocket-diapers. Some of them are very nice too. A lot of them come with snaps or velcro. Also in many colors/patterns. Check out CTDC for these.
Click to expand...

Yeah I don't know about pocket diapers, I just want one "Unit"? I'm not sure what the term would be but I don't wanna have to order seperate boosters and worry about that. I'd probably just choose between the traditional kind and AIO.

I saw in an earlier post somebody said I wouldn't want AIO to start, as they are usually longer to dry. But how long is "longer?" If I were to machine wash and dry, would it take an hour? Two? Three? Because I really like the looks of the AIO and the concept, rather than having to fold/pin myself they look much more practical for me.
 
AIO's

The other main problem with all-in-one diapers is that the waterproof covering wears out long before the diaper does. In addition to them taking a long time (not sure how long) to dry, eventually you end up with a diaper that you have to use waterproof pants with anyway.

Similar with velcro closing, the velcro wears out long before the diaper. Although I have a few of these and I just cut the velcro off and pin them on.
 
chuck said:
The other main problem with all-in-one diapers is that the waterproof covering wears out long before the diaper does. In addition to them taking a long time (not sure how long) to dry, eventually you end up with a diaper that you have to use waterproof pants with anyway.

Similar with velcro closing, the velcro wears out long before the diaper. Although I have a few of these and I just cut the velcro off and pin them on.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah none of that is a problem for me, I planned on using waterproof pants anyways. And I'd probably just pin them like you did.

I'm not looking for the most long-term setup, just a couple of months maximum before I figure out what I want in the long run. Maybe just get like a 25$ AIO and some plastic pants, maybe a regular pre-fold one and just crash-test them. Figure out what works best for me and not worry about ruining them after several weeks.
 
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