Cloth Diapers

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I am thinking of trying cloth diapers and like any newbie I have some questions. I already know I need an approximate 44" x 44" ( depending on manufacturer ) so here are the questions:
1. Prefold, contour, or regular ( fold'em yourself )?
2. Material - cotton, gauze, or ?
3. What is your favorite cloth diaper? And why?
4. Where do you buy them?
5. What is the approximate cost?
6. Is shipping included?
7. Do you prefer pins if necessary, or some other device to keep the diaper closed?

Please feel free to include any observations you may have.
 
I've been wearing prefold, gauze night weight diapers for about 10 years. Cottontail says the twill cloth is better, and he's right. I just can't seem to find them in size small. The twill last longer. Birdseye will last a long time but I've found the more recent birdseye fabrics have felt rough. Both gauze and twill are very soft and absorbent.
 
Thank you for asking. I too have been thinking of trying cloth, and have similar questions. Just don't know where to start.
 
I'd say the leakmaster from adultclothdiapers.com is a good beginners cloth prefold. They also have good diaper pins, and the gary activewear pul diaper cover. Give them a look.
 
I myself use the twill prefolds and contours from Changing Times Diaper Co. They also have a good selection of plastic and PUL panties.
I use the PUL ones myself.
 
I prefer flat gauze cloth diapers. I fold them to make two layers in the daytime and then do the bikini twist. I double up at night. I use snap-on plastic pants in the daytime and pull-on ones at night. I find that regular plastic-head diaper pins work best. They are easy to handle and inexpensive to replace if lost.
 
I am long term IC my best most comfortable and bullet proof reliable diapers are contour ultimate 3 for daytime & super heavyweight night diaper prefold's for bedtime from Angelfluff the contours sre all custom to my measurements as are my plastic pants, my current diapers and pants have been used daily for close to 11 years ,the diapers are Velcro due to a mobility disability pins would be a nightmare the diapers where $69.95 and the pants 49.95 ( the pants are made exclusively for Angelfluff by Gary and are "blue ice", i bought patterns in both snap on and pull on styles, but now they have highrise PUL made by Gary so i I will order that for daytime , for night time I use Babykins rubber bloomers ,PUL is more comfortable and less binding on my skin. Overall the cloth has a higher initial outlay but the longevity of a quality product pays for itself . To really decide on the best cloth diaper you really need to buy one and try it for a while , right down what you like and don't like or what you would like more of the different companies, for me Jeanie & Howard were able to give me what I wanted tailored to my size with the tweaks I wanted , higher rise, smaller leg openings , wider deeper crotch .

Babykins would be my second choice, and had I known yhis in the beginning they would have been number one . If you buy a contour from Jenny and ask for an additional soaker (@ the time it was like 5 bucks) she builds an additional soaker into the entire diaper not just the crotch like most places , thats a small price for effectively doubling the capcity of the diaper with almost no extra bulk .

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I’ve never had the chance to wear or use a cloth diaper. What’s it like? They appear to be much more bulky and harder to hide, not to mention what do you with the wet/dirty when not at home?
 
Ehorton said:
I’ve never had the chance to wear or use a cloth diaper. What’s it like? They appear to be much more bulky and harder to hide, not to mention what do you with the wet/dirty when not at home?

Most disposable diapers draw the wetness away from your skin, cloth diapers don't.

You can get thin cloth diapers or thick and you can combine them easier and get just the right bulkiness that you want. So the normal 'how to hide' rules apply - wear loose clothing and realize that people just don't notice.

I would just put the used cloth diaper(s) in a good plastic bag or two and seal tightly until I return home and can wash the cloth diapers.
 
I appreciate all the replies -- Thank you very Much! And more replies are also welcome as they may help other newbies to cloth diapers. I have spent several days looking through similar threads in here, and at various sites.
Whether right or wrong ( hopefully right for me ), today ( Tuesday ) I placed an order with Changing Times for a large twill prefold diaper and a large twill contour diaper, along with a pack of Boingo fasteners, a package of Snappie fasteners, and an XL Superman PUL panty. I feel that overall they have the best items, but we shall see. I have several Gary PUL panties but they are a medium, and a little tight in the thigh. They are fine for my disposable diapers though.
 
blondiewoof said:
I am thinking of trying cloth diapers and like any newbie I have some questions. I already know I need an approximate 44" x 44" ( depending on manufacturer ) so here are the questions:
1. Prefold, contour, or regular ( fold'em yourself )?

Pre fold works a lot easier. I have not used contour. Regular work too, but there a again you fold them and wind up with the same set as pre fold. Size 0.7070 times your waist size.

2. Material - cotton, gauze, or ?3. What is your favorite cloth diaper? And why?

Bird eye cotton is a little ruff and hotter when wearing.

Cotton twill is good.

I prefer cotton gauze. They are lighter, stretcher and look like actual baby diaper.


4. Where do you buy them? 5. What is the approximate cost? 6. Is shipping included?

I bought my pre fold from BabyPants.com. They where around $25 each the shipping was not that much. The "regular" diapers I have are 1 yard pieces of diaper fabric I got from Walmart at around $7. I have not had them hemmed and but they still are holding up. I just prefer the cotton gauze.

7. Do you prefer pins if necessary, or some other device to keep the diaper closed?

I prefer pins and use larger pins I got from Babypants.com. I have tried snappies but they did not work. I could not get them to hold into the fabric. My partner does not like to pin a diaper and someone here had a suggestion about small bungee cords. I put the pins in backwards at a 45 degree angle to the corner of the diaper and she will put the bungee hook through the eye of the diaper pin and repeat on the other side. It actually hold the diaper on and in place better then the pin alone.
 
As far as shipping Jenny at Babykins has given me free shipping, customs & major discounts because I buy in bulk (15 or more of an item) , the great thing about bulk is there is no small medium or large she does a custom run to exactly your specifications , she makes the first one sends it to you let's you wash it wear it see if it's how you want it , or you can tweak it for a better fit before she produces the rest of the order . Color doesn't matter , I usually order my onesies as 5 of each color she has in stock which generally means I get 30 or 35 at a time ,but this applies to all her products be it diapers, bibs, onesies,pants etc.. she will save you a fortune usually discounting each item as much as $5 plus the free shipping , she will also for a small fee do custom stuff like pockets and such when she does bulk orders. shes in British Columbia ( Canada ) so shipping large cases of product is not exactly cheap, so getting it free is sweet.

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I also use Babykins Jenny is great to deal with.
I get the 6or 7 mil thickness pants.
The trick in plastic pants is to hand wash them.
Pat dry with a towel then hang to dry.
Plastic pants hangers on the waist band
I get the pair with wide waist band.
Mine lasted 5 year's
I use baby shampoo on them.
The trick is to not get them to tite fitting.
Or you could split seem and thin thickness pants don't last.
Pul pants are cooler and let air in but wetness stays in the pant. you can call babykins they are happy to help over the phone they are ABDl aware .
Matter fact they were the supplier for DPF.
The 6or 7 mil pants were DPF's baby love baby pants.

Cloth diapers are better for side sleepers for leaking.
For the sides have cotton diaper folds when you use any flat type .
Not everyone is the same you must find what works for you so buy a few different kinds.
All in ones flats ,prefolds, conture,
Till you find your diaper.
Most of all they need t be washed up to 4-5 times until they reach absorbency .
No dryer sheets or fabric softener that makes the fibers not absorb fluid.
They make a diaper liners for poopies so you can flushing the mess out of diaper.
Hanging in the sun gets rid of stained diapers.
Hopefully this is helpful to you pins in soap help them to slide into cloth.
Velcro tends to wear out in time.
I like snaps or pins the baby pants big pins
 
blondiewoof said:
I appreciate all the replies -- Thank you very Much! And more replies are also welcome as they may help other newbies to cloth diapers. I have spent several days looking through similar threads in here, and at various sites.
Whether right or wrong ( hopefully right for me ), today ( Tuesday ) I placed an order with Changing Times for a large twill prefold diaper and a large twill contour diaper, along with a pack of Boingo fasteners, a package of Snappie fasteners, and an XL Superman PUL panty. I feel that overall they have the best items, but we shall see. I have several Gary PUL panties but they are a medium, and a little tight in the thigh. They are fine for my disposable diapers though.

I hope they work out for you! The Changing Times prefolds are my current favorites. I guess my only gripe would be that the 4x10x4-ply layering is verging on overkill. If they were 4x8x4-ply like the Baby Pants ones, I'd call them perfect. (I prefer the Changing Times prefolds to the Baby Pants prefolds in all other respects, though.)

I should add: You're brave. Not sure what diapers you've been using until now, but if you're moving from disposables to prefolds--that's a pretty big leap! Expect to spend some time warming up to them, especially to folding and fastening them. I like the Boingos too, but after trying many pin alternatives, I have to confess that I'm still a sucker for cute baby diaper pins. The Dritz brand, sold by Changing Times but also available in most fabric stores, works great. It's also fun to buy actual vintage baby diaper pins on eBay.

Let us know how it goes!
 
Cottontail said:
I hope they work out for you! The Changing Times prefolds are my current favorites. I guess my only gripe would be that the 4x10x4-ply layering is verging on overkill. If they were 4x8x4-ply like the Baby Pants ones, I'd call them perfect. (I prefer the Changing Times prefolds to the Baby Pants prefolds in all other respects, though.)

I should add: You're brave. Not sure what diapers you've been using until now, but if you're moving from disposables to prefolds--that's a pretty big leap! Expect to spend some time warming up to them, especially to folding and fastening them. I like the Boingos too, but after trying many pin alternatives, I have to confess that I'm still a sucker for cute baby diaper pins. The Dritz brand, sold by Changing Times but also available in most fabric stores, works great. It's also fun to buy actual vintage baby diaper pins on eBay.

Let us know how it goes!
If you want cheap liners , go to wally world and buy some frost cloth cut to size and bam! You got coverage I have seen them in infant size on rolls but for adults the frost cloth is the best option .

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blondiewoof said:
I am thinking of trying cloth diapers and like any newbie I have some questions. I already know I need an approximate 44" x 44" ( depending on manufacturer ) so here are the questions:
1. Prefold, contour, or regular ( fold'em yourself )?
a UK perspective, here: we tend not to bother with all the buggering about with folds that you do in the US; our traditional nappies are simply square terry-towelling and only a couple of folds, depending mainly on age/size of the child, for to get the best fit out of the one size nappy.
2. Material - cotton, gauze, or ?
terry-towelling, as said. when it comes to large-child upto adult, though, there is a big 'but' as the supplies sold for incontinence are usually of a poor quality material and vastly over-priced, which is why don't bother with them and just buy towels from nearby supermarkets. there are various grades of towelling, usually rated in 'gsm' (grammes per square metre) and i go for the highest available, which is usually around 800gsm. of course, not all sellers will display the gsm as it shows up their bread-and-butter stuff for the poor quality that they are, so you really need to have a look and feel of the material.
i do use standard gsm towels, but i double them over, which is also why i buy the bath-sheets rather the other sizes. bath-sheets of a good gsm will be fairly thick and can be cut in half to give two nappies, or you can double it over and think of it as a 'night' nappy:

with bath-sheets tending to come in 170cm or 150cm x 100cm a square nappy can be cut by just trimming off one side and the off-cut used as both a centre pad and as a guide for folding:
2016_0519a0012 Standard e-mail view.jpg

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you should be able to see the nature of the fold and how it will splay out when you pull the edges to wrap around you. the same fold was used the earlier pic, where i'm wearing a doubled-over bath-sheet and here's pics of it folded before use:
2016_0519a0006 Standard e-mail view.jpg

2016_0519a0007 Standard e-mail view.jpg

that fold is traditionally used for toddlers up and can be adjusted for ease of walking.
with a bath-sheet, though, you tend to get a good sag going on, so the material isn't wedged up into your crotch and it's much more comfortable for mobility.

i use frost-protection-fleece as a liner; it comes either as a large, folded sheet or on a roll. the roll is obviously easier to cut off a piece as needed. ideally, you should wash them before use; not just because of cleanliness, but because it'll soften the material. you can double the fleece for a silky-soft feel when you walk.

i use another type of fleece for comfort and as a 'quick-away' and one-way liner: it's generally used for insulating coats and stuff, but it's also found in 'quilted' bedding. i recently bought some quilted pillow-protectors and they work perfectly.
they add very little weight, but enough padding to be comfortable, if that's needed for emulation or, as with me, medical need.

i use mini-bungees instead of pins:
2016_0519a0002 Standard e-mail view.jpg

they can bought as a pack (with hooks). i've been using them for years and it's all pros, no cons. i've sharpened one of the bungee's hooks, as in the pic, for ease of fitting. i suppose you could say that i'm at a stage of saying 'pins are for pricks' :biggrin:


3. What is your favorite cloth diaper? And why?
4. Where do you buy them?
5. What is the approximate cost?
6. Is shipping included?
7. Do you prefer pins if necessary, or some other device to keep the diaper closed?
see above.

Please feel free to include any observations you may have.
plastic-pants: buy bigger than you you think you need. to be honest, going by the sizes and cuts about, you're probably best buying the largest size available; you can always adjust them down to fit, if need be.

i shan't go onto creams because i make my own.

laundering: it's recently come to light that not all washing machines wash at their claimed temperature. since you need to wash at 60C, it's worth checking that your machine is properly washing your nappies. if you don't have a suitable thermometer, simpy pausing your machine just before it goes onto the rinse cycle (once it's drained), waiting for the door-lock to deactivate and then opening the door and checking that your nappies are steaming hot will do. they should be too hot to handle.

i rinse my nappies before washing, using a cheapo limonene-based disinfectant (it's a degreaser, natural based). i also put them through another rinse cycle after washing.
it's also probably worth nothing that not all features of a washing machine will work on all wash cycles. for some reason, ours doesn't go onto it's top speed spin on the 60C cycle and i have to do a seperate spin for full effect.
you'll also need to ensure that the drumload is balanced properly; that'll mostly come down to trial and error as there are various factors involved, but you'll need at least three 'day' nappies in order to spread the load. if your machine goes rocking-bonkers, pause the cycle and let the nappies drip away their moisture for a few minutes, before restarting the cycle. sometimes, you have no choice but to take items out for safe operation.
oh, and be aware that you may need to add water (hot) as not only are modern machines not designed for washing nappies, but the nappies will obviously soak up the water automatically fed in. and that again has an impact on the draining and rinsing, so you need to keep an eye on the machine.

happy nappying

since i'm here editing, after getting auto-logged out and losing my uploads :cursing:, i may as well mention that the elastics on the plastic pants shouldn't be so tight as to leave a mark on the skin. they don't even need to be on the skin: you can rest them upon the nappy or, as i often do, the nappy's liner. any leaks are the failing of the nappy, not the pants.
 
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I use purity cotten flannel flat diapers. They come in 2 sizes, 44X44, &36X36. Both 2 layer & 4 layer I usually lay 1 44 4 layer out flat with 1 36 4 layer folded in quoters in the middle as a soaker. I lay a 36 folded in half over it for extra padding. A couple of 3" safety pins & some 2XL baby pants plastic pants & I'm good to go.
 
I am not a fan of pocket diapers for a few bucks more you can get an actual full diaper that the entire garment is absorbent not just a pad in the crotch , maybe ok for mild IC but definately not appropriate for full on bladder and/or bowel IC, anytime I tried a pocket diaper I did not get full containment nothing can be more embarrassing than destroying your clothes despite wearing a diaper , I may wear more diaper than I need on an ordinary day between changes however those irregular times when I have a fecal blowout I have time before it becomes aware to everyone to extricate myself and change without ruining clothes or other peoples evening.

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Seconded. Pocket diapers are good for very short times of wearing, or for those with minor or light incontinence. They are not going to hold up to a full bladder's worth of pee.

However, I have found they make excellent swim diapers. You can start off with the pad inserted as you drive to and from the water park/beach, or if also sun bathing beforehand.

Take out the pad when you get there, and there's just enough terry cloth lining to catch any dribbling till you get in the water (also perfect for when waiting in line of a water slide).

Note you will likely need to break the leg seal as you're getting out if the water though. Otherwise you will end up with a noticable pool of water sloshing around your crotch. This can be done discretely by sticking you finger behing your leg and pulling on the edge of the diaper (Just like as if you're trying to get rid of a wedgie). You eill already be dripping a lot of water as you're getting out, so nobody will be the wiser.
 
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