Mega-beginner Question: How to Wear Cloth Diapers

[YakuiAndOzoi]

Hello all! I have a super basic question I'm a little embarrassed to ask, but just can't figure out with research on my own.

I am very seriously considering ordering a diaper from DependEco. Specifically, I am looking to buy one of their AIO diapers (that is, just for full clarity, one of these three: All In One PUL Diaper, AIO Cotton Diaper, or AIO Flannel Diaper). However! I am totally unsure as to the mechanics of how I would actually put one of these diapers on my own body!

The only diapers I've ever used (as an adult) have been plastic disposables which use a hook-and-loop system. I'm completely and totally oblivious to anything other than tape / velcro methods when it comes to actually putting a diaper on.
How are these diapers put on? The more detail the better really! I'm very new to all of this so it's very appreciated!

Thanks so much!

 

[Belarin]

For those particular diapers you put them on pretty much the same way you would a disposable.

Line the back end up along your waist, bring the front up between your lags and then wrap the side wings round using the hook and loop tape to fasten them.

Other styles might use snaps instead of hook and loop but they still go on the same way just using snaps to hold them rather than hook and loop.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

For those particular diapers you put them on pretty much the same way you would a disposable.

Line the back end up along your waist, bring the front up between your lags and then wrap the side wings round using the hook and loop tape to fasten them.

Other styles might use snaps instead of hook and loop but they still go on the same way just using snaps to hold them rather than hook and loop.

I see I see! I didn't realize these used hook-and-loop tapes! That makes everything really easy to me since I know how to use those and consider those easy to use! That makes me really happy!

I'm not sure why I can't identify the DependEco ones as using hook-and-loop honestly. I feel like I'm missing something really obvious!

 

[Belarin]

the dependeco ones say in the description they are hook and loop, but even the styles with snaps are the same basic shape just that instead of a strip of H&L there are snaps that you press together to fasten.

I did prefer H&L for a long time as you can get a more accurate fit and have more adjustabilitty but it doesn't last as long after many many washes, it get thin and loses grip, snaps tend to last longer.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

the dependeco ones say in the description they are hook and loop, but even the styles with snaps are the same basic shape just that instead of a strip of H&L there are snaps that you press together to fasten.

I did prefer H&L for a long time as you can get a more accurate fit and have more adjustabilitty but it doesn't last as long after many many washes, it get thin and loses grip, snaps tend to last longer.

I see! I don't really know anything about snaps but they seem mostly self-explainatory. Thanks a ton for the clarifications and help! I'm excited to give these a go!

 

[Belarin]

snaps (also known as poppers in some countries) are basically like little round studs about a cm across, one side has an circle that sticks out the other has a socket, when you push them together they click into place and stay together until you pull them apart.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

snaps (also known as poppers in some countries) are basically like little round studs about a cm across, one side has an circle that sticks out the other has a socket, when you push them together they click into place and stay together until you pull them apart.

I see! I've definately seen this design on non-diaper things! Thanks for clarifying! I really appreciate it!

 

[Belarin]

No worries, cloth diapers are my jam, always glad to help people explore this option.

Snaps tend to get used a lot on things like coats, handbags, duvet covers etc. they are great on AIO diapers as they do last a good long time after hundreds of washes whereas hook and loop depending on the quality can begin to fail after as little as about 20 washes (though a lot more than that if good quality) especially so if you are not good at keeping to a schedule and leave wet ones sitting around for too long.

Often on AIO diapers with snaps there will be either 4 (in a square shape one on each corner) or 3 (an L shape) on the wings and 2 rows of maybe 6-8 snaps along the top front of the diaper to attach them to about an inch apart for adjustments, just try them out until you get the snug fit you need.

You will also often see AIO diapers with snaps that have extra rows of snaps in the front like These Baby diapers, those bottom 3 rows are for adjusting the rise of the diaper so you can make it shorter or longer as a baby grows, adult version have them too to help with fitting so they are more of a one size fits all thing. Just clip the top row of these into a lower row to get them to fit right and tuck the extra inside, easier to show than explain in text.

With Hook and loop the hook side is always on the wings to prevent it from becoming scratchy so you also might find that a diaper with hook and loop also has an extra "loop" piece inside the wings next to the hooks, this is so that when you take it off to go in the wash you can fold the tip of the wing over and attach the hooks to it so they are not rubbing against all the other fabric in the wash, this helps them last longer.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

With Hook and loop the hook side is always on the wings to prevent it from becoming scratchy so you also might find that a diaper with hook and loop also has an extra "loop" piece inside the wings next to the hooks, this is so that when you take it off to go in the wash you can fold the tip of the wing over and attach the hooks to it so they are not rubbing against all the other fabric in the wash, this helps them last longer.

This (as well as all the rest of the info, of course) is really really helpful to know! Thank you a ton! I now know how to increase longevity (or, at least, not expediate my diapers' demise) and I'm no longer scared of the unknown of snaps! ☆

 

[Belarin]

No worries I am always happy to help especially when it means more people exploring the wonderful world of cloth diapers. If you have any other questions or need more info feel free to shout and I'll do my best to help.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

No worries I am always happy to help especially when it means more people exploring the wonderful world of cloth diapers. If you have any other questions or need more info feel free to shout and I'll do my best to help.

Absolutely. I'll take you up on that for sure! Thanks again! ☆

 

[Cottontail]

@YakuiAndOzoi, definitely don't hesitate to contact DependEco (a.k.a. Monika--pretty sure she's a one-woman operation) if you have any sizing or other questions. I have a stocky build and found that her stock sizes weren't quite right for me (not quite long enough). On subsequent orders she customized the length of the diapers for me and IIRC there was no extra charge for that, which I found astonishing.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

@YakuiAndOzoi, definitely don't hesitate to contact DependEco (a.k.a. Monika--pretty sure she's a one-woman operation) if you have any sizing or other questions. I have a stocky build and found that her stock sizes weren't quite right for me (not quite long enough). On subsequent orders she customized the length of the diapers for me and IIRC there was no extra charge for that, which I found astonishing.

Yeah! The sizing adjustments were laid out in the FAQ and other places of the (charmingly (dis)organized!) site! I was very impressed as well by the flexibility and kindness she offered in general with a lot of things (makes sense as they're all custom-made, but that there's no upcharge for stuff life that is nice!).

It was payout day for some freelance work this morning and after carefully remeasuing myself I seemed fine for everything so I've actually just gone ahead and put in my first order! It's a bit too hard for me to know what my ideal rise would be so, seeing as the sizes at least were in clear "workable" territory, I am excited to know I can learn my preferences some from this first order and ask for adjustments on future ones going forward!

I suppose now is also a good time to say thank you for your reccomendation once more! I'm very excited to see how they work for me ☆

 

[Belarin]

@YakuiAndOzoi, definitely don't hesitate to contact DependEco (a.k.a. Monika--pretty sure she's a one-woman operation) if you have any sizing or other questions. I have a stocky build and found that her stock sizes weren't quite right for me (not quite long enough). On subsequent orders she customized the length of the diapers for me and IIRC there was no extra charge for that, which I found astonishing.

Yeah I keep hearing some really good things about dependeco and the owner.
I would love to give them a try, prices are great considering material costs but the trouble is $52 for shipping to UK for just 1 diaper ($72 for 3) and most likely an import fee to pay as well on top (at least there was with the threaded armor I got from the states), makes them too expensive for me right now, maybe sometime down the live I'll give one a go.

 

[Cottontail]

Yeah I keep hearing some really good things about dependeco and the owner.
I would love to give them a try, prices are great considering material costs but the trouble is $52 for shipping to UK for just 1 diaper ($72 for 3) and most likely an import fee to pay as well on top (at least there was with the threaded armor I got from the states), makes them too expensive for me right now, maybe sometime down the live I'll give one a go.

Yeah, I totally get why the curiosity threshold for these trans-Atlantic diaper experiments has to be pretty high. (I'm actually away from home and in my Threaded Armor diaper right now. What a great stealth option these are! Well recommended.) Her willingness to customize is absolutely my favorite thing about her diapers. You can even send her fabrics of your choosing and she'll use them for the covers. I was curious if she'd be willing to make diapers with minky covers. "Sure! Send it over." (Be it known that minky and hard water aren't best friends, but after a few adventures with stubborn smells I've figured out how to get those diapers clean, heh.)

 

[Belarin]

Yeah, I totally get why the curiosity threshold for these trans-Atlantic diaper experiments has to be pretty high.

Yeah one of these days I'm gonna have to take a trip to the states and maybe find a way to order a bunch of diaper stuff to bring back with me not so sure how that would work with customs though but worth considering (probably end up costing the same when you take flight tickets into account but at least it would be a fun break).

(I'm actually away from home and in my Threaded Armor diaper right now. What a great stealth option these are! Well recommended.)

Glad they seem to be working out for you, I finally got round to tweaking my clone version and made one that turned out really well so I'm a happy boy.

Her willingness to customize is absolutely my favorite thing about her diapers. You can even send her fabrics of your choosing and she'll use them for the covers. I was curious if she'd be willing to make diapers with minky covers. "Sure! Send it over." (Be it known that minky and hard water aren't best friends, but after a few adventures with stubborn smells I've figured out how to get those diapers clean, heh.)

Yeah I have a hard water problem here, It's one of the reasons I like Rockin Green detergent as it's meant to be designed for diapers and for hard water areas and seems to do the job nicely.

 

[Zeke]

Yeah one of these days I'm gonna have to take a trip to the states and maybe find a way to order a bunch of diaper stuff to bring back with me not so sure how that would work with customs though but worth considering (probably end up costing the same when you take flight tickets into account but at least it would be a fun break).


Glad they seem to be working out for you, I finally got round to tweaking my clone version and made one that turned out really well so I'm a happy boy.


Yeah I have a hard water problem here, It's one of the reasons I like Rockin Green detergent as it's meant to be designed for diapers and for hard water areas and seems to do the job nicely.

The water that I have is extremely hard with high lime content. For this I use Borax in the wash cycle followed by 1-1/2 cups of white vinegar in the first rinse cycle. Between the two products all effects of hard water have been eliminated. Before using them I was having a hard time with residual lime trapping detergent in my washed diapers which led to severe ammonia buildup, and the accompanying burning sensation, shortly after wetting. Now this is gone and my laundered diapers smell fresh with no ammonia. As for my two cents on the OP’s question is that AIO’s are more difficult to launder and more difficult to get dry due to their waterproof outer layer. Another problem is that this waterproof outer layer sometimes wears out before the rest of the diaper which necessitate the use of a waterproof diaper cover.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

As for my two cents on the OP’s question is that AIO’s are more difficult to launder and more difficult to get dry due to their waterproof outer layer. Another problem is that this waterproof outer layer sometimes wears out before the rest of the diaper which necessitate the use of a waterproof diaper cover.

Good to know! Thank you for sharing this info. I appreciate it a lot!

 

[Belarin]

As for my two cents on the OP’s question is that AIO’s are more difficult to launder and more difficult to get dry due to their waterproof outer layer. Another problem is that this waterproof outer layer sometimes wears out before the rest of the diaper which necessitate the use of a waterproof diaper cover.

I totally agree, AIO's are nice and simple but it's so much faster and easier to wash and dry a non waterproof (2 piece or AI2) and waterproof pants, and then if the pants begin to fail they are cheaper to replace.

 

[YakuiAndOzoi]

I totally agree, AIO's are nice and simple but it's so much faster and easier to wash and dry a non waterproof (2 piece or AI2) and waterproof pants, and then if the pants begin to fail they are cheaper to replace.

It's not that bad of an idea, but from what I understand training pants have a different feeling. The AIOs look far more "bulky" which is extremely preferable to me personally! I have a very open mind since I haven't tried either, but I think I the feeling of the bulkiness would likely make them not directly comparable!