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CLOTH DIAPER 101

How to Categorize Different Types of  Cloth Diapers?

• Prefold Cloth Diapers

  Prefold cloth diaper is essentially a rectangular flat piece of fabric consists of several layers. These layers are sewn together creating three panels, one in the middle and two at the sides. The reasons making prefolds so popular are they are inexpensive but moderately easy to use. It is much less complicated to fold it to fit compared to "grandma style" old fashion flats. Prefolds are widely used by cloth diaper services in Canada due to its durability and ease of washing.
  
  Prefolds do require cloth diaper covers. They can be fastened by diaper pins or Sanppi diaper fastener, but with modern designed cloth diaper covers, you can just simply lay it in the cover and good to go (e.g., Econobum One-Size Diaper Cover & One-Size Prefold).

  It is a good choice for parents with tight budget, and at the same time not afraid of learning and doing some folding. It is also great for newborns because most of the one size diapers do not fit newborns well, and many people do not want to spend several hundred bucks on relative expensive newborn pocket diapers for a short 8-week newborn period.
  

• Contour Cloth Diapers

  Contour diapers are shaped like regular disposable diapers but made of several layers of absorbent fabric like sherpa, hemp, or cotton. The beauty of contour  cloth diapers is their terrific fit over a wide size range. They are highly flexible and can be customized to achieve best fit to your little ones. The design make contour diapers very easy to use and an economical alternative to fitted diapers. Please aware that contour diapers might not have elastic around the waist and thigh, it requires diaper pins or Snappi diaper fasteners to keep the it in place.
  
  Waterproof cloth diapers covers are required for contour cloth diapers.

  Check our Kissaluvs one-size and multiple-size contour cloth diapers at our cloth diapering store, available in unbleached or 5 other lovely colors.

• Fitted Cloth Diapers
  
  Fitted diapers are similar to contour cloth diapers but they have built in snaps or velcro fasteners, which makes the diaper changes almost as easy as the disposable diapers. In addition, they have elastic at the waist and legs to offer snug but comfortable fit, provide extra protection to hold the babies waste better. With this more advanced cloth diapering system, you are able to do the diaper change without sophisticated diaper folding skills. Generally speaking, fitted diaper offers perfect fit, therefore, it is definitely a wise choice for newborns. The fabric used for fitted cloth diapers could be hemp, cotton, or sherpa. As a cloth diapering beginner, you should be aware that fitted cloth diapers do require separate waterproof diaper covers.

• Pocket Cloth Diapers
  
  Pocket cloth diapers are brilliantly designed modern cloth diapers, which is a two part diapering system consisting a diaper cover and an separate insert functioning as an absorbent core. Pocket cloth diapers are getting more and more popular because they are easy to wash, as easy to use as disposable ones, and most importantly, they keep the babies dry, and minimize the irritation to the baby's skin. There is a "pocket" between the outside cover and the inner layer for inserts or boosters. Insert goes into the pocket is made of absorbent materials like cotton, hemp, fleece, micro-terry or micro-fiber to keep babies dry. Dozens of fantastic colors and prints are available for the pocket diapers.

• Hybrid Cloth Diapers

  Hybrid cloth diapers are the best combination of the traditional disposable diapers and reusable cloth diapering system. It consists of a washable outer shelf or diaper cover and an inner liner, which could be either disposable or reusable. It offers the most convenience while help you on savings. Gro Baby cloth diaper, called GroVia now, is a good example of hybrid diapering system that allows you to use the one-size diaper shell paired with organic soaker pad or biodegradable soaker pads while the baby is on vacation with you or at day care. Flip cloth diaper is another popular hybird system that makes cloth diapering never be so easy! TOSS the used insert into your diaper pail, REPLACE the insert with a clean one, and REUSE the cover. That is how simple it is. The outer cover can be used with reusable stay dry or cotton organic inserts, or with disposable inserts.
  

• One Size Cloth Diapers

  One size fits all. By offering potential big savings and providing perfect fit to your little one by the snap or aplix diaper size adjustment system, one size cloth diaper becomes one of the hottest choices of parents. Generally they are extremely durable and built to last since it will be used for more than 3 years from the time your baby is born until the time they are out of cloth diapers.  The snap-adjustable one size cloth diaper is the best solution that satisfies your babies' needs from birth to potty-training.
  

• AIO Cloth Diapers - All In One

  It you are looking for the cloth diapering system with the most convenience, AIO is the one to go after. It has everything you need in one diaper. No folding, no extra cover, no wrap, no inserts, no extra stuffing, and no extra steps. It operates in a similar fashion to disposable diapers except it is reusable, more economical, and environment-friendly. It is at the high end in terms of price among different types of cloth diapers, but considering no needs for separate purchase of the inserts or doublers, it is definitely worth what you pay.

How to Categorize Different Types of  Cloth Diaper Covers?

If you are using flat, pre-fold, or fitted cloth diaper, you will need cloth diaper covers. Cloth diaper covers are normally made from waterproof or water-resistant fabrics to prevent leaking and help hold in mess. Cloth diaper covers available on the market are typically made of Polyurethane Laminate (PUL), Wool, or Fleece.

• Wool cloth diaper cover is made of natural fiber and is breathable, sustainable and super-soft. It lets the air circulate which can reduce diaper rash and keep babies cooler. Wool also is naturally anti-bacterial and has a built in ability to hold water (e.g., Kissaluvs wool lover diaper cover, and Happy Heinys stacinator stretch wool diaper covers). Its wonderful features justify its relative high price. It definitely worth the money you pay.

• Fleece cloth diaper cover is less expensive compared to wool diaper cover, but provides superior wetness protection and leak prevention, although not as good as wool diaper covers. Happy Heinys Stacinator fleece diaper cover gives your babies an affordable option.

• PUL cloth diaper covers are water resistant and help to reduce bulk. It is  the best option if you are looking for an easy to carry, easy to use, and easy to care system. Check our best selling Thirsties duo wrap.

Wool Cloth Diaper Covers

Although Wool Diaper Covers are the most expensive covers, it is always the first choice of parents due to the followings:

• Strong absorbency. It can absorb roughly 30% of its own weight before starting leaking. It is more than just a diaper cover, it boosts the soaking capability of the total diapering system. If you little one is a heavy wetter, you should definitely go with wool diaper covers. It is also a good choice for night time sleeping.

• It is soft, all natural, extremely breathable, which makes your babies more comfortable and avoid diaper rashes.

• It is anti-bacterial itself and does not retain moisture or liquid.

• No need to wash each time after use due to its self-cleaning feature. Simply dry it in the air between uses. 10-15 days wash frequency is recommended.

• Easy to wash and care.

Fleece Cloth Diaper Covers

Fleece Cloth Diaper Covers could be an alternative option to wool diaper covers if your budget is limited. The fleece diaper cover is easier for manufacturing and, therefore, less expensive, but it shares similar features as wool covers: extremely breathable and highly absorbent although not as good as wool. The moisture held by the cover can be easily removed with good airflow in an open area. It requires more frequent wash, every 2 - 3 uses on average. The good news is unlike wool covers, it can be machine washed and air dried. Check Enfant Style Cloth Diaper Home for different brands of cloth diaper covers.

PUL Cloth Diaper Covers - Polyurethane Laminated Diaper Cover

PUL diaper cover is a layer of cotton or other types of fabric laminated with a thin layer of Polyurethane. This type of diaper cover is:

• Waterproof but remain breathable. Less breathable compared to wool diaper covers or fleece diaper covers.

• Requires little care and can be wiped clean and air dry between uses.

• Light weight, small and easy to carry even in your wallet. Good choice for travel.

• Trimmest among all types of diaper covers, it can hardly be notices under the baby's fashionable clothes.

• Super durable and lasts for a extremely long time. It won't get yellow or crack over time.

What Types of Accessories I need for Cloth Diapering?

• Liner - A thin layer of fabric used between the bottom of the baby and the diaper. It is set against the baby's skin to keep the solids and diaper rash creams off of the cloth diapers, making it easier for cleaning. Both reusable liners (e.g., Happy Heinys fleece liner) and flushable/biodegradable liners (e.g., Kushies flushable diaper liner) are available in the market. The flushable liners make your cloth diapering easier since you may simply flush it down the toilet along with the waste.

• Doubler or Booster  - Can be added onto the cloth diaper to increase absorbency. It offers extra protection and especially useful for nighttime sleeping and heavy wetters. Sometimes, a prefold cloth diaper (e.g., JamTots one-size organic hemp prefold diaper) can be used as doubler as well..

• Insert - Absorbent material goes into the pocket of the pocket cloth diaper to achieve better absorbency. Many fabric options are available, including hemp inserts, fleece inserts, bamboo inserts, organic cotton inserts and micro-fiber inserts.

• Cloth Wipe - A piece of fabric used to clean the babies' bottoms. It can be used with bottom cleaner (e.g., Happy Heinys Heiny wash) to achieve better result. Save money and help the environment.

• Cloth Diaper Changing Pads - Waterproof, and super soft. Keep your precious little one from the elements. Fits nicely to protect car seats or bassinets. Try it for mess-free.

• Cloth Diaper Wet Bag OR Pail Liner - Diaper wet bags or pail liners are waterproof bags used to store dirty and soiled cloth diapers and keep any unpleasant odors inside. Diaper tote bags are designed for travel or when you are away from home. It is smaller than pail liner, and can usually hold 4-6 cloth diapers. The pail liners are much bigger and can easily hold 2-3 days worth of diapers. They can be put in a pail or just hang on any hook or doorknob without the need for a “pail” system. Also, diaper wet bags and cloth diaper pail liners have many other uses you might not be thinking of:
  * Take to the pool for your wet swimsuits or swim diapers
  * Makes a great lunch bag for the kids
  * Use as a shoe bag for those muddy soccer shoes or when traveling.
  Both tote bags and pail liners can be removed on the laundry day and washed along with dirty diapers. For family traveling, we recommend 2 tote bags, one for dry diapers and cloth wipes, and one for wet diapers and cloth wipes. At home, we also recommend 2 pail liners for rotation in case one of them is in the wash machine.

• Cloth Diaper Pail Freshner - Makes your diaper pail liners or wet bags not smell like a diaper pail (e.g., Rockin Greeen diaper pail freshner).

• Cloth Diaper Odor Remover - Eliminate the odors from cloth diapers and diaper pail liners (e.g., bumGenius cloth diaper odor remover).

• Cloth Diaper Detergent - Helps you to fight stinky diapers and make them refreshing (e.g., Rockin Green cloth diaper detergent).

• Bottom Cleaner - Helps clean and refresh the diaper area of your babies without harsh chemicals, 100% natural.

• Diaper Sprayer - The diaper sprayer is a fresh way to clean soiled cloth diapers. Its high-pressure spray rinses clean even the messiest diapers (e.g., Mini Shower diaper sprayer, and bumGenius diaper sprayer).

• Diaper Rash Cream - Gentle care for your babies.  Helps to protect, prevent, and heal diaper rashes (e.g., Grandma El's diaper rash cream,  Baby bottom better diaper salve,  GroVia magic stick).