Cloth Diaper 101
Getting Setup
You want to use cloth diapers but it's confusing to figure out how many you need.
A great way to start is with our Starter Set. The Starter Set has everything you need for one full day of diapering or you could space them out over 2 or 3 days.
This will give you a great idea how cloth diapers work for your family - and you can alway add more to your stash.
For part-time use we suggest our Part-time Stash. It's loaded with everything you need to get going if you want to use cloth on the weekends, at home or just during the day.
For part-time use we suggest starting with 12 diapers. Our Part-time Stash includes 6 Tush Diapers + 6 Inners + 2 Clutches and 12 Wipes.
12 diapers is a conservative start because you can always add more to your stash.
If you know you want to go all in. We suggest checking out our Fulltime Stash complete with everything you need to jump right in.
If you want to jump right into fulltime we suggest aiming for 24-36 diapers. You may end up need more - but you can always add more to your stash when you're ready. Our fulltime stash inclues 24 diaper changes.
Diaper 101
Let's go over some of the most common cloth diaper questions.
Help them perform their best. Natural fibers, like cotton, become more absorbent with each wash.
When your diapers arrive wash Covers 1x and Inners 3x on a normal hot cycle (40’-60’ C/100'-150' F). You can wash your diapers with other laundry or on their own. It’s up to you.
Change every 2-4 hours. When your baby gets older, you can add a Booster for more absorbency.
This is really all about preference. Some families like a fresh Cover + Inner with every diaper change and others are happy to use the same Cover and just swap out the Inner.
Tush Diapers are super versatile and adjustable for you and your family - both options work great!
They are called rise settings. As your baby gets bigger their torso grows longer. If you see gaps around thighs when your baby is wearing a Tush Diaper it means the setting is too big. Go down a row of snaps and see if you have better results.
These is our "cheat" sheet:
Infant – smallest setting
Crawler – low middle setting
Walker – high middle setting
Runner – highest setting
Adjust the rise snaps to your baby’s size. Snap the Inner into the Cover.
Lay your baby on the diaper. Snap the Cover on. The Cover must be snug. The diaper must create a “seal” to keep leaks in.
Make sure there are no gaps around the thighs, this will cause leaks.
You should be able to fit 2 fingers into the waistband. If you can fit more the Outer is too loose.
If the Inner is sticking out this will cause leaks. If you are experiencing leaks around the thighs but your inserts aren’t fully wet – adjust to a smaller rise setting.
Diaper Care
Diaper laundry is simple and easy bit there are a few rules. Lets go over them.
Believe it or not airing out dirty diapers helps diminish funky odours. An open pail is the best way to naturally deodorize your dirty diapers.
If the smell is too strong we suggest storing your dirty diapers in a well-aerated location.
On wash day add the dirty Wet Bag to your diaper laundry. If using a pail – wash and dry it.
Keep it simple. We like washing diapers 2x a week. But you can wash more or less frequently based on your use and what works for your family.
Step 1. Pre-wash. A normal cool or hot water cycle for about 1 hour with half the detergent (for the load size).
Step 2. Main Wash. A normal hot cycle with the full amount of detergent.
Step 3. Rinse. Run a rinse cycle to ensure all the detergent has been removed.
We recommend washing diapers in hot water (40-60’C/100'-150'F). If hot water is not available don’t worry, sun drying works wonders and helps to naturally disinfect diapers too.
A good detergent will keep your diapers smelling fresh and clean.
We recommend starting with the detergent you already use.
Remember, less is more. Detergent is highly concentrated and most brands only require 2 tablespoons for a full load. Follow the recommended dose listed by your brand.
Line or tumble dry.
Drying your Inners directly in the sun works to naturally bleach stains. If you don't have stains we suggest drying in indirect sunlight -it's gentler on textiles making them last longer.
*Excessive exposure to direct sunlight will damage Covers and Inners.
Poop is gross no matter what.
Dealing with poopy diapers takes getting used to but it’s not a big deal.
Remove solids. If your baby is eating solid food you will want to remove as much of the solid waste before putting in your dry pail.
We suggest trying out many different poop-removal methods - you will eventually find something you like. But we think that compostable diaper liners are the easiest to deal with.
Night Diapers are more prone to buildup because of higher concentrations of ammonia in overnight pee.
We suggest simply rinsing Night Diapers in the morning. This can be done in under a minute.
A little attention can go a long way in reducing smell and potential ammonia buildup.