Hanz's : Specially for newbies
Disclaimer : This compilation notes obtained originally from several local cloth diaper online stores. What I did was cut&paste :P & voila, it becomes A to Z, quick & almost complete guidelines in cloth diapering specially made for you who wants to know more about CD-ing & find it difficult to digest so many things in CD-ing or just curios & feels want to try cloth diaper.
Many, many thanks to those cloth diaper stores that I frequent to as those available notes in your site(s) managed to assist me & I am proud to claim I am one ADDICTED CLOTH DIAPER MOMMAS!! 99.9% Cloth diapering & never look back. I love it!
I hope this note able to assist you in this journey. Happy Cloth Diapering!
A- All In One (AIO) contain all necessary components of a diaper including a soaker pad and waterproof cover. AIO most similar to disposables, convenient for fast & easy changes. It is most expensive & may need extra drying time.
B -Boosters boost the diaper by providing extra absorbent fabric when it is needed, for example at night. Some babies require boosting at night because they are heavy wetter & the diaper alone is not enough to hold the wee throughout the 12 hours. Most babies only require one booster in addition to the diaper, though some babies require 2 if they are very heavy wetter.
C- Covers are used over a prefold, contour or fitted diaper to protect baby’s clothes from wetness. The covers are shaped & fasten with snaps or Velcro or may simply pull on. It can be made of nylon, PUL or heavier fabrics such as wool or fleece. The heavier fabric are ideal for overnight as they allow more air circulation.
D-Detergent to use when washing cloth diaper must be free of dyes, enzymes, perfumes, whiteness & brightness. Using detergents containing these ingredients will cause damage to your diaper including elastic failure & leaking.
E-Extremely important to wash your new diapers & inserts at least 3 times before using for the first time. This to ensure the absorbency as because during the manufacturing process, there can be residue left on the fabric that can cause leakage.
F-Fitted diapers do not require folding as they have a contoured shape. They also have gathered or elasticized legs & waists to prevent leaks or blow-outs. It is fasten with Velcro or snaps & generally used with diaper cover, although a cover may not be required if you are able to change the diaper promptly when wet or soiled.
G-Great way to embark cloth diapering journey is to know your baby and your situation. Do not stick to one brand or one type only. Try one piece of few brands initially of the type suits you most and move on after observation made finding which system & which brand works well. Those diapers that you like least can always be resell as cloth diapers do possess resale value.That's one of the beauty in cloth diapering!
H-Hemp is a coarse fiber made from the inner bark of the hemp plant. It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbancy & natural anti-microbial property. Hemp absorbency will increase with the use of its age.
I-Inserts is used with pocket diaper by stuffing it inside a special pocket within the two layers for absorbency. It can be made of many materials including microfiber, terrycloth, hemp or prefold diapers.
J-Just wash your diapers in normal water with washing machine with ¼ of detergent recommended & dry it out on clothesline where best with sun contact. The sun is the best bleacher to remove stain & odour.
K-Keep babies skin healthy & prevent diaper rash by changing diaper every 2 to 3 hours regardless of how dry it may feel.
L-Liners are thin layers of material that are placed on the diaper, against baby’s bottom. Liners are an optional extra when cloth diapering your baby but it comes in handy especially when your baby need to use nappy cream or medication cream. It is to prevent the cream getting onto the cloth diapers which will leave a greasy residue on the fleece & may causing leaky diapers.
M-Microfiber insert are one type of insert absorbent pieces designed to be inserted into a pocket diaper. Must take note that this material must not touch baby’s skin.It can cause nasty rashes.
N-Newborn diapering can be a bit tricky due to the sizing & frequent poos & pees. Mostly recommended to use prefold with or without diaper cover before switching to other types.Usually switching would take place after baby is one month to two months old.
O-One size(OS) diaper usually available mostly in pocket,fitted & cover, also few in AIO & AI2. This system works by using a set of snaps to fold over excess material & it is made to fit a child from birth through 3 years of age. The snaps allow material to be fold over when a child is young & let out as baby grows.However do take note that different brand of OS varies in sizing & if your baby has chunky tight, getting sized diaper instead with side snapping is possible alternative.
P-Pocket diapers consist of 2 separate parts which must be assembled before use. An outside, waterproof layer protects an inner layer of microfleece or microsuede. It must be used together with insert creating an AIO style diaper.
Q-Questions that you should ask yourself before venturing cloth diapering as listed below:
- Why you want to use cloth diaper & why you want to convert to cloth diapering?
- What are you looking for? Used daytime? Nighttime? Replace disposables totally?
- Who to put it on? Mother? Caregiver?
- Specific requirement: Long hours? To use multiple children? On tight budget?
R-Repelling issue occur when your baby’s diaper leak from around the legs while the inside stays relatively dry. To confirm this, perform the water droplets test on the fleece by shaking a few drops of water on your diapers. Does the water bead up on the surface or get instantly absorbed? If the water droplets bead up then your diapers need a few more washings in hot or warm water using detergent. Repelling can also occur due to the type of detergent. Check whether it contains fabric fibers & greatly decrease absorbency.
S-Strip washing is needed once in a while to remove the residue left on the fleece by detergents. To do this, fill a sink with hot water & add in some dish washing liquid. Hand wash your diapers, rubbing the fleece vigorously together or use hard bristle toothbrush to scrub the fleece. Turn inside out & repeat on this side. Rinse several time, making sure that the water runs clear.
T-Training your baby for potty gets easier & faster as your baby can feel the ‘wetness’ due to the moisture despite the dry feeling of the fabric. Proven by many cloth diaper mothers.
U-Urine smell strong in cloth diaper meaning the diaper is not getting clean enough. Smell them when they are wet out of the washer & if it is smelly, make sure you have enough water in your washing machine & enough ‘swish’ room for your diapers. Do not overload your machine with diapers. But if the urine smell is strong as soon as your baby pees in it, this is detergent build-up problem. Solution : Strip washing them.
V-Velcro or also called hook & loop is a type of closure that as easy as disposable. It is quicker to fasten during diaper change but can wear out if it is not properly cared. Some prefer snaps closure as it better for kids who like to take their diapers off.
W-Wet bag is necessary to store soiled diaper when you are out & about. Convenient for daycare and babysitter too to ensure smooth cloth diaper manning.Make your cloth diapering daycare-friendly!
X-X-press your cloth diapering addiction by getting funky print diapers so others can oogling at it.The plus point is you get to promote this to others indirectly.
Y-You must bear in mind that cloth diapers are cheaper for parents as it is reusable, healthier for babies as no nasty chemicals like dioxin in them, better for the environment & just as convenient as disposables.
Z-Zest your parenting style with cloth diapering & you are one step closer leading a GREENER LIFE!!
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