Cloth Diapering Information

Why Choose Cloth Diapers?

Cloth diapers will save you money – each child, on average, will require between 6-10,000 diaper changes during the first 2-3 years of their life.  Cloth diaper packages will cost anywhere from $300-1,000 depending on your preference of products and the number you purchase.  These will also last through more than one child.  Disposable diapers and wipes will cost approximately $2,100-3,500 per child.  There is a potential cost savings of approximately $1,800-2,500 per child if you use cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly – over 4 million disposable diapers are thrown away in Canada every day.  Disposable diapers can take many years to break down depending on the landfill conditions and one baby can generate up to 1 ton of waste if diapered exclusively in disposable diapers.  Cloth diapers are reusable by design and although they require energy and water to be washed, they are still a good choice in helping to sustain the environment.

Cloth diapers are free of harmful chemicals – the materials used in the manufacture of cloth diapers have changed over time such that practices of producing them require fewer harsh chemicals; unbleached organic cotton, hemp and even bamboo require few or no pesticides to produce.  See our Resource Links for more information on the cloth versus disposable diaper issue.

Cloth diapers are easy to use – today’s modern cloth diapers are easy to put on and easy to care for.  They make diapering your baby less of a chore with their methods of construction using the Aplix hook and loop closures and snaps.  No pins here!  One or two loads of extra laundry each week, depending on how many you use, will not change your routine a great deal.  With cloth diapers, you also don’t have to worry about running out and having to drive to the store to buy more.  Just pop them in the wash and in no time you’ve got more ready to go.

Cloth diapers are stylish – today’s cloth diapers come in a rainbow of colors, both solids and prints, making it fun and trendy for your baby luv!  They’re so cute, you’ll hate to cover them up.  When you’re out and about, everyone will be asking you where you found such adorable diapers for your baby – you can tell them you found them here at Baby Luv Boutique!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of diapers are there?

The cloth diapers of old often meant lots of folding, pinning, and wet diaper pails.  Today’s modern cloth diapers are made with exceptional fabrics that have been sewn into contoured, great fitting garments for your child that are easy for anyone to use – even Dads!  The diapers we carry are manufactured with care in the United States.  The material used on the interior is a custom-milled microfleece with a waterproof exterior made of polyurethane laminate (PUL).   This means the diapers do not require an additional cover. 

You can still get traditional flat diapers, prefold diapers, and fitted diapers that require additional covers.  At Baby Luv Boutique, we know how demanding the daily needs of baby are, so we carry diaper systems that offer the greatest ease of use and convenience for families.  Currently we offer diapers in two styles – pocket style diapers and all-in-one style diapers. 

Pocket diapers by themselves are not complete and do require an insert to function properly.  These inserts can be made of layers of microfleece, terry, cotton or material such as hemp, which has a much higher level of absorbency than any of the previously mentioned materials.  Inserts are placed inside or “stuffed” and the level of absorbency can then be customized for each child at each stage of growth. 

Newborns will not require as much insert material as compared to a toddler.  Daytime use may not require as much stuffing as nap time or overnight use.  That is the nice feature with pocket diapers – you adjust the amount of insert material needed to work for your child.  You can use the inserts we carry or you can even use prefolds, old towels or flat diapers to place inside your pocket diaper – there are many options available!

Pocket diapers may come in specific sizes such as XS to XL or can be a one-size diaper with additional fasteners, which allow you to customize the fit and rise of the garment to suit your baby.  Happy Heiny’s offer multiple sizes and Mommy’s Touch offer a one-size diaper.  There are benefits to both types in that multiple sizes will provide a neater, trim fit whereas one size systems are beneficial for families who may have more than one child using diapers at one time therefore eliminating the need to have multiple sizes available.

All-in-one diapers have the stuffing and waterproof exterior all together in the same unit.  This is even more convenient in that no “stuffing” is required and the diaper is fully functional as is.  You just put it on and go!  Some styles of all-in-one diapers may take longer to dry after being washed.  The Mommy’s Touch All-In-One diaper that we offer has a unique construction that allows for the inside pieces of the diaper to move apart, allowing for thorough washing and faster drying times.

How do I fasten the diapers?

The cloth diapers that we offer at Baby Luv Boutique have the easiest fasteners around!  There are no pins to poke baby, just Aplix hook and loop fasteners and snaps.  Aplix is similar to Velcro and it allows for easy, quick diaper changes.  Happy Heiny’s use the Aplix closure system on all their diapers and have recently added a variation to this – a diaper with both Aplix and snaps for even more protection and security.  Mommy’s Touch diapers offer two rows of snaps for secure closures as well.  The dual row of snaps allows for customization of the diaper rise making it a truly one-size pocket diaper.  It doesn’t get any easier than that – Dads, babysitters or anyone helping look after baby can change cloth diapers today!

What do I do with smelly, dirty diapers?

You may think that cloth diapers smell – in fact, they really don’t.  To store diapers until wash day, all you need is a pail with a lid and some baking soda.  It used to be recommended that soiled diapers were stored in a wet diaper pail but that is no longer required.  A dry diaper pail is recommended for many of today’s modern cloth diapers.  Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the dry diaper pail to help absorb odors, place them in, lay the lid on top and that’s it until wash day.

When dealing with a wet diaper, simply remove the inserts from the inside of the diaper, and place everything in the diaper pail.  If the diaper is soiled, simply shake any solid waste into the toilet.  If there is any amount left on the diaper, you have the option of rinsing it out in the toilet.   The fleece will release solids easily so you don’t need to rinse them before washing if you choose not to.  If there happens to be any stains on the diaper, you may hang them to dry in the sun, if possible, as this is the best and most natural way to whiten your diapers. 

How do I care for my cloth diapers?

Simply wash your cloth diapers in the washing machine.  Remove the inserts and place them in a cold presoak, then a hot wash with less than ¼ cup of detergent (for powdered) or approximately ½ the manufacturer's recommended amount for regular liquid detergents.  If using a concentrated liquid detergent then most often ½ the least amount recommended per wash cycle will be sufficient.  Rinse well.  If there are any bubbles or suds after the initial rinse, you may need to do an extra rinse to ensure all soap is removed.  Diapers can be dried in the dryer according to manufacturers’ directions or they can be line dried as well.  Drying your Happy Heiny’s on high heat will actually keep them functioning like new. 

Do not use chlorine bleach, other whitening agents or fabric softeners on your diapers as this could damage the fabric or affect the functionality of the diaper.  If using stain remover ensure all of the product is completely rinsed from the diaper after removing stains to avoid residue build up.  Detergents which state they are “free”, “clear” or natural may have additives or oils in them, leaving a residue on the fabric causing the diapers to wick or leak.  Recommended detergents include:  Tide, Country Save, Allen's Naturally, Sunlight, and Cheer. 

Detergents to avoid which are known to cause residue and build up are:  Dr. Bronner’s Soap, 7th Generation, Bio-Kleen, Ivory Snow, Dreft, and any ALL Free detergents.  Sport-Wash, Sensi-Clean, and Charlie's Soap/Wonder Wash are also not recommended– these have the potential to cause detergent burn in babies.

If you find that your diapers suddenly begin to leak when they had not previously done so, you may have detergent build up or residue on them.  In this case, they will need to be stripped to regain their original functionality.  Please see our section on stripping diapers for information on how to do this.

What if I need to use diaper cream?

Diapers which have microfleece interiors have been shown to help reduce the incidence of diaper rash.  If you do require a diaper cream or ointment be used, place a liner or small washcloth inside your diaper just to ensure it doesn’t get directly onto the microfleece, potentially causing a waterproof residue on the diaper.

What is stripping and how do I do that?

Stripping is the process of removing residue from your diapers.  To strip diapers:

1. Hand wash your diaper with regular dish soap (such as Dawn) to remove any oils.
2. Put a small amount of dish soap on the fleece layer.
3. Rub vigorously or use a medium to hard bristle toothbrush to scrub the fleece.
4. Turn the diaper inside out and repeat.
5. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.

You may use this method at any time you notice repelling or as a preventative measure once a week.  If you are still experiencing problems, try a special cleaning agent such as 2 scoops of Oxyclean in a very hot wash.

How do I care for Hemp products?

Your hemp products have natural oils in them and these oils can coat your diaper fleece lining.  For this reason, the first few times you wash hemp products you should NOT wash them with fleece diaper products.  They should be washed separately approximately 4 or more times and after that, they may be washed with the rest of your fleece diaper products.  Hemp will need up to 8 more wash and drying cycles before it is fully absorbent – it just gets better and better each time!