Cloth Diaper FAQ's




Don't cloth diapers cause rashes?
Most parents find that rashes happen less often with cloth. Usually with cloth,a rash is caused if a child is left to sit in a wet or poopy diaper for a long time. Some other causes may be a reaction to something they ate, a reaction to a new detergent, etc. You can put microfleece liners (if your diaper isn't already made with it) in your cloth diapers to help wick the wetness away and keep baby's skin drier.


 How do we prep  your cloth diapers before use?  or What are your washing instructions before use?
 Before using any of our cloth diapers, we recommend you wash them at least once in hot or cold water to get rid of any external dirt and to increase absorbency of the liners. Please use half of the recommended detergent. Also, do a cold rinse cycle to get rid of any leftover detergent. Always remember, the more detergent that's leftover on the diaper the faster you'll have an ammonia build up and your diapers will become less absorbent. The more you wash the liners, the more fluffy and absorbent they'll become. Some diaper companies will ask you to wash the diapers 5 or 6 times before use to get the best absorbency, but we think it is wasteful for an eco-conscious parent like yourself to waste hundreds of liters of water to gain 10 or 20 ml extra absorbency out of diapers. You will wash the diapers with use anyways and you'll get your 5th and 6th wash through using them. 

If my baby does develop a rash, can I use my regular rash cream?
Most of the diaper rash products you find at retail stores contain cod liver oil, petrolatum, or other products bad for cloth diapers. If you were to use these products with cloth diapers, the stuff would build up on them, causing them to loose absorbency and stain. They may even develop a rotten fish smell. You can buy some diaper liners, cut it into strips, and line your diapers with it, then toss in the trash.


How many diapers should I buy?
Generally, you'll want enough diapers to allow you to wash every 2-3 days. You don't want to let dirties sit longer than that anyway or you'll have smelly diapers that won't come clean and can possibly mold. The average is about 8 diapers per day, totaling a minimum of 24 diapers. It's a good idea to go with 36 just to be safe. Of course if you're using prefolds/fitted and covers, you'll need that many diapers and about 6 covers, since the covers can be reused until they are messy or you feel they need to be washed. If it's AIOs, that many diapers total. But...I dare you to just buy that many! As soon as you see all the cute diapers out there, you'll want more!
Remember, a newborn will need to be changed much more often so be sure to get at least 36 or more. Toddlers may need to be changed less often.
And, once you get to the potty training stage, there are Cloth training pants available too!


What else will I need?
Diapers - enough to last 2-3 days.
Wipes - You can make your own wipe solution too or just use warm water. Baby wash cloths make great wipes, and they are cheap too.
A diaper pail - Optional, you can keep them in a hanging pail liner. You can buy a trash bin from the store. Whatever looks good to you should work :) It's nice to have a lid. Popular choices are bullet style and roll top style. Some kinds with a pedal to pop the lid open work well too, though depending on how it's constucted, a pail liner may not be able to fit around the top.
Pail liner - Optional, but really nice to not have to scrub out the pail every day. You can wash the pail liner just like you would wash a diaper cover.
Detergent – Any Detergent available in India that doesn’t have lot of scent, Use very litttttle.
Tea Tree Oil, Vinegar, Baking soda - all of these are optional, but may help get the diapers just a little bit cleaner. Wash them a few times first and see how it goes.
Wet bag - Optional, Nice to have when you're out and need to change a diaper. You can also use plastic bags.


How about night time?
As you know, some babies can be considered heavy wetters at night time, especially the longer they sleep. And you don't want to wake up to wet sheets! The solution is simple, put more absorbent material in the diaper. Pocket diapers are a favorite night time diaper for many. You can "stuff" them with as much as your baby needs. Just stuff it with extra if you think your baby needs it! Many moms also like to make sure the inner material on a night time diaper is microfleece or some other polyester material. This wicks wetness away from baby's skin, allowing baby to sleep more comfortably.









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