Getting Started
Figuring out exactly how many diapers, diaper covers, and sizes you will need can sometimes be a daunting and intimidating prospect. There are many factors that can influence your decision. How often do you want to do laundry? Will you be cloth diapering full time or part time? Please read this page carefully before you make any decisions about purchases. It is very important to us at Bandersnatches that you get exactly the right amount and kind of diapers for you and your children. And as always, please feel free to Contact Us at any time about any questions you may have.
What will you need to get started?
You will need some sort of diapers, either prefold or fitted. First, do not be misled by the name prefold; the name is a historic remnant. Prefold diapers will need to be folded before they can be put on the baby. They will also need to be held in place with safety pins or snappifasteners. We at Bandersnatches prefer snappifasteners, which are a newer alternative to safety pins. They are faster and safer for babies. Fitted diapers come baby-shaped, but are also slightly more expensive than their prefold counterparts.
To cover diapers, and create some sort of water barrier between diapers and clothing you will need diaper covers. We at Bandersnatches prefer wool. Wool is a fantastic alternative to our parent's generation's plastic pants. It is softer on babies' bottoms, and much more breathable, greatly reducing the occurrence of diaper rash. Wool also has the added benefit of being a renewable resource, making it an environmentally friendly favorite of many parents. Wool is often regarded as one of, if not the, least expensive and most efficient diaper covering materials.
The number of diaper covers and diapers depends greatly on how many children you have, how often you would like to do laundry, how you will do laundry, and whether you will be cloth diaper full time or part time.
How do you wash your laundry? What system will you use for your diapers?
Do you use a laundromat or an at-home washer? If you are using a Laundromat, how often do you take your clothes to be washed? Do you have a convenient place for soaking? If you plan on washing diapers less than once a day, you will need to set up a system for soaking diapers to help avoid smells and stains.
A popular system for at-home washing is to simply soak diapers in the washing machine after rinsing, and then starting the washer after baby has gone to bed and throwing diapers into the drier before parents go to bed. With this method, you will need fewer diapers but will need an alternative soaking option when doing other laundry.
For those who would like to wash their diapers once every 2-3 days, you can soak diapers in a solution of water and non-chlorine bleach until running the washer. Poopy diapers will need to be rinsed in a sink or toilet before soaking. With the infrequent washing involved in this method, it is ideal for Laundromat users. However, you will need substantially more diapers to make this method successful.
If you are a Laundromat user, please also remember to factor in the cost of running extra loads into your diapering budget. You will likely need to run one load of diapers every time you go to the Laundromat.
Wool diaper covers should always be hand washed, preferably in cold water. Washing in the machine will strip the wool of lanolin, and consequently, covers would need to be re-lanolized after each wash. To avoid this, please hand-wash covers. Wet covers that are treated with lanolin only need to be let air dry in between uses. Poopy covers should be hand washed with baby soap and then let to air dry. Every two weeks, wet covers should be hand washed with baby soap. Every three washes, or if a covers begin to get smelly, they should be retreated with lanolin. Bedwetting toddlers may need to have their covers lanolized every 10 days.
Will you cloth diaper full time or part time?
Many people choose to only cloth diaper part time. The most common uses of disposables amongst cloth diapering parents are on outings, overnight or both.
The benefits of cloth diapering part time appeal to many parents, because parents still receive some of the monetary and environmental benefits without a bit of the inconvenience. Many parents like to keep some disposable diapers around while transitioning to cloth diapers especially to make night-time or on-the-road changes easier until they get the hang of changing a cloth diaper.
However, if you choose to cloth diaper full time, you will never need to spend another cent on your child's diapers after the initial expenditure, and these savings are a great selling point for many parents.
Many parents choose to hold off on cloth diapering until their children have grown out of the small size of diapers. The reasons for this are two-fold. First, children grow out of the smaller size of diapers significantly faster the next size. Secondly, children (especially breastfed babies) poop much less frequently after two months of age.
How many diapers will you need?
Full-time cloth children will need approximately 12 diapers a day. To be certain you will have enough even on days when your child is sick, a minimum of 24 diapers is recommended. 40 diapers are a good amount of you want to do wash every 3 days.
If you are cloth diapering only part-time, you will need to adjust these figures to your needs.
How many covers will you need?Full-time cloth children will need 5-7 covers, so that wet covers can be let to air-dry between concurrent uses. Remember though, if the cover isn't wet, you can use it again immediately.
Part-time cloth diapering will require approximately 3-4 covers.