[mama x two]

Cloth Diapering Links, Info, and Resources

Common Abbreviatiions
CD: Cloth Diaper, of course!
AIO: All-in-one diaper, doesn't need a cover
CPF: Chinese Pre-Fold
DSQ: Diaper Service Quality (another term for a prefold)
IV: Imse Vimse Bumpy Diaper Covers
FB: Fuzzi Bunz - a "pocket diaper" that needs to be stuffed
JB: Joey Bunz - a hemp insert made for fuzzi bunz
MOE: Mother of Eden, the makers of FB
WAHM: Work at home mom, makers of cute homemade diapers

The Basics
There are lots of different ways to cloth diaper. Some are very affordable. Some are ... well, not. The five basic types of diapers are:

Chinese prefolds – require a cover, come in different sizes.
Contoured/Shaped – require a cover, are prefolds that are cut like an hourglass, different sizes.
Fitted – require a cover, like contoured but also have elastic around legs, usually more absorbent, different sizes.
All in Ones (AIO) /Snug to Fit – don’t require a cover, different sizes.
One Size – require a cover, just one size that’s supposed to span the years.


Chinese Prefolds - these are squares of cotton that have been layered and sewn together. There are seams down the middle. A prefold has extra layers in the center of the diaper. The name isn't quite accurate - prefolds still need to be folded in order to be used. Together with covers, CPFs are the most economical choice for cloth diapering. When you first recieve your CPFs, they will be thin and soft and feel like fine linen. They need to be washed before being used. Bleached prefolds need to be washed and dried 3-4 times in order to reach absorbancy. Unbleached prefolds need to be washed 7-8 times in very hot water to reach absorbancy (they haven't gone through the bleaching process which means it is necessary to wash them often enough to strip off the natural oils from the cotton.) Prefolds shrink several inches after being washed, and they quilt up and get soft and fluffy. Depending on the fold, prefolds can be very trim or very bulky. Depending on the fold, you may or may not need to pin or snappi. You can also buy hemp prefolds but they are significantly more expensive. Prefolds require a cover.

Contour Diapers - these are much like chinese prefolds, but they are hourglass shaped. You don't need to fold them before they are used. Contour diapers are not built with closures. For a snug fit, they will need to be pinned or snappi'd. In some cases, these are less absorbent than chinese prefolds. Some contours (like Kissaluvs) have extra-long wings in the back to make for easy pinning. Contours require a cover.

Fitted Diapers - are shaped like disposable diapers. They close around baby's waist with aplix (velcro) or snaps. Pins and snappis are not necessary. Fitted diapers are more expensive than contours and significantly more expensive than prefolds, but lots of people love them. Fitted diapers require a cover.

All In Ones - these are exactly like disposables. They do not need a cover - the cover is built in. These can be fairly affordable (although still much more expensive than prefolds, contours, or fitteds. You have to dry them on low, since the cover is built in, which means they take longer to dry, and they don't last as long because the cover is essentially being washed every time you wash the diaper. However, these are very convenient to use and most people like to have a couple around.

One Size – these are supposed to span infant to toddler years. In the beginning, you fold them more so that they fit the baby. Some moms think they’re too big for the beginning though and recommend getting a smallish supply of newborn dipes. Else the baby seems swamped in the diaper. One way around this is to put a doubler or thick liner in it though. One Size are recommended if you don’t want to keep re-supplying yourself with diapers as the baby grows. Also recommended if you’re starting as an infant and not later. A cover goes over them.

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Covers - these are waterproof covers for the absorbent diapers. You can get them in a pull on style or a disposable-shaped wrap style that closes with snaps or aplix. Aplix covers are the most adjustable. They offer a truly customized fit for your baby.. Snap covers usually come with several rows of snaps and are only slightly less adjustable than aplix. pull-ons aren't adjustable at all. The sky is the limit with covers. They are made of all kinds of materials. You can find basic PUL (polyurethane laminate) covers, covers made of fleece, and covers made of wool. Covers can be reused several times before being washed, as long as they're clean. It's a good idea to buy several different kinds of covers, especially when starting out. That way you'll know what fits your baby best. All covers are not created equal! Some are better for chubby babies, some are better for skinny babies, some don't work very well with fitteds or contours and some don't work very well with prefolds. It's a good idea to try several to find out what works best for you. Having several different types of covers also means that your baby's skin isn't being rubbed in the same place every day by the cover.

Wipes - cloth wipes are reusable and very affordable. You can buy wipes on many sites online, or you can make your own. You can cut old recieving blankets or any kind of cloth into squares to make your own wipes. Wash wipes with diapers. You can buy or make solution for wipes. Either soak the wipes in the solution in a wipe warmer or a disposable wipes box, or spray them with the solution before using them.

Liners - these are thin pieces of fabric that keep poop off of your diapers. They do not add absorbency to your diapers. You can buy disposable liners made of rice paper or very thin non-absorbent fabric. These get thrown away after your baby poops on them. If your baby just pees, disposable liners can be put in the washing machine and reused once or twice. Don't put disposable liners in the dryer, they shrivel up and need to be thrown away. Fabric liners made of fleece wick moisture away from your baby's bottom. Poop doesn't really stick to fleece, it can be shaken into the toilet. You can make your own fleece lines very cheaply by cutting strips of 100% polyester fleece. You can also buy fleece liners online.

Doublers - People usually use these at night or for heavy wetters. Doublers are basically extra material that you place inside the diaper that absorbs a lot of pee. They work to “double” the diaper. These are made out of flannel or terry cloth usually. Can make your own easily – just buy cloth, cut in hour glass shape and sew around the edges. Some people use doublers for newborns when they buy the “small” size diapers instead of newborn size to save money. They bulk up the diaper some so that the baby isn’t swamped in it. For all babies, doublers are recommended usually over using multiple diapers due to the bulk that multiple diapers creates.

Snappis and Pins - a snappi is a stretchy t-shaped piece of plastic used instead of pins when folding diapers. They need to be stretched out before being used. They work by hooking on to the diaper with tiny teeth (kind of like an ace bandage closure). Dritz pins are the best diaper pins. They have a locking mechanism that makes it impossible for the pin to open and scratch your baby. You can buy snappis and dritz pins just about everywhere. It's a good idea to have at least a couple on hand.

Diaper Pails - you'll need somewhere to put soiled diapers. You can use anything from a covered garbage pail to specially made diaper totes. Bumkins makes a diaper tote that is available on many different sites.

The Options

Least expensive: CPFs and covers. Prefolds are about $20 a dozen. Covers are anywhere between $5 and $20+ each. The cheapest covers are Proraps. You can buy prorap seconds direct from the company for $3 each by calling the company at 1-800-397-8594. The shipping fee is almost $6 so if you are only buying one or two diapers, it would make more sense to buy brand new ones from a store that has free shipping. If you're buying a lot of them, the seconds are a very economical choice. Cost of this option is anywhere between $100-$300, depending on how often you do laundry (one dozen prefolds will last about a day and a half) and what kinds of covers you buy.

Most expensive: all all-in-ones. You'll need at least a dozen to 2 dozen diapers, and at at least $10 each using all AIOs gets very expensive very fast. The cost of this system can be upwards of $500, as much as a thousand or more depending on the diapers. AIOs that are custom made can be extremely expensive. I've seen a single custom diaper sell for $178 before!

In between option: Use mainly cpfs and covers, but buy a couple of fitteds, contours, and AIOs for a little variation. Cost of this option is between $200-$400 depending on how many fitteds, contours, and AIOs you decide to purchase.