Cloth Diaper intro

I found this awesome guide here explaining the different types of diapers and their care. It can be frustrating to learn about/choose from the many types of modern cloth diapers. Many of you know that we use cloth and LOVE IT. We use the All in 2's brand: GroVia.
P.S. I have not tried and do not endorse the particular brand advertised with this guide.

Why Cloth Diapers?

1. Save $$$ (lots of money actually - $1000's per baby)
2. Save the environment (reduce, reuse, recycle...enough said!)
3. Be healthy (no chemicals, no lead, no worries)
4. Be hip and cool (okay so cloth diapers won't make you cool but they are turning into the new trend!)
5. Be cute (I dare anyone to try cloth diapers and be able to fight the urge to take a picture of that cute little cloth diapered tush!)

Evolution of Cloth Diapers - deciphering the different types

• Flat Diaper: A big 'ol single layer of cloth that you fold and use as a diaper. A diaper cover is required if you don't want a wet lap.
• Prefold Diaper: Someone took that big 'ol piece of cloth and folded it into layers and sewed it hence the name "prefold". Though it has the name "prefold" you will still have to do some minimal folding (don't worry it is EASY!). A diaper cover is required to make waterproof.
• Fitted Diaper: Basically added elastic, snaps or hook & loop, and sewing the fabric into a diaper shape. Yup still needs a diaper cover to make waterproof.
• Diaper Cover: You guessed it, what you will need to make all of the above cloth diapers waterproof. Diaper covers do not have any absorbency but go over the top of what absorbs making the cloth diaper not leak.
• All-In-One Diaper: Take the fitted diaper and diaper cover and sew them together into an "all-in-one" diaper. They are just like a disposable except you wash them instead of throwing them away.
• Pocket Diaper: Take a diaper cover and sew stay dry fleece to the inside (yes if you put water on this fleece it will run through and the fleece will remain feeling dry - AMAZING!) with a "pocket"opening to put an insert (the absorbency part of the diaper) into the pocket so only the fleece is touching baby. That is confusing...think of a pillowcase as the pocket diaper and the pillow as the insert.
• All-In-Two Diaper: A diaper cover with snaps on the inside for an insert to snap into. You can reuse the cover and snap in clean inserts.

Washing - yuck!

Actually not! Actually really quite easy. Your washing machine does all the work - now is the time to thank your wonderful washing machine for saving you tons of money! After doing this routine several times it will become second nature!

1. Dump solids into toilet and put used diaper into dry diaper pail (if baby is solely breastfed skip this step or use a biodegradable liner and either flush or discard).
2. After 2-3 days dump soiled diapers into washing machine (this is the most work you will do when washing your diapers and it lasts only about 10 seconds!)
3. Cold water light wash cycle with no detergent (rinsing all the "stuff" down the drain where it belongs and leaving diapers ready to wash).
4. Hot water wash (highest water level, longer cycle) with 3/4 the amount of detergent you would normally use
5. Extra rinse cycle at any temp.
6. Tumble or line dry
7. DONE! Now was that so bad?!

*No bleach, softeners, homemade detergents or diaper creams without a barrier as these will "coat" your cloth diapers and make them not absorb.