cloth diapering 101: part one – prefolds, flats, fitteds, and covers

I have a lot of friends who have become interested in cloth diapering, and instead of emailing or messaging each one individually, I thought I’d post about it here. So this is the first in a series of cloth diapering 101 posts. :)

I began researching cloth diapering while I was pregnant – really, just for the fun of it. My mom used cloth diapers on me and Chad, so I thought it would be interesting to see what it was all about. I think it was also about saving money and the environment – but it was mostly on a whim.

So let’s start with what is out there …

prefolds: rectangular pieces of cloth with thicker layers in the middle. There are a bunch of different kinds of prefolds, including the Gerber ones you can buy at Target. Don’t ever buy those – they do not work well at all. The most absorbent, softest prefolds I’ve used are by Green Mountain Diapers, but I also love and use Little Lions unbleached indian prefolds.

GMD has two different types of prefolds – 1| chlorine-free white (bathed in hydrogen peroxide to remove the gumming that naturally occurs in cotton) and 2| unbleached Indian (no hydrogen peroxide process).

I prefer the unbleached Indian because they are so soft and so absorbent. They do have to be washed in very hot water anywhere from 5-8 times when you get them, or you can boil them on the stove once and wash a couple more times.

You put them on by “folding” them around your baby. There are a bunch of different folds, but I prefer a combo of angel wing and jelly roll.

flats: large squares that are made up of one-layer of fabric that can be folded to create absorbency. These are by far the cheapest diapering system out there because they fit from the newborn stage all the way through potty-training, depending on how you fold them.

Again, you have a bunch of different fold options, but I just fold ours to be the same size as a prefold and then use my favorite prefold fold.

covers: now this is where it can get pretty complicated, because I use several different things, but I’ll do my best to narrow it down. First, let’s talk about the different types of covers.

>>>> PUL [polyurethane laminate] – this is a waterproof polyester material. This is probably the most widely used type of cover, and they are becoming cuter and cuter. My favorite PUL covers are Imse Vimse organic cotton, Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, and Gdiapers (which are actually a knit outer with a PUL snap-in liner).

What I love about these is that I can just tri-fold a prefold or a fold a flat into the same size and just lay it into the cover. Then, when it’s diaper-changing time, it’s as easy as putting on a disposable.

GMD Red-edged unbleached prefold inside a medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap

GMD Red-edged unbleached prefold inside a medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap

GMD Red-edged unbleached prefold inside a medium Imse Vimse organic cotton cover

Little Lions unbleached infanat prefold inside a medium gDiaper

Little Lions unbleached infanat prefold inside a medium gDiaper

Now, you can just put normal clothes over this combo, and you’re good to go! Also, these can be wiped out with a wet cloth and re-used in between washings, unless you get baby poop on them. ;)

>>>> fleece: all fleece has an absorbent quality that makes it a great diaper cover. All fleece is NOT the same, and I use only high-quality fleece for my covers. I make soakers, shorts, capris, and pants. I just started making overnight pants, which are pants with a built-in soaker for overnight protection. If you don’t sew, there are tons of places to get these, especially on Hyena Cart.

soakers look like the little diaper covers that come with dresses, but boys can wear them, too

shorts are used as part of the outfit, so they need to be cute

and pants are great for overnight!

The huge pro about fleece is that it can be washed with regular clothes, so these make great playtime diaper covers.

>>>> wool: I know what you’re thinking. Why would my kid wear a sweater on his butt? But wool is highly breathable, so it’s not any more hot than regular clothes – and it also absorbs moisture, which makes it an ideal diaper cover. The wool I use is hand-knit into shorts and pants.

knit by Kim @ Western Sky Knits

knit by Andrea @ Dwell Wool Knits

There is also interlock wool, which is usually a 97% wool and 3% lycra/spandex interlock fabric.

made by Peanutbutter & Ellie

We happen to really really love wool, and it makes up the majority of Emma’s wardrobe thanks to some very talented friends who knit them for her. It is probably the hardest diaper cover to take care of, because you have to handwash it, but thanks to some amazing wool wash from Ewe Need It, it’s really not hard at all.

Update: unfortunately, Emma developed a terrible allergy to wool, so we had to give it up. One of the saddest days was having to sell all of our wool.

Okay, that’s part one. Anyone could cloth diaper full-time with the prefold or flat & cover combo. I will honestly say that after all the things we’ve tried, we prefer this combo above all because it’s so easy.

Continue on to Part Two

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