So nine months after liquid Tide Free gave two of my kids rashes, I decided to try again.  This time I bought powder Tide HE, which came highly recommended for being easier to rinse out than any of the liquids.  I had previously discovered that no matter what cloth-diaper-safe detergent I used, I still had to use one tablespoon chlorine bleach every couple of weeks or my diapers would start to stink.  Many people claim that Tide cured their stink, so I wanted to try it to see if this was true.

I washed my daughter’s entire stash in the Tide, using up to the first line on the scoop.  I rinsed three times.  The diapers looked and smelled clean, but there was horrible ammonia even in her daytime diapers, and I have NEVER had ammonia in daytime diapers in my entire five years of cloth diapering!  So I rewashed them all, this time using up to the “1″ line (so more detergent), rinsed them three times, and STILL ammonia instantly!  I can’t figure it out.  So I rewashed them all with two tablespoons chlorine bleach and now they are fresh and sweet-smelling, even when soaked.  She didn’t get a rash, though it was a short period of using Tide. I am going to continue using the Tide HE powder to see if she gets a rash, or maybe if it keeps the ammonia away after having bleached them, in the interest of being fair.  But my conclusion is this:

Detergent is not as important as just using some bleach occasionally.  Used in small amounts, well-diluted, it does not hurt the diapers, and it is pretty much necessary to keep so many layers of fabric bacteria-free.  I think the search for the one perfect detergent is pointless.

I am always reading and posting on diaper discussion forums because it is my job and because I like diapers, and the topic discussed most often is finding the perfect diaper detergent.  This one topic causes more anxiety than any other.  There are a couple of reasons why:

Variations in water quality

You may have never been aware of your water quality until you started cloth diapering.  Here in Pittsburgh, the natural water quality is hard and full of iron.  Municipal water gets most of the iron out but it is still hard.  Well water is a grab bag - if you have a well, it is worth the money to get a whole-house softener - it will improve every aspect of your life.  Some general tips:

Hard water

Hard water feels squeaky clean when you are showering and rinsing your hair and body.  Your skin may feel dry after you wash.  There are chalky or rusty deposits on your sink and tub.  The water itself may taste minerally or metallic.  To deal with hard water when washing your diapers, try adding a capful of Calgon water softener to your main hot wash.  Natural soaps and detergents with oils can cause a waxy residue in hard water.

Soft water

Soft water feels like you can never rinse off all the soap, or “slimy.”  It may taste salty or bitter.  You don’t need to add anything to the wash, but you will need to use less detergent.

Type of washing machine

Top loaders

Top loaders use more water and so do a better job of cleaning diapers.  I recommend filling the washer all the way during the prewash and 2/3 of the way during the hot wash.

Front loaders

Front loaders limit the water and this can make for some dirty diapers.  You need to trick the washer into adding more water.  Some washers let you manually adjust the amount of water while keeping it hot.  Others only let you have more water in the delicate cycle but limit this to cold water.  To fix this, add a soaking wet towel to the washer with the diapers.

Baby and mother

Breastmilk-fed babies

Some women make milk that stains; others do not.

Formula-fed babies or babies who eat solids

This poop does not wash out as easily and can stain more.

Type of diaper

Synthetic fabrics

Synthetic fabrics (the polyesters found in most pocket diapers, some AIOs, and all covers) “care” more how they are washed.  They are performance fabrics and they will not function right if there is residue left in the fibers.  They can retain odors.  They tend to be more picky about what detergent is used, what additives are in the detergent, and how much is used.  The upside of synthetics is that they can be bleached without losing color, the poop rinses off very easily, and they keep the baby feeling dry.

Natural fibers

Cotton, bamboo, and hemp don’t care as much what detergent is used, but they also stain more easily and will fade if over-bleached.  They don’t retain odors as much as synthetics but they can still stink!

AIOs/fitteds

These diapers are thicker with more layers.  This naturally makes it harder to get the diapers fully clean all the way to the center of the diaper.

Prefolds/flats

Flats are the easiest diapers to clean because they are one thin layer.  Prefolds are also a little easier to clean, though they have 8 layers in the middle panel; because they have no elastic or snaps, they can be boiled or put in the sanitize cycle in a front-loader.

So what does this mean for finding the perfect diaper detergent?

These four factors mix in complicated ways, and this means that everyone will have a different experience with the same detergent.  When you go reading on the internet for the perfect detergent to solve all your problems, you will get a million different answers.  The reality is, you just have to try them yourself.  The further reality is that no single detergent is going to solve all your problems.  Diapers smell bad and babies get rashes for many different reasons, and what fixed one person’s problems may not work for you.  Also, you have to give a new detergent a chance to work - just one wash is not a fair test.

Common problems and their solutions:

Morning ammonia smell

This is caused by a buildup of ammonia salts from the baby’s urine.  Thoroughly rinse every morning diaper in cool running water.  Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to every cold pre-wash.

“Barnyard”/farty/poopy smell when the baby pees in the diaper

Buildup of bacteria in the diaper.  Add 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach to the next two consecutive hot washes.  Do this monthly.

Baby keeps getting rashes

Buildup of bacteria in the diaper.  Add 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach to the next two consecutive hot washes.  Do this monthly.  (Note: Yeast is a common baby rash.  It looks like a red, scalding burn with raised dots and a rough, sandpaper feel.  The skin peels.  See the pediatrician.)

Diapers leaking when they aren’t saturated.

This caused by a buildup of some residue in the fabric which is causing it to repel.  Common culprits:

• using a non-cloth-safe rash cream

Scrub the cream out with an old toothbrush and some dish liquid.  Rinse thoroughly and re-wash on hot.

• using a natural soap instead of detergent

Quit using the natural soap.  Strip diapers with lots of strong detergent and some laundry booster like oxygen bleach.  Keep washing on hot till all bubbles are gone.

• using too much detergent and not rinsing

Wash diapers on hot without any detergent.  If you have hard water, add 1 capful Calgon water softener.  Keep washing on hot till all bubbles are gone.

• using fabric softener or fabric softener residue in the dryer

Never use fabric softener on diapers.  To clean residue off the inside of the dryer, wash some towels, don’t use fabric softener, and dry them on hot to wipe it off as they tumble.  Repeat if needed.

So why won’t you tell me the perfect cloth diaper detergent?

Because there isn’t one.  You will have clean diapers with nearly any detergent if you use an appropriate amount, use bleach once a month, and always do an extra hot cycle with no detergent.  If this is acceptable to you, pick a detergent that doesn’t irritate your baby’s skin and go for it.  Some people never want to use chlorine bleach.  This makes choosing a detergent more difficult.  You will have to use a stronger detergent and wash more aggressively if you choose this method.  Make sure, though, that if you choose this, that bleach really is worse than the enzymes, fragrances, dyes, and petrochemicals in the strong detergents out there.

One-size cloth diapers are all the rage today.  Five years ago when I started cloth diapering, they didn’t exist; now they are spreading like weeds!  People like the idea of a one-size diaper because of the money savings and the fact that one diaper can be used for multiple children.

One-size styles

There are two main ways to make a one-size diaper.  One is to have the front of the diaper (the rise) fold down and snap closed to make the rise shorter.  This is how BumGenius! and Wahmies (among others) do it.

The advantage of this style is that it is quick and easy to do.  The disadvantage is that the snaps can come undone if you are tugging hard on the diaper to fasten it on the baby, and that all the bulk in the smaller sizes is in one spot (the belly of the diaper.)

The other style of one-size diapers is to have the leg and waist elastic adjust.  This is how FuzziBunz does it.

The advantage of this method is that it gives a more precise fit and distributes the bulk throughout the diaper in the smaller sizes, rather than concentrating it up front.  The disadvantage is that it may be more confusing for some people.

It is worth trying some of each type to get an idea of what you like.  If your children have thin or thick thighs, the FuzziBunz style tends to work better.  If you are buying one size diapers for children of two different ages, the bumGenius style will be easier to adjust on the fly.

When can I start using one-size diapers?

Generally, they will start fitting at about 10 lbs, though the FuzziBunz style will fit at a younger age.  “One size fits all” never really fits all.  It is very unlikely that you can start using a one size diaper at birth and use it until potty-learning.  Most people use newborn diapers or prefolds until the one-size start fitting well at about 6 weeks.  Some children will outgrow one-size before potty learning.  One size diapers that can get very small for a newborn: FuzziBunz, Rocky Mountain Diapers.  One size that can get very large for a big toddler: Knickernappies.

How many should I buy?

18-24 is a good amount.  Know that in the beginning, you will be washing more often, about every day and a half.  You can supplement with some small or newborn diapers or prefolds if you don’t want to wash as often.  By toddlerhood, you should be able to go three days with this amount.

Anything else I should know?

Since one size diapers are getting three years of use, you have to take care of them.  I recommend snap diapers since the snaps won’t get worn like velcro does.  If you want a velcro diaper, hang it to dry to extend the life of the velcro.  Also, don’t commit to 24 of one brand while you are still pregnant and wash them all.  You may hate that brand.  You are better off trying one or two of each type so you know what you like.  Also, babies change shape as they grow so it is good to have different varieties.

Many of my customers are first-time parents and do not know what to expect when diapering their babies.  I am asked these same questions by most parents:

• Why do I have to change my baby so often?  Is there something wrong with the diapers?

The reality of diapering a newborn is that they need to be changed every hour whether you are using cloth or disposables.  Newborns pee constantly because they are nursing so much, and they poop every time they eat.  The result is a baby who needs changing 10-12 times a day.

• My baby cries when I change her diaper.  Is it hurting her?

Newborns have immature and disorganized nervous systems.  Any stimulation can upset them, and crying during a change is normal because they are no longer being held and are being handled and moved around and wiped on a sensitive area.

• The diaper seems so bulky.  Is there a trimmer option?

Newborns start tiny and they grow so quickly that any diaper that fits perfectly and trimly at the beginning won’t last more than a month.  Most people try to save money on a newborn stash and so putting up with a bit of bulk for a few weeks is worth the savings.

• I hate prefolds!  I can’t get them on her!

It’s okay.  I felt stupid the first few days I used prefolds, too, but then one day, it was just easy.  Now I can get one on in a few seconds.  Remember that adjusting to life with a new baby is stressful all around.  Try watching a video of prefolds on YouTube and try again.  You’ll be great at it in no time.

Expectant parents who want to use cloth diapers are often very confused about what makes a good newborn stash.  Having had no real-world experience with cloth diapers, choosing what to use on their new baby can be very difficult!  Most people want to save money in case their baby grows very quickly and only fits in newborn diapers for a month, but the reality is that most babies can wear newborn diapers for two to four months, so it is important to buy diapers that you will like to use.

Many newborns pee a lot and poop all the time.  For this reason, you need 24-36 diapers.  My last baby had to be changed every hour for the first month, so I really needed that many diapers!  The cheapest way to go would be 2 or 3 dozen infant prefolds and 6 to 10 extra small covers, with 4 Snappis.  This would likely get you through two to three days and be very economical since the infant prefolds can be used as pocket diaper inserts and boosters later.  Learning to use a prefold on a newborn is easy because newborns stay still while you change them!

Kissaluvs size 0 fitteds are really popular for newborns, and for good reason - they are a fitted diaper that is really easy to put on, but they are truly small enough for a newborn, and their cotton fleece texture really grabs and traps those runny newborn poops.  These fit best under an extra small Thirsties cover, but a Bummis is fine as well.  If you wanted to use Kissaluvs exclusively, you would need about 2 dozen and 6-8 covers.

The absolute simplest way to cloth diaper a newborn is with pockets or all-in-ones.  FuzziBunz makes an extra small pocket with crossover snaps that really fits a newborn and is super-easy for anyone to put on.  The SposoEasy all-in-one newborn size is a great option with a soft cotton inner and Aplix closure.  The Green Acre Designs small can fit larger newborns and is super-cute.  BumGenius! diapers are one-size from 7 to 35 pounds and so are a very economical choice.  They might be a bit bulky on a newborn, but that’s okay!  Baby won’t mind and you’re saving money!  If you choose this type of diapers exclusively, plan on 2 dozen.

(With whatever diapers you get, you need as many wipes as you have diapers, plus another half-dozen or dozen.  Get some flannel for pees and little poops, and some textured cotton velour for bigger poops.  Don’t forget wipe solution, rash cream, wetbag and pail liners, and the Diaper Sprayer.  You will have these for the whole time you have children in diapers.)

I recommend getting some of each type, for a couple of reasons: 1) you don’t know what shape your baby will be or how he will pee and poop; 2) you don’t know what diaper you will like; 3) it’s good to have some very simple diapers that anyone can change (and that you can change at 3 a.m. or while out); and 4) you need so many diapers that it can be too expensive to buy all pockets and all-in-ones.  My stash for my last baby was:

18 infant prefolds

4 Snappis

6 Kissaluvs size 0

6 Kissaluvs booster doublers

6 extra small covers (Thirsties, Bummis Super Brite, Bummis Super Whisper Wrap)

3 extra small FuzziBunz

3 extra small SposoEasy

3 small Green Acre Designs

3 bumGenius! one-size (both the 3.0 and the organics)

That makes 36 diapers and I was washing every 2.5 days.  My baby wore these diapers for 2 months, at which point she fit into smalls.  She could still wear the infant prefolds until 4 months.  Of course the one-size bumGenius! still fit her at 11 months!

Many people are unable to find a cloth diaper that holds their baby all night without leaks, and so they give up and use disposables at night.  This is not the best solution because it means that half of every day will be spent in disposables, which really lessens the health benefits of cloth.  Plus, many babies, my daughter included, would leak out of a disposable, too!

My first two boys were not heavy wetters at night and did fine in a FuzziBunz with two inserts.  My daughter… well, sometimes I think she is channeling an extra bladder from another dimension.  She nurses all night long and sleeps on her side.  This is the worst possible combination because it means we have a ton of pee aimed at the leg opening of the diaper.  I tried pocket diapers on her but they didn’t work - because the pee would be running onto the leg gussets where it is impossible to put the absorbency.  I even tried pocket diapers with gussets and they didn’t work.

Then I found the solution, and I’ve been spreading the word far and wide because it is totally bulletproof for us!  Are you ready for it?  The secret is the Dancing Bears Bear Bottoms fleece soaker.

This cute little cover solved all of our problems.  Made of 300-weight Malden Mills fleece, this cover extends a little bit down the thighs, which means that a side-sleeping baby has the needed coverage all the way around the hip and the leg.  Underneath you need a diaper that has absorbency at the hip area, which means a fitted or a prefold.  My daughter is such a heavy wetter that I use a fitted like Kissaluvs with two doublers, or two premium prefolds, jellyrolled at the legs and Snappied on.  Your child may not need as much absorbency, but still need the side protection.

I have never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever had a leak with this cover.  Really.  My bed is always dry.  The great thing about this cover is that fleece “breathes” like wool does, which keeps the baby feeling cooler and drier and means that you can use this cover year round.  Even though it is a soft and squishy cover, it still fits under normal-sized pjs, too.  To top it all off, the fleece is so forgiving that it can be washed with anything and doesn’t need special care like your diapers.  That means that if money is tight, you can get by with just one night cover and throw it in with whatever laundry you are washing that morning.  If there is just pee on the cover, you can hang it up to air out and not have to wash it every day.

This cover also comes in a day weight made of 200-weight Malden Mills fleece.  This is good for naps or medium-to-light wetters at night, or for daytime use.  I love this cover for daytime because it has no binding, elastic or closures to irritate your baby or wear out.  Babies who get eczema where the diaper edges touch their body do great in this cover.  Never a chance of red marks with this cover!

I previously tried using Tide Free Liquid on all my diapers and that it gave my son a blister but didn’t bother my daughter.  Well, I continued to use it on some of her diapers to see if it really kept the stink away over time, as its fans claim.  First, it didn’t make the diapers smell any cleaner (not that my diapers ever smell dirty.)  Second, after a few weeks, she began to get a rash that was just bright red and itchy in exactly the shape of her diaper.  She would try to scratch her tummy every time I changed her and started waking up crying at night.  This was the enzyme rash and the long-term results of using Tide.  The enzymes are what gets the laundry so clean, but when activated by any moisture, like the urine in the baby’s diaper, they go to work eating away the proteins in the baby’s skin.  I tried and tried to strip them, but even when fully stripped, the rash persisted.  I finally just sold them all and bought myself new diapers and will never ever ever stray from Mountain Green Baby Free & Clear or Allens Naturally.

I went away last weekend with my baby and we were staying at a hotel and I thought, “Well, I’d better get a pack of disposables because I won’t have time for laundry.”  So I bought a pack of Seventh Generation sposies and a pack of sposie wipes.

What a mistake.

The baby pooped out of every diaper.  I ran out of clothes for her.  And every poop required at least four wipes.  It was ridiculous.  I don’t remember ever having a poop blowout in my cloth diapers, but it came out the legs or back of every sposie, even though the dipes weren’t soaked.  And the wipes were so inefficient - I had to keep wiping and wiping and wiping.

When explaining cloth diapering to skeptics, I always talk about how much money it saves, how it is better for the environment and healthier for the baby, and how cute cloth diapers are.  Now I’m going to start with, “Cloth diapers actually succeed at keeping poop off of the baby’s clothing and inside the diaper.”  Isn’t that what all diapers are supposed to do?

Cloth diapers are made of many different materials, some natural and some man-made.  Which are best for your baby?

Natural fibers used to make cloth diapers include cotton, hemp, bamboo and wool (wool is only in covers.)  The advantage of natural fibers is that they are well, more natural.  We can easily understand where they come from, and if organic farming practices are important to us, we can choose organic versions of these fibers.  Some, like bamboo and hemp, are very sustainable fibers, which adds to their eco-appeal.  Cotton, hemp and bamboo diapers will feel wet against the baby’s skin, but this is actually a benefit because the feeling of wetness can make potty-learning easier.  (Some children, however, will get a rash if they are allowed to sit in a wet diaper.)  Natural fibers tend to be less picky about how you wash them, and some people choose them because they feel they can use a broader range of detergents on them.  As a cover, wool is very breathable, soft and cute.

The disadvantages of natural fibers are that they tend to stain more easily, take longer to dry if sewn in several layers, and in the case of wool covers, are not waterproof but rather water-resistant.  The breathability of wool means that the outside of the cover will feel cool and damp when the diaper needs to be changed, and if you put pressure on the cover for an extended period of time, like when strapped into a car seat, you will have “compression leaks” at that spot.  Wool does not need to be washed very often, but when you do wash it, it requires special care.

Man-made fibers used to make cloth diapers include microfiber, microfleece, suedecloth, polar fleece, polyester urethane laminate (PUL) and nylon.  (Diaper covers used to be made of vinyl but are not anymore.)  Man-made materials are soft and very absorbent for their size, and tend not to stain easily.  One of the main attractions of diapers with microfleece and suedecloth inners is that these two fibers do not absorb, but rather wick the moisture through to the absorbent layer underneath, which keeps the baby’s skin feeling dry, especially when you cannot change the baby as often as you’d like to.  Polar fleece is the man-made equivalent of wool in that it breathes (and thus can feel slightly cool on the outside), but the care is just the opposite: you have to wash it often, but doesn’t really care how you wash it.  Microfiber inserts are very absorbent and squishy-feeling and make excellent absorbent cores for pockets and all-in-ones.  Modern cloth diapering owes its existence to PUL, which makes waterproof, yet thin and flexible covers, pockets and all-in-ones.

The disadvantages of man-made fibers are that they tend to be more picky about how they are washed, being more susceptible to detergent buildup or residue.  In addition, man-made fibers are not, well, natural, which is important to many people.  If used as a cover, polar fleece may have compression wicking like wool does.

So which are better - natural materials or synthetics?  The answer depends on what is most important to you.  Most cloth diapering parents, myself included, have a mix of both types and use them in different circumstances.  I like to use cotton prefolds and fitteds at home, but use synthetic pockets when I’ll be out and unable to change the baby for a long time.

This is a question I hear a lot from expectant parents: should I buy newborn or extra small cloth diapers?  Don’t newborns grow so fast that it won’t be worth it?  Won’t I be too busy or tired to use cloth diapers?

I think that newborn size cloth diapers are most definitely worth it.  Newborns are often very heavy wetters, and they poop pretty much constantly, needing to be changed every hour sometimes.  At 25 cents a diaper and 5 cents a wipe for disposables, this will waste a lot of money.  With 2-3 dozen prefolds and 4-6 covers, you can change your new baby as often as you need without throwing money away.  Infant size prefolds can be used for the newborn period and often until four months of age, and after that you can use them as doublers inside other diapers.  You will get your money’s worth, and they will not grow out of them too quickly.  My third child was over 8 lbs at birth, and she could still fit in an extra small Thirsties cover or Bummis cover and infant prefolds at four months old.  She could also fit into small Fuzzi Bunz at that age, but didn’t start fitting into her smalls until she was 6 or 7 weeks.  If you skipped newborn/extra small diapers, you would have to use disposables for up to two months, at a cost of $216 (12 disposable diapers and wipes a day for two months.)  For $216, you could buy two dozen infant prefolds, two Snappis, six Thirsties or Bummis covers and six extra small Fuzzi Bunz - an excellent newborn stash.  Your baby probably still fit in the infant prefolds at two months old, and later you can use them for diaper doublers in medium and large size diapers.  Or if prefolds intimidate you, you could have 18 Kissaluvs size 0 and four covers for $50 more - also a great newborn stash.  Plus, you could resell the covers, Kissaluvs and Fuzzi Bunz when done with them for about $75-100 on Diaper Swappers.  Not bad!

Some people buy disposables for the newborn period because they think it will be too difficult to do diaper laundry with a newborn.  I have three children and find the newborn period to be one of the easiest… they generally sleep, eat and poop.  Anyway, even if you don’t have the same experience, doing diaper laundry requires about three minutes to load the washer and start the cycle, two minutes to put into the dryer, and you don’t have to fold them if you don’t want to, but if you do, you can just stack them on your diaper table - ten minutes, total.  A lot quicker than going to the grocery store for disposables!