A I, personally, got started by buying one dozen pocket diapers by one company and thought that I had made a great choice. I do NOT recommend doing this for one simple reason. You need to try different types and/or brands to determine what will work for you, your baby and your family. I realized this as I started to try different brands when my daughter outgrew the original diapers that I had bought. I recommend buying a few diapers of each type and trying them out, then buying as many as you need once you find the diapers that you like.

A Once you have found the diapers that you like you will need about 2 to 3 dozen of them. However, it really depends on how much you want to be doing laundry. In my household I'm doing my daughter's laundry every other day or every couple days so I don't mind doing an extra load or diapers on those days. Another thing to keep in mind is if your child ever gets sick you will be washing diapers twice as much. I found that I started with 12 but kept adding as I found something that was "so cute" or that I really liked. I do recommend starting with at least 12-18 and going from there.

AIn order to diaper one baby using disposables from newborn to potty training it would cost around $2000. Using cloth diapers you have the ability to diaper 2 or 3 babies for as little as $400. It may be a larger upfront fee but you save money in the long run by switching to cloth diapers and cloth products. Even with factoring in the cost of laundry, cloth diapers are cheaper to use overall. Plus, you’re helping the environment and the health of your child. An added bonus to using cloth is that cloth diapers have a high resale value.

AWhen you start to consider purchasing cloth diapers and other cloth products you should be aware of what your needs are and what your lifestyle will allow.
Each product page on the website offers a description of the different types of diapers. Above all, you should look for something that will make your experience with cloth diapers quick and easy.
There are many good review sites that offer customer reviews of all different types and brands of diapers. It is a good idea to check these out to be sure that you are making the right choice. Bearing that in mind, what some people hate may be the very thing that you love about a particular product.

ASome features that you will want to be aware of are the absorbency of the diaper, insert or doubler that you will be using. This affects how the diaper wicks (removes moisture away from your baby's bottom) and how many leaks will take place.
With Velcro diapers there are laundry tabs that are there to make sure when you pull the diapers out of the laundry you don't have a string. When that happens it can lead to wear and tear on your diapers.
How the diaper fits your baby is important. Look for red marks when you try the diaper with your baby. Some diapers have fleece that rolls out to prevent red marks. With pocket diapers be aware of the back pocket. If it does not have a flap over it be sure that the inner layer is pulled out from the diaper so that there are no red marks.

AI'm a huge fan of pocket diapers. They fit easily with my lifestyle and I find them super easy to use. I have tried a few other types of diapers but have always gone back to my pocket diapers. I also like them because I can decide the absorbency, which is great when it comes to nighttime.

AYou may think that there isn't a difference but in actual fact the type of material used on each of these diapers is different. A solid diaper is made from a fabric that has a Polyurethane Layer (PUL) that is part of the fabric. This acts as the barrier to wetness and prevents leaks from happening. A printed diaper is generally a fabric, such as cotton, that is dipped in PUL. It's recommended that if you do choose to purchase a printed diaper, use a solid coloured one for nighttime.

AThe very first thing you should do with your diapers, or any cloth products you purchase, is wash them. Although my suppliers and myself are very careful in making sure that nothing harmful gets onto the fabric of the diapers it's always a good idea to give them a wash as soon as you get them. That way you know for sure that they're ready to use. Once you get your diapers washed you can fold, stuff, snap or Velcro your way into the world of cloth.

AThis question depends on the type of diapers that you are using. For all diapers, you will need a dry pail. You can use a wet pail (a pail filled with water to soak diapers before using) but this is not necessary and a large number of people prefer a to use a dry pail as it cuts down on the mess.
All diapers can only be used once before they are washed, unlike covers that can be used 3 or 4 times before they need to be washed. However, that also depends on how dirty or smelly the cover becomes. Pocket diapers need to be separated into a pail for covers and a pail for inserts or doublers, but can be washed together. This is a personal choice. If you would prefer only one pail that's fine also but keep in mind that it may decrease the life of your diapers.

AThis is something that baffled me for the first few weeks that I started using cloth diapers. For instance, if I have a smaller load how much detergent should I put in with it? It can be confusing; I fully understand where you can get lost on this part. Here is a good rule of thumb. When you wash your diapers you should use about ¼ cup of detergent and adjust depending on the size. To make sure that you haven't used too much you can smell the diaper. If they still smell, you know you should run them through with more detergent. If they have an over powering detergent smell run them through once more without anything. If they smell clean, you're good to dry them. Another thing you can do is to add ¼ cup of vinegar to the diapers at the rinse cycle. This helps to remove detergent. I use a downy ball then I'm not watching the machine waiting for the rinse cycle. You can also feel and hear an excess of detergent in the insert. They sound much different than one without. It's like you can hear tiny soap bubbles when you move the insert or doubler.

AIn general, hemp diapers need to be washed about 6-8 times before they are fully absorbent. Plus, because there are oils in hemp diapers the first few washes that you do with them should be hemp diapers alone. The oils can affect the absorbency of the other diapers you are washing them with. There is an alternative method however. You can boil them on the stove for 20 minutes to remove the oil. I have not tried this method. Remember, just because you haven't washed you diapers all 8 times, it doesn't mean that they won't be effective.
Bamboo diapers, on the other hand, need to be washed about 8-10 times before they will reach their full absorbency. There aren't any quick methods that I have come across as yet to cut down on the number of washes before use.

AMy wash cycle is very easy. When I first get my diapers I do a wash on hot water and dry on the hottest setting to seal the seams. My diapers are kept in two separate dry pails, one for covers and one for inserts. When I change my daughter I remove the insert and put it into the pail and depending on how dirty the cover is, it may get a dunk in the toilet or go straight into the pail. On washday, I set my machine to a higher setting and wash on warm water with a small amount of detergent and usually throw in a downy ball of vinegar. The vinegar helps reduce detergent residue. If there are stains and I am unable to hang my diapers on the line (i.e. it's winter) I will add some baking soda. The baking soda also helps with odour. Once my diapers are done in the washer I will hang to dry or dry in the dryer on a medium setting. I use pocket diapers so once they are dry I stuff them and I'm ready for the next round. If I line dry my diapers, I will put any of my hemp products in the dryer for about 10 minutes to fluff them up.

AI'll admit that I also had problems with this, which is why I added it to the frequently asked questions. I found out very quickly the answer to this question and through trial and error I'm sure you will too.
That being said, since a girl pees down you will want the wider part of the insert or doubler at the back of the diaper. A boy is the opposite, so you will want the wider part at the front of the diaper.

AIt's true that the dryer can cause wear and tear on your diapers, especially in the Velcro and elastic areas. I used the dryer all winter and saw a small amount of problems with the Velcro of my diapers. It's recommended that you line dry as often as possible and for more reasons that just wear and tear. Sunlight is a great bleach and helps to keep smell down as well. However, if you are unable to line dry and are afraid of the affect a dryer will have on your diapers you do have a couple options.

1. Place a line in your basement or laundry room and dry your diapers over night.
2. Get a drying rack from a store such as Walmart or Zellers and hang your diapers to dry either inside on a rainy day or outside when it's sunny.

ALet's start with a wet pail. It's a diaper pail that is filled with water so that the diapers can soak until they're ready to be washed. A dry pail is the exact opposite. Sometimes a liner is used in a dry pail to decrease the mess that can be left over from dirty diapers. If you are looking for a diaper pail liner, or wetbag, there are some available on the Accessories page.

AThis is entirely your decision. If you have little people, or critters, that like to investigate things, a lid isn't such a bad idea. There will be a smell if you use a lid but it can be easily reduced by sprinkling some baking soda in the bottom of the diaper pail or a couple drops of tea tree oil that can be found in drug stores.

AChanging a diaper of any kind can be, well, icky. You cannot avoid this and if you've changed a few diapers in your time you know this as a fact. Cloth diapers are no different than disposables when changing a rather messy diaper with the exception that you shake the waste into the toilet (which should be done with disposables as well). There are many techniques to cleaning off a diaper but ultimately you will find one that suits you.

ADepending on what you use, changing a pee diaper is fairly simple. Change like you would a disposable and when you're finished put the diaper in the diaper pail. With diapers that have an insert or doubler you will need to separate and put into appropriate pails.
A poop diaper is basically the same as a pee diaper except when you change the diaper instead of going right to the diaper pails you shake off poop into the toilet or dunk the diaper to remove any poop.

ADisposables were made to contain a lot of liquid and convert it into a gel-like substance. Therefore, you didn't have to change them as often. Cloth diapers need to be changed every 11/2-2 hours depending on what you use as stuffing. Keep in mind that hemp and bamboo are more absorbent than fleece and microterry. However, even with these more absorbent cores your baby's diaper needs to be changed often to prevent leaks and rashes. And, of course, your baby needs a change whenever they poop.

AIf you find that your diapers have a bit of an odour it may be time to strip them. Stripping your diapers is a way to reduce the amount of residue that was left on them from washing them that can cause them to smell or become less absorbent. There are many ways to strip your diapers and some brands even come with their own instructions. Here are some basic methods that will help if you find that you need to strip your diapers.

1. Wash your diapers with one tablespoon of Dawn dishsoap.
2. Wash diapers on hottest setting until there are no soapsuds seen in the rinse cycle. This may take a few washes.
3. Use vinegar during the rinse cycle. As stated above, a downy ball works wonders. Continue to use this method to keep residue down.

AThere are two ways to get rid of stains that will inevitably show up on your diapers, or inserts or doublers. The first method is to add some baking soda to your load and this will help to reduce the stain. The second method that many people swear by is good old sunshine. The sunlight acts like a bleach on your diapers to remove stains. It may take some washings and line dryings but the stains will start to go away. Remember never to use bleach on your diapers as it has harsh chemicals that affect your baby's bottom.

AI recommend a diaper that is convenient for your lifestyle. If you like Velcro then by all means get diapers with Velcro closures. My advice there is, when they reach a certain age, some babies do become wise to the ways of the Velcro so you may find yourself switching to diapers with snap closures. For the start, go with what will be easiest for you to learn. I started with pocket diapers that have Velcro closures because that was the easiest for me.

ANowadays the use of pins has become pretty obsolete, but you can still use them if that suits you. There are other means to close a diaper such as Velcro, snaps or accessories you can buy so that you don't have to use pins. Most diapers do come with Velcro or snaps for enclosures. It makes changing easier and less painful, for you and baby. No more finger pricking!

AThere are many wipes solutions or cubes that you can use. I have available a wipes cube under the accessories page. However, some use just plain water to wipe your baby. You can also use the following solution:
11/2 cups warm water
A drop of baby oil
A drop of baby wash
A drop of tea tree oil

AWick - Take moisture away from your baby's bottom
Stripping - Removing residue that has been left over from detergent from your diapers
PUL - Polyurethane Layer; used to make the diaper waterproof to prevent leaks
AIO - All-in-One; a diaper that has cover and insert in one package
Lanolize - restore the water resistant ability your wool diapers have
All information about the different types of diapers is given on each product page.

AAt this time ComfyBums only sells new products. Perhaps in the future we may branch out and sell gently used diapers as well.

AComfyBums uses PayPal for all purchases made through the store. PayPal acts like a middleman when doing business online and is completely safe. It makes keeping your most important information confidential and is considered safer than using your credit card alone.

ALunapads are cloth's answer to menstrual pads and there are many great reasons to give them a try. Reasons for making the switch to lunapads basically mimic the reasons for switching to cloth diapers.

1. Lunapads are environmentally friendly because you are decreasing the amount of waste that is going into landfills.
2. Lunapads are cost effective. They last for approximately 3-5 years, or longer, and you are able to save money in the end. It depends on your flow but you could save anywhere between $200 - $1000 by making the switch to lunapads.
3. Lunapads are easy to use. Just fold and snap, fold around the gusset of your undergarment and snap it into place with the small snap. They also come in fun patterns!
4. Lunapads are available for anyone to use! They're great for teens, pregnancy, post-partum, heavy flows or light flows.
5. A lot of women that make the switch are surprised with how much they love lunapads because they're much more comfortable the disposable menstrual pads.

AThis entirely depends on your flow. Obviously you will need to change your lunapad frequently to avoid any unwanted leaking. Lunapads offer a number of styles and as you learn which one benefits you, your chances of experiencing leaks will greatly decrease.

ACaring for Lunapads is easier than you think. Generally speaking you should soak your lunapads in cold water before washing them. Some women keep a small container near the toilet, like an ice cream or old wipes container, with water in it. This is helpful because you can just remove it and drop it in the container until wash day.
There is no need to wash your Lunapads separately, you can throw them in with towels or sheets to wash them. They can also be cleaned with your babies diapers.
Lunapads will shrink slightly if you put them in the dryer, but this helps to keep them soft and stops them from getting stiff. You can also line dry, then fluff in the dryer afterwards.
One thing to note, using bleach will adversely affect your Lunapads, so it's a good idea to stay away from bleach when washing your Lunapads. The sun is great for getting out stains.