Why choose cloth diapers? There are so many reasons. Cloth diapers are soft against your baby’s skin. Cloth diapers are also free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers. Our common sense tells us that cloth diapers are the ultimate in recycling because they are used again and again, not entering a landfill until they are nothing but rags. Of course, some people want more than this common sense approach--they want facts. Here are a few well-documented facts to help inform your choice.

Our cloth diapering story:

Today's cloth diapers are very convenient and easy to use. There is a lot of cloth diapering information to be found online, and some of it can be pretty confusing. When our family started considering using cloth diapers for our kids, we spent many hours reading up on the benefits and how to use. It is good to be informed, but you don't have to spend hours and hours reading up on it like we did. After all of our research we did make the conscious decision to use only organic cotton diapers. The bottom line with cloth diapers is you use a cloth diaper along with a diaper cover, which is what offers the wetness protection for the diaper. Some people choose not to use diaper covers, which just means that when your baby wets the diaper the wetness will find its way through the cotton and wet your baby's clothing. We highly recommend a diaper cover though because it can get pretty messy at times without one.

There are many types of cloth diapers, but we personally settled on the one-size diapers because of their convenience. One-size diapers can be adjusted based on your baby's size, from newborns up to toddlers. They come with snaps or velcro closures that make them as easy to put on as a disposable diaper. You will get the hang of them in no time, and you will not have to worry about purchasing different size diapers as your baby grows. Price wise, one-size diapers are a little bit more expensive than other cloth diapers, but you can use them until your baby is potty trained. One of the great benefits with all cloth diapers is that you can use them on your next baby, or you can pass them down to another family member or friend for their baby.

Another type of cloth diaper is the All-In-One. This means that the diaper cover is sewn together with the diaper, offering you the all-in-one convenience of not having to purchase a separate diaper cover. However, All-In-One diapers do not come in one-size. You will have to purchase different sizes based on your baby's needs. All-In-One diapers are great to use, so it will boil down to your personal preference as to which type of diaper to use, or you can use a combination of both types. Another difference between one-size and all-in-ones is that the all-in-ones do not usually have any prints. We like the cute prints available with the various diaper covers for the one-size, but again it boils down to personal preference.

Once you've made the commitment to use cloth diapers, it is easy to add cloth wipes. We use organic cotton wipes instead of regular disposable wipes with chemical names we can't pronounce. You can wash the wipes along with the diapers. For a wipe solution we use organic aloe vera mixed in with hot/warm distilled water in a large thermos. You can also use a spray bottle and just spray the solution onto the wipe when you need it. Very convenient when you are traveling. We also add in some drops of grape seed extract or tea-tree oil (antibacterial), and also a few drops of some essential oils, i.e. lavender, both for their fragrance and intrinsic properties specific to each oil. You can find the recipe we started with here . If you search Google for organic baby wipe solutions you will find plenty of hits, most using the same basic ingredients.

This is not an all inclusive dissertation on cloth diapering, but we wish we would have known these simple facts when we we got started with cloth diapering. In the end, making the decision to use cloth diapers for our kids is by far one of the best decisions we have ever made. We just wished we had started earlier. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about cloth diapering or to share our family's experience with it. Just send us an email.

The washing instructions and Do's and Don'ts below apply to all of the diapers we carry. Also, diaper solids should be flushed down the toilet. Most shake the excess off and then throw the diaper in the pail. Did you know that the instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding? What do you mean you didn't know? Yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system!

How To Use Tiny Tush's One-Size Cloth Diapers

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The most adjustable one-size diapers on the market

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How To Wash Cloth Diapers

Wash in warm or hot water on normal cycle, an extra rinse may be necessary. Non-chlorine bleach when needed. Tumble dry on medium heat or line dry. All cloth diapers will become more absorbent after they are washed and dried a few times. NOTE: Unbleached fabric will need to be washed and dried up to 5 times before it is primed. Do not use bleach, fabric softener or any laundry detergent that has stain protectors in it. These products will leave a waxy build-up and lower the absorbency of the diapers.

Do and Do Not - Washing Tips

			Do
		Follow the manufacture’s washing and care guide.
		Diapers will need to be washed and dried a few time priors to use to reach their maximum absorption ability. Non–treated fabric may require a few more washings.
		Diaper covers can be aired to dry in-between uses, unless it is soiled or smells of urine.
		Covers should be washed separate from diapers to extend the life of the cover. Rinse stool off the soiled diaper covers as soon as possible. Most covers can be washed with other clothes unless they have special washing instructions such as wool covers. Always follow manufactures care guide. Most covers can hang to dry in a short amount of time.
		To prevent Velcro™ or hook and loop closure diapers from tangling and reduce the lint build-up in the tabs, Be sure to fasten the fold back tabs prior to laundering. Do not fret if you forget to fold the tabs back. Simply use the fine end of a comb to clean out any lint that may get in there.
		To help prevent staining rinse the soiled diapers in COLD water. Hot water will set stains. Use products like Arm & Hammer™ Washing Soda or Borax in your diaper pail (for safety reasons, only use a pail with a locking lid) to prevent staining and odors. Diaper liners can help prevent staining and provide for easier cleanup.
		It is recommended that ¼ to ½ of the suggested amount of laundry detergent be used. I feel it is the key to rash-free cloth diapering.
		Use an extra rinse cycle. Set your washing machine to an extra rinse cycle or if your machine does not have an extra rinse setting, you can manually move the dial to the rinse cycle. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar to the first rinse. If your washing machine does not have a rinse dispenser, you can use a fabric dispenser ball.
		By using an extra spin cycle after washing a load of diapers, it will reduce the drying time up to 25%. Adding a dry towel to the dryer will decrease drying time even more. Line-dry diapers to save on drying cost. The sun will naturally disinfect and will remove some stains. If diapers are a little stiff, put them in the dryer for 5 minutes to fluff up the fabric.
		Turn All-In-Ones, Pull-On Pants and all training pants inside-out prior to laundering.

 

 

			Do Not
		Do not use fabric softener because it leaves a waxy coating on the fabric, which will reduce the absorbency and may cause rashes.
		DO NOT USE CHLORINE BLEACH- Chlorine bleach is hard on fabric and prematurely breaks it down. It will also irritate your baby’s skin causing rashes.
		Do not use laundry detergents that contain perfume, dyes, chlorine-bleaching agents, or any stain guard ingredients.
		Do not use buckets without a lid locks to soak your diapers. Children can drown in as little a ½" of water.
		Do not use high heat or over dry All-In-Ones.