Bebop Baby Shop in Essex Junction, Vermont

Cloth Diapering Info

Cloth Rocks!
Interest Free Diaper Financing Available at Bebop

Download this information as a PDF file

Disposables….
The average child uses 6,000 diapers in the first 2 years of her/his life.
Average cost of disposable diapers (according to The Real Diaper Association): 25.5 cents
2 year cost of disposable diapers: roughly $1600
2 year cost of disposable wipes: $700
TOTAL=$2,300

Now let’s look at cloth!

A pretty nice stash….

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
36	Infant	Prefolds	$2.25	$81.00
24	Regular	Prefolds	$2.25	$54.00
3	Newborn	Covers	$12.50	$37.50
6	One Size	Covers	$15.00	$90.00
2	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
5	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$90.00
1		Pail Liner	$18.00	$18.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
Total				$605.50

Kinda fancy….

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
36	Infant	Prefolds	$2.25	$81.00
24	Regular	Prefolds	$2.25	$54.00
2	Infant	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$16.00
2	Regular	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$16.00
3	One Size	Fitteds	$28.00	$84.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
4	Newborn	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Small	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Medium	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Large	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
2	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
8	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$144.00
1		Pail Liner	$18.00	$18.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
Total				$948.00

Living Large…and very convenient

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
36	Infant	Prefolds	$2.25	$81.00
24	Regular	Prefolds	$2.25	$54.00
2	Infant	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$16.00
2	Regular	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$16.00
8	One Size	Fitteds	$28.00	$224.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
6	Newborn	Covers	$12.50	$75.00
4	Small	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Medium	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Large	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
3	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
15	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$270.00
1		Pail Liner	$18.00	$18.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
1		Diaper Sprayer	$45.00	$45.00
6	Sized	Pockets/AIO	$18.00	$108.00
Total				$1,497.00

Super Luxury…Best stash on the block

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
26	Infant	Prefolds	$2.25	$58.50
12	Regular	Prefolds	$2.25	$27.00
10	Infant	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$80.00
12	Regular	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$96.00
15	Sized	Fitteds	$18.00	$270.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
6	Newborn	Covers	$12.50	$75.00
4	Small	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Medium	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
4	Large	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
3	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
15	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$270.00
2		Pail Liner	$18.00	$36.00
2		Wet Bag	$25.00	$50.00
1		Diaper Sprayer	$45.00	$45.00
12	Sized	Pockets/AIO	$18.00	$216.00
Total				$1,788.50

Keepin’ it organic

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
36	Infant	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$288.00
24	Regular	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$192.00
6	One Size	Fitteds	$28.00	$168.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
4	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$140.00
4	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$140.00
4	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$140.00
1		Pail Liner	$18.00	$18.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
Total				$1,211.00

As Convenient as Disposables…

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
15	Sized	Fitteds	$18.00	$270.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
3	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
3	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$105.00
40	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$720.00
2		Pail Liner	$18.00	$36.00
2		Wet Bag	$25.00	$50.00
1		Diaper Sprayer	$45.00	$45.00
12	Sized	Pockets/AIO	$18.00	$216.00
Total				$1,752.00

I can’t do laundry at first…I need to work my way to that

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
12 weeks	Infant	Diaper Service Zone 1		$309.00
24	Regular	Prefolds	$2.25	$54.00
9	One Size	Fitteds	$28.00	$252.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
4	Newborn	Covers	$12.50	$50.00
3	Small	Covers	$12.50	$37.50
3	Medium	Covers	$12.50	$37.50
3	Large	Covers	$12.50	$37.50
2	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
2	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$70.00
8	One Size	All In One	$18.00	$144.00
1		Pail Liner	$18.00	$18.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
Total				$965.50

And finally….Beth’s thoughts on stash nirvana

QTY	Size	Type	Cost Per	Total
26	Infant	Prefolds	$2.25	$58.50
12	Infant	Hemp Prefolds	$8.00	$96.00
20	One Size	Fitteds	$28.00	$560.00
50		Wipes	$2.00	$100.00
5	NB/SM	Wool Covers	$35.00	$175.00
4	Med	Wool Covers	$35.00	$140.00
4	Large	Wool Covers	$35.00	$140.00
2	One Size	Covers	$15.00	$30.00
2		Pail Liner	$18.00	$36.00
1		Wet Bag	$25.00	$25.00
1		Diaper Sprayer	$45.00	$45.00
10	One Size	All in Ones	$18.00	$180.00
Total				$1,302.00

More incentives?

Imagine the savings when diapers are used by more than one child
Having one child or on your last one? Resell your diapers and recoup 30-50%

Let’s talk logistics…

You don’t need a wet pail. Before solids are introduced, the diaper can go straight to the pail. No rinsing necessary.
When solids are introduced, shake/scrape/spray stool into toilet. Put the diaper in your pail.

Time to do laundry…

Some people wash diapers on cold all the way through. Most people do a cold presoak followed by a warm/hot wash, and a cold rinse. Turn washer on and add laundry detergent. We strongly recommend Charlie’s soap. See below for cloth diaper no-nos. Let the basin fill up partially.
Dump your diapers in…followed by the pail liner.
Time to dry! Hanging diapers to dry in the sun is great. The UV light is a great sanitizer and is great for stain removal. The dryer decreases the life of aios, covers, and pockets so it is best to hang dry when possible. But if you can’t, you can’t. Prefolds and fitteds are fine in the dryer. Avoid over drying your diapers. Never ever use dryer sheets or fabric softeners. They cause build up and decrease the absorbency of your diapers…liquid actually repels!

What about wool?
Wool does not need to be cleaned often. If you notice repelling or smelling, it is time. Usually every 3-6 weeks…unless you have a poop blowout.

Rinse wool in tepid water until water runs clear.
Add a dollop of wool wash to about a gallon of tepid water. It is great if your wool wash comes with lanolin mixed in. Otherwise, use a pea size drop of lanolin. You may need to heat it slightly.
Soak wool for 20 minutes. Work the wool a little.
Drain water and try to work out as much water as you can without ringing or twisting the wool.
Roll wool in a towel and absorb as much water as possible.
Lay flat to dry

Help….my diapers are repelling/leaking/smelling:
Place already laundered diapers in the washer. Run on a hot wash. Water should be really hot…you may want to turn your water heater up the day before stripping. Use an extra rinse cycle on hot. Repeat this process until you don’t see any soap bubbles.
Some people will add a squirt of dawn to the wash cycle and rinse until there aren’t bubbles.
Others will add a cup of baking soda to the wash cycle and follow the procedure above.
Finally, some people add ½-1 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle.

What about diaper rash and cloth diapers?
In 1955, there weren’t disposable diapers. 7.1% experienced diaper rash. In 1990, 90% of babies used disposable diapers and 78% of babies experienced diaper rash. Infants do not inherit immunity from the mother. They need to build immune response. Occasional minor irritations can and probably will occur as a result of irritation caused by any number of factors. Change your newborn often-up to every hour or so. Please remember that whenever a baby soils her/his diaper, the baby should be changed-disposable or cloth. The fact that disposables have chemicals designed to hold more, does not mean a baby should he left in a soiled diaper. Bacteria breeds quickly.

Diaper crème and cloth diapers….
Avoid crèmes with fish oils. Some of our recommendations are:
Baby Bee’s
Aveeno
Balmex
Northern Essence Diaper Salve
Wedela
MotherLove

N0-nos…

Select a detergent that is free and clear of dyes, perfumes, and essential oils. Seventh Generation is not recommended for diapers. Charlie’s soap is a great option that does not leave build up on the diapers. If you choose Charlie’s soap, be sure to use it for all of your laundering needs. Charlie’s Soap is very eco-friendly so you can feel good about your decision to use it.
Dryer Sheets=Bad
Diaper Creams Containing Fish Oil…not good…not good at all
Don’t fall victim to the “the diaper is not that wet” game-think leaks and more importantly bacteria.

Still need help? Sign up for our cloth diaper class the second Thursday of every month at 6:00. Or pop by the shop for a tutuorial.