maybe beginner CD'er, thinking cheaper, talk to me about prefolds

[curious&eager]

I'm interested in CDing. I like the cheaper route- prefolds with covers.

What all do I need on a small budget?

Prefolds- what kind? I have a heavy wetting 6 month old. I've read about unbleached Indian and Chinese. I'm thinking like 20 of them?

Cover?- I've read most about thirsties. Is it the regular cover or the duo?

Explain the pail- a trash can with a liner?

I know I need snappis.

Gentle laundry soap

What else?

[Bokonon]

Indian or Chinese just depends on your preference. I don't have a ton of experience with prefolds, so I'm not sure which is better for a heavy wetter.

I have a regular Thirsties cover and a Duo Wrap. I WAY prefer the Duo, FWIW.

I have a cheap, tall diaper pail from Toys R Us with a Thirsties bag. I mostly use pocket diapers, so it fills up faster than with PFs, but I wash my dipes every 2-3 days.

When I used prefolds, I never used a Snappi. I just laid the prefold in the cover. I know some people love Snappis though! You really only need one or two to start out with, and then replace them if they start showing wear.

There is a learning curve to starting cloth diapering, but you can start out slowly as you get the hang of it!

Check Craigslist for used covers and prefolds for the best deals!

[lifeguard]

I made my own prefolds out of flannel so I can't help there. I have 24 & rarely go through all of them & I generally wash every 2-3 days.

For covers I have the mommy's touch one size covers & really like them. I have 7. I am more likely to run out of clean covers than prefolds, but I think my guy poops more often than most older babes.

We have snappis but stopped using them months ago. Now we just trifold into the covers.

Our diaper pail is just a plastic bin, no liner. I sprinkle a little baking soda with tea tree oil every so often to help with the smell.

Some people on here rave about diaper sprayers but I've never had one & do just fine. I just dump the solid in the toilet - sometimes giving it a swish to get any stuck pieces off.

[treegardner]

If you are going to wash everyday, you could probably get buy with 12 prefolds and 4 covers. I would recommend getting 24 prefolds and 8 covers, and washing every other day.

[Chryseis]

When we started CD it was pretty important for us to keep it cost-effective. We got away with a dozen prefolds and about 4 covers in the beginning. It worked okay, but I'd definitely recommend two dozen prefolds and about 8 covers, just as the previous poster pointed out.

I primarily use GMD prefolds (I got the bleached Chinese) and Thirsties covers. I've got a couple of Bummis Super Brite covers, and they were great covers, but they really haven't held up very well for me (the velcro). I just replaced them with Thirsties (although now I'm wishing I'd tried the Thirsties Duo). I prefer to use Snappis because for some reason I have not mastered the art of the trifold.

Initially we used prefolds and doublers (hemp & cotton) for night time. I just thought it was too bulky, though. I ended up using BumGenius pockets for nighttime and that has been a good solution for us. We were able to get started with just 4 for night time use only and that was pretty cost-effective. I do use the BG and a few FB pockets for out and about use now (I just think they're trimmer under clothing--particularly jeans), so I have added more (almost all of them bought very inexpensively as they were seconds).

Because we were doing this on the cheap I did make all of my own wipes. I just raided the remnant bins at places like Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart for cheap flannel and cut them up and serged them together. I also used old baby washcloths that I had lying around. I have over 100 wipes and have probably spent less than $5 on them.

For the pail I found a great lidded trash can at Target. I just use that with a pail liner (I only have one...I really would prefer to have two) and it works just fine.

We don't have a diaper sprayer at the moment, we just dump and swish. Personally, I would probably prefer a sprayer, but my husband doesn't think it's necessary. So, out of sheer apathy, we just haven't hooked one up yet.

[Ola_]

If you're on a budget I would probably go with Little Lions prefolds - they are the most economical and many people like them. http://www.little-lions.com/ Their seconds are very popular also and great prices. I'd probably get 24 (they're usually sold by the dozen) and maybe 12 of the next size up just so you have them for backup in case you run out or if your little one goes through a growth spurt. Be sure to get 4x8x4 layering instead of 4x6x4 since you have a heavy wetter.

Covers are up to you - there are certain ones that work better with skinny babies, or chubby babies. For the diaper pail, yup a trash can will work. Most people get a liner to make it easier but some just dump stuff directly in the can and wash it out when doing laundry. That one is up to you. I'd probably get 1 or 2 snappis - they are not that expensive, and they really help with poo containment. Have fun shopping!

[octobermom]

One of my favorite all together packages for a newbie is this one http://weebunz.com/cgi-bin/package.cgi?pg=3

In this package you get 3 dozen prefolds 5 covers of your choice and 4 pocket diapers (great for nighttime) with inserts and a wet bag you can upgrde any size and it comes with options for one size in the pockets all for under $200 which is a pretty sweet deal for a first time set up..
Add on 2-3 dozen cloth wipes a few snappi get a tall kitchen trash can to use as a pail and choose a detergent free of dyes perfumes and enzymes for most likely success. I'd also suggest a tube of some type of cloth diaper safe rash cream.
With this set up you can totally and successfully ful time cloth diaper for added convience and things I think worth the little extra investment consider
a diaper sprayer
2 diaper pail liners
1 extra wetbag for travel

Deanna

[Erinjvrn]

I think many people love prefolds and thirsties covers. I would get 4 covers if you are getting 20 pfs. And wipes like the others said, and a small wetbag for travel. I would get some pockets for nighttime, like one size fuzzi bunz. 3 oughta be plenty. And Ive never used a snappi lol.

[JTA Mom]

Heavy wetter:

I'd go with the bigger prefolds (at least premium size), and fold down the length to fit.

For covers, a chubby thighed baby, go Prowraps. For a skinny thighed baby, go for Bummis Pull-ons and a side snapping cover, like Mother-ease Air flow. If you really want to get a big bang for your buck, look for one sized covers. I have the Wonderwrap, and it's okay. I don't like the fact that it's not PUL on the inside (it has a cotton inner facing the prefold), so I can't easily wipe it out.

Or, for true economies sake, go for the Flip or the Econobum. The covers are one size, and you can buy extra sets. For $100 you can get 6 Econobum covers and 24 inserts, OR 4 Flip covers and 12 inserts.

ETA: for cheap, extra absorbency, pick up microfiber towels in the Auto section of Target. Or in Walmart, they have microfiber scraps (big hand towel sized, serged on all ends) in the Auto section. I would fold those up and tuck it between the prefold and cover (microfiber should NEVER touch the skin for a long period of time. The super absorbency causes it to grab onto all the moisture on the skin, leading to dry, cracked irritated skin).


Ami

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by Chryseis

When we started CD it was pretty important for us to keep it cost-effective. We got away with a dozen prefolds and about 4 covers in the beginning. It worked okay, but I'd definitely recommend two dozen prefolds and about 8 covers, just as the previous poster pointed out.

I primarily use GMD prefolds (I got the bleached Chinese) and Thirsties covers.

Me too. Though I only have 6 covers and it's fine. 8 would be nicer though.

Originally Posted by Chryseis

I've got a couple of Bummis Super Brite covers, and they were great covers, but they really haven't held up very well for me (the velcro). I just replaced them with Thirsties (although now I'm wishing I'd tried the Thirsties Duo). I prefer to use Snappis because for some reason I have not mastered the art of the trifold.

I had the same experience with the Bummis Super Brites velcro not lasting. Mine is basically useless now. I love the thirsties, both the original and the duo. Haven't had the duo for all that long, but older style thirsties I have has seen heavy use for over a year and showing very few signs of wear. The duo seems to be made of the same stuff.

I used mostly baby wash cloths for wipes and keep them in a warmer I picked up at the thrift store with plain water.

I use an old bucket for a pail and since the liner I got for free ripped I haven't used a liner. I'd like to get another one, but can live without.

Snappis are awesome.

For laundry soap I like Charlies.

[Katie T]

Im cheap but until i knew I was gunna stick w/it I used walmart bags instead of wet bags, a trashcan 4 pail, no liner (3 1/2yrs later still no liner lol) Use chaep washrags for wipes inless u sew your own. & dont let everything overwelm you its fun 2 cd!

[kismetbaby]

At GMD they often have prefolds "seconds" on sale ( having a frayed edge or something, which wouldn't bother me at all). They don't have any right this minute but here's where they would be: http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/seconds.htm

I got a great deal on some fitteds this way!

you could also keep an eye on ebay. plenty of mom's buy a stash then decide they aren't going to do CD and the dipes are barely used.

[starrmama]

Yeah, prefolds and simple covers are economical and work really well! That's all I used with my first dd. I'll throw out a plug for flats too though - they dry so much faster than prefolds, and personally I think they work as well, with only an extra 10 seconds of folding when you put the diaper on...you'd need a doubler to go with every flat with a heavy wetter though. I've been thinking that cutting a flat in half and folding it to the right doubler size would work well (a whole flat is a little too bulky for my taste as a doubler) if you didn't want to spend the money on actual doublers.

Chinese vs. Indian - Chinese are usually said to last a bit longer (if you want to diaper multiple babies with the same ones), and Indian are usually said to be a little softer. These are very minor differences though; they are very very similar. Definitely get 4X8X4. Other than that, you can't go too wrong with prefolds. GMD is a little more confusing because of all the sizes, and then you'd be tempted to keep sizing up... although if you really want a great fit without extra bulk you can't beat theirs.. but a regular (premium) size should really work fine for you - that would be blue edge most places.

I like to have 3 dozen diapers on hand when washing every 2-3 days though. My dd is almost 2, but she pees frequently!

I'd also go with 6 covers, although you could maybe get away with fewer. I like the idea of the Duo better than a one-size like Flip or Econobum or Wonderwrap. My dd was very chubby and she's still a pretty big girl and the one-size stuff just doesn't fit her well at all. Duo being 2 size, you still can save some money and shopping time, but the fit has more range in the larger size IMO.

We love wool covers here actually - my dd just wears longies or shorties that double as cover and clothing... this way I don't have to buy other pants, and the fit has been really good since I've done some customs and also knitted a few prs myself. You can actually go very ecnomical with wool buy knitting/crocheting/sewing your own. Recycled wool sweaters can make great covers.

Oh, and instead of a pail or trash can, I only use a pail liner. I like my zippered ones really well (SMJAE), but really any would do - I have 2 so one is in use while the other is washing/drying. You can hang it on any hook or doorknob, or half the time, mine just sit on the floor near where I change! I also really like having 2 wet bags for my diaper bag, but with dd1 we never invested in those either and just used old grocery bags for toting around dirty diapers and then tossed them afterward.

Good luck with cloth diapering! Oh, and I like Charlie's, Nellie's and Allen's about equally well for a detergent.

If you want to be really thrifty, you can try buying used off Craig's list or Diaperswappers. I've had really good luck with Diaperswappers actually.

[curious&eager]

Thank you for all your replies. There's lots of great info. I saved it all to read again. I'm getting excited about this, but I have a very reluctant husband. We'll see. Thank you so much!