Frequently Asked Questions

• Why cloth diaper?
• How much money can I save using cloth?
• But what do you do with the poop?
• Won't the diapers stink?
• What do I NEED to get started with cloth diapering?
• I just received all of my diapers, what do I do now?
• How should I wash diapers?
• How does Mama Bean wash diapers?
• How often should I change my baby?
• I'm having trouble with leaks, what gives?
• Why would I need to and how do I "strip" my diapers?
• Can Mama Bean come to my home and show me what to do with this stuff?
• What is the weight limit of the BabyHawk MeiTai Carrier?
• Can I begin a gift registry?
• I want an item that is "OUT OF STOCK" on the website, can I still get it?
• Do you have a physical location?
• Can I pick up my order at your home to save on shipping costs?
• I need a gift for tomorrow! Can you help me?
• Who won the "Great Cloth Diaper Hunt" Bonus Contest?

Why cloth diaper? TOP

Cost - There are a lot of great reasons to cloth diaper, but for most people it's $$$!  During the course of diapering, you will spend roughly $2000 per child on disposable diapers.  The average cost of cloth diapering is about $800.  A second or third child will cost less, since the diapers can be reused.  There is a great cloth vs. disposables calculator on Diaperpin.com where you can see it out for yourself.

Environment - Your baby has to live in this world and I pray that it's not full of piles dirty disposable diapers (roughly 1 ton per child)!Occasionally you hear that the environmental effects of cloth and disposables even out. That just is not true, but I can tell you who pays for the studies that produce that kind of information...can anyone say disposable diaper manufacturers?  Information like this is usually found in venues that depend on disposable diaper companies for revenue. This information usually will not include any information about dioxins and other wastes created by the production of disposables or the water used during the manufacture of disposables.  Cloth diaper businesses just don't have the capital behind them to fund competing studies, so we just have to use common sense.  It just doesn't make good sense that disposables are as harmless to the environment as cloth!  Are styrofoam cups or disposable underwear an environmental improvement over coffee mugs and cotton briefs? Water use to wash diapers compares to an additional family member in the household flushing the toilet. 

No chemicals! - The chemical that provides the super absorbency in cloth diapers, sodium polyacrylate, was banned from use in tampons.  If the diaper is torn, it can be dangerous to pets and children.  Yes, this is what makes up the little "gel balls" that you find on your baby's bottom.  Ewww...gross.  Dyes and perfumes found in disposable diapers can cause allergic reactions and rashes.

Comfort - What are you wearing on your bottom right now?  Paper, plastic, or cloth?  Cloth diapers are soft, comfy, and stay cool.  Disposable diapers can't do that.  Rashes are rare with cloth diapers, because they allow free air flow to your baby's skin.

Potty Training - It's easier and quicker!  On average, cloth diapered children potty train 6 months earlier than disposable diapered children.

Easy - Modern cloth diapers are fitted and have velcro tabs.  You never have to run to the store because you've run out of diapers.  You don't have to look for diaper sales or clip coupons for diapers.  Yey!

No "Blow Outs" - I often hear Moms who use disposable diapers complain about "blow outs" (when large runny poops escape the diaper and go up baby's back or out the legs).  This never happens with cloth unless you have a diaper on that is much too large or if you have not secured it properly.  All the poop...runny or otherwise stays where it belongs, in the diaper.

Cute - A disposable diaper can't hold a candle to the "Awww" factor of a cloth diaper.  So many colors and prints!  They even make lacie diapers for little girls to wear with dresses.

Glamorous - Many celebs use cloth diapers!  Dave Matthews, Naomi Watts, Brooke Shields, Melissa Joan Heart, Heidi Klum, Katie Holmes, Sheryl Crow, Ming Na, Ali Landry, Marcia Cross and Brad Pitt all have been said to use cloth diapers!  Who knew cloth diapering could be so trendy?

How much money can I save using cloth? TOP

You can adjust the numbers accordingly.

Diapering In The First Year

But what do you do with the poop? TOP

Ah, my favorite question.  LOL.  Newborn poop is water soluble and will rinse right off of the diapers in the wash.  It will not harm your washer or leave any residue.  After you start solids, the poop becomes stickier and thicker before it becomes formed.  During this time, some people choose to use flushable liners.  Then the poop along with the liner goes in the toilet, while the diaper goes in your pail.  Some people use a diaper sprayer that attaches to your toilet plumbing to squirt off the poop into the toilet.  Some people turn the diaper inside out, hold onto the corners and do a quick swish in the toilet while flushing.  Then turn it right side out again and carefully place in their pail.  This time is the most annoying in the diapering period, but it doesn't last very long.  The poop will become formed and then it is very easy to plop it off in the toilet and flush.  Some people always use liners and some people never do.  The take home point here is that if you have a horrible aversion to poop, you can use flushable liners during the entire diapering period and minimize your exposure to it!  Yey!  Just a piece of information here...the package of disposable diapers reads (in so many words) that all poop should be plopped in the toilet before throwing the diaper in the trash.  No one does that, but you're supposed to.  Otherwise, fecal matter sits in our landfills and seeps into the ground water.  Yuck!

Meconium - aka "First Poop" - Meconium will stain your diapers.  I would suggest liner (disposable or fleece) during this time (a few days).  If you don't use liners, you can lay your diapers out in the sun after they have been washed to bleach out stains.  Meconium will bleach out MOST of the time.

Won't the diapers stink? TOP

Yes, the diapers will stink.  All diapers stink.  They have been peed or pooped in!  You can stick your diapers in a diaper contraption that individually wraps each diaper in plastic, making diaper sausage links and trashing the environment one diaper sausage at a time, and they will still stink if you let them sit there long enough.  In my opinion, pee diapers smell worse than poop diapers.  However, your baby's room will not stink and nor will your home.  I have actually had people ask me, "Does your house smell like dirty diapers"?  Of course not (rolling eyes).  When you open the pail, there is a smell coming from the pail.  Some people sprinkle baking soda or essential oils in.  I just close the lid when I'm done a change and call it a day.  If you wash your diapers every 3 days or more often and keep a lid on your pail, you will only smell diapers when you open the lid and when you put your dirty diapers in the wash.  I occasionally spray Lysol in my pail after I remove the liner and I very occasionally rinse it out with a hose.  Also, your diaper bag will not stink if you are carrying around a couple of dirty diapers in a wet bag.

What do I NEED to get started with cloth diapering? TOP

If you just want the basics for a newborn to crawling age...I would recommend the Bummis prefold diapering kit (contains small size covers, fit 8-15lbs), 4-6 newborn size bummis covers if you have a newborn (fit up to 10 pounds), 1 Snappi, 1 pail liner, 40 wipes, wipes solution, and a medium wet bag.  You will have to purchase a 13 gallon trash can with a lid as well.  Some people use a can without a lid and that doesn't smell much when your baby is tiny, but for me, when they are older and taking some solids...a lid is needed.  I also highly recommend Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve.  I used this salve as a barrier treatment on all diaper changes and it has worked wonderfully for me.

If you are starting with an older child who is rolling/crawling, I would skip the prefolds.  I am a huge fan of prefolds and I loved them when my son was stationary, but when they start moving they can just more trouble than they are worth.  It's possible to use them, but at times, frustrating.  In my opinion, the quicker you can get through the diaper change, the better.  In some cases, your baby will be crawling away as you fasten their diaper.  When they are a bot older and are wanting to have a soiled diaper changed, you can easily get back to prefolds.  For this age I would recommend 20-25 pocket diapers,  additional inserts for nap times and overnights, 1 pail liner, 30 wipes, wipes solution, and a medium wet bag.  You will have to purchase a 13 gallon trash can with a lid as well.  Some people use a can without a lid and that doesn't smell much when your baby is tiny, but for me, when they are older and taking some solids...a lid is needed.  I also highly recommend Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve.  I use this salve on most diaper treatments and it has worked wonderfully for me.

These are minimum recommendations and will have you washing your diapers every third day.  If you want to wash diapers every other day, you can certainly get away with less.  As you go along you can purchase more diapers in prints/colors you like, an additional pail liner, an additional wet bag, etc..  This way you will always have alternates if your supplies aren't dry yet.  It is also nice to have a few pockets for outings even if you use mostly prefolds.  The one step on and off (since the cover is part of the diaper) makes restroom changes a little simpler.  If money were no object, I would have purchased only pocket diapers for the entire diapering period.

I just received all of my diapers, what do I do now? TOP
Well, you need to wash them.  Wash all pockets and covers once according to label directions, or follow guidelines on this site.  If you ordered prefolds, they must be washed 4-5 times prior to using.  If you don't do this, your diapers won't be very absorbant.  When "prewashing" prefolds, you should not mix them with your pockets.  You will be washing out the oils from the cotton and this can cause your pockets to repell urine.  If you ordered the Bummis kit, there are written directions in the box.  Your hemp products have been professionally washed and dried once. They will need up to 8 more washings and dries before it is fully absorbent. The first few times you wash hemp products you should NOT wash them with fleece products (including pockets). Hemp has natural oils in it and the oils can coat your fleece. After your hemp has been fully primed you may wash it with all of your diapering products.
If you plan to hang dry your pockets and covers (which is not necessary, but some gals choose to), you should dry them at least once in the dryer on low.  This helps seal stitching holes in the PUL.  After you have "prewashed" your prefolds, you can mix them with your pockets for washing.   

How should I wash diapers? TOP

I would say, start as easy as possible and adjust based on the results and your preferences.

On wash day, dump all of your diapers, covers, and pail liner in the machine.  Do a cold prewash with a very small amount of detergent.  The cheaper the better.  Stay away from anything that is fragranced, whitening, or super powered in any way.  After this, run a hot cycle with half the recommended amount of detergent, then a rinse.  (Experiment with this.  You may be able to get your diapers clean using even less detergent, therefore using less product and depositing less residue on your diapers).  Hang your covers to dry and toss your diapers in the dryer, or hang them as well if you like.  Fold your prefolds & stuff your pockets. 

NEVER use BLEACH

NEVER use fabric softener or dryer sheets - in fact using these products with your other clothing will leave residue in your washer and dryer and cause you to have to strip your diapers now and again.  I suggest skipping those products and purchasing the goosebump type dryer balls.  They work great and save you money!

How does Mama Bean wash diapers? TOP
I wash diapers every 3 days.  I have a front loading washing machine.  I keep my poopy diapers in a separate pail than my pee diapers.  I decided to stop bothering with disposable liners because it was putting a piece of paper between my baby's bum and his nice soft cloth diaper.  That didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I'm a nurse and poop doesn't really scare me all that much.  LOL.  My son is still mostly nursing and a separate poop pre-wash helps clean the poop off better than washing all my diapers together.  I fill my soap dispenser with a pinch of detergent in the pre-wash compartment and 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent in the main wash compartment.  Every other wash, I add a 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener cup to balance the pH levels.  It is dispensed during the rinse cycle.  Some people say that this wears out your diapers faster, but I haven't noticed that.  Bummis advises against this.  I still do it.  Every few washes, I add a half cup of OxyClean to the main wash (some people advise against OxyClean, I still do it).  It helps with the stains.  When I first started cloth diapering stains REALLY bothered me, but I'm over that now.  They are after all, diapers.  I put the poopy diapers, wipes, and their pail liner in first and do a pre-wash in cold water.  When the pre-wash is over, I switch to hot water and add my pee diapers, covers, wipes, and the pail liner.  Although the WAHM that makes the wet bags recommends a cold water wash, I throw my wet bag in as well and am very happy with the way it has held up.  When they are done I hang the covers, pail liner, wet bag and my pockets to dry.  I put all of my inserts, prefolds & wipes in the dryer.  If there is a particluarly offensive stain, I lay that diaper out in the sun to bleach out.  It always works.  When everything is dry, I stuff my pockets and fold my prefolds.  I stock my diaper station so everything is ready to go.  If I need wipes...I make up the solution, wet my wipes, and put most of them in my wipes warmer ready to use and the rest in my travel wipes container in my diaper bag.  That's it!  There are MANY correct ways to wash diapers.  It may take a tiny bit of tweaking to get the BEST system for you.

How often should I change my baby? TOP

Approx. every 2 hours, unless your baby is sleeping.  You should use additional stuffing in your pockets or consider a doubler with prefolds for added absorbancy during naps and night time.  You will get to know your baby.  If he/she is a "heavy wetter" more frequent changes or extra layers may be needed.

I'm having trouble with leaks, what gives? TOP

Are your prefold diapers or hemp inserts new?  If so, make sure that you have "primed" your diapers to remove the natural oils.  This consists of washing and drying your diapers 5 times in very hot water.  This is not necessary with your pockets, Happy Hempy's and microfiber inserts.  ***Do not prime your diapers with diapers that do not need to be primed.  The oils will cause the pockets and microfiber inserts to repel urine.

Are your diapers too big?  You really can't "size up" in diapers and have your baby grow into them.  They should fit snuggly at the waste and legs.

Are your covers too small?  Your covers shouldn't fit too tightly.  Even if all of your prefold or fitted diaper is contained in the cover, a too tight cover will put pressure on the diaper and squeeze pee out of the diaper and cause wicking (moisture through the cover).  Remember all of the diaper has to fit COMPLETELY inside the cover.  Any diaper poking out will cause leaks.  Again, a proper fitting cover should make this easy to accomplish. 

Are you using the usual commercial diaper rash ointments?  These contain fish oils and will cause leaking as they build-up on your diapers.  Don't use any ointments with fish oil as an ingredient.

Do your diapers have a build-up of detergent residue?  Detergent additives that seem good (you know who they are, stain fighters, brighteners, pretty perfumes) can ruin your diapers and decrease their absorbency, cause your covers to wick, and in some cases make your diapers stink after you have washed them.  Stick to low residue products.  Store brands with no frills work best.  Use a quarter to a half the amount recommended.

Why would I need to and how do I "strip" my diapers? TOP
If you are having problems with wicking, leaks, odors, or rashes...try stripping your diapers.  Wash all of your diapers normally, except switch to a different detergent.  The one your using is leaving residue.  If you are already using a low residue product, you are using too much.  Switch to a residue free product.  When they are done, fill the washer with very hot water and 4 scoops of OxyClean.  Let it soak for a few hours.  Rinse and then run a hot wash with no cleaning products.  If there are any suds during the wash, repeat hot washes until you no longer see suds.  If you have a front loader, you can not soak as stated above...there isn't enough water.  You can soak them in your kitchen sink or a bath tub and then transfer them to the machine.  Some people advise against using OxyClean, saying it's too harsh for diapers.  I haven't had any problems using it with my wash routine, but I haven't had to strip diapers.  This is the routine my friends have used and they haven't had problems with the OxyClean, but I just wanted you to be aware.

Can Mama Bean come to my home and show me what to do with this stuff? TOP

If you live in the North County San Diego area, she can!  I will come and show you all of the options I have to offer.  You can see, feel, and practice with the "fluff" and choose what you like.  If you are on doctor's ordered bed rest, I can swing by with whatever you are interested in if you are tired of shopping on-line and need to see some real live baby merchandise. 

Mama Bean is also available for baby showers!  While she won't show up dressed like a large string bean, she will bring a free gift for the mom-to-be (at least a $10 value).  All you have to do is invite her and allow her ten minutes to share some of her products with the group.  If the Mama registers prior to the shower and at least $150 in merchandise is purchased by the guests - Mama Bean will bring a bigger and better gift (at least a $30 value). 

Also, Check the "On Tour" section for local appearances.

What is the weight limit of the BabyHawk MeiTai Carrier? TOP
Newborn to 40lbs, or as long as you can comfortably carry your child.

Can I begin a gift registry? TOP
Sure you can!  While cloth diapering is much less expensive than disposable diapering, the "start-up" cost is higher.  A registry is a great way to get what you need!  Click on "BABY BOUTIQUE GIFT REGISTRY" at the bottom of any page and fill out the info to start your registry.  Then, go shopping!  Instead of clicking "order", click "add to registry".  You can add to you registry at any time, you just need to return to the registry screen and log in.  Have fun!

I want an item that is "OUT OF STOCK" on the website, can I still get it? TOP
Please e-mail me with the item in question.  In most cases, I can get it to you within a week.  This does not apply to sale items.

Do you have a physical location? TOP
Sorry, at this time we do not have a physical location.  Check the "On Tour" page for community appearances.  If you live in the North County San Diego area, I may be able to come to your home for a demonstration.

Can I pick up my order at your home to save on shipping costs? TOP
Due to insurance reasons, this isn't possible.  In most cases, priority shipping is around $6.  Contact me if you would like me to ship first-class instead to save on shipping.  Don't forget, orders over $150 receive FREE SHIPPING (except for cotton diapering kits)!

I need a gift for tomorrow! Can you help me? TOP
Sure we can!  Baby Bean Boutique offers e-gift certifcates in $25, $50, and $100 denominations.  Just click on Gift Certificates in the bottom navigation bar and fill out the short form.  It will be e-mailed directly to the giftee with a direct link to the boutique for easy access to shopping!!!  Be sure to include a short gift message!

Who won the "Great Cloth Diaper Hunt" Bonus Contest? TOP
Kelly M. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada!  She is a CD’ing, AP mum of two boys, one six year old and one five month old. Kelly, Hubby and the kids love to go camping in the beautiful Rocky Mountains just an hour away from their home!

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