Everything You Need to Know About Using Cloth Diapers

One guide. One guide for everything you need to know when considering the switch to reusable diapers. At Bayrli, we seek to inform as well as offer you the best quality diapering systems.

How many diapers will I need per day?

The number of diapers depends on a few factors; the age of your baby, how often you generally change them, the type of diaper and absorbency you use, and how often you will be washing your diapers. The general numbers are usually 8-10 per day for younger babies and 5-8 for older babies and toddlers. Night diapers would be additional to this. Input your personalized information into our Diaper Calculator for a more accurate number.

What do I do before I use them?

Before you use any diaper, absorbency, or accessory, you’ll want to give them a wash first. For hygiene reasons we recommend this as a rough guide before using our products:

Deluxe Diaper (all-in-one diaper) - wash at least 2-4 times before use.*
Everyday Diaper (pocket diaper) - shell only - wash once before use.
Outer (diaper cover) - shell only - wash once before use.
Inner (hemp fitted diaper - either coffee or white fleece) - wash at least 3-4 times before use.*
Prefolds (bleached, organic, bamboo) - wash at least 2-4 times before use.*
Flats (bleached, organic, bamboo) - wash 1-2 times before use.*
Terry cloth diapers (bleached or bamboo) - wash 1-2 times before use.*
Organic cotton wipes - wash once before use.
Microfiber insert - wash once before use.
Cotton insert - wash 2-4 times before use.*
Bamboo insert - wash 2-4 times before use.*
Hemp insert - wash 3-5 times before use.*
Ultimate insert (bamboo/hemp mix) - wash 3-5 times before use.*
Diaper liners - wash once before use.
Diaper travel cube (diaper pod) - wash once before use.
Everyday wet bag (medium wet bag) - wash once before use.
Deluxe wet bag (large hanging wet bag) - wash once before use.
Reusable period pads (cloth sanitary pads) - wash 2-4 times before use.

*We recommend pre-washing these products before use to increase the material’s absorbency to help prevent leaks and to help the diaper’s last longer on your baby. You MAY use them before washing the recommended amount of times, but they will not last as long or absorb as much as they are intended to.

How do I fit the diaper properly on my baby?

Our full guide is here. But below is a rough guide on how to fit different Bayrli diapers:

Deluxe Diaper (all-in-one diaper)

Choose whether or not you’d like to use the snap in booster for additional absorbency. Next, lay your baby on top of the diaper so that the back of the diaper is just above the crack of their bottom, pull up the diaper through your baby’s legs and pull the sides around your baby’s waist and fasten with a snug fit.

Do not snap the waist snaps too tight - you want to generally be able to fit two fingers between the diaper and your baby’s belly. Adjust the rise snaps located in the crotch area until the top of the diaper lays under the belly button and in line with your baby’s hips while tugging any excess fabric in the rise snap area up and under the waist snaps. Lastly, run your fingers along the inner gusset to make sure it is sitting in the panty line of your baby.

Everyday Diaper (pocket diaper)

Once you’ve chosen your pocket diaper inserts, place them inside of the pocket diaper via the slots at either the front or the back. Always place the faster absorbing inserts on top, closest to baby inside of the pocket. Next, lay your baby on top of the diaper so that the back of the diaper is just above the crack of their bottom, pull up the diaper through your baby’s legs and pull the sides around your baby’s waist and fasten with a snug fit

Do not snap the waist snaps too tight - you want to generally be able to fit two fingers between the diaper and your baby’s belly. Adjust the rise snaps located in the crotch area until the top of the diaper lays under the belly button and in line with your baby’s hips while tugging any excess fabric in the rise snap area up and under the waist snaps. Lastly, run your fingers along the inner gusset of your Everyday Diaper to make sure it is sitting in the panty line of your baby.

Outer (diaper cover)

Choose your type of absorbency - Bayrli Inners, terry cloth diapers, flats, or prefolds. Place these on baby first (in the case of prefolds, you can simply pad fold and lay it inside of the Outer first if you wish). Next, lay your baby on top of the diaper so that the back of the diaper is just above the crack of their bottom, pull up the diaper through your baby’s legs and pull the sides around your baby’s waist and fasten with a snug fit. Do not snap the waist snaps too tight - you want to generally be able to fit two fingers between the diaper and your baby’s belly.

Adjust the rise snaps located in the crotch area until the top of the diaper lays under the belly button and in line with your baby’s hips while tugging any excess fabric in the rise snap area up and under the waist snaps. Lastly, run your fingers along the inner gusset to make sure it is sitting in the panty line of your baby. None of the absorbency you’ve chosen to use should be visible once you’ve placed the Outer onto your baby.

Inner

Lay your baby on top of the Inner so that the back of the diaper is just above the crack of their bottom, pull up the Inner through your baby’s legs and pull the sides around your baby’s waist and fasten with a snug fit. Do not snap the waist snaps too tight - you want to generally be able to fit two fingers between the diaper and your baby’s belly.

Adjust the rise snaps located in the crotch area until the top of the diaper lays under the belly button and in line with your baby’s hips while tugging any excess fabric in the rise snap area up and under the waist snaps. Lastly, run your fingers along the inner gusset to make sure it is sitting in the panty line of your baby. You will need to place an Outer over top of your Inner to make it waterproof.

Prefolds

You can choose which fold to use and either fasten the prefold onto your baby with the use of a fastener or you may choose to pad fold the prefold where you can simply lay the prefold inside of the diaper cover and place onto your baby.

Flats

Terry cloth diapers

Choose a fold that you wish to use and fasten around your baby. Once in place, you will need a waterproof diaper cover to ensure you do not get any leaks.

How often do I change my baby’s diaper?

You should be changing your baby’s diaper on average every 2-4 hours during the day. Changing times vary on your baby’s age, the style of diaper you choose and which absorbency is being used, how much/often your baby wets, if they poo in their diaper, and if they are prone to wetness sensitivity. Your baby’s night diapers can be worn comfortably on average 12 hours on your baby and only need to be changed if your baby poos.

What are diaper liners used for?

Diaper liners are used for two main reasons:

They make cleaning up a dirty diaper much easier as the liner is designed to go against your baby’s bottom and should catch most of the poo while allowing the pee to soak through to the diaper’s absorbency.
They provide an easy to use stay dry layer to any style of diaper.

Our diaper liners are reusable, washable, comfortable, breathable, and let you choose which material you’d like against your baby’s skin! Choose from the cooling, moisture-wicking athletic wicking jersey (AWJ) or the soft, fleece moisture-wicking side of the liner. Don't like fleece? We offer a fully recycled AWJ option and even a biodegradable bamboo version.

What can I use to clean my baby’s bum?

With the use of our organic cotton baby wipes, you can simply use water if your baby has sensitive skin. If you’d like to add a bit of coconut oil to make a simple solution, this can be done as well and will help to moisturise your baby’s bottom.

You may also make solutions by using cloth wipe bits, essential oils, etc., just be mindful as to how your baby’s skin handles the ingredients and stop if you see any sign of redness or rashes.

Cloth wipes are also an incredibly environmentally friendly option with zero maintenance required to keep them in tip-top shape for years.

What do I do with the poo?

When your baby dirties in their diaper you should change them as soon as possible. If your baby is exclusively breast fed, their poo is water soluble and you do not need to rinse the diapers - unless of course you wish to! You may simply put these dirty diapers in your diaper pail, bin, or wet bag until wash day.

If your baby is on formula or has started solid foods, you will need to remove as much poo before storing the diapers or washing them. You may utilise a diaper sprayer or hang the diaper into the toilet and try to flush most of the poo off. Reusable diaper liners are a great addition to any diaper and can make clean up much easier.

How do I use cloth diapers when out and about?

Cloth diapers are just as easy to use on days out as disposable diapers. You only need one extra handy to have accessory - a wet bag! Once you change your baby’s diaper you can place it in one of our Everyday wet bags folded up until you arrive back home and can then either keep them in that bag until wash day or transfer them into one of our Deluxe Hanging wet bags for storing until wash day.

Another handy product to have for days out are our Diaper Travel Cubes, or our version of a diaper pod. Have your diapers pre-stuffed and ready to use in our handy diaper pod. These also double for a great way to transport snacks, toys, reusable wipes, and more!

How do I store the diapers until wash day?

You can store dirty diapers in diaper pail, diaper bin, or a large wet bag until you have your wash day. The Bayrli Deluxe Hanging wet bag is the perfect hanging diaper bag and will hold enough nappies to hold you over until you have to wash your diapers.

How do I remove stains?

Your wash routine should remove the bulk of stains on your diapers, but we also have some helpful hints below:

Poo stains can disappear like magic in the sunshine.
Use reusable or single-use liners to prevent stains.
Rinsing poo diapers and inserts/liners - and gently wringing them dry afterwards - can help remove a large amount of staining before it has time to settle into the fabric.
A daily pre-wash cycle can help remove stains before they become set in.

How do I dry my diapers?

While we know a lot of our customers are concerned in regards to drying times of their diapers, you can place our inserts and absorbencies options into the dryer on a low tumble drying cycle. This can affect the lifespan of your products, but is handy to have as an option in a pinch. It will also help to soften up natural materials such as bamboo and hemp. We do however recommend for your diapers and accessories to last longer that you air dry as much as possible.

Why is my baby’s diaper leaking?

Most leaks are caused from a few main problems:

Incorrect fit of the diapers - Have you checked our recommendations on how to fit our diapers located in our help section? Double check where your baby is leaking and see if there are any fit issues in that area. The internal gusset on our diapers should fit nicely in the panty line of your baby’s legs, the tummy elastic should be below the belly button, and the excess of the fabric in the groin area (the rise snap area) should be tucked up and under the waist snaps - especially into the sides of the diaper.
Heavy or fast wetting - Your baby may be a heavy wetter. This means that they pee a large volume and you will need to adjust your absorbency accordingly. If you baby floods their diaper quickly and this causes them to have leaking issues, you may need to get a quicker absorbing material - such as microfibre or cotton - to catch the pee faster than a bamboo or hemp option. You may continue to use bamboo and hemp absorbencies, but find a combination that works for your little one.
Detergent build up - This can block the fibers of your absorbency from correctly soaking up liquids from your baby. Make sure you have a good wash routine. You may need to adjust with an additional rinse cycle and be sure to check you have the correct dosage of detergent for your diaper laundry cycle.
Damaged waterproof fabric - If the TPU/PUL on your diaper has an issue such as a tear or has begun to crack, you will inevitably get leaks as the membrane has been compromised. This can be caused by tumble drying on high excessively and placing directly on a heater.

What diapers can I use for overnight?

We recommend using a diaper that is specifically made to be comfortable and super absorbent to keep you and baby happy overnight. Our Bayrli Inners, made with either a coffee fiber or white fleece lining, keep baby dry, provide excellent absorbency, and great coverage. They include a fleece topped bamboo booster and a snap in hemp booster.

The Inner itself is made with an interior of stay dry fleece and hemp giving your baby the most absorbent fitted diaper. This will need an outer waterproof diaper cover, such as our Bayrli Outers.

Another great overnight option that is super absorbent and comfortable for your baby are our Bayrli Terry Cloth Diapers. Terry cloth diapers are extremely customizable with how you choose to fold and fit them on your little one and also pair very well under our Bayrli Outers.

You also have the option of adding a reusable diaper liner to this style to keep baby feeling dry overnight.