Please read through all the different FAQs below: they cover everything from general cloth diapering info to how to choose diapers and wool wraps to care questions. For shipping and exchange/return/cancellation policies, please click on About Us at the bottom of the page. If you can’t find your question here, please feel free to email me!

• Why Use Cloth Diapers?
• Is it a Lot of Work?
• How many diapers and covers do I need?
• Why Wool?
• Ok, but how does it really work – I mean wool’s just a fabric, right?
• Wool flannel, jersey, double knit, cashmere!? And sooooo many color choices? How do I choose?
• Ack, my baby’s soaking right through my new wool cover!
• My AIO is leaking / wicking and everything’s soaked!
• Do I need a doubler with my diapers (and what is a doubler)?
• How do I wash my new diapers and wool covers?
• Velcro's ok, but I really prefer snaps...
• What size do I need to order?
• Have you ever made adult diapers?
• I’m really looking for an XYZ – I don’t see them in your store, but do you think you could make one?
• Do you wholesale CYA products?
• I love your products – where can I tell other people about them?

Why Use Cloth Diapers?

There are many reasons to cloth diaper your baby, the two main ones being: that it’s a lot less expensive to use cloth (especially since you can reuse the diapers on later babies), and that it makes a whole lot less trash and uses a whole lot fewer polluting chemicals. It’s also better for your baby: cotton is much easier on the skin and many babies who have skin allergies or are prone to rashes can wear cloth without any problems. You’ll also find that your baby gets a lot fewer diaper rashes. This is because air can actually get in to your baby’s bottom with cloth diapers instead of having everything sealed inside with a disposable. And, you’ll never have to run to the store at 2 am because you just used your last diaper. Plus, with so many choices and cute prints and colors out there, it’s a ton of fun!

Is it a Lot of Work?

Yes, it’s more work than disposables, but not as much as you might think. Changes are quick, adding maybe 30 seconds to put a cover on over the diaper. Then, there’s the infamous poop issue: how do you get rid of it? You can swoosh the diaper in the toilet by hand (which can be messy) or get a bidet or diaper sprayer to attach to your toilet and have it do the work (and never have to touch the poop). Either way, it helps to have a diaper pail in the bathroom, too. You don’t need any special diaper pails – a simple trash can with lid is what I use by the changing table and in the bathroom. You’ll be washing often enough that it won’t start to stink up your house. Oh, and cloth diapers don’t stink the way disposables do. As for washing, how often you have to do it depends on how many diapers you have. I have about 18 that we use and I wash every three days or so. I run a cold rinse to get rid of any lingering ickies and then a hot wash to kill any germs. Machine dry on high and you’re done. If you still have any poop stains, just lay your diaper out in the sun and it’ll bleach right out.

How many diapers and covers do I need?

That really depends on how often you want to wash and how old your baby is. Newborns need to be changed more often than older babies, thus going through diapers faster. I’d say you’ll want a minimum of 12 diapers and 3 covers to start. That’ll probably have you washing every day with a little baby. If you want to go more like 2-3 days before washing, you’ll want more like 18-24 diapers.

That all said, before you start buying a whole bunch of any type of diaper, I do recommend that you try out several different styles (fitteds with wool or PUL covers, All-In-Ones, pocket diapers) to see what works best for you before you invest in a ton of any one thing. You may find that you like best what you initially thought you’d like best, or something may surprise you.

Why Wool?

Wool is a great alternative to PUL (polyurethane laminate) covers because it’s much softer and allows more airflow because it’s a natural fiber. If your baby has those aforemetioned skin troubles, then wool may be the way to go. My son’s bottom stays cool, even on the hottest summer days.

Ok, but how does it really work – I mean wool’s just a fabric, right?

Well, it’s actually the lanolin that makes wool waterproof. Lanolin is the natural oil that sheep produce to keep themselves warm and dry (it’s also a great moisturizer and you’ll see it in lotions and breastfeeding creams). After you get your wool wraps, you'll need to treat them with lanolin before you use them (just follow the directions provided). You should wash your wool covers with a wool wash with lanolin in it to keep up the waterproofing. Even if your baby’s gone a long time without a change, or has been in the same position for a long time (naps or long car rides), wool can hold up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling wet on the outside. Wool covers will get damp from compression wicking eventually, so do make sure that you stop to change your baby often during long road trips.

Wool flannel, jersey, double knit, cashmere!? And sooooo many color choices? How do I choose?

Wool flannel is a brushed woven fabric that is slightly fuzzy, but not stretchy. It’s a dense, soft fabric. Wool jersey is a lightweight knit (think t-shirt fabric, but wool) that I pair up inside my patterned knit wool covers. The patterned knits are heavy, sweater-weight fabrics. Double knit wool is a fabric that has knit stitches on both sides of the fabric and is thicker than jersey. Knit cashmere is the ultimate in softness, and is stretchy too. However, it is a more delicate fabric and thinner than my wools, so I wouldn’t recommend my cashmere covers for super heavy wetters. I also now have Ultimate Cashmere wraps that are made from super soft cashmere flannel that's been lightly felted. It works great even on heavy wetters and overnight. I’ve used them overnight on my babies when I’ve still been changing once or twice a night and not had any leaking problems. All the knits are stretchy and fit a bit larger than my standard size charts (the small end of each size is the same, but they fit up to an inch or so bigger, too). I’ve used them all on my babies and have liked them a lot. So, it’s really a matter of personal preference about which fabric covers you order. As for colors, some people only ever go with white or pastels for their babies; others like a selection of bright colors. For babies who are crawling or walking, my patterned knits are great because they don’t show dirt nearly as much.

Ack, my baby’s soaking right through my new wool cover!

There are generally two things that might be happening in this case: diapers that aren’t absorbent enough, or you need more lanolin on your cover.

Let’s talk about absorbency first. Wool covers are great, even for the heaviest wetter, but if the diaper underneath isn’t absorbent enough for the amount of pee your baby’s making, then nothing will stop the leaks. Try adding a doubler for extra absorbency. If you’ve been using your diapers for a while, but are starting to have leaks, you probably have some detergent buildup in your diapers that’s preventing them from holding as much pee as before. To fix this, after running a rinse on your dirty diapers, add a good squirt of dish soap and wash on hot.

Some people find that they need a lot of lanolin on their wool covers, others don’t need all that much at all. There’s a chemical reaction between urine and lanolin that happens inside your covers. The lanolin reacts with the pee and creates urine salts. If you don’t have enough lanolin for the strength of your baby’s pee, the urine may go through the wool some. If your wool wrap is starting to smell like pee, that’s the buildup of urine salts you’re smelling and it’s time to wash and lanolize again. So, if you’re sure that your diapers are good to go, try washing and lanolizing your cover again. Also, do make sure that you're rinsing your covers thoroughly before adding a woolwash and more lanolin; otherwise, you'll just trap those urine salts under layers of lanolin and your covers will start to stink.

My AIO is leaking / wicking and everything’s soaked!

You need to wash and dry your new AIO diapers a bunch of times before the heat seals the waterproofing layer completely. As with my fitted diapers, the organic cotton insides also become more absorbent after the first few washes. So, if you’ve washed a couple of times and are still having leaks, run your AIOs through the washer and dryer several more times.

Do I need a doubler with my diapers (and what is a doubler)?

A doubler is an extra layer of fabric that you lay inside your diapers for extra absorbency. My doublers are long rectangles of 4-layer organic cotton french terry – very absorbent without adding a lot of bulk. Unless you have a record-breaking wetter, you shouldn’t need a doubler with my newborn or small size diapers. Older babies or very heavy wetters may need a doubler in my bigger diapers. Some people find that they want a doubler with my AIOs if they’re planning to have their baby in them for a long time (shopping trips, etc.). My older son wore my medium size diapers without a doubler for almost a year (from 10 months old to almost two) before he started soaking through diaper, cover, and clothes. I added a doubler and that solved all the problems.

How do I wash my new diapers and wool covers?

Please see the About CYA Products page, or see above for any problems you’re having.

Velcro's ok, but I really prefer snaps...

I use hook and loop closures on my diapers and wool wraps because that's what I've always found was easiest; my babies never held still long enough for me to mess with snaps. However, I know that some people do prefer snaps; so, if you want snaps on your diapers or wool wraps instead of velcro, just select the Add Snaps option. I do have to charge a bit more for the extra material cost and time to put the snaps in. Please see the About CYA Products page for pictures of diapers and wool wraps with snaps.

What size do I need to order?

Please see the About CYA Products page. Please note that it's better to choose your size from your baby's measurements rather than weight. Two babies weighing the same can be built completely differently and need different sizes. The weight approximations that I list are just that, approximations.

Have you ever made adult diapers?

Long ago (i.e. before I had a second baby), I was able to do special orders like this. Now, I just don’t have time.

I’m really looking for an XYZ – I don’t see them in your store, but do you think you could make one?

If there’s a certain color wool or cashmere cover that you’d love to have, but don’t see listed, please let me know and I’ll try to find the fabric to make one for you. For my patterned wool wraps, what's listed is generally all that I have. For popular patterns, I try to keep more in stock, but I'm not always able to find more.

Do you wholesale CYA products?

Yes, I do sell my wool wraps and diapers wholesale to other cloth diapering shops. For more information, email me at erika@clothforyourangel.com with the products you're interested in selling. Check out my Links page for a list of CYA retailers.

I love your products – where can I tell other people about them?

Please rate my diapers and covers here: