[Deleted User 22132]

How do you get started with cloth diapers? What do you need ? And how does it work? I find the whole thing very overwhelming and confusing but i cant afford disposables. Can anyone help me? I wouldnt even really worry about this except i have incontinence issues and really need the diaper because the pass just dont work for me

[Snugglebunny]

You may want to start out by looking over the adultclothdiaper.com website. They are large retailer of this type of product. http://www.adultclothdiaper.com . There are various levels of products made in the cloth range to support different levels of incontinence ranging from pull on cloth diapers to Velcro and pre-fold (pin on) diapers.
What you'll need/want will be specific to your case and looking though the product types will give you an overview of what's available. Pretty much regardless of what type of cloth diapers you choose you're going to need plastic pants as most cloth diapers don't have an outer coating to stop wetness from getting though them to whatever your wearing over them. There is a how to lesson on folding pin on diapers on the same site and there are some on you-tube as well if you were looking at prefold (pin on) diapers.

Three things to keep in mind though; first cloth diapers are really only available over the internet so you'd have to have them shipped to you. Second cloth diapers may be cheaper than disposable overall but they will be much more expensive initially. Third you're going to have to have a way to wash them.

[Abyfox]

I use cloth diapers and plastic pants almost exclusively and I do so for several reasons. After the initial expense, upkeep is much more economical if you have your own washer and dryer. Another good reason is that I have found them to never leak, ever! The longer you use them, the softer they get. Good quality fabric will last for years and years.

I am handy with a sewing machine and a pair of scissors so I was able to buy 74" wide diaper cloth. I would cut it to the length that worked for me then surged the edges. This makes an adult size flat diaper that washes cleanly and dries quickly. I also had bought a dozen long soakers sometime before, but I suppose I could have made them just the same had I not. They work great for adding extra thickness where you want it.

It takes a little time to experiment and find the right fold that works for you. I like to fold mine right after pulling them out of the dryer, adding the soaker, then spraying them with a special baby powder scent spray I make, then put the final fold/roll where they will fit perfectly in my diaper drawer. My diaper drawer smells awesome, and my diapers always smell like baby powder.

Finding a good quality plastic pant is also important. I don't go for anything fancy, more classic, utility, and durability. A trick to know and learn is following the advice of mothers from the 60s, fold in all the edges of the plastic pants inside the edges of the diaper. zero leaks this way.

You will also want to find between 8-14 large diaper style safety pins. I pin them with 4 pins, to at the top and one at the edge of each leg.

Hope this helps...

Abyfox

[Abyfox]

A quick note about buying super thick prefolded adult diapers...
I have a lot of money invested in several baby-pants brand super thick, lots of layers, pre-folded adult diapers.
My advice, don't do it. They take many many wash and drying cycles before they are properly broken in, and they take a very long time to dry, waisting a ton of energy. I love flats as in my prior post, as I'm very energy conscience.