I decided to take a hiatus from cloth diapers in order to strip my entire batch. This removes buildup from laundry soap and fabric softner, which can decrease the absorbency of the diapers. (I don’t use fabric softner on the diapers, but I still sometimes use it on other loads in the dryer, which can still leave residue on the diapers after they go through the dryer.)
What a difference! He leaked through the disposable the first night, and the diaper pail smelled SO BAD with the disposables in it…I couldn’t WAIT to get back to my cloth diapers! I’d never have thought that in a million years before I started doing this.
A friend of mine asked for some insight into cloth diapers, so I sent her an e-mail with what I’ve learned. In case anyone is interested, I’m going to post my response to her here:
There are about a million different types of cloth diapers. Lots of websites explain it well, so here’s my quick interpretation:
Prefolds and flats – what you think of when you think of cloth diapers; they use diaper pins and need a cover
Fitted diapers – probably the next step up, these are the cotton/bamboo that are fitted to the baby and include snaps or velcro or whatever but still need a cover
AIO – all-in-one diapers – similar to a disposable except that you wash it; very easy to use, but lots of layers and take a long time to dry; all of the parts are in the diaper (no cover needed since the outside layer is waterproof)
Pockets – a waterproof layer sewn to a fleece or flannel (wicking moisture from the baby) layer that has an opening for a cloth insert. This way, the parts come apart for a thorough cleaning and pretty quick drying time. Can use specific stuffers that come with many brands, or prefolds, or apparently making your own is pretty easy (I’ll let you know!) This is what I prefer.
Something else that I prefer is a one-size diaper. To me, it makes no sense to buy lots of them, all different sizes. A few extra snaps in the front and you’ve got a diaper that transforms from a newborn size all the way up to a toddler size. They’re a little more expensive but well worth it, in my opinion.
Here are some brands that I’ve tried (all are pockets except for the last two):
Happy Heinys – among my favorites! TONS of great colors and designs, and I love the sizing. We only have the velcro kind; they recently came out with ones with snaps that I’d love to try if they weren’t so expensive. The velcro comes apart easily and sticks to everything in the wash, but I love them still.
bumGenius 3.0 – among my favorites! Not a ton of colors, but enough for variety. Love the sizing, and they wear well through the wash. The velcro tabs don’t come undone like the Happy Heinys. They fit well, too.
Swaddlebees – not available in a one-size diaper, so not for us, but fit nicely
Mommy’s Touch – have a velcro one that I don’t love, but I got a snap one as a second that’s great. Also, a ton of colors and designs and my friend has an AIO by them that’s really similar to a pocket in that the insert is sewn to the diaper.
Haute Pockets – I have two of these with snaps, and they’re available as seconds from the clearance place. Breathable, so not great for overnights, but I like them and will probably get more seconds.
Wahmies – got one with a latch system as a second and love it – nice lining and it’s a pain to get on, but also a pain to get off (for those of us who like to take them off during naptime 
Kushies – AIOs, under $40 for 5 of them shipped Site-to-Store at walmart.com (This is about $80 at amazon.com!) Not my favorites, but definitely worth the price. I don’t love the sizing on them; they get fitted to him well but are very bulky.
Baby Beehinds – fitted diapers, so we had to get covers to go with them, but we found two sites that had them on clearance so we got a few to try because a friend highly recommended them. They’re made of bamboo, so super-absorbent and a renewable resource. These fit nicely and have two inserts that snap in and out for easy laundering.
The website from which I ordered just about all of my diapers is:
The customer service is highly recommended. I’ve always received my orders quickly. And, there’s free shipping on all pocket diapers, and even diapers that don’t come with manufacturer inserts come with ones made by Nicki’s. A great site! They’ve also got a site for clearance items and seconds:
http://www.clothdiaperclearance.com
Seconds are diapers that have slight manufacturing defects but are still completely usable. They generally do not come with inserts if they’re pocket diapers and there are no returns. I have ordered several and love them; it’s a great way to save some money and get great (new!) diapers.
Another way to save money is to order used diapers. Here’s a site:
You can get all levels of used diapers here, sometimes even new ones for cheap! (It’s also a great site for trading information about anything kid-related: cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, potty training, etc.) Buying diapers like this is not right for me. I’m willing to spend the extra money to know where the diapers came from, how they’ve been washed and that they’ve been taken care of properly.
Here are a couple of other sites I’ve ordered from with luck (I’d order from there again):
http://www.thestorkwearhouse.com/
http://www.maineclothdiaper.com/
Here are two local sites (to Rochester, NY) that I don’t think have storefronts:
http://www.timetochangethediapers.com/
http://www.luvaboos.com/
This place is in Ithaca, and a friend recommended them to me:
http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/
For someone who’s never tried cloth before, I’d recommend getting a starter package. I got one from Nicki’s Diapers, but I wish I’d known about Luvaboos, ’cause theirs looks awesome and cheap! They have LOTS of kinds to try and they let you try accessories, too.
I have to end this thanking Margaret, once again, for helping me get so good at this! 