RE: Cloth Diapering 101 -- Prefolds and fasteners
I'll address fasteners and prefolds, which are just one of the types of cloth diapers you can buy.
Prefolds. Sometimes referred to as CPFs (C=Chinese), these are the standard diapers that you might remember seeing when you were a kid. They are rectangular and have several extra layers sewn into the middle of the diaper.
Prefolds come in several different sizes, fabrics and absorbancies. The sizes include preemie, infant, regular, and toddler. Then within each "size," there are generally two different absorbancy options offered: regular and premium. The size of the prefold refers to the physical size of the rectangle of cloth; I believe the sizes are standard, but I could be wrong. In addition to that, each prefold has a number attached to it -- 4x8x4 or 6x12x6, for example. The first and last numbers refer to the number of layers sewn into the sides of the diaper and the middle number refers to the number of layers sewn into the middle of the diaper.
Prefolds are available in cotton and hemp (which is usually a mix of cotton/hemp) fabrics. Cotton prefolds come in unbleached (UBCPFs) and bleached varieties. Some people say that the unbleached PFs are softer or wear better, some people prefer the whiteness of the bleached ones. I haven't found a huge difference either way.
Prefolds can be fastened in one of three ways -- by using diaper pins, by using a Snappi (which is that rubber thing that looks like a slingshot) or simply by tucking the prefold into the cover.
Prefolds do not have an waterproof layer on them, so you'll need to put a waterproof cover over the prefold. There are several kinds of covers, so I will let someone else address that.
RE: Cloth Diapering 101 -- Prefolds and fasteners
Adding to the prefolds discussion:
Chinese Prefolds (CPFs) are the most popular. However there are European Prefolds (EPFs) and Indian Prefolds (IPFs) as well. In my experience, the IPFs are much softer and more absorbant than the CPFs. However, they do not have the color coded serging like the CPFs do and do not have multiple size options like the CPFs. Their infant size run smaller than the CPF infant size.
Unbleached CPFs and IPFs are referred to as UBCPFs and UBIPFs.
The unbleached prefolds hide stains better than the bleached ones imo.
However, the initial number of washes for unbleached prefolds are way more than for bleached. That is because the natural oils are still in there <edit>
<someone talk about EPFs.. i have not tried them>
Color Codes for CPFs: <insert colors here>
Note: I am writing as I think.. i will come back and edit later.
Some of what I know about wool...
There are different kinds of wool covers.
1. A "soaker" which is usually knitted or crocheted and has a drawstring or ribbed waistband.
2. A "Wrap" which is closed with snaps, usually side snaps from what I have seen.
Wool is breathable and naturaly antimicrobial, so it doesn't have to be washed more than every couple weeks unless it gets poopy on it. Not all wool is scratchy, maybe Linda will be able to elaborate on the different kinds of wool as I only have stuff from www.kiwipie.com and it's all super soft.
Wool can hold up to 30% of it's weight in moisture before feeling wet. This makes it an excellent choice for night time diapering.
Well, baby is awake. Linda, you want to add some stuff? :)