The 4-1-1 to Cloth Diapering with Merino Wool
Whether you’re expecting or hope to start a family some day, have littles already and desire a more natural way than your current diapering methods, or just genuinely interested in how Merino wool could possibly be used in diapering, the following is for you.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t a lick of knowledge about wool, let alone Merino, because I’ve already done all of the work by spending countless of hours researching what I’m about to share with you. I’m also here to encourage you by saying that our family has successfully and joyfully diapered with Merino wool for over two years now. This is why I’m so excited to share with you our personal journey with Merino wool, so you don’t have to waste your precious time searching like I had to!
You may have handfuls of questions like: Cloth diapering still exists? What exactly is cloth diapering? Is cloth really possible in this day and age? And, Merino wool? You’re kidding, right?
No matter what your questions may be, I want to put your fears to rest. I’m going to share with you exactly how we have adopted cloth diapering our children with Merino wool in a simple and straightforward way. I am absolutely convinced this is the best, most natural way to diaper children and it is my hope that after reading, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence with Merino wool too!
So, what is cloth diapering?
In a nutshell, cloth diapering is the traditional method to diapering (the old-fashioned way, if you will). This basically means using ‘cloths’ instead of disposable diapers. We use and highly recommend using cloths made of natural fibers, such as organic cotton, rather than synthetic materials. Through testing out numbers of different cloth diaper designs, we’ve discovered we prefer the true ‘old-fashioned’ way, that is organic cotton flats.
What makes cloth so special?
Instead of throwing diapers away, like with disposables, cloth diapers are completely reusable. Once soiled, cloth diapers can be washed and dried to use again and again.
Here’s an example to get a glimpse at how amazing cloth is for our environment!
Let’s say a child goes through an average of 8 diapers per day (this is obviously underestimating, because newborns can go through many more diapers than this per day for the first couple of months after birth), but stay with me now...
Let’s do the math!
8 diapers/day x 365 days/year = 2,920 diapers/year!
Again, this is underestimating, but I hope this gives you a glimpse at the shear amount of garbage that is currently going into our landfills with disposable diapers. And, that’s just for one child! And, that’s only the first year! I recently read that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now estimates that the average child will use 8,000 diapers before potty training. The EPA also reports that about 20 billion disposable diapers are dumped into landfills each year, accounting for more than 3.5 million tons of waste.
And, you thought my little estimate was shocking… However, if using cloth, zero diapers would be added to landfills. That’s right! Zilch. Nada.
Now, one might argue, “Well, what about the water and energy it takes to wash cloth diapers?” And, I’d have to answer that by simply saying, “I’d much rather use a little bit of water and energy with my cloth than use something that will take hundreds of years (if ever) to decompose with disposables.” Not to mention the energy cost of manufacturing all of those required disposable diapers.
Now where does Merino wool enter into the picture?
Since cloth by itself doesn’t have a barrier to shield moisture from a child’s clothes when it becomes soiled, it needs a cover. That’s where the Merino wool covers comes into play! They cover our children’s cloth diapers to provide a nice barrier between the diaper and each of our children’s clothing.
Now, we could have chosen to use plastic covers over our girls’ cloth diapers, most commonly referred to as polyurethane laminate (PUL) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) covers. In fact, I vividly remember almost clicking the purchase button for plastic covers. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to click ‘Submit’ because I kept having these thoughts like, “Isn’t there something better than plastic?” “There has to be!” “But what exactly?” I’m so thankful I actually paused, because in those moments I remembered seeing something about using Merino wool diaper covers.
But, I didn’t know anything about wool at the time, let alone Merino wool. I was very curious and eager to find something better in a diaper cover and desired so badly to find something that paired more naturally with our cloth diapers than settling for plastic covers.
That’s when I began researching about all things Merino. Weeks upon weeks of it. Finally, I was convinced enough from reading all of the wonderful benefits Merino claimed to have, that I took a chance and ordered a few Merino wool diaper covers shortly before Elsie LouAnn was born. I was definitely hesitant, because as you might imagine, they were more expensive than the plastic covers, so it felt like a risk. But, when we received them in mail, I instantly fell in love with Merino. I was in awe at how super soft they were and it made me feel great knowing our baby would be oh, so comfortable wearing them, that it was something natural, and was excited to test out Merino’s benefits!
I’m so thrilled to say that we’ve been using cloth diapers with Merino wool diaper covers on both of our daughters, Elsie and now Sydney, since the day they were born and we’ve experienced first-hand all of the wonderful benefits to using Merino wool. (To learn more about the many benefits of Merino, visit our Discover Merino page).
Because we have successfully cloth diapered with Merino wool diaper covers for over two years now, we’ve learned our preferences and favorites when it comes to what we like to use with our children. But, it’s taken time to try out numerous brands and designs to get to the point where we are at now, and the confirmation we have now with recommending to others. That’s what’s so valuable and priceless about this information, because I would have loved to have had someone tell me all of this when I was just starting out! That’s why I am here for you, so you can be successful right out of the gate!
What brand of cloth diapers do we use and recommend?
Our favorite cloth diapers to use with our children are good ol’ fashion organic cotton flats. They are basically a big sheet, so to speak, that can be folded and customized to fit any baby’s contour. We love using them. They wash up so incredibly well and dry the fastest of all types of cloth diapers. Both are a dream when it comes to cloth diapering because of minimal to no staining and less time and energy to dry them!
We use and recommend the Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Flat Diapers by Green Mountain Diapers. They are made of a double weave gauze with organically grown unbleached cotton. This fabric stays the softest of all of the natural fiber diapers and are incredibly absorbent and durable.
To help with being more absorbent, we also add either cotton or hemp inserts with the flats.
How many diapers do you recommend purchasing per child? And what brand?
To preface before I hash out all of the details pertaining to this question, I want you to know that everything can be catered to your preference, lifestyle, and budget! I've just compiled this information based on what I would do if I had known what I know now when I had first began this journey!
Soooooo, if you're hoping to start cloth diapering from birth like we have, we recommend purchasing at least 2 dozen flats per child to start with. (If your babe is older than newborn, keep reading. I have recommendations just for you too). I usually wash a load of diapers every day. If you desire to wash every other day, or every third day, you would need more flats to get you through to your next washing time. Newborns require more diaper changes, sometimes over 12 diapers a day, so having 24 flats will give you a good cushion room in case you didn't get to diapers every day or babe went through a lot that day!
We recommend having 2 dozen, so 24 of Green Mountain Diapers’ Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Diapers in the ‘Newborn’ size. We highly recommend these flats. I used to think the fancy Workhorse diapers and prefolds were the way to go, but I've loved flats the most, like they used back in the day! They are awesome flats! I personally love the muslin fabric of these over their other 'birdseye’ option. We have tried both and I've found I favor the ‘ruffle-y’ feel of the muslin. I also think they are more absorbent too.
Then as baby grows (or if your baby is already older than the newborn months), we recommend having 18-24 of the same Green Mountain Diapers’ Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Diapers in size ‘Large,’ which will fit baby from 12 pounds all the way up to 35 pounds! The size ‘Large’ should get your child through potty training. At least, that’s the hope!
What brand of Merino wool diaper covers do we use and recommend?
Our favorite Merino wool diaper cover brands are:
-Disana
-Babee Greens
-LANACare
All three of these businesses offer top-quality items and have strict standard requirements for their wool in which they use to make their products for little ones! For those of you who are Americans and are looking to support woolies made here in the USA, Babee Greens is an American company with all of their products being handmade in Asheville, North Carolina. We also love Disana (a German company founded more than 30 years ago that continues to offer exceptional and versatile baby and children’s textiles...we have a handful of their clothing items for our girls that we just love)! And then, LANACare is a lovely Danish company created by a mother who developed a range of products for mothers and babies in organic pure Merino wool (we also have several pieces from their offerings that are so incredibly well made)!
How many Merino wool diaper covers do you recommend purchasing per child? And what brands?
We recommend having at least four Merino wool diaper covers per child (at least to get started). If your budget allows, it would be convenient to get a couple more in case one gets soiled and needs washing/re-lanolizing.
If you’re starting babe out at birth, we recommend these four Merino wool covers:
-(1) of either the Disana Pull-On Cover in size 62-68 (tag says 3-6 months, but we think it fits babes best from 6-13 lbs) or the LANACare Pull-On Cover in size ‘Small.’
-(3) of the Babee Greens Classic Merino Wool Diaper Covers in size ‘Small.’
For a newborn, we like and recommend either the Disana or LANACare Pull-On Covers. You really only need one to start out with though and you really can’t go wrong with either one! They both have a thicker wet zone area, which is very nice for those nap times and stretches of sleep at night. If your budget allows, I think the LanaCare Pull-On Cover is absolutely adorable on little babes, but we wouldn’t recommend it for older babies because there isn't as much coverage around the inner thigh area, we’ve found. Again, we love this one for itty bitty babe! To figure out what size your baby will fit best in, go visit the Green Mountain Diapers’ website. They have very helpful information for each cover to determine sizing!
If your babe is older than newborn, we recommend these four Merino wool covers:
-(1) of the Disana Pull-On Cover in the size your baby fits in according to his/her weight.
-(3) of the Babee Greens Classic Merino Wool Diaper Covers in the size your baby fits into according to his/her weight.
Again, check out each of these covers on the Green Mountain Diapers’ website to determine sizing! We agree with their sizing details and suggestions and it’s all so helpful.
Also, if your babe is older than newborn and you desire a more natural way than your current diapering methods, I wanted to tell you this for your reference…
Before our Elsie started potty training and now as we transition her out of cloth diapers, we still put a cloth diaper on her at nap times and nighttime just in case. We use a cloth flat with three hemp inserts since she has been a heavy wetter in the past. Then, we like to use her Disana Pull-On Cover in her very own size since it is such a great overall cover!
What other items will I need to get started with cloth diapering with Merino wool diaper covers?
-Well, the cloth flats have to be fastened somehow in order to hold the diaper in place on babe. This can be done using either what is called a ‘Snappi’ or safety pins. We use a ‘Snappi’ with each of our girls and their diaper. It’s this handy, stretchy gripper piece that holds the diaper in place by way of a three point system that is super easy and quick to use. You really only need one per child, but they usually come in a pack of three. I guess it would be a wise idea to have a spare or two available just in case!
-Wet bags. These will hold soiled cloth diapers when away from the house. I would recommend having at least two to start with. We really like the GroVia brand of wet bag. They are very durable and have outlasted the other wet bag brands we have tried thus far.
-Diaper pail with diaper pail liners. Now, I used this fancy diaper pail for Elsie when she was a baby and long story short, it wasn’t practical! So, if I knew what I know now, I would have just purchased the basic white colored plastic kitchen trash can with lid we now have that I found at Lowe’s. It works so well and is convenient and easy to clean! Here’s the link to the one we use for holding the diapers… https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hefty-Touch-Lid-White-Plastic-Trash-Can-with-Lid/1000184241
Then, we recommend having a least two of the Thirsties brand pail liners. This combo of the bin with the liners is so handy!
-Detergent for washing the cloth diapers and woolies. We use and highly recommend Unicorn Clean (another family owned American company) for all of your laundering needs from washing the cloth diapers to the actual wool diaper covers to your everyday laundry! Unicorn Clean products remove grease and stains, is efficient and effective in all water temperatures, is earth friendly and biodegradable, is not tested on animals, is made in the USA, is gentle and also free from dyes, phosphates, fillers, or irritants! We have used everything they have to offer and love it all. I now use their washes for our laundry now!
Here is their website link:
http://www.unicornclean.com/
As a basic overview of their products...their 'Beyond' washes (so, anything that has the word 'Beyond' in front of it) is all fragrance free! So, their Power Scour and Beyond Clean are the same type of wash . . . just the Beyond Clean is the fragrance free version. Same for their Fibre Wash and Beyond Fibre Wash . . . the Beyond Fibre Wash is their fragrance free version. I've used all of these, even the ones that are lightly fragranced and have had no issues with skin sensitivities. And, we have pretty sensitive skin (the girls and I). So, I would recommend which ever you think you might prefer. The Power Scour and Fibre Wash have a very light ‘lavender-y’ smell to them.
This is what I am using right now if you wanted to reference:
I have the Beyond Clean for the girls' cloth diapers and also to deep clean/strip the lanolin off of their covers. (You could also use the scented Power Scour for this if you wanted the scent)!
Since I now use their washes for our regular laundry (because it works so well), I use either the Power Scour or Beyond Clean for our towels/washcloth loads.
I have the Fibre Wash for re-lanolizing the girls' wool covers. I like the scent for when the covers are nice and freshly washed. (You could also use the Beyond Fibre Wash if you prefer . . . again, this is fragrance free). And, then I use either the Fibre Wash or Beyond Fibre Wash for our everyday laundry (clothes, girls' clothes, etc).
-Lanolin. Because the lanolin on the Merino wool covers is what gives it its ability to become a barrier between the diaper and baby’s clothing, you’ll need to get some natural lanolin to ‘re-lanolize’ your baby’s Merino wool diaper covers from time to time. I’ve been using Sweet Tea ‘N Biscuits ‘Solid Lanolin Unscented.’ However, Sweet Tea ‘N Biscuits announced they sold the formulas and product information for all of their wool care lines and as a result, will no longer be offering wool care products in 2019. The formulas they developed are now sold to another company, Charis ‘N Ewe. I have not purchased from them myself yet, but when I need more lanolin, this will be where I order from. This lanolin is intended to be used specifically for lanolizing wool diaper covers. I usually order the largest size (16 oz.) and would recommend getting that size because it’s the best deal overall and you’ll need it for re-lanolizing the woolies during your journey with Merino wool diaper covers.
So, approximately how much is the initial investment for a child when choosing to cloth diaper with Merino wool covers?
To preface, please make note that the following are estimates as of March 2019 and are not based on sales or discount codes and does not include shipping fees. Also, if you find your baby is a heavy wetter or you are wanting a bit more for absorbency, this estimate does not include investing in cotton or hemp inserts. The following estimates are the initial investment for a child and does not include the purchase of larger sized cloth diapers or covers as baby grows.
If you’re starting babe out at birth, you can aim to initially invest approximately $401-$436. See below for more details.
(24) Green Mountain Diapers’ Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Diapers in size ‘Newborn’ = approx. $50
(1) of either the Disana Pull-On Cover in size 62-68 or the LANACare Pull-On Cover in size ‘Small’ = approx. $25-$60
(3) of the Babee Greens Classic Merino Wool Diaper Covers in size ‘Small’ = approx. $111
(1) Package (Set of 3) ‘Snappi’ Diaper Fasteners = approx. $10
(2) GroVia Wet bags = approx. $22
(1) Hefty Touch Lid White Plastic Trash Can with Lid (or something similar) = approx. $16
(2) Thirsties Pail Liners = approx. $37
(1) Gallon of either Unicorn Clean’s ‘Power Scour’ (lightly scented) or ‘Beyond Clean’ (fragrance free) for washing cloth diapers and deep cleaning Merino wool diaper covers = approx. $89
(1) 16 oz. bottle of Unicorn Clean’s ‘Fibre Wash’ (lightly scented) or ‘Beyond Fibre Wash’ (fragrance free) for emulsifying the lanolin when re-lanolizing Merino wool diaper covers = approx. $16
(1) 16 oz. jar of Charis ‘N Ewe’s ‘Solid Lanolin Unscented’ Lanolin = approx. $25
Approx. total initial investment = $401-$436.
Remember, cloth is reusable! And, if you take good care of them, they should be able to last through more than one child, if you are blessed with more children!
If your babe is older than newborn, you can aim to invest approximately $413-$436. See below for more details.
(18-24) Green Mountain Diapers’ Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Diapers in size ‘Large’ = approx. $60-$80
-(1) of the Disana Pull-On Cover in the size your baby fits in according to his/her weight = approx. $27-$30
-(3) of the Babee Greens Classic Merino Wool Diaper Covers in the size your baby fits into according to his/her weight = approx. $111
(1) Package (Set of 3) ‘Snappi’ Diaper Fasteners = approx. $10
(2) GroVia Wet bags = approx. $22
(1) Hefty Touch Lid White Plastic Trash Can with Lid (or something similar) = approx. $16
(2) Thirsties Pail Liners = approx. $37
(1) Gallon of either Unicorn Clean’s ‘Power Scour’ (lightly scented) or ‘Beyond Clean’ (fragrance free) for washing cloth diapers and deep cleaning Merino wool diaper covers = approx. $89
(1) 16 oz. bottle of Unicorn Clean’s ‘Fibre Wash’ (lightly scented) or ‘Beyond Fibre Wash’ (fragrance free) for emulsifying the lanolin when re-lanolizing Merino wool diaper covers = approx. $16
(1) 16 oz. jar of Charis ‘N Ewe’s ‘Solid Lanolin Unscented’ Lanolin = approx. $25
Approx. total initial investment = $413-$436.
Additional items you may want to consider for a more natural diapering repertoire:
-Reusable cloth wipes
We use two types of wipes:
1.) Cloth-eez Two-Sided Wipes - Unbleached.
2.) Cloth-eez Organic Muslin Baby Wipes. We love these ones in particular because like the cloth flats, they also wash up well and dry fast. We also have been using them as a small burpie cloth, for spit ups, and I place them under Sydney’s chin while breastfeeding to prevent hers and my clothes from getting breastmilk on them that leaks down.
-Natural soap to use with dirty diaper changes to freshen baby’s bottom. Check out Earth Mama Organics’ products!
Now, this was A LOT of information, I know. But, I hope this helps answer your wonderful questions! It might seem overwhelming and if it does, let this information really rest and settle in. This all is so easy and so fun and truly doesn’t require much maintenance at all. Our girls always look so comfy in their diapers and covers because they are soft and gentle. And, in return, I just have to smile! It works well for us and I'm so so SO excited for you if you decide to take this journey!
I also wanted to tell you that I highly recommend you check out other websites to see if they offer any of these Merino covers we recommended for less than I’ve exampled. Check out Little Spruce Organics or the actual Babee Greens website. Or, Danish Woolen Delight sometimes has sales! I just used Green Mountain Diapers, because they had everything I recommended in one convenient place! And, as always, please let me know if you have questions. Remember, I’m here to encourage you and cheer you on if you truly decide to take this beautiful journey with cloth and Merino wool, which I hope you will do!