I don’t claim for a second to be an expert, but I absolutely LOVE fluff and want everyone… EVERYONE to share that love. Believe it or not, cloth diapering doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. I’m about to tell you the secret to easy washing, lightning fast drying, and virtually eliminating blowouts. Are you ready? Let’s talk flats!
What’s a flat? Just what it sounds like: a large, single layer of absorbent material that you cover with something waterproof. Sometimes called, “Your Grandma’s Diaper,” the flat has been used since...forever. The old-school flat diapering system often looked like this:
But don’t let that scare you. Modern flats are much cooler than the old-fashioned, thin, cotton squares of yesteryear. They can be made from cotton, but also hemp, bamboo, or a blend of fibers. They sometimes have a percentage of spandex to make them a bit stretchy. You can find them with fun, colored serging around the edges, and some mommas collect different colors from one brand or another. They’re no longer fastened with scary pins; now we have cute Snappies and Boingos for closure. Neat, right?
I know what you’re thinking. You want to know why fiber blend or colored edges should make you purchase difficult, outmoded flats. You want a simple, all-in-one diaper that you can just snap on like a disposable. I don’t blame you. It seems like that would be the easiest route to take, and for some families, it may be, but before you turn that dial, let me give you some real reasons to make flats a part of your stash.
They fit any baby.
Pockets and AIOs are already sewn into their shape. The snaps or aplix are placed and the elastic is sized. Though there is some choice in where you snap the diaper, a perfect fit can be elusive. You may end up buying several different brands and styles before you find one that works at all, much less one that fits perfectly. That’s gonna get expensive fast!
A flat, on the other hand, is a blank canvas. You can essentially custom fit them with folds. There are folds for girls, folds for boys, folds that fit skinny-waisted kids, and folds that work for chubby thighs. The brands with spandex can be stretched around your baby’s legs and hips for a trim, snug fit. Whatever your baby needs, a flat can handle it! Check out the Dirty Diaper Laundry and Diaper Dirt with Ms Diaper D channels on YouTube for some detailed folding tutorials!
Just about anything is a flat in disguise!
You don’t have to run out and buy a whole stash of new flats. Most of us were gifted about three zillion receiving and muslin swaddle blankets at our showers. The majority of those products are 100% cotton and about 28”x28”...just like a flat. Baby towels are usually cotton blend terry and measure 30”x30”, just like terry flats (Sweet Iris, Orange Diaper, etc). Cut the seams of an extra-large cotton t-shirt, remove the sleeves and collar, and voila! Two flats! If you can learn to use a flat, you’ll never be without a nappy.
Flats can be very affordable.
Let’s say you do choose to buy some flats for your little pooper. Sure, you can splurge on a bamboo blend with a bit of stretch and fancy stitching. I actually just spent $50 on a three-diaper purchase from Sweet Iris as a special Mother’s Day treat. Yikes! Those are a luxury, though. It’s not necessary to do anything like that. You can buy flour sack towels at Wal-Mart, Target, or Ikea for about a buck apiece. If you want to do a 24-nappy stash with about four covers, you could do it for less than $100 this way!
Low-maintenance time-saver.
People think flats are difficult because they have to be folded. Though the folding is an extra step, it doesn’t take that long. I clocked myself at seven minutes to fold my whole stash in the “happy anteater” fold, but if you don’t feel like practicing your origami, you can pad fold the flat (fold in half, then fold in thirds until it’s the right size) and just lay it into your cover. I can pad fold my stash in less than four minutes. You’ll make up for it in washing and drying time anyway. Think about it. One layer of fabric. It washes super-efficiently because there’s nothing to tuck or bunch, then it dries quickly in the dryer or on the line. My Alva pockets and inserts (pulled apart) took about five hours to wash and dry in my LG combo machine. My flats take two to three hours, depending on how many double-size muslins I use. What a difference!
No blowouts.
I guess I can’t guarantee that you’ll never have a blowout with flats, but I never have! Flats provide more bum coverage, and they wrap snuggly around the baby, effectively trapping all cacapooey. There are folds you can use to hold in all that runny, newborn poo, and folds that make it easier to spray solid waste into your toilet, so your flat will grow with your baby from breastfeeding, to purees, to solids.
Speaking of spraying, I do have one complaint.
I can only think of one con. Folded flats are difficult to spray. If you use a Spray Pal, you’ll find it hard to clip the flat into it so that all soiled parts are showing. I don’t even use the clip anymore. I just hold onto the flat and turn it this way and that to make sure I get to all the poo. It’s messy, and not ideal, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I would suggest buying a pair of rubber dish gloves if it bothers you, but you don’t really need them. I get away with holding onto a corner and never touching soil or water.
Have I convinced you yet? Honestly, if you have doubts, whip out one of those receiving blankets, watch a few tutorials, get your fold on, and give it a test run. I bet you’ll be just as smitten as me after only a few days. Let me know how it goes, and check out my other fluff entries, “Cloth Diapering,” and “Lessons from 6 Months of Cloth Diapering.”
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