It depends on how old your baby is when you start cloth diapering. Below is what we would recommend if you plan to wash every other day.

Newborn: 20-24 diapers

6-12 Months: 14-18 diapers

12-24 Months: 12-16 diapers

Potty Learning: 4-8 diapers

The Dream Diaper is a less-prep all-in-one diaper that features a snap-in insert and an extra pocket for absorbency. The inside fabric of this diaper is a blend of organic cotton and hemp. The Dream Diaper is ready to go on-the-bottom in one wash and reaches maximum absorbency in three washes. Both the Dream Diaper 2.0 and the Born Smart 2.0 are made of the same materials, so prepping time is the same for both styles. 

The Smart One 3.1 diaper is an all-in-one diaper lined with 100% certified organic cotton and offers 10 layers of absorbency. This diaper requires 6 - 8 washes to prep and reaches maximum absorbency in 12-15 washes. 

We do not use chemicals to strip the natural oils from our fabric. In fact, only boiling water is used to finish our 100% organic fabric. We believe it is much safer to wash your diapers a few extra times than for us to strip the fabric with harsh chemicals. 

All of our cloth diapers require some level of prepping. Prepping is the process of washing your Smart Bottoms cloth diapers repeatedly before the first use. When you prep, you remove the excess natural oils from the fabric, which helps the diapers to reach their maximum absorbency more quickly.  

Our diapers feature hemp & organic cotton fabric. We do not use chemicals to strip the natural oils from our fabric. In fact, only boiling water is used to finish our 100% organic fabric. We believe it is much safer to wash your diapers a few extra times than for us to strip the fabric with harsh chemicals. We are pretty sure most of you would agree with us! 

It typically takes 6-8 washes to prep your Smart One 3.1 and only one wash to prep your Dream Diaper 2.0 and your Born Smart 2.0; however, this may vary depending on the detergent used, type of washer, and hardness of water. A detergent that has a strong surfactant will decrease the number of washes necessary to fully prep your diapers. Most traditional detergents will have the strongest surfactants. Natural detergents that utilize plant-based surfactants will work but may take a few extra washes. 

Make sure you are washing a full load when you prep. While prepping, you may wash your diapers with your clothing and towels. The other natural fiber items in the wash will help absorb some of the oils from the diapers. There will not be enough transference to affect the performance of your towels. We do not recommend you wash brand new Smart Bottoms with your other diapers the first couple of times. After they have been washed 2-3 times you can start washing them with your other diapers to continue the prepping process. You should not wash more than 5-6 brand new Smart Bottoms in the same load. 

The more diapers you are prepping together, the more difficult it is to get all of the oils out because the diapers reabsorb the oil. You do not need to dry your diapers after every wash while prepping. Drying them on med-high heat at least once or twice before first use will help shrink the cotton fibers and make your diapers more absorbent. We know you are super excited to get your new Smart Bottoms on your baby, but proper prepping is critical to prevent leaks. Before you use your diapers for the first time check to make sure they are ready by pouring a small amount of water on a dry diaper. If the diaper absorbs the water instantly, it is ready to use. If it takes even a couple of seconds to absorb, it needs a couple more washes.

First, check to make sure the leg elastics are rolled in and no cotton is exposed. Still having issues? Please read on to troubleshoot.

Are your diapers new?

The most common reason a brand new Smart Bottoms’ diaper leaks is because it has not been thoroughly prepped. We use 100% organic cotton fabric in our products. No chemicals are used during the milling or finishing process of our cotton. This also means that the cotton retains much of its natural oils and must be washed before it becomes absorbent. It typically takes 6-8 washes for the diaper to be ready for first use, however this number may vary and is dependent on many factors, including type of washer, type of detergent, how many diapers you are prepping, and water hardness. We recommend you test your diaper before putting it on your baby the first time by pouring a small amount of water on a dry diaper. If the diaper absorbs instantly it is ready to use. If it takes even a couple seconds to absorb, it needs another wash or two.

Do your diapers feel completely saturated when removed?

If your diaper appears to be completely saturated when you notice it has leaked you may want to change more frequently or add additional absorbency to the diaper. We recommend you change your baby every 2-3 hours or when you notice they are wet or soiled. It is not uncommon for a cloth diaper to need to be changed every 1.5 hours while the baby is on a completely liquid diet. For overnight use, adding a small Smart Bottoms’ organic cotton insert or organic cotton/hemp insert will usually be sufficient overnight absorbency.

Do you see any gaps around the legs?

Our one-size diaper starts fitting around 10 lbs., however this is an estimate and may vary depending on size and shape of your baby.