Cloth diaper

Traditionally, cloth diapers consisted of a folded square or rectangle of linen cloth, cotton flannel, or stockinette, which was fastened with safety pins. Today, this type of diaper is referred to as a flat. The flat was commonly used in the late 1800s in Europe and North America. In the early part of the 20th century, cloth users were boiling diapers as they became aware of bacteria. During World War II, the increase of working mothers brought the need for the "diaper service". Fresh cotton diapers would be delivered on an as-needed basis. In 1946, a Westport, Connecticut homemaker named Marion Donovan, invented the "Boater", a waterproof covering for cloth diapers. Marion was granted 4 patents for her designs, including the use of plastic snaps that replaced the traditional and dangerous "safety pins". In 1950, the prefold diaper was invented by a diaper service owner and produced by Curity. The prefold diaper consisted of a standard "flat" diaper, but pre-folded and sewn together. Also in 1950, the Safe-T Di-Dee diaper was invented. The diaper was preformed and was the first pinless, snap-on diaper- this was the first fitted diaper. It was invented by Sybil Geeslin (Kennedy) who subsequently sold the patent. They were then sold as Keystone Safe-T Di-Dee Diapers and were nationally distributed. In the 1960s, the disposable diaper rapidly took hold and cloth diaper use fell out of favor. In the late 1980s, cloth diaper users re-emerged with environmental issues concerning the use of disposables. By the late 1990s and the beginning of the next decade, many large cloth diaper manufacturing companies were well established. The EU and UK market was slower to get started than the US, with a few domestic manufacturers such as Earthwise and Snugglenaps being established in the late 1990s, alongside importers of brands such as Motherease, Bummis and Kooshies. The first multi-brand ecommerce online shop was opened by Twinkleontheweb, with others following on. The Real Nappy Association was formed by members of WEN the Women's Environmental Network, with the first Real Nappy Week being held in 1997 to promote the use of cloth diapers in the UK. ==Cloth diaper types==

• Covers or wraps- Covers, also called wraps, are waterproof coverings for diapers that are not waterproof on their own. Covers must be used with all of the following diapers: • Flats or cloth squares –Flat diapers are a large, single layer, square or rectangle of absorbent cloth. Bird's-eye cotton or muslin are the most commonly used materials, but flats can also be made of terry cloth or of flannel. Any absorbent material may be considered a "flat" if it is composed of one single layer. Flats may or may not be hemmed or otherwise finished at the edges. Caregivers must fold flats into the desired shape before they are usable as a diaper. Liners may also be used to protect the diaper or nappy from solids. These are typically disposable but can be reusable. • Reusable diaper liners - Made from natural materials, such as cotton, bamboo and hemp. • Disposable diaper liners - ==List of cloth diaper accessories==

• Changing table • Diaper Bag • Plastic pants • Rubber pants • Safety pins ==References==