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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Diapers - Fabrics

Will the cotton fleece stay this soft over time?

The answer depends greatly on your water source and washing routine. In soft water with a mild detergent or pure soap, the fleece will stay wonderfully soft. In hard water, you may eventually end up with a sort of short-loop, fuzzy-ish terry texture--still pliable and softer than most terries, but not as soft as the day you bought the diaper. 

Which diaper (cotton fleece, fleece/terry combo) is most absorbent?

One of our retailers did some comparative absorbency testing and found that the size 1 cotton fleece diaper absorbed the same as a premium chinese cotton prefold diaper; the fleece/terry combo absorbed approximately 10% more by weight.

Of course, lab testing doesn't address the real-life use/absorbency of a diaper (e.g., your baby doesn't wet the whole diaper at once and let it drip dry!).

The only difference between the fleece and combo diapers is the outside layer. On the combo diapers, the outside layer is knit terry, which is heavier than the cotton fleece. The soaker layers are exactly the same.

This cotton fleece is to die for! How do you do it?

The cotton fleece is created by special mechanical and heat processes applied to top-notch terry. Allow us to assure you it's not easy to find a fabric manufacturer who does it and does it well! Some fleeces are artificially created with fabric softeners that wash out quickly (and well they should!), or are really a super-brushed thick flannel. Our finishing is built-in to the fabric itself.

I'm not sure whether to choose fleece/terry or cotton fleece ... what are the differences?

First peruse the details on the Diapering Fabrics page, including the fabric comparison chart. 

The major differences between the two types of diapers are:

• absorbency - fleece/terry combo is about 10% more absorbent overall
• stretchiness/fit - the terry is not quite a stretchy and runs a tad smaller after washing
• aesthetic - the terry is a long loop terry. Some folks love, love, love it ... others think it resembles a towel, and just don't care for it.

What is inside Kissaluvs diapers (i.e., in the hidden soaker area)?

Heavy-weight knit terry. We use knit terry so the soaker area doesn't get hard over time.

Is your fleece the same as the fleece used on stay-dry doublers and diapering systems?

Nope. There is quite a variety of "fleece" in the fabric world ... the fleece associated with many covers and stay-dry products is a poly or "polar" fleece, which acts as a water repellent/pass-through layer and is not an absorbent material. Our fleece is cotton-based fleece, which is absorbent and soft. The term "fleece" is often used to designate a soft and fuzzy texture rather than a specific fabric. Good question, because it's really important to know the content of any fleece fabric, especially in the diapering world where the answer can make a huge difference!