If you’re new here, we’re taking a quick retreat from home topics to answer a question I get often. We’ll get back to the norm straightaway.
Back when I showed you guys my laundry room makeover, I also inadvertently put a shot of my sweet baby girl’s undergarments all over the information superhighway.
Those are her cloth diapers. (She hasn’t complained yet about her skivvies’ grand debut, but there are plenty of teenage years ahead for her to discover this and hold it against me.)
I got a few questions and emails asking for the details on our cloth diaper situation, so I thought I’d do a quick post on cloth diapering for those who are curious or horrified. Then, I promise, we’ll stop talking poop. (I can’t actually promise that.)
We have always used cloth diapers, from Weston’s tiniest newborn days, and we wouldn’t do it any other way.
We initially decided to go with cloth because we’re cheap thrifty and couldn’t bear the thought of actually flushing $80 a month down the drain, but the more I researched it, the more non-monetary reasons I found to love it.
Benefits of Cloth Diapering
- Avoiding chemicals in disposable dipes: There’s some debate about whether the chemicals in disposable diapers cause in any harm, but a couple years ago when certain disposable diapers were blamed for causing chemical burns on some babies, I was happy to be using cloth! Here’s more on that.
- Reduced waste/fewer diapers in landfills
- Softer on a brand new baby bum. I’m just sayin’, if I had to choose between wearing soft fleece on my nethers and a giant Depends, I’d go for the soft fabric any day.
- Fewer blowouts, less diaper rash: We almost never, ever have blowouts. Diaper rashes are few and far between.
- Cuteness. You can’t tell me there’s anything cuter than a pink gingham diaper on a tiny baby girl.
How do cloth diapers compare in cost?
SOOO much cheaper.
Best Guess for Cost of Disposable Dipes: My friends who use disposable diapers tell me they pay about $60-80 a month in throwaway poo containers.
If I were to use disposable, you know I’d be couponing the heck out of that, so I’d estimate I’d be on the low end of that, maybe $60. Say each kid potty trains around 30 months. (Although Weston was daytime potty trained at 2 years.)
30 months x $10 (for wipes): $300
Total: $2,460 per child
Cost of Cloth Dipes: I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I can actually tell you that I spent exactly $492 to buy cloth diapers, cloth wipes and all necessary accessories for Weston. I used this calculator to estimate the water and energy costs to wash cloth diapers, and it’s about another $500 in water and power.
The point at which cloth diapering gets crazy cheap is when you can use the same diapers on multiple kids. Mila now uses most of the same diapers Weston used, which cuts those initial costs in half. Now I’m spending about $750 per kid ($500 to wash and $250 for diapers), which is about a quarter of the cost of disposables.
It’s actually even cheaper than that, because I can wash both their diapers in the same load, so at this point Weston’s nighttime diapers are virtually free.
UPDATE: YES, you can buy disposable diapers for less than the price I quoted. You can also do cloth diapers for less than I spend. I used mid-range quotes for both cloth and disposable.
Saving Money on Cloth Diapers
Okay, don’t freak out, and promise you won’t judge: we buy used cloth diapers to save money. Because they last more than one kid, and mamas who cloth diaper usually take great care of their dipes, you can pick them up used for a significant discount. I’m careful to buy only used diapers that are not stained and are still in excellent condition, then when I buy them, I strip them before we use them, which is basically a method of heavy-duty washing.
I can usually pick up Fuzzibunz, which are the diapers we use, for between $5 and $10 each in great condition on diaperswappers.com, then, when I’m done with them, I can resell them there. (Mila is growing out of the small diapers right now; soon, I’ll throw them up for sale and send them off to another babe.) Of course, this hugely offsets the price of cloth diapering.
This is craziness: I had a set of newborn diapers for Weston that I bought in excellent condition online, used. We sold them after he got a little bigger, and I was out a total of $7. It cost me $7 to diaper him for his whole first six weeks.
But isn’t cloth diapering gross and/or horrible? Nope, read on.
Our Cloth Diapering Wash System
This is how we wash and maintain our dipes.
Supplies:
- Garbage can with a lid (a good one, don’t skimp!)
- Cloth diapering pail liner (we have these and love them)
- Cloth diaper-approved detergent (You can’t use just any detergent for cloth dipes. We’ve used this kind for years.)
- Update: I forgot to mention wetbags! These are our favorites. They hold dirty dipes for us when we’re out running errands.
- Cloth diapers & wipes (Obviously. More on this in a sec.)
This is a photo of our setup. It’s just a regular garbage can with a lid, and one of those pail liners inside it. The pail liners function like garbage bags, except they’re washable and reusable.
Our Method: Birth to six months
- Remove diaper from baby.
- Place directly in garbage can. (The diaper, not the baby.) Do not rinse. Do not dump. Do not pass go.
- When it’s time to wash, take pail liner out of garbage can and carry directly to washing machine. Dump contents of pail liner and actual pail liner into machine.
- Wash on cold, then on hot with an extra rinse. Hang dry.
I’m not gonna get super technical about poo, but suffice it to say that if your kiddo is breastfed and not eating any solids, everything is super duper easy. No dumping necessary, no touching of the poo or thinking about the poo or looking at the poo.
Six Months and up (or after you start solid foods)
- Remove diaper from baby.
- If it’s just wet, put it right in the pail.
- If it’s *ahem*… NOT just wet, take it to the toilet, empty into toilet, and put diaper into pail. As long as baby’s digestion is healthy and good, there’s no touching the poo, no diaper sprayers, no scraping, nothing. It just falls right out of the diaper into the toilet. It’s clean and easy.
- In case of… erg… “indigestion,” you can use flushable diaper liners like this. They look and feel like dryer sheets, but you lay them on top of the diaper before you put them on the kiddo, then when “the time comes,” you flush the diaper liner, which holds the diaper’s “contents,” right into the potty.
- Wash in cold water, then another hot wash with an extra rinse. Hang dry.
So, we never soak the diapers. We never make direct contact with poop (well, not more than you would if you were using disposables), and the whole washing process is easy and straightforward.
We wash our dipes about every two to three days, when we get down to about four or five clean ones left.
But aren’t cloth diapers hard to use?
Definitely not. They’ve come a long way since the days of folding flat pieces of cloth and securing with safety pins. Nowadays most of them secure with velcro or snaps and they’re just as easy to put on or take off as ‘sposies. We use a snap-on kind called Fuzzibunz:
Probably the other most popular kind is BumGenius 4.0, which also snaps on.
Both Fuzzibunz and Bumgenius are pocket diapers, which means that they have a slit in the back where you can slide in an insert. The insert does all the absorbing. Pop in an extra insert at night for double absorption and you’re good to go.
I won’t go into every possible cloth diaper option because there are probably only two of you still reading at this point anyway, but if you want more info on what’s what in the cloth diaper world, here’s a little comparison I just found by quickly googling.
We’ve used all kinds, but we always go back to pocket diapers. They’re the perfect combination of quick-drying and easy to use. We’ve owned a few all-in-ones, which are basically just one piece and don’t have the insert feature, but we find they take too long to dry, so we like pockets instead.
We’ve tried both velcro diapers and snap-on diapers and we are snap-on fans. The velcro gets pilly, doesn’t last as long, and sticks to all the other diapers in the wash.
Finally, you can choose between diapers that are one-size-fits-all, or diapers that come in different sizes. The one-size kind is the most cost-effective, because you buy one set that lasts until potty-training. We actually prefer the sized diapers because they’re a little more snug-fitting and a little less bulky.
On Cloth Wipes
I’ll admit, when I first heard about cloth wipes, I thought: “That is an extreme hippy thing. I am not that crunchy. Disposable wipes for me, please.” But after I had Weston, I realized that cloth wipes are actually easier. When you’re already running a wash for cloth diapers and you already have the pail ready, it’s easier to throw diapers and wipes in together. When I was using disposable wipes, I had to keep an extra trash bag so they stayed separate from the diapers, and that was a hassle.
We take our cloth wipes right out of the wash, fold them while they’re still wet, and put them in this wipe warmer. We don’t use any kind of wipe solution: just water. (I used to use a DIY baby wipe solution made of tea tree oil and baby shampoo, but I found that to be unnecessary.)
Also, in my opinion, you don’t need “official” cloth wipes. Baby washcloths are perfect for this.
And that’s the most I’ll ever talk about poop in one post.
This is the system we’ve found that works for us, and we’re kind of in love with cloth diapers around here. There’s just nothing like a sweet baby bum in a fun patterned diaper. But there’s no shame in using disposables: this is just what works for us.
Would you cloth diaper your kids, or have you? Any tips or tricks? Favorite products?
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Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
We cloth diaper our daughter during the day (she leaks at night and we have yet to find something absorbent enough for her) and I love it. One thing that I’ve done to help control the smell in that pail is I make little deodorant disks (make a paste of baking soda and water then let it dry) and it goes right in the wash along with everything else. I don’t know if you’re “supposed” to use baking soda on cloth diapers, but I haven’t had any issues and we’ve been doing this for the past several months. Also, my cousin told me that if the inserts start to get worn down, you can use some cheap-o fleece as an extra layer in the pocket. It’s still a lot thinner than the prefolds you can use as inserts, but just as absorbent.
Great tip on the baking soda! We don’t have any smell issues with our pail. I don’t know why – maybe it just has a really awesome seal on the lid? – but this would work great to put in wetbags for travel. Thanks for the comment!
If you would like to try cloth dipes at night again I would suggest going with a pre-fold from green mountain diapers.com and cover with a wool cover. They are super breathable keep baby cool in the summer and warm in the winter. also if they get any potty on it during the night simply air dry for a day and a half. no need to wash it if its ONLY urine. They have a natural antibacterial component to wool. if they soil with solids then of course wash it. good luck!
My son, who is a super heavy wetter, leaks through everything at night. The only thing I’ve found that works is a hemp prefold (babykicks) with an additional hemp liner and a heavy duty fleece cover (we use a sugarpeas one).
We use Good Night Heavy Wetter from Kawaii- they are super cheap and amazing! My first daughter would wet through her disposables at night so we gave these a try and they are great! http://www.theluvyourbaby.com/brands/Goodnight-Heavy-Wetter.html
This post actually makes me kind of excited to use cloth diapers in a totally weird sort of way. I’ve read so many blog posts and reviews and everything I can find on the internet about cloth diapers. This, coming from you the girl who hates baby drool as much as I do, has completely sold me on it. I definitely definitely definitely want to do this and will be harassing my husband to craft me one of those drying racks for the laundry room so we can dry our dipes in there on rainy days. I also changed up my registry to add that diaper pail liner because I didn’t think of that! I had a couple of wet bags but I like the “haul it all to the wash at once” rather than “dump it in” because that could get messy. LOVE YOU! xoxo
It is strangely addicting! By the way, up until we did the laundry room makeover a couple months ago, we just used one of those cheapo standing drying racks and it worked great. I’ll still use it for sunning them outside… when we finally get sun again… sigh. Come on, spring!
Just to clarify, do you leave the liner in the diaper while it is being washed? Or do you separate them immediately after taking the diaper off and before putting it in the diaper pail? Just wondering if leaving the liner in while washing affects how clean it gets or not, so far what I’ve bought in prep. for our first baby is the pocket diapers but I’ve been reading some don’t like them because you have to “unstuff” and “re-stuff.”
Oh! Good point, yes we take the insert out before we wash. I usually hold the diaper over the pail and shake the insert into the pail as soon as I take the diaper off, but occasionally you do have to pull the insert a little to get it started coming out of the diaper.
I’m super lazy and don’t take out the inserts before throwing them in the wash. 90% of the time they come out during the cold cycle. Maybe it’s the brand of diapers I use, though.
WOW you are amazing. I love this post so much. This is by far the most informative post I have read on cloth diapering. I read all the way to the end and my kid is 11!! ha ha… Love that you are cloth diapering. That is so awesome.
I am pretty crunchy myself (AP mom), and I researched the heck out of cloth diapering 11 years ago. Bought a bunch, but could never really figure it out. How I wish I had read this then. We ended up using the disposable cotton ones from the health food store. Not a cost effective solution at all. I looked into getting biodegradable ones, but I could only find ones that would have to be shipped from Sweden. Just not that many options back then.
My tip for sanitizing diapers is to add a few drops of GSE (Grapefuit Seed Extract) in with the wash now and then. Also in my vast research sunshine was recommended over and over for any stains that did happen.
Again – kudos to you!
My little guy turns six months this week. I had my stash ready to go before he was born and figured once we cleared the changing the diaper 3 times in fifteen minutes stage I would switch to cloth-I received TONS of newborn disposables at my shower so I’ve never had to buy my own. Right now, I live with my mother-in-law and she is CONSTANTLY buying me disposables so I use those when she gets them, I never ask her to. I prefer my cloths… Plus last week he got a rash so I switched back to cloth and it disappeared even without any cream.
We are all about the Fuzzi Bunz here, too. I’ve used them on all four kids now. In fact, I need to order more–I have a bunch of different kinds that people have handed down to me for Abe, but, really, whenever I put anything that’s not a Fuzzi Bunz on him, I wind up disappointed. And wet.
My mom had eight kids and used cloth diapers. No dryer. I can remember frozen, but dry, diapers basically defrosting when she brought them in off the line in the winter. I also recall that during our month-long camping “vacation” each summer she would use an old washboard to scrub them by hand.
I’m spoiled, I used Tydee-Dydee delivery service 20 years ago. That was in the days when these cute covers you use were JUST being marketed. I just stuck with the old-fashioned pins and rubber pants and cotton rectangular diapers.
This is a fabulous post, bravo to you for the detail included. When there are grandchildren on my horizon I will forward this post to the appropriate parties!
Diaper on!
Okay. I’m pinning this to refer back to when my time comes. I’ve known I would be a cloth diaperer for years. We’ve already spoken, you and I, about a myriad of crunchy baby ways, so this probably comes as no surprise to you. That being said, I didn’t know much about it. I just knew that when the time came, my cheap butt WOULD do it. I figured if my mom could do it 29 years ago, I could do it in 2014/15/16.
But, this post just 100% reaffirmed that notion. Thanks for going into such great detail. It really shed light on the poop. Love ya, girl!!!!!!!!!!!! ~V
Long past babies here, but I was totally fascinated by this post and read right to the very end. Am passing this on to my 35 year old son and d-i-l who just gave us a beautiful grandson. Those diapers are the cutest things ever! I used cloth diapers on my oldest simply because he was allergic to something in the disposables. I found, I loved folding diapers and never considered it a chore or having a diaper pail either. Wonderful post!!
I get a weird amount of joy from cloth diapering (husband doesn’t get it, but my MIL understands).
I love it so much that when I met the YHL folks, that’s all I talked about. (Diaper dork, right here.)
http://belleandbeard.blogspot.com/2013/01/im-back.html
I like all the colors, organizing, and even spraying. We’re using the BumGenius organic Elementals during the day and BumGenius Freetime at night. No blow-outs & no diaper rash. *knock on wood*
How many diapers do you have?
We have 18, which seems to be a good number but I’m wanting to find a way to avoid using the dryer. We don’t seem to have enough to allow the diapers to hang dry. Perhaps that’s partially because we’re using the Elementals which don’t have any removable pieces.
We use the BumGenius sprayer for poopy diapers to avoid the first cold wash (I just wash once on hot with an extra rinse at the end). I also use Bac Out on poop diapers before they go in the pail. This is suppose to help reduce stains; not sure if I can see a difference. I agree that the cloth wipes make so much sense when you’re using cloth diapers. We have a spray bottle filled with water and a little baby soap to spray on a dry wipe (or my favorite…spray directly on the baby).
Thanks for this post. It’s like you’re in my head!
We have about 21 in each size, give or take a few. I like the pocket diapers because they do dry out so fast. We tried all-in-ones for a short time and Andy complained all the time about how long they take to dry. He seemed personally offended by it.
haha. So pockets it is! We run the wash when we have about 4 or 5 left, and that’s usually enough time for the rest to dry. I haven’t ever used a diaper sprayer, but you actually make it sound kinda fun. This comment is hilarious. 
I think there was more than two people reading this poopy post in its’ entirety, but what does that say about me as one of them – a middle aged mom of six long past the diapering stage. Clearly I still think it relevant.
Bliss
So helpful! I’m about to start. Jack’s been on disposables since he was so tiny and we didn’t get newborn cloth diapers but he’s almost 8lbs now and should be able to start wearing them soon!
I can see why everyone likes cloth diapers, but I hate them. Disposables are more convenient, in my opinion. I have had lots of cloth diapers given to me (some homemade, others brandnames), but I find it all a hassle. They’re bulkier, less portable, a pain to clean (who can remember those detailed washing instructions, anyway?), and you have to change them more frequently than disposables as well, or else the kid leaks (I have 2 kids– almost 2, and 4 1/2 months). I thought I wanted to cloth diaper (especially since it saves money), but I loathe the thought of using them. What can you tell me that will convince me otherwise?
I’m not a sourpuss, honest. I’ve been loving reading your blog and getting inspired with all your remodeling jobs and DIY posts. I will definitely keep following your blog.
I don’t think anyone will debate that disposables are more convenient. They definitely are, it’s just a question of whether it’s worth the slight inconvenience. I don’t find the washing instructions detailed or hard at all. (Wash once in cold water. When it’s done, wash it in hot water with an extra rinse cycle. Done.) I also find that my cloth diapers hold up better over long periods than disposables do. We’ve had to use disposables on occasion for one reason or another, and they never seem to last a whole night for us. Maybe cloth is just not for you? If you loathe it, maybe just stick with what doesn’t make you unhappy?
No shame in that.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, Kelly.
Why is it so important to not use regular laundry soap? We use Sam’s Club house brand for our laundry. We don’t have a clothes line and literally no space for a clothes rack (on or off the wall– clever idea, though) (we live in a mobile home), so I have to dry the diapers (not the covers) in the dryer. How do you strip the diapers? I’ve heard so many different ideas, and can’t remember any of them. I mostly use BumGenius with my son (with the pocket [yay] and velcro [yuck]) and EconoBum with my daughter (just covers and prefolds). I might be willing to give them another chance… if not, though, my sister-in-law is exclusively cloth diapering and expecting #2, so I know she’d gladly take them.
Non-CD-approved detergents will make them less absorbent and they’ll stop working. You can dry the inserts in the dryer. We just choose not to to save money on power. I can never remember how to strip the diapers, so I always google it and find a system that looks good. Good luck!
Girl, this is just getting weird… http://www.domesticimperfection.com/2011/08/cloth-diapers-explained/
well I “work” at a state university – between our own student loans and an awareness of exactly the quality of teaching tuition dollars buy (no criticism of academia, but the system is designed to serve multiple masters and really pleases no one) is probably the only birth control we need … love the detailed post, though. My mom used cloth when we were <1day away from home and disposables on trips. Do you cloth when vacationing too?
Yep, we sure do use them on vacation. So far we’ve only gone on vacations where we’ll either be gone only for a couple days, or we’ll have access to laundry, so it hasn’t been an issue. A lot of people who cloth diaper switch to disposables for traveling though, so it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Hey Kelly! Wouldn’t pocket one-size diapers be more economical? I’m trying to decide to do with baby #2 and an amazon registry is staring me in the face…
Yep, one-size are more economical for sure. We like the sized version because it’s less bulky and just seems to fit better.
We have FB one-size and perfect size and I much prefer the perfect size. With the one-size, I feel like I am always trying to adjust to get the fit just right and as soon as I do, it’s a growth spurt and time to change again! We have only needed smalls and mediums, James started wearing the smalls at about 6 weeks and they lasted until almost 12 months!
Wowzas…wish I would have read this back in the day! Between the saving money and being kinder to your kiddos bodies, it would be a no brainer for me now.
suffice it to say i now know more than all of my other child free friends about cloth diapers
Great tips! I dont have a baby, nor am I preggers, but it’s always helpful to see things like that so I can be more informed when the time for offspring comes
Ashley (above me) said exactly what I was thinking! I think we’ll try this when the time comes.
Okay. So, I just read this post to my husband over dinner. True story. Do we have kids yet? No. But we both never put ANY thought into the possibility of cloth diapers…until now. Girl, I see SO many benefits, and not many cons. From the $ to the comfort to the earth-friendliness to the cuteness…wow. And you dispelled a lot of the myths I had about cloth diapers. Well, first that they’re only for granola gals who only eat organic (I am not that type, though many of my friends are). And second, that they’re gross (they sound LESS gross than diapers). And third, that they’re a lot of work (you break it down to sound very, very do-able).
Wow. I’m really, really interested in this. Thanks for giving such a detailed and helpful post on this. Pinning and saving for “someday soon” (hopefully).
Hugs,
Lauren
I might be a little bit granola though… just a warning.
But yes, not many cons at all! Higher upfront cost, but it totally pays off.
A million years ago when I had my babies (my kids are 26 and 29) no one used cloth diapers…I mean no one. I think it’s great that you are willing to go to a little extra effort to do this. You are a better woman than I!
We used cloth on Abby (the Flips by Cottonbabies) from 2 weeks till about 2 years. Then she started peeing through them (not out of them, literally through the PUL). So unfortunately she’s in disposables, hopefully potty training will happen by summer.
I happened upon someone selling a WAHM brand of size small that was a steal of $30 for 9 diapers. Ellie used those till she outgrew them. She’s been in ‘sposies since, your post has inspired me to try the Flips again with her.
Awesome! I really wanted to do this with Kevin and I’m sad I gave in to the disposables. I actually bought a bunch of different ones to try and I never used any of them. I was just so tired in the beginning the thought of doing that much more laundry was frightening! I suppose I could try it out now…he is only 5 months old, lol.
Oh, now you tell me. We are currently training no. 7. Sooo we’ve spent $17,220 when we could’ve spent maybe $1400 depending on how many babies each diaper could hack. Of course back in the stone ages when we started, it was a rectangular cloth and diaper pins vs easy peasy poop-n-toss disposables. I had no idea these diapers exist until this post!
23 to 29 years ago I used cloth diapers with pins and plastic covers that had snaps. I was able to stay home with the oldest a year and I know I saved a lot of money. I would not have done it except my mom had 8 kids and did this with all of hers and because I breast fed my daughters. I knew dealing with the odors would be so much less while I was breast feeding. That being said, in retrospect there is so much to worry about as a new mother no one should feel like it’s the best solution. Everyone is different. The main thing is to do what works for you.
Wow! This post totally made me glad that I only have one! I didn’t cloth diaper, but holy cow what a savings! To think- I could have had an amazing shopping spree with all that moola and instead I literally threw it in the garbage! Great post girl, I’m looking at poopy diapers in a whole new light!
I only spend about $19 on disposables per month. So only $615 with wipes for 30 months. Maybe my kid just poops less?
P.S. Parent’s Choice diapers- about $13 per box of 82 diapers, and a box and a half (123 diapers, and about $19.50) lasts about a month. But I guess if you get them deeply discounted/used, and if used for multiple kids it could save some money.
But again, maybe my kid just poops less and I AM using the cheap brand. But gotta love the idea of reusing and not wasting so way to go!
So you’re doing about 4 changes a day. That’s almost nothing. Sounds like he DOES poop less than normal!
haha. Way to go, kiddo!
I find these posts fascinating. I have no idea why but cloth diapering is so intriguing. I’m happy that to know that you don’t really have to touch the poop. Seriously fascinating.
Seriously? What is wrong with me? I totally still thought cloth diapers were flat white pieces of cloth that you had to fold. Thanks for enlightening me!
I think……that your babies are very blessed to have a momma that cares for them that much.
Wonderful post….and my babies are old enough…they poo in the pot. (My almost 14 year old would kill me if she knew that I typed this. My 11 year old daughter would crack up…and my 7 year old son would think that a post about poop was cool! lol) ~k.
I’ve been using cloth diapers since our second was a baby. At the time I actually made my own diapers using the free Rita’s Rump Pattern (I know, I laugh every time I say it too!) but I have since bought some used ones and and received some used ones for free from another mama who was done with them. So in all, super super cheap!!! I just can’t fathom spending so much money on something only to have my kid poop in it. My grandma (who cloth diapered 14 kids!) used to cut up pieces of old fabric/clothes to line the diapers in as the kids got older, then swish those pieces in the toilet and wash them too. I do that too now and it works great. It really saves on the gross factor when it comes time to wash. I always seem to have old t-shirts, etc to cut up for this.
Thanks for sharing your wash routine! I’m always interested in how others wash their diapers. After lots of trial and error, I do something very similar, though I’m more of a hot wash and then second rinse with vinegar kind of gal.
I use cloth wipes too!! So easy and economical.
All that being said, I do use disposables at night simply because our 3rd is a super heavy wetter.
Liz
I use disposable diapers yet I read to the end. Even all the comments. (I hope we can still be friends, since there is a war with people who use cloth and people who use disposables, right?)
I read this entire post and I don’t even have children….yet! I’m constantly researching and preparing for the day tho
I want to do things as naturally and efficiently as I can. When I saw this on Pinterest I was so excited to read! I totally think I can do this!! My boyfriend on the other hand, might have some trouble 
Anyways, the question I have is….do you have a separate washer for the cloth diapers? A co-worker of mine said he wanted to use cloth diapers when his son was born but he decided not to becasue he didn’t want to purchase a separate washer. If you don’t have a separate washer, do you need to do an empty, inbetween cycle before doing your regular laundry?
Thanks!!
I don’t have a separate washer. I have a bunch of friends who use cloth diapers and they don’t have separate washers either… that sounds like something that would just be an amazing luxury but wouldn’t be required at all. (Maybe he has a high-efficiency front-loading washer and wanted to get a top-loading one for diapers? I hear top-loading washers are better for diapers.) And I don’t find that I need to do any extra cycles in between. Our clothes always come out looking and smelling clean. Maybe because we run the diapers twice with an extra rinse?
I don’t have any kids yet, but I have definitely been thinking about cloth diapers. Just curious if anyone has had trouble with day cares or nanny sharing and disposable diaper people not wanting to deal with your cloth diapers?
I have heard that some people have trouble with that. I don’t know why, because it’s not one tiny bit harder for them than changing disposables, but there are daycares who will cooperate. Some of my friends do disposables at daycare and cloth at home for that reason.
I know this is like two months late, but I was reading through the post and comments.
Before we moved, I was a teacher and then assistant director at a child care center. We had a handful of cloth diaper babies (2-5 out of 60-70 kids total, so probably 35-50 in diapers) and we always tried to work with the parents about it.
We required that the parents supply everything we would need (any special wipes, liner for I’d they needed cream, the ditty bags, enough diapers for the whole day plus an extra or two) and show us exactly how they wanted us to use them (each family was different-some used Flip, some all-in-ones, some the stuffing kind, some wanted you to cover the poop area with the stuffing, etc) but we did everything we could to work with them.
But we also asked them to be understanding, especially with newly hired teachers, teachers new to the room, when their child promoted, when we had subs, etc. when cloth diapering was new to them and they messed up. For instance, once a sub accidentally threw away a cloth diaper. Admittedly, that’s a lot of money to accidentally throw away and it was an honest mistake. We let her take the price of the diaper out of the next month’s tuition, though, and did not need to be chewed out about it. Or once a teacher didn’t cover the poop stain with the liner before putting in the bag. Sometimes when you have lots of diapers to change, that extra step seems a little crazy.
At two different times I had cloth babies in my room and, besides the fact that one would pee through absolutely any diaper at nap time, I had no issues.
Honestly, if the center is not willing to work with you on the diapers, I would seriously think about if they are the right place for my child because what else are they not going to work with you about? (Then again, they may be an awesome place and the diapers are the only issue you ever have.)
One of my best friends cloth diapers and that combined with the experience I’ve had at that center, I’ve pretty much decided, on money factor alone, that when my time comes I will cloth diaper.
Thanks for the perspective from someone who’s worked at a daycare! As a cloth diapering mom, I wouldn’t expect a daycare to be as accommodating as you were! I would expect the daycare to do the minimum required to keep the kiddo diapered, and liners and all that seem like asking a lot. Great point about wanting to find a daycare that will work with you on LOTS of things, not just cloth diapers. Thanks again!
They probably are better from back when I “tried” them. : )
Way back when my son was just a baby, I remember using cloth diapers already. Actually it was my mother-in-law who bought two cloth diapers at first because as I first-time mom, I know nothing about cloth diapers. Based on my experience, cloth diapers are indeed practical choices. Imagine the money I was able to save with cloth diapers since I no longer have to rush form time to time to the grocery to buy a pack. And I was at peace that my baby had lesser risk of getting acquiring UTI.
i don’t plan on having another, but if i do, i totally wanna do cloth diapers! love it!
I just sent this link to my DIL, but I also learned so much. Thanks for the post.
What an absolutely brilliant post!!
I would absolutely love for you to link up at the new Baby Shower linky party for all things pregnancy and new baby – Alice @ Mums Make Lists
http://mumsmakelists.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-friday-baby-shower-linky-party-2.html
I thought you did a GREAT job of summarizing without leaving anything out. I’ve been researching cloth diapers for a few months now and this is the single best Diapering 101 post I’ve found. If I’d read it first when I started doing my research I don’t think I would have been as shell shocked/overwhelmed by the idea of cloth diapering. Obviously some people have slightly different methods (diaper type, wash routine, wet bags vs. pail, etc) and the comments have had some good alternative options to try, but seriously Kelly, great post. Even if it’s about poop
I don’t cloth diaper, but I’m mildly obsessed with the idea, so I read every.single.poopy word of this! Thanks, i needed a mental break from the never-ending firetruck games, and handwriting practice and thinking about diapers was perfect/ I always love it when you talk family:)
Jessica
Thank you for this informative cloth diapering summary! I am just finishing setting up our nursery (due in less than 2 wks!) and am wondering: about how many cloth whipes do you need in total? I’ve also been looking into and deciding whether to purchase a warmer for the cloth whipes. I’ve heard however that they can be breeding grounds for bacteria (stagnant warm water/moisture). Have you had any experience with this? Thanks again for a great post!!
I’m not sure how many we have, probably about 1-2 cloth wipes for every cloth diaper. I used to use tea tree oil to combat any fungus, but I’ve found that isn’t necessary and I just use water. We cycle through the wipes often enough that it hasn’t been an issue. I hope that helps, and congratulations! Your whole life is about to change in a huge, huge way!
Awesome post. Pinned. You know, for future reference.
What happens with the poop when it’s in the washing machine? I am due in July, and I am really interesting in using cloth diapers, but this part just baffles me!! I apologize if this is TMI, but does it dissolve? I just cant imagine washing clothes after I have washed a bunch of dirty diapers in the same machine!!
If the baby is exclusively breastfed, the poop is water soluble. Once you have your little one and see their diapers it’ll make more sense, but at that stage, there’s not really any actual poop sitting on the diaper. It soaks right in, so it looks more like a stain than an actual (sorry!) turd.
Essentially, there’s nothing in the diaper to dump when they’re only eating breastmilk.
After they start on solids, you dump the poop in the toilet before you wash so it doesn’t go in the machine at that point either. Hope this helps. Congrats on the baby!
Hi!
Thank you SO much for sharing this! I have been on the fence about diapers (no kiddos yet, but God-willing, there will be!)… That said, I am officially no longer on the fence!
I do, however, have a few questions:
1. Do you have to take the liners out of the (dirty) diapers before you throw them into the can liner/ washing machine? Can you ever immediately re-use the outside part and just put in a new liner?
2. In purchasing the size-specific diapers, how many do you average per growth cycle? (How many diapers do you find it good to have at any given time – assuming all were washed and ready to go.)
3. I know you said actual cloth wipes aren’t necessary, but are there any that you would recommend?
4. The one last thing I’m not quite sold on: hang-drying… is it okay to throw them in the dryer?
Thanks again for writing this and for taking the time to answer questions. You have NO idea how helpful this is!!!!!
1. With some types of diapers, you can reuse the shell after you take the insert out, but not really with Fuzzibunz. And yes, you should take the insert out. I don’t take it out all the way, I just tug it a little and it comes out the rest of the way in the wash.
2. We usually have around 21 or so in each size. Give or take.
3. Nope. I bought the bumgenius flannel baby wipes. They’re like $12/dozen, and then when I got them in the mail, I was so mad at myself for wasting the money. They’re really no better than baby wipes. They’re just more expensive.
4. Yes, it is okay. We hang them dry to cut down on the costs of using cloth diapers, and also to help keep them in good condition longer. They might wear faster if you dry them in the dryer, but we do it on occasion when we get in a pinch.
Shoot! One more question!
Do you know if homemade laundry detergents are okay? (or maybe a better question: how do you know which detergents are NOT okay to use?)… We use a recipe similar to this http://frugallygreen.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-soap.html and add some essential oils to the mix.
Thanks again!
I’m not sure about homemade detergents. I wish I knew the answer to this myself!
I am wanting to do cloth diapers when my baby comes. How many in each size would you recommend as the baby grows? I am looking at http://www.fuzzibunzworld.com but I don’t really know how many to get for a new born and how many to get as he grows. I hope you can help me. Thank You great post. I have been looking every where for a 101 on Cloth Diapers.
You probably need at least 2 dozen newborn diapers. Expect to change about 12 diapers a day. Later you can get by with less because you change them less often. I think I have about 21. Hope that helps!
I used Fuzzi Bunz with my daughter way back in 2003 – I loved, loved, loved them – they worked so much better than any disposable and never had that icky smell. Your post made me a. smile a silly big smile and b. actually miss those diaper years
P.S. La la love the blog – I found you whilst googling “DIY curtains cute” – the lined tab curtains are brilliant.
Love the post! So helpful! My question is when you wash twice do you use detergent twice or just the first round?
Great question – yes, we do detergent both times. We use Charlies soap, exactly one tablespoon in each load. Hope that helps!
Seriously, yours is the first post on cloth diapering I’ve read all the way to the end! I have twin 14 month old girls, and my pocket book seriously regrets me not starting out with cloth diapers. Do you think it’s too late for us? Also, just discovered your blog. It’s lovely, and your photos are beautiful. Looking forward to reading more!
I’m going to have my first baby in September, and I want to go cloth diaper route, not only for saving money but because I have heard they are better for the baby. I have read amazing reviews and it seems everyone who uses them has nothing but good things to say. Obviously I have never used cloth diapers before and I am new to the whole process. I am just curious how many diapers in each size you ended up buying? That is the one part I am having trouble with, is I do not know how many to buy in each size. I know you says you use the perfect fit ones, and those are the ones I am considering going with because they have had the best reviews out of all the cloth diapers I have looked at. Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you
You’ll need more when the baby is newborn because they just go through a lot more diapers. Expect to change them about 13 times a day, so if you want to wash every other day, you’ll need about 30. My baby girl is in a medium size right now and we have about 30 still. We could get by with less, maybe 21-24, but I like being able to wash a little less often. Good luck and congratulations on the new baby!
I’m currently looking at ordering the Fuzzi Bunz diapers…I’m wondering…did you have a problem with them being too hot in the summer since they are fleece lined? I was thinking you could end up with a heat rash or something maybe?
We have never had that issue and we live in Georgia so it gets warm down here!
Awesome than I definitely shouldn’t worry because I live in North Dakota and it definitely doesn’t get THAT hot here
Thank you!
We have used cloth for our 2 1/2 year old son since he was about 2 months old and plan to start soon with our newborn daughter. The biggest problem for me was the thought of “pulling out” the stinky inserts so when I started doing my research I found smartipants, a brand of cloth diapers that the inserts automatically come out of the liners in the wash. Love them!
I am the type of person that if it can’t go in the dishwasher, I don’t buy it. I can tell myself that I’ll be good and handwash it every time, but I get lazy and just end up throwing it in anyway. So I’ve learned that I need “low maintenance” things in my life. I have never air dried my cloth diapers, just throw them in the dryer (no dryer sheets though, that’s VERY important!). So far ours have held up extremely well (they’re one size) and will be used for my daughter. Just thought I’d put another option out there for those who may be a bit squeamish about pulling inserts out like me!
We love using cloth diapers around here. Instead of having a baby shower, we had a diaper shower and each person brought a cloth diaper that they thought was cute for our baby (we gave them guidelines like sizes and brands). It really cut down on costs and each person knew their diaper was definitely used.
We also love to buy sunbaby diapers. They come from China and take a while to deliver but they are SUPER inexpensive and work great for pocket one size diapers.You can get 12 diapers with microfiber inserts for $60.
I’ve glanced through the comments and didn’t see anything about cloth-diapering a larger child. I’ve never considered cloth diapers, but my 5.5yo son with Down syndrome is still in diapers, and has blowouts somewhat often. We’ve reached the largest size of diapers and I’m wondering if cloth diapering might be an option. I know you haven’t faced this question before, but are there cloth diapers for 40+ pound children? Do you think they might help the blowout situation? Maybe if we go that route having cloth instead of a disposable diaper on might help him learn to potty train.
My son is 30 pounds and still wears the Fuzzibunz size large. I know they come in x-large too, so maybe those will work! Another alternative is to have some made. There are TONS of women who make their own cloth diapers and sell them on etsy. It doesn’t seem like it would be hard to have them sew a few that are larger than normal. I have heard that cloth helps them potty train faster. I hope you find a good solution for your little man!
This is the best post I have seen yet on cloth diapering – thank you! I don’t have a baby of my own just yet, but as the oldest of nine, I watched and helped my Mother as she cloth-diapered her last two. Easy peasy! I’m excited to start collecting cloth diapers and such for our little one!
Thank you, again!
I’ve been wondering about how exactly cloth diapering works & this one post answered all of my questions! I will most likely be a cloth diaper mom ( :
Thank you so much for all the amazing info! My husband and I have been reading a little bit about cloth diapers and we think Its such a great Idea. I only have 1 question, we would probably follow your advice and get the fitted diapers but how many would we need to get from lets say 0 – 12 months? I know they poop a significant amount of times in the beginning so I assume we would have to get more diapers In the beginning?
Thank you, again!
Hi! You pretty much have to plan on getting a set of newborn diapers for the 0-8 weeks age, then you can start with the sized diapers. (“Fitted” diapers are a different kind of diaper, so be careful that you don’t buy “fitteds” when you mean to buy “sized.”) For the newborn stage, you’ll probably change about a dozen diapers a day, so if you want to wash them every other day, you’ll need about 30, so you can have some on hand while the others are in the wash. After that stage, you’ll probably change ~8 a day, so it depends on how often you want to wash them. We have about 24-30 per size, and that’s a good number for us. Good luck!
While your blog post contains fantastic information on cloth diapering, the costs of disposable diapers are highly exaggerated! We have twins and I have never spent $60-80 per month on diapers. I think cloth diapering is an awesome thing, not against it at all, but please don’t report false information.
I’m glad to hear you spend less than that. However, I don’t love the implication that I’m lying or exaggerating. (What would I have to gain by that?) The $60-80 number is a real amount I’ve heard from several friends who use disposables. It’s backed up by mint.com which estimates $66/month. (http://www.mint.com/blog/consumer-iq/cloth-vs-disposable-diapers-a-cost-comparison-102011/) Babycenter estimates $72/month. (http://budgeting.thenest.com/much-should-budgeted-newborn-21173.html) Those are just the first two sources I pulled up on google. You can certainly use coupons/shop sales and find cheaper prices. It sounds like you do that and I applaud you for that. However, there are many, many people who don’t and the estimate I gave seems to be right in the ballpark for that.
Thank you so much for this post!!! We have a 3 yr old son and are expecting another boy in 2 months. Husband wanted to do CD with our first but I said NO WAY! I should have done more research because we are definitely going to use CD on our 2nd one!!! Thanks again!
I’m trying (sometimes in vain) to have my first and found this SUPER helpful in deciding on cloth diapers. This for sure helped me decide that yep we’re doing this! My only worry is my coworkers (I work at a daycare and would continue to do so after baby) hating me for subjecting them to cloth but this looks pretty easy just not sure how to deal with post solids poo diapers?
Awesome! My sis-in-law uses cloth and she sends her baby to a daycare. I’m not sure what they do with the poo though… maybe just wrap it all up and she dumps it later? As for the changing, honestly, it is JUST as easy to change a cloth diaper as a disposable! All they have to do is put it in a bag instead of the trash. Good luck!
Can you explain a little more about the wipes? I’m expecting our first in the fall and really want to use cloth diapers. Do you keep them wet in the wipe warmer? Thanks so much for your help.
Yes, we take them right out of the washing machine, still wet, and fold them up and put them in the wipe warmer. It’s really simple and easy. Sometimes we wet them down a little more if they need it. Just fold them up and run the whole stack under the faucet, then put them in the wipe warmer. Congrats on the new baby!
I just started using cloth diapers and I have found a few cost saving tricks.
I use Kawaii diaper covers which are under $5 brand new on their site. They tend to run lots of sales so you can get them even cheaper from time to time. I find that the covers wash super easy, they are easy to carry when you are on the road and I love the fact that they can be used over and over when it’s just a pee diaper. I have the one size fits all and 7 of them last all week. If I run out it’s super easy to just hand wash a cover.
I use the micro fiber insert with the covers. People say that you have to use the more expensive ones because micro fiber can not go next to the baby’s skin. I just went to the fabric store and got a fabric that wicks away wetness so I lay this on the insert and its good to go. I get the cheaper insert and it works fine.
When it comes to laundry, I can do laundry once per week because I use the covers and I don’t have so many covers to wash. 7 covers and all the inserts don’t even take up one load of laundry. We use Nellie’s Bulk Laundry Soda 36.7 lbs./16.5kg tub which cleans 1101 loads. On their site it is $125 but I believe we got it at Costco for $99. So that’s $0.79 per load.
In one week I can go through 7 covers and 70 liners. Without a sale, this would cost under $150. This makes it $2.14 per diaper. I don’t even need to calculate the cost savings over the lifetime of one child let alone two kids.
I have chosen to go with a bum spray. I just mix water, vinegar and baby soap. Simple and quick to put together! I know you can use the Tea Tree but I didn’t have that and I hear that vinegar is just as good.
Rather than buying costly diaper liners for the messy diapers, I use disposable diaper wipes after they have been washed. I found that you can reuse the same wipes, I throw them in the washer with the diapers. I found that they are perfectly good after one wash. I bet you could wash the pee ones by hand and they would last longer. But since I got 400 wipes for $7 (less than $0.02 per wipe) I figure 2 uses are good.
After the second wash for the wipe they are kinda stretched out and I use them for wiping the messy diapers and throw them out. That means I paid $7 for 400 wipes. I got 3 uses and in turn it costs $0.005 per wipe.
For pee diapers I tend to use the cloth wipes. It would just kill me to waste a disposable on a pee diaper.
I use two garbages for diapers. Pee diapers are in a garbage close to the change table, it’s not sealed too well but they don’t smell at all. Dirty diapers go in the garbage in the garage and that’s next to the laundry room. Not too bad when it’s only one dirty diaper per day. I don’t use a specific bag for the garbage, just a regular garbage bag is fine. If it gets dirty I toss it.
When I am on the road, I didn’t go buy a costly bag for the diapers. I just use a ziplock bag. Seals in the wetness and the smell. I have kept a diaper in there for hours and no smell at all.
I have never diapered a kid with disposables and couldn’t imagine paying all that money and shopping for diapers all the time. Besides, I agree, the cloth diaper are much cuter!
I’m about to have baby number 2, and am considering cloth diapers to save on cost. However, after reading this post, I’m not sure the savings are worth it. We used disposable diapers on our first, which only cost us $30 a month. I don’t know why people are spending $60-$80. On Amazon, with Amazon Mom, the Prime membership, and subscribe and save program, a box of $30 or less diapers comes to my door each month. There are even often coupons that can be clicked on and added when I make my purchase.
My oldest was potty trained at 35 months. This means $1,050. Yes, they use more diapers when they’re smaller, but more diapers come in the box when they’re small. It all works out.
I’m also concerned about how cloth fairs at night with heavy wetters. We’ve always had to do a bigger diaper at night, or night diapers.
Awesome post. It’s interesting how everyone is a little different. We use disposables at night, until my daughter was daytime potty trained. Now she wears cloth only at night. We’ve used cloth all through the day though. I’ve also gotten most of my diapers used. My biggest problem is that the leg elastic tends to wear out, but that’s a super easy fix, and it completely renews the life of the diaper. I do rinse all my diapers, but I just throw them in a small laundry basket with big holes in the sides so that they air out. I lived in FL for a long time, so damp clothes sitting around with no air was a really bad idea.:)
This is a great post! Thanks for sharing. We’ve exclusively cloth diapered my 16 month old from the time she grew into our Thirsties covers at 4 weeks old. We love cloth! I 100% agree about the wipes. I thought cloth wipes were too hardcore for me until 1.) I realized how expensive disposables are and 2.) got tired of picking the used disposable wipes out of the wet bag when we returned from an outing. Cloth is so much easier and cheaper!
I have a question about cloth wipes. I know you said you can use the baby washcloths, but I also see other people are making their own. Suggestions of what they are made from? Flannel? I am a very craft person and my mom is as well and we have tons of fabric scraps laying around the house. Hoping that maybe we have something usable already!
Also, we live in a VERY rural area and don’t have access to all the essential oils. Is there anything else I can put in with the wipes? I know you said water, but if I add something else do I just drop it in the bottom? We are expecting in August and I am trying to get all my ducks in a row before little boy comes!
Yes! You can definitely make your own wipes. Flannel is perfect. Anything that seems soft enough will work. I started out using oils – but don’t use “essential” oils, only use pure 100% oils – and when I did it, I mixed up a bowl of warm water + a squirt of baby shampoo + a couple drops of tea tree oil, then dipped the stack of folded wipes into the bowl. Just to reiterate – do NOT use the essential oils! I hear that’s very important. Congrats on the little boy!
I spend $39 a month on disposable diapers, buying them from Costco. So cloth diapering will not be saving me money in the long run with
Back at square one trying to figure out how I can save money with baby #2!
I don’t have any kids yet, but trying to do as much research as possible before it happens. I love the idea of cloth diapering and your post was very informative without being overwhelming. I do have one (stupid?) question…are the inserts disposable or washable? Thanks!!
So smart to be researching now! The inserts are washable and they come with the diapers when you buy them. (No extra cost or anything.)
My husband & I both work fulltime with long commutes & still cloth diaper. We LOVE our fuzzibunz! We use 1 size elite. Our friends call us weird & gawk at the cloth diapers but we don’t care. Love them! My husband & I catch up with each other while we stuff diapers (takes about 15 mins for 20 dipes & wipes if you’re in a hurry). We actually look forward to diaper day. We’ve never had a blow out. The ONLY unpleasant thing about them actually has to do with the hemp inserts (awesome aborbancy overnight!). After about a month they really start to stink & we have to boil them for 10 minutes. It stinks up the whole house…still worth it to us to use them but ugh it’s so smelly!
THANK YOU! this is an amazing post. I’m in my first pregnancy and I’ve been skeptical about doing cloth diapers but I knew I wanted to try it or at least keep looking into them. I read the whole thing top to bottom and this answered all my questions! I know now I will be using cloth diapers. Now I just gotta forward this to my bf so he’s informed and on board.
And other mommies out there that want to try the cloth diapers and want to be frugal about it, this diaperswappers.com is amazing! My baby isn’t even here yet and I want to buy them all in all sizes! Great prices!