I’m not gonna lie, I get so excited talking about this! Okay, so...cloth diapers. I’ve cloth diapered 2 babies and I’ve loved it. know, I know. You’re thinking: “No, I can’t do that.” “That’s so much work.” “What about poop?” And ultimately, “ew.” Try to keep an open mind for a second. What if you could reduce your environmental impact? What if you could cut down your diaper spending down 100%, 80%, heck, even 20%. Money is money, and any bit of saving counts. Do you know someone that has trouble buying diapers, or struggles to? Can you relate to that yourself? I know I can! Stick with me here, and I’ll tell you about a fantastic program that could help you with diapers for FREE if that’s you! Also hang with me and I’ll tell you a few things about cloth diapering. I’ll tell you where to begin, your system options, and all the down and dirty details. Pun intended.
*First, let’s dive into systems.
Covers with flats/prefolds(cheapest option.
This is my favorite system. Not only cause of its cost effectiveness, but also its ease of use, and ease of cleaning. In the beginning of my journey, I heard this was the most difficult cause you can choose to fold your flats onto your baby in a certain learned fold and then secure it with a snappi, boingo, or my favorite, a bandie band. These can be as easy as you want to make them. Personally, I use flats. I take a one size cotton flat, fold it into a rectangle, then boom. Put it in your cover and go. That’s it. No folding, no stress. Granted, I do folds when I’m feeling fancy, but I’m not about to do that more than once a month. I would suggest washing at least every 3 days. The best part about these is that, there’s no specific was routine needed! Flats are just that, a flat piece of cloth. The wash and dry super easy. The best part about covers is that you can reuse them! If your baby just pees, just replace the insert and that’s that! Just change the cover if it gets saturated or baby takes a poo!
-How many do I need?
I’d suggest at least 8-10 covers. Some babies need less, maybe around 6-8. Gauge it dependent on how many your child goes through per day. I’d have at least 30-35 flats per day. Prefolds work exactly the same way and require the same amount for about 3 days. These just have perforated lines for folding with a thicker bit of fabric in the middle.
Pockets!
I love pockets...to an extent. These are fantastic cause of several reasons. Pockets allow you to customize your absorbency level ahead of time. Pick your inserts, stuff in the pocket, then store till needed. Or you can be like me and just stuff as you go. Whichever works! Another thing I love about these is that they usually have a stay dry fabric in the lining that helps pull moisture away from babies’ bum. This is great for wetness sensitive babies. My only con really is the stuffing. That’s seriously not my favorite.
-How many do I need?
For pockets, you need anywhere from 25-30, low balling it. That’ll get you through, but I’d try to aim for a higher amount if possible. This will also help with the wear and tear on your diapers.
For your inserts, you may have to tweak them around to find what works for you. Definitely expect 2 inserts per diaper.
Aio, or all in ones
These are going to run you into some big money honey. I have a love, hate relationship with these.
Pros:
*They’re just like a disposable! The name is exactly what it is, everything you need, all in one. (Or is it?)
*Makes on the go a breeze if you choose to cloth diaper outside the home.
*These tend to be much trimmer than other options.
Cons:
*Not easy to customize absorbency, regardless of it being (everything you need.)
*Difficulty to clean
*Super expensive
-How many do I need?
I’d try to stay in the ballpark of 30-35 per child. Keep in mind though, if these don’t work well for you, you may be changing more often and going through much more than is typical.
I personally love aios for travel. I HIGHLY recommend Diaper Rite aios. These are the only ones I have found that keeps my heavy wetters dry for at least 2 hours.
You can find those here: https://www.thegreentotspot.com/collections/all-in-one-diapers/products/diaper-rite-all-in-one-new-version?variant=37097111453874
4. Ai2. All in twos
These are basically like all in ones, but come with snap in adjustable inserts. This gives you a little more customization, but the concept is the same. It’s much easier to wash these though!
*Okay, NEXT! -I swear I just thought about the MTV NEXT bus..anyone else know what I’m talking about? No? I’m old I guess.
Let’s talk about inserts/ fabric type
Here’s what we got:
Microfiber
Cotton
Bamboo
Hemp
You can also get any blends of the 4 types as well. These can come as legitimate inserts, flats, or prefolds.
These fabrics have different absorbency speeds and capacities. For example: Hemp holds the most, but microfiber absorbs that fastest, so you need the hemp on bottom and the microfiber on top to avoid leaks. Here’s a chart to explain this a little better:
You’ll notice, microfiber CANNOT go directly against your babies skin. It draws out all moisture, not just urine. This will give your baby a nightmare of a rash. Also, keep in mind, microfiber can have compression leaks. It’s very similar to a sponge. I try to stick with natural fibers if possible. Cotton is my favorite.
*What else do I need?
Okay, so you know how many diapers you need and what there is to choose from. Now, let’s get into accessories. Not all of this is necessary, but some of it definitely helps!
Things you need:
•A wet bag! You have to have somewhere to store your dirty diapers. You need a small one for on the go, and possibly a large one for at home unless you decide to get what I mention next.
•Diaper pail with pail liner
You can use a large wet bag for this, but I personally like having a pail. Plus it tends to fit more. If you want to do a cheap alternative, just get a garbage can to use! As long as it has a lid, you’re good to go!
Keep in mind, I’m order to avoid smells, your pail needs airflow. Also, spraying diapers off before placing them in the pail helps tremendously too.
• Cloth safe diaper cream
Certain creams can damage your diapers and make them repel moisture, which is a big no no. If you use a liner, then no problem, but I personally don’t like to take the risk. I‘ll list several options in the links below the article.
-These next three things kinda go together. These help make clean up easier and help prevent staining on your pretty diapers. Which you want to do, cause if you take good care of them, they tend to hold their value for resale.
•Diaper liners- just place inside your diaper against babies skin to catch poop. Just fold up the liner and flush. Easy as that! You can also save money by making your own. Buy a fleece blanket for Walmart for around $5 and cut it up to fit in your diaper. The poop rinses right off.
•Diaper sprayer- I feel that you need this. Hook to your toilet, spray poop off, place in your pail, and done. You literally never touch the poop.
•Spray Pal- The holy grail of accessories. This funky contraption snaps together and has a clip to clip your diaper, place the shield into your toilet, the spray away. No worrying about getting poop on your bathroom floor by accident. Those diaper sprayer can have some crazy water pressure.
Nighttime diapering
*Next, I want to touch on nighttime diapering. Now this can be tricky. Some babies are just notoriously heavy wetters. Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out what combination to use at night that will work for your baby. Keep in mind the different fabrics and their absorbency combined with speed. This is when this will truly matter. I like to take the guess work out of it, and work with a fitted cloth diaper. My go to is a fitted diaper, paired with a hemp insert, and then a cotton doubler on the top. My babies are sensitive to wetness, so nighttime would be a great time to whip out a stay dry liner. Thirsties also carries a stay dry cotton doubler!
Disposable vs. Cloth
*Now that you have an idea of what all you need, I want to tell you a little about the cost of disposable VS cloth.
With cloth, you’re going to spend around $250-$400 up front. Yes. That is a lot. But hear me out. Did you know that you’re going to spend around $2300 on diapers per child till they’re potty trained. Kids already cost a ton. Plus, what if you have more children? You’re getting into some big numbers there. You can reuse your cloth! Then, when you’re done, you can sell them to another mom in need. It’s a win win! That was one deciding factor for me. That and I realized how many awful chemicals really were in diapers. There’s a reason there isn’t an ingredient list on your diapers. They aren’t required to tell you what’s in them. You probably wouldn’t want to know anyways.
Wash Routine
The dreaded thing no one wants to talk about. If you stumble into cloth diaper groups, you‘ll find so many contradiction. Do this, not that. It’s madness. The most important things to note for a wash routine are:
•Wash off the poop beforehand.
- Unless your baby is 100% breastfed, you have to do this. Breastfed poop is completely water soluble and doesn’t require washing. That’s totally up to you. As soon as baby starts eating solids though, this is a must.
•Use a cloth diaper safe detergent
There are so many detergents and some people have allergies. Here’s a chart to help you out on choosing:
•Do a pre-wash in cold water
-This step is necessary. This will rinse all the urine and any remnants of poo off your diapers so they can have a good wash once finished. You will use the least amount of detergent in this cycle. I personally use arm and hammer and I use like 1. I prefer liquid, but thats totally up to you!
•Do a main wash in warm/hot water
-This is the big wash you’ll do to make sure your diapers are completely clean. This is where you use your most laundry detergent and longest cycle. I personally do like 3 on my diapers. Keep in mind using too hot of water can cause a lot of wear and tear on your diapers. Do an extra rinse to be sure there’s no left over detergent getting put on babies bum.
•Use water softeners if you have hard water
-use a water softener such as borax during your main wash to help with hard water buildup on diapers. Buildup will eventually affect the absorbency in your diapers.
•Don’t listen to one way advice.
There isn’t one way to wash diapers. Some things work for some and some for others. Mine way not work for you. Keep the general ideas in mind, but only as a guide. It takes trial and error. It took me some time to figure out my own. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just wash!
Keep in mind, if you decide to cloth, it’s not all or nothing! Any amount of cloth diapering is fantastic! That’s one less disposable to be sitting in our landfill for over 500 years! Do what you’re comfortable with. And as always, message me with any questions. I’d love to help!
*Here’s my most favorite thing that I discussed at the beginning of the article! A lot of people actually don’t know about this and I believe it is a shame. Some people truly struggle to diaper their baby. This should never happen! If this is you, or you know someone you can direct to this site, please do. They will loan you diapers for free of charge if you qualify based upon your income or if you receive government assistance.
Please check them out! Or donate if you are able!
I hope this has been somewhat helpful! If you ever have any questions, advice, or just to chat, just message me!
Scroll to the bottom for links of all items mentioned!
Happy Diapering!
Ken❤️
*Items mentioned that I personally use:
ALVABABY 2pcs Cloth Diaper Wet Dry Bags Waterproof Reusable with Two Zippered Pockets Travel Beach Pool Daycare Soiled Baby Items Yoga Gym Bag for Swimsuits or Wet Clothes L2933 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CYYJCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_J49XFb5R3TRKP
Rubbermaid Step-On Lid Trash Can for Home, Kitchen, and Bathroom Garbage, 13 Gallon, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZSHX6Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_KzbYFbB91CHPR
Wegreeco Reusable Diaper Pail Liner for Cloth Diaper,Laundry,Kitchen Garbage Cans(2 Pack, Blue Sky, Owl) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C1WYFJP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_sAbYFbSS63VN6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Boudreaux's All Natural Butt Paste 4 oz (Pack of 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IAHXP92/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_dkdYFb526YTPS
Burt's Bees Baby 100% Natural Multipurpose Ointment, Face & Body Baby Ointment – 7.5 Ounce Tub https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YTX0HQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_3kdYFbSE72CBT
Maty's All Natural Multipurpose Baby Ointment - Petroleum & Fragrance Free - Made with Coconut & Jojoba Oils - 3.75 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YVF5URS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_tldYFb3FPYXH5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Naturally Natures Bamboo Diaper Liners 400 Sheets (4 Pack) Gentle and Soft, Chlorine and Dye-Free, Unscented, Biodegradable Inserts (Set of 4) 400 Liners https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKHHVNT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_2ldYFbQNEZFN6
Spray Pal Cloth Diaper Sprayer and Splatter Shield Bundle - Includes Best Patented Shield and Premium Adjustable Diapers Sprayer - Pre-Rinse Messy Laundry and Prevent Mess https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0X0F5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_wndYFbND3H2TP
Bamboo Inserts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017WYJEA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_KodYFbJ9AYP42?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
OsoCozy 6 Pack Birdseye Flat Unbleached Diapers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GTLRY4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_.odYFb4A530QF
Thirsties Hemp Inserts Size Small, 4 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C2H27VX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_FpdYFbAW79NBZ?psc=1
Thirsties Reusable Organic Cotton Cloth Diaper Doubler, Large (3 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HU44H8Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_VpdYFbKPBBHKF
Fitted Cloth Diaper: Overnight Diaper with 2 Cotton Hemp Inserts, One Size with Snap Buttons https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KP60AHC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_iqdYFbJG3ESRM
Unisex Baby Cloth Pocket Diapers 7 Pack, 7 Bamboo Inserts, 1 Wet Bag by Nora's Nursery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I73B96A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_1U6YFb8PGV96T
Simple Being Reusable Cloth Diapers, Double Gusset, One Size Adjustable, Washable Soft Absorbent, Waterproof Cover, Eco-Friendly Unisex Baby Girl Boy, with six 4-layers microfiber inserts (Geometrics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4DYL6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_.V6YFb6DDN578?psc=1
Thirsties Duo Wrap Cloth Diaper Cover, Snap Closure, Adventure Trail, Size 1 (6-18 lbs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MD0U99K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_1W6YFb463PMJ0
One Size Cloth Diaper Cover Snap with Double Gusset (Rocket) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JL1F3RI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_pX6YFbXYH032H?psc=1