Posts in this series:
Getting Started
All About Diapers
All About Covers
Other Diapering Methods
Welcome to the Cloth Diapering Basics series! I am so excited to be presenting this series to you with the help of Coleen from Sweet Little Blessings, a long time cloth diapering sponsor here at Raising Arrows. This series will run all week in a Q&A format, covering the basics of cloth diapering from two experienced cloth diapering mamas!
And don’t miss the AWESOME giveaway running all week long at the bottom of each post in the series along with a coupon code (SWEET) for 10% off any order from Sweet Little Blessings!
This post is all about Getting Started Cloth Diapering…
Why cloth?
Coleen: Cloth Diapers are convenient, save money and are super cute!! Plus they are better for the environment.
Amy: I started cloth diapering to save money when I found myself with 2 babies in diapers. Then I fell in love with the utter cuteness of cloth diapers! It also felt good to be doing something that didn’t contribute to the trash on this earth.
How much should you expect to spend for one child?
Coleen: The amount you spend can vary a lot depending on the style of diaper you buy and how many you want on hand. I would estimate you could spend anywhere from $125 for prefolds and covers to $400+ for all in ones.
Amy: There are so many different kinds of cloth diapering methods (which we will be going over in the series!), you really have to decide which method is right for you first and then figure the cost. However, any method you choose will be cheaper than a full supply of disposables (especially if you diaper more than one child!).
What is the cheapest cloth diapering system?
Prefolds and covers are definitely the cheapest option!
Should I buy used or new?
Coleen: Buying used is going to save money, but they may wear out a lot faster. It is a good way to try different styles of diapers and find what you like best. Then you could purchase your favorites new!
Amy: I’ve done both and there are pros and cons to both. Used, you run the risk of them wearing out and also dealing with bacteria from another household that may be difficult to get rid of. However, it is typically much cheaper. New isn’t cheaper and you run the risk of buying something you hate that cost you more than you can get back out of it; however, diapers do have a high resale value on places like DiaperSwappers.com.
How do I keep my cloth diapers organized?
Coleen: A changing table is a great place to store cloth diapers if you have room for one. I always change our little guys on the floor in our family room and store the diapers in the drawers in our TV cabinet. Baskets work great too!
Amy: Currently, I have a changing table (shown below), but I also keep a large flat basket at the opposite end of the house for changing diapers on my bed. I’ve seen diapers kept in trunks in the living room, cardboard boxes, and plastic stackers. It doesn’t have to fancy, just functional!
What else do I need to cloth diaper?
Coleen: You will need some kind of diaper pail. A trash can with a liner works well. I use a FuzziBunz hanging diaper pail on a hook in our laundry room. You may also want to purchase some cloth wipes or wash cloths. Just throw them in the wash with your diapers. I also keep a bottle to squirt water on my wipes as I need them. You could make your own baby wipe solution, but I find that plain water works quite well. It might also be nice to have a smaller wet bag for in your diaper bag. Another extra would be a diaper sprayer to help make clean up easy.
Amy: I agree with Coleen! I use a diaper pail that is actually a heavy duty plastic trash can with a flip-top lid that can easily be opened with a yucky diaper in hand. In my bathroom, I have a diaper sprayer (must have in my opinion!) and another trash can that you step on a lever to open so there’s no touching anything thus eliminating the whole “ick factor.” I use a plastic grocery sack as a wet bag when away from home simply because I’ve never gotten around to purchasing one! And I make all my own cloth wipes.
How often should I wash?
Coleen: I recommend washing at least every other day. The longer your diapers sit, the more odors can build up.
Amy: Agreed! However, there are times when I don’t manage this and have to be a bit more diligent about how I wash them. (You can read how I wash and dry my cloth diapers. See also this Cloth Diaper Care series from Mama’s Laundry Talk for more info on caring for your cloth diapers.)
What is your #1 piece of advice for cloth diapering mamas?
Coleen: There is so much information about cloth diapering that it can be overwhelming at first, but it is really not hard at all!
Amy: If you can, find another cloth diapering mama and watch her do it! That was one of my biggest obstacles…I needed to be shown just how easy it was! If you can’t find another cloth diapering mama, then watch online videos like this one I did on using a prefold diaper…it really does help to see exactly how they work!
Is it true I can’t use Desitin when cloth diapering?
I’ll be addressing this in a later post (not this week), but the answer is yes and no…don’t use it where it comes in direct contact with the diaper, but you can use a disposable liner.
That is true, but there are lots of alternatives.
I’ve used cloth and paper diapers and since using the cloth ones, I’ve noticed that the paper ones have a wierd smell. Cloth is so enviro and baby friendly and, expecting #9 in June, I will be using cloth again! Thank you for hosting this
i love that we’re able to save so much money by using cloth diapers and wipes!
My fav for newborns are fitteds and covers. The fitteds contain the bf poo best, IMO. For an older baby eating solids, you don’t need the fitteds so much so I like prefolds and covers. I make my own prefolds using hemp fabric.
TIP 1: For older babies eating solids, use a liner (I use a cloth liner) and invest in some flushable Cottonelle wipes. It’s much easier to deal with getting poo off just a liner. Sometimes, I can just pick it off the liner with the wipe and toss it in the potty.. I don’t often need/use my diaper sprayer.
TIP 2: Keep an easily cleanable, plastic container large enough to hold a dipe nearby your changing station. (I use a shallow plastic chinese take-out container). I usually put the flushable wipe with the poo in it to be tossed in the potty when I’m done and then can just toss the dipe in the pail.
i like the thought of saving money
Thanks!
Nancy
Top loader washing machine answers can be found here as well: https://www.facebook.com/RaisingArrows/posts/250106918402118
What I love most. Well, that’s difficult to describe. There is just a feeling I get when I’m putting a cloth diaper on my baby. It’s awesome!
saving money, definitely
So excited to learn all about cloth diapering. I have no idea where to start, so I’m excited to learn through your blog!
I have never cloth diapers but I want to buy some cloth training pants for my 7 month old. I am doing elimination communication with him and am ready to use something different and better.
Kissaluvs trainers are awesome! They are my favorite out of the many I’ve tried. 2nd would be Fuzzi Bunz.
I would LOVE to win this. Thanks for all the cloth diaper tips!
I loved cloth diapering my little one! She is pretty much potty trained now, but the cloth diapers never gave her rashes! We ended up at the last six months after I got over the cuteness factor of cloth diapers to buy some work horse diapers. Kawaii worked for us, and they are about 7 dollars a diaper. They don’t work for everyone, but were great for us!
I love cloth diapering because I feel so good about not having plastic and chemicals next to my daughter’s skin all day long, and I honestly have so much fun cloth diapering, I’m a girlie girl and love picking pretty new prints/diapers
I also love saving the $$ over disposables!
I like to save money by cloth diapering. It really does help the budget!
We love using our cloth diapers (mostly Bum Genius and have not regretted it ever. It has saved us so much money!
I seriously enjoy cloth diapering. I made a few mistakes in the beginning and thought about giving up, but once I got into it, it’s been great. I agree you can spend a lot to diaper or a little, either way works. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Cloth diapering helps me to keep up with my laundry. And I LOVE that I don’t have to worry about spending the money to buy more diapers. I think cloth diaper babies potty train quicker too. And cloth diapering can bring you out of the matrix and help you see the way people used to do it.
I’ll definitely be keeping up with this series of posts. Great topic.
I like the self-sufficency of using cloth diapers. No more having to run to the store with four preschoolers just for diapers. Plus it saves us money!
Why couldn’t I find a writeup like this when I first started CD’ing?!
Well written. Thanks!
OH, the money I’ve saved!! That is my number one love of cloth!
I loved using cloth diapers. My daughter was allergic to disposables, so we had to make the switch. Who would have ever guessed that a rash would turn out to be such a blessing!
I loved making my own diapers. I also purchased several brands. One of the greatest hurdles I hear moms complain about is the cost to start cloth diapering. It’s not expensive to start up at all, if you get a little resourceful! You can even do it for free! Here’s a video on how to make pre fold diapers from a kitchen towel. I hope you find it useful! http://youtu.be/p4_MYoRNtQY
This is something I need to look into, I am 37 weeks pregnant with baby number six and I have never try this before, but I think its worth the try! Thank you for posting this:) God bless
i love cloth diapers!
I actually have not cloth diapered, but would love to try! We have 8 children, 2 that are currently in diapers. Our family has been working hard at becoming debt free, and I cringe every time I purchase diapers. I would love to purchase cloth, but don’t have the money to start. I have started making my own reusable wipes out of old receiving blankets I cut into small squares.
A good way to save up some money is every time you purchase a package of disposable diapers put that same amount of money in a jar. There are some super cheap and very functional cloth diapers from China that will cost little to start up. Many of my readers rave about Alva Baby, another is Sunbaby.
Thank you for the informative article! This will be an awesome resource to pass on to newbies!
I cloth diapered all four of my babies starting 11 years ago. I did everything you are apparently not supposed to do now.
I used pre-folds made by Gerber with rubber pant covers and pins. I used A and D ointment, bleached them every two months, and rarely swished a diaper in the toilet due to the use of rice paper liners. I still have some of those diapers and was able to pass the rest on to another family that is still using them. We rarely had diaper rash, and all of my children potty trained by age 2 and a half. If I was able to have more children I would still use cloth I love them so much! I am so glad it has become such a positive thing now.
I love saving money with the cloth diapers,,, my first ones I got were alva baby diapers and you can get 20 for about 84 dollars and they are a one size pocket diaper and they work on a 3 month old and a 2 and a half year old at the same time… at first I even used Flat diapers in a diaper cover ffor the 3 month old but now I have enough pocket diapers to do both my kids and I am loving it
I love the idea of cloth diapering, but I’ve only given it one shot. I was so enthused about trying it when my 3rd son was 15-16 months old. Then he got a horrible rash and while I was trying to figure out a better way to rinse and wash the diapers, I got pregnant again and the smells and issues were too much. I’d really like to try it again with my 5th baby (who is more like a toddler now).
I’ve been battling funk/ammonia. I’ve tried so many things and I’m stumped. Even went back to disposibles, but I’ve been itching to get back into cloth. I love cloth! I even took a class yesterday to learn how to make them (the ones I made, not so great lol), not that I don’t have enough….they are just to darn cute!
Please, any help on the funk issue is greatly appreciated!
Do you have hard water or soft water? If you have soft water you can do a vinegar soak to break up the ammonia crystals. If you have hard water you might first try adding extra detergent. Then if that doesn’t work soak in RLR or Funk Rock by Rockin Green.
I started cloth diapering with my 3rd baby! I love it as well. I don’t think the sprayer is a necessity, but the ick factor doesn’t bother me. I used all in ones at first and they only lasted me a year. Someone gave me the idea to cut out the liner and use the outer part as a diaper cover.
would love to add to my small stash of cloth diapers. I changed from prefolds to all in ones so only have about 9 right now. this would be wonderful to win.
For the first time in 11 yrs in parenting all my little people are walking around in undies…and new baby is on the way. Would love to buy some fresh cloth to help me gear back up.
I am so glad that you are doing a cloth diapering series! I have a 3 month old and just started cloth diapering in the past 3 weeks…so far so good! I have several different types of cloth diapers so we can figure out what works best for my husband and I…looking forward to expanding our stash so that we can CD exclusively!
I love this! Just this past weekend, I considered posting a “Cloth Diaper 101″ thing on my blog this week. Cloth was intimidating in the beginning. But once I realized the benefits, not only financially but physically (no more rashes), I was hooked. I never realized all of the chemicals that were in paper dipes that could affect my little one’s sensitive skin.
I love cloth diapers and with six children and Lord willing, more on the way, I can always add to my supply. Thank you.
I absolutely love clothe diapering and have another one coming soon, so I need to start stocking up! Can’t wait to hear all the info for a refresher course!
Thank you for this series, we are wanting another baby and I have been thinking more and more about cloth diapering becuase of the whole cost of diapers and the fact that my son has now decided he DOESN’t WANT to potty train…he knows what to do but simply refuses to do it on a consistent basis.
I would love to use cloth diapers for my next little one and save our family some money!