Cloth diapering is making quite the comeback these days, and for good reason! There are numerous benefits to this lifestyle, as I’ll elaborate on later. I began cloth diapering part-time when my baby was about one month old. I was inspired by a friend who was cloth diapering nearly full-time. It was a small learning curve, but my husband and I figured out a system that works for us. 

Also, before you get too caught up with how gross cloth diapering might be, I want to assure you that no matter how you diaper, it’s going to be gross. Haha! 

I’m writing this post to talk about why cloth diapering is a notable alternative for disposables, and also to introduce you to the basic “need-to-knows” of this lifestyle.

And before we get into the details of this cloth diapering guide, I want to make it super clear that this is just one lifestyle choice you could make in order to be more sustainable at home and that it will be right for some people but not others. Parents have a lot on their plates so this is no way meant to suggest this is the way to parent. It’s simply one of the many great ways to parent.

Alright, let’s jump in!

Why you should consider cloth diapering

1. Cloth diapers can reduce your environmental impact. It's rather unfortunate how much waste is generated to catch baby poop. Around 20 billion diapers are thrown into landfills each year in the USA alone. These diapers could take up to 500 years to decompose and release chemicals into both the ground and the air. 

Back in 1988, the New York Times published an article highlighting the terrible impact disposables might have on the environment. Check it out if you want more information on the impact of disposable diapers.

I do want to address that certain methods of washing cloth diapers actually lead to an overall higher environmental impact than disposables. Here are some ways to ensure your cloth diaper use is leaving a smaller environmental footprint:

• Use an energy-efficient washing machine whenever possible 

• Always hang diapers to dry (if you must machine dry, use an energy-efficient dryer for as little time as possible)

• Use water 60℃/140℉ or colder

• Wash in large loads 

• Re-use the diapers for other children, if/when you have them

• Donate or sell used diapers instead of throwing them away

2. Cloth diapers work better than disposable diapers. Some people claim fewer or no blowouts and/or zero diaper rashes when using cloth diapers. I personally do find that the cloth diapers hold large, erm…  deposits… much better. This is possibly because of the high-quality elastic in the back and around the legs of the cloth diapers vs. the tiny ones on disposables.

Also, I’ve heard that it can be easier to potty train babies that are cloth-diapered since they feel more of the wetness in a cloth diaper vs. a disposable and want to ditch that feeling sooner rather than later. 

3. Cloth diapers save money. There are a lot of sources that promise that the cost of using cloth diapers is thousands less than disposables. Perhaps this is true depending on which brand you use. By my own estimate, you’re looking at a minimum savings of about $600 for the first child:

You’d likely spend at least $1300USD in disposables during the first two years of a child’s life (based on the cost of a $25 pack of diapers from Costco every 2 weeks). 

Or, you can easily spend only $300 (price for 5 packs of 7 high-quality cloth diapers), plus $200 per year on laundry expenses (assuming you use coin laundry), totaling $700 in two years for one child. 

You can also reduce your net investment in cloth diapers by using the same diapers on multiple children, purchasing used diapers, and selling your diapers after your child/children are potty trained.

Overall, you’re looking at a minimum savings of about $600 for the first child and much more for his/her siblings.

4. Cloth diapers can be cute! Who knew diapering could be stylish?! Cloth diapers come in heckin’ cute patterns. In the summertime, you can even dress your little one in the diaper alone, or pair it with a T-shirt, and they will be good to go! 

How to get started with cloth diapers - grab the essentials

Now that we’ve talked about the “why” for using cloth diapers, let's discuss the absolute essentials of getting started with cloth diapering.

1. What you’ll need: 

• Cloth diapers. 24 is considered the magic number for full-time cloth diapering. 

• Inserts or liners. If applicable, you’ll typically want to start with the same number as the number of diapers.

• One wet or dry bag

• Designated spatula/scraper or sprayer (optional but recommended)

2. Choose a style and brand: There are a lot of diaper styles to choose from, and since there are already some good resources out there for choosing a style, I won’t go over this with you in too much detail. Instead, I recommend reading this article from Babylist to guide your decision.

I personally chose pocket diapers because I thought they would be easy, cost-effective, and oh-so-cute. I was right. 

With that said, I think no matter which style you choose, you’re opting in for a similar experience.

Of the 3 diaper brands I’ve used, my favorite is Nora’s Nursery. They come with eco-conscious bamboo fabric inserts and have so many cute styles and can be found on Amazon.

By the way, if you choose a diaper style that needs inserts, I suggest choosing diapers that come with bamboo inserts. 

Bamboo inserts are softer and more absorbent than the typical microfiber inserts, and they are safe to put directly on your little one’s skin, which microfiber is not. There are some other good fabric options for cloth diaper inserts, such as cotton and hemp, but it's much easier to find diapers that come with bamboo inserts.

3. Decide which diaper sizes you need: 

You can get a one-size-fits-all diaper that is good for babies 8-35lbs. Babies smaller than that will need newborn-sized cloth diapers. 

Note: Many people opt to use only disposables during the early newborn stage to avoid getting a set of diapers that would only be used for a few weeks, and also because babies go through so many diapers at that age that you’d constantly be doing laundry to keep up.

4. Wash your cloth diapers before the first use

While a lot of sources recommend washing your cloth diapers twice before the first use, I found the extra wash to be a waste of time and resources. The main purpose of the double wash is to help increase the absorbency of the diaper, which just isn’t necessary. Plus, who has time for an extra (unneeded) wash anyway? Wash once to make sure the material is clean for baby, then get to diapering!

5. Choose a detergent

Fluff Love University is a great resource for all things cloth-diaper related. I particularly find their detergent index super helpful. Almost every detergent under the sun is listed on this index with a recommendation for whether it should be used to wash cloth diapers.

How to Wash Cloth diapers

The best advice I ever received about cloth diapering was to simply treat cloth diapers like the laundry that they are. And if you know what to do, washing your diapers can actually be pretty simple, but you may want to base some prep based on the baby’s diet. Here are the basic steps for washing cloth diapers based on your baby’s diet:

Exclusively breastfed babies:

Prep: No need to prep diapers for washing as all deposits will be completely water-soluble. Just put the diaper in a dry bag until wash time. Be sure to remove any diaper insert or lining before washing.

Wash: Start with a pre-wash, followed by a normal cycle wash. (Wash your dry bag as well, inside-out).

Dry: Hang to dry, or pop in an energy-efficient dryer if necessary.

Formula fed babies:

Prep: No need to prep wet diapers with no solids. 

To prep formed solids, simply shake off what you can into the toilet. For loose deposits, go ahead and throw them into the dry bag until wash time.

Be sure to remove any diaper insert or lining before washing

Wash: Start with a pre-wash, followed by a normal cycle wash. (Wash your dry bag as well, inside-out).

Dry: Hang to dry, or pop in an energy-efficient dryer if necessary.

Babies eating milk and solids:

Prep:  No need to prep wet diapers with no solids. To prep diapers with solids:

• Shake off as much excess as you can into the toilet

• Use a designated spatula or sprayer to remove anything that doesn’t shake off. Use a disinfectant wipe on items that touch the poo-poos, and store in a safe area where baby won’t get into it.

• Store the dirty diaper in a dry bag or a wet bag (a bucket or bag filled with water so the diapers can pre-soak until they are washed). 

Be sure to remove the diaper insert or lining if applicable.

Wash: Start with a pre-wash, followed by a normal cycle wash. (Wash your dry bag as well, inside-out).

Dry: Hang to dry, or pop in an energy-efficient dryer if necessary.

Hacks for part-time cloth diapering

So you want to cloth-diaper, but aren’t ready to go full time? Cool! This is actually super common. Here’s what some people do:

• Use a disposable diaper when out-and-about or with a different caregiver (i.e. grandma's house, grocery shopping, etc).

• Use a disposable for long naps and overnight. This helps the baby feel more comfortable while sleeping.

• Use a disposable when baby is expected to go #2. It gets slightly more involved to clean cloth diapers once the baby starts eating solids. If your child is on somewhat of a routine, you should be able to (mostly) avoid big deposits in the cloth diapers if you want to.

More tips for cloth diapering

Now that we’ve covered the big things, here are some other helpful tricks I’ve learned along the way. 

• Dress your child in clothes 1 size up from their true size. Cloth diapers are bulky, and clothes can get pretty tight when you try to fit them around the diaper. Your child will be more comfortable in something a little bigger when using a cloth diaper.

• Use special diaper rash cream. Certain diaper creams, especially those that contain petroleum, will reduce the absorbency of your diapers. I personally like this diaper balm from Earth Mama. It works well, smells much better than the typical diaper cream (in my opinion), and is OK to use to treat diaper rash with cloth diapers.

• Use biodegradable bamboo diaper liners to catch deposits. This definitely isn’t necessary, but I’ve heard it can help make clean-up easier.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to make the switch to cloth diapers? Have you already done so? I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and tips!