Cloth diapers used to be difficult to work with. There was a lot of work involved, big safety pins, ugly pants covers, and of course difficult to clean fabric. About 40 years ago disposable diapers were introduced and people started using these instead. Since I found out I was having a baby in late 2010 I decided I wanted to try cloth diapers, I wasn't sure what was out there, but now that I do, I love them.

Cloth Diapers Are Awesome

The thing that got me most interested in cloth diapers is saving money, and of course, how cute they are. This one to the right is one of the first ones we bought. See... cute and cheap!!

Why Do People Use Cloth Diapers?

Most people who see this page will already know why people choose cloth diapers, so I'll sum it up quickly for those new to the it. People choose cloth diapers to: save money, for skin reasons, for environmental reasons, because they are cute, etc.

Where to Buy Cloth Diapers?

I think this is one of the most common issues with getting cloth diapers. Most 'main stream' stores do not sell anything you'd really want to use for cloth diapering. For instance Gerber has prefolds available at Walmarts, but they aren't a good option, they don't hold up well, absorb much, and will quickly let you down. Babies R Us has some too, but so far, they are about the same as the Gerber ones. These are old style cloth diapers, and largely unused by cloth diapering families.

That said you can buy cloth diapers at most baby boutiques, searching for baby stores on Google will help you find a store to go to, to buy them. This is a good idea for your first purchase. If you don't have one in your area, there are many stores online. Look at Jillians Drawers or Kellys Closet, they have great information and a wide variety of diapers to choose from.

How are modern cloth diapers different?

Back in the day, you would buy prefolds or flats and use diaper covers that were like plastic pants. Now they are much easier to use. You can still get flats or prefolds but, you no longer have to use plastic pants. Now there are diaper covers and they snap or velcro (aka hook and loop closure).

A lot of research has been done to find the best fabrics to use in modern cloth diapers. Now they hold much more urine, are better with stains, and come with great information on washing, drying them. They are so much easier to use, that for many brands you can rinse them by running them through the rinse cycle once before washing them, in the washer. Just dump a load in, rinse, then wash, then dry (depending on instructions).

Are Cloth Diapers hard to use?

The short answer is no. There are a few kinds of cloth diapers, but they all involve an inside and outside. Basically the outside snaps or velcros around the baby with the inside catching the waste. Take them off dirty, throw in a wet bag and wash when it is full.

How much cheaper are cloth diapers?

My estimates are probably inaccurate. We use pampers or luvs diapers on other babies and spent about $14 a week on diapers. To cover from birth to age 3, or 3 years, that would cost me about $2184. This for me, means mid range disposable diapers by the way. You could spend more, or less, depending on the brands and quality you purchase. Cloth diapering can easily be done for $150-$400, and the best part is, you don't always have to have the full investment up front.

What are the options to get started?

Many online diaper stores offer some kind of trial service, where you get a bunch of diapers for a set price, and at the end of a set amount of time, maybe 30 days, the balance is due. There are also diaper services that you could work with, where you pay per week. Another option is renting cloth diapers, if you search for that on Google you should see many results.

Cheapest Way to Get Started with Cloth Diapers

There are many cheap options you can use with cloth diapers. For example prefolds are the cheapest diapering option, you could rent these, or buy them gently used off craigslist or ebay. You can also sell the cloth diapers when you are done using them on these sites to get back some of your investment. Given how well cloth diapers are made, most of them are able to be used for multiple infants/toddlers before they have outlived their usefulness.

How Many Are Needed?

Everyone asks this, and everyone probably thinks it just can't be a simple answer. It is, you need about 20-24, the more, the better. But, when you get started, as long as you have enough to get through a day, you can wash and repeat. It isn't the easiest way to do it, but it can work. When I started I wanted to use pocket diapers. I'm just not a prefold or flat diaper cloth diaperer, we had a few, like 6 and a couple prefolds and got through a month. Then we were able to purchase 12 Kawaii pocket diapers for $93. The good new is, you can get them even cheaper off eBay.

First Steps with the New Diapers

With cloth diapers, you should prep them for use. It will depend on the manufacturer what you need to do, but it almost always involves washing them a few times, though does depend on the fabrics you are using how many times that will be. Luckily instructions are included on how to do this. You will also have instructions for regular washing and drying of the diapers.

Cloth Diapers Need Special Detergent

My first worry with this, was that it would be expensive, it's not. There are several companies who make cloth diaper safe detergents, so wherever you choose to buy your cloth diapers, you can grab some detergent too. The reason for this is that a lot of detergents leave behind a residue, while in clothing this can be fine, with diapers, the residue causes the diaper to not function properly, so it is less absorbent, may repel urine, etc.

Washing Cloth Diapers - the Process

When you have a dirty diaper, the best thing to do is separate the pieces of the diaper and put them in a wet bag (explained later). It's up to your discretion if you want to manually rinse them, many don't, and it isn't necessary. When the bag of diapers is full, put them in the wash for a cold rinse cycle, then wash on hot. When ready to dry, take the PUL diaper covers or pocket diaper outsides and hang dry. Inserts, doublers, prefolds, flats, fitteds can all be dried in the dryer. Do not wash wool as you would normal diapers.

What to do with Stains

Most cloth diaper manufacturers have some kind of stain stick or stain product you can use. It seems that many cloth diapering families use a product called Bac Out to remove stains. The most common stain remover in cloth diapering is the sun. Lay items in the sun for hours and the stains should start coming out. Of course, in cold areas of the world, this isn't always an option. I haven't found a way around this, I live in NY.

Diaper Creams You Can Use

It's important to remember that any kind of chemicals/synthetic products can cause issues with your cloth diapers working, and they can be a real pain to fix after you have used something. You really shouldn't use anything like main stream diaper creams. Instead use an all natural one like CJ's BUTTer. It is sold in loads of places and seems to be the real favorite in the fluff world (fluff is another term for cloth diaper, used by enthusiasts).

There are lists that describe many of the best Butt creams to use. The nice thing about this stuff is it can be used for other purposes as well. If and when you do try something synthetic, be sure to use a liner or doubler that can keep the cream separate from your diaper.

What to do about Leaks

Sometimes, you'll notice leaking from your cloth diapers. This doesn't mean they don't work, or they don't work as well as disposables. It usually means you don't have the diaper on right. You might not have the prefolds positioned correctly, though if you use a Snappi that should help, or you don't have the cover on tight enough. Make sure when you put the diaper on, and you secure it, it is a snug fit. Of course you want the baby to move freely, but it shouldn't have any openings when they do. Trial and error will be your best bets.

If you do experience leaks, and can't seem to get the right fit, a doubler (like an insert but between the diaper and baby) might be a great idea.

Different Kinds of Fits

You might hear people talk about some diapers fitting better than others. This is common with pocket diapers or all in one diapers. Once in awhile when these leak, it has to do with how the diaper fits the baby. All babies (all people actually) are different, some are chunkier (like mine) and some are skinnier, or thinner. This is why it's a good idea to experiment. While I do like Kawaii, bumGenius, and Blueberry diapers, keep in mine, my baby is a chunker I haven't heard of this complaint with prefolds or flats, or fitteds now that I think of it, as they are more custom fits.

Cloth Diaper Lingo- A Dictionary

When you come into cloth diapering you will have a bit of a learning period where you figure out what tons of abbreviations and words mean. I plan on doing a full article on this, but until then, here are the some of the most common:

AIO- all in one, OS- one size, H&L- hook and loop, PUL- waterproof fabric used in most covers and pocket or AIOs, Snappi- object used to keep prefold or flat in a set position under cover, Fluff- another term for cloth diaper, Nappy- old term for cloth diaper

Where To Learn More About Cloth Diapers

While I am working on adding more content to this site, there are a few places I can send you. I love Mother Earth Baby Online, as well as Jillian's Drawers. Feel free to leave comments on this site and I'd be glad to help you with any questions you have.

Where To Chat With Others About Cloth Diapers

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Diaper Swappers, Mothering, and Google Places are great places to find others to chat with about cloth diapers. I'll be adding links soon, but specifically look into groups on Facebook.