How to Start Cloth Diapering

Popular newborn cloth diaper brands

Isn't it... yucky?

I love little kids.  I love babies.  My only memory related to cloth diapers comes from way back when I was a child - on the verge of nightmarish really, it was so traumatizing.  I was holding a  chunky baby with an even bulkier 'diaper' or wad of cloth - not really sure, that was sticking out everywhere and was partially coming off, AND I realized to my horror, was disgustingly wet through all layers of clothes (so that's where the wetness was coming from!) and smelled like pee.  If that is your memory (or imagining) of cloth diapers, well that is NOT what we are talking about here!

I am working hard to put this less-than-pleasant preconceived impression of cloth diapers out of my mind as I am now planning to cloth diaper.  Modern cloth diaper, said with emphasis on the modern.  I like to make that distinction so when people's eyes fly wide at it's mention I can assure them it is different these days. 

I should mention a few conditions though.  I plan to cloth diaper AS LONG AS they are not bulky or leaking through with everything wet all the time.  (See above traumatic memory.)  And the sprayer.  I can do it with the sprayer.  (That nice invention that hooks up to the water going to the toilet for spraying off soiled parts so there's no scrubbing out by hand.)  Without it, I could forget the whole thing.  

So yes, baby on hip, sprayer in hand, it will not be that bad!

Reasons people cloth diaper

There seem to be three main reasons people use cloth.

1. Save money
2. Save baby's skin (disposables have chemicals that lead to more rashes, cloth is more "natural")
3. Save the environment

Saving $$ is great (that's our reason); saving all around is a win-win!  (How could you not be happy about that??!)  Yes it is more work, but since I will be a stay-at-home mom, doing something that saves our family money is like me having a part-time job that I can do from home!  Saved $$ = Earned $$   

Before we move on, I want to mention that there might be a fourth reason that's up and coming as well.  It seems that cloth diapering is coming back "in" in my generation as if it were a fad.  It is more lasting than a fad, and has good sound reasons, but it is a marketed product and companies are working hard to get you to spend hundreds on cute prints that you just can't pass up.  And those things your baby poops in?  They come in super expensive designer brands nowadays - all vying for your loyalty!  Why would you ever even think to spend so much on something for Junior to pee in?  Because it's cool.  It's what the cool/hippy/chic mamas do.  Goes right along with natural pregnancy, natural health, home-grown/gardening/whole foods, being green and recycling, pretty much natural anything.  I think of kefir, kombucha, home births, home schooling and homeopathy.  With so many rad modern styles out there, I can be a hip mom and cloth diaper!

Cloth diapering for beginners

Jaimee does a GREAT job explaining the different styles of diapers, how each works, and the accessories you'll need.  Simple, easy to understand, not overwhelming and yet all the information you need to feel equipped to begin researching and shopping for cloth diapers!  You can start with this video or head over to her channel to easily access all seven parts!

Now for a couple other helpful links that were given to me that I am passing on to you...

http://www.kellyscloset.com  (One stop shop for many different brands.  My advice would be, check Amazon or eBay for possible better prices first though!)

http://www.clothdiaperaddiction.com (Reviews on most all the common brands plus some!)

The basics you'll need

In figuring out how this looks and works practically and doing a cost analysis, don't forget these main items for successful cloth diapering:

• 2 dozen diapers for every other day washing (this is a rough estimate and will vary depending on what kind you are using and baby's age)
• Pail (like a large plastic trash can with a lid)
• Pail liner
• Wet bags (to take when going out in your diaper bag for the soiled ones)
• Spray bottle
• Small travel-sized spray bottle (for diaper bag)
• Cloth wipes
• Detergent (check out brands like Rockin' Green, BumGenius, Mountain Green and Thirsties Super Wash Combo)
• Toilet sprayer

One thing I hadn't thought of (before watching above videos) was cloth wipes.  What are you going to do with disposable ones (as in, where to put them in the middle of a diaper change) if you're not throwing the diaper away??!  I have heard baby washcloths work well or you can make your own.  I am currently keeping my eyes out for any material we might already have that could be up-cycled and cut up into nice cloth wipes (that won't fray).

Give yourself a head start with this advice

Random tidbits in no particular order.

"cd" is an abbreviation for cloth diaper(ing)

The most popular and best brand (seems to be the overwhelming majority) for pail liners and wet bags is PlanetWise.

Get a  variety of different styles and brands of diapers.  This goes against my natural desire to have everything uniform and matching, but I am so glad I took this advice and got different kinds to try!  They may fit different babies differently, or at different stages.  Some may have tendencies to leak and not work for your kid and others may be great.  Do I like snaps or velcro, pocket, AIO's or prefolds?  I don't know.  After I figure out what works best, I'll sell the kinds I don't like and replenish my stock (if needed) with the kinds I do.  

They hold their resale value quite well.  New ones of the common name brands go for $15-$20 per diaper!  If you're doing it to save money, I suggest you buy used (like I did) off eBay, Craigslist, diaperswapper.com or garage sales.  Used of the common name brands still sell for around $10-$15 per diaper.  Yikes!  That is still a lot if your goal is saving $$!  But if you are patient (and refuse to get caught up in the game of bidding), you CAN find a good deal on these same name brands in very good or excellent condition.  From lots of research, asking people, and watching the going prices, a "good deal" is $7 or less per diaper.  I have averaged from $4.50 to $6.44 per piece for the 38 diapers and covers I have gotten so far.  Most do not go for that low, so be willing to see a lot go by... plan ahead so that you have time to be patient and wait for the big one (the great deal)!  Hint:  MyiBidder.com is a great tool to use so you don't get sucked into the big black hole of eBay!

Use disposables for the first few days of meconium (it will stain diapers badly), and look up special instructions before using diaper rash cream (can ruin absorbency/stain).  Diaper rashes should not be as prevalent with cloth anyway as many are caused by sensitivity to all the chemicals in the disposable diapers.

Keep a few disposables - or make sure to have some easy AIO's or pocket diapers - on hand for the babysitter, grandparents, days when you're sick or even you or your hubby in the middle of the night!  And for trips longer than a couple days, forget the cloth diapering if it's not convenient for you!  (Are you really going to wash poopy diapers in grandma's washer?  And remember, she has no sprayer!) No one will think you're a bad mom.  

How much does it cost to cloth diaper? (What's the savings?)

This could almost be a post in itself.  For every family and situation it may look a little different, so here's a simple way to figure out the savings vs. cost.  Italics are my numbers.

1. How much do you spend monthly on disposable diapers?  How many diapers per day do you use (multiply by 30 for monthly expense) or how many boxes per month and what is the cost of each [box]?  If this is your first child (like me!), ask friends to get a realistic idea.  Cheapest generic diapers = $60 to $70 per month  Don't forget to add about $15 for disposable wipes!
2. How much will a cloth diaper stash cost?*  $200 - $400 for used, depending on the kind.  This varies a lot, so how much can you afford or want to spend?  Prefolds are cheapest and by the way are not necessarily cheaper to buy used.  *If your baby is preemie or smaller than 8-10#, they might not be able to wear one-size diapers just yet, requiring you to buy a newborn size stash or you can use disposables for the first few months.
3. Don't forget accessories!*  I'm thinking the items on the above list for maybe $150 or $200?  This is totally a guess, and hopefully it's a little high.  This will be an initial big cost, but then you'll be set.  *In case you're concerned, one of my friends did a very detailed tracking of cost for extra water/electricity usage and the difference was so minuscule it is not even worth mentioning. 

Now, do the math.  

Cloth diaper stash + Accessories = Total cost of cloth diapering

Total cost of cloth diapering / Monthly cost of disposable diapers = Number of months cloth diapering will take to "pay for itself"  

Example:  $300 + $200 = $500    $500/$70 = 7.14 or just over seven months  

Notice I went high on the diaper and accessories estimates and low on disposables/wipes, so worst case scenario it will take 7 months to start seeing the savings.  I would like it to be only 4-6 months.

After that it's all SAVINGS!!!!!  Since babies are in diapers past seven months, it WILL be a savings.  Add up how many months you think your kid will wear diapers multiplied by the monthly cost for disposables and there you have it!  And assuming you can use most things for the next child, it will be 100% savings from the get-go!

(20mo. - 7mo.) x $70 = $910  So my extremely conservative estimate of our first-child savings will be around $1,000!  If our second child wasn't potty trained until 2.5 yrs, and diapers were more like $80/month the savings would look like 30mo. x $80 = $2,400  ($1,900 if you take out the total cd cost for a first child) which is pretty huge for what you otherwise would be throwing away (and it harming some part of our earth to boot :P)!  

However, in order to START cloth diapering, you need an initial amount of money ($500 in our examples) to buy everything needed.  Which is more than $70/month.  Which means you must save for it.  Plan ahead for it.  The good news?  Most people know they are pregnant for at least seven months before baby comes!  Pretend you are buying diapers for those seven months (7mo. x $70 = $490) and you will have almost the exact amount needed for totally outfitting yourself... er, baby rather!  The best news?  Once baby is born, you will hardly need to spend anything on diapers!!!

Is cloth diapering for me?

Only you (and your husband) can answer that!  I hope this information has given you a realistic picture of what it would look like and helps you make an informed decision.  Can it be done?  I know a mom with four kids, Kindergarden age and down, who successfully uses cloth - with TWO kids in diapers! (And she makes it look easy.)  Just sayin'.