Frequently I have friends contact me with questions about getting started in cloth diapering. I will admit, it can be a little overwhelming to start researching cloth diapers! First of all, it’s really confusing when you start looking to buy cloth diapers. “OS AIOs with H&L!” Whaaat? So here’s a breakdown on what all of that means, as well as the scoop on what you really need, how much time it takes, and what my favorite kind of cloth diapers are.
One-Size vs. Sized Diapers
You have two options for sizing when it comes to cloth diapers. You can either buy sized diapers (x-small, small, medium, large), which your baby would wear for a period of time and outgrow (like how disposable diapers are sized). OR, you can buy one-size diapers (OS) which snap at various places on the diaper so that they will fit a baby newborn through potty training. I’m definitely on team One-Size, since I think it’s more economical to buy diapers your baby can wear the entire time. Plus, when you have two in cloth, like I do, they can wear the same diapers, just snapped to fit each girl when she needs it.
Hook & Loop vs. Snaps
You have two options when it comes to closures on diapers. Hook & Loop means Velcro(R) tabs and Snaps obviously mean snaps. There are advantages to both.
Velcro is very easy to fasten (especially on a wiggly baby) and is more similar to how disposables are fastened. Velcro also gives you a perfect fit around the waist since you can fasten it to exactly the right size. Velcro does tend to wear out faster than snaps, and the Velcro gets “gunked up” after a while and you have to clean it out so it will be “sticky” again. (You can use a pin to clean out the Velcro.) Also, smart babies (starting around 7-9 months for my girls) can figure out how to unfasten their diapers with Velcro.
Snaps also offer flexibility in sizing the waist, though not quite as much as Velcro. They are very durable and I’ve never had a snap fall off or get “loose.” They are harder for a baby to unfasten, though by 18 months Vera had figured those out too.
All In Ones vs. Pockets vs. Covers/Prefolds
All in Ones (AIOs) vs. Pockets are two of the most popular distinctions in types of diapers. Cloth diapers are made of two components: the outer shell of the diaper (which keeps the diaper from leaking), and the actual cloth diaper (which absorbs the wetness). All in One diapers have the cloth diaper insert attached to the diaper so you only have one total piece to deal with. Pocket diapers (what I use) consist of the outer shell (pocket) and liners (all sold together) that you stuff inside the outer shell before using. All in One diapers tend to be more expensive, since they are less work for you (these are pretty cool, if you go that route). I don’t mind stuffing/folding my pocket diapers, though. It literally takes me 10 minutes every 2 days to fold all of them. The other option you have is covers and prefolds. This is less popular now, but it’s how cloth diapering used to be done two generations ago. You would fold a cloth diaper (known as a prefold), fasten it (using a Snappi or pins), and put a cover over it to prevent leaks. I have some diapers like these and I used them early on with each baby (when I needed extra diapers), but they have never been my favorite type.
Okay… so that was a rundown on all the types! Now for my favorite kind.
I love Smartipants One Size Diapers. They are very affordable (it might seem expensive at first, but cloth diapering birth-potty training can save you $3,000 per child), and while I do love some other brands (like bumGenius), these are just as nice as those other brands but cheaper. They are made in the USA and the company has good customer service. The diapers snap down really tiny (I was able to use them with Cordelia starting at 3 weeks, though I don’t recommend doing that since she was still pooping like 14 times a day). The diapers also work on older children. Vera is wearing them just fine. They have snaps, which, like I said, hold up really well. They are pocket diapers so you do have to stuff the insert back inside after laundering them, but you don’t have to remove the insert before laundering (it just falls out in the wash and gets clean).
Besides cloth diapers, you will need a few other things:
-cloth diaper safe detergent (my top pick)
-a wet bag to store dirty cloth diapers in (my top pick: Planet Wise Large Wet Bag)
-a small wet bag for the diaper bag (mine is from etsy and was a gift, but some diaper bags come with a plastic pouch that works too)
-cloth wipes (can just be made from flannel receiving blankets you no longer use or cheap baby wash cloths) and (optional) a wipes solution (I like this one, but water works fine too)
-a drying rack for hanging the outsides of your diapers indoors (it is recommended that you dry the insides in the dryer and hang dry the outsides so the leg elastic won’t wear out as quickly) … you may already have one of these
-a few prefold diapers to use to stuff your diapers overnight (It is not uncommon for Vera to sleep 14 hours, so her diaper needs a little extra fluff! I like these in the infant size for stuffing)
-cloth diaper safe diaper rash cream since you cannot use regular diaper rash cream with cloth diapers or it ruins them (my top pick is available here)
Affordability
If you’re trying to find out if cloth diapering will be affordable for your family, here is a cost calculator that might help. We bought our cloth diapers using money people gave us as baby gifts, and we did receive a few cloth diapers as gifts from family.
How many will you need?
It depends. 🙂 We have 34 cloth diapers in rotation for two girls, and we wash every two days. We usually only use 26 of those every two days.
The Down & Dirty on Poop
Okay… so the part of this post you’ve been waiting for! Details on the “ick” factor. There are really three stages of baby poop, and two of them are easy, cloth diapers or not, and one is a little grosser. When a newborn is breastfed, the diapers can simply be tossed in the wet bag and then laundered, since there are no solids to dump. The second stage is when a baby is starting to eat solid foods. Some of these diapers can be quite nasty to dump, honestly. You have to shake solids into the toilet, and sometimes these diapers don’t shake very well. Some people purchase a diaper sprayer to aid in cleaning these diapers. We’ve lived without one, but some people swear by them. The third stage is when the poop gets a little more regular and solid. These diapers are very easy to just dump into the toilet.
Washing Routine
We put a new diaper on each girl and put them in bed, then we round up all the cloth diapers in the house (you know, the ones left in the diaper bag, etc.). That way, when we wash, we clean every diaper except the two that are currently being worn. We pre-wash on cold, wash on hot, and double rinse. Then we hang the outsides and tumble dry the insides. The next morning, I stuff all the inserts back inside and fold the diapers. Like I said, it takes me 10 minutes.
Sanitizing
It is important to sanitize your cloth diapers on a regular basis. Most diaper manufacturers recommend sanitizing your diapers with 1/4 cup of bleach in a regular load once a month.
If your diapers start to stink, you can “strip” them by using 1 Tbsp. of original Dawn blue dish detergent in a regular wash, rinsing until no longer sudsy. Of course, check with your cloth diaper manufacturer so you don’t void your warranty.
Both of these procedures should keep your diapers smelling like new!
If you have other questions about cloth diapering that this post didn’t answer, feel free to ask! I hope this info is helpful to you!
Do you cloth diaper? If yes, why? If not, why?
ALIESHA CALDWELL IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM.
Great post. You know.. Ive never been able to cloth diaper at night. My boys are such heavy wetters even early on that it wakes them. So Since my 2nd we’ve always just used a disposable at night, works well.. and a pack from BJS (like costco) will last us like 3 months and the box is only 18? something like that. So thats not to bad 😉 – but def love cloth diapering. ITS JUST CUTE too.
I’ve heard that boys are heavier wetters overnight than girls due to anatomical differences. 🙂 By using the Indian prefolds stuffed in our diapers, we don’t have leaks overnight. Since our girls sleep 12+ hours, if we used disposables at night they’d be wearing them half of the time! So as long as it keeps working for us, we’ll keep it up!
yea Taite still can wet thru a pull up no matter what we do and hes just turned 6. Caleb was the exact same way. He didnt stop wetting til shortly after age 6… I tried everything.. limiting drinks, taking them at like midnight when id go to bed, nothing worked. I use to have to DOUBLE diaper Caleb as a baby, because he could pee through pampers baby dry diapers, which were like the mac daddy pee pee holding diapers, he had that much pee at night. Was crazy!
First of all, great post! I’ve ready several “all you need to know” posts on cloth diapering and they are always so confusing.
We use cloth with our two little ones and it has been WONDERFUL! I love it and definitely recommend it to others. I’ll pass your post along to those wanting a succinct but thorough overview.
I just recently read about sanitizing (oops!) and have a quick question. Do you sanitize just the inserts or the covers and inserts? Thanks!
Thanks for commenting! Yes, sanitize the covers and the inserts (but always check with your diaper manufacturer for specific instructions).
What a great post!
If I had known back then that I would have had five kids, I would definitely have looked into cloth diapering; but I had no idea. I don’t even want to think about how much money we could have saved! It seems a little late in the game for me to start now, but I’m so glad you wrote this post and I’m sure it will be helpful for many people!!
Great Post! I just received my order of cloth diapers for our baby that is due in April. I used disposable with my first, but I’m really excited to embark on cloth this time around. I was wondering if you need to do anything to the diapers before you start using them?
How exciting! Congrats on your new baby. Most diaper manufacturers recommend washing your diapers 3 full times before using them the first time.
Thanks for the easy to understand post! most of these cloth diaper posts i’ve been seeing have just made me more confused!
I just bought some used bum genius pocket diapers, she said she stripped them but is there anything else i should do to make sure they are good to use for us?
That’s great that you were able to buy used! It can save a lot of money. Personally I would wash them on hot with diaper detergent a few times before the first use.
When do you recommend starting cloth diapering? All I saw was that you don’t recommend using them at 3 weeks.
It varies for each baby, but I think it’s important 1) for their legs to be chunky enough so nothing leaks out (this will be different for each baby) and 2) for the baby not to be going through tons of diapers a day (but it depends on how many diapers you have in your stash so you can wash every two days). I started at 3 weeks and I would again, but it’s kind of insane because I had to wash every day. If it’s your first time, I wouldn’t want you to be so overwhelmed by the craziness at the beginning that you would quit. It eventually evens out to a pretty normal routine! Most people start at 6-8 weeks, if that helps. 🙂
Thank you very much! Always been interested in it but it always seemed overwhelming. This helped a ton!
I found this on pinterest and love how you have it all spelled out clearly, and SIMPLY! I’ve been cloth diapering for 6 years and when people ask me to direct them to some online info, I struggle to know where to send them that won’t just plain overhwelm them!
I did want to add one thing to this, just based on my own experience of 6 year with 4 kids in cloth…I’ve always been a little leery of some of the “cloth diaper safe” detergents, just based on the apparent need to strip, sanitize, further clean diapers that, in theory, should be getting clean in the wash. Right?? All that to say – I’ve never used anything but good ole’ Tide (I use the F&G kind, simply on personal preference). Full strength (to the “2” line on the Tide scoop, for a full load of diapers). And in 6 years, I’ve NEVER had a stink issue, a stain issue, a buildup issue, nor have I ever stripped, sanitized, or employed any other addition method of diaper cleaning beyond my every-other-day washing.
I don’t know if that’s helpful to anyone, and I know not everyone is comfortable with that idea, but it’s certainly worked for me, and seems to simplify things a bit!
Again, thanks for putting together this great resource in a very user-friendly format!!
Thanks for sharing your two cents on detergent, Meagan! With six years of experience, I’m sure you know what you’re talking about! I chose to use a manufacturer-approved detergent so I wouldn’t void the warranty on my new diapers (which is long gone now since I’ve had them longer than a year), but I know other people have had success with free and clear detergents. You have to do what works for your family! Thanks for commenting.
Such a great post! I have been researching to understand the cloth diapering process and it’s been so confusing up until reading this- thank you, thank you!!! Just have a quick questions- I am looking at doing the all in one with bumgenius- you mentioned briefly that you love those as well- do you know anything about how well they hold up in comparison to the smartipants brand?
We are still using bumGenius 3.0’s (hook and loop closure) that we bought when Vera was born (2.5 years ago). They are holding up pretty well, but the hook and loop tends to lose its effectiveness after a while. They are still absorbing just fine and the elastic is still in good shape. I’m not crazy about the snap placement on the newer bumGenius diapers (4.0’s), so when we wanted to change to snaps for the new baby (Cordelia), we opted to go with Smartipants due to the better snap placement.
Great info – best laid out that I have encountered in my 7 months of research!
Thank you! Glad the post was helpful to you!
Hi there, I followed the link you posted to the newborn prefold diapers you use for stuffing but the link says that the product could not be found. Can you post a new link or suggest a different prefold?
Thanks,
Karla
Hi Karla,
I believe this is the same product: http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=2796 (updating the link too).
hey there! So it sounds like you only use your smartipants covers once and then throw them in the pail? You don’t reuse the cover before washing every two days ? Just curious, as were about to start cloth with our twins at five weeks and I’m trying to understand different processes. Thanks!!!
That’s right! The Smartipants diapers are designed to be used once (just like a disposable diaper, except you wash it!). So you’ll need enough to last you two days if you plan on washing every two days, which I recommend. 🙂 To know how many you’ll need, count the number of disposable diapers you use in a day, and let that number guide you.
We have friends who did cloth diapering but their washing machine smelled foul from all of the dirty diapers put through there. Does yours have an odor? If it does/did, how do you manage or get rid of it?
I’ve never experienced that, fortunately! Maybe they could try switching to a different diaper detergent and adding another rinse at the end?
I’ve never heard of Smartipants and will definitely be checking them out! I’m a little confused in terms of comparison. I understand that Smartipants are designed to be used once so you wash the insert and the cover. Can you refer me to a brand or item where you don’t wash the covers each time? I’m trying to do a cost comparison, but I don’t even know what those would be called. Great article!!
The kinds where you wouldn’t wash the covers each time would be Flip, Econobum, Thirsties, etc.
Wow you’ve sold me on Smartipants! I wouldn’t have ever found them if it weren’t for your blog. They have great customer service so far too.
Question- I’m due in April and planning on using disposable that first month while she’s super tiny. Did you have any issues with fit around the legs or leaks for newborns around 4 weeks? TIA!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad! We have used disposables on our newborns from birth to 6-8 weeks depending on the baby and his or her leg size. One of our babies had especially chunky legs, so we were able to use cloth earlier than on our other babies whose legs were skinnier. But definitely by 7-8 weeks you should be able to (excepting a premature baby, etc.). Hope it goes well!