Here's what I love about cloth diapers:
- They save you so much money. Thanks to my sister in law letting us borrow her stash and using gift cards, we have spent less than $200 total on cloth diapers and supplies. For two babies!!! We haven't bought a single disposable diaper or wipe (we were gifted some from my baby showers.) Cloth diapering can save us thousands in just the first year alone.
- We've had very few diaper rashes since starting cloth, and they were all very mild.
- It's really not as hard as people make it out to be. It can seem a little overwhelming when you're first looking into it, but it's actually quite simple.
- You don't have to take the trash out all the time! The dumpster we have to use at our townhouse is across a field full of stickers, so I'm very grateful to not be trekking out there every day. Who am I kidding, I'd make the Mr. do that. But still, I don't like finding stickers in the carpet with my bare feet (it happens all the time as it is.)
- They are less likely to blow out than disposables. I've almost never had a blowout with cloth diapers (except the pocket diapers, as explained below.)
- They stink less than disposables. Poopy disposable diapers get a weird chemically smell that I really don't like.
- They are super cute! They make all kinds of adorable covers and diapers that I love. My favorites of our stash are the fish print diapers and the hedgehog cover.
- There are so many different types available, there's bound to be one you love to use. In my case, I have a bunch of different kinds and decide which kind I want to use depending on what we're doing and what the babies are wearing.
Here's a little rundown of the types of diapers I've used and what I think of them:
Pocket Diapers
We have 9 Charlie Banana Sized Pocket Diapers. These were borrowed, and I'm glad I didn't buy them. I pretty much hate them. We never use them anymore. I think it might be that they don't fit well on my skinny babies, but they do not keep anything in. The poop comes right out the leg gussets and the pee goes right up their backs. Plus stuffing and unstuffing the inserts is annoying.
Prefolds
We have 24 Osocozy prefolds. These are kind of old fashioned. They're a rectangle made of layers of absorbent fabric that's thicker in the middle. You fold them up and secure them. In the old days they'd use pins, but now they have this fantastic thing called a Snappi that is so much easier to use and not terrifying. You have to use a cover with these. I love that they are the cheapest option (I paid less than $2 each) and that I'm not worried about ruining them.
Fitted Diapers
We have 10 fitted diapers that fit them right now. These were borrowed as well as the pockets. They are super nice. They go on more like a disposable except that they need a cover and have snaps. The only problem I have with them is that they are a little pricier than I would like.
All-In-Ones
We have 2 Thirsties all-in-ones. These are the most like a disposable diaper because, like the name says, they are just one piece that you don't have to do anything to, you simply put them on. I love the cute print and how easy they are to use. I don't like that they take up so much room in a diaper bag and that they are one of the more expensive options, especially since they can only be used once before you have to wash them. They are one of the only options that fits all sizes though.
All-In-Twos
We have 2 Best Bottoms covers and 6 inserts. We have a fox cover and a hedgehog cover, and I think they're adorable. I love that the covers can be wiped out between each use, so you really only have to change them when they get poop on them. The inserts snap into the cover so they are easy to use and you don't have to worry about them shifting out of the cover. The inserts are only $4, so they are one of the cheaper options. I want to buy more, but will probably wait until they're big enough for the next size.
Covers
We have 10 covers. These go over any kind of diaper that doesn't already have a waterproof shell. They come in one size or sized, and in tons of cute prints and colors. I like the ones that have double leg gussets because they are really great at keeping messes in. You can reuse them and wipe them out for several diaper changes or until they get poop on them.
If you add that all up, we have 42 diapers, not counting the pocket diapers that we don't use. This is enough for us to do laundry about every other day. (That works out to 10.5 diapers per baby per day.)
The other items we've needed for cloth diapering are:
- Two hanging laundry bags for dirty diapers. We use the Fuzzibunz brand with the zipper on the bottom.
- A wet bag for cloth diapering on the go.
- A diaper sprayer and Spray Pal to clean off the poop.
- Cloth diaper safe diaper cream. We use California Baby, and only use it when they're starting to look a little red on their bottoms.
- 48 baby washcloths and a little spray bottle to use as wipes. I just use water for now, and when they're a little older I'll probably make a solution to use instead. It's easier to use cloth wipes so you don't have to worry about separating out the disposable ones before they make it to the wash. Plus, it's another way to save money.
