After my last post about cloth diapers I got a few questions, so I thought it would be helpful to do a ‘Q & A’ post. I hope this will help you decide if cloth diapers are the right choice for your family. These are questions I’ve received from readers and done my best to answer.
If you have more questions about cloth, feel free to leave a comment and let me know! There are affiliate links in this post.
To get you started, after trying several brands, my favorite diapers that I used for both kids were the Bum Genius one-size snap diapers. There are a variety of reasons I prefer these over any other, but I’ll be referencing these diapers more than others.
Can you explain a little bit about the inserts? This is just to soak up pee right? – That’s right! You can see a full breakdown about how it works here, but it is basically 3 layers of microfiber terry that wicks away the moisture and holds it. This way your baby’s bottom stays relatively dry, even when the diaper is wet.
Do you buy them separately? – You can get them easily from amazon, and buy them one by one. I love all the colors and patterns that they have, so it’s nice to get to pick and choose or grab one of each! Each diaper comes with a one size insert as well as a smaller insert that can be used for the newborn stage, or as a doubler when the baby is older and needs more padding to make it through the night.
Do you wash them in the washing machine? – I do! It seems like it would be gross, but it’s really not They are washed separately from our clothes, and our washer is always clean after! I put the dirties in straight from the pail or wet/dry bag and do a short wash on the cold setting to get all the yuck washed out and then do a longer wash on hot/cold setting with the detergent. Then throw it all in the dryer!
Do you wash the inserts in the actual cloth diaper – I have tried doing this, but have found its much better to go ahead and shake the insert out. There is a small flap on the inner back side of the diaper, you just pull it back and shake a bit and the insert will slide out. And yes this can usually be done without touching anything yucky.
How many do recommend for one baby? – If you are starting from birth I would suggest around 20. I never bought newborn cloth diapers, so I just used disposables until my baby’s legs are fat enough to fit in the cloth diapers I use. For both of my kids this happened when they were 1 month old. Newborns need changed about 12 times a day! so having 20+ diapers will put you washing every other day, which is best for the diapers anyway.
How long do you usually keep one cloth diaper on the baby – It really just depends on how often the baby uses the bathroom! You don’t have to worry about blow outs so I guess you can wait a bit longer, but during the day I change them as much as I would if we were using disposables. It is nice during the night because I don’t have to change my 2 month old in the middle of the night at all. It holds everything in and she doesn’t have any leaks, but during the day I wouldn’t want her sitting in a wet diaper that long.
Do you change the whole diaper or only change the insert? – There is a brand (Flip) that allows you to only change the insert. I have a couple friends who loved using this system, and I got a few of the diapers to try, but I didn’t favor using it. To me, it was more complicated and if you have an active baby/toddler like I do, it is hard to get the baby to hold still while you put the insert in place. I didn’t love it, and I didn’t really end up using the ones I bought.
How to convince your partner – My husband thought I was crazy until I showed him the price difference! That got him to agree to it right away. After our son was born he got to experience using disposables, for the first month, and then cloth, and he actually liked cloth way more! They don’t get squishy like disposables do, and it doesn’t leak out onto you (unless you didn’t put the diaper on tight enough). I would ask him what concerns your partner has, and then see if you can find a solution to those concerns together. It’s not worth fighting over, but for us, it has been a great way to save money!
prices prices prices! – startup cost is obviously more. But if you have a baby shower and ask for people to give you cloth diapers that may not even be an issue! All of my son’s diapers were gifts, but I ended up buying some for our daughter. If you have time to watch for sales too!
I also wanted to take the time to tell you about Bluum, a subscription box I’ve recently learned about for moms and babies! They have cloth diapers and cloth diaper gear, delivered straight to your doorstep! Try bluum today!
Kristen says
Awesome blog! :) I enjoy cloth diapering too. I normally do use disposable when out because other people (grandparents, nursery workers at Church, etc) change my son and not everyone is “pro-cloth” but when at home, I looooooooove all the benefits of cloth diapers! Plus, they are oh-so-cute. :)
Blessings to you!
Stephanie says
We cloth diaper too! Well, I took a long break when my son was around 18 months old until now, because the stress of two in diapers just about did me in. But, I pulled out my stash for baby #3 and can’t wait to see him in all the cute fluff. ;)
Sarah says
Just found your blog through the link-up and I’m so glad I did! I’m trying to put together some material for my husband to read about cloth diapers. We’re expecting our first baby in September and I’m on board with cloth diapers but my husband is on the fence. Thanks for the info!
Holly Waterfall says
What a great post! I would love to hear more about all the gear you need on top of the diapers. I’m trying to wrap my brain around all things cloth diapering for the next baby. I would also love to know how to travel and be out and about with a cloth-diapered baby. And what about for sitters? How do you get them on board? (not daycare providers, but occasional sitters). Thanks for the great information.
Kathy Penney @ Sparkles And A Stove says
Lots of great info here! It can be a tough choice to make and overwhelming to a new mom and you did a great job explaining it. Thanks for sharing at All Things Pretty!
Emily @Sweet Bella Roos says
I learned a lot from this! We don’t do cloth, but I have a pregnant friend who is looking to do it. Shared with her! Thanks for sharing at Pin It Thursday!
Jann Olson says
Oh hon, this kind of made me smile. Back in my day, you didn’t have a choice. It was cloth or nothing. I remember rinsing those diapers out in the toilets. Sounds gross now, but everybody did it back then. I washed diapers daily because I didn’t like the smell of having soiled ones around. Great info for young mothers! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Val Young says
great post!
Becca says
Thanks for the tip. We’re just starting to talk about having a baby and my sister used disposable and my brother used cloth so I’m a little torn. We’ll figure out what works best for us though! Stop by my Friday’s Five Features and link up this post (and others)! http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2013/08/fridays-five-features-no-3.html
Sarah says
So so helpful Paula. I really want to cloth diaper my second, coming soon. I know I don’t want to spend the money on disposables, it was just too much. Thank you for answering most of my questions. I am going to look into Bum Genius and couple others to compare for myself.
Sarah
Nicole says
We switched to cloth diapering in July and we LOVE it! I was so surprised that it really isn’t much more work. And my baby’s skin does so much better in the cloth. We also love them because it works better than disposables for holding in the poo. We had way too much wasted time and money before switching to cloth – buying different disposable brands and continuing to have poonamis. Frustrating for sure! I’m very happy with cloth.
Erika @Musings SAHM says
Great post. I’m past the days of cloth diapering (well my youngest is potty-training) but I know many friends this would help out.
This would be a great addition to It’s a Mom’s Life Link Up. I hope you’ll join us!
Danielle says
We want to do cloth if the Lord gives us children… Great Q&A post! =) Thanks for sharing at the Pinterest Power Party!
Danielle
SewMuchCrafting.com
Sarah @ Domestically Made says
We don’t even have our first baby yet, but I’ve been researching this cloth diaper business. It seems like an excellent way to go, and this post will be an excellent resource for me. I will definitely be pinning and referring back to this!
Jennifer says
Thanks for linking up my Friday Flash Blog on The Jenny Evolution. I’m back from vacation in central Colorado and ready for a great party this week. See you there!
Jennifer
thejennyevolution.com
Nicolette Springer says
Great post. We cloth diaper and love them! My only issue has been overnight use. My little one is a heavy wetter and they sometimes leak overnight so we use disposable at night. I hate throwing that money away and would love to find a cloth alternative. What are you using at night? Also, have you tried any of the cloth training pants?
Thanks for joining the mixer last week. Hope you join us again tomorrow.
Patti says
Cloth diapers have come such a long way since I had my son. I told my lovely DIL that if I were a new mommy today, I’d def be using them. Great post.
Melinda--Marshmallow Mudpie says
Great post! I’m researching cloth diapers like crazy right now. Thanks for this! :)
carissa says
thanks for the info! i am seriously considering cloth diapering my next baby {due december} but always wondered about starting off with them when they are newborn. my babies tend to be really tiny and never get chubby so i’ve been debating what to do about the newborn size. my first stayed in newborn sized diapers for 3 months! what would you recommend?
Paula says
You could purchase ‘newborn’ size cloth diapers, I have friends who have done so, and then re-sell them when you are done. Or you could just use disposables for those first few weeks/months. (I use disposables until the baby fits in the cloth diapers because I didn’t want to invest in newborn diapers) Even if you miss out on cloth diapering for the first couple months, it will still save you SO much money, because the baby will be in cloth for at least a year or two until you potty train!!!
Brianna @ CraftThyme says
I’m on my second child of cloth diapering. The key for me has been to not be crazy about it. I use a mix of disposable and cloth as it suits our needs. I have a collection of Fuzzi-bunz one size that I asked for as part of our shower gifts. That was a great suggestion in your post. That brand has been excellent for the large boys I have. Though they were small as newborns (6 lbs after weight loss). We used disposables until the cord fell off and pre-folds with covers until the got chunky.
I think the main worry for most people is how much poo/pee you’ll be handling. Let me tell you, you’ll be handling a lot of it no matter what type of diaper you choose. Cloth was great for our limited budget. And for our area that has abundant rain it was the most ecological choice. If anyone has any questions I still have one in diapers (18 mo) and would be happy to answer.
Megs G says
I have to disagree about the detergent, if you have hard water, Tide might be better. Boutique detergents that are specialized for cloth diapers work better in soft water but may not be strong enough for hard water. I have never bought any special detergents and never had a problem. I always make sure I am using a brand that is free of softeners, brighteners and enzymes, and since my baby doesn’t seem to have any issue with fragrances I don’t bother.
Natalie says
Yep, the ‘cloth diaper safe’ detergent thing is a myth. Like Megs said, your water type may work better with one brand or another, but in general whatever you use on your clothes is good to use on your diapers. They aren’t as fragile as people think they are
Nancy says
I raised three sons back when we had nothing but cloth. I never put poo in my washing machine! how gross. We had what was called a diaper pail, fill with water, add a product called Diaper Pure and drop in the diapers after they had been rinsed in the toilet. Of course the toilet was flushed, so the water in it was clean. The toilet was cleaned daily also. After all, this is where we all put our poo. When our youngest son was still in diapers, I used a disposable for vacations. But was glad to return to cloth at home. A young Mom came to visit me once and after she left, I was knocked out by the order in the bathroom where she had disposed of a disposable. I took it and threw it out myself.
Crystle says
Where do you get diaper pure at
Kids Point says
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