I currently have two kids in cloth diapers. I had wondered how much I would still enjoy cloth diapering after my second baby was born, but I am truly still enjoying it! here are 10 reasons why! *This post contains an amazon affiliate link. Meaning if you make a purchase through my link I may get a percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you.
1. Cost – Plain and simple, I love not having to purchase diapers! It costs a bit of water/energy to do the extra laundry, but it is pennies compared to purchasing disposable diapers. From what I have seen you save over $1,500 per kid if you use cloth diapers (depending on the brand of disposables you would have purchased etc.)
2. Never run out – Have you ever had that moment, when the baby is crying at 3am and you don’t have ANY diapers in the house? It’s an awful feeling, and one that doesn’t really happen with cloth diapers, there are always diapers in the house!
3. Sharing – Because we use “one size” diapers from cotton babies (You can also buy them from amazon)
4. Ease – It’s not easier for every one, and I wouldn’t recommend it to some one who’s not a SAHM but it is way easier for me to wash diapers every other day than it would be to run dirties down to the dumpster from our 3rd story apartment.
5. The lack of blow-outs – Nobody likes a diaper blow out. yuck! I’m pretty sure I have only experienced 2 or 3 blow outs in my almost 2 years of cloth diapering. When I had my boy in disposables it was closer to 1 or 2 a day.
6. Less diaper rash – the kiddos typically get fewer rashes when they are in cloth diapers. (cloth seems way more comfy too!) Rashes are more annoying when they happen because you can’t use rash cream. I’ve had to switch to disposables for a week or two when my son got a really bad rash so I could treat him, but for the most part, rashes happen less frequently with cloth!
7. The cuteness – I’m a huge fan of the fluffy cuteness of cloth diapers. I just love it. they are big diapers and I just think it looks adorable for a little baby to be in a big ‘ol cloth diaper.
8. Photo opportunity – I’ve said it before, but this really is one of my favorite reasons to cloth diaper. I, like many other moms, take a picture every month to track my baby’s growth. When cloth diapering, I can take the photo in the same colorful diaper every single month. Probably sounds silly, but it is just really cool to me!
9. The color! – I’m a huge fan of color. I love getting to choose between turquoise, pink, blue, green and even patterned diapers when I change my kiddos instead of just white.
10. No trash – It’s nice to not be throwing them away. I have no problem with any one using disposable diapers, I know cloth is not for every one, but I do like the fact that I’m not tossing mine in a landfill to decompose over the next couple dozen years.
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!
Any one else out there use cloth? or considering it? I’d love to honestly answer any questions you might have. Cloth definitely has its down side too (I may post about them soon), but for me personally, there are definitely more pros than there are cons.
For more info, see this Q & A post about cloth diapering.
OR if you are looking for more ways to save on baby – check out these freebies! You just have to pay shipping.
You can get two FREE belly button bands or 1 FREE Belly button body. $40 value!!! We all know bellies and backs could use all the extra support they can get during pregnancy, so this is a great (and affordable) place to start! Click the link below and use the code: BELLY1 at check out to get your freebie!
Check out these adorable leg warmers! I love putting leg warmers on both of my babies. they go off an on so easily and make diaper changing much easier than dealing with dozens of snaps! You can get 5 pairs for free using the code BEAUTY1 at Baby Leggings.com
First off we have a FREE baby sling! After I had my 2nd baby my baby carrier went with me everywhere! Now you can get this little sling for free! Isn’t it cute? There are a variety of colors and patterns to choose from (though I really love this black & white one in the picture). Use my coupon code: BEAUTY1 This code does not expire, so you can share it with your friends and use it anytime you want! 
Next up here’s a FREE Carseat cover! I honestly never used one of these, but I can see how it would be really handy, especially if you live somewhere with really cold winters! Again, there are plenty of color and pattern choices, so you can find one that matches your baby’s carseat! Use coupon code: BEAUTY1 This code does not expire, so you can share it with your friends and use it anytime you want!
Free Nursing Cover! We all know how much I hate nursing ;) but I still did it, and always used a cover when I was not at home. You can order a free cover by using my code below. (lots of color and pattern choices here too!) Use coupon code: BEAUTY1 This code does not expire, so you can share it with your friends and use it anytime you want!
Last, we have a Free nursing pillow. These are always nice to help prop up baby while nursing. My kids still sleep with the nursing pillows I used when they were babies. We used boppy brand because that’s what I got at my baby shower, but I would definitely order one of these if I didn’t already have mine! Use coupon code: BEAUTY1 This code does not expire, so you can share it with your friends and use it anytime you want!
Heather Hayes says
I’ve started researching cloth diapers, and I really like the idea of it, but is it hard to get used to? Also, is it messier to clean up? I’m really glad you posted this!
futurehope says
For me it wasn’t hard to get used to at all. the biggest ‘inconvenience’ is having to wash every other day, and that’s really not a big deal if you are a stay at home mom.
Until they eat solids its not messy at all, you don’t have to do anything to the diaper before putting it in the pail/washing machine.
when they start on solids then you have to dump poo in the toilet before you put it in the pail because their poo won’t just dissolve in the wash anymore. It can get gross, but when I remember the money I’m saving it’s so worth it. you can get sprayers to attatch to your toilet to spray it off when its not solid enough to just plop in there. We bought one but never installed it. a lot of the time it just plops in and it’s no big deal, sometimes I use toilet paper to get the bulk of it off… (sorry if that’s too graphic) honestly it’s not that big of a deal. in my 2 years of doing it I have encountered 2 dirty diapers that I really wished I could just throw away lol. I really love it. so worth it! and you can use the same diapers for multiple children (As long as the first is potty trained before you have the 2nd. didn’t work out like that for me) I have used them on vacation, and when we’re out and about. It’s really not a big deal at all.
let me know if you have any more questions :) would love to help!
Megan Sutliff says
Can you explain a little bit about the inserts? This is just to soak up pee right?
Do you buy them sepretaly?
Do you wash them in the actual cloth diaper in washing machine?
Also, how many do recommend for one baby?
How long do you usually keep one cloth diaper on the baby, cause with disposable I usually change it every 3 hours about (to an almost 5 month old). Or do you only change the insert?
Sorry for so many questions I just felt like you are an expert on cloth diapers haha!
I’m trying to get my husband to agree to cloth diapers. Honestly I don’t know what the big deal is? Maybe the higher prices in disposable diapers will convince him. I’m a SAHM so I’d be changing almost all of the diapers anyway. This is for our second child, our first is 4 years old, so he is use to disposable. I’m going to show him your post and see what he thinks! I think cloth diapers are so cute and it’s greener and saving money, even though you kinda have to spend more money to get started, but then that’s it…right?
Thanks for all your help!
futurehope says
Don’t apologize for asking questions! I would love to help!
I wrote a post answering these questions. You can find it here
http://hopefulfuture.blogspot.com/2012/10/q-and-about-cloth-diapers.html
let me know if you or your husband have any more questions!!! I love it! :D
katie ridings says
that is one cute diaper!!!!!! never thought i would say that!!
Rachel says
I’ve got a box of cloth diapers but thinking about using them is pretty overwhelming at the moment! I hope to when things have got back to normal a bit more!
Alli says
I’ve been researching it and I think I have finally convinced my husband to take the leap and try cloth diapers! I’m so excited to get started! But I have no idea where to begin. I’ve heard many different opinions of all the options and I have no idea where to begin. Do you know if there are any such stores that allow for the hands-on experience that I really want…? Do you yourself have any advice for a newbie when it comes to cloth diapers?
futurehope says
Hi Alli! I’m so excited for you! It can be really intimidating getting started! I’m a bum genius girl all the way. I’ve tried plenty of other brands and nothing comes close in my opinion. (www.cottonbabies.com) their customer service is AMAZING too. I always tell my friends to save time and trouble and just go with Bum genius 4.0 one size diapers. I have used them on my son for 2 years and I know have 2 babies in them and I literally have zero complaints. there is not one single thing I can think of that would make the diapers better. I wrote a follow-up post to this one that has more Q and A about cloth, and specifically about the brand I use. http://www.hopefulfuture.blogspot.com/2012/10/q-and-about-cloth-diapers.html
As far as “hands on”experience, an online store has a cool program that allows you to try out several different brands and types for $155. you keep all the diapers for 21 days and then mail them back (even if they are stained) Then they give you a $145 refund (less $10 because of shipping) and you can then go from there and order whatever brand you like. It is an actual refund, not store credit so you could buy your diapers from another store or abandon the idea all together. I have not used this program myself, but I have ordered diapers from this store before (as have many people I know) so I know they are a legitimate company, and they have had this program going for at least 2 years.
here is the link to the trial program they offer. hope that helps! :)
http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10/tryclothfor10 Also, be sure you get diaper-friendly detergent if you decide to do this. On my other post (see link above) I wrote a bit about washing cloth diapers and where to get the special detergent (it’s cheap and easy to get)
please let me know if you have any more questions, I would LOVE to help!
Alli says
Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to using them, does that seem strange? Haha
futurehope says
not strange at all ;) I was the same way!!!
Heidi says
I loved cloth diapering! I did it for the whole year I was off after having my son. Now that I’m back at work we don’t cloth diaper anymore but I’d definitely recommend it for SAHMs for all the reasons you listed :)
futurehope says
Agreed! I usually don’t recommend it if the mama isn’t a SAHM, it would cause more stress! Whatever works best for each family! I was just surprised how easy it was!!!
A Proverbs 31 Wife says
We don’t have kids yet, but do to a lack of money flowing in (that will become even slower when we have kids) I plan on using cloth diapers, to the extent that I already have some money saved for them, and I have bought inserts at garage sales :)
futurehope says
FUN! :) that was why we started with cloth, I thought it would be this huge sacrifice, but I ended up loving it!
BrandyAnn says
You CAN use cloth with diaper rash creams.. all you need is a piece of fabric (old T-shirt, even) to put between your baby and the diaper. Like a barrier, just so the cream doesn’t get on the diaper. It still lets the pee through, and you just throw it in the wash with the diapers, or throw it away.
:) hope this helps
futurehope says
that is SUCH a good idea! never thought about it!!! thank you so much!!!
thetysonfamily says
I was experiencing leaks at night too until I tried Motherease’s Sandy’s diapers with a wool cover. My daughter sleeps 12 hours and doesn’t leak at all! Bamboo prefolds also work well for us. I was changing her twice a night before and still waking up to wet sheets sometimes. Oh, and I made my wool cover for $2 using a thrifted wool sweater. Easy instructions thanks to the Internet! Hope this helps at night for those who can’t use trash diapers. :)
futurehope says
nice! thanks for sharing :)
Shell says
I never used those on any of my kids, though it sounds like you’ve found what works for you!
Rosilind Jukic says
Oh – I’m totally with you here!!! Disposables are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive here. But one mid-size package lasts us about 2 weeks for both kids – since I only use them at night and if we’re going to be out-and-about for a while. I love cloth. Someone once told me – before I had son #1 – that I’d give up after a month or so. We’ll nearly 3 years later I’m still CDing and loving it. It truly is easier for me!
Amanda says
Reason #7 almost has me sold. Those are adorable!
futurehope says
haha I know right? so many times I have my girl in a dress with no bloomers, just a color coordinating diaper ;)
they have cute ones for boys too, and ADORABLE matching leggings you can get. :P
your baby will be the cutest no matter what you decide though! :)
futurehope says
thanks so much Annette!
Kelly says
Here from Wifessionals. Glad you love the cloth diapers! When he gets a rash you should try using liners in the diaper so you don’t have to use disposables!
Nicole says
I love cloth diapering as well for many of the same reasons! I made some fleece inserts so that I could place them on top of the diaper (where it touches his skin) and use a creme if he has a rash. But he definitely doesn’t get as many rashes – or blowouts – or leaks – with cloth! I have the BumGenius 4.0 one-size diapers too and I love them. I just use 2 newborn inserts and the regular insert at night and if keeps him dry (6 months old). If I use disposables at night, he leaks. All over. :) I love cloth! Great list you have here.
Blessings
Suzanne@Frugalorganicmama says
Thanks for the great list of reasons to use cloth diapers. I used disposables with my two daughters who are now 4 and 2, however, I am expecting baby #3 in about a month and am planning to use cloth most of the time. I’ve been working with the other two but now planning to be a SAHM which should make it easier. Love saving money and the environment!
Thanks,
Suzanne FrugalOrganicMama
Becca @ The Earthlings Handbook says
Nice post! I agree with every one of your points, including #4, although I was not a SAHM. When my son was 12 weeks old I went back to work 25 hours a week and took him to and from the sitter by public transit. Although there were stores along our way home, it would have been very difficult to carry the baby and all his gear and my lunch bag AND a giant package of disposable diapers–and if we’d been in the car, an extra stop with a baby who has to be taken out of his car seat and put back into it is a hassle–so I felt it was easier to wash diapers at home while he was sleeping or with Daddy, than to have to buy diapers over and over again. I did the diapers and the other laundry in a 4-day cycle that worked really well for me. Here are the details of my cloth diapering system. My son’s diapers were in good enough condition to sell to another family, who loved them just as much as we had.
Leah says
I love cloth diapers! We started using them when my son was 19months. He potty trained at 27 months. My daughter is now almost 2 & we’ve used them the whole time with her. I also agree that while they are not always sunshine & rainbows, the pros outweigh the cons by far! :D Thanks for this post! :D
Alycia says
Hi. We used cloth diapers when we move to Africa because disposables are very expensive here and we must burn all of our trash (disposable diapers do not burn easily and who knows what is put in the air). Anyhow, our son was 18 months at the time. At first he would pee through the diaper at night but we learned to use a hemp liner and then stuff 2 extra cotton liners in the diaper at night. With 3 liners it was rather bulky but no more leaks. I chose to use our light blue ones for night time which made it easy to have a stash ready to go.
Sari says
I use bamboo inserts at night and it helps a lot with the leaks (stack two or three!). I also work full time (40+ hours a week) away from home and so does my husband and honestly washing diapers every few days is no more work than having to lug boxes of diapers in from the store at any given time. The washing machine does all of the work; we just have to remember to turn it on. Also, use Tide Free & Gentle and bleach once a month (isn) and that’ll keep the diapers nice and clean with no barnyard stink. Forget buying special detergents. Do one cold rinse. Wash on hot with a normal amount of tide then when that’s done run the whole wash load again with no soap. If you’re bleaching in my top load washer I just start a wash cycle, let it fill, add about a half cup of bleach, close the lid to let it agitate a bit then open the lid and let it sit for 30-60 mins. Close the lid and let it go. If it smells bleach run an extra cycle to rinse them. That isn’t really very hard.
Alicia says
I used bumgenius cloth diapers as well. Loved them! My daughter sleeps 12+ hours each night as well. When she leaked through I added a newborn insert to her diaper. When this wasn’t enough as she neared 2 years old, I simply added 2 regular inserts to the diaper and did away with the newborn insert. This worked as she was potty trained at 19 months (perhaps another plus to cloth diapering) and only wore the diapers at bed time/nap time.
Marissa Shaffer says
I am not pregnant, but my husband and I plan to start trying this year. I will most likely be a full time stay at home mom (possibly working one or two shifts a week). I am interested in cloth diapering. One thing I saw was there are disposable liners that you put in the diapers and flush down the toilet when they start into solids. What I was wondering was does that end up making them just as expensive as using a disposable? Also, I’ve read about the pocket inserts. What I’m wondering is when you throw those into the wash do you have to take the inserts out first or do you just dump the whole thing into the washer? Thanks for any advice!
Paula says
Hi Marissa, I didn’t use the disposable liners with either of my babies, so I can’t really say about cost, I would assume it is still cheaper than using disposable diapers though I’m not sure.
The type of diaper I recommend here (the bum genius) is a pocket diaper. You can shake the insert out before you throw it in the pail, or just leave it in, either way works! I’ve done it both ways, you don’t get anything on you when shaking out the insert though they come out pretty easily.
Becca @The Earthlings Handbook says
I used disposable liners. They typically cost about 7c each, and when they are only peed on you can machine wash and use again, so they work out to 2 or 3 cents per use, a lot less than disposable diapers. We though Imse Vimse EnviroLiners were the best. At the time we had an easily clogged toilet, but we very rarely had any problem flushing them.
test says
My family members always say that I am killing my time here at web, except I know I am getting
know-how everyday by reading such pleasant content.
Kimberly says
I am 22 weeks along and considering cloth diapers. I also have a 2 year old who is potty training. I would love to know about the cons as well.