How to switch from disposable to cloth diapers? Talk amongst yourselves.

My previous post about the impending Huggies price increase begs the question: why not just opt out of disposables altogether? Why not switch to cloth diapers?

I have no bias toward a particular diaper choice; as with most parenting decisions, there's more than one right answer. We used (note past tense! Huzzah!) disposables with our kids, but many friends have insisted that cloth is, for the most part, just as easy, cheaper in the long-run, and more comfortable for the diaper-ee.

And so Parenthackers, I'd love to hear your cloth diapering wisdom. You, more than anyone, will have smart advice for parents considering the switch. Do you use a diaper service? Diaper covers or all-in-ones? Disposables while on the road or at night? Disposables when they're little and cloth when they're older?

I'm not suggesting we debate the relative merits or environmental ramifications of cloth vs. disposables -- rather, let's hear your practical advice about how cloth diapering actually works in your family. Give us the real poop, as it were!

(Of course, another choice is to opt out of diapers completely. We'll talk about the diaper-free baby, aka Elimination Communication, tomorrow, so save your comments about that till then.)

Comments

[Stephenie]

I used cloth diapers on my daughter. We were really on a budget, so I started buying them when I was pregnant. I had a bucket with a lid, and I laundered them myself. It's really easy and I would do it again no hesitation; especially when I see how much diapers cost! Ouch!

[Sean]

We use cloth diapers on our 2 month old and have used them from the time we brought him home from the birthing center. We use unbleached cloth diapers, use covers that close up with Velcro and use these cool little things called, "snappis" to close up the diaper. In other words, NO PINS. We have a plastic garbage can container next to the changing table that we drop the diapers in when soiled. We add a few sprinkles of baking soda to handle the odor and that's it.

We do use disposables when we travel, especially overnight. As for washing, we live in a condo so our water costs are covered by our home-ownerns' dues which is nice. We soak the diapers first and then wash in hot with Arm & Hammer detergent. It's simple and it's nice to not have to pay for disposables on a regular basis. Our son doesn't get a rash at all either--and I don't honestly know if this is making a difference or not, but it is the case with us.

The whole set-up cost us less than $200.00 so far . . .and our diaper seller sells them for about $20.00 per dozen. We'll probably spend another $30.00 on covers, for the next size up that we get.

You *can* spend a lot of $ if you want to on different fabrics, patterns, etc. We chose to go simple--plain white, green or blue, nylon covers.

So, I'm a big fan of cloth diapers. The laundry isn't that big of a deal for us, either. The other thing I've noticed is that he doesn't leak, as the diapers are very absorbent. I hope this helps a bit! Thanks for the great question--

[Michelle]

We used a cloth diaper service until our son went to daycare at 10 months (they wouldn't do cloth, and the service didn't work financially with so few diapers per week). We're expecting #2 and will do it again. No cleanup, really comfortable for him, and no smell because they took the bags each week. Never had to buy diapers - always on the door step. Much cheaper when the diaper count was high (80 a week as an infant), and still cheaper then disposables until we stopped when he was 10 months. We never did them ourselves - my husband's a biologist and just couldn't get his head around the "poop in the washer" idea. The diaper covers these days never leaked (his only blow-outs happened when he was in disposables on the road), they're totally easy to put on, and his skin did heaps better in cloth (he only got rashes when he was in disposables). I can't advocate enough for cloth!!

[Jodi]

I am so excited to read these comments because we are planning to make the switch next month.

[Annika]

I recently wrote about cloth diapers when a pregnant friend had questions. If I may be so bold as to redirect readers to my blog, as it is too much to recreate here: http://noirbettie.com/blog/?cat=48

I do get into the why of it, but also talk about all the different kinds and what I think of them, how I launder them, etc. I hope it's helpful!

[carmie]

I did exclusively cloth diapers his first 8 months or so, and then switched to disposables when out of the house. I was working again then and Grandma didn't want to deal with cloth diapers.

I used the cheapest fitted diapers I could find (babymarketplace.com, I think), "seconds" Prowraps from the manufacturer's site, and prefolds. I had four Fuzzibuns all-in-ones that I rotated for bedtimes. Total cost - around $250.

Laundry is easy - use All Free Clear and no fabric softener. Oddly, I found it much easier to do cloth when he was still breastfed, in spite of the massive volumes of poop. Diapers got clean so much easier because he had less bacteria coming out.

Now I use disposables when out of the house and for overnights. All in all, I'd say I've spent about $500 on diapers (all kinds) so far, and he's 18 months.

[Gavin]

We've used Fuzzi Bunz - http://www.fuzzibunz.com/ - which is a pocket diaper, as soon as the cord-stump fell off, and have never looked back.

No leaks, no hassle - solid waste just rolls right off into the toilet. They also have fasteners at leg and waist, so you can easily fit it to your kid - most just have a waist fastener, and can gap at the legs.

A dozen smalls lasted through roughly the first year, when we moved to the mediums, and he'll probably be in mediums until he's potty-trained.

[tulip]

We used cloth diapers for the cost reason. We actually had the diapers that my Mother in law used for my husband! They held up really well. So I purchased and then made enough covers to use them and we went for it.
We did not use a service and I didn't find that I did that much more laundry. We rinsed solids in the toilet and it wasn't that much of a hassle.
We used a small size originally and then moved to the medium and we were in those until she potty trained. They actually helped us with the potty training as she could take them off herself and did so when she was wet. It sounds like a bad thing but once she figured out the whole pee=wet thing she went right to the potty! Yay for us. :)

[Amanda]

Fuzzibunz for us too. Pocket diapers are easy to use - important to make cloth as easy as possible for our daycare provider. Also easy for grandparents and anyone else who doesn't want to have to learn a complicated diapering system.

We started as soon as the cord fell off, and have been happy with them (currently 12 months). We use disposables when we travel.

Cloth is really easy for breastfed babies as the poop washes right out. Once the poop got more solid, we started flushing it. Rice paper liners make this easy too.

[Ruth]

For my first, six years ago, we used a diaper service for a year with CPFs and diaper covers. After a year, I realized it would be easy enough to launder ourselves, so I just bought about 24 diapers and kept a dry pail. Cold rinse initially, hot wash, throw the diapers in the dryer, hang the covers on a rack.

For my second, FuzziBunz had been invented, and I can't believe how easy they are. (For the newborn period, we bought 1 or 2 dozen Kissaluvs from their outlet, which I highly recommend.) Then, we got 12 FuzziBunz in medium and they've lasted us until potty-training time.

My kids were both in disposables in daycare, and we always used disposables for traveling. For trips around town, I would sometimes take extra cloth diapers and a small waterproof bag, but also some disposables, because they're smaller and you never know how many diapers you're going to need!

[Alix]

I used the cloth until my son went to daycare. I liked using the rice paper liners too, makes clean-up easy, but I don't think they are necessary- I cut each in half. The orange all-natural oxy stuff (Whole foods used to sell it) worked wonders- no stains. My husband really preferred the all-in-ones, so did I, but they are more expensive. The fuzzy bunz are the best!!!

[Kim]

We just made the switch a few weeks ago, because my son was having diaper rash problems and I am hooked now. We use pocket diapers, and wash every day or every other day. I usually put the disposable diapers in a pail in the garage, and now I just throw the cloth ones into the empty washing machine and then just start the load at the end of the day.

And I love not having to buy diapers at the store anymore!

[Debbie B]

We used a mix of disposables and cloth until my son was potty trained. At first, we used a diaper service (http://www.comfycotton.ca/) for the first 4 months of his life. They provided clean prefolds every week, delivered to the door. And I'm quite grateful that we weren't using disposals - our son set a record for the diaper service for most diapers used by a single baby. (17 a day) I shudder when I think about the equivalent cost if we'd had him in disposables.

Once we'd started adjusting to the chaos of life with a baby (i.e. once he'd started sleeping through most of the night), we switched to home laundered cloth diapers during the day and using disposables at night. The disposables let him sleep longer - I tried using cloth nighttime diapers, but the ones that I had were too bulky and he wasn't comfortable in them at all.

We used both cloth diapers and disposables when we travelled, depending on how long we expected to be out and about, and who was baby-wrangling at the time - my husband packed disposables exclusively if he was with our son, and I tended to bring cloth if I was the one out with the baby.

Our diapers were home laundered - a couple of key points: 1) get a minishower (http://www.verybaby.com/ccp0-prodshow/mini-shower.html) to help rinse off the poop off the diapers before tossing them into the diaper pail. No need to mess with liners if you have this device. 2) Use cloth wipes - they'll also save you money and you can just wash them with the diapers. 3) If you can sew (or know someone who will sew for you), you can sew your own diapers for cheap.

[Amanda]

We use BumGenius 2.0 all in ones that are adjustable. our daughter is 3 months old and we love them. people usually make fun of us or tell us we'll eventually "give up" on them, but so far, there hasnt been much difference between cloth and disposable. i do at least a load of laundry a day, so adding in a load of diapers every couple of days wasnt a big deal. and we diaper on the road with a wet bag. they've come a long way, baby.

[Rose]

We use fuzzi bunz for my son at night (no leaks! :) ) and prefolds with snappi and a cover during the day. I bought some anti-pill fleece from the remnant rack at a fabric store and cut it up to make rectangular liners for the prefolds. It helps keep his skin dry it iss easier to scrape/plop/rinse poop off the fleece than off the thick cloth diaper.

We have a washable bag and wash everything every 2-3 days. It's really very easy.

[Sonya]

We used cloth diapers for all three of our older kids (just adopted two potty trained sweet girls last year). Worked great...
Buy really thick diapers, ours lasted through our three & two more (a friend's family). We needed to keep it cheap, so we used plain nylon covers that had elastic all around & didn't crack or tear. I'm sure the allinones work great, but I could never splurge on those.
We used Arm & Hammer laundry detergent by the way, & Borax & they washed up beautifully.
It's great to hear of others willing to give it a try~

[Jessica]

Remember that you can use a mix of types of diapers to get the best combination of functionality and cost savings. We use a mixture of fitted diapers (primarily motherease one-size, which I love), a few fuzzibunz for outings, and prefolds as a cheap way to fill out the stash, since I don't really have enough fitteds to get by (and really, they work just fine - they just aren't the first I reach for).

[Awesome Mom]

We switched just before my youngest was one and my eldest was two and a half. Mostly we use fitted diapers with a cover (I looove wool and I can knit so we have a lot of them). When I am going out for a longer trip I will use a pocket diaper stuffed with micro terry cloths that I bought in the automotive department of Target. I think that a great place to go if you are thinking about cloth is Daperswappers. You can buy nearly new diapers and try them out for cheaper than new. You cal also sell the ones that do not work out for your kid. They also have a forum for people to talk about all things cloth.

[Rachel]

We're now cloth-diapering our second child and delighting in reusing the same diapers we used the first time. We launder them ourselves, which is 2-3 extra loads a week, well worth it in my book. Once on cold, again on hot with an extra rinse and half the detergent; hang the covers to preserve the waterproofness, machine-dry the rest. 3 dozen Chinese prefolds, 8-10 covers (Proraps or Bummis are our favorites), lots of flannel wipes, fleece inserts for overnight. We use a wipes warmer with just plain water in it to moisten the flannel wipes. We do not soak, wring, or swish dirty diapers or use baking soda in the pail. We just collect them in a tall kitchen garbage can lined with a waterproof cloth bag. Breastfed poop goes straight in and washes right out, everything smells fresh as a daisy afterward so I know it's clean. Once there is something solid in those diapers, we flip it into the toilet. It's really very easy. When I was getting started, Green Mountain Diapers was a great source of information and options, and has great products too. Also diaperpin.com.

[Marcy]

My two year old daughter has been in cloth while at home since she was two weeks old. My husband did not want to use cloth. Everyone said, "You'll stop using it when you see how hard it is..."

We've used disposables for travel, at daycare and when she has the occasional diaper rash that requires Desitin (never use a cream with fish oil on cloth! It will stain and stink...)

We've used it all. Prefolds and fitteds with covers, both waterproof and wool. Fuzzibunz... Our favorites are prefolds (old school cloth) with a snappi and wool (no pins!) and fuzzi bunz.

After a week or so with cloth, my husband was sold. We have never had serious blow outs with cloth. Our trip last month, with sposies? Three mornings in a row, we woke up to a horrific poop explosion (poop was normal for her...just not contained by the sposie,) requiring baths and much laundry. Husband said, "I'm so glad we use cloth. This was a good reminder, I guess..."

We launder at home. I don't throw out the clothes that the sposies leak onto, I wash them, so I have no problem washing them at home. Considering how much laundry a baby generates, I looked at it as "just one more load."

The important thing to consider is: my husband and I are lazy by nature. If it were difficult and hard to use, we wouldn't do it.

We find that they stink less, too. Our friends who had a baby a few weeks ago visited when our daughter was 15 months old. Our diaper pail was in our breakfast area with her changing stuff (step open garbage can with plastic insert and a water resistant bag I fling into the wash with the diapers.) At the end of their visit, I had mentioned the diapers, and they were amazed by the lack of smell. They visited another family with a small one in sposies and the diaper genie clearly wasn't getting it done. They decided to give cloth a try.

All of that being said, a combination still works best for us. I buy disposables primarily for daycare, but we do use them at home sometimes. I just prefer not to use them at night. Cloth works so much better for us.

(Gerber diapers from big box stores are not absorbent, though. They give cloth a bad name.)

[The Simple Family]

We cloth and do it at home (washing). Personally, I like AIOs. They're just what work best for us as I think they have less bulk.

As in anything else in life (or parenting) you've got to have a system down. You need to have a trash can WITH LID, a washable bag to put inside and, if necessary, a spray on hose to wash nasty poop in the toilet.

Really isn't that big of a hassle as people think. Everyone who does cloth says so-- change the same way you do a disposable except put it in a different type of can.

[Sylvia]

We use a prefold diaper service, and do PT Elimination Communication as well... I know you'll talk about that tomorrow, but it's relevant!) I've found that there's almost never, thanks to the EC-ing, any poopy diapers, and if I'd known that, plus how little newborn poop smells, I'd probably just have bought and washed our own, for the cost savings. But it is pretty convenient to just leave a bag outside the door! And yes, I've found it no more work than disposables.

[Casey]

We started using cloth about 6 months ago with our now 23 month old. We have a 12 week old, too. He has been in cloth since he was 4 days old. When I switched from disposables to cloth, I started buying them a few at a time. www.diaperswappers.com is a great place to get used diapers in excellent condition. I just phased the disposables out. One day, i realized I had enough to go an entire day without using a disposable. That was an exciting moment for me.

Right now, we use the Bum Genius 2.0 One Size diapers on both our boys. They are pocket diapers that can be adjusted to fit babies from about 10 pounds to 35 pounds.

The one difference that sticks out to me when comparing cloth and disposables is that whenever my baby is in disposables he has blow outs. He has never had a blow out in a Bum Genius diaper. They hold poop amazingly well. I'd much rather spray poop off a diaper than clean it off all his clothes, blankets, and shoulder blades.

[sally]

I'm a disposable user who has often considered the switch to cloth for my 10 month old son.

But it's just so overwhelming. Not the extra work - I do laundry everyday anyway. But just making a damn decision.

I've spent HOURS reading reviews on diaperpin and elsewhere, but my head just spins. For every post you see raving about a diaper, you see a contrary post from someone who *hates* that same diaper with equal passion.

Recently, I'd almost decided to go with FuzziBunz...until I started seeing frequent complaints about the quality of FB now that they've moved production to Mexico.

Everyone says, "try a bunch of diapers and see what you like." But the cost just gets crazy, buying one diaper at a time and especially paying shipping - when you may well only like one of the diapers you buy. And yes, you can resell barely used diapers, but when your kid hardly sleeps and you have enough trouble just making it through the day, the idea of trying to make a name for yourself in the CD universe in order to sell a few things is just overwhelming.

So I guess my question to you CD users is, how did you decide? How did you look at the 8385767382957 options for diapers and say, "that's the one?" If you buy a box of 'sposies that disappoints, you just buy something different next time. Cloth mistakes just feel so permanent...

[Jaime]

I decided on fuzzi buns by asking someone I trusted (online & not on a diaper site ) her opinion. I just made the plunge. found a deal on craigslist for 12 and went from there. We've been using them for a year and I'm still very happy with them.I work & didn't feel like I had time to try a bunch of different types. I also knew that I could turn around and resell them if I hated them. That helped too. We've now moved up to mediums & I've bought most of mine at fuzzibunzseconds.com for not much more than I was paying for used.