My daughter is nearly nine months old. To date, we have spent a grand total of $39.99 plus tax on diapers.
She has used cloth diapers since the day she was born. Granted, the rest of our stash (retailed at $199.97) was gifted to us by family and friends at my baby shower, in lieu of those ridiculous disposable diaper cakes. However, even if we had paid for all of her diapers ourselves, we would still be saving a significant amount of money. Having a cloth diaper stash has also given my family a sense of security, since we don’t have to worry about running to the store to stock up amidst the current trend of panic buying and store shortages.
Cost savings is a huge benefit of cloth diapering, as long as you get the right style. There are many different styles of cloth diapers, but from an economic standpoint, the one size fits all (OS) diapers make the most sense. OS diapers have two different sets of snaps to adjust for a custom fit as baby grows, from newborn to toddlerhood. This type of snap closure also closely mimics the closure of disposable diapers, so babysitters and daycare providers aren’t as overwhelmed with the thought of changing your child. However, OS diapers might not be exactly leak proof on very small or preemie babies, as the elastic needs to stretch in the legs to create a seal. Our little lady came into this world just shy of nine pounds and gets her chunky thighs honestly, so we got lucky. Different brands of cloth diapers have different lower weight limits though, so check the labels before buying.
If you’re interested in getting started with cloth diapers, here is what you will need.
Stash of Cloth Diapers
We have 24 cloth diapers, four packs of six diapers that retailed at $39.99 a pack. Each family’s diaper process will look a bit different, but for full-time cloth diapering, there is a sweet spot somewhere between 20 and 30 diapers for an ideal stash size. Too few, and you’ll be washing diapers every day. Too many, and your diapers may go too long between washes. (You say eww now, but trust me, there will come a time when you’re staring at a bag of dirty diapers, carefully calculating the absolute latest time the laundry can be started to maximize your me-time, while also ensuring baby’s not free riding across the living room rug later during dinner.) Bare minimum, a safe estimate is 12 diapers to get through a day. I recommend not going more than three days between washes unless you’re pre-rinsing them fresh off the butt.
Cloth Wipes
If you’re already using cloth diapers, you might as well opt for cloth wipes. They have many of the same benefits of cloth diapers, including reducing chemical exposure, diaper rash, and money spending. There are companies out there that sell specialized (read: costly) cloth wipes for baby bums. However, I’ve found that wash rags work just fine. We bought a large pack of rags from Costco, and cycle them through with her laundry. To moisten the rags before use, I keep a spray bottle with water next to her changing table. Spray rag, wipe bum, throw rag in laundry. No need for fancy wipe warmers or messy wet-storage solutions.
Wet Bags
The last thing you’ll need is a washable wet bag for dirty diapers on the go (or at home). This one isn’t so much a cost saver as it is a life saver because of its practicality. Yes, you could use old grocery bags or trash bags, but that gets wasteful. A wet bag typically has a waterproof (and odor proof) lining for storing your dirty diapers until they’re ready to be washed, and get thrown straight into the laundry with the diapers. They’re also great for storing swim suits and wet clothes. At my house, we rotate through three wet bags that get hung next to her changing table. Dirty diapers go in the wet bag until it is full, then it gets zipped up and stashed until the next one is full (usually we fill a bag a day). By that time, we’ve run low on our diaper stash and it’s time to do the wash. The third bag lives in her diaper bag for when we’re out and about, and comes in as back up when the other two get full.
Helpful Extras
There are a few other accessories that might make your life easier, but aren’t necessarily must-haves to cloth diaper your child. Be smart, though. Keep in mind: any extras you buy now can quickly offset any savings you’d hoped for. Keep it simple.
Extra diaper inserts
If you are using pocket diapers like I am, you might want a few extra inserts. These come in handy for overnights. They don’t even have to be the proper inserts from the diaper manufacturer. We use those cotton “cloth diapers” you can buy cheaply in large packs–the ones people might use with snappis or safety pins under rubber pants? I was gifted a pack of these by a coworker, who told me she used them with her child as burp rags. They can be folded in thirds to perfectly fit inside the pocket of my cloth diapers. I found my daughter will sleep better through the night if I double stuff her pocket diapers with an extra layer of absorbancy.
Bidet
Poop. There, I said it. Everyone will have their own method for cleaning cloth diapers. But unless you really trust your washing machine, your process will probably include some form of pre-rinsing poop. If you’re like me, you might be initially grossed out at the thought of rinsing them in the bathtub. Before my daughter was born, we bought a bidet (a.k.a. cloth diaper sprayer) that attaches to the incoming water line for the toilet. The idea was to spray the poop into the toilet. It worked, but not for us. Since we wash our diapers in batches, I found the bidet to be more trouble than it was worth. Each poopy diaper needed to be sprayed with so much water that it would fill up the toilet bowl. Then I’d have to flush, and wait for the toilet to finish refilling before having enough water pressure to use the bidet again. I found it was easier and faster to just rinse them in the bathtub using the shower hose, and wipe down the tub with eco-cleaner when finished. Side benefit: the tub gets cleaned more often this way. But if you are pre-rinsing diapers fresh off the butt, a bidet might work for you!
Reusable Gloves
Before my daughter was born, by husband went to Costco and bought a jumbo pack of single use nitrile gloves for diaper changes. I gave him so much trouble for that. I wasn’t laughing anymore when it was my turn to rinse the diapers. Yeah. But after a while, the trash can next to little lady’s changing table filled up, and we realized it was filled with nothing but disposable gloves. I bought a pair of waterproof work gloves, and that solved that problem. The gloves get thrown in the wash with the diapers when dirty.
5 Gallon Bucket
Super handy for transporting pre-rinsed and dirty diapers to the washer. If you don’t have a washing machine at home, or if your power goes out, you can even wash small loads of diapers in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, a bit of laundry soap, and a dedicated clean toilet plunger. Cut a hole in the middle of the lid big enough for the plunger handle. Stick the CLEAN plunger in the bottom of the bucket. Fill the bucket half way with the dirties, water, and a bit of soap. Slap the lid on and churn away. I’m assuming you’ll need a few rinse cycles too, but I’ve never had to execute this myself. Hang to dry.
In the end, the cost savings of cloth diapers is dependent upon making smart buying choices. Make sure you buy the right style of diaper to ensure you’re not having to repurchase as your child grows, and don’t get lost in the consumerist trap of fancy gadgets and accessories. Those extra dollars will add up. With any luck, your smart economic choices will start reaping the many other benefits of cloth diapers as well. Happy butt cleaning!