Cloth Diapering- Keeping it Simple & Cheap
- Katie
- May 2, 2019
- 6 min read
Many of us are blessed with being given a baby shower, or sometimes more than one, and the ability to register for exactly what we want to have for our little Prince or Princess to-be. And the stores like to present those ever so “helpful” Registry Checklists that include nine different sleep devices, Baby Einstein DVDs, maybe a Gold-plated rattle, the really important stuff you know? When I was setting up my registry for the first go round, it was imperative that I register for diapers. Register for diapers. Have a diaper party. Do a diaper raffle. Someone for God’s sake make an adorable, and I do mean adorable, diaper cake. And you MUST have everyone write cute notes on them that you’re sure to find hilarious at 3am when the pee has soaked through and there’s permanent marker all over your hands and the baby’s clothes. Some things are just presented to us as the way things are done and at that stage in my life, I wasn’t one to question. I never really thought about doing things a different way.
Over time I started to resent those diapers. What a horrible, smelly cost suck. I'd shlop into Target for their “Spend $100 on baby items and get $25”, with my vendor coupons & loaded up Cartwheel App and at least I was glad to be saving a few bucks, and have that “free” $25 to spend later obviously. But then I’d look in my cart and think, Yay, I just spent $100 on a cart full of garbage. What a downer man. But as a first time Mom, I really didn’t even consider another option. Sure, I knew of cloth diapering, but I legit thought people who chose to wash up poo rather than throw it in the garbage were just a bunch of hippy freaks trying to disrupt the system. A friend of mine cloth diapered twins and I just thought she must be about as crazy as they come.
Welp, second time around, at a totally different stage in my life and journey of who I am as a human being, I did start to question the way I was doing things. The main thing being diapering. I just couldn’t mentally get past the wastefulness of the whole thing. The idea of all of that paper sitting around in a landfill. The thought of the chemicals on my tiny baby’s bottom. But a really big factor was the cost. Since Christian wasn’t out of diapers by the time we would have Adam, I was facing double the load of diapers I’d be buying and trashing and that didn’t sound appealing. I had even started really skimping and buying Aldi brand diapers for Christian. For the record, they’re not so bad if you're trying to save a buck, I personally thought they were better than Luvs!
Ultimately, I decided it was time to explore cloth diapers. Helped along by the advice of my mellowed out but somewhat still hippy freak of an older sister who was also exploring cloth diapers for her little one, I made my first investment and bought 6 cloth diapers on Amazon, and then didn’t use them until Adam turned one. What I figured out was that you have to have the right setup. And if you do, cloth diapering can be a breeze. And let's be real, you’re going to get poo on your hands ok? If you can’t get past that, and it’s fine if you can’t, then you should just move on sister. But I swear, I’m not trying to pull anything over on you. Here is how I cloth diaper and some tips to get you along if it’s something you’ve ever considered.
Build a stash
Amazon
This is the first set I bought. It was $29.99 for 6 diapers and inserts. They’ve been great diapers, I don’t have problems with leaks, they’re cute and affordable. Adam never has problems with diaper rash or irritation. They're not the most designer looking diapers but they're still in cute colors and I'm telling you, they work.
Try used
I know this seems weird but there are a lot of people who either buy too many or it doesn’t work out and they’re reselling diapers that are like new. This is an especially good way to go if you're wanting cutesy patterns or name brands because those can get seriously pricey. Try your local Facebook Marketplace, Mom Groups, or even eBay & Craigslist.
Talk to people
My husband went to work and started talking about my interest in cloth diapers. As it turned out, his co-worker cloth diapered 3 kids and had all of her diapers saved not knowing what to do with them. Some of them were girly but who cares, it’s a bodily function containment system.
Don’t over-buy
If you read any blogs or advice columns about cloth diapering, they’ll recommend washing your cloth diapers every 2-3 days. With that in mind, if your kiddo averages 5-6 diapers a day like mine, you only need 15-20 diapers to get you through, maybe a few more when they’re really small and are more sensitive to their wet diapers. Point is, while they can run on the expensive side, you don’t need as many as you would think. If you treat them with care, they’ll last for a long time.
Have a setup
The biggest barrier for me in using my cloth diapers was how to handle them. And let’s be real, it’s the poo we’re all worried about here, am I right? So here’s the basics you need to know.
Have a place for the dirties
If you are using a diaper pail now or have in the past, some brands actually make cloth diaper pail liners. You replace the trash bag with this cloth liner and when it’s time to wash diapers you throw it right in the wash with them. Boom, mind blown. Mine linked here came with two so I could line the pail with the second one on wash day. I keep the whole thing in the bathroom near the toilet so it’s an easy toss after I clean up messes.
Another option is a wet/dry bag that you can hang near your changing table or in a bathroom. There are tons of options on Amazon and I see them all the time at Ross or TJMaxx and pick them up there for a big discount. You’ll need these for on the go diapering anyways and they’re also great for wet clothes at the beach or pool.
Dunk and swish baby
When you get the dreaded poo in the diaper, take that bad boy to the potty and dunk it right down in the water. Breath through your mouth & try not to make eye contact, then swish that bad boy around and get the big stuff off and throw that puppy in your wet/dry bag or diaper pail until wash day. And y’all, this is gross. I am not going to sugar coat it. But after dealing with accidents in undies when Christian was potty training, I just mentally decided it wasn’t going to be a big deal. So, clean it off, wash your hands, and move on with your day lady.
There are a lot of resources out there on exactly how to wash and care for your diapers. I'm not getting into that today but I've linked a few helpful sites I like below.
Hang Dry
When I first found out I needed to hang dry my diapers I started browsing Pinterest for outdoor clothes lines and envisioning myself leisurely pulling diapers off the line with the sun on my shoulders & breeze in my hair. Because I live in 1942 Alabama obviously. Your diapers will last so much longer if you don't dry them in the machine. This sounds super annoying but it doesn't have to be. I bought this drying rack for $9.99 from Ikea which holds a ton of diapers, folds up really small, and I hang it on the wall of my laundry room with 2 commands hook. It literally takes up no space. There are others like it at Walmart and of course, shocker here, Amazon.
Do it your way
For me, cloth diapering at night just isn’t something I do. Adam sleeps 12 hours at night and I just don’t want to risk him being wet and dealing with that in the morning or middle of the night if it disrupts his sleep. To me, one diaper a day is a heck of a lot better than what we were producing before so I’ve made peace with this.
The point is, as in ALL things Motherhood, do what works for you. Maybe you don’t want to cloth diaper when you’re out and about because you’re afraid of dealing with it on the go. I get that. That’s your choice Mama. Do NOT let this be an opportunity for you to get down on yourself if it doesn't work out. There’s no one way to cloth diaper so don’t let the idea that you have to do it some perfect way hold you back. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Any amount you’re able to substitute cloth for disposable is a positive impact on the environment and your wallet so just do what you can and be happy for it.
You can visit these websites for more of the nitty gritty on cloth diapering:
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