is all that stuff a must have if I am considering cloth diapers?

[deleted account]

Hey there, I am definitely for a economical option for diapering. I spent $64 on prefolds and covers when my daughter was a month or so old. That got me 24 newborn prefolds, one snappi, and 4 thirsties covers(2 xs, 2 sz 1 duos). I have to say that cloth diapering is way cheaper than disposables! My husband and I didn't have easy access to a washer and drier for about 2 mos and we spent almost $100 on disposable diapers (and not the super expensive kind either)!
My daughter is on the small side and the newborn diapers lasted until about 4 almost 5 mos of age. When she out grew those I spent $65 and that got me 24 infant prefolds and a kissaluvs fitted diaper cuz I wanted to try it out. I have to say my husband still likes the prefolds over the fitted I got. We now use the smaller prefolds for spit up clothes, extra padding in diapers, or as a "just in case cloth" under head when we put her down. Just a side note but when I looked at my nb prefolds after getting the new prefolds I realized that none of them had stains! Just remembered I bought 2 more sz 1 duo thirsties that were on sale so that was $21. So grand total here is $150 for diapers and covers that I am still using at 6 mo and lets me wash every 2 days. Also I haven't been using a special detergent for any of them but I do use half of what I normally would and do an extra rinse cycle. So not complicated on the care. We use a solid trash basket as a "yuck busket" so I don't even have to touch the diapers if i don't want to, i just dump 'em directly into the washer.
Sorry to be so long winded but I know it was helpful to me when I was first starting out to see real numbers and concrete examples. I still remember a woman telling me that even if you only cloth diaper part time it is that much more savings. So do what you can! I have to agree that as a new mom there are so many other things to worry about that this should not be one of them. That was one reason I didn't start cloth diapering for a little bit cuz I wasn't sure and I was also able to see exactly how big she was as far as what sizes I would need. Also $64 was not so big that if I decided I didn't like CD'ing after a couple of months I would not feel I had wasted money.
Hope that helps and good luck!

Kimberly - posted on 03/22/2010

You could realistically get all set up for cloth diapering with 2 dozen prefolds and 3 or 4 one-size covers (Thirsties or Kissaluvs make good ones...) The cost of a set-up like this would be about $120 (give or take) and would last you from birth to potty training and could then be used on another baby for free.

I don't use a diaper sprayer, just keep a pair of rubber gloves and a cheap plastic pail next to the toilet. Wet dipes go straight in the pail, dirty ones get a swish in the bowl to rinse and then in the pail. You'll do laundry every 2 days in the beginning if you have 2 dozen dipes.

You could spend more money getting different sized prefolds (infant sized ones are nice for the first couple months or so) or buying fitted or pocket diapers. And various fun accessories like wet bags, pail liners, detergents (you do need a good "clean" and natural detergent like Allen's Naturally or Rockin Green), etc. can start adding up if you get addicted. But there is no cheaper way to diaper a baby than cloth if you stick with the basics. You can even make your own prefold diapers out of old t-shirts and stuff if you had the inclination. Could be almost free. http://www.boiseclothdiapers.com/SewingP...

I write about cloth diapers a lot on my blog if I can be of any help, let me know. http://secretmommy.blogspot.com

Kelly - posted on 09/13/2013

Noooo! Cloth diapers are for a "special" few....

Christina - posted on 04/02/2010

I have had two sets of twins and LOVE cloth diapers!! They save LOADS of money! And with two babies at one time I bought 24 diapers and only had to do a load every other day. They almost never had diaper rash either! But if it seems like a hassle to you then I suggest using parent's choice (walmart off brand) diapers. I have 4 in diapers and only spend $60-$70 a month on disposables! I buy 4 big boxes a month and they last me all month. I like disposables for when you are going somewhere. To me having the kids wear cloth when we went and visited someone always seemed like a hassle but I didn't mind at all when we were home. Good luck in whatever you decide! : )

Schyla - posted on 04/02/2010

I spent 300 to get started (I had 2 in diapers and bought 60 pocket diapers with inserts from goldsmiths ebay page they have smaller bundles) that being said I love them they are cute and helpped teach my kids their colors I don't see them as a hassle eaither the ones people use now are super easy eco friendly and the stigma disposible diaper companys have put on them is unfair. Do some research see what you like and then see if you can't get a good deal on them and I deffantly suggest onesize but they really work better once you little one's past 12lb they do make them in small and so I would sugest a few of those. Oh and I don't ever use ALL of my 60 in a week I was every couple of days and go through about 20 when they were tiny and now they are 21/2 and 41/2 so I go through about 5 every two day (we're potty training) what I like the best is that you can wash the covers in cold water and the microfiber inserts that I use wash and stay soft in hot water and they don't stain!

Lorin - posted on 04/02/2010

hellen,

my husband and i figured out the cost comparison this way: a 30 pack of disposables costs about $10 (generics can be cheaper but just run with me here...). you'll use at least 10 diapers a day with a newborn so average two 30 packs a week (being generous), so we can safely say it's $20 a week for disposables (not counting wipes). if you put aside $20 a week until your due date you'd have plenty to buy all the cloth diapers you need for at least the first 6 months until the baby needs a bigger size. so cloth is definitely cheaper.

as for the hassle, there's a little more elbow grease involved but the cost is so much lower we don't mind doing the work. plus, you can always keep disposables as a backup for when you're in a hurry. we started mostly with disposables when our son was born in january because we wanted to have as little stress as possible, but we are now using cloth about 95% of the time. i cringe every time we have to buy a pack of disposables, which is thankfully not often.

good luck!

Dionne - posted on 04/01/2010

OH, I also bought a cheap bucket with a tight lid for dry bucketing the nappies until wash day :)

I don't use liners either as most my nappies wick away the moisture but u can make ur own reusable ones with some micro fleece.

All my nappies were designed to grow with bubs too, so saved buying different sizes & were cheaper than buying all the different sizes in your set up pack.Not the trimmest option though if that's a deciding factor for you. There are many good bulk packs out there - particularly on BabyBeehinds (best value I saw when looking for cheap cloth diapers) that will suit ur preferred style or price.

Dionne - posted on 04/01/2010

I'm a cloth mummy & I have found it so easy & cheaper than disposables. My set up pack from baby beehinds included:
25 fitted nappies (bamboo & hemp ones)
5 PUL covers for sml, med & lg sizes (15 all up)
5 woolen covers for overnight
2 wetbags
1 Little Squirt - SO HELPFUL!
Free postage.
Got all this for 823.00 which I did via layby whilst pregnant. This allowed me to wash 2nd daily :)
They have even better packs now with specially designed night nappies included as well
www.babybeehinds.com.au/store/pc/viewcontent.asp?idpage=30
Since then, I have bought some BabyBeehinds Magic-Alls & Bubba Moos AIO's now bubs is more mobile as these are much easier to get on him now. I do a mix of them during the day, whatever is clean/dry & what he'll lay still long enuf to get on him! The bamboo & hemp nappies I tend not to worry about the covers for when we r at home as I can change him before he gets too wet.
Holidays I use a biodegradable disposable nappy & for his 1 day at daycare - alot won't accept cloth here.

Chris - posted on 03/30/2010

Being a grandmother now and hte kids using disposable diapers it's much easier, but I used all cloth on my oldest and she was potty trained by 15 month, my second (both girls) I used about 50/50 cloth and disposable and she was 2 1/2. my third a boy I used 90% disposable and he was almost 4 till he was potty trained. I feel cloth is easier for potty training because it lets the feel the wet quicker. As for having a lot of things, I used just the diapers, a diaper pail and for a soak you could use about 1/2 cup bleach for every 3 or 4 gallon water. If you can find a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that would work instead of a diaper pail too

Melissa - posted on 03/27/2010

I have to say I love cloth versus disposable because I never have to worry about running out. Plus cloth diapers are cheap compared to disposables! I mean, you have an up-front cost, but in the long term it will be cheaper to have cloth diapers. Plus, I have yet to have any issues with diaper rash. When my son was first born we used disposable, and he'd sometimes have the diaper burst these little absorbent crystals over himself (which was terrible to clean off of him). I like that I don't have that worry - and they leak less (at least for me) then the disposable.

I use the bum genius 3.0 currently and have loved them. I don't have time to sew my own right now - so these worked great for us. What I especially love is that these grow with our son, so we don't have to rebuy them as he grows. I do know that there are other great ones out there too, I just haven't used any others (or sewn any).

Maria - posted on 03/27/2010

I lalaloooove Cding! It is not a hassle at all. I throw a load of diapers and wipes in the wash every morning, and they are dry by the time I get home from work. Once my daughter is asleep I assemble all of the diapers and put them away. This keeps me from running out of diapers and keeps the loads small enough to ensure that they get nice and clean.

Stefie - posted on 03/27/2010

After switching to cloth I find disposables much more of a hassle. Here is what I had for my first for the fist 18 months of her life.
- 12 bum genius all in one 3.0 diapers
- 12 flannel wipes
- a diaper sprayer
- a large wet bag for at home and 2 small wet bags for outings
- a small spray bottle filled with water, baby oil, and baby soap to clean bottoms
- 1 off-brand used one size fitted diaper to keep in the diaper bag
cost a little over $200.... for 18 months of diapers!!!!
I thought it was super easy because
I never had to run to the store for diapers
I had less trash
I had more money
I had less rashes
Good luck

SaM - posted on 03/26/2010

Its AMAZING how EASY cloth diapering is! Especially with the breastfed baby....it is not gross at all...i throw the dirty cloth prefolds in a plastic kitchen trash can with a roll top lid (in a nylon liner bag)...and once a day or once every two days i pull the liner bag out and turn it inside out in the washing machine...do a short wash on cold/cold and then a full wash on hot/cold (with a little bit of country save detergent...then toss everything in the dryer. SO EASY! and we don't have disposable diapers stinking up the nursery...and CLOTH DIAPERS ARE SO MUCH CHEAPER! I totally splurged on some wicked adorable cloth all in one diapers....and still i have only spent $500 on everything i'll need until she's potty trained! They estimate $2000 for disposable diapers... ($0.25-$0.30 a diaper....and who wants to buy the cheap diapers?) and that $500 i spent gets so much cheaper if we have another baby! That makes it only $500 for 2 babies for cloth instead of $4000 for 2 babies with disposables...



And if we didn't have another baby....i could probably still sell my entire cloth diaper stash for at LEAST $250 on Ebay...the resale value on cloth diapers is incredible.

Rachael - posted on 03/26/2010

I have spent $300 on cloth diapers for my daughter. I bought mine slowly $20-$50 at a time. My water and electric bill hasn't gone up noticeably either. I think a huge help with diapers is getting a sprayer for the toilet. It makes rinsing easy.

Meagan - posted on 03/24/2010

I plan on cloth diapering all my children using the same diapers. Cloth diapering to us was an investment as well as not really a choice. My husband is still in school and I stay home with our daughter and it seemed irresponsible of us to use disposables just for their convenience when I had plenty of time and could save us literally thousands of dollars. We've bought our diapers planning ahead. We assumed we'd have 2 children in diapers and some points, so we planned accordingly. We also figured that prefolds with covers were the best option not only because they are the cheapest, but they also seemed the least likely to require replacement. Here's what we have in our diaper stash:



32 infant prefolds

24 premium prefolds

6 small thirsties duo wraps

6 large thirsties duo wraps

3 BumGenius onesize

1 BumGenius size Large AIO

1 BumGenius Diaper sprayer

2 large diaper service quality wetbags

1 5-gallon bucket for spraying off the diapers

2 pairs of gloves for spraying off the diapers

18 homemade diaper liners (just cut-up extra fleece)

5 Snappis.



All of this will most likely last me through several children (we plan to have our 4th right before my husband graduates) and cost a grand total of $335.



Now, I'm a bargain shopper, and it's likely that these would have cost $60-$90 more, but I watched out for sales and coupon codes for cheap cloth diapers. All of these were new products, also. As a bargain shopper, I was buying diapers before and using Wal-mart brand diapers from birth to 2 and a half (about when I plan on potty training) was going to cost a minimum of $620 (that's really really conservative). So we're saving even with our first child. And our next child will just add to our savings. I'd say it's worth the hassle.

Rindy - posted on 03/24/2010

I liked using cloth diapers. I got hand-me-down diapers from my mom and she had about a week's worth. I had to buy the plastic covers but compared to buying regular packs of diapers it was worth it, remember they can't go in the dryer -they melt!! Its a hassle using cloth when spending time away from home (shopping etc) since a poopy one needs to be washed and sticking my hands in a public toilet wasn't my idea of fun. I used disposable diapers when we went out and had a travel pack of wipes. At home i used cheese cloth cut into squares and warm water to wash her. The cost of cloth diapering for me was close to nothing and I didnt find it a hassle doing it the way i did. When you need more diapers just throw a load in, definitely cheaper and way easier than having to drive to the store (or make poor daddy go and put him in a bad mood) at 1am because you need more diapers and it wont cost anything on the next kid, i just packed away all the diapers into the pail i had for the dirties and put them away with the other infant clothes.

Sara - posted on 03/23/2010

im new to CDing (i'm seeing means cloth diapering :) ) my son is 20 months old, and i'm hoping CDing will help with potty training, not only save some $$! i've got prbly 20 or so prefolds, 1 diaper cover, 6 fitted diapers, and 3 more covers on the way. and that's pretty much all i plan on spending! i've found some patterns for homemade pocket diapers, and just made my first one tonight! i had some flannel recieving blankets that i never really used cause they weren't cute or were on the small side i used! i made some liners (or doublers) what ever you want to call them out of some dishrags ($3 for 9) and an old towel i had. i know i'll make some more of both, they were SUPER easy to make! i kinda figured the point was to SAVE money (or the enviroment, whichever) so recycling things i already had would do both! but i can definately say i'll be cloth diapering with any future kids i have!

M - posted on 03/23/2010

Here's a short video about what you REALLY need to cloth diaper.



Also below is a link to help you create your cloth diaper shopping list. Just like everything else when it comes to babies - there are a lot of options, so cloth diapering can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.

http://www.pootersdiapers.com/Getting-St...

Yolanda - posted on 03/23/2010

Most cloth diapering moms love it. It depends what "hassle" means to you. Is it the start up cost? The research you have to do? The regular washing? It does seem like a lot in the beginning, but you DON'T have to purchase every little gadget on the market. If you purchase a simple system of diapers (prefolds and covers or all in ones or one size) you are good to go for a very long time. You don't need fancy bum cleaners, diaper pails or anything else on the market unless you will actually use it. Keep it simple and you will love it! If you preference is for - there are some REALLY cheap cloth diapering options out there! You can always just buy one or two to try at a time. BUT, cloth diapering is way more rewarding if you do it all day long so you don't ever need to buy a throw away dipe!

Vilate - posted on 03/22/2010

hey Hellen, I agree with Kimberly, you don't need a ton! I never had more than 20 fitteds and with my 6 kiddos I often had 2 in diapers. I love my fitted and wool covers. I never had a diaper sprayer, but I LOVE the idea of one. Used a bucket to store the dirty diapers in. Not tons of extra stuff, and yeah, TONS easier I think! like Jennifer said I don't have to run to the store every time I run out! :)

Aicha - posted on 03/22/2010

Cloth diapers are a ton easier and after you buy them the only cost you have is the cost of washing them. what I suggest is to try several different kinds look on craigslist or diaper swappers for deals and it will help you save on the cost

Jennifer - posted on 03/22/2010

I don't see it as a hassle at all. I NEVER have to run to the store if I suddenly realize that I'm out of diapers OR wipes. lol I can just toss a load in th wash and I'm good to go. I think initially the out of pocket may seem dramatic, but once you have them, depending on what you choose to use, your out of pocket is almost nothing. And, potentially, the out of pocket for your next one is ZERO. That being said, if it feels like too much of a hassle for you, then maybe its not the way to go? I've noticed that if people are only kind of interested in CDing, ANYTHING can turn you off of the idea, be it cost, laundry, etc.



Good luck with whatever you choose (:

Dionne - posted on 04/01/2010

OH, I also bought a cheap bucket with a tight lid for dry bucketing the nappies until wash day :)

I don't use liners either as most my nappies wick away the moisture but u can make ur own reusable ones with some micro fleece.

All my nappies were designed to grow with bubs too, so saved buying different sizes & were cheaper than buying all the different sizes in your set up pack.Not the trimmest option though if that's a deciding factor for you. There are many good bulk packs out there - particularly on BabyBeehinds (best value I saw when looking for cheap cloth diapers) that will suit ur preferred style or price.

Melissa - posted on 03/27/2010

I have to say I love cloth versus disposable because I never have to worry about running out. Plus cloth diapers are cheap compared to disposables! I mean, you have an up-front cost, but in the long term it will be cheaper to have cloth diapers. Plus, I have yet to have any issues with diaper rash. When my son was first born we used disposable, and he'd sometimes have the diaper burst these little absorbent crystals over himself (which was terrible to clean off of him). I like that I don't have that worry - and they leak less (at least for me) then the disposable.

I use the bum genius 3.0 currently and have loved them. I don't have time to sew my own right now - so these worked great for us. What I especially love is that these grow with our son, so we don't have to rebuy them as he grows. I do know that there are other great ones out there too, I just haven't used any others (or sewn any).

SaM - posted on 03/26/2010

Its AMAZING how EASY cloth diapering is! Especially with the breastfed baby....it is not gross at all...i throw the dirty cloth prefolds in a plastic kitchen trash can with a roll top lid (in a nylon liner bag)...and once a day or once every two days i pull the liner bag out and turn it inside out in the washing machine...do a short wash on cold/cold and then a full wash on hot/cold (with a little bit of country save detergent...then toss everything in the dryer. SO EASY! and we don't have disposable diapers stinking up the nursery...and CLOTH DIAPERS ARE SO MUCH CHEAPER! I totally splurged on some wicked adorable cloth all in one diapers....and still i have only spent $500 on everything i'll need until she's potty trained! They estimate $2000 for disposable diapers... ($0.25-$0.30 a diaper....and who wants to buy the cheap diapers?) and that $500 i spent gets so much cheaper if we have another baby! That makes it only $500 for 2 babies for cloth instead of $4000 for 2 babies with disposables...



And if we didn't have another baby....i could probably still sell my entire cloth diaper stash for at LEAST $250 on Ebay...the resale value on cloth diapers is incredible.

Meagan - posted on 03/24/2010

I plan on cloth diapering all my children using the same diapers. Cloth diapering to us was an investment as well as not really a choice. My husband is still in school and I stay home with our daughter and it seemed irresponsible of us to use disposables just for their convenience when I had plenty of time and could save us literally thousands of dollars. We've bought our diapers planning ahead. We assumed we'd have 2 children in diapers and some points, so we planned accordingly. We also figured that prefolds with covers were the best option not only because they are the cheapest, but they also seemed the least likely to require replacement. Here's what we have in our diaper stash:



32 infant prefolds

24 premium prefolds

6 small thirsties duo wraps

6 large thirsties duo wraps

3 BumGenius onesize

1 BumGenius size Large AIO

1 BumGenius Diaper sprayer

2 large diaper service quality wetbags

1 5-gallon bucket for spraying off the diapers

2 pairs of gloves for spraying off the diapers

18 homemade diaper liners (just cut-up extra fleece)

5 Snappis.



All of this will most likely last me through several children (we plan to have our 4th right before my husband graduates) and cost a grand total of $335.



Now, I'm a bargain shopper, and it's likely that these would have cost $60-$90 more, but I watched out for sales and coupon codes for cheap cloth diapers. All of these were new products, also. As a bargain shopper, I was buying diapers before and using Wal-mart brand diapers from birth to 2 and a half (about when I plan on potty training) was going to cost a minimum of $620 (that's really really conservative). So we're saving even with our first child. And our next child will just add to our savings. I'd say it's worth the hassle.