I know it may sound totally crazy .

I thought it did too when I heard about moms using cloth diapers on their kids. I mean, disposable diapers are just what people do. It’s kind of the standard way of doing things these days. But the more I’d hear about cloth diapers and the more I’d read about them, the more I thought, “Hey, this actually sounds kind of doable and not at all as gross as I pictured.” Cloth diapers are much more cost efficient in the long run and they’re much better for the environment than disposables. As of now, I’ve been cloth diapering for over 2 years and I’m on my second fluff baby. Here are some things I’ve learned about how to make cloth diapers work for multiple children in a family with two working parents.

First off, figure out what kind of cloth diapering system you prefer. Try out a few different styles and brands before buying a boatload of one thing. (I learned this the hard way.) Do you want to save the most money? Covers are your best bet. Do you want to be able to customize absorbency based on time of day or between multiple children? Pocket diapers and inserts will give you what you’re looking for. Do you want to make cloth diapering as to be as close to disposables as possible, without all the multiple pieces? All in ones are for you. I’ve used all three of these options at different times in our cloth diapering journey, and I’ve learned that I’ll pay the extra couple of bucks for the convenience of all in ones.

Some parents are concerned about the initial start up costs of cloth diapering. This can be an issue for some, as a single cloth diaper can range from $10-30, depending on brand and style. My advice would be to start off with a borrowing service that lets you try a few of several different styles. We don’t have any local stores in Waco that sell cloth diapers, so I do most of my shopping online. Kelly’s closet is a retailer that allows you to buy a small stash of various styles and brands, try them out for 30 days, and return the ones that you decided don’t work for you. This can give you a starting point. There are also dozens of brand-specific groups on Facebook that can give you information on proper fit, diaper care, new product releases, and even sales! Once you’ve figured out which brand and style works best for your needs, you can buy one or two diapers per paycheck and use disposables in the mean time until you’ve built a stash you’re comfortable with. 

I’ve also heard many people say that they just don’t have time for cloth diapers. Too much extra laundry and diaper changes take way more time themselves. Truth be told, I haven’t found diaper changes to take all that much more time and because we use all in ones in my house, I can start a load before making dinner, throw them in the dryer sometime before bed, and I have clean diapers for the next day. Whether they make it out of the dryer or not just depends on how hectic the day is, but either way, the diapers are clean! For added convenience, we also use disposable liners, which come in a roll of 100 for about $10. Those act as “poop catchers” so we don’t have a huge mess on our hands at diaper changes, literally. Since we’ve made cloth as close to disposables as possible, we’ve managed to get our day care provider on board!

The one downside I’ve found to cloth diapering is traveling. For extended trips, hauling around an entire stash of diapers along with a diaper bag and regular luggage is just unrealistic. For Christmases away and longer out of town trips, we’ve used disposables. No one says cloth diapering has to be a full time commitment. There’s also the issue of washing. Often time hotels or condos won’t have laundry access and a consistent wash routine is very important in order to keep diapers clean. We just save ourselves the headache and do what’s easiest for us.

In the long run, I’ve spent between $1,000 for about 40 diapers, several wetbags of various sizes, and some other miscellaneous inserts and covers. The average cost of disposables is about $1,700 per child from birth to potty training. My second child is one month old and I won’t have to buy him a single diaper! Those are some pretty sweet savings! And aren’t they just too cute?! 

Do you use cloth diapers?