Not your Grandma’s Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapering has come a long way from safety pins and thin, stained cloths. Now your baby’s diapers are not just easy to use, but fashionable as well. Cloth diapering saves hundreds of plastic bags full of plastic diapers from entering the landfill and saves you money. What’s not to love?

So, how do you get started?!

First, you’ll need diapers and there are plenty to choose from. We went with Grovia eight years ago for the easy snap system, but the market has exploded in the last several years. You’ll need enough diapers to last you a couple days, so it may feel like a bit of an upfront investment, but it’ll save you in the end. You can even support a local business and shop for gently used diapers at Bonafide Green Goods.

Second, you'll need cloth wipes. You just wet them before use and then throw them in with the diapers to be washed.

Third, you’ll need is a diaper pail of some kind and a reusable liner. This is where you’ll store your diapers while they are waiting to be washed. Something with a lid that clasps is important if you’re dealing with toddlers.

Fourth, I highly recommend a diaper sprayer (aka a bidet). This will make cleanup much quicker and less gross and it’s really easy to install. My husband, who is not a plumber by any means, did it in less than half an hour.

Lastly, you’ll need a place to hang dry your diapers. We use a folding drying rack and put it in a sunny window in the winter (or near a heater works great too) and outside during the summer. The sun helps disinfect the diapers.

After the initial set up, you’ll realize cloth diapering is not only greener, it’s easy and saves you money. Plus those cute diapered bums running around make it so worth it!

– Hannah