Everything You Need to Start Cloth Diapering
I started cloth diapering 3 months ago when my second son, Lyon, was 7 months old. I couldn’t find a diaper brand that worked well for him. I had used Kirkland for my first baby, but those gave Lyon a rash and once I learned about fragrances, dyes, and chemicals commonly used in disposable diapers I felt the need to switch to something more clean, but I didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg. When researching cloth diapers I was hesitant at first because all I had seen were cheap pocket diapers on Amazon and I questioned whether it would really be any better to have synthetic materials on his skin. On the flip side there were essembly fitted diapers and all in one diapers that fell out of my price range. My priorities were natural materials and cost savings and that is when I found Green Mountain Diapers. Im sure there are other brands that sell organic cotton diapers, but I have only used GMD products so that is what I’ll be discussing here.
Essentially what I settled on is a 2 part system:
Inner absorbent part + cover = diaper
Benefits of using a 2 part system:
- Cost effective
- Custom fit and absorption
- Organic cotton on baby’s skin
- Easy to wash and dry
- Can reuse the same cover for multiple changes
- Great longevity
Overview
Now for what you came here for, here is what you will need:
- Diapers
- Diaper Covers
- Wipes
- Pail and Liner
- (Optional) Helpful Accessories
Diapers
The first thing you will need is, of course, the diapers! When talking about the “diaper” we are referring to the inner, absorbent part. There are a few different types of diapers to choose from, and as a self proclaimed cloth diaper connoisseur, I have tried them all. I have 2.5 dozen in rotation currently and that is plenty to get me through 2-3 days plus extras for the diaper bag.
Flats
Flat diapers are the OG cloth diaper. They are a large, single layer that you can fold into any shape or size. I have both Birdseye and muslin flats. The Birdseye has a tighter weave and feels more sturdy while the muslin has a slightly fluffier and softer feel. Preference is going to vary from person to person, but if I had to choose one I’d go with the Birdseye because of its classic style. One other thing to note is that the muslin is slightly more absorbent so if you are really looking to have a “one size” option that might be a better choice, but realistically one size does not fit all and you’re definitely going to need a doubler as your baby gets older. Another way to add absorbency is using a half flat inside of a one size flat, and half flats can be used for the newborn stage if your baby is too small for a one size flat (again, I can’t speak to this as I’ve only cloth diapered a larger baby). I like flats a lot, they are extremely customizable. I am currently using the diaper bag fold for Lyon which is a great fold for boys because it puts a lot of layers in the front. The GMD website has videos for different flat folds and you can also easily find tutorials on YouTube. The most popular are the origami and kite folds. I don’t find them hard to fold, but I can see how if you had a full stash of flats folding 2-3 dozen would be time consuming.
Pros:
- Easiest to wash and dry
- Extremely customizable
- Can be repurposed
Cons:
- More time consuming
- Will need to add absorbency as baby grows
Prefolds
Prefolds are the star of the show. Easy to use, easy to clean, and no folding required. They are also multi purpose, I was using prefolds as burp cloths long before I ever started cloth diapering. In those early days you could use larger size prefolds as your burp cloths before using them as diapers later on. You could also use a large or extra large prefold as a changing mat liner or lay it under your baby during diaper free time. Prefolds are what I have the most of and are what I reach for 90% of the time. You can pad fold (fold into thirds) and place it in a snap cover or fasten it (more on this later) under any type of cover. These come in many different sizes. Since I didn’t start until Lyon was 7 months I only have the intermediate and large sizes. The intermediate size is a slightly thinner and wider option than a medium. It fits 13-25lbs so you can use this size for most of your cloth diapering journey.
Pros
- Easy care and maintenance
- Multipurpose
- No folding needed
Cons
- Multiple sizes needed as baby grows
- Harder to get a good fit
Fitteds
Fitted diapers look the most like a disposable diaper, they have elastics built in around the legs, and they have snaps to fasten them on. If you are new to cloth diapers these are probably going to appeal to you the most. They are the best option for containment so if keeping poop off of covers is important to you (like when using wool) then this is the best option for that. Also, if you want something easy for other family members to use these are good to have on hand. I have 6 of these in rotation that I use primarily for overnight because they are quick and easy for middle of the night changes and they have the most absorbency. I liked these the most when I was getting the hang of things, but they have fallen out of favor for me because they are bulky, harder to clean, and take longer to dry. I just don’t find myself needing such a thick diaper unless we’re going to be in the car for a long time or he’s going to bed. These are also much more expensive than the other options listed here at $10-15 a piece vs $1-3. Maybe if I had a newborn I’d lean more heavily towards these, but even then, poop on covers isn’t really an issue (that’s what they are for).
Pros
- Easiest to use
- Best for containment
- Highly absorbent
Cons
- Harder to wash and dry
- Bulky
- Expensive
Covers
The diaper cover is what keeps everything in. Before using cloth diapers I was soaking clothes on the daily from blowouts no matter what brand of disposable diapers I used. Since cloth diapering I have not had a single blowout. You can get pee leaks if you don’t have enough absorbency under the cover, but if you use everything properly you should not have any leaks with cloth diapers. Again, there are a lot of different options, I will go over the different types that I have and use.
Waterproof (PUL)
These are the most commonly used covers. They usually have just 2-3 different sizes and adjustable rise snaps on each size. Lyon is in a size 2 Thirsties cover on the second rise setting so he still has room to grow. I have a love hate relationship with these because while they are very cute and very practical, they trap heat and moisture. This is tricky because yes, you want the pee to stay in there so that it doesn’t get in you or your baby’s clothes, but it’s not great if your baby is prone to rashes. Lyon hasn’t been able to use these all summer between the heat in the air and his body heat while teething he needed something more breathable. As the weather has cooled down I have been able to use these more which is good because i have a lot of them. I have 9 of these, but I think 6-8 is more than enough.
Pros
- Completely waterproof
- Machine washable
- Adjustable
Cons
- Not very breathable
- Synthetic fabric can be hard to get clean
Wool
Wool! I love wool! I will scream it from the rooftops! It is breathable, natural, and anti microbial. When properly lanolized they are water repellent but not completely waterproof. I admit, this takes some getting used to. You can get compression leaks where moisture goes through the wool if baby is in a car seat or pressed up against you. You will need to change diapers more often, I don’t think this is really a bad thing since your baby shouldn’t be sitting in a wet diaper too long anyway. Once you get over the learning curve though, they are wonderful. You do have to hand wash them but because of the magic of wool you will only need to wash them every few weeks, just air dry between uses and use a bar of olive oil soap to spot clean as needed. I usually have 2 that I alternate between throughout the day so one can air out while the other one is in use. I currently have 6 different wool covers: 1 Babee Greens classic snap, 1 soaker style from Naturally Diaper Free on Etsy, 1 pair of Ruskovilla nappy pants, and 3 Disana pull on covers. If I was starting out doing full time wool I would get 3-4 Babee Greens covers and 2 Disana pull on covers.
The Babee Greens and NDF cover I use interchangeably under clothes. I wish I had one more Babee Greens but I just can’t justify the expense with all of the covers I have in rotation *sigh*
The Ruskovilla and Disana covers are used as a cover and as pants/shorts. This is nice because it’s one less layer, but can be inconvenient because they have to air out and now baby’s outfit is constantly changing. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. The Disana pull on was my first ever wool cover and I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s knit so it naturally felts (the knit gets tighter) in the “wet zone” with dampness and friction. The first one I got, I’ll admit, is a little too felted at this point but it still works. Once it’s felted it’s like a brick wall, nothing is getting through. Not to mention the knit is so cozy. All of this combined makes it the best night time option. I started with only one so it had no time to properly air out when changing in the middle of the night which I think is what led to the over-felting. For this reason I’d definitely recommend having 2 to switch between. I recently bought 2 more secondhand to use during the day in the summer and they were perfect for keeping him cool and dry.
Pros
- Breathable
- Soft and cozy
- Anti microbial
Cons
- Not completely waterproof
- Hand wash only
Wipes
I know what you’re thinking: do you really need cloth wipes? Yes. I almost didn’t buy any wipes when I first started out and I quickly realized that they are just as essential. You don’t want to be sorting out the wipes from the diaper every change, and then walking the wipes to the trash. With cloth wipes everything can be thrown into the bin together making the whole process easier. Not to mention, no more frantically shaking disposable wipes that won’t come out of the pack! I will keep this one short and sweet, here are the wipes I have:
White Double sided clotheez
Soft flannel on one side, terry on the other. These are my go-to.
Birdseye unbleached
A little rough, but a nice size and thickness. I keep these in the diaper bag.
Muslin
Soft, but thin. These would be more practical if you are wetting with a sink, but not great for the squirt bottle method.
Accessories
There are a few more things that will make cloth diapering as easy as possible.
Doublers and Boosters
Sometimes you need extra absorbency; whether in the car, overnight, or you just have a heavy wetter. I recommend having doublers on hand for any time you need more layers. If you are using wool, you can also use a wool booster to add extra layers of wool between the diaper and the cover. I have 2 of these and I like to use them when going in the car to combat compression leaks.
Fasteners
You don’t have to fasten diapers if you are using a fitted snap cover, but I still like to. You will definitely want to for containment in the early days anyway. There are 2 main types of fasteners: pins and snappis. I prefer pins because they stay in place where snappis can come unhooked or just not keep the diaper in place without a fitted cover. I got really good at pinning this summer when going cover free to keep Lyon cool. I now think pins are the easiest to use and they seem more comfortable for baby because they don’t make things too tight in the front. The GMD slide lock pins are the only ones I’ve used and they are great. You can get a free pair with any order of flats or prefolds and they are included in some kits and bundles.
Trash can
When I started cloth diapering I saw the suggestion to use an open trash can and thought, “that’s going to smell.” I rigged a diaper geanie with a reusable liner and the smell was terrible. I switched to an open trash can and lo and behold everyone was right, somehow there is no smell. The diapers need air circulation to prevent mold and let odors dissipate.
Diaper pail liners
I got a 2 pack from Amazon, you definitely need 2 so that one can be in use while the other is being washed.
Travel wet bag
If you are going to be cloth diapering on the go you need one of these, maybe even more if you are going to be using it daily. I have a cheap one I got from Amazon that I use to keep all of my diapering supplies together in my purse and as a back up and I use my Thirsties Deluxe bag as my main wet bag.
Squirt bottle
I use a peri bottle to wet wipes. If you gave birth in a hospital you most likely have one lying around, yay! If not, they are cheap on Amazon. If you are doing diaper changes near a sink, you can skip this one but I still think it’s easiest to use a squirt bottle.
A note on poop
For the first 6 months you can toss poop diapers directly in the wash because it is water soluble. I had about a week of this before Lyon started really eating solids. There is going to be a month or 2 while your baby is learning to eat, before it is easily plopped into the toilet, when you’ll have “transitional poop” and that’s when you’ll have to start finding a way to get it off before it goes in the wash. There are disposable liners and bidet sprayers, but I just use a hose with a spray nozzle and a bucket in my back yard. You don’t need to get fancy with this, just do what works for you. At 10 months old I hardly ever have to spray anymore but every baby is different.
Summary
To recap, these are the supplies you will need when starting out:
- 2-3 dozen diapers
- 6-10 covers
- 3+ dozen wipes
- 1 dozen doublers
- 1 set of pins and/or snappis
- 1 trash bin
- 2 diaper pail liners
- 1 wet bag
- 1-2 squirt bottles
I really hope this was helpful to you in starting your cloth diaper journey. I wish you luck and hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. Whether you are looking to save money, protect your baby’s skin, or live more sustainably, cloth diapering is something we can all feel good about!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, send me a DM on instagram, or email me and I will respond as much as I am able.
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