How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need? And All Your Cloth Diaper Questions Answered.

What Are Cloth Diapers?

A cloth diaper is a reusable and washable type of diaper that is made out of natural materials, synthetic materials, or a combination of both. Most cloth diapers are made from cotton but they can also be made from wool, hemp, bamboo, fleece, and polyester. Cloth diapers look a lot like regular, disposable diapers in terms of shape and fit. Thirty years ago, cloth diapers were little more than burp cloths held together by safety pins. Today, there are a number of cloth diaper options to choose from. Though their characteristics vary to suit individual preferences, on a basic level, every cloth diaper has an absorbency component (a way to hold in liquids and solids) and a waterproofing component (a way to prevent leaking). It is not necessarily true that cloth diapers are more environmentally friendly than disposable diapers. While the verdict is still out as to whether cloth diapers are superior to disposable diapers, or vice versa, perhaps the more pertinent question is whether cloth diapers suit you, the parent. Learn more about cloth diapers below and decide for yourself what is best for you and your baby. And "what's best" may change in a matter of days, months, or by the time you have your next kid. It truly does not matter. But if you have been at all curious about what the deal is with cloth diapers, you have come to the right place. Shall we?

Should I Use Cloth Diapers?

You probably have come across a variety of sources touting the benefits of cloth diapering. You may be wondering whether cloth diapers really save water and energy; whether they reduce landfills; whether they are more natural; and whether they are cheaper overall. The various studies conducted on this great debate of cloth diapers vs. disposable diapers have come to relatively similar conclusions: it's kind of a wash. Nevertheless, you might still be curious about cloth diapers and whether they are right for you and your family. What it comes down to is a personal preference. Below are some indicators that cloth diapering might be right for you.

Cloth diapers might be right for you if:

• You prefer the look and feel of cloth over disposable

• You can afford the initial investment

• You do not mind doing a lot of laundry

• You are okay with poop (more on this later)

• You are diapering multiple kids simultaneously

• You do not mind changing diapers often

• You value style and aesthetics in your diapers

The main difference between cloth and disposable diapers is that you throw away disposables, but you keep and launder cloth ones. This means that when you are at home, you will throw your cloth diapers into a laundry bin, not the trash. When you are away from home, you will throw your soiled cloth diapers into your diaper bag to clean later. Some people don't mind this, but others do. Some people really value the convenience of discarding a soiled diaper in the trash, especially when away from home, and not having to worry about packing it away for cleaning later. Poop and pee are messy things and a lot of people want to get rid of it as soon as possible. Cloth diapers also cost more than disposable diapers. It may run you $15-$30 per cloth diaper at the outset. This is a significant investment if you have to purchase 25-45 diapers to cover your newborn's diapering needs as diaper changes are quite frequent in the first few months of a baby's life.

This is not to say that you should forego cloth diapers. Cloth diapers can be softer and cozier, you can find ones that are made out of a variety of natural and organic materials, and frankly, a lot of the cloth diaper designs are unique and absolutely precious. Many parents enjoy apparel shopping for their babies and this easily extends to cloth diapers and accessories. There is no denying that cloth diapers are just so darn cute. The patterns, colors, and fuzzy materials are endless. In the adorability department, cloth diapers are clear winners. And one more for the "pro" column, cloth diapers tend to be less absorbent than disposables, so while this can mean more frequent diaper changes, it also translates to (hopefully) less diaper rash!

The Biggest Con of Cloth Diapers: Poop

Have you heard of "dipping and swishing" cloth diapers in the toilet? I had no idea what this was all about, but the image struck up such intrigue in my mind, I had to find out more. When your baby goes #2 in his disposable diaper, you roll up the diaper, mess and all, secure the package with the sticky or velcro tabs so that the contents do not fly out, and you throw the whole thing in the trash bin.

When your baby goes #2 in a cloth diaper, it goes a little something like this: you shake the poop out into the toilet, you take the soiled diaper and literally dunk it into the toilet boil water and swish it around to clean off any excess poop. Then you take said diaper, which is now soaking wet, and wring it out with your hands. At this point, you could shake some baking soda on the diaper to neutralize the smell. Then you throw the diaper into a laundry bin for cleaning later.

Now, because you have to drunk, swish, and wring out the soiled cloth diaper with your hands, you probably want to be wearing gloves. So an additional consideration in deciding whether to cloth diaper is having to put on gloves whenever you change a poopie diaper. This can be a huge inconvenience and a deal-breaker for some parents. Others might not car. It's just something to think about.

If the "dunk and swish" sounds too intimate for you, you can look into diaper sprayers. A diaper sprayer attaches to the side of your toilet, using the same water that fills up your toilet bowl. You can remove excess poop by spraying the diaper down instead of dunking and swish. Or, some parents use the sprayer in addition to the "dunk and swish" method. However, it is important to note that because the diaper sprayer can be a little messy, you might want to also buy a Spray Pal, which is a plastic splatter shield that holds the diaper while you spray it. It is yet another accessory and expense but may be worth it.

The Best of Both Worlds: Flushable Liners

For those who really hate the idea of rinsing off their cloth diapers with toilet water, there is an option available that blends the chicness of cloth diapers with the convenience of disposable diapers. Enter flushable liners, like these ones by Bumkins, which are highly rated and reviewed on Amazon. Flushable liners are exactly that--you place a liner in your reusable diaper shell and when your baby goes #1 or #2, you simply remove the liner and flush it down the toilet. Most flushable liners are biodegradable, but if you feel uncomfortable about flushing them down your toilet, you can just toss them into your garbage bin. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

How to Clean Cloth Diapers

Laundering cloth diapers are, for the most part, like laundering any other baby clothes. To minimize the use of harmful chemicals and irritants, consider using baby-friendly laundry detergents, like Dreft or The Honest Co. It is best to refrain from using bleach. To keep diapers sparkly white, take the extra step of sprinkling baking soda onto stains before throwing them into the laundry bin, or soak stains in lemon juice before washing. To keep cloth diapers soft, dry them on the cool setting and avoid the dryer's hottest setting. Or, you can try to hang dry overnight or partially dry in the dryer and then hang. Hanging diapers in the sun keep them fresh and help with stain removal,

A word on diaper cleaning services. Diaper cleaning services are convenient, and who does not appreciate every little convenience when we are sleep-deprived and exhausted? Instead of buying your own cloth diapers, your rent diapers from the service, toss them into the provided laundry bin, and they are picked up by the service for laundering. You will then receive a delivery of fresh diapers at your doorstep. This might be a great option during the newborn phase as newborns grow out of diapers so quickly. It might be nice to just rent newborn size diapers and outsource all the cleaning, washing, drying, and folding since those first few weeks are so draining and overwhelming already. However, diaper cleaning services can be expensive. Some parents do not like the thought of using diapers that other babies have used and soiled, even if they are thoroughly sanitized. Plus, you lose the personalization and adorability factor since most rented diapers are probably quite plain-looking to appeal to a mass market. Nevertheless, using a diaper cleaning service may be a nice way to ease into the cloth diapering world.

What Size Cloth Diapers Should I Get?

Your baby's weight is the most important factor in determining what size cloth diaper you need. There are sized cloth diapers and one-size cloth diapers. Each type provides weight guidelines to assist you with the proper fit. Whether you choose sized or one-size diapers, both types usually feature snaps on the covers that make it easy for the diaper to grow with your child. As such, you really cannot go wrong with either kind. Some considerations to weigh in deciding between the two is whether you have a premie or simply wish to have a more snug, exact fit with your newborn. In that instance, sized newborn diapers are best. But if you are diapering multiple children simultaneously or want to go with a more budget-friendly option, one-size diapers can typically take parents from the newborn stage all the way to potty training.

How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need?

Newborn-3 months: 12-15 diapers per day

I know this seems like a lot, but in the first 12 weeks of your baby's life, you will be changing her diaper by the hour, sometimes multiple times an hour. If you do not mind doing laundry every day, 15-20 diapers should suffice. But if you are like our household, laundry will get done every 2-3 days. As such, a safe estimate would be to purchase 24-45 diapers. The number of cloth diapers you will need, however, will only decrease as the months pass. So rest assured that this is your maximum exposure investment-wise in cloth diapers. The upfront investment is steep but just think about all the money you will be saving not having to purchase disposable every month. Remember to purchase your diapers in a variety of sizes at the outset to avoid having to replenish too many once your baby outgrows the previous size.

1. 3 months-12 months: 8-10 diapers per day

With your baby rapidly growing, you may have to purchase a few extra diapers in larger sizes, but nothing like the amount you bought when baby first arrived. You can get away with 16-30 diapers for this stage of growth.

2. 12 months +: 4-8 diapers per day

Hopefully, you can get away with not having to purchase any new diapers at this stage of growth if you had enough size variety before. Maintaining a steady supply of 8-24 diapers for this stage of growth should safely carry you through to potty training.

The Cool Head Parent Takeaway

Cloth diapering can be a chic, cool, and fun way to approach an otherwise messy part of parenting infants and young toddlers. If you have the time, energy, and willingness to tackle cloth diapers, go for it! The overall assessment is that they are less convenient than disposable diapers, but they are definitely more interesting. If you have always envisioned yourself putting on soft cotton or terry cloth diapers on your baby's bum, and hanging laundry out to dry on clotheslines in the mid-morning sun, then cloth diapering might be just right for you. No matter what kind of parent you are, give it a try. If you don't like it, don't sweat it. There is no right, or wrong, or better way to tackle anything parenting related. We can do this.