You might also want to check out gDiapers, they are good for the environment as well.

My wife and I wanted to do cloth diapers for our first child, but we never got around to it. We were amazed at how far cloth diapers have come. Most people still picture a square cloth with safety pins. They are not like that at all anymore.

-Rock

We started using cloth diapers, but we found that disposables did a better job keeping our daughter dry and keeping diaper rash at bay.

If I read this correctly, it seems as though once again cost triumphs over the environment. Although I understand that your blog has to do with frugality, it seems as though a sentence at the end of the article to the effect that it might not be a bad idea in cases like this to go with the less cost effective method and consider the extra money you’ve spent as a (non-deductible) contribution to our suffering environment.

Martin, we’re not all like you and let’s not make it political. Most people will not change their usual ways unless it makes financially sense, and Trent did a great job at breaking down the costs between the two scenarios. I for one do not care that our diapers go to one big landfill. As long as they are not thrown as litter, I have no problem, nor should anyone else. The planet has withstood the test of time and only God has control over it.

I’ve heard from people that cloth diapers encourage children to begin toilet-training earlier. If that’s true, cloth diapers could potentially save you a lot of money.

I’ve heard from people that cloth diapers encourage children to begin toilet-training earlier. If that’s true, cloth diapers could potentially save you a lot of money.

And Tyler, you’re funny: “…let’s not make it political… The planet has withstood the test of time and only God has control over it.”

I wish i had discovered the cloth diapers when i had my first childbut i now use them for our second. i have used them for 3 months, i use bum genius and fuzzibunz for night.
I think they are great and only wish they were more widely available if more mums knew how convient they are and how much better they are for the baby as there are no chemicals touching thier bum i think more would use them(i read they had to stop using the same chemical that they used in femeine products because they caused toxic shock and we dont know the effect on the babies genital area)
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/joy-of-cloth.html
Also i found that diaper rash was lessened or rarely has any, diaper rash is often caused by what they eat or anti-biotics not the diaper.
Also because disposable dipers allow them to do many wees before you change them i think they can cause the diper rash but iam no expert.
Also the cost i have only brought 8 to begin with
i have to wash every other day now i have 18 diapers and that seems to be enough so the start up cost was about $300 but you can buy used in good condition for 1/2.
Another plus they will potty train quicker!!!! because they know when they are wet.

My wife and I are going the cloth route for our first child (due in 4 weeks). My wife decided to make them herself, using some materials we had around the house and extra purchasing material. Our out-of-pocket costs is looking around $220 for the smaller size and around $300 for the larger size (we haven’t made those yet).

For me it was both the $ saving and the environmental aspects (I remember high school Chemistry class where we experimented on the material diapers are made of).

We made a run at using cloth diapers, but found that it required running so many loads of laundry that it likely negated the environmental benefits. Additionally, you will find that they are much more bulky and it is hard to come by baby “onesies” that fit reliably with a cloth diaper.

In the end, the most expensive option is to buy cloth and then switch to disposable. :)

Wanda, “The planet has withstood the test of time and only God has control over it.” is not political. It’s spiritual. What part of God has anything to do with political nonsense?

“I’ve heard from people that cloth diapers encourage children to begin toilet-training earlier. If that’s true, cloth diapers could potentially save you a lot of money.” from Wanda

According to my grandparents (who raised me), that is the case. They used cloth diapers and then apparently put me in actual underwear shortly after I could walk. Apparently I learned to use the toiled VERY quickly because, as my grandmother would say, “No one wants to sit around in their own mess.”

My cousins who were all in disposables, on the other hand, didn’t use the toilet until they were 2 or after.

Won’t cloth diapers be cheaper if you make your own? My mother made her own — just a rectangle of cloth which she hemmed and attached with safety pins. You can find patterns for more sophisticated designs. Like this one: http://www.diapersewing.com/fitted_with_velcro.htm Buy the fabric on sale, or else use things like old towels and flannel sheets. Should be cheaper than bought cloth diapers or disposables, no? You can also reuse the diapers with any subsequent children you may have.

I used the fuzzi bunz brand of cloth diapers for 2 of my 3 children. (oldest got disposables). While the upfront cost was high, we saved big time with the second child. They were great, They did not leak or smell any worse than the disposable. My size small and medium are in great shape and could b used again for another child. The large diapers took a beating, as they are for tots aged 1-2, when it’s mostly solid food and poop changes. After 2 kids they were toast. ( but we use the inserts as rags now). In the past I’ve thought that lots of fzzi bunz on ebay were fairly priced. Good luck! Oh also, I found that as the baby got older, using 1 disposable at night with cloth through the day was a great methid of diapering for my family.

One consideration: most daycare providers will not use cloth diapers. So, if your reason for using cloth is strictly financial and you plan on using daycare, do take this under advisement.

Tyler: The choice to do nothing about the environment is political, regardless of the reasons you have for making that choice.

Cloth-diapered babies usually get potty trained much faster. Your calculations should take that into consideration.

Speaking as someone who lost around $200 trying to use cloth diapers with our first child, my (unsolicited) advice is to buy a couple of cloth diapers and covers before you commit. I wish someone would have suggested this to me.

In our case, our baby just couldn’t stand them. He would cry every time we put them on and they would leak (yes they were premium diapers and covers) much worse than disposables.

Plus, I the “green” argument for cloth diapers is often overstated, but this isn’t really the site for that debate.

I too want to reiterate the point made at the beginning of the post: the environment. Cloth diapers are a salvation to the earth, cheaper or not, and to some this is actually important.

One thing you are not considering enough is time costs. Most people assume their time is “free”, but in reality it is not and can often be put to more productive or rewarding uses in many cases. This needs to be factored in in any sane analysis.

For example, I pay someone to mow my yard because it takes too much time for me. Time I could be spending instead with my kids and building relationships. It all really comes down to choices.

Also, there are disposable diapers are recyclable and/or biodegradable, thus dampening some of the environmental concerns.

And Tyler, you would be well to heed God’s word in environmental matters. We are here to be caretakers of His creation, and you really need to take a hard look at your statements and decide whether you are being a good caretaker of the earth and the riches God provided us…

My daughter is 6 now, but we used Mother-Ease diapers and covers from when she was about 3 weeks old (big enough to fit into the one-size diapers) until she was potty trained at age 2.5 — for environmental and financial reasons. The diapers were awesome. We weren’t militant — when she got older, we used a disposable at night, and we usually used disposables for long day trips (the zoo) or when she went to Grandma’s for the night. Our investment was about $350 — but when we were finished, we sold them on eBay for $200. If I’d known, I’d have bought them used, too. Our in-home child care had no problem with them - they’re an easy snap design. Also, if you can hang diapers out to dry, your results (especially in terms of smell) will be MUCH better. Throw them in the dryer for a few minutes with a sneaker if you want them softer after they’re dry.

We have been cloth diapering our daughter and it has been a great experience for all of us. I think even if you only have one child, it can still be a savings, particularly if you are buying used. We bought all of our diapers used and then turned around and sold them. For awhile, I was working on a thirteen dollar profit from cloth diapering. Who would have thought that would happen? Buy used, sell them back!

Line dry them - makes them last longer and it saves money on the electric bill. :)

I appreciate the ‘greener’ posts. Thanks

Good post. The only suggestion I have is to run your numbers a bit differently for disposables. 20 cents a diaper is for premium diapers. You can buy store brand for 15 cents a diaper and there are also great sales if you are not brand specific. The best I ever got was 6 months worth of Luvs for 4.5 cents each and about another 6 months supply of CVS brand for about 6 cents each. Deals where diapers are 10 cents or under aren’t uncommon. You just need to know ehere and when to buy. Keep up the good work.

Speaking from experience (2 kids, through 2 different daycares) cloth diapering can be a big savings, especially if you have more than one child. To maximize your savings, you can buy the diapers and the diaper wraps on Ebay or pick them up used from diapering services. There is no need for vinegar in the rinse. Wash all diapers/wraps in the same load… using a cold “pre-wash” and then wash in hot using your normal detergent (had not discovered homemade laundry soap by that point and we did not buy expensive “baby laundry detergent”). Occaisionally, I would add Borax to the laundry if I thought they needed whitening.

I did find that certain diaper wraps were better than others. I am partial to Prowraps and Bummi Whisper wraps, both of which I found on ebay. Surprisingly, the wraps I got from a friend who had them from a local diaper servicer were the WORST!!!

Our small, in home daycare provider was willing to use the diapers as they were pretty much just like using a disposable. Our 2nd daycare provider did not. As with all things frugal, it pays to ask…

To be successful at cloth diapering, I think both parents have to be equally committed to it and be willing to work with it. It’s not quite as easy as disposables, but I felt better about it than adding them to the landfills. In addition, the diapers that I have not passed on to my sister for her child are being used as rags or “filling” for my homemade potholders. It’s this continued usage that I find rewarding…that they continue to have life and keep me from spending money on other disposaable things that brings me joy…

Sounds icky-squishy to me!

We’ve been cloth diapering for 14 months and it has been great for us. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is first: buying cloth diapers used which saves on start up costs. Check out a site like diaperswappers.com. And second: recouping your cost by selling the used diapers when your child has outgrown them. I’ve sold nearly all of the small and medium diapers we used for probably 75% of the original cost. So if you spent $500 on start up of Bum Genius you could get back $375! And furthered the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle loop!

Our daycare welcomes cloth diapers and many families that go there use them (and we go to the YMCA - a pretty standard daycare).

Another thing that is important to remember is that the cloth/disposable thing can vary depending on where you live. For folks who live where water is plentiful (we do) and where landfills are scarce (like here, our garbage gets shipped on a train to the western portion of the state), it makes more sense to do laundry rather than throw away diapers. The opposite could be true for someone living in the wide open arid west.

Also, it’s not an all or nothing decision. We use cloth diapers 90% of the time. We also use disposables when it’s more convenient (traveling, out running errands all day, etc.) You don’t need to beat yourself up over the decision. Do what works for you.

In preparationg for our new baby and getting used to cloth I switched when our son was two (wish I had done it earlier for the best cost savings). We got the majority of our diapers used. Some I bought at half cost, some were just GIVEN to us by kind people who were done with them. Then, anyone who asked what we needed for the baby we told “cloth diapers!” It helped a lot. We were able to get a lot of all-in-one diapers, which work just like disposables with velcro and everything. No separate wraps. The only hassle it rinsing and washing. We do use disposables at night (my husband put his foot down!) but that’s just one diaper for each kid, each night.

Also, I am learning how to sew because I want to make my own diapers. Potentially, if I learn to do it well, I could make diapers to sell. There are tons of free patterns online, or great ones you can buy. Lots of SAHMs have started their own diaper-sewing businesses and become WAHMs. These WAHM-made diapers tend to hold their resale value on Ebay because they are generally well-made.

I need to shut up now. I could go on and on about cloth diapers and how they have saved us money. I even made my own cloth wipes which work better than disposable and are actually easier since I throw them right in the diaper pail with the diapers instead of having to put them in the trash.

See what I mean? Need to shut up now.

The best baby gift we received was 3 months of free diaper service. We continuted using the service, but had disposables on hand for nights and when we were going out. One thing that wasn’t taken into consideration is the time to do the laundry. With a new baby, time truly is money.

If mom works from/stays at home, consider potty-training right from the start like we did with my daughter. She just turned two, and we’ve only used about 2 diapers/day for most of the time (1 for bedtime & another for the rest of the day to catch “accidents”). Saves lots of money and lots of hassle. At first, you hold your baby over the toilet at about ten minutes after any feeding. By the time she could sit (we use the Baby Bjorn potty) she was used to going on the potty. At two, she still isn’t talking much, but she can say “Potty” to let us know that she needs to go.

Just a note on cloth diapers…we have used them for 14 months and love them. We have saved money, and plan to use these for all of our kids, so for the $300 or so we spend in start up, we would never have to buy diapers again. As for the time, I definitely spend more time brushing my teeth during a week than washing the diapers. It does take a few extra seconds to put them on, but not much. We wash once every three days, and in summer dry the diapers outside.

I know you said you didn’t feel it saved money to buy new cloth diapers, but it looks like you were looking at the pre-fitted fancy ones that go for over $10 each.

I bought 3 packs flatfolds which are around $10/dozen (1 newborn, 2 regular size), some nylon pants ($5/2, pricey but the vinyl ones are awful), and 3 snappis. The nylon pants I have to replace as he grows, but we’re still going strong. Yes, I have to do laundry a lot, but I never feel panicked about going ahead and changing a diaper even if it’s “mostly dry” (and yes, I’ve heard people on about this) because I konw I can just run a load really quickly. The other thing is, he’s never - yes, I really mean NEVER - had diaper rash, now at age 10 months 2 weeks. So I guess I’m saying the non-environmental peace of mind is definitely worth it too.

No one seems to realize that people are putting raw sewage into the land fill by tossing plastic diapers into the garbage. I never have understood why there had been no discussion of this in public health circles.

Using cloth diapers was pretty easy with the system we used when I had kids 40 years ago. We had a diaper pail (covered) next to the toilet…you’d put a little water into it with borax disolved. After changing the baby, you rinsed the soiled diaper in the toilet, holding the tip, and letting the flush clear it out of urine or solid material, then it went into the pail. At laundry time, the pail load was already rinsed and ready to wash. We had prefolded diapers and even form-fitted ones, although I preferred ready folds.

I now do laundry with cold water to save energy, but frankly I think that you’d want to use hot water for the diapers, just to be safe.

It was hard to come by used diapers…everyone knew that they made the best possible dust rags
after the kids no longer needed them!

Diaper rash was never a problem if you thoroughly cleaned the baby’s diaper area each time you changed diapers - and I found using baby lotion to cleanse it, was the best route.

With the current focus on the extent to which plastics use petroleum products, disposable diapers may also increase in cost.

I question these calculations. They say 3 dozen diapers- at about 12 diapers a day, repeted 50 times. If you did that, wouldn’t that mean the baby would be 150 days old? Less than 6 months? Am I missing something here??

I used cloth diapers for both my children. Telling my age, “Pampers” had just came out when my oldest was born so I tried them and he was highly allergic to the plastics in them so it was back to cloth. But he also could not wear the plastic overpants so I had to devise my own waterproofing. The cloth diapers I used were the ones that had to be folded so I just cut old bread sacks open & folded the bread sacks right into the diaper. It let in air and yet caught the liquids. Worked like a charm. Of course, it had to be changed with each use and that took care of the diaper rash. He also learned at a young age to go potty because it was easier for me to teach him that than it was to keep washing diapers.
Just a little word from an older Mom & now Grandmom.

Why do people continue to beleive the bogus information about running the washing machine having the same environmental impact as tossing a disposable diaper in the trash? Think about it…. When you run the washer, the water goes to a treatment plant (or septic tank). The nasties are filtered out and the water is recycled/reused. Thousands of disposable diapers put in the trash take up a large volume of space in the landfill and they don’t go away. Do you know of anyone who dumps the poo in the toilet when changing a disposable? Me neither…. You’re supposed to, but its easier to just roll it up and toss it. So not only are there millions of tons of non-biodegradable diapers in the landfill, there are millions of tons of human waste in the landfill, which will eventually leach out and pollute the groundwater. How does running the washing machine a few more times a week equal the same amount of environmental impact disposables have again?

One quick thing that no one else has mentioned, you shouldn’t wash cloth diapers in Trent’s homemade laundry soap. You should use an actual detergent rather than a soap based detergent because the soap will clog the fibers in the diaper making it loose quite a bit of absorbency. So, in the calculations of how much cloth v. disposables cost, you have to factor in a higher cost for detergent, although if you don’t use Trent’s version then it’s not a big deal.

That being said, I LOVE cloth diapering. I found a great deal on chinese prefolds and covers. So the startup wasn’t so bad, and I’ve been able to use the money we would have spent each payday on diapers to add a few more pre-folds to my arsenal, making life easier. But now I’m about where I need to be!! Cloth diapering is awesome!

We used cloth diapers for all four of our children and loved it. My washing routine was much simpler than the one described here, though. The dirty diapers were rinsed out briefly in the toilet, and then placed in a five-gallon bucket with lid. Wet diapers were just placed in the bucket. For washing, I dumped the whole bucket load into the washer and put them through a quick cold water rinse-only cycle. Then I washed in hot water with gentle detergent. The dryer is much hotter than the wash water, and I think that’s where the diapers get their best sanitizing.

We used prefolds, and wool covers (Biobottoms or Aristocrats) and saved a lot more money than you’d think, since our only acceptable disposable option would have been very expensive 7th Generation unbleached, no-chemical diapers. It was also very satisfying and felt natural.

I save at least $50 a month using cloth rather than ’sposies’. Ive got 2 year old twins in cloth and a daughter for overnight only.

I also use a front loader so I use barely any water to get them clean!

I only spend $20 a month on disposables. I use a combination of coupons and sales. I buy mostly premium diapers, but if a good deal comes up for a cheaper brand, I’ll still take it.

You spend $15 a month just to wash cloth. Even if someone GAVE me the cloth diapers, I’m not washing diapers when I can get disposable for $5 more per month.

[…] The arguments for using cloth diapers are persuasive. They are far cheaper, less destructive to the environment, don’t expose your baby to numerous toxins, and so on. If you have a diaper service in your area and/or have easy access to a washer-dryer, then I do encourage you to at least try to go the plastic-free route. It’s better: for the baby, and for the environment. And for your pocketbook, too. […]

I use a homemade soap on our Fuzzi Bunz and other WAHM diapers and have no problems. for a little over 2 gallons of water there is 1/3 of a bar of Fels Naptha, 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. 1/2 cups per load. We have saved a fortune but we use the homemade detergent and we have twins in cloth.

It is so nice that they are not walking around in a traveling toilet.

Cloth for us was great! When they were soiled, any solids were dropped in the toilet and then the diapers (wet/soiled) went into an old cat litter bucket with three gallons of water, a small portion of laundry soap and a good dose of ammonia. The ammonia keeps the smell down. When our bucket was full, we put the washer on a low-water level, used hot water and added just a bit more detergent if the diapers were really soiled. No need for a second wash! Just dry and they were back in use. As for the diaper covers, we used some from a company called Cascade from Oregon. They were great and not that expensive! We used cloth for all three kids and would use disposable only when away from home. And it made potty training VERY easy! Now we still use the cloth diapers around the house. Talk about getting your money’s worth!!!!!

I think the calculations in the article are incorrect. You can save LOTS of money cloth diapering one child even if you buy the most expensive cloth diapering system (pockets and all-in-ones). I am proof of that.

We cloth diapered my son from birth to potty training and spent a grand total of $580. He potty trained at age 3 years 4 months old, which brings our monthly diapering costs to less than $15/month. Many people I know who disposable diaper say they spend about $50/month on diapers. That means you’d spend about $1,800 total on disposable diapers from birth to potty training if your child potty trained at 3 years old.

I should clarify that we really spent about $1,400 on diapers but sold them as my son outgrew them for a total of about $800. Hence, our net diapering costs for 40 months = $580. (I kept an Excel spreadsheet.)

We found cloth diapers to be MUCH more convenient than disposable diapers. Turning a few knobs on the washing machine every 4th day was much easier for me than carting my son to the store every week to buy more paper diapers. Besides, the thought of throwing all that human waste into a landfill gave me the creeps. With cloth diapers, all the human waste goes to a water treatment plant where it belongs and can be properly treated.

None of the daycares we used or even interviewed had a problem using cloth diapers. We bought a separate supply of all-in-one diapers to keep at daycare.

My son did not potty train early; he was too attached to his diapers! Either that or he is just stubborn. ;)

I just want to say thanks to everyone for sharing. My first - and probably only - child is due this summer and I need all the information I can get!
Thank you everyone!

When my first child was born my mother gave me a big stack of the oldfashioned kind of diapers you use safty pins with. There were only a couple of brands of disposible (28 years ago) and I started using them, but found my son got bad diaper rash unless I used the most expensive. I switched to the cloth and it cleared up. I eventually had to switch back to disposible because we moved to an apartment without laundry facilities, I only had the car in the evening, and the laundry mat costs made cloth diapers a more expensive option than most expensive disposible. With the younger two, I had a washer and chose cloth for 90% of the time because washing seemed healthier,less diaper rash, and more space efficient in a small house. With my younger two, I found the then new disposible pull-ups slowed down the potty training as they could feel they were wet, but saved on washing bedding when used at night if you had a child who did not wake up soon enough at night , but was daytime potty trained.

Cloth diapers are very EASY to use and very CUTE now in days. When my now 2yr old was born I had just heard of cloth diapering from some moms on iVillage. They posted many comments, questions, pictures, where to buy, and what to buy. It was very helpful. I went with the AIO(all-in-one) cloth diapers because they were more husband and grandma friendly. They go on and off just like a disposable diaper. I bought the “Kushies” brand when he was 5mo old and am still using those same ones. He is 2yr and 3mo and potty trained during the day but not quite at night yet. Many of the AIO diapers cost around $10 each, Kushies brand were only $5 and come with very cute prints. I also ordered a few yards of PUL to make my own super cute diapers. They were very EASY to make. PUL is the waterproof material used for the AIO diapers….no cover needed! One of the best ways to start cloth diapering is to ask around where you live, you can come across gently used ones for cheap. Also check ebay, I bought 15 Kushie AIO NEW for 1/2 of what it would have cost me to order through the diaper website. Definately do your research before you spend a few hundred dollars buying everything you need to get started then realize that it’s not for you. If you use a daycare, check with them as well…MOST daycares have no problem using cloth but some will not do it at all. So be sure you check there as well. iVillage.com has an awesome cloth diapering site and the moms there are so wonderful and helpful. They can answer any and all questions that you have.

PS washing them is very easy. Shake poo in toilet, throw diaper in pail(we used a small garbage can with lid) wash diapers every 3 days or so. Throw in washer on hot, add small amount of soap, wash on normal cycle, and do a 2nd rinse when the machine is done to make sure all soap residue is rinsed away(soap buildup with cause leaky diapers). Dry on the cloths line or in the dryer. AIO will take a little longer ot dry than 2IO(the absorbant layer in the center pulls out to make washing and drying more efficient.

Hope this helps. Cloth diapering can seem overwelming sometimes but once you start, it is so easy!!!

I’ll have to disagree on this one. I’ve done both (I have 5 children). Even if it DID cost a LOT more to cloth diaper, the impact you’re saving on the environment, in my opinion, is worth it. However, I don’t find that it’s more expensive in the long run. The initial cost for us last month was approx. $400 (for 2-dozen flat prefolds for newborn-20lb, 12 liners, 12 doublers, 12-all in ones from 20lb-35lb, a cloth changing pad, a cloth wetbag and 2 dozen cloth wipes). So far, I do about 3 extra loads per week in baby clothes and these items . Of course that will decrease as her bladder grows. I’m finished. She’ll use these until she’s potty trained in 2 or 3 years. My total cost was $400 plus my electric/water goes up about $10/month x 12months x 2 years= $640. If she doesn’t potty train until the age of 3 then the total cost rises to $760.

Disposables are about $15 bag, wipes are about $5/tub. So that’s $20/week (supposing we don’t go through more than one tub per week) x 52 weeks = $1040/year times at least 2 years. So we’re talking $2080 by the time she’s potty trained. If she’s 3 before she trains, then that’s $3120.

Add into the disposable cost all rash treatments due to exposure to chemicals; the untold health problems because those chemicals enter the blood stream and damage the immune system, etc and there’s an even higher price to disposable. Add to that the fact that disposables have been discovered to cause sterility in males, and there’s even more cost down the road.

My oldest daughter we used clothes diapers on and then 3 other kids also,
all 4 kids were potty trained by the time there were 15 months, I saved a bunch of cost and now that my youngest is 13 I still have some great rags

I have a very easy, no-fuss way to wash cloth diapers. Throw them in the washer, and let them agitate for a minute or two. Stop the washer, and let the load soak for 1 hour. Restart the load, and voila–you are done! No need to wash twice, or do an extra rinse, or any of that jazz. Once a week or so, I wash them in soap, and then again in just vinegar. A vinegar wash does help with the smell, but I’ve found no need to do vinegar each time.

I disagree with this article. I have been using cloth diapers on my daughter since she was three months old, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I use prefolds with Bummies wraps and I when she was a newborn, I found them to be far superior at keeping everything in then disposable. At her age now, I do not require double diapering her, even at night, she wakes up as dry everyday. In addition, my husband who is a database programer built a program to track our savings and I have faithfully entered a count from every diaper laundry for the past 30 months. In that time, we have save on diapers alone, $2100. When she was three months old, I made my own cloth wipes but unfortunatley we never added in those savings. While I believe the above article was a well thought out analysis, it can’t beat the hard data I have from the experience of using them first hand. The one downside to using cloth is that it is hard to find pants and onsies to properly fit. I was able to turn this problem into a cash savings opportunity as it gave me the incentive to make all my daughter clothes which is a tremendous saving. I have designed and modified a pants pattern for her that grows with her enabling her to fit the same pair of pants for 15 months now! It takes committment but the savings are there and I would recommend and encourage cloth diapers to anyone!

I have used cloth on both my boys and I love cloth diapers. They are not difficult to use - we have travelled to Hawaii, camping, parents house and used them exclusively. My oldest son potty trained at 21 months during the daytime and he is now 32 months and is night time trained with no accidents ever. My youngest has never had a sposie on. My costs to start were less than $150, as we got some free velcro diapers off freecycle, and used the Kushies wraps and I made my own wool wraps. Most of this is money for the wool, which we use as clothing. And it is the easiest load of laundry I do, no folding, just put it in a nice basket and use it right out of the basket. My wipes cost me $5 for Walmart faceclothes and they are still going strong.

My friends tell me they don’t pay that much for sposies, but with gas as expensive as it is, and them having to make special trips with their kiddos just to pick up diapers when they run out, they probablly spend more than they think. Plus those pull ups cost about 5o cents per diaper!

Anyways, I think it is whatever you get used to. My husband loves the cloth, and even uses pins and snappis like a pro…

My husband and I have used cloth diapers with our now 7 month old since day one and have loved them. We use the bum genius one size diapers, which have a snap system so that you can make them longer as the baby grows. They are supposedly good for up to 35 lbs but I can’t vouch for that since we’re not there yet. This does eliminate needing different sizes, which is more cost effective. These diapers are as easy to use as disposables and we’re very happy with them. We also use cloth wipes. I have often wondered how much money it actually saves us, which is why I was drawn to this post to begin with. For us, it was a consideration of both financial cost and environmental concern, so the cloth diapers won out. We do use disposables when we’re traveling but I buy the Seventh Generation unbleached ones. They are quite expensive, but we use disposables so rarely that it’s not a big issue. We were lucky to receive all of our diapers as a shower gift from my mother and also got a bunch of used fuzzi bunz from my sister in law. Our new ones came from cottonbabies.com and I think their website lets you sell back used ones in good condition. You can also sell them on ebay.
Overall, I think cloth may become the way to go for more people as oil prices go up. Disposables are partly made from petroleum so I imagine the prices will be getting higher.