cloth dipes and wipes Cloth diapers are making a comeback…but these aren’t your mama’s cloth diapers. They’re easy to use, adorable, and they save you LOTS of money. Here’s the scoop.

This "modern" cloth diapering business has exploded into a HUGE industry in the last 5-7 years…and it can be quite overwhelming to dive into. But, the best way to begin is to JUST BEGIN! You can spend weeks and weeks researching if this pocket diaper is truly better than that fitted diaper…but in the end, it really comes down to your preferences and your baby’s body type. Each diaper will fit differently. If you just jump in and start, it's much easier to determine what will work for you.

Instead of re-writing all of the information that is already out there regarding the logistics of cloth diapering, I'm going to send you to my friend Sarah. She is the cloth diapering guru. :)

Why Use Cloth Diapers? How to Cloth Diaper Is Cloth Really Cheaper?

Now that you've read all of the basics and know the terminology...I'll tell you my personal experience with cloth diapers. Before Bella was born, I bought pretty much one of every type of diaper so that I could see what I liked best. I found that for the newborn stage, I LOVED the Kissaluv Size 0 fitted diapers with a plastic or wool cover (we used Proraps). As she grew out of the Kissaluvs, we transitioned into pocket diapers. I also had a handful of hemp fitted dipes for nighttime diapering and I LOVED the Aristocrat Soaker. Awesome.

When it came to diapering Bella, I was pretty fanatical. It was at least a year and a half before a disposable even touched her skin :) I took them on airplanes across the country and everywhere else. While I certainly think it can be done (never using disposables)...I don't want anyone to think that is the only way to do it. :) This time around we're a little more laid back. We used cloth and elimination communication with Lucy until we went on the road in July, and then used mostly disposables while traveling. Now that we have a larger RV with a washer and dryer, I'm starting up with cloth again. I am hoping to get going with elimination communication again as well...I LOVED being able to "read" her that way, and it will cut back on how many diapers I have to wash!

I'm super excited to receive my order of pocket diapers from Sarah...I need a diaper that dries quickly (our washer/dryer in the RV is a combo unit and dries slowly) and a pocket diaper stuffed with a microfiber towel fits the bill perfectly. I will continue to use disposables when we are flying home and when we are out and about. When we are "en route", we don't always have water and electric hookups...which means to do laundry, I need to run the generator (loud!). When we settle in one place for a little while, it's much easier to do cloth because we have full hookups.

My personal diapering system looks like this:

18 Pocket diapers with microfiber inserts (I get the inserts at Costco)
Cloth wipes
Wet Bag (one big one for the diaper pail and a small one for the diaper bag)
Large stainless steel step can (for dirty dipes)

And that's it! Pretty simple. I don't use any sort of special wipe solution...I just run the cloth wipes under warm water. If I am out and about, I might use a spray bottle with a simple solution of apricot oil, Dr. Bronner's and water...or just put some wet cloth wipes in a baggie. Or you could try Sarah's wipe solution here.

As far as number of diapers, you CAN get by with just 12. In the newborn stage, that would last 1 day. I like to have at least 12-18 on hand so that I can go a little longer between washing.

When it comes to washing the diapers...it's just as easy. I think this is the part that scares people away...but it's really no different than doing another load of regular laundry. I just grab the wet bag out of the step can when it's full and dump it all in the wash on hot water with natural detergent. If you want to avoid staining in the early poop stages, you can do a cold soak first or "sun" the diapers to get rid of staining.

For more information than you could ever possibly take into your brain in one sitting, check out the Mothering.com diaper forums here. Just be warned...you may feel VERY overwhelmed after reading there. I use it as a tool, but I don't spend too much time there because it's information overload! :)

Once you get into cloth diapering, you might also consider starting "family cloth" or cloth toilet paper. I blogged about it several years ago. We don't do family cloth while we're on the road, but I LOVE it when we're in a sticks & bricks house.

Bottom line...cloth diapering is fun and easy. Yes, it might cost more up front..but you can use them with multiple children, it's better for the earth, and for their little bums. If you've ever been curious about cloth diapers, now is a great time to check it out! If you're still intimidated, you can always do cloth just at nighttime to try it.

And now for the fun part! The Giveaway!

Sarah, owner of Wallypop, is a friend of mine "in real life" :) and Lisa, owner of Full Circle Baby is one of my online friends. Both ladies have generously donated some cloth diapering goodies from their stores for me to giveaway. Be sure to visit both of their stores to see a variety of cool natural living stuff!

Here is the giveaway stash:

3 tie-dyed premium sized prefold diapers (see photo above...great for a burp cloth or dipes!)
One dozen cloth wipes
One medium fleece cover
2 Kissaluvs (size 0) or BumGenius Organic (winner's choice!)
Baby's Bottom Butter Cream

If you are local in the San Antonio, Austin, or New Braunfels, TX area and you want to check cloth diapers out in person...you can go straight to Lisa. Same with Sarah for those of you Des Moines area locals. Sarah also has adorable custom t-shirt fitted dipes and other fun stuff at her Etsy store, Boulevard Designs. And she conducts cloth diapering classes...contact her for more info.

To enter yourself in the diaper giveaway...answer one of the following questions:

If you are cloth diapering already or have in the past, what is your favorite brand or type of diaper?
If you aren't using cloth yet...tell me your favorite fall food (I know, not diaper related...but I like to eat!)

I will choose a winner at random October 30 at 12:00 MST. Have a great weekend!