Cloth diapers are more popular now than they have been in decades. No wonder they are popular when they can save families about ,500 per child over the cost of disposable diapers (or more!). Using cloth on just one baby keep about 2,000 pounds of disposables out of the landfills. However, with the resurgence of modern diapering has come a huge variety that can easily overwhelm new parents. Here is what you need to get started:
* About 8 diapers for each day between washing. You'll need a few more for a newborn. I suggest a total of about 24 to start. That is enough for 2 days between washings for most newborns and about 3 days for older babies. So, you'll need either 24 prefolds and 4-6 covers, or 24 all in one or pocket diapers with inserts.
* A wet bag for when you are away from home. This simple waterproof bag makes it easy to store your wet diapers and helps keep odors down. Just wash it along with everything else.
* A diaper pail liner. If you prefer, you can just wash the pail each time you wash diapers. I hate scrubbing diaper pails, so I prefer to use a washable liner. It works like a trash bag, but can be thrown in the washer.
* Cloth wipes make sense if you are using cloth diapers. That way there is nothing to throw away and you can save hundreds of dollars over the cost of disposable wipes. You can wet them with warm water if you are near a sink, keep them in a wipes warmer with a cloth wipes solution, or use a spray bottle with water or wipes solution to wet them as needed.
* A cloth diaper safe detergent. While some people use the same detergent for diapers as they use for clothes, you'll likely have fewer diaper rashes or leaks with a detergent that has no enzymes, brighteners or fabric softeners.
That's it. You are now ready to save a lot of money, and a lot of trees. This is all you need to get started with cloth diapers.
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