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Your cloth diapering questions answered by real moms: What tips or tricks have you learned to make cloth diapering easier?

When I first started using cloth diapers, I had a lot of questions. How many diapers do I need? What kind of laundry detergent should I be using? How do I manage a weekend trip?

I learned the answers to these questions
quickly- mostly through trial and error. But wouldn't it have been great if I could have gotten helpful advice ahead of time from the real experts?

Well, today you can! I surveyed more than 20 moms who use cloth diapers, and asked them to share their best tips and tricks with you. Their answers are super helpful!
Your cloth diaper questions answered by real moms: What tips and tricks do you have to make cloth diapering easier? Survey results
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Today's question:


What tips or tricks have you learned to make cloth diapering easier? 


(Click here to see all the other posts in this series, or better yet- sign up for my email newsletter so you don't miss anything from now on!)

Elise from www.whimsipost.blogspot.com
I have two "loads" of cloth diapers - a dark and light load. While I'm using one load of diapers, I can wash and dry the other ones without worrying that I'll run out of diapers. And then, when the first load gets dirty, I use the load that has been drying! Also, when my diapers and inserts start to get some stain on them, I hang them outside to dry because the sun really helps to whiten the diapers.
Carolina from www.abutterfulmind.com  
I learned to be fine with using disposables out and about and cloth only at home. That way a whole aspect of carrying a wet bag + your purse was eliminated. Only drawback was having to deny myself the super cute wet bags out there that were screaming my name!
Katy
Keep up with washing every other day. Fold as soon a they're dry. Using tide powder vs expensive cloth diaper specific detergents. Testing water for free at pet store for best cleaning routine. Asking for help on forums online. Dump and swish in toilet isn't as bad as I thought it would be - diaper sprayer caused messy splatter...
Your cloth diaper questions answered by real moms: What tips and tricks do you have to make cloth diapering easier? Survey results
Becca from www.nursegonenatural.com
Stay on top of the laundry. Get in a routine of washing them and find a show to watch or a podcast to listen to while stuffing/folding.
Sarah from www.InternationalBlessings.com
The flushable liners made yucky diapers so much easier to clean up. We kept a trashcan with lid and baking soda nearby to help with the smell until a load was ready to wash.
Rebekah 
  • Diaper sprayer is ESSENTIAL once your child is starting solids.
  • Using cloth wipes is much easier than trying to use disposable wipes - just throw them in the diaper pail with the diaper. We fold and pre-wet cloth wipes with a simple solution to make messy poops easier to handle quickly (instead of spraying the wipes as you need them.)
  • Coconut oil for rash prevention and treatment of mild diaper rash.
  • Have multiple diaper pail liners so that you can put a fresh one in the pail while the dirty diapers are being washed.
Rachel 
Use a flushable liner so that you can just peel off the poop and flush it. They will also tell you things like that you can't put cloth in the dryer, but I've found that to be untrue. I also bleach mine more than is recommended without a problem.
Bethany from www.thelaundryblog.wordpress.com 
  • Washable bags for diapers. I just turn the bag inside out into the washer so I don't have to touch the dirty diapers. (same kind of advice applies to cloth wipes, just throw them in with the wash).
  • Have a few all-in-one diapers (or pocket diapers where the insert washes out) to use when leaving the house for the ease of disposables.
  • Buy one-size diapers in snaps not velcro. The velcro will almost always wear out before the rest of the diaper. I do love velcro, especially for tired parents and wiggly newborns, but I usually limit it to sized items or prepare myself to replace the velcro.
Jessica from www.adventuresofacavemom.com 
I keep a bucket in the bathroom and just toss the dirty diapers into that until I wash them. I also learned to rinse the poop diapers off right away.
Your cloth diaper questions answered by real moms: What tips and tricks do you have to make cloth diapering easier? Survey results- Bumgenius diapers in a Hop Skip Go grey chevron diaper bag
Charlotte  
Laundry - a load of diapers a day :)
Lauren 
Covers (hybrid system) are super cost effective, AIOs (all-in-ones) allow you to control where absorbency is needed the most, pulling the tabs "up" and around gets a much better fit, polyester or biodegradable liners are a life saver, purchase many many wet bags, diaper sprayers are WORTH the money, numerous brands work during your babies different growing seasons, therefore purchase and support many, shop with small businesses and receive cash back with a point reward system. Most importantly, don't give up and keep an open mind!
Darci
Buy enough dipes to last at least a couple of days so that you don't have to wash every day. Invest in a diaper sprayer.
Julie from www.julievarner.com 
Staying on top of diaper laundry is essential! With my second cloth-diapered kiddo, I switched from stuffed diapers to prefolds, which I found to be faster and easier.
Emily 
Purchase a variety of brands and types of diapers second hand! I felt overwhelmed at the beginning due to so many choices. If I had committed to one brand at the beginning, I may not have chosen a successful one for my long and lean baby. Different babies fit brands differently. Once I got used to the diapers and how they fit, I could easily find my favorite since I owned a variety. Then I just bought more of those! 
Mary 
Use a diaper service!
To clean the covers, rinse off as much as you can, then soak in OxyClean.
Your cloth diaper questions answered by real moms: What tips and tricks do you have to make cloth diapering easier? Survey results- Bumgenius diapersElissa 
We do use disposables at night; not the most natural or inexpensive option, but we were having ammonia issues and burns, so sleep and happy skin trumped the other factors.
Beth
  • I never used cloth overnight....my kids slept longer!!! And that was totally worth it to me. 
  • I just used simple prefolds and covers.....got into a few of the fancy ones, but my organic bamboo prefolds lasted 3 years!!
Raye from www.maisonraye.blogspot.com 
My strategy with cloth diapers was to buy diapers once and only once. I was able to do this once my son was large enough (10 lb) to fit into the multi-size pocket diapers that I could then adjust down or up to fit him. Another trick I learned was to go old school. About 1/2 my diaper stash was pre-folds with snap covers. Easy to size and I only washed the covers when my son had dirty diapers. If it was just a wet one, I let it air dry in the sunshine and re-used. That cut down on laundry and they were easy to adjust to his size as he grew.
Andrea
Give your self grace and know that it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing! We use disposables overnight because we were dealing with burns/rash from overnight cloth wear. And as much as I tried to stick with the cloth and find a solution, it was hurting my kids and we were having to use disposables to get over the rashes anyway. Using disposables overnight was an easy solution, and I don't consider it a "fail". We also used disposables until our kids were 2 months old. It took almost that long until they could fit well into the one-size-fits-all diapers we had. Plus, it gave us a "grace period" to get at least a little bit comfortable with having newborn twins ;) We were gifted plenty of disposable diapers, that I don't think I had to purchase any for this initial 2-month period.
I do diaper laundry every other day. The diapers don't sit long enough to get more "gross" than necessary. And I know I have plenty of time to get everything washed before I run out of diapers.
Kristine
Cloth wipes! We pre-fold & wet them with a wipe solution recipe I found online & store them in a reusable wipe container. All the convenience of disposable wipes, without chemicals I can't pronounce! Also, we use disposables on long trips.
Amy
We use mostly prefolds with covers, because they are cheaper and much easier to wash and dry in our humid climate. However, for visits to Grandma's or the church nursery, we keep some pockets and all-in-ones that are very simple for another caregiver to use. Also, we have settled on using disposables at night-time.
Kathryn
  • Spray the poopy diapers out as soon as possible (as well as poopy cloth wipes).
  • A diaper sprayer is well worth the extra money once your baby starts eating solids.
  • Have many wet bags, especially when your little one starts daycare so you never have to scramble to wash a wet bag.
  • Use real detergent (we use Tide). I never found my cloth diapers got really clean until we switched to Tide.
  • We use a scoop of Borax in every diaper load because we have slightly hard water in our area. As soon as we started using Borax I never had a smell issue with our clean diapers again.
  • Coconut oil is the best and cheapest diaper cream for minor irritation. Use a flushable diaper liner if you occasionally need to use medicated non cloth diaper friendly cream.
  • Don't give up and experiment lots. Every baby is different and you have to find what works for you.

And my answer?
I'm Laura from www.LaurasPlans.com. ;) Note: my answer contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure statement here.)
Decide what's important to you. Is your top priority to save money? Or is convenience the most important to you? That will tell you which type of diaper to buy. For me, it was worth it to pay a little more for pocket and all-in-one diapers , which are super easy to use- so we can send them to daycare or leave them with a babysitter. I also bought enough diapers so that I only have to do laundry ever other night. . . or every three nights if I need to. 
Other things that have worked well for me:
  • Bamboo inserts at night- They are crazy absorbent. I've NEVER had a leak with them.
  • Tide powder instead of special diaper detergent. Since I switched to Tide, I've never had a problem getting my diapers clean.
  • Just going for it! You'll figure everything out as you go. Don't make yourself crazy doing TOO much research ahead of time. 
Well, that's it! Hopefully you found these tips and tricks helpful.

Still have questions? Subscribe to my email list and stay tuned for the next post in this series. What is your favorite brand or type of cloth diaper and why? In the meantime, feel free to email me. I'd love to answer any questions I can for ya. ;)