Cassat, Mother About to Wash Her Sleepy Child, courtesy of CGFA- A Virtual Art Museum

Ok, you've loaded this page, with the optimistic- sounding title "Easy Cloth Diapering" at the top, and then you've noticed how LONG this article is.  "Sheesh," you say, "If this is 'easy', I'm outta here!"  Well, bear with me.  Cloth diapering really is easy, once you get the hang of it, which doesn't take very long at all.  Basically, if you can do laundry, you can do diapers.  The reason this page is so long is that I wanted to share with you the particular details of "my" diapering and laundering method.  My method is not necessarily better than other people's, but it may give you a good starting point, if you've never done cloth before.  Plus, within the article, I give links to sites where you can learn about other approaches to cloth diapering.

Had to add this next bit -- after all, you deserve to know what all your options are.  Instead of choosing cloth over conventional disposables, you might decide to go completely au naturel, and have your baby be comfortably diaper-free as much as possible.  This can actually be a way to achieve (very!) early toilet learning.  To find out more, visit Did you say: "WITHOUT diapers"??!, a thought-provoking piece with good links and references.

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I have used both cloth and disposable diapers with our five babies.  From reading Mothering magazine and other sources, I have long since learned that cloth is the better choice, because it has no harmful chemicals and is reusable, economical, and better for baby's skin and quite possibly for his or her longterm health.  But for years, we could not do cloth round-the-clock because I could not find an adequately leakproof diaper/cover combination.  My babies would be in cloth at home during the day, and in conventional disposables when we went out and at night.

But then disposables quickly became "not an option" when they caused a nasty, persistant bleeding rash in our newborn third baby.  I had no choice but to switch to cloth full-time.  Fortunately, by that point I had found a couple of cloth diaper and cover combinations that could hold a lot, and still keep our baby's clothes dry or mostly dry even during shopping trips and overnight.  I also learned an easy change/soak/wash routine which helps preserve the life and virtual leakproof-ness of the diapers and covers.  Read on for my top picks in diapering supplies, as well as laundering and other tips.

Diaper Covers, Pins, and Diapers

Over the years, we've tried many combinations of various diapers and covers.  Unfortunately, the Alexis pull-ons, my favorite covers for their economical price and for being virtually leakproof, are no longer in production. 

(Fall 2007) - I have found a good replacement for the Alexis pull-ons:  Dappi covers.  These are quite similar to the Alexis covers, being made of soft leakproof nylon and in the pull-on style.  The only difference that I can see is that the binding material for the elastic is different in the Dappis.  Dappi covers are available in size newborn through extra large (32-35 pounds).  I found ours at BabyBestBuy.com.  In my experience, this style of cover is very much preferable to the bulkier and more expensive fitted covers with wide velcro-style closures (more on that below).

Our babies have worn all sizes of these lightweight nylon covers, from newborn through extra large (toddler), and have needed between six and twelve covers of each size, depending on the age and output of the baby.  Generally, you'll need more covers for a younger baby, less as s/he approaches toddler age.  A well-fitting cover is much less likely to leak, so it's worth it to spend the extra money to get covers in each size, instead of "sizing up" (which may seem like a way to save money, but will result in lots of diaper leaks until baby grows into his diaper covers).

For a custom fit with no sagging, I have always preferred to use pins.  We did use some fancy fitted cloth diapers with velcro closures way back in the beginning, but I found that the velcro was bulky and scratchy for baby, that it got all tangled in the wash, and that both velcro and disposable diaper tapes made a loud sssskritch! sound pretty much guaranteed to wake a sleeping baby when I tried to change him or her.  I also found metal diaper clips to be stiff and very hard to use.  Pins are actually easy to use with a little practice - you can try diapering a baby doll a few times to get the hang of it, if you prefer.

My favorite diaper pins are the regular plastic-head ones you can find at most drugstores.  I find the ones with metal heads tend to be frustrating to use - it can be hard to get the sharp part in and out of the cover part.  I have never had a plastic diaper pin cover break on me, and the plastic type will survive an accidental trip through the washer and dryer (still pinned to the diaper) just fine.  And I finally(!) discovered what lots of cloth diapering moms already know:  when the diaper pins start to seem "dull" and resist going through the thick diaper fabric, it really does help to stick the pins' points into a bar of soap.  The soap doesn't sharpen them so much as slick them up, so that they can easily penetrate even the most stubborn diaper.  And that makes for speedier and safer pinning.

As for diapers, we've used several types that I've really liked.  Since I'm partial to pins, I like flat diapers, either contour or prefold. Contour diapers are hourglass-shaped.  Because of their shape, they tend to fit baby nicely.  There's little or no extra cloth bulk, so there's less unsightly bulging and lumpiness under baby's clothes, and they are probably more comfortable for baby than are prefolds.  I especially liked using contours when our third and fourth babies were newborns, when their hips were still so tiny in comparison to their tummies.  The contour diapers they wore were really small, and were homemade from regular prefolds.  (Our fifth baby was 10 pounds at birth -- way too chubby for the contour diapers we had -- so he went right into prefolds!)

Note:  for free, printable instructions on how to create homemade contour diapers from prefolds, go here.

If you cannot or prefer not to make contour diapers for your baby, then I highly recommend Plushies countours.  These are available at The Baby Lane, where you can get samples or packs of six, in sizes ranging from newborn through toddler.  Plushies are terrific, by far the best diapers of this type that I've found.  They are thick, soft, very absorbent and well made (built to last), and -- very important -- have plenty of overlap on either side so that baby can grow with them and wear them for a good while.  The newborn size even has a cutout for baby's bellybutton.

Our third and fourth babies could wear their little contour diapers till they were about 3 months old.  By that age, each had grown a fair amount, so I switched to the regular size rectangular prefolds that their older brother had outgrown.  The advantages of prefolds are several:  they are an excellent value for the money, they hold more than contour diapers do because there's more fabric, and they wear really well if they are of good materials and construction.  I like to use prefolds especially for overnight and for trips to the store, etc., because they really go the distance.  I prefer to use Chinese prefolds because they are simply the best for softness, absorbancy, durability and versatility (can be sized up or down depending on how you fold or don't fold them). 

Green Mountain Diapers sells Diaper Service Quality Chinese Prefolds by the dozen, in various sizes from Preemie to Toddler.  I liked using the Newborn size when our fifth baby was very young because a Regular diaper, folded in half, was too bulky for him to wear comfortably.  Once the Newborn size is outgrown, the Regular size works fine (if it's still a bit big, just fold the front of the diaper down a few inches before fastening).  The Toddler size is quite large, and I found I only needed it for my late trainers (around age 3).

Cheap Homemade Wipes

Here is an idea for easy cheap wipes:  use tattered old prefold diapers from your previous children.  Tear off the worn-out thinner strips on the sides and use the soft, thick middle strip as a wipe.  Our "wipes" get soaked and laundered along with the diapers.  When we need a clean one, I just run some warm water on it and wring out the excess.  I find that these soft cloth wipes work better than disposable paper ones, especially at cleaning off the poop.  They are also much gentler for baby's skin.  If you don't have old ragged diapers to use, I have heard that washcloths bought in bulk at discount stores or bed & bath outlets can work just as well.  I would recommend plain washcloths without any designs printed or embroidered on them, so that they are as soft as possible. 

About Toilet Dunking...

Toilet dunking or "pre-cleaning" poopy diapers is not mandatory (so some say), but it's really not that bad, either.  This is where you slosh the diaper up and down in the toilet bowl to get all or most of the poop off. 

Clarification! I apologize if the above statements on toilet dunking have caused anyone to believe that I feel soiled diapers can be thrown, poop and all, into the diaper pail without any cleaning beforehand.  That is not true;  in my opinion, some pre-cleaning is necessary, even if you don't actually immerse the diapers in the toilet.  To quote from the "Laundering" section below:  "As for poopy diapers, most if not all of the chunks should be shaken or rinsed off into the toilet and flushed away."

This has never bothered me, especially after I heard in one of those news reports about the germs in the typical home - the toilet seat has way fewer (and way less harmful) germs on it than the kitchen counter does!  So if you're squeamish about the toilet per se, you don't need to be, as long as you clean it regularly, like, weekly or so.  As for the contents of the diapers themselves, neither has this grossed me out, except when my children were older toddlers and still not trained, and/or when I was in the midst of morning sickness.  But with a young baby, no sweat.  This cleanup I undertake in a very matter-of-fact way;  I guess I got that from my mom, who as a nurse has done her share of icky cleanups and etc.  It is just another way for me to serve my baby and to care for him.

If you are concerned about harsh toilet cleaning chemicals getting into the diapers, then don't use them.  Either get the naturally-based toilet bowl cleaners sold at health food stores, or make your own cleaner really cheap.  When it's cleaning time, put about 4 oz white vinegar in an old, empty, rinsed-out shampoo bottle or other bottle like that, the kind where when you squeeze the sides, stuff squirts out of the hole in the top.  Squirt the vinegar up under the toilet bowl rim and into the water.  Then sprinkle in enough baking soda till you can hear it fizzing.  Clean with a toilet bowl brush as usual, then flush to rinse.  This mixture scrubs and freshens your toilet without all those harsh chemicals.  Plus, it's really good for the pH of your septic tank, if you have one. 

The one time when toilet germs might be a concern is if anyone in the family is sick with vomiting and/or diarrhea.  At that time, rather than resorting to a stronger toilet bowl cleaner, I simply do not dunk the poopy diapers.  I take a few extra moments to wipe any poop off the diaper cover before dropping it into the soak pail, and I shake or knock as much b.m. as I can off the diaper and into the toilet bowl, then put the diaper in the soak pail as well.

Diaper Pails - to Soak or Not?

I disagree with some who say that soaking in a diaper pail is unnecessary.  I have found that this sets the stains much worse, to not soak the diapers, but to leave them to sit in a dry covered pail - particularly when they are the diapers of a young baby.  That bright yellow (breastfed) poop really stains!  I know, because I was not careful to push a poopy diaper down into the soak water once.  Despite frequent washing and double rinsing, and repeated use, the bright yellow stains persisted in that diaper for months.  I have to think, too, that the odor would be a lot worse for a dry diaper pail, especially with an older baby, even if you knocked the biggest pieces of b.m. into the toilet first.

Diaper services don't have you soak their diapers, but then, I am sure diaper services use chlorine bleach, which I do not.

If the baby gets to where s/he likes to wander into the bathroom and you are worried about a water-filled diaper pail getting opened or tipped over by baby, just keep the bathroom door shut when you're not in there, till baby gets thru that stage.  That's what we have done, and we haven't yet had any problems with diaper pails getting knocked over.  I would also think that the shape of pail influences how easy or hard it is to knock over.  I use round, 5-gallon plastic pails with snap-on lids.  I have found them at large discount variety stores and at bigger drugstores.  These seem like they would be harder to tip over (especially when full and heavy) than would rectangular pails.  I can see a rectangular pail being tipped over on one of its long sides, by a baby or toddler using it to pull up to stand.

I also would much rather soak the diapers in a pail than in the washing machine for several hours or overnight, as some have recommended.  This keeps my washer freed up to do the many, many loads of other laundry I do every couple of days!  I want my washer to be on call at all hours - I don't want it tied up all evening, soaking a load of poopy diapers that have been sitting dry in a pail for 2 or 3 days!

Laundering

In my experience, diapers for a newborn need to be laundered every two or three days.  For an older baby, the interval may stretch to every three to five days, depending on how many diapers you have and how productive your baby is.

For diapers containing urine only, I do not rinse, but just toss them into the soak pail, which starts off with about 2 gallons (7 1/2 liters) of cold water and about a cup (250 ml) of white vinegar.  (I've finally learned how great vinegar is at keeping down diaper odors - it's amazing!  Works better than baking soda!)  Into the pail also go covers from overnight use, and those that have gotten poop on them.  Otherwise, I hand rinse the covers, then drip dry and reuse.

I have found that nylon covers can be machine washed and dried along with heavy cotton diapers as long as you do not use chlorine bleach, harsh detergent or hot temperatures, any of which will reduce the covers' ability to hold in moisture.  All covers should be laundered in the machine at least weekly to get all the urine cleaned out.  I learned this the hard way.  I used to hand wash all our covers, but found they would become leaky and useless after only a couple of months on average.  I finally read that this was because hand washing doesn't get all the urine out and then it sits and eats at the covers.  Machine laundering and the right detergent do a much more thorough job.

As for poopy diapers, most if not all of the chunks should be shaken or rinsed off into the toilet and flushed away.    The plumbing of a washing machine was not designed to take big chunks of anything, especially of poop.  :-b   That's what the toilet's for!

Especially for a young baby or one with sensitive skin, I prefer to launder with mild detergent from the health food store.  I like Seventh Generation detegent the best.  For an older baby or toddler, I may add baking soda to the wash water, too;  more on that in a bit. That's it - no chlorine bleach, which shortens the life of diapers and quickly renders nylon covers useless.  I haul the soak pail, water and all, to the washer and dump in everything - diapers, covers, and cloth wipes.  Then I set the washer to spin, so that the soak water is discarded.  I use warm wash and rinse water, and rinse twice.  Everything is dried on medium.  The avoidance of bleach and fabric softeners, the type of detergent, the temperature of the wash/rinse water, and the dryer setting are all chosen because of the diaper covers.  This setup gets everything clean if not snow-white, helps the diapers to last a good long time, and keeps the diaper covers leak-proof. 

Here is how I do an older baby or toddler's diapers:  First I dump the entire contents of the diaper pail into the washer.  Next the washer is set to spin out the dirty water.  I then fill it with warm water, to which I've added detergent.  Baking soda, about 1/2 cup, may be added to help eliminate odors due to an older baby's varied diet.  (I suppose this might apply to formula-fed babies' diapers, too.)  I regularly added baking soda and a little Borax to our third baby's diaper wash water because his diapers tended to be extra-smelly.  But for our fourth baby, all I needed to use in the wash was detergent.  Every baby and washing setup is different, and you may need to tinker with detergents and additives to find what works best for you.

For added freshening, you can have the filled washer agitate diapers, detergent, etc. for a couple minutes to get everything well-mixed.  You can then interrupt the wash cycle and have the diapers soak in the sudsy water for an hour or so.  I used to find this soaking step essential for cutting the odors in baby #3's very smelly diapers.  But with baby #4 (and now baby #5), and the same washer, detergent, and water, I found that his diapers didn't need any washer soaking at all -- I just ran them through the wash like any other load of laundry (except that I did an extra rinse to make sure all the detergent was removed).  As noted above, I've found that soaking soiled diapers in the washer for hours and hours, or overnight, is not necessary.  (Your soak time may vary.) 

Once the diapers are clean, you may prefer to dry them on an outdoor clothesline.  This gets them wonderfully fresh-smelling, and the sunshine helps to whiten them.  If you live in an area free of rules prohibiting the use of clotheslines, then by all means, go for it!  It's a great way to freshen up baby's diapers and conserve energy, too.

Cloth diapering may sound like a lot of work, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes pretty easy and routine.   And the rewards of using cloth go beyond the obvious ones of saving money or helping the environment.  Cloth is a simple, old-fashioned, even humbling way to care for your baby.  You are not just untaping a diaper and throwing it away;  you are taking the time to clean and reuse it.  In doing so, you step out of the consumer rat race just a bit, as you minister to your baby in a time-honored way that's becoming a lost art.  It's especially rewarding if you've made the diapers yourself, or if you've bought them from a home business that only carries diapers made by moms at home. 

I really do believe that cloth diapering is just one of the ways we can make the world a gentler, cozier, more healthful place for our babies.  If that sounds too far-fetched or sentimental, so be it... but I bet some of you other cloth diapering moms out there can relate! 

A Good Absorbent Pad for Bed or Crib

Sometimes, especially during the newborn and spitup period, baby will get moisture on the mattress.  It helps to have a good waterproof pad for those times.  I found a great one sold by Vermont Country Store.  It is worth every penny!  It's large, thick, soft, very absorbent (holds several cups of liquid), durable, and can be machine washed and dried.  It is not too hot to sleep on, and is quiet instead of crackle-y.   All in all, we have found it very much preferable to the thin rubberized pads sold in baby departments and the like.  It's also great to have on hand during the last month of pregnancy, when you're never quite sure when your water will break!  They call it a "Top-Of-The-Sheet-Pad" but I prefer to put it just under the fitted sheet, so that it doesn't scrunch around when baby's on it.

The Best Disposables

I admit it, on our nearly 2000-mile driving vacation in 1998, we brought along disposable diapers for our baby.   But not just any disposables... This was our baby with really sensitive skin;  conventional  disposables give him a terrible diaper rash.  So, we bought him Tushies disposables from the health food store instead.  These diapers proved to be terrific.  They are filled with very absorbent cotton fibers and leak little or not at all, especially if you use a good diaper cover over them.  They have no plastic (except in the tape area) or harmful chemicals, either, and our baby remained relatively rash-free throughout the trip.  I feel they were definitely worth the extra cost.  They might be an option for you too, if for example you are particularly health- or environment- conscious, and/or your baby has sensitive skin, plus s/he's in a daycare situation where disposables are required.

In December 1999 we went on another long car trip - almost 7,000 miles of driving in 3 1/2 weeks!  Our baby at the time was nearly two years old, and had been in cloth diapers almost exclusively from early infancy.  I thought at the start of the trip that surely by his age, our baby's skin would be "toughened up" enough to handle conventional disposables without developing a rash.  So he was in regular supermarket disposables for the first 4 or 5 days.  Well, he didn't get a rash, but he did begin to have edema-like swelling beneath the foreskin, a worrisome development to say the least.  He seemed to be having a reaction to some substance in the diapers.  We found a health food store and bought some Tushies cotton disposables.  After just a day and a half of wearing those, the swelling was down markedly, and after three days he was back to normal.  I don't know if this indicates our son just has an allergy or sensitivity to something in the conventional disposables, or if this could be an item of note for other parents of uncircumcised baby boys.

And for Mom ...

How about cloth or other alternative menstrual products instead of the usual bleached, disposable ones?  If the chemicals in disposable diapers are bad for baby, then those hidden in most disposable feminine products probably aren't too good for women, either!  If you are interested in researching this further, scroll down a bit to the end of the links section!