Before jumping into cloth diapering, you probably have so many unanswered questions. Here are the most commonly asked questions answered by a cloth diapering mama herself!
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Deciding whether or not you want to cloth diaper comes with so many unanswered questions. As a first time mom who was going to stay home, I wanted to save money anywhere that I could.
These are the most common questions that I came across about cloth diapering including the price of cloth diapers, how to clean cloth diapers, and much more!
By the end of this, you are going to have all your questions answered and be prepared to start cloth diapering!
This post will answer the most common questions about cloth diapering.
Commonly Asked Questions About Cloth Diapering:
1. What Do People Dislike About Cloth Diapering?
The number one thing I have heard from other people about disliking cloth diapers is the smell.
Honestly I PREFER the smell of a cloth diaper over a disposable diaper. Hear me out. With cloth diapers, you will have them sitting for just a few days before washing. Disposable diapers however, sit in a diaper pail or garbage can for several days or even weeks depending on the size of the can.
If you are worried about the smell of your diapers, you can store the dirty cloth diapers in a sealed wet bag. I promise that will help with the smell! The best thing about using a wet bag is when it is time to wash diapers, you can throw the bag in with them too!
You will love these wegreeco reusable wet bags! These wet bags are our go to wet bags for used diapers, dirty clothes, ect.
The wet bags have strong handles (we just hang it on the bathroom door knob near my daughters room) and they hold in all of the smells. This will resolve the issue of your fear of smell by using cloth diapers!
2. How Do You Clean Poop Out of Cloth Diapers?
You are probably terrified of cloth diapers because all of the poop you will have to clean. But, it is super easy to do. I promise!
Did you know that you are supposed dump your child’s waste into the toilet from a disposable diaper?! I didn’t either and was very surprised when I found out, just like you!
Since people don’t know this, they throw the entire diaper with the poop into the garbage. It is best to dump the loose waste into the toilet when possible. This will help keep extra bacteria out of the landfills.
With that being said, cloth diapers and disposable diapers are very similar in that aspect. To make this process easier, we use the Spray Pal!
The Spray Pal is effective, user friendly, and we LOVE it! All you have to do is clip on your cloth diaper, set the Spray Pal in the toilet, and then use the shower head to rinse off the waste. That’s it! Then, you can throw it in the wet bag until you are ready to wash.
3. How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need Per Day?
Personally, I have found that cloth diapering uses about an equal amount of cloth diapers as disposable diapers (if you get quality covers and liners).
This also will depend on your kiddo. I have a heavy wetter, specifically at night. For nighttime use I would add an extra liner (I purchased extra liners) in the diaper to prevent it from leaking out.
With all of that being said, I would say on average, you will need 6-9 diapers per day if you have a heavy wetter like I do.
You will want to make sure you are investing in a decent cloth diaper to ensure you get the most use out of each one. We love the wegreeco brand cloth diapers on Amazon. They are affordable, beginner friendly, AND great quality.
These make cloth diapering so easy and affordable. They have so many different designs and they come with a small wet bag (my favorite part). We have 18 diapers and spent LESS THAN $100 on all of them for the initial investment. That is only a few boxes of disposable diapers!
With about 18 cloth diapers, you can go 2-3 days between washes. If you want more days between washes, you can invest in more cloth diapers!
4. Can you leave a cloth diaper on all night?
Many people are concerned about cloth diapering overnight. From my experience, you can leave a cloth diaper on all night.
My number one tip with using cloth diapers overnight is adding an extra insert to the cloth diaper. You will want to purchase an extra set of inserts so you can still use your cloth diapers as normal.
You’ll love Hemp Inserts! They are intended for heavy wetters, so they are extra absorbent. You can use these hemp diaper inserts along with the inserts that come with the cloth diapers you purchase.
Doubling up on inserts will give you that extra protection and allow you to feel confident about cloth diapering. Especially using a cloth diaper all night long!
5. Is Cloth Diapering Actually Cheaper?
Cloth diapers are a one time investment. You will only need to purchase as much as want. I highly recommend getting at least 2-3 days worth of cloth diapers.
You can purchase about 18 cloth diapers for a very affordable price. We purchased the wegreeco brand from Amazon for less than $100 and you can too!
Disposable diapers on the other hand, cost on average $20 – $40 per box! If you were to buy only two boxes of diapers each month, you would still be spending almost $1,000. That is over $900 in savings!!
If you are looking to save money, cloth diapering is the way to go!
6. What do I do if my cloth diapers get stained?
If your cloth diapers get stained by waste, you can get them back to normal with the sun!
All you have to do is wash as normal and lay them out in the sun. This is known as sun bleaching. Sun bleaching removes stains, brightens whites, and kills germs!
The sun will be your best friend if your diapers get stained. You can even put it next to a window and it will be just as effective.
7. Does Pee leak through cloth diapers?
Pee can leak through cloth diapers. Leaks are most commonly caused by compression leaks. These kind of leaks happen when the diaper is on too tight or being pressed against the skin allowing air to escape.
The simple fix to avoiding leaks is to make sure the cloth diaper is snug, but not too tight!
8. How to get the pee smell out of cloth diapers?
To get the pee smell out of your cloth diapers, vinegar will be your best friend! The acidity of the vinegar will neutralize the ammonia smell. White distilled vinegar can also be used as a fabric softener, so it is perfect.
However, sometimes you may need to wash your cloth diapers a few times if the pee smell is really strong. Just use vinegar each wash and it will help get rid of that smell.
9. What do you use to clean them?
Cloth diapering can be intimidating when it comes to the washing routine, but it is really easy to clean your cloth diapers.
When you are ready to wash your cloth diapers, you can just separate the inserts and diaper covers and put them in the washing machine. I just use whatever detergent I currently have and wash as normal.
Please note: follow the washing instructions of your specific cloth diaper brand.
You can use any detergent you already have. I like to make my own laundry detergent to save some money and it works WONDERS!
To make your own detergent, you can take a 1:1:1 ratio of Super Washing Soda, Borax, and 1 bar of Fels Naptha. Take one cup of the washing soda, one cup of the borax and one bar of the soap and throw it into your food processor. That’s it, it is really that easy!
Here is a step by step video to guide you through the process!
10. What are the pros and cons of cloth diapering?
Pros of cloth diapering:
- Affordable to start!
- Saves money $$$
- Reduces waste
- Less skin irritation and prevents rashes
- Breathable
- So many cute designs!!!
Cons of cloth diapering:
- More skin irritation
- Inconvenient while traveling (I use disposables when traveling for this very reason!)
- Messier resulting in extra laundry
- Time consuming
The pros definitely outweigh the cons in my opinion. If your biggest priority is to save money like mine was, it is well worth it! It also reduces a ton of waste in your garbage (and in the landfills).
11. How do I get started with cloth diapering?
Be on the look out for my latest blog post, The Ultimate Guide To Mastering Cloth Diapers!
Other posts you may be interested in:
11 Life-Changing Postpartum Must Haves for Mom After Delivery
How To Make Postpartum Padsicles In 4 Easy Steps
I hope this post answered all of your questions about cloth diapering.