Cloth Diapers are Easy

Are Cloth Diapers Hard to Use?

I wore cloth diapers when I was a baby. My mom used them to save money. My family had three kids under 5 on a teacher’s salary. When I was a baby, we wore prefolds with pins and those ugly plastic bloomers over them.

When I had my first baby, I didn’t realize that cloth diapering was even an option. We used disposable diapers with my first baby until potty training. She would often get terrible rashes that lasted for days- sometimes weeks.

I started hearing about cloth diapers again a couple of years before I became pregnant with my second baby. I read about how they can save money, cut down on diaper blow-outs, and most importantly, reduce rashes. I decided I wanted to cloth diaper my second baby.

In the months leading up to my daughter’s birth, I researched everything I could find about cloth diapers. I read about different ways to wash, how to prevent leaks, what the best diaper brands were, and troubleshooting techniques. I waded through so much information on the topic, I started to second-guess myself. Other mothers seemed to run into so many problems with washing, leaking, rashes, and getting diapers to fit. I started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t worth all the trouble.

Still, I was determined to at least try. Cloth diapers are so cute, after all!

So, about a week after my daughter was born, we started our cloth diaper journey. Guess what I found?

Using cloth diapers is easy!

Although it sounds like cloth diapering should be a nightmare based on panicked mothers in cloth diapering forums, those problems really are the exception. In the past 7 months we have cloth diapered our baby, we have only had one problem (I used a non cloth-diaper safe cream with some diapers and had to strip them).

My daughter rarely has a diaper rash, we have had fewer than 5 diaper blow outs, and washing diapers is easier than I thought it would be.

So, for all the mamas out there hesitant to try cloth diapers because of the potential difficulties, don’t fret! Cloth diapering really is as simple as doing your regular laundry.

Here are a few observations I have made along the way to make your cloth diapering journey even easier:

• Use a top loading washer if at all possible (most wash problems come from using a HE washer)
• Don’t use regular diaper rash cream in your diapers
• Natural fibers resist leaks
• Bum Genius detergent cleans diapers perfectly
• Simple wash routines are best (I do a cold wash, hot wash with soap, and a final cold wash)
• Pull diapers up around the creases in the legs for the best fit
• Diaper liners are your best friend

So, whether you haven’t researched a thing about cloth diapers, or you’re scared to try because of the horror stories you have read- you don’t have to worry. Cloth diapers are easier than you think.

Bio: Brenda has cloth diapered her baby for 7 months. She really believes they are easy and fun! She blogs at Schooling a Monkey, where you can read more about cloth diapering adventures and other topics on parenting, homeschooling, and more!


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