I almost didn’t cloth diaper.

Every time I tried to research it, I ended up more confused than when I started. There were a million different opinions, a hundred different brands, and enough cloth diaper terminology to intimidate me enough to procrastinate starting.

The internet has a way of making cloth diapering feel much more complicated than it actually is.

After cloth diapering both of my girls, I can tell you that most of what overwhelmed me in the beginning ended up not mattering very much.

You just need a simple system that works for your family.

This isn’t a complete encyclopedia of cloth diapering. It’s everything I wish another mom had sat down and told me before I started.

Why I Chose Pocket Diapers

There are a lot of different cloth diaper systems out there, but after trying several types, I always came back to pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are made up of two parts: a waterproof diaper shell and absorbent inserts that slide into a pocket inside the diaper.

One thing I didn’t love about some of the other options was having the absorbent layer sitting directly against my baby’s skin. Meaning soaking wet cotton touching laying on my diapers skin everywhere a diaper sits. My girls were heavy wetters, and I preferred having a layer between them and the wet absorbent layers. I also liked being able to customize the absorbency based on age, naps, or nighttime.

The single insert setup never worked well for us, even when my girls were tiny. What consistently worked best was a hemp insert on the bottom with a bamboo or charcoal bamboo insert on top. 

How Many Cloth Diapers Do You Need?

If you’re planning to wash every two to three days (what I would recommend), I found that 24 to 28 diapers was plenty. You don’t need a giant stash to get started. Start with the basics and adjust as you go.

My Simple Dirty Diaper Storage System

I didn’t use anything fancy. Dirty diapers went into a large wet bag until wash day.

For poop diapers, I used a diaper sprayer and shield attached to the toilet. If there is one thing I would tell every new cloth diaper parent, it’s this: spray poop diapers right away. Don’t leave them sitting on the bathroom counter and don’t tell yourself you’ll get to them later. That’s usually when people start having smell issues and wondering if cloth diapering was a terrible idea.

For heavily soaked inserts, I gave them a quick rinse with the sprayer before tossing them into the wet bag, but that’s completely optional.

And if you’re having a rough week, a sick baby, no sleep, or you simply don’t have the capacity to deal with cloth diapers that day, use disposables. A calm mom is more important than sticking to cloth diapers perfectly.

My Wash Routine

This was the part that intimidated me the most before I started, but it ended up being much simpler than I expected.

Every two to three days I ran a quick wash or rinse cycle on cold with no detergent. After that, I ran a heavy-duty wash on hot with detergent and added an extra rinse at the end. The extra rinse helps prevent detergent buildup in the diapers and inserts over time. Detergent buildup can cause odors, reduce absorbency, and create more laundry headaches down the road.

For drying, I put all of the inserts in the dryer on high heat. The hemp inserts sometimes need a second cycle because they take extra long to dry. The diaper shells are usually hung outside. It helps preserve the elastics, extends the life of the diapers, and sunlight does a great job naturally fading stains and helping everything smell fresh.

That said, life happens. If you need to throw everything in the dryer because you’re busy or exhausted, do it. Cloth diapers are meant to make life work for your family, not create more stress. They will be fine, always choose your mental health first and if you need one less thing on your to do list for the day, this can be it!

Final Thoughts

What I wish I had known from the beginning is that cloth diapering doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

When my second daughter was born, I was suddenly trying to care for a newborn and a young toddler while struggling with postpartum depression. I was determined to keep cloth diapering going, but I wasn’t always keeping up with the routine. Diapers would sit on the counter waiting to be sprayed, laundry would pile up, and something that was supposed to simplify our life started creating more stress.

Looking back, I wish I had given myself permission to take a break.

There were seasons when cloth diapers worked beautifully for our family and there were seasons when I needed a little help from disposables while I got my footing again. And now I cloth diaper again with our youngest and it feels natural and not added stress.

If you’re considering cloth diapering, my biggest advice is to keep it simple and give yourself grace. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to do it 100% of the time for it to make a difference.

Looking for the best cloth diapering essentials for beginners?

I’ve gathered all of my favorite cloth diaper supplies, accessories, and laundry products in one place to help make getting started feel a whole lot simpler.

Browse my complete Cloth Diapering Essentials List here.