Are you ready to love your mother & cloth diaper? Cloth diapering isn’t something most families even consider. It sounds messy. It sounds smelly. It sounds overwhelming. It seems intimidating. And perhaps it used to be, but things have changed! As someone who has been using and washing cloth diapers for a year now, I am here to tell you that it is actually so simple. It’s not smelly. It’s not overwhelming. It is approachable. And in my humble opinion, there is nothing cuter than a big ole cloth diaper booty!
Let’s start with some statistics.
On average, babies go through 7,000 diapers before they are potty trained.
Studies have shown that it takes 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.
18 billion (yes, BILLION) diapers are thrown in landfills each year making them the third largest contributor to landfills.
Disposable diapers contain chemicals that are harmful for babies and the environment.
I mean, woah. We love this planet, right? Let’s work to minimize that waste.
The benefits of cloth diapering are pretty delightful. They save you money. They don’t contain harmful toxins and chemicals. Fewer diaper rashes. You never run out. They are more absorbent. They are more breathable. They create less waste. Babies are said to potty train faster when using cloth diapers. And they are adorable!
The upfront cost of investing in cloth diapers can feel overwhelming but you won’t need to spend money on disposables every other week. In the long run, you save! For me, I love not having to think about ordering or picking up more diapers.
Are you convinced yet? Let’s talk logistics!
I should share that we exclusively use Esembly Baby and their diapering system. When I first began researching cloth diapers, they seemed the most approachable and straight forward. I was most overwhelmed with learning how to wash cloth diapers. My assumption was that it would be messy, time consuming and expensive to wash. However, Esembly makes it super simple. We have a magnet on our washer for care instructions. We just add in the diapers and washing powder, run a Quick Wash cycle, return and add more washing powder and run a Heavy Duty cycle. I usually do a quick dry cycle to get most of the moisture out and leave them on a drying rack overnight to completely dry. As a family, we really have our system down. My partner and I tag team laundry duty and, truthfully, it never feels like too much.
We also use a cloth wipe system that is just as simple and approachable! We have a wipe warmer created for cloth wipes that we change each morning. We add in a few drops of Dr. Bronner’s or Baby Bit’s Solution, mix it with warm water, plug it in and add our cotton wipes. We wash the wipes with the diapers. If we ever need to use disposable wipes, I am quickly reminded how much I love our cloth wipes. No toxins or chemicals, they clean babe much better and so much waste is saved!
We do keep a box of disposable diapers and wipes on hand for emergency situations.
Get 10% off your order of $100 or more at Esembly, courtesy of Alexa!
Here are what some other cloth diapering mamas have to say…
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We do 80/20 and used disposable at night and when we’re on the go. The hardest part is making a system, do that and you’re Golden. If there’s a system even your partner can do it!”
Hey Shayla, How to Cloth Diaper Video
Alexa you know I love our Esemblys! They’re unbelievably easy to use, clean, maintain, and the quality is clear- I already have my size 1s saved for a future tiny human who might need them. I have no doubt they’ll last through more than 1 kiddo!! We do a similar part time off system but maybe 95/5? Abel wears disposables at my parents when we’re not with him (their preference, then we use honest), and if we’re going to the cabin (no laundry) we bring honest. But when we travel, if we have laundry, we bring them too!
Sara Schultz, Mama & Business Owner
My really good friend got me into cloth diapering by really showing me how easy it is! She suggested bum genius and they have been great for us. At the point you get your system down, it’s as easy as another load of laundry. When we travel we use disposable and overnight we also use disposable so we are also on a 80/20 sort of routine. We are on baby number two and love how they last from babe to babe.
Rachel Costello, Mama of 2
I could not speak more highly of cloth diapering. I love that it’s good for the environment and good for my little one’s skin and health. It feels natural and easy. It feels back to the basics. It is simple and easy living.
Creating a more sustainable world is all about millions of people doing it imperfectly versus a few people doing it perfectly.
Alexa Kay
Alexa is a photographer and birth doula. She has a 1 year old daughter, Leni, who is her greatest love and brightest light. She is passionate about motherhood and Mother Earth.
This is so incredibly empowering! Thank you for putting this together. I think I will do the 80/20 as well.