Cloth Diapering


Thinking about cloth diapering? Check out these links to get some questions answered:


Decided to take the plunge? Look here for some great resources on purchasing/cleaning/care:

  • Try cloth diapers for $10 from JilliansDrawers.com. This is a great program and it helps make cd'ing a little less abstract!
  • Once you choose, you can order used from many online retailers OR from other moms (and dads) at the diaper swappers marketplace.
  • Kelly's Closet is always having sales, giveaways, and you can earn points for shopping there!

Already cloth diapering? Helpful links are here:


My Endorsements:

  • During the daytime, we use bleached cotton prefolds, like the ones you can find at Green Mountain Diapers or Jillian's Drawers. This is the most economical option because you can use one cover over and over for the whole day as long as it isn't soiled.
  • We fasten the diapers together with Snappis, which are a pretty awesome answer to old-fashioned diaper pins. They look like this little rubber "T's" and hold the diaper in place like you see in the picture. I've heard some complaints about how they don't hold very well on active kids but we used them up until Little Bear potty trained at 20 months and never had a problem.



  • Because the prefolds are just made of cotton, over the top you have to use a diaper cover. We chose to use Thirsties Duo snap wraps, like you can buy from Kelly's Closet,  Amazon.com, and (apparently) Target. This keeps the moisture (and solids) from getting out of the prefold. 

  • At night, we use Bum Genius 4.0 one size pocket diapers. They keep her dry and hold in the wetness all night long. You can buy these at Jillian's Drawers or Kelly's Closet. I was a little afraid of the snaps (vs. the Velcro/Aplix) at first because I thought the fit wouldn't be as good, but there's enough elastic in the back that we have never had a problem. These are a pocket diaper, which means that they have a microfiber inside with a pocket between the microfiber and the colored material that you slip absorbent inserts into. We stuck with the microfiber inserts that were included when we bought the BG's but as she has gotten older, we've added a second, bamboo, layer.


  • We also have been known to use little G pants from Gdiapers. These are made of cotton and have Velcro tabs that fasten in the back (presumably to deter curious babies from taking off their own diapers). Inside, there are four snaps, pictured in orange below, and a plastic liner that fits inside the cotton shell. Inside the plastic liner, you can put either a cloth insert or a biodegradable/compostable/flushable insert. I personally like the biodegradable inserts, but we also use too-small prefolds tri-folded inside as a liner. And, as a disclaimer, I have never actually tried gDiaper brand cloth inserts. You can buy them from diapers.com, from Amazon.com or locally at places like Whole Foods. Diapers.com tends to have the best prices on inserts that I've found ($51.99 for 160 small refills or 128 medium or large refills).

*gDiaper image courtesy of joyfulabode.com

  • For swimwear, we use an Imse Vimse swim diaper. It just slips on like underwear, no prefold needed. All any swim diaper does is keep in the solids and this seems to do a pretty good job. You can buy them through Jillian's Drawers or Amazon.com.

  • To wash, I am a big fan of Zote soap flakes. You can buy them at Wal Mart. I didn't believe in "build up" until I finally stripped my diapers really well and then realized... diapers shouldn't have ANY smell. I figured the smell I had was just normal. It's not! Anyway, you can also make your own soap like I did here.



**Please note that while I am directing you to online retailers, I would much prefer you to shop locally and support small, cloth diapering friendly businesses in your area.**
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