While it might seem like there are lot of accessories for cloth diapering, the actual bones needed to start are quite minimal. From there you can add as little or much as you would like to achieve your cloth diapering goals.
Total Convenience Cloth Diapering
- 24-36 Diapers (All-In-Ones, All-In-Twos or Pockets)
- 2 Pail Liners
- 1 Large Wetbag or 1 Medium Wet/Dry Wetbag
- 2 Small Wetbags
- 35-50 Cloth Wipes
- Doublers for Nighttime
- Wipes Solution
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Rash Cream
- Pail Freshener
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Detergent
- Disposable Liners
- Diaper Sprayer
Total Economy Cloth Diapering
- 12-24 Diapers (Flats, Prefolds or Contours)
- 3-6 Covers
- 24 Cloth Wipes
- 3 sets of Diaper Pins or 2 Snappis
- 1 Pail Liner
- 1 Large Wetbag
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Rash Cream
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Detergent
- Fleece liners
Economy + Convenience Cloth Diapering
- 18-36 Diapers (mix of types, plus covers + pins/Snappis as needed)
- 40 Cloth Wipes
- 2 Pail Liners
- 1 Medium Wet/Dry Wetbag
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Rash Cream
- Cloth-Diaper-Safe Detergent
- Liners - Fleece or Disposable
- Diaper Sprayer
Rather dip a toe into the water rather than dive in? Consider a cloth diaper trial package!
Diapering a newborn? Consider renting everything you will need!
A note on the number of diapers needed
- Cloth diapers need to be changed every two hours as well as every time your little one has a bowel movement.
- For newborns, this could meet up to 15+ changes a day.
- For babies approximately six months old, you typically need 8-12 diapers a day.
- For toddlers the number can be as low as 6-8 diapers a day.
- Take the number needed for a day, and multiply by the number of days you want to go between washings.
- For someone with a newborn washing every three days, I would recommend 45 diapers.
- For someone with a toddler washing every other day, I would recommend 16 diapers.
A note on 'cloth-diaper-safe' rash creams and detergents
- Rash Creams
- Rash creams are great for calming irritated bottoms. However, some rash creams have ingredients which will melt into the pores of the diaper, and prevent it from doing its job - absorbing. On the occasion you require a rash cream, choose one that is safe for cloth diapers. A 'safe' rash cream will easily wash out of the diaper in the wash.
- I recommend California Baby rash cream and Grandma El's rash cream. Coconut oil is also a great natural option available at most grocery stores.
- If you need to use a heavy-duty rash or prescription cream, you will need to use Diaper Liners to protect your cloth diapers.
- If a well-meaning friend or relative accidentally uses a contraband rash cream, please click here and read the section under 'My diapers do not seem to be absorbing.'
- Detergents
- Picking a detergent in which to wash your cloth diapers is an important decision. The wrong detergent can cause diapers to repel and eventually leak, or worse, mix with baby's urine and cause skin irritation. That said, there are many conventional as well as all-natural detergents which get the gold seal of approval for cloth diapers.
- For natural detergents: I recommend Country Save, Rockin' Green and Tiny Bubbles.
- For a conventional detergent: I recommend Tide Original Powder.
- For more information about washing diapers, please click here.
- For more information on detergent, please click here.
