top of page
IMG_5358.JPG
Search

All You Need To Know To Cloth Diaper Like A Pro

  • Writer: Growing As a Homemaker
    Growing As a Homemaker
  • Oct 27
  • 6 min read

October 27, 2025


Long before having my first baby, I dreamed and planned for what kind of mother I wanted to be and the routines and practices I wanted to have. Being on the more “crunchy” side of things, I came across cloth diapering and immediately put it on my mental note of how I wanted to diaper my future babies. When I was pregnant, the ladies of my church threw me a baby shower and everyone’s gift was a donation to my cloth diaper fund. It was so sweet and thoughtful, and it gave me the means to purchase all the essential materials and feel confident and ready! Now I have been cloth diapering my daughter for one year, and my husband and I love it and plan to continue with all our future children.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you want to know all the ins and outs, feeling totally equipped and prepared to cloth diaper like a pro before you even start. When you hear about cloth diapering, it can sound overwhelming, unnecessary, gross, and next to impossible. But, I have come to find that the process is straightforward, the pros far outway the cons, and it is clean and effective. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the nitty gritty of all there is to cloth diapering. Oh, and why you can and should totally consider starting too!

ree

When you decide you want to cloth diaper, the first thing on the to-do list is purchasing the necessary materials. I personally found and chose to go with the brand Esembly Baby. I was intrigued by their 100% organic cotton materials and their simple to use system, but I do believe they are on the more expensive side of cloth diapers. Basically what you need for full time cloth diapering is as follows:

  • 24-30 cloth diapers: depends how much you want to wash them; this range is 1-2 wash cycles per week I’ve found

  • 6-8 outer covers: these go over the cloth diaper to hold the moisture in; can reuse throughout the day if it stays dry

  • Overnight liners: I have 4 of these and they act as an extra layer of absorption so you don’t need to change your baby overnight

  • Diaper pail and washable liners: I only have 2 liners and it’s worked well

  • Wet bags for your diaper bag: these are smaller washable bags that you can put wet diapers to while out and about (I have 2 of these as well)

  • Detergent: I currently buy Esembly’s cloth diaper specific detergent, but you can use any really; I recommend as non toxic as you can find and unscented; I want to homemake my own soon!

  • Reusable wipes: I decided to use washable wipes as well because it’s no extra effort if you’re already cloth diapering; they are gentle and clean way better than disposable wipes; I have the 20 pack of cotton wipes from Nora’s Nursery

  • Wipe Spray: I make my own; all you need is a spray bottle, Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure Castile Soap, filtered water, and a splash of olive oil (so easy and I’ve had the same bottle of soap for a year and barely used an 1/8th of it for this spray)

  • Diaper balm: not specific to cloth diapering but I wanted to mention it doesn’t stain your diapers, I love the Earth Mama Organic Diaper Balm

  • Washing machine, dryer, and a clothes line really come in handy!

There are so many other gadgets you could get if you wanted to, but these are the essentials and all I have used and found necessary. You can purchase extra things if you think it would help you or less things if you don’t want to cloth diaper full time like us.

ree

Now what does the process of cloth diapering actually look like. I have said countless times, “cloth diapering is the exact same as disposable diapers, only after the diaper pail is full, you wash the diapers instead of throwing them out.” Boom, so simple! Still, here’s what the process looks like from changing to cleaning:

  1. Remove the cloth diaper from your baby, throw it in the pail, keep the outer cover if it’s not soiled

  2. Saturate your wipe with spray and wipe baby clean, throw that in the pail too

  3. Get out a new cloth diaper and snap it on baby (they’re adjustable to whatever size you’re baby currently is, Esembly has just 2 diaper sizes to fit any baby 7-35 lbs)

  4. Put the outer back on and make sure it’s covering the cotton diaper so no moisture seeps out

  5. Go about your day and change again when necessary!

  6. Once you’re down to a few cloth diapers or your pail is full, it's time to wash:

    1. Remove the pail liner

    2. Dump the contents into your washer along with the liner turned inside-out

    3. Put appropriate amount of detergent (Esembly has great instructions on washing their specific diapers to lengthen their longevity)

    4. Wash on warm and normal cycle

    5. Add more detergent when cycle is done and run it on hot and heavy duty (this is where the cleaning really happens)

    6. Remove the outers, pail liners, or wet bag liners (whatever isn’t cotton) and hang dry it

    7. Dry diapers and wipes on a long warm cycle, or hang to dry in the sun 

      1. The sun literally makes your diapers look sparkling white and brand new, it’s incredible (I hang mine every month or two to rejuvenate them)

    8. Fold clean diapers and wipes or however you store them to use

Now, most people are all convinced about cloth diapering until it comes to your baby’s poop… but really, it doesn’t change much. There is no scrubbing or soaking as you may have thought. When your baby is solely breastfed, their poop is completely water soluble, so your washer has no problem taking care of it. Whether the diaper is just pee or poop, you throw it in the diaper pail all the same. When your baby starts eating solids and the texture of that poop changes, you can toss their poop into the toilet, or perhaps use toilet paper to get off the majority of it and flush it away. Then wash as normal! Oh, and as I said before, the sun gets all the unfortunate stains right out! That is the whole process, and if it still sounds difficult or intimidating, just jump in and soon you’ll experience the ease and joy of it. The whole process of cloth diapering has just become part of my daily/weekly routine, without much extra thought.

Just look at this magical before and after of hanging the diapers in the sun for a few hours:


Now, I want to get into some honest pros and cons of cloth diapering so you can decide for yourself if it might be worth it for you:

 

Pros:

  • Saves thousands of dollars (especially if you reuse for multiple children)

  • Safe, gentle, non-toxic cotton on baby’s private area (no chemicals, dyes, plastics, etc)

  • Doesn’t generate extra waste to landfills like disposables

  • No blowouts! Maybe it’s just my baby, but I haven’t experienced a blowout using cloth diapers (good bye messy cleanups and ruined clothes)

  • Can use for multiple children

  • Simple (the diapers have snaps so they fit and operate almost exactly as disposables; no safety pin and folding fabric like the old days)

  • Very absorbable and effective

  • Cleans up good as new in the sun!

  • Some people experience earlier signs of potty training readiness ( maybe due to feeling the wetness more)

  • We haven’t experienced any diaper rash using these cotton diapers

  • Reusable cotton wipes clean better and you don’t need near as many to get the job done

  • You can use the outer diaper cover alone as a swim diaper

  • Easy cleaning system

  • Super cute designs!


Cons:

  • Initial cost to get all the necessary materials can be quite expensive

  • Extra laundry loads

  • Travelling for extended periods of time can be tricky if you cloth diaper full-time

  • Causes baby to have a bit more of a plump booty from the layers of cotton so some pants don’t fit (we just get stretchier pants or size up)


Well friends, I hoped this eased some of the nerves or overwhelm you may have experienced surrounding cloth diapering your baby. I have found that cloth diapering my daughter has become enjoyable, second-nature, and it feels so sweet and intentional. I am pleased with the Esembly Baby diapering system, and I have grown into a confident cloth diapering mama with no regrets of her decision! I hope you’ll consider cloth diapering your current or future babies. Please comment any questions, big or small, that you may still have!


ree

Here’s a few links to the products I mentioned that I have used and loved:

 
 
 

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating
bottom of page