Switching From Disposable Diapers to Cloth in Six Months--On Your Disposable Diaper Budget
If I had to start from scratch, with mainstream, easily available diapers, on a disposable diaper budget, here's how I would do it!
The cheapest I can find Huggies Snug & Dry diapers is $0.20 each on Walmart.com.
For us, that means we are spending about $1.64 a day on 8 diapers, making our month diaper budget $49.20. Some months the budget may go over by a couple of dollars, I assume that MOST people can find an extra dollar or two in their budget, even if it means cutting back in another area.
(I determined how many diapers I would need, based on the fact that, recently we took a cloth diaper "break" so I could catch up on housework and laundry after the flu did a number on our family.
During that time we used 24 disposable diapers, Huggies Snug and Drys in size 3. I have two kids in diapers. My 3 year old is potty learning, so really only wears a diaper to bed, but did use a couple for car rides or naps. My 18 month old is in diapers consistently.)
First purchase/ Month One:
Thirsties Diaper Cover, Size Medium $11.50 Shipped
Bumpkins Prefolds Premium Sized (6 pack) $15.54 Shipped
Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers Sz. 3 (112 Count) From Wal-Mart.com with free store pick-up $22.94
Total: Month 1-$49.98 (112 sposies, 6 prefolds & 1 cover in stash)
For the first month, it will require daily washing, but have faith! It will get easier after ONE MONTH!
Daily Routine:
Toddler-6 prefolds with cover for day-time use, 1 disposable at nap, 1 disposable at bedtime
3 year old- Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Wash prefolds & cover overnight to reuse the next day.
After one month you will have used 3 disposable diapers a day & 6 re-usable diapers! Already you will have made a huge impact on the amount of waste you have created! At the end of the month, you will have 22 disposable diapers remaining as well as your six prefolds.
Second purchase/ Month Two:
Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers (112 Count) From Wal-Mart.com with free store pick-up $22.94
Diaper Rite One Size Pockets (1) $12.67 Shipped
Bumpkins Prefolds Premium Sized (6 pack) $15.54 Shipped
Total Month 2: $51.15 (134 sposies, 12 prefolds, 1 cover, and 1 pocket in stash)
Daily Routine:
First day:
Toddler- 6 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 1 pocket at nap time, 1 disposable for night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Rinse cover & hang to dry overnight
Second day:
Toddler-6 Prefolds for daytime, 1 disposable at nap, 1 disposable for night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Wash all diapers & cover overnight to start over the next day.
This month you'll only have to wash every other day & you'll end the month with 59 extra disposable diapers, allowing you to purchase a smaller pack of diapers for month three.
Third purchase/ Month Three:
Wal-Greens Huggies Snug & Dry 36 count- $11.99
Diaper Rite One Size Pockets (3) $35.45 Shipped
Total Month 3: 47.44 (saving money!) (95 sposies, 12 prefolds, 1 cover, and 4 pockets in stash)
Daily Routine:
First day:
Toddler- 4 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 1 pocket for day-time, 1 pocket at nap time, 1 disposable for night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Rinse cover & hang to dry overnight
Second Day:
Toddler- 4 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 1 pocket for day-time, 1 pocket at nap time, 1 disposable for night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Rinse cover & hang to dry overnight
Third Day:
Toddler- 4 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 2 disposables for day-time & nap, 1 disposable for night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Wash all diapers & covers overnight.
This will get you to the optimum 3 day wash routine! Yay for only washing every 3rd day! At the end of the month you will have 15 disposable diapers left.
Fourth Purchase/ Month Four:
Wal-Greens Huggies Snug & Dry 36 count- $11.99
Thirsties Diaper Cover, Size Medium $11.50 Shipped
Diaper Rite One Size Pockets (2) $23.42 Shipped
Total Month 4: $46.91 (still saving money!) (51 sposies, 12 prefolds, 2 covers, and 6 pockets in stash)
Up until this point, you might have been using disposables randomly throughout the day if there was a blow-out in the ONE cover. Now you have 2 covers, so you shouldn't need those random disposable diapers! Unfortunately, we will have to go back to every other day washing, just for one month.
Daily Routine:
Day 1:
Toddler- 5 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 pocket at night
Rinse covers & hang to dry overnight
Day 2:
Toddler- 5 Prefolds & Cover for daytime, 1 pocket for day-time, 1 pockets for nap & 1 disposable at night
3 Year Old-Undies all day & 1 disposable at night
Wash all diapers/covers overnight. You should have 2 clean prefolds, be sure to rotate which prefolds are not getting used each wash cycle.
At the end of this month you will have used 30 disposables, leaving you with 21 left-overs.
Fifth Purchase/ Month 5:
Diaper Rite One Size Pockets (4) $45.60 Shipped
(21 sposies, 12 prefolds, 2 covers, and 10 pockets in stash)
Daily Routine:
Day 1-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 2-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 3-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 1 pockets for nap & 1 sposie for night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & 1 sposie for night-time
Wash overnight & have all diapers ready to start again
This three day cycle will use up the last of your disposable stash. You'll have a disposable to put both kids in overnight (on wash day), so you can wash ALL the diapers in one night.
Sixth Purcahse/ Month 6:
Diaper Rite One Size Pockets (4) $45.60 Shipped
(1 sposie, 12 prefolds, 2 covers, and 14 pockets in stash)
Day 1-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 2-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 3-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Wash overnight & have all diapers ready to start again
Now, you will be using cloth full-time!! Congratulations on making it through the first six months and fully converting to cloth diapers! Each three day cycle you should have 2 pocket diapers still that will be dirty while you wash overnight, so that's where the extra 2 pockets go.
7th Purchase/ Month 7:
6 Thirsties Duo Prefolds Size 2 --$53.10 shipped
(12 prefolds, 2 covers, and 14 pockets & 6 extra inserts in stash)
These will replace the stuffing in your night-time diapers, making them more absorbent & eliminating any possible leaks you may have been experiencing.
Day 1-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 2-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Day 3-
Toddler-4 prefolds & covers for day-time, 1 pocket for day-time, 2 pockets for nap & night-time
3 Year Old- Undies all day & pocket for night-time
Wash overnight & have all diapers ready to start again
After this, you should be established enough in the cloth-diapering world to spend your $50 a month on fun extras that will make cloth diapering easier or more convenient to you. If you don't love prefolds, quickly replace your 12 prefolds with 12 more diaper rites, it'll only take 3 months.
If you're okay using the prefolds as needed, spend a little extra & buy some nicer diapers or extra items like wet-bags or pail liners.
Cloth diaper detergents are not needed. The keys to keeping your diapers clean are prerinse (dunk & swish) any solids, rinse diapers on cold, hot wash with a normal amount of detergent, and then rinse on cold until the suds are gone. Vinegar helps remove stinkies & yeast. Bleach is okay (especially on the prefolds) in moderation.
Plastic grocery bags & zipper bags work fine as a wet-bag until you can afford to buy one. Pail liners are not needed. I've been using cloth for 5 years and have never owned one.
Cloth diapering CAN be affordable and even fun. It might not be fun right from the start, and making the switch does require a certain level of committment, but the amount of money you can save over time is definitely worth it.
Knowing what I know this is how I would spend the next 5 months worth of budget:
Month 8- ($60.22 starting budget with savings from previous months)
3 BG 4.0s -$58.90 shipped
(12 prefolds, 2 covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 2 BG 4.0 Pockets, & 6 extra inserts in stash)
This will allow you to replace 3 of your prefolds with pocket diapers! One less prefold each day!
Month 9-
GroVia Wetbag
2 BG 4.0s
Total: 48.45
(12 prefolds, 2 covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 4 BG 4.0 Pockets, 1 wet-bag & 6 extra inserts in stash)
Month 10- (starting with $2.87 roll over)
Wool Soaker or Shorties from Recycled Wool $18 shipped
3 Pack of Snappis $9.75 (up until now you've been tri-folding)
2 GMD Workhorse Diapers in Med. Snaps $26.85 Shipped
Total: $54.60
(12 prefolds, 2 prefitteds, 1 wool cover, 2 PUL covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 4 BG 4.0 Pockets, 1 wet-bag, 6 extra inserts, & 3 snappis in stash)
Slightly over budget--but now you've got 2 fitteds & a wool cover as well as a snappi--to make using those prefolds more fun! The cover can supplement the 2 PUL covers that you've been using daily for 7 months.
Month 11:
Eucalan Wool Wash 16.9 oz- $13.95
2 GMD Workhorse Diapers
Total: $40.80 shipped
(12 prefolds, 4 prefitteds, 1 wool cover, 2 PUL covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 4 BG 4.0 Pockets, 1 wet-bag, 6 extra inserts, & 3 snappis in stash)
Month 12: (starting with $9.20)
2 GMD Workhorse Diapers in Med. Snaps $26.85 Shipped
Total: $26.85
(12 prefolds, 6 prefitteds, 1 wool cover, 2 PUL covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 4 BG 4.0 Pockets, 1 wet-bag, 6 extra inserts, & 3 snappis in stash)
Month 13: (starting with $32.35)
3 BG 4.0s -$58.90 shipped
Wool Longies- $23.45 (might splurge a bit here!)
(12 prefolds, 6 prefitteds, 2 wool covers, 2 PUL covers, 14 Diaper Rite pockets, 7 BG 4.0 Pockets, 1 wet-bag, 6 extra inserts, & 3 snappis in stash)
After a year in cloth, you'll know what you like/love/hate. You should have found your way onto www.diaperswappers.com/forum and can buy, sell and trade to make your stash exactly what you want it to be!
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