Photo Credit: Amanda T.
If you are starting on your cloth diapering journey there are a few things you need to get started. Obviously, there is the upfront cost of the diapers themselves and a few other things need to be factored into your budget. Don’t worry, you are still going to save a ton of money and help the environment out in a massive way. Some of these accessories are essentials and some are optional things that will make your life a little easier.
Essentials
- Wet bag– A wet bag for the diaper bag is essential. Invest in two so that if one is in the wash and you need to run an errand you have a backup.
- Pail and pail liner– Diaper genie and other popular pails for disposables won’t work for cloth diapers. Get yourself a pail and pail liner like these. Or, a simple bag this this one from Fuzzibunz with a zip-open bottom makes washing the diapers quick and easy. A hanging bag can be more convenient for small spaces since it won’t take up any precious floor space.
- Diaper sprayer– This is one of the items that makes modern cloth diapering more convenient, the diaper sprayer does the dirty work for you.
- Detergent– you need to use a detergent designed for your cloth diapers or a “clean” detergent that won’t build up on the diapers. A few recommendations would be Charlie’s Soap, Rockin Green, or BumGenuis detergent.
Optional
- Wipes– You will already be doing the laundry so consider making the switch to cloth wipes. Cloth wipes are going to increase your savings and your positive environmental impact.
- Hemp inserts– This only applies if you have chosen to use pocket or pre-fold diapers. Hemp inserts are much more absorbent and will be very useful for everyday use if you have heavy-wetter or ensuring the diaper can last all through the night.
- Clothes line– Consider having a clothing line set up outside for drying the diapers. Even if this isn’t something you want to do on a regular basis, when you get a stain that just won’t lift let the sun bleach it out for you. You can keep it simple and take your drying rack out for the day if a permanent line won’t work for you.
If you’re looking for more posts on cloth diapering check out Cloth Diapering On A Budget or How To Strip Cloth Diapers In A HE Washer