Simple, to me, is better.
In the first post I mentioned one of the reasons why I wanted to participate this year was to simplify my son’s diaper stash. I admit, I got caught up in the whirlwind of prints and options available. There are so many options when it comes to cloth diapers, and in reality, a good ol’ fashioned flat will do you just fine. There is nothing wrong with having variety of diapers but I have learned that for us, simple is better.
Let’s break my son’s diaper collection. He has:
12 Green Mountain Diaper flats. I bought these new and it cost me $12 for 6 flats. I paid $24 (plus shipping) for 12 flats. Let me tell you, there is a difference between flats and flour sack towels. Flour sack towels are thinner than flats that you buy from a diaper company. They function the same but absorption, in my opinion, will be better with a flat from a diaper company.
The flour sack towel is on top and the green mountain diaper flat is on the bottom. The FST reminds me of gauze and the GMD flat is birdseye cotton.
3 Geffen Baby flats. I bought these new as well and I got them through a co-op so they were cheaper than average. I honestly don’t remember what I paid, but, they cost $7.99 each on the Geffen Baby website. I use these specifically for night because they are made from 60% Hemp and 40% Organic Cotton. The quality and absorption of Geffen Baby is top notch. My son is a heavy wetter and 2 Geffen flats last us 12+ hours. I use a windpro cover over them at night.
4 Target flour sack towels. I was strolling through Target last week on a hunt for more things I don’t need and saw they had flour sack towels and I picked them up for a trial run of handwashing. They do the job well, are cheap, and are easily accessible. They cost $3.99 for a pack of 4. I know that they also have coupons you can use which would probably make them cheaper than $3.99.
2 Windpro fleece covers. I bought these from a shop off Etsy called Dragon Cloth Covers for $17 each. I wanted something that was low maintenance that I could throw in the washer and dryer. In my opinion, they work just as well as wool. Windpro is AMAZING at repelling moisture and it would take a heavily, heavily (and I mean heavily) saturated diaper for the outside to feel moist.
3 Nicki’s Diapers PUL covers. These are easy to wash and that is why I invested in them. One I bought used and I don’t remember how much I paid and the other 2 I bought new. They cost $10.95 on the Nicki’s Diapers for prints and $9.50 for solid colors, but if you watch for sales and use coupons you can get them for much cheaper. The thing I love about their covers is the double gussets. My son has runny, breastfed poop and these covers contain it!!!
3 Wool covers. All the wool I am using for the challenge was bought used. The knit soaker and wrap are one size and they will last him through to potty training with no problem. The longies are sized and he has been wearing them since he was about 4 months old. I am sorry I don’t remember the prices. The wrap and longies are upcycled which made them cheaper than buying interlock. I can tell you I paid no more than $15 for any of the wool pictured.
1 drying rack. I bought this a few years ago (it has taken quite a beating) when our dryer broke down and we didn’t have the immediate funds to purchase a new one. I got this at Fred Meyer for (I think) $25. I know it seems steep, but it has definitely paid for itself.
Drying rack
The only things that I bought new specifically for this challenge were the flats and the flour sack towels. I already had the covers, wool, and drying rack. I hope this gives you a better idea of how economical cloth diapering can be. You only invest ONE TIME and the items should last you through potty training + multiple children. When adding the up the flats, flour sack towels, windpro covers, and PUL covers I got a total of $100.74. You easily spend $100 on diapers in 2 months time.
You can cloth for even cheaper by:
Using flour sack towels, t-shirts, or receiving blankets
Buy used (trust me, it will save you a lot of money)
Reuse on multiple children
Looking at the cost now, I wish (oh, how I wish), I would have started with some flats and covers. If you only want to invest in 12 flats and 3 PUL covers, your total would be $54. Or if you wanted to use flour sack towels and you got 12 of them + the 3 PUL covers your total would be $42. Cloth is affordable and it doesn’t have to break the bank!!!!
Up Next…
Would I even bother cloth diapering if I didn’t have the luxury of having a washer and dryer?