This is a Guest Post by Evelyn Langdon a Stay at home mom to Trevor and Scott.
Now that we’ve covered all the diaper and cover info, there are a few more things you’ll need to get started. Not all of these are a must, but they are nice and make things much easier:
Diaper pail
This is non-negotiable. You need somewhere to keep dirty diapers till it’s time to wash. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just functional. I use a plastic Sterlite trash can with a locking lid that I got at Target. I rarely use the lid because I’ve found that leaving it open actually makes things smell much less.
Wetbag
Some people prefer a wetbag to a diaper pail. You have to choose one – though you can do both – but you can’t do neither. A wetbag is a bag w/ either a drawstring or zipper at the top and is waterproof. They’re generally lined with PUL and have a fun print on the outside. They come in all sizes, and many places will do a custom size if you ask. One option I like is when the maker sews a small square of fleece or flannel to the INSIDE so you can put a couple drops of essential oil on it to keep things from smelling gross.
(photo credit: CottonBabies)
Sprayer
In my opinion, this is an absolute MUST. Once your baby is eating/drinking anything other than breastmilk (even if it’s only formula), you need to spray the poop off. I’ve tried every method I could think of to avoid buying a sprayer (they run about $50), and nothing worked. I tried the dunk and swish I remember my mom doing, I tried scraping (ew!), I tried using my shower sprayer. None of it did anything for poop. The sprayer hooks to the toilet (there are instructions included with the sprayer) and is pretty easy to install.
(photo credit: CottonBabies)
Pins or Snappis
If you do prefolds or flatfolds (or certain brands of fitteds, like Bagshot Row Bamboo Fitteds), you’ll also need diaper pins or snappis. Snappis are far less likely to stick a baby with a sharp end, and they’re so much easier to get a good fit.
How to Use a Snappi Video:
(link: http://youtu.be/2_r2K1d9WFM)
Cloth Wipes
Cloth wipes are great when you cloth diaper. You don’t have to try and figure out what to do with a poopy wipe after you’re done changing a diaper, and when you make your own wipes solution, you know exactly what you’re putting on your baby’s most sensitive parts. Personally, I use baby washcloths and a spray bottle of water. I like to add a couple drops of tea tree oil and peppermint oil to my water b/c they have healing, cooling properties that are soothing for little butts. When we’re out and about, I use disposable wipes, but I like the cloth ones when we’re at home.
(photo credit: CottonBabies)
Dye-Free, Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent
You need to wash in a dye-free, frangrance-free detergent. Do NOT use dryer sheets or fabric softener. The perfumes in them will make the diapers smell worse. Hanging diapers to dry is popular (it saves energy, plus the sun will help bleach any stains and kill bacteria), but I just always use the dryer, mostly because we don’t have anywhere to hang them. You only need to use about half the amount of detergent you’d normally use, then do a 2nd rinse to make sure you get it all out. I like to rinse with no detergent before I wash, wash with detergent, plus white vinegar in the bleach dispenser, another rinse, then dry. The vinegar will help get out stink and stains without having to use bleach. The pre-wash rinse will get any junk off the diapers before the actual washing.
(photo credit: Charlie’s Soap)
This seems like an awful lot of stuff to invest in without knowing if you’ll like it or if it’ll work for your family. Thankfully, there’s a solution for that: Jillian’s Drawers. It’s a trial program where you fill out the form online and pay $161.94. They send you enough diapers to last about a week, which you get to try for 21 days. Then, at the end of the 3 weeks, you send back whatever you don’t want and they refund your money. If you send everything back, they’ll refund you all but $10; you’re also free to keep everything and get no refund, or return a few things and get a refund on those items only. The diapers are all brand new, no previous users, so you need to prep them (wash and dry a few times), but otherwise that’s it.
(photo credit: I made this myself!)
What if you don’t have $160 just lying around? You still have options! You can start by buying 1 or 2 diapers per month off a site like DiaperSwappers (it’s free to join). It’s mostly used diapers, though you can find new ones every now and then. They’re generally a big discount off what you’d pay for them brand new. Then, if you decide you don’t like cloth or a certain diaper just isn’t working for you, you can put it back up for sale there. You just need a PayPal account for the buying/selling, and until you get feedback there, most people are happy with feedback from other places (like eBay or Amazon, as well as places like Etsy or Hyena Cart). We’ve gotten many of our diapers from DiaperSwappers, and I love them! I’ve also sold quite a bit of things we weren’t using anymore and gotten great deals. The best part is, the prices aren’t set in stone; if you see something listed for more than you’re willing to pay, make them an offer of what you are willing to pay. Many times, the seller will say yes! Sometimes they’ll also take a trade or a partial trade as payment.
Helpful Links and Resources:
http://www.jilliansdrawers.com
www.youtube.com (for tutorials on how to use cloth diapers and their accessories, as well as how to make your own diapers if you want)
By: Evelyn Langdon a stay at home mother to Trevor and Scott
Being a Conscious Parent 
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