Question: I hate laundry. Isn't it easier to just toss a dirty diaper in the garbage?

Answer: Sure! It's much easier to just toss a dirty diaper in the garbage. That's just common sense. However, you still have to lug that heaping pile of stinking diapers to your trash. And what if you run out of disposables at an inconvenient time? Then you have to load everyone up into the car to take a trip to your local superstore to buy a pack of diapers. Running out of cloth diapers can be as simple as doing a load of laundry at midnight in your pajamas.

Let's not forget to mention the smell that emanates from the diaper genie even after the diapers have been taken out to the trash. When I used disposables my daughter's room smelled worse than a public restroom at times. When you're using cloth, you're not letting feces sit in your house for any length of time so you simply won't have a stinky pail problem. I guarantee that if you follow my washing routine you will never ever have a stinky diaper pail ever again!

Caring for your cloth diapers really isn't much harder than an extra couple loads of laundry a week. With a baby I'm sure you're already doing quite a bit of laundry anyway. I promise, it's much less difficult than you could have ever imagined. I'm no Martha Stuart. Anyone that knows me can vouch for that. If I can do it, anyone can!

Question: I've heard that cloth diapers have the same environmental impact as disposables. So why should I use cloth?

Answer: That's just plain ridiculous! That's like saying it's more environmentally friendly to use disposable clothes and dishes. Crazy! In the last few years, more and more people have been switching to cloth diapers and the disposable manufacturers have really taken a hit in the pocket book. These studies are nothing more than propaganda by big companies like Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. http://www.wen.org.uk/general_pages/Newsitems/ms_LCA19.5.05.htm

Besides the impact of the manufacturing process, disposables don't just vaporize when you're done with them. They go into the landfills where they sit for 500 years or more and leach bacteria filled human feces into our ground water. When using cloth, you dispose of the waste in the way it was meant to be disposed of: flushed down the toilet and into the sewer system. In my opinion, the water used to wash cloth diapers is relatively minimal. It's been calculated that you will use about as much water to wash your cloth diapers as you would to flush the toilet 5-6 times a day. That's about how many extra times my toilet would be flushed anyway if my baby were potty trained.

Fortunately, the environmental impact you have while using cloth diapers is partially in your hands. You can reduce your impact by washing in cool water, using water saving and energy efficient washing machines, buying environmentally friendly laundry products, shortening your drying time or line drying, and buying organic diapers. The only way you can reduce your environmental impact when using disposables is to change diapers less frequently. Am I the only one that thinks that's cruel and just plain gross?

By our nature as human beings, we impact the environment with nearly everything we do. As parents, it is our responsibility to our children to minimize this impact as much as possible in order to keep the Earth in habitable condition for them and their children. Cloth diapering is just one of the many ways we can begin to realize this goal.

Question: How do I fold these things?

Answer: I'll admit, there is a bit of a learning curve when first starting out with prefolds or flats. It took me a few times to figure it out. But now, it's really easy and I can put one on about as quickly as I can snap on a fitted diaper.

How many diapers do I need?

The answer depends on how often you want to wash and how old your baby is. If you want to wash every other day, then you will need 24-36 diapers and 6-8 covers for a newborn. If you have an older baby or toddler, then you will be able to get by with 18-24 diaper and 4-6 covers.

In addition to your diapers, I suggest the following:

24-36 cloth wipes: Cloth wipes are a great Earth friendly/Baby friendly alternative to disposable paper wipes. They're so soft and luxurious for your baby and they are more efficient. I usually need just one for the messiest diapers compared to 5 or more of the paper variety. You can use them with plain water or make your own special solution

2 Hanging Wet Bags or Pail Liners: You'll need a place to store your soiled diapers while they're waiting for wash day and an extra one to use while the other is in the wash. I prefer to use the hanging wet bag but you can also use a pail liner. Your hanging wet bag or pail liner get thrown in with the rest of the wash.

2 Diaper Totes: It's no big deal to take your cloth diapers with you while you're out and about. Just put your clean diapers and wipes in one tote and bring an extra tote for tossing dirty ones and throw it all in your diaper bag.

Question: We're already living paycheck to paycheck. How can I afford to buy cloth diapers?

Answer: How can you afford not to? No, really, I know the initial start up cost seems like a lot. But, if you break it down, you will be saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars from birth to potty learning.

Question: I'm a busy lady. Will I need to change cloth diapers more often than disposables?

The short answer is yes. Cloth diapers definately do not hold near as much urine as today's chemical laden disposables. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics states, "Regardless of which type of diaper you use, diaper rash occurs less often and is less severe when you change diapers often." Just because the baby doesn't feel wet does not mean that the baby has not soiled himself/herself. Sitting in urine and feces for a prolonged amount of time increases your baby's risk of painful and irritating diaper rashes including yeast and bacterial rashes. So, yes, you do have to change cloth diapers more often but you should be changing disposables just as often.