Diaper changes times laundry. More diapers, wash less often. Cloth baby diaper math is that simple.
(# of diaper changes per day)
x
(# of days between washing)
=
(# of diapers you need)
More diapers, wash less often
If you change your newborn baby’s diaper 12 times a day, but you only wash twice a week, you need 3-4 dozen diapers. This may be more diapers than you need. If you schedule more washing into your busy life with a newborn, you will only need about 2 dozen cloth diapers.
|
age
|
changes / day
|
washing
|
# diapers
you need |
|---|---|---|---|
|
newborn baby
|
12
|
2 times / wk
|
36 - 48
|
|
newborn baby
|
12
|
every 2 days
|
24
|
Fewer diapers, wash more often
Once your baby is a bit older, you won’t be changing diapers quite as often. For a crawling baby, 8 changes a day may mean fewer washes for you.
|
age
|
changes / day
|
washing
|
# diapers
you need |
|---|---|---|---|
|
crawling baby
|
8
|
2 times / wk
|
24 - 32
|
|
crawling baby
|
8
|
every 2 days
|
16 + extras
|
Very few diapers, wash every day
You can just make cloth diaper washing part of your daily routine. When you wash every day, you need far fewer diapers.
|
age
|
changes / day
|
washing
|
# diapers
you need |
|---|---|---|---|
|
newborn baby
|
12
|
every day
|
12 + extras
|
|
first steps baby
|
6
|
every day
|
6 + extras
|
Toddlers need fewer changes
Once your baby is talking, you may hear, “Diaper! Diaper!” Your baby will let you know when it is time to change. A toddler may even tell you before it is time. It’s time for potty training! Even when your toddler tries to get to the toilet each time, you will likely continue to change diapers for a while.
|
age
|
changes / day
|
washing
|
# diapers
you need |
|---|---|---|---|
|
toddler
|
4
|
2 times / wk
|
12 - 16
|
Ideal wash load
You can get by with 4 or 6 diapers for a toddler, but you may not want the expense of laundering so often when your toddler uses few diapers every day. It may be convenient to have 4 dozen diapers for a newborn, but does your washing machine allow enough room to clean so many diapers well? Depending on the capacity of your washer and the type of diapers you use, you may find the ideal number of diapers per load is 12 - 36 diapers.
Emergency stash, the extra diapers
What if you usually wash every other day, but you need to skip a day? What if your baby is sick and uses twice as many diapers as you expected one day?
If you keep a dozen prefold diapers handy, you don’t need to worry about baby outgrowing the diapers. Then, when your toddler leaves diapers behind, cloth baby diapers make wonderfully soft cleaning rags.
Do all of the diapers need to be the same?
No! Needs vary. There are a variety of cloth diapers and diaper covers to choose from. You may need heavy diapers for nighttime, fitted diapers for crawling time, or inexpensive prefolds just in case you run out of your all-in-one or pocket diapers. If you try a variety of diapers, you will discover which cloth baby diaper best fits your needs.