It pains us to admit that cloth diapers do not always win the fight against disposables. We love cloth diapers for their cuteness, cheapness, and eco-friendliness, but the truth is, many people waste so much water and energy laundering their Fuzzibunz that they might as well switch to Huggies as far as the Earth is concerned.

So how can you tell if you’re doing more harm than good? Do a little bit of math to determine how much water you’re using laundering your diapers: multiply the gallons of water your washing machine uses by the number of loads you do per year. (If you aren’t sure, use 40 gallons for a top loader and 12 for a front loader.) Is your resulting number less than 4,000? Then you are on the right track! More than 4,000? You should probably re-evaluate your laundering habits.

Let’s say you have a top-loader and wash diapers every other day. You’re using at least 7,280 gallons of water a year to wash diapers. Do you do an extra rinse each time? You could be blowing through twice that much water.

But don’t panic! There are several easy ways to reduce your impact. Try washing fuller loads less often, eliminating extra rinse cycles, or thinking of ways to reduce the overall amount of laundry you do to “offset” the diaper loads. Our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide, contains a thorough list of ways to “green” your cloth diapers to cut down on the water and energy you use. Check it out if you’re ready to get serious about conserving resources!

How many gallons a year do you use on diaper laundry?

Our new book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide, costs $13.57 on Amazon.  Is it truly worth that much when you can read our tantalizing posts for free?

Only if you want to save thousands on baby’s first few years.  Thousands?  Seriously?  How can that be?  Here’s a quick outline:

Nursery Gear.  If you use our tips for scoring quality, safe secondhand gear or repurposing what you already have, you’ll save several hundred dollars on nursery furnishings alone.  Plus there’s a directory of quality green products for your eco-splurges.

Diapering. Want to avoid spending nearly two thousand dollars on diapering per child?  Check out our tips on using cloth!  It’s easier than ever and your savings will accumulate without regular runs to the store to stock up on pampers.  When your second or even third baby arrives, you won’t need to spend a dime on new supplies. Plus you’ll keep several tons of waste out of our landfills!

Clothing. Secondhand clothing is hip, cute, and infinitely better for the planet.  Prepare to dress your baby in the best brands for seventy to ninety percent less than retail!

Food. Packed with tips on breastfeeding, using organic formulas, and making your own baby food, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide will help you nourish your child with healthy foods for hundreds less.

Still not convinced?  You can request that your local library purchase our book and then check it out for free!  You just might find that it’s worth having on hand for as a trusty resource for eco-friendly, budget friendly living in baby’s first few years.

Although I pride myself in being somewhat crafty, I didn’t take on that many DIY projects to prepare for my daughter’s birth four years ago. I did make my own cloth wipes. Anyone who can cut squares with scissors could do the same—I used my husband’s cast off T-shirts! I also created a mobile out of paper and twigs. It hangs in my daughter’s room to this day, so I consider the endeavor worthwhile. Plus, it cost nothing!

In The Eco-nomical Baby Guide, we provide a list of resources for making your own baby gear. Now we want to know—what did you make yourself? Did you sew or knit your baby’s clothes—or even diapers? What about building furniture for the baby’s nursery? What did you make, and what resources did you find the most helpful?