I Used Cloth Diapers Only at Home — What Actually Happened

Before parenting taught me flexibility, I believed in doing things the “right” way.

This post shares my personal experience with cloth diapering in India — using cloth diapers at home, disposable diapers outside, and how this hybrid diapering approach unexpectedly helped with potty training later on.

This is not a step-by-step guide on how to cloth diaper perfectly. It’s a real-life account of my experience using cloth diapers at home. I relied on disposables outside. I navigated night travel with toddlers. I slowly learned that parenting plans rarely survive exhaustion.

Why I Chose Cloth Diapers During Pregnancy

Like many expectant parents, I made a lot of decisions before my child was born. Cloth diapers were one of them.

I stitched my first cloth diapers during pregnancy, long before I knew what parenting would actually look like.

We are Indian, and here, cloth diapers aren’t just an eco-friendly choice — they’re often expected. Parents and in-laws gently (and sometimes not so gently) push the idea early on. Buying pure white cotton cloth and stitching them into squares is almost a rite of passage during the nesting phase.

A new baby usually wears this flat cloth wrapped and tied while staying indoors, and disposable diapers are traditionally saved for outdoor trips. I was completely on board with the idea of using cloth diapers indoors.

My reasons felt practical at the time:

• I wanted something breathable for my baby’s skin
• I was home most of the time
• Laundry access wasn’t a problem
• I had help — something you need to reuse the cloth diapers, when you need to rest a lot.
• Wearing it wrapped style means no elastic – just tying nappy in a knot or pinning it.

What I didn’t plan for was how much parenting would be shaped by exhaustion, travel, weather, and a child’s very strong opinions.

Using Cloth Diapers at Home: What Worked Well

At home, cloth diapers worked beautifully.

Comfort and Body Awareness

Cloth diapers are less absorbent than disposables, and that turned out to be an advantage. My children were more aware of wetness, discomfort, and bodily cues. Diaper changes happened frequently, and we stayed tuned into their needs.

Fewer Rashes and Skin Issues

Because diapers were changed often and fabrics were breathable, we dealt with fewer rashes than many parents around us. This wasn’t because cloth is “better,” but because awareness and routine were better.

A Natural Rhythm

Cloth diapering at home created a rhythm:

• feed
• change
• wash
• dry

It became part of daily life instead of a separate chore.

The Invisible Support That Made It Possible

This part matters — and it’s often something that many mom blogs skip conveniently.

I had my mother’s help, especially in the early months. She washed the cloth diapers most days while I focused on the baby.

This is important to say out loud.

Cloth diapering felt manageable because I wasn’t doing everything alone. Without that support, my experience — and this post — might have looked very different.

If you’ve ever felt like you “failed” at cloth diapering, lack of help is not a personal flaw. It’s logistics.

Why We Used Disposable Diapers Outside the Home

From the beginning, we were flexible.

We used:

• Cloth diapers at home
• Disposable diapers when going out

This hybrid approach removed a lot of pressure.

Outings, Appointments, and Social Events

Leaving the house with a baby already requires planning. Adding wet bags, used diapers, and frequent changes made outside trips unnecessarily stressful for us.

Disposables weren’t a failure — they were a tool.

Night Travel With Toddlers: Where Cloth Diapers Complicated Things

The issue wasn’t that cloth diapers didn’t work. In fact, it was often the opposite.

They had grown so used to cloth diapers at home that they refused disposable diapers during night journeys. Disposables felt unfamiliar, bulkier, and uncomfortable to them. We switched to cloth diapers bought online instead of the flat cloth because we didn’t want the car to reek. Even then, the kids didn’t always like them — though sometimes, they tolerated it.

Pulling over frequently near gas stations or roadside stops became almost our only option.

Cloth diapers hadn’t failed us — night travel had exposed the limits of any diapering plan.

In those moments, comfort, sleep, and safety mattered more than sticking to what we had planned on paper.

When Children Refused Reusable Diapers

This surprised me.

After using flat cloth diapers consistently at home, my children developed preferences. Later on, they refused disposable diapers — but also refused reusable ones (online one)during travel.

What this taught me:

• Children notice comfort differences
• Preferences change based on context
• Parenting isn’t about consistency — it’s about responsiveness

Forcing a system never helped. Flexibility did.

Sleepless Nights and Wishing for Disposable Diapers

This part is uncomfortable to admit, but it’s important.

At night, cloth diapers meant waking up often — sometimes for every single wet diaper. There were nights when I was so tired. I wished to just put them in disposable diapers. That way, I could sleep a little longer.

And sometimes, I did.

I tried disposable diapers at night a few times, especially during phases of extreme exhaustion. It didn’t mean I had failed at cloth diapering — it meant I was human.

Those nights taught me something crucial: parenting decisions change when sleep deprivation enters the picture. What feels manageable during the day can feel overwhelming at 2 a.m. But somehow my kid just skipped peeing at night on many such occasions.

Cloth Diapers: Leaks and Laundry Challenges

While flat cloth diapers worked well in general, they came with some real challenges. They would sometimes leak, especially during longer stretches, and the smell could become noticeable even at home.

Having a proper plan to clean immediately was crucial, but washing each diaper every time it got wet wasn’t practical. We often dipped them in a water bucket and then washed 2–3 times a day — managing this routine alongside other parenting tasks was challenging.

Despite these difficulties, flat cloth diapers were still useful for everyday home use, and learning to navigate these practical issues was part of the real-life cloth diapering experience.

Rainy Days and Drying Problems No One Warns You About

Rainy days were genuinely hard.

• Diapers took longer to dry
• Damp weather added mental load
• Laundry piled up quickly

This is rarely mentioned in cloth diaper success stories, but it matters. Weather alone can decide whether cloth feels doable or overwhelming.

Did Cloth Diapers Make Potty Training Easier?

In our case — yes.

Early Awareness of Wetness

Because cloth diapers don’t mask wetness the way disposables do, my children became aware of bodily signals earlier.

Potty training felt less like a sudden transition and more like a continuation of something they already understood.

Fewer Power Struggles

We didn’t have to convince them that being wet was uncomfortable — they already knew.

This doesn’t mean cloth diapers guarantee easy potty training. But they can support awareness in a very natural way.

What I Learned About Cloth Diapering and Parenting

Looking back, a few lessons stand out.

1. Partial Cloth Diapering Still Counts

You don’t need to do it full-time for it to be worthwhile.

2. Help Changes Everything

Support doesn’t make you weak — it makes systems possible.

3. Children Are Active Participants

They’re not passive recipients of parenting plans. They react, resist, and choose comfort.

4. Convenience Is Not a Moral Failure

Using disposables when needed didn’t undo the benefits of cloth at home.

Would I Do It the Same Way Again?

Yes — but only because I’d allow myself the same flexibility.

Cloth diapers worked for us at home, during calm routines, with help and structure. They didn’t work during night travel, rainy weeks, or moments when everyone was exhausted.

Both things can be true.

If You’re Considering Cloth Diapers

If you’re pregnant, exhausted, or stuck between cloth and disposables, here’s the only advice that matters:

You don’t have to do this perfectly.

You can use cloth sometimes.
You can stop and restart.
You can change your mind.

Parenting isn’t about proving commitment — it’s about adapting with honesty.

And sometimes, that honesty looks like a cloth diaper drying slowly on a rainy day. You choose the easier option and move on without guilt.

This post is part of our Baby & Toddler Parenting series, where I share real-life experiences from everyday parenting