I'm just going to jump right in here. I have used both disposables and cloth on my son.
We used disposables for almost 14 months before switching to cloth. In those 14 months I spent over R10000 on disposable nappies alone. You say they are more convenient, but are they? I know of many mom's that have run out of "sposies" in the middle of the night. A disposable nappy is filled with so many chemicals that are bad for the skin, they take approx. 500 years or more to decompose, and cause terrible rashes and chemical burns, especially to those babies with sensitive skin. Not once has my son had a rash while using a cloth nappy and I don't use a barrier cream either.
Wrt washing: You don't need any special detergent, your normal Omo or Ariel works just fine. The only thing you omit is fabric softener, which sticks to the inserts and hamper absorption. You add an extra rinse cycle on your machine so that you are not washing in dirty water and then your machine does the work for you. It really is as simple as that. I am not missing out on quality time with my child due to "loads of washing to do". I usually put the washing machine on before I go to bed, so by the time morning comes I just hang up to dry. Easy peasy
Have you ever smelt a nappy bin filled with dirty disposables? I will never forget that smell, nor will I miss it. It is horrific. The smell from a clean disposable is bad too (which I didn't notice as much before switching to cloth). A cloth nappy bin/bucket doesn't smell. You will probably get more smells if you close the bin. Leave the bin open to air out and just wash when needed. I wash every third day, maybe every four days. Add a few drops of Tea tree oil to the bin and you're good to go.
When baby has a dirty nappy, just throw it into the toilet (where human waste belongs). The best thing invented for cloth users is a diaper sprayer - an absolute godsend. A sprayer attachment to the toilet. Spray off the solid bits into the loo then chuck the dirty nappy into your bucket until wash day.
Cloth nappies vary in materials and absorption. You can add layers/boosters according to your baby's needs e.g. Night time, heavy wetter, etc. Natural fibers like bamboo and hemp are more absorbent and hold liquids better whereas microfiber absorbs quickly but when full they get compression leaks (which makes them incompatible for night time use). I don't change my baby's nappy during the night. His cloth nappy lasts for 12 hours at night without any problems.
Cloth nappies can be expensive to start out with as you need to buy quite a few to sustain you. But once your stash (collective noun used by us cloth moms & dads) is established then you really do save. And no, my electricity and water bill have not increased since starting our cloth journey. I would not suggest getting all of the same brand but to rather get a few different brands. Each brand fits differently on different babies. Buying "preloved" second hand nappies has helped me to try the different brands recommended without breaking the bank. The best place to look would be SA Cloth Diaper Buy/Sell/Trade on Facebook. Loads of nappies both new and used are posted for sale every day.
A great intro video into the world of Modern Cloth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heTO1DxyD54
This blog has loads of insight and reviews on the different nappies.
http://hippiesafari.blogspot.com/
Modern cloth nappies are much cheaper and are the healthier option for your baby and the environment. Don't disregard them based on others opinions. They are worth the "effort".
