Using cloth diapers not only will save you money in the long run, but it will also be one of the most environmentally friendly things you can do.
Cloth diapers really don't take as much of an effort as many people try to make out. The worst part of cleaning the diapers is dumping the mess from a soiled diaper into the toilet. But, you have to do that with a disposable diaper anyway. (You did know that in most states it is illegal to dump human waste in the landfill, right ...)
To get started I went to the hardware store, and bought 2 plastic pails. One is for wet diapers, the other is for soiled diapers. When I change a wet diaper, I just stick it in the pail. If the diaper is soiled, I dump the mess in the toilet, and then put the diaper in the second pail. I keep some water in the second pail so the diapers can soak.
About every 3 days it comes time to wash. In the evening, I put the diapers from both pails in the washing machine, fill it up, and let them soak overnight. In the morning, I finish the cycle in the machine, then run them through a second cycle with some detergent this time.
To dry them, I hang them out on the clothes line. Not only does hanging them on the clothes line save money over using a dryer, but it also bleaches out any stains on the diapers. However, during the winter months I did have to use the dryer.
I would estimate that it takes about 30 minutes a week to clean, dry, and fold the cloth diapers. Not much time considering the money I save, and knowing that I'm not contributing to the landfill.
Cloth vs. disposables.