Diapers I Recommend

These are the diapers I would recommend trying. I would recommend getting a total of 12 diapers and 4-6 covers in any combination and see what you like the best and then buy more of that.

If you want to try prefolds
Chinese or Indian prefolds with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps or Flip one-size covers.

If you want to try fitteds
Mother Ease Sandy's bamboo (or cotton if you are more concerned about money than bulk) with Mother Ease Air Flow snap covers or Bummis Whisper Pants.

If you want to try hybrids
The Flip system and/or the Best Bottom system

If you want to try pockets
bumGenius or Fuzzi Bunz

If you want to try an all-in-one
I guess bumGenius, but I haven't actually tried any others

Diapers I've Tried

You can save a lot of money by using cloth diapers. However, if it becomes a hobby to try different kinds and make your own like it did for me you won't save quite as much. You will still save though and you will probably be able to sell a lot of your used diapers which you can't do with disposables. I have already sold some stuff that I didn't like.

And now, Nicki's Diapers http://www.nickisdiapers.com/ has a 15 day wash and return policy where you can try anything and if you don't like it, wash it and return it within 15 days for store credit. I would have saved tons of money if they had this when I started using cloth. Nicki's is a great place to shop because they have tons of selection in diapers as well as all kinds of other mom and baby stuff.

Here is a list of the diapers I've tried. I have found that I like different styles of diapers for different stages. I put the ones that I used most in bold and indicated which stage I used them in. I am just starting to diaper my second baby and so far I am following a similar trend, but will probably make a few changes.

Prefolds
Chinese - size nb and infant secured with a snappy for first baby, trifolded for second baby
Indian - size nb and infant secured with a snappy for first baby, trifolded for second baby
Econobum by bumGenius
Blue Penguin snap on hemp

Contours
Kissaluvs

Fitteds
Little Lions
Under the Nile
Ecobaby Absorb-it-all - size medium and large
Sckoon
Ecobaby Grow-with-me
Mother Ease Sandy's Bamboo - size large
Mother Ease Sandy's Cotton - size large
Mother Ease one-size bamboo - started using at the same time as Sandy's but did not fit as long
Organic cotton Dream-Eze
Kissaluvs
Happy Heiny Heiny Hugger
Crickett's
bumGenius bamboo

Covers
Bummis Super Whisper Wrap - w/prefolds
Bummis Super Snap
Bummis Whisper Pant - w/fitteds
Litewrap
Prowrap
Thirsties - w/prefolds
Mother Ease Air Flow snap - w/Mother Ease diapers
Sun Seedlings side-snap PUL
Stacinator So Simple - w/Mother Ease diapers

Hybrid
g Diapers
Flip one-size cover w/ stay-dry insert - the covers are good for all sizes, but I only like the inserts on the largest size. otherwise they are too bulky
Flip one-size cover w/ organic cotton insert
Best Bottom snap shell - These are new so I've only used them with my second child. This is a one-size cover and so far they are too bulky with the Best Bottom insert but work well with a tri-folded newborn prefold.
Best Bottom stay-dry insert - These are new so I've only used them with my second child. They are too bulky in the Best Bottom shell but work well in the Flip cover. I am not a big fan of microfiber so I am looking forward to trying the hemp inserts, but so far they have not been able to keep them in stock.

Pocket
bumGenius one-size - I used these for quite a while as overnight diapers and for a period when my son had outgrown infant prefolds but I hadn't discovered Mother Ease fitted diapers. They fit well, but they can be harder to wash because of odors and repelling and they wear out much faster than cotton or bamboo diapers. If you are going to diaper full-time with these you will need at least 24 and I'm still not sure how many children you could diaper with them. That being said, you would still save a lot of money even if you bought 24bG diapers for each of your children instead of buying disposables.
Fuzzi Bunz - I only had these in small
Dry Bees fleece nighttime
Bum Wear one-size

All-In-One
bumGenius

Washing Diapers

The thing with washing diapers is that you want to get them clean but if you use too much detergent or the wrong kind you'll get buildup on your diapers that cause them either to stink when they get wet or quit working. Diapers made with natural fibers are easiest to take care of. Diapers with synthetic fibers are the ones that tend to have more problems with washing.

Here's how I wash all my diapers (natural and synthetic):
Cold rinse
If there are especially dirty diapers in the load I will shake the bottle of liquid detergent upside down quickly and then rinse out any detergent that sticks in the cap into the rinse water.
Hot wash
Sometimes I do an extended soak and sometimes I just set the soil level to heavy.
Cold rinse
Sometimes I do an extra rinse if I think the detergent isn't going to wash out with one rinse.

Detergent
You should put the detergent in for the hot wash (after your first cold rinse).

You want to avoid fragrance, brighteners, fabric softeners and other additives. These leave buildup on your diapers. Cheap free and clear detergents have worked well for me, but they sometimes have an added ingredient to block allergens that causes some people problems.

I think the key is not to use too much. A diaper store in town recommended that I use about a tablespoon of a free and clear detergent and a half cup to a cup of baking soda.

Sometimes I add a few drops of tea tree oil to the hot wash as an antiseptic.

Problems
It's best to start with a simple wash routine and only adjust if you have problems. If your diapers aren't smelling clean out of the wash you need more detergent. If they repel instead of absorb or stink when they get wet you need to use less detergent and/or do an extra rinse. If you have hard water you may need a few other adjustments.

Here are some good websites with info about washing and detergents. The diaper pin forums are a good place to go if you are having problems and want to find out how other people solve similar problems.

Sunshine Diapers - Washing Info

Sunshine Diapers - Detergent Info

Pinstripes and Polka Dots - Detergent Info

Diaper Pin Forums