I'm not sure where Jen H is coming from. A one time use of gasoline to purchase cloth diapers that must be shipped? Disposables have to be shipped to the store from somewhere too. Then you have all the packaging along with the disposables that you are throwing away. Maybe she is thinking about a diaper service, which AFAIK we still don't have one here in Memphis.
Cloth diapers may end up being the same for the environment in terms of power use, since most of us cloth diaper users use a dryer instead of hanging to dry. But for raising children they are MUCH MUCH CHEAPER. The initial investment is hard to make, but it will save you a lot of money.
I have not found special detergents or washing in hot to be necessary. We use an unscented detergent and no fabric softeners, and wash in cold. I do all my laundry with an extra rinse. I don't wash diapers separately either, they get washed with the whites or light colored things. With a totally breastfed baby, you can put the diapers straight into the wash and they will get clean. Once they start solids, you do have to rinse. If you let poopy diapers sit the ammonia in the urine will react with the poo and eat holes in your diapers over time, so even after you rinse it's a good idea to wash them asap.
If you want fitted dipes you will have to buy online. Mothersville on Cooper sells organic and unbleached prefolds, fuzzi bunz and bummi diaper wraps, some wool soakers. We have used predominatly bummis, fuzzi bunz and prefolds, with some homemade butt sweaters, along with elimination communication for our 5 kids. I also use disposables for trips, when we are sick, and for my 5 yo who is disabled.
HTH, good luck with the transition! You may also like this group on yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alternamamas/