Why Use Cloth Diapers?

Are you a long-time cloth diaper user? What worked best for you? What didn't work? What would you recommend for first time cloth users? Click here to share with other moms.

Cloth diapers are better for your budget, your baby, the environment, and are easier to use than ever. Here are the many benefits for your family.

Better for your Budget

Disposable diapers can only be used one time for one child, whereas cloth can be used indefinitely. They then can be used for subsequent children, your friend's children, your nieces and nephews, and perhaps even your grandchildren. So, after the first child, you really are paying nothing besides the laundering costs.

Now, you can spend more than we did. We just used the basic prefolds with covers which are the most economical. There are fancier cloth diapers out there which can cost as much as $32 per diaper. So if you go this route it can be much more expensive initially, but in the long run you will still reap a substantial savings. You will save even if you only use cloth part-time, such as during the day or only when you are at home.

A typical name brand disposable diaper plus disposable wipes will cost you more than $2,500 per child. This is only if your child is in diapers for 2 1/2 years.

The cost of an average package of cloth diapers costs around $500 and the cost of water, detergent, and energy comes to around $230 if you use a regular top loading washing machine. A total of less than $750! This cost would be less if you use an energy efficient front-loading washing machine, hang your diapers to dry, and purchase a less expensive cloth diapering package.

Your savings would be $1750! Plus the diapers can be used on subsequent children for no cost.

That's $2500 for disposables versus $750 for cloth= a savings of $1750.

Better for Baby

While any diaper should be changed every 2-3 hours, you do have to change a cloth diaper more often. This keeps baby's skin from being in contact with urine and poop for an extended amount of time. When a baby wears disposables they tend to feel dryer and so are changed less. Even though the moisture is wicked away with disposables, the harmful bacteria that causes rashes is still left against their skin.

Cloth diapers don't contain the harmful chemicals and gels that disposable diapers contain. Disposables contain the gel sodium polyacrylate to absorb wetness. No studies have been done on the health affects of this gel on small children. It was used in tampons until 1985 when it was removed because of women experiencing Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Disposables raise the temperature of a baby boy's scrotum. Cloth diapers do not. Even a small increase in temperature has been associated with infertility. This association may be a cause for concern.

Disposables have been linked to asthma in mice. The fragraces and chemicals that disposable diapers emit are known to be bronchial irritants. Cloth diapers did not have this same effect on the mice. Something else to consider and think about.

They may help your baby to potty train sooner. Disposables wick away almost all moisture which causes baby to feel dry. If a baby feels wet in a cloth diaper he may be less inclined to want to stay in that diaper.

Better for the Environment

Cloth: There is some cost to the environment in that a lot of cotton is still grown using pesticides and herbicides. It is also bleached with the toxic chemical dioxin. Green cotton is becoming increasingly available and most diaper stores have unbleached prefolds available. It takes about 30 lbs of cotton to make 3-6 dozen diapers which can be used for more than one child.

Disposable: To manufacture disposable diapers 1 billion trees are cut down each year and they are then bleached with chlorine gas. The chlorine gas produces toxic chemicals called organochlorides--one of which is dioxin. Dioxin is then released in the waste water from the manufacturing facilities and into the environment.

Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemicals known to humans and was used in Agent Orange. Some of the effects of dioxin are miscarriages, birth defects, and cancer. There is also a trace amount of organochlorides in each diaper.

There are safer ways to bleach diapers--such as hydrogen peroxide bleaching. Some of the more environmentally savvy companies, like Seventh Generation don't bleach their disposable diapers.

I personally find the beige color of unbleached diapers more aesthetically appealing anyway, versus the stark white of the bleached ones.

Even if you are purchasing non-organic, bleached cloth diapers, one child only needs a few dozen. Whereas it takes around 6000 disposable diapers to diaper one child for 2 1/2 years--that is a lot of trees and toxic chemicals!

Next you have to consider the disposal of the diaper.

Cloth: The water usage for washing cloth for one child for 2 1/2 years is 20,000 gallons (less for a front loading washer). This seems like a lot, but if put in perspective it ends up being about 6% of an average family's monthly water usage. Adults use more water taking showers than is used to wash diapers.

We also have efficient means for treating our sewage water. And water is a naturally renewing resource. If we think it is better to fill up landfills with disposable diapers than maybe adults should also stop taking showers and be using disposable clothing!

Most cloth diapers are re-used many times before they are thrown away. They can be re-used for many different babies and then can be used as cleaning rags or even menstrual rags! When they are disposed of it takes six months for them to biodegrade.

Disposable: One child in disposables for 2 1/2 years will create 2 tons of solid waste--yes that's 2 TONS! Disposables take up to 500 years to decompose. Human waste is going untreated into landfills with the potential to leak out and contaminate drinking water. There is also the potential for animals to pick up pathogens from the diapers and spread them to surrounding areas.

That's six months for cloth to biodegrade versus 500 years for disposable!

Easy to Use

The diaper is just folded up between your baby's legs and attached at the ends either with pins or a Snappi. You can also simply fold the diaper in thirds and place it in the outer cover and secure the cover around your child.

Many people don't want to use pins for fear of poking their baby or themselves. I occasionally use pins and have found it much more of a hazard to myself than to my baby!

Snappis are simply a piece of stretchy plastic shaped like a "T" with grip hooks at the ends. This secures the edges of the diaper.

You then use a nylon, wool, or PUL cover which either slides over baby's legs or secures with hook and loops or snaps.

The fancier fitted diapers, pocket diapers, and all-in-ones go on baby just like a disposable. Hook and loops or snaps secure the diaper around your baby. Check out this article for a look at the updated versions.

Washing cloth is really quite easy. Just a few simple steps and--voila! Clean, fresh diapers!

Aesthetically Pleasing

This is just my personal preference, but I find cloth diapers to be more pleasing to look at both on and off the baby. They feel softer, they smell good (when they're clean!), and I have to think that my baby's bum feels better to be in them. Plus, with all the new and cute designs and prints out there now--what better time to be cloth diapering your baby?

For tips on getting started see Getting Started with Cloth Diapers

Have you heard about G Diapers? These may be your answer to the cloth versus disposable question.

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