Why cloth?
It's softer, chemical free, money saving, and cute!
Environmental impact.
"The Real Diaper Association, an advocacy group founded in 2004, estimates that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the U.S. (according to the EPA, that translates into more than 3.4 million tons of waste dumped into landfills) and that producing those diapers also consumes huge amounts of petroleum, chlorine, wood pulp and water." Time article.
A disposable diaper can take up to 500 years to decompose.
Fecal matter is not supposed to go into landfills. On the diaper packages it says to put the poop in the toilet. Nobody does this though.
Team Pampers argues that the water and energy required to launder cloth diapers cancel out those costs. I have a high efficiency front loading machine and only wash diapers every 5 or 6 days so the water usage isn't that bad.
Money saving.
The average child will use 7000 - 9000 disposable diapers in the first couple years of life. That's over $2000! Even if you buy the cutest and most expensive cloth diapers you will still save money. Let's say you spend $30 on each diaper and you need 24 of them. That's $720. It's been calculated that laundry costs will be $413. This site has a great cost comparison. One of the most cost effective diapering systems is the new Econobums. Two of these kits will get you from birth to potty training for $100. I have one kit and they are great for the money.
Your child's health.
My oldest is allergic to Luvs. We haven't tried many disposables so she may have problems with other brands as well. That made me wonder what was in the diaper that was causing such an awful rash. There have been studies linking disposable diapers with asthma and male infertility.
On to the fun part.
There are so many choices when it comes to cloth diapering. There is the old fashioned prefold that you can pin or fasten with a snappi and put a waterproof cover over. This is the cheapest way to cloth diaper. I love the prefolds with a cute cover like the Flip. I have 3 of these. You just fold the prefold into thirds and lay it in the cover. No pinning required. Most of the time I can reuse the same cover all day and just put a new diaper in it every few hours. All in ones are awesome for when you are out and about. It's just like putting on a disposable which is great for those times when you have to change baby in the car or on your lap or in the stroller. One size diapers are wonderful if you don't want to buy all new diapers everytime your baby has a growth spurt.
Anika in one of her first cloth diapers. (Kushies from Walmart)
Emily is one of her first. (Thirsties cover with an infant sized prefold)
Ani in her Bummi's cover. (cute, but not my fave)
Emily in the same cover 2 years later.
Econobum prefolds with Flip covers. Same size for my 19lb 13 month old and my 34lb 3 year old.
Yesterday's mail :) The pink one is a surprise gift for a friend's new baby. I already have one.
And now the dirty part. Washing. Everyone does it differently and you may have to try a few things to see what works for you. I like to use a wet bag or a pail with a liner. I do a "dry pail". Some people prefer soaking the diapers. I shake off or swish the solids into the potty and drop the diaper in the wet bag. When the bag is full I turn it inside out into my washing machine (I have a front loader and I don't want to touch the diapers) and drop the bag into the machine with the diapers. I do a cold wash first with a small amount of detergent. Then a hot wash with the same small amount of detergent. Then an extra rinse. If the detergent builds up it can cause rashes or make the diaper less absorbent. I use Seventh Generation free and clear or Rockin' Green, but anything free of dyes, whiteners, and artificial fragrances will work just fine. A little vinegar in the first wash can help rinse the detergent out. If possible, I like to line dry my diapers. The sun bleaches them and makes them smell great.
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