4 Reasons You Should Use Cloth Diapers

One of the most common baby shower gifts are disposable diapers. They are considered the go-to now, whereas fifty years ago, cloth diapers were the norm. The use of cloth diapers has fallen out of fashion with the masses because disposable diapers make it easier to collect the love your baby has produced for you and throw it in the trash, never to be smelled or heard from again. What if I said that you are doing yourself a disservice by using something you consider more convenient? If I can show you how cloth diapers can save you more money and reduce the amount of waste in our landfills, you might consider at least trying them out, yes? Okay, great.

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Money

The average baby spends around 2 1/2 years in diapers. For argument’s sake, let’s say they go through about six diapers a day. That’s 365 days/year x 2.5 years x 6 diapers/day, which equals 5,475 diapers. For one child.

Now imagine buying a collection of cloth diapers for $400 that will last you the entire time you have your baby in diapers. It sure sounds like a lot of money upfront, right? But if you consider it saves you thousands of dollars in the long run, that price tag doesn’t sting as much. And, if you use a cheaper option of cloth diapers, you could save even more money.

Resale

Have you ever seen someone try to resell a used disposable diaper? Of course not.

Are you aware of the resale market for gently used cloth diapers? If you keep them in good condition, there are a multitude of groups on Facebook that let you sell them to other parents. You can also advertise on eBay, Craigslist, Hyena Cart, the possibilities are endless. That $400 isn’t smarting too badly now, huh?

Landfills

It takes around 500 years for a single diaper to decompose in a landfill. Can you imagine the number of disposable diapers that will accumulate on this planet in that amount of time?

Getting back to the biggest question I have been asked, “What do you do with the poop?” Have you ever read the fine print on the back of the disposables package? The directions for disposing of a soiled diaper clearly state to empty the contents into the toilet before throwing it away. You are not supposed to just close it up and toss it. So, not only are these diapers piling up in the landfills, there is human waste hanging around as well.

So what are you supposed to do with their poop? Some people dunk the cloth diaper into the toilet to wash it off. I’m not really a fan of that, so we have a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet water line to spray it all off into the toilet, flush it away, and put the dirty diaper into a wet bag until it’s time to wash them. You can also add a biodegradable diaper liner, aka poop catcher, to take out the cloth diaper and toss into potty. If your babe is still on a liquid diet, this might be a little messy to do, but super easy to toss a solid bowel movement.

Stinkin’ Adorable

Look at that cute, fluffy tushie! Aside from his other cute, fluffy cheeks.

I received this One Size Pocket Diaper from Nicki’s Diapers as compensation for a review, but my opinions are 100% my own. (Full Disclosure Policy).

 

The outside of the diaper is a material called polyurethane laminate, or PUL. It is a combination of polyester fabric and a waterproof laminate. It is quite breathable, not like the plastic pants of days past. The inner fabric is very soft fleece that wicks away the moisture into the thirsty microfiber insert stuffed in between the two diaper layers. Nicki’s Diapers One Size Pocket Diapers have two openings to get the insert into the cloth diaper and makes it easier for the insert to agitate out in the wash. No pulling out stinky inserts with these lovelies!

These cloth diapers fit babies from 8 to 35+ pounds because there are snaps down the front that you can adjust as they grow. Ethan weighs about 31 pounds, so he is closer to the top end, but as you can see it fit him perfectly. He was able to dance around to his favorite show, take a two hour nap, and wake up completely dry. He didn’t have any chafing or any signs of a rash. When he added a little extra the second time he wore it, everything came out in the wash and it looks brand new again.

I hope I have convinced you that there are solid reasons you should use cloth diapers. At least part of the time. If not, let me know your biggest concern in the comments.