I remember the first time I heard about people cloth diapering their babies these days. Seriously? I thought. I usethose old fashioned cloth diapers to clean my house. I could not imagine dealing with pins, toilet dipping, and nasty washing of rags. Well, I was way off!
Cloth diapering has come a long way. I was actually convinced by my dear friend Steph (of Scottsdale Moms Blog) of this money-saving solution. As everyone so adequately puts it…these are not your grandma’s cloth diapers. I use Bum Genius and LOVE them! Let me explain a few of my reasons for choosing cloth diapers over disposables.
1. Saves Money. Although cloth diapers are quite the investment up-front (a full supply with all the necessities can cost around $400), the amount you can save in the long run is so worth it. Steph as a helpful breakdown of the savings on her personal blog. You can end up saving around $2,000 per child with cloth diapering. Two things that have helped me save BIG are never buying disposables (except for trips) and registering for my cloth diapers so I received some as gifts. You better believe I triple stuff those suckers for night time, and I have had to get pretty creative on a few laundry days waiting for the clean diapers to be dry!
2. Environmentally Friendly. It’s not a big surprise that this is a good alternative to filling up land fills with dirty diapers. Although I’m not the best advocate for all things green, it is definitely an added benefit of cloth diapers. It is so nice not to have to make trips to the store all the time to buy diapers. I always have them on hand (if I keep up with laundry!)
3. Soft and Cushy. The fabric that is right up against baby’s most sensitive skin is so soft! They also make a nice cushion to fall on when your child starts walking. You can even use them as swim diapers if you take out the inserts!
4. Smell. My cloth diapers actually hold stink in better than any disposables I’ve tried. Maybe it’s all the padding, but somehow it prevents him from being a stink bomb. This can also be tricky because it makes it harder to notice a dirty diaper. I also can’t stand the smell of store bought disposables. Even when it is just a wet diaper, the smell of those chemicals are awful!
5. Cuteness Factor. Cloth diapers come in all different colors, styles, and patterns. I do realize that I am boasting about the aesthetics of what my child poops in. But have you seen these? There is nothing cuter than a baby running around in just a cloth diaper. And their little bums get so big and cushy! I actually had Kyler’s newborn photos taken with just one of his light blue diapers on. It was like a manly version of bloomers.
6. No poop. Well, lots of poop, but not in your trash can! The idea of a trash can filled with diapers filled with poop just grossed me out. Although there is still stuff deal with, I like the fact that the mess if flushed off in the toilet and the diapers are rinsed before washed. It is definitely added work and time, but it is something I prefer. That is just me!
Those are my reasons for cloth diapering. In no way do I think it is superior to disposables, it is just what I have found works best for me.
Do you cloth diaper? Do you love using disposables? Does the thought of having to wash dirty diapers gross you out? Do share!
We do cloth diaper! when our first was born i wanted to be old school about it….we had about a million pre-folds and super cute covers with the snappi’s….i loved that when she was little i think they just fit better then the larger “all in ones” but when she was about 4 months old i put her in a bumGenius and never looked back….although i liked the pre-folds…the all in ones were just obviouslly much more simple to use 🙂 between my 2nd little one being born and moving out of state (all within 10 weeks!!) we decited to take a “cloth vacation”…..and athough the “break” was nice i was getting so tired of buying diapers!! So i was SO glad to be pulling out our diapers and starting them back up this week!! Our #1 reason for cloth diapering was money….and athough cloth diapers can be expencive at the start up….its totally worth it after 2 or 3 kids in diapers for 2 or 3 years each!!…..and to be honest…we have not bought one diaper….when i was pregnant i registered for them and got ALL our diapers as gifts!!!!!
Yeah those All in Ones (though I love them so much) are a little big for a newbord. I had actually bought some knock of Bum Genius called Rainbow Bebe from ebay (terrible decision- ended up not using them and buying more BG) but they actually fit Kyler when he was tiny pretty well.
I’m a little nervous about having 2 in cloth diapers (especially since I only have 18) but am determined to make it work! That’s amazing that you didn’t have to buy any!! What a lifesaver!
I originally started using cloth with my daughter because she was getting continuous and very bad diaper rashes with disposables (and we tried many different brands). Once I realized how much I was spending on the disposables (and that cloth was better for her skin anyway), it was a no brainer. We’re now working on potty training, and I’m sad that I have to put my cloth stash away until the next one arrives!
Totally forgot to mention that! Unless I leave him in the diaper too long (bad mom award!!) he never gets rashes! I hear this a lot, which is def. an added benefit to cloth! Thanks for sharing Amanda!
I cloth diaper too, and love it, but I’m fairly new to it (only 4 months in). Will you share your wash routine? I use BG also, 4.0 and elementals, but lately I am having stinky diapers just when they are peed in! I’ve googled the problem and found several suggestions, just wondering if you’ve ever had the problem and have a go to solution that will solve the stink 🙂 I use Charlie’s Soap, so I don’t think build up is the problem, but who knows? Thanks!
First I do a cycle on cold with no detergent. Then I do a cycle on hot with detergent. I just use All Free and Clear and haven’t had a problem 1 year in. I also usually dry on the lowest setting in the dryer. Sadly, I only hang them outside once every few weeks-and mainly just to bleach the stains out. I’ve never experienced stink. I wonder if baking soda in one of the wash cycles would help with that? Are you using Bum Genius inserts as well? Wish I had a better answer for you, Google always seems to know best in my book. 🙂
I also use Bum Genius (since my middle was a newborn), although I just started a new stash of Fuzzi Bunz 🙂 We’ve always used Allen’s Naturally, so I was surprised when ours started smelling, too. I’d give Rockin Green detergent a try (which is what I’m about to do) as they have an Ammonia Buster version. I also try keeping them out in the sun, but I haven’t found that to be very useful unless you bake them in the sun for a few days. Hope that helps!
I just ordered my first few BG’s but I love cloth diapers!
Anyway, I wanted to point out that all the “poop in the trash can” to which you refer in point 6 is actually illegal in most cities. Yep, most municipalities have bylaws prohibiting human waste from going into landfills instead of being treated at wastewater facilities. So using cloth not only prevents poop from going into the landfill, it also means you’re compliant with the law!
I cloth diaper to save money! Just a nice side effect that it helps the environment too 😉
Using Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers has made me feel really good about helping with the environment. I agree that cloth diapers may not be a choice for everyone but they should give them a “try” before totally arguing against them. If you use them from the first child you will use them for all your children. You just that to stay on top of all your laundry.