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6 Reasons Why Cloth Diapers Rock

and you should totally make the switch

By Lindsay RaePublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Image from: https://momlovesbest.com/diapering/cloth-diapers

Cloth diapers are awesome, and there's a great way for you to not only save money and the planet, but also diaper your kids in something totally cute and fashion forward.

Image from: https://www.babylist.com/hello-baby/cloth-diaper-registry

1. Cloth Diapers are Easy to Use!

When you think cloth diapers you probably imagine big white sheets that you have to secure to your baby with safety pins. If anyone's ever diapered a baby past the six month old mark, you know how impossible this is. They are squirming all over the place, rolling away, grabbing at their diaper (and the goodies that reside within), and just in general being a nightmare to clean up. But, I mean, a very cute nightmare.

Cloth diapers have come a long way! The type of cloth diaper I use on my kiddos are called Pocket Diapers. It's the shell of a diaper, and you slide the fluffy absorbent part into a little pocket, and then the diaper snaps together. It's even easier than a disposable diaper, because these things are tough and sturdy and can handle wrestling your little one while trying to put it on them.

Did I mention they just snap into place? They snap into place! And one size fits all, as the diaper can be modified to fit teeny little ones all the way up to big chonkers.

Image from: https://www.ecoparent.ca/eco-parenting/cloth-diaper-tips-and-tricks

2. Cloth Diapers are Easy to Wash!

Back in the day, our grandmas had to go heat up water on the stove and scrub our parents' dirty diapers by hand, and then go hang them on the line. No, thank you. Not interested in doing that.

Thankfully, today's modern cloth diapers are very easy to clean. And, dare I say, even easier than disposables. True story: I have a friend who's been through three diaper geniuses, and they're only on their second child.

Exclusively breastfed babies don't need any special treatment with their cloth diapers. Just remove the inner absorbent liner, throw it all into the wetbag, and every two to three days haul that thing into your washing machine, set it to heavy duty, throw in some Rockin' Green powder, and you're good to go.

Once your little one is on formula or eating solids, there's one extra step. You gotta take that diaper to the toilet, remove the inner liner, and then swish the solids out into the toilet. And no, I don't expect you to do this with your hands. I call them Poop Tongs™. They're regular tongs you buy from the store, but now they are used exclusively for cleaning poop. I keep my poop tongs and a little transfer bucket under the sink next to my toilet.

Image from: http://brandyfisher.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-reusable-baby-wipes.html

3. Cloth Wipes are WAY Better than Disposable!

Cloth diaper wipes get your baby way cleaner than disposable wipes. With disposable wipes it's normal to go through two or three wipes per poop, but cloth wipes are made from flannel and grip way more goop than the flimsy paper products.

Cloth wipes are also way more durable. No more breaking through that thin, damp paper product and getting poo on your fingers!

You can save the planet by reducing the amount of paper waste you generate, and save your wallet by making simple DIY cloth wipes!

As for cleaning, just use your handy dandy Poop Tongs™ to swish them out in the toilet before tossing them into your wetbag.

KaWaii Baby Cloth Diapers

4. Cloth Diapers are Cute AF!

Just... look at them! They're adorable! Your kid doesn't even need to wear pants! Just throw on a shirt and some leg warmers, and your little one will be the ultimate fashionista.

Cloth diapers come in so many colors and patterns, it's impossible to choose from just one brand or style. You can match your diaper stash to whatever color coordination your nursery is, or go with a hobby that's important to you.

Image from: https://www.thebump.com/a/best-cloth-diapers-for-baby

5. Cloth Diapers are Inexpensive!

Sure, up front they seem a little out there, especially when comparing to just one box of disposable diapers. But when you think about the fact that you have to keep buying disposables, whereas cloth diapers are a one-time purchase, that's where the savings really come in.

Disposable diapers are going to end up costing you over $2,000 over the course of potty training your infant. Like. Seriously. That's a lot. And that's not including the disposable wipes you need to buy, or the diaper genius and the stink-proof bags it needs, etcetera. It all adds up.

Cloth diapers will run you about $160 up front for 24 diapers, and then you can re-sell them used and regain about 50% of that money back, AND you re-use them for multiple kids. The DIY wipes are cheap to make, so let's say $200. You'll need two large wetbags are $20 each, so we're at $200. Detergent is $25 per bag, which gets you 90 loads, so you'll need about three bags of detergent before your kids are potty trained. All added up, we're only at $275, and that's not including re-selling the diapers or using them for your subsequent children.

So, really, it's not even a fair comparison. Cloth diapers are the way to go for anyone looking to save money.

Image from: https://www.eco-business.com

6. Cloth Diapers are Good for the Planet!

According to Stats Canada, in 2016 there were 1.9 million diaper-aged children in Canada. That equates to 2.4 billion individual diapers entering Canadian landfills per year, amounting to more than 3.7 million tons of waste. Source

Can you imagine how many diapers that is, worldwide?

Diapers take up to five hundred years to biodegrade! Five hundred years of sitting there, polluting the planet, wreaking havoc on our ecosystems. That's insanity. Some studies suggest that in landfill conditions, they may never biodegrade. And that's not even getting started on the chemicals within the disposable diapers that make them absorbent.

Cloth diapers are made from cotton, which is a difficult crop to grow; it takes a lot of water, and a lot of chemicals to do so. But, cotton decomposes. And if you're wondering about the energy cost of washing diapers, heating hot water is a heck of a lot better for the environment than making and throwing out disposables. And you don't dry cloth diapers in a machine, so there's no energy use problems there.

Image from: https://lighthousekidscompany.com

And so, if you or someone you know plans on procreating, I urge you to consider cloth diapers. I've cloth diapered both my little ones, aeveral friends are following suit! Be the change you want to see, and make a huge difference in our environment along the way.

children
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About the Creator

Lindsay Rae

I'm a romance and comedy writer from BC, Canada. My debut novel (Not) Your Basic Love Story came out in August, 2022. Now represented by Claire Harris at PS. Literary!

I'm on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok

https://lindsaymaple.com

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