Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers
When you have a baby there's no getting around the simple fact that you need to cover their bums with something.
Many people are very passionate about diapers (along with anything else that goes along with babies) but there are some fairly strong arguments for both sides of cloth diapers versus disposable.
There really hasn't been any consensus on whether one option is more environmentally friendly over the other.
When one study compared the huge landfill implications along with their tree killing, petroleum by-products contents of disposable, to the pesticide covered cotton that needs to be washed in hot water with bunny-killing-detergent of cloth, they came out around the same. So basically they compared the worst of both sides.
Now, there are eco-friendly disposable and organic cotton cloth washed in eco-friendly detergents, so I'm just going to call that one a draw and leave it up to you about how eco-conscious you want to get with diapers.
As for the rest of the benefits, here's what I found:
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Disposable:
Convenient: You can't beat being able to just toss away the horror and not having to deal with it anymore.
Leak less: The disposable diapers I used could have soaked up a small lake. This is a nice benefit when you are blessed with a baby that is sleeping through the night (knock on wood) and you don't want to get up to the cries of someone who may be cold and wet. I should stress that many cloth diaper supporters would argue this point but this seemed to come up enough that I've included it.
Less gross: Yes, yes, there are blogs that go on and on about how it really isn't that bad and technically we should be disposing solid poo in toilet even with disposable diapers* but fact of the matter is, poo is ew. Now this would be less of an issue for me because baby/kid poo doesn't really gross me out (this only applies to my own children) but I know there are some people that just can't handle it – literally and figuratively – and if you are one of those people, then this may be a deal breaker for cloth.
* I had no idea about this and never did it. I doubt very much that I would have done it even if I had known about it. I mean what the hell is the point then?
Very little upfront cost: Even though disposable is more expensive in the long run, the start up costs are minimal and you spread out the cost of diapering, which is around $2,500, over the course of a few years.
Easy for everyone: Some daycares and caregivers are not keen on cloth diapers (makes sense) so that is also something to consider if your child will be in someone else's care for any length of time.
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Cloth:
Cheaper: I read all sorts of stats, but it looks like it costs about $800 to diaper a kid in cloth diapers and around $2,500 to diaper them in disposable. Of course, there are many factors like how long your child will need diapers and how often are you going to change them – you know, factor in the neglect and all ; )
Less diaper rash: Cloth diapers just seem to be a lot easier on the bum. It's surprising on one hand because disposable diapers are typically much better at wicking away moisture but cloth diapers are softer and aren't full of chemicals so I guess that negates any absorbency benefits.
More than one kid can use them: So if cloth diapers are cheaper based on one kid, you can imagine how much cheaper they are when you factor in two or three kids. That 800 bucks you laid down the first time around can save you some big dough down the road.
They've improved a lot: There are no more pins and they come with all sorts of things like flushable liners and velcro closures. Not to mention, you can decided on what the covers look like instead of paying for some Sesame Street character that nobody is really keen on. Some of these diapers really are beautiful.
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Finally, there is always the option of going with a diaper service if that is available in your area. This is when a company supplies you with the cloth diapers, you use them, they come pick up the dirty disasters then leave you with a fresh, new set. It cost about the same as disposable diapers but if you wanted to skip the chemicals and opt for softer diapers, then this may be an option as well.
I for one think I would have loved cloth diapering and I'm not really sure why I didn't even really investigate it – I suppose none of my friends did it so it didn't really occur to me. The idea of all the prep and options just makes me giddy, although, that's easy for me to say because I didn't have to deal with explosive, carrot poo in something I was planning to keep.
Many families seem to do a hybrid of both by going with cloth at home but using disposable when they leave the house. Another tip I found interesting was not to buy newborn cloth diapers because they are out of that size so quickly.
If you are thinking about cloth diapering, here's a great article from Your Baby Booty that gives you the low down on many of the options out there.
I would love to know what you are planning to do or have done. C'mon, give me the poop!
36 Comments
Reader Comments (36)
Wonderful summary of the pros and cons, in your ever-inimitable style and humor.
We're actually going to try compostable: http://www.earth-baby.com/home.php, as we're one of the only areas who has such a service (go figure it's in the Bay Area!) Who knows how long that'll hold out against the siren song of good old disposables, but it's worth a shot.
I was totally "I'm gonna do cloth, cloth all the way." But when kiddo came around the first time I had to figure out washing a set in the coin laundry since we rent an apartment I sent the hubby out for some pampers.
Now I'm moderately addicted to the yellow line that turns blue when DS is wet... Issues. I know.
The diaper service in our area is almost as much as rent. I know what business I'm going to start!
Well, I think we are going to try the cloth route once the little one pops out. Like you said, they are pretty easy now, and they are much cuter than a soggy disposable, for sure. I'm not going to lie, the cost factor is also at play here. Plus, my washer and dryer are like time machines, and I feel bad that I neglect them so much because I am a bad housewife, so I think it's about time the get a work out!
We use cloth diapers and love it. Yeah, the poop is gross, but you have to deal with poop anyways so to me it doesn't really matter. I also think they are cute! We don't really have issues with blow outs or leaking either. I'm all for them, but know they are not for everyone!
I am trying to pretend I am like a pioneer woman and cloth is the only option! (Though snappis and velcro were not around then, or washing machines and dryers!) I am doing it mainly for the cost and the benefit of being able to use on more than one kid. Plus they are super cute. My baby could come any day now so I haven't started yet, but I am hoping to be successful!
I've had my DD in cloth diapers since she was about a month old. I absolutely love them. My total investment has been about $300-$400, not including things like the cost of doing laundry etc. and these diapers will fit her through potty training. I bought all of my diapers used from myuseddiapers.com and saved a ton of money that way. Once i am through having babies, i will probably sell them to make a little of my money back- something you absolutely can't do with disposables. I am blessed to have a daughter who sleeps through the night & still have had little to no problems with leaks. My biggest problem came from accidentally flushing a cloth diaper down the toilet as I was trying to clean off the poo. I can't imagine having to buy disposable diapers constantly and am extremely happy with my choice to use cloth. I would recommend this to anyone who's trying to save some money (and aren't we all!?).
Or.... you could go with the diaperless baby. http://www.diaperfreebaby.org
LOL
I am not that crazy, I use cloth for the economincal side of things and I got mine for around $100. Econobum advertises that their stuff lasts from birth to potty training, I guess only time will tell ;-)
We do cloth and LOVE them!! They aren't a "gross" as I was anticipating & there is no stink! With so many options on cloth out there it really depends on which ones you go with for the results you like.
I cloth diaper. Spent about $400+ to get started through envibum. Got two reusable covers, 12 liners, 6 pads, and 6 all in one 'minkies'. No more diaper rashes and no more diapers for my two girls ages 2 1/2 and 8 mos. I started 2 mos before my youngest was born. I do a load of diapers each night. That includes one cover, 6-7 liners, 4 pads, and 4-5 minkies. Then hang dry overnight. Sometimes I do more but only because we've upgraded our washers and it's not costing us close to $4 to run a load anymore. More like 1/2 a cent, now. I don't find it to be such a hassle. Dump the waste in the toilet then throw it in the bucket in the laundry room. My place never smells and the diapers wash up fine. Once a month I do a baking soda wash and vinegar rinse on them to get out stains but it also takes out odors (never had an issue with that) and the vinegar returns their alkalinity. For going out I bring a bag to put the used ones in. I love the covers. When in a pinch I can wash them with soap dry them and use them again.
I have 2 kids in cloth. My DS is potty training and he basically wore the same nappies (I'm Aussie and diapers are called nappies here) from 3 months to today. My DD is now wearing her big brothers nappies aswell as some new ones...couldn't resist some gorgeous pinks ones!! We find them very easy and we get so many compliments on them :) The main problem with cloth is that there are too many cute nappies out there and if you're not careful a cloth system could end up costing you waaaaaaaaayy more than disposables :)
We do a hybrid system and it works as great as it's gonna get when your dealing with poo. We do cloth at home ( Bum Genius Velcro and snap closures and we bought the one size fits all kind- so yes the same diaper has fit her since about 3 months ) and then we use disposable anytime we leave the house. I just don't wanna carry around poo and pee. I def saw a decrease in our babies diaper rashes since doing this, I def found the cloth thing super easy - even now at 8 months as she's eating more solids and the poo well... It's more solid too. Big fan of this hybrid method. And biggest fear - finding poo in our washer hasn't happened, so we're all good ;)
We use cloth, and have since almost day 1 (since day 1 of non-meconium poop anyway). DH loves them as well, and we have a washer and dryer in the house, so it's not that big of a deal for us to do the wash. Our daycare providers even use them while she's in daycare. She's got an allergic reaction to disposables, and we've tried all of the "sensitive", "free", "organic", etc disposables during meconium poop time. Not worth it to us.
As for the poop - if your baby is exclusively breastfed, there is no poop issue - it's totally water soluble and dissolves in the wash. We're doing formula now, and the poop is mostly sprayed off into the toilet before washing - I would assume that solid poop is similar.
I believe that study you mentioned was commissioned by certain big name disposable diaper company.
Cloth diapers are wonderful. I'm not a crazy zealot, but seriously they are cake. You are going to have to clean poo off of cloth with or without cloth diapers. With disposables it will just be on the clothes from the blowouts.
I work full-time and don't find that they are any extra burden on my already limited time.
They are also insanely cute.
We're planning on using a diapering service, at least at first. When the kiddo goes to daycare, we'll see about switching to disposables. We'll also probably use disposables when going out and about.
The poop!!!
Dear Pregnant Chicken,
Maybe after you meet your weight loss goal that you mentioned, are you planning on maybe, you know, getting knocked up again? Perhaps a girl this time? Mmmm? I ask because, whenever you write something like this, I think, is her youngest out of diapers? How long before she abandons this pregnancy blog because her kids are past that stage? Don't leave us. I haven't even had my babies yet.
<3,
The Baby Nanny
P.S.- ask me about the time i almost met david sedaris
Yara, I think the study you are thinking of was commissioned by Proctor and Gamble about 10 years ago and, I agree, it seemed a little fishy.
I just found that there are so many variables that determined environmental impact and depending on how you treated your cloth diapers, it could make a bigger dent or a much smaller dent in the environment so it was never apples to apples. Plus, I found that there were so many other advantages to cloth that I decided not to poke the bear there.
Luna, sigh, nope the shop is totally closed over here and there are no more babies in my future. I think the reason I am even able to blog is because my kids are getting older so it's probably a good thing.
Oh, and if you meet David Sedaris tell him I want to curl up on his lap like a faithful pomeranian and nod at the details of his day. I love him like bbq corn chips.
Another cloth diapering momma here. :) We use Bum Genius 3.0s and gDiapers. I am really surprised they aren't mentioned here.
gDiapers offer a great hybrid option. You can use a cloth insert (they have gCloth, but there is a gal that makes gFlappers that are even better and you can always use a prefold) if you want to do cloth, but they also have a flushable/biodegradable insert. I highly recommend checking them out!
We have kid number 2 arriving in July and we plan on using the BG 3.0s on him and using the gDiapers with gFlapper inserts on my older son. :)
as if you blogged about disposables vs cloth today! i just spent the past two hours trying to learn a little more about cloth diapers...it's so overwhelming!
We used sposies on our first for 18 months and switched to cloth and we cloth diapered our second from 1month on. I definitely think you should add better smelling to the list of pros for cloth! I can't stand the smell of disposables, fresh or used. AND the whole poop thing is conquered by a nifty invention called the Diaper Sprayer. It's basically a kitchen hose sprayer attached to your toilet. I have NEVER had to touch poop or dunk my hand in a toilet. And we travel with cloth too. I never bothered with a wet bag and am using my closet-worth of walmart sacks instead. And for 2 in cloth, I have 38 fitteds, 24 prefolds, 5 PUL covers, and 3 fleece covers that I made. I wash every other day and I only spent $435 dollars including shipping. And everything I own is new.
Oh...and we have pay-as-you-go garbage pickup (meaning we don't only pay sanitation, we also have to pay for the bags to set it out) and switching to cloth saved us $2.50 weekly in garbage! I didn't realize how much diaper trash we took out.
Hi Pregnant Chicken! (or un-Pregnant Chicken now, heh)
I've been following your blog for a few weeks now and as fate would have it, I've recently been contemplating cloth diapering my 15 month old.
He's been in disposables since birth and I chose to do that due to sheer laziness and convenience. However, cloth diapering has always been in the back of my mind (and ohmygod how cute are the designs??). He's now partially potty trained - he tells me when he needs to go and he actually poops in a potty, so I figure, cloth diapering should be much easier now on my washing machine. And on the wallet!
So I think I'm going to give it a go. I live in Malaysia so I think my options so far are Bouncy Baby, Bum Genius, GroVia and Monkey Doodlez. I have no idea which to get! One of each? Gah.
We cloth diaper -and LOVE IT!!!!!
At the moment we just have breastfed poo to deal with and it is water soluble, so no need to really rinse off - just toss the diaper into the washing machine! Also, we hang all of our diapers to dry! (and I wash them with our regular clothes - gasp!)
Our cost to cloth diaper has been quite a bit LESS than the above mentioned because we have won about 2/3 of our stash in online contests! (there is a ridiculous amount - and if to you aren't picky on brand...) We've probably only spent about 100 dollars on diapers.
(we also use homemade washable liners and wipes! Amazing money savers!!!!)
We do cloth at home and disposables out. We've been surprisingly happy with cloth. The gross-out factor isn't nearly as bad as I would have thought, they remain fresh-looking and unstained, and we bought the kind (Fuzzi Bunz one size) that grow with your baby so she can, in theory, wear them from birth through the time she's toilet-trained - though she was really more diaper than baby during those first few weeks.
For nighttime we use super-loopy-do inserts (they're called something like that) and those work very well - they absorb what feels like half the baby's weight in pee when we tip them into the diaper pail each AM.
Our initial outlay was something around $500 total for the diapers (I think we have 14 pair?), the inserts, and the microfiber washcloths we use as diaper wipes and just toss into the diaper pail and wash along with the diapers. Plus, the rainbow-baby-bum cuteness factor just can't be overstated (hence my blog post Lorelei and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Diapers).
I was all for cloth, went to a class and learned all about it. It was at that moment I decided it was not for me (or my husband).
I feel like cloth diapering has become more of a crazy trend more than "save the earth", and a lot of the cloth diapering mamas I know (there are a lot here in CA) are crazy all-natural baby-wearing, cosleeping, "you must breastfeed or die" type of people. Basically you're a crappy parent if you don't cloth diaper and breastfeed until your kid goes off to college, and my husband and I aren't like that. I want to bottlefeed my son when he's born, he will not be sleeping my bed, etc. It just seems like a status symbol.
Poop is gross. I do not want to wash poop in the same washing machine that my shirts go into, it just gives me the willies!
Sorry I talk a lot! I just recently started reading your blog and I love you :)
I did my second in cloth diapers. I got really lucky and ended up only spending about $200 on start up costs because a woman near by was selling the whole range of sizes on craigslist. You may think, eeew used diapers, except it is really simple to toss them all in the laundry to ensure cleanliness and viola I have saved a bunch on money! There are also arguments that say potty training is easier for a cloth diapered baby. And as we are potty training my 2 yo I don't know for sure if this is true. We have switched to disposable at night because only using one diaper a night means that the cloth diapers end up sitting in the hamper for a week, and that is just gross! So we cleaned them out, packed them up and are caving them incase I decide to get crazy and have a third.
great article! I thouht you did a great job of covering both sides!!