Pros/Cons to cloth diapering

[vonfirmath]

Also since we used the one size BG's we saved about $1,500 and $700 in wipes, compared to disposables (DH and I are both engineers, so I did my own calculations).

What were you comparing with? My kid is 2.5 years old and I haven't yet SPENT $1500 on disposable diapers! And we're far past the time of buying most the diapers. And I don't know anyone that spends half as much on wipes as they do diapers. Diapers are like 20 cents each and wipes less than 2 cents! And you MIGHT use 5 wipes on the worst diapers, but not on all of them.

With CD's you should change the diaper at least every 3-4 hours, but I do that with disposables, too, because even if it doesn't feel wet, the bacteria and amonia are still there in contact with your baby's skin. So although some posters count the frequency of diaper changes as a con, I don't agree. You should never leave any diaper on your baby for more than 4 hours during the daytime, IMO and my Ped's opinion.

I could not leave a cloth diaper on my baby for 3 hours without leaking. If I was lucky, I got 2 hours. Often, it leaked at about 90 minutes since the last change.

If I could leave the cloth on him for 3-4 hours, you are correct it would be the equivalent of disposables. This simply was not the case in my experience.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

What were you comparing with? My kid is 2.5 years old and I haven't yet SPENT $1500 on disposable diapers! And we're far past the time of buying most the diapers. And I don't know anyone that spends half as much on wipes as they do diapers. Diapers are like 20 cents each and wipes less than 2 cents! And you MIGHT use 5 wipes on the worst diapers, but not on all of them.




I could not leave a cloth diaper on my baby for 3 hours without leaking. If I was lucky, I got 2 hours. Often, it leaked at about 90 minutes since the last change.

If I could leave the cloth on him for 3-4 hours, you are correct it would be the equivalent of disposables. This simply was not the case in my experience.

wow, this is totally different from my experience. i am using prefolds (Green Mountain, newborn size and then now infant size) and covers (Thirsties and Bummi Super Whisper Wrap) and never get leaks. i use the "newspaper" fold or whatever it's called..but i know others used the jelly roll with great results. i typically only change diapers after a feeding which is now every 3-4 hours during the day. and my DS pisses/poops up A STORM compared to most babies, for the five weeks or so he was growing about 1 pound per week so you can imagine how much "output" all his milk intake generated (lol). sometimes when i change the diaper the prefold is sopping wet (feels like u could wring it) and the inside of the cover is damp but nothing leaked out to his clothes or sheets.i guess it depends on the baby too, my DS has really fat thighs so maybe the cloth dipes just fit him better.

also, i'm guessing one can easily save $1500 on diapers using cloth if u are comparing to buying the more organic/biodegradeable/earth friendly disposable diapers and wipes (and some of us need to buy those kind due to baby's intolerance to certain chemicals/fragrances in typical diapers/wipes). for ex one small box of Seventh Generation diapers is typically $12 whereas u can find the similar size box of pampers for $8 or $9 at walmart. same goes for the wipes. i just bought a 40ct pack of 7th gen diapers for $11.99 so that makes it 30 cents per diaper..so that is 50% more than typical pampers/huggies diapers cost (20c each)

[maestramommy]

also, i'm guessing one can easily save $1500 on diapers using cloth if u are comparing to buying the more organic/biodegradeable/earth friendly disposable diapers and wipes (and some of us need to buy those kind due to baby's intolerance to certain chemicals/fragrances in typical diapers/wipes). for ex one small box of Seventh Generation diapers is typically $12 whereas u can find the similar size box of pampers for $8 or $9 at walmart. same goes for the wipes. i just bought a 40ct pack of 7th gen diapers for $11.99 so that makes it 30 cents per diaper..so that is 50% more than typical pampers/huggies diapers cost (20c each)

Oh well, if you're comparing cloth to the more eco brands of disposables that might make more sense. But if your baby is intolerant of mainstream brands then I think it's going to cost more to diaper your baby regardless. I think for the masses that don't have intolerance to mainstreams brands doing cloth really does seem more expensive, because you have to buy the $17-18 diaper to last 3-4 hours.

When my kids are having a rash after a toxic poop, using disposable is the fastest way for them to heal. Prefolds are too wet, and Bum Genius (which I use at night) will also get too wet overnight. It's really hard to beat the modern disposable for wetness protection, unless you are willing to pay $$$.

That said, for a baby who has really sensitive skin (to chemicals) cloth diapering might be the better way to go.

[edurnemk]

Ok, so I finally found the file with the diaper cost calculation, the numbers are not exactly as I remembered, but still... I estimated roughly 5,500 diaper changes in 2.5 years. I compared Huggies Supreme, Pampers, gDiapers and Seventh Gen. using prices from diapers.com at that time. I came to the conclusion that using Huggies supreme would be 97% more expensive than getting 2 dozen one-size pocket BumGenius and other diapering accesories. Gdiapers are 120% more expensive (there's more coupons and sales now, but not back then)

Even at 20 cents a diaper for cheaper diapers: 5,500 x 0.20 = $1,100. I've spent no more than $600 in cloth diapers and accesories, since we got one-size diapers. I had to crunch all those numbers to convince DH, because hard numbers are the only way to convince him of anything and he had the impression that my desire to do CD was a luxury, and some sort of granola-crunchy whim. Now he's the first one to brag to everyone that we CD.

We also didn't notice any noticeable increase in our water consumption, and we use Allen's Naturally for diapers, which is so concentrated it lasts forever.

Oh, and I also got less leaks with CD's than disposables, especially during the explosive poop phase. DS is able to wear CD for at least 3 hours without leaks. I guess it comes down to findind the diaper that best fits your child. Not all types of CD's work for DS, for example Fuzzibunz leak everytime.

[Katigre]

I've CD'd two kids from birth through toilet training (well, DD still has a little ways to go but we part-time EC). I use prefolds and Thirsties covers mainly. We never get leaks - even overnight (and my kids nursed a ton at night and would have a diaper soaked by morning).

I use the 4x8x4 prefolds which last 3-4 hours (more like 2-3 hours with younger babies who nurse more often) and then once they move into premium prefolds it can last even longer. I've had less than 5 poop explosions total between two kids.

I really think that plain and simple works the best - snappi a prefold, put a cover on, you're good to go. For nighttime, throw a few thick doublers into the prefold, put a cover on, you're good to go. I tried pockets, wool, fitteds and they just weren't as durable, effective, or long-lasting as the basics so here we are.

FWIW, I have kept a detailed log of exactly how much I've spent on diapers since DS was a baby and here are our stats:

For two children, newborn through potty training (since I don't need any additional diapers for DD), including all wipes and additional supplies like wetbags, snappis, flushable liners, washable diaper pail bags, etc...: $750 (that does not count what I will recoup in selling the diapers once I am done, which will be about $200).

If you calculate an average of 6 diaper changes per day, for 2.5 years per kid, that works out to...$.07 per diaper change.

If we cloth diaper a third child, even with buying, say, $150 in additional diapers (to replace old covers and worn prefolds), that price will drop to...$0.05 per diaper change.

[zmom]

Hi there! I just discovered this post and wanted to respond for anyone who wants more detail about CuteyBaby Modern Cloth Diapers. I'm the gal who started the company and we are doing these special events at Costco.

I also just beefed up the product info and added a diagram to our website so there's more info there for people who are researching.

We are a new brand of cloth diapers. Our Modern Cloth Diaper is an all-in-one style with microfiber soaker and polyester next to the baby's skin (kind of like a cross between suedecloth and fleece). Outer is a laminated polyester (like many other makes), but our poly is brushed for an extra soft feel.

As for the inner channel design - imagine a pocket diaper with a hole in the center that's elasticized all around. So it keeps the soaker in place and really captures messes. This forms double elastic against the legs and also allows the soaker to flop out at one end to get clean and dry.

I'm in the process of posting a video and more information. Thanks for your interest, and feel free to contact me with any questions!

Happy Diapering! Yea cloth!

I looked at the Cutey Baby and searched for them on diaperswappers with very limited success. The description is sorely lacking, but the one mention I found suggested that the owner is a very committed cd user, and I'm super impressed she got the dipes into Costco. If they are All-In-One's, 6 for $80, that's a good price. i have never heard of the removable laundry tabs, which personally sounds like a lot of work to me, keeping track of a little item that shouldn't go in the laundry but is essential to attach to the diaper after it;s out of the washer.dryer.

I'd contact the Cutey Baby owner and ask her these questions:
1. What is the soaker made of? (Probably microfiber, because it's cheap and good, just more prone to retaining odors. If it's flannel, I'd stay away from the diapers.) What is the top layer made of? Ideally, it's fleece or suedecloth, which create a stay dry feeling.

2. Is the soaker interal (sewn all around, making it harder to wash and dry) or quick-dry (flaps sewn only at one end, making it easier to wash and dry albeit a little thick where everything is attached) or snaps (easiest to wash and dry, you can choose whether to launder together for no sorting afterwards or un-snap for best washing but have to hunt to find the piece in the dryer).

3. What is the outer? If it's cotton print PUL, that's prone to wicking and I'd advise against. If it is polyster print PUL, that's good. If it's "hidden PUL" (white PUL with cotton print sewn over for decoration), that's ok.

4. Can she describe or send photos of the removable tabs? That is brand new.

5. What's the inner channel thing? I think she just means that the legholes are turned and topstitched (elastic is fully encased), which I do agree is the most leakproof, but it's a common feature in cltoh, not something new.

In general, I would stay with a more tried and true cloth diaper, especially for a novice user. Her prints are lovely and again, if cloth is at Costco, I do wish that manufacturer well. But the website needs a lot more info. and photos.

[wellyes]

A good quality pocket or AIO = $18+each (less to buy in bulk but that's risky)
Two cloth diapers = $36+
$36 = 225 Pampers size 3 / give or take for bargain or premium brands


-- I did end up selling most of the CDs & recouped some of my expense.
-- But, many heavy-load extra washs do add expense, plus some accessories (diaper sprayer, buckets, experimenting with some different dipes, etc)

Anyway that's how the math worked out for me. It can be *really* cheap to CD with prefolds. Or just kinda a little cheaper with "mainstream" cloth diapers. Or waaaaaaaaaay more expensive - buying certain brands or looking for specific patterns etc. All depeneds on how you do it.

[KrisM]

For the diaper savings, you can also gain money back at the end when you resell. I sold some diapers to a local friend and made $60 back already. I have more to go through as DS outgrows them.

I spent just under $800 on cloth dipes. When he's in sposies, he's in cheap diapers from Walgreen's. They're inexpensive and with sales and coupons, I managed to buy 7 months worth for around $80. Wipes go on sale and with coupons, I paid about $.80/box of wipes. It's hard to really compare cost savings.

I did prefolds and change about every 2 hours or so. When he's in sposies, I still change about 2 hours, since he doesn't pee any less when he's in sposies and I don't like him sitting in pee or pee mixed with chemicals.

[maestramommy]

We also didn't notice any noticeable increase in our water consumption, and we use Allen's Naturally for diapers, which is so concentrated it lasts forever.

I just DON'T see how this can be. I do 4 loads of heavy duty diaper laundry a week. That's a load with a presoak cycle, which is more than I do for clothing laundry. You also fold in the cost of power to run the dryer, which I have to do because it's too damp to line dry the doublers and prefolds in a reasonable amount of time (I line dry covers). Dh tried to calculate it, and the water usage was really hard. We have well water, and it's really difficult to calculate the amount of power it takes to pump one load of wash water. He tried to calculate power use for the dryer, but the outlet was incompatible with the watt meter. Anyhoo, I think you must calculate this cost when you talk about cloth vs. disposable, otherwise it's not a fair comparison. You might not notice because you're not physically handing the money over like when you buy the sposies, but it's spendings nevertheless.

As for reselling, by the time I'm done using my BGs, I seriously doubt anyone would want to buy them at a price that would even make a dent in what I paid, and I paid less than retail. The elastic and velcro get worn. I might be able to recoup some of the cost of the S Thirsties covers, because I bought them in EUC at a very low cost, and they still look EUC. But um, that's it.

[KrisM]

I just DON'T see how this can be. I do 4 loads of heavy duty diaper laundry a week. That's a load with a presoak cycle, which is more than I do for clothing laundry. You also fold in the cost of power to run the dryer, which I have to do because it's too damp to line dry the doublers and prefolds in a reasonable amount of time (I line dry covers). Dh tried to calculate it, and the water usage was really hard. We have well water, and it's really difficult to calculate the amount of power it takes to pump one load of wash water. He tried to calculate power use for the dryer, but the outlet was incompatible with the watt meter. Anyhoo, I think you must calculate this cost when you talk about cloth vs. disposable, otherwise it's not a fair comparison. You might not notice because you're not physically handing the money over like when you buy the sposies, but it's spendings nevertheless.

As for reselling, by the time I'm done using my BGs, I seriously doubt anyone would want to buy them at a price that would even make a dent in what I paid, and I paid less than retail. The elastic and velcro get worn. I might be able to recoup some of the cost of the S Thirsties covers, because I bought them in EUC at a very low cost, and they still look EUC. But um, that's it.

It'll depend on how much wash you already do. I do about 12 loads of clothes/sheets/towels a week. Adding another 2 loads for diapers doesn't affect it tremendously. That's what, an additional 16%?

A lot of my diapers are not good enough to resell. Some covers are. I sold infant prefolds, as even after 3 kids they were decent. My regular prefolds are in shreds though. I'll be able to sell the Premiums for sure.