Who here has a baby and uses cloth baby diapers like the old days?
Pros? Cons? Cost efficiency?
Pros? Cons? Cost efficiency?
WoodsDweller
I guess I'll catch flack by posting on this since I'm a man, but the pros and cons today are the same as they were about 40 years ago. Cloth diapers are more economical. I don't even know if they are sold now. When we had babies, governments were complaining about disposable diapers taking up so much land fill space, I don't hear that now, guess governments now know there is no use to complain. Diapers were washed by first rinsing in the commode enough to get solids out, then taken directly to the washing machine. We did not have a dryer(still don't) and hung them on a line outside. We had installed a wood stove because of heating expense and in wet weather would dry clothes and diapers in front of it. There was strong motivation to toilet train ASAP. Cloth diapers are not waterproof. When going out in public plastic panties were used over the diapers. Also, rubber sheets were used over the mattress in the baby bed.
COWS
COWS
A man asked this question. Lol. You can still buy em almost anywhere. Even Walmart. Thanks for sharing.
We had our first baby back in 2013 and we've used cloth diapers almost 100% of the time.
I bought a couple dozen made by "FuzziBuns"...
The Good:
They save a ton of money. Kids go through diapers quick and the cost can add up fast. I estimated it would cost about $2000 to $2500 for disposables.. I found a good deal on the FuzziBuns and spent about $450 to purchase enough diapers for 2 days worth. Twelve for day one, twelve more for day two while the previous day's are being washed. Big savings there.
Cloth diapers don't produce diaper rash nearly as often as the disposables. I think our kid got it just one time.
If you take care of them properly, you can resell them on Ebay and recoup over 1/2 the cost of the original expense.
You never have to run to the store because you're out of diapers!
The Bad:
They are more prone to leaking if you are on well water. When the diapers are washed, the quality of your water will have a significant impact on the ability of the diaper to absorb urine. Its weird, but we're on well water and when I'd forget to put salt in the softener, her diapers would leak almost every time.. as long as I kept the softener charged, they almost never leaked unless she had what we called "a blow out".
You'll be washing diapers almost every day depending on how many you purchase.. its kind of a pain in the rear end to have to run the washer so frequently. DO NOT DRY THEM IN A DRYER! Let them air dry only.
You can't just take the poop filled diaper off and toss it.. you have to dump the poop in the toilet and then rinse it down in the laundry tub.. Its not as troublesome as it sounds but it has to be done.
Conclusion:
Our kid is potty trained now.. if I had to do it again, I would still go with the cloth diapers over the disposables.
Most people don't realize how the technology has changed. Cloth diapers are not really cloth diapers anymore.. Its a water proof nylon shell and a replaceable absorbent cloth insert that slides into the shell. Plus they look a lot cooler than disposables as they come in all kinds of different colors and designs.
Hope that helps,
I bought a couple dozen made by "FuzziBuns"...
The Good:
They save a ton of money. Kids go through diapers quick and the cost can add up fast. I estimated it would cost about $2000 to $2500 for disposables.. I found a good deal on the FuzziBuns and spent about $450 to purchase enough diapers for 2 days worth. Twelve for day one, twelve more for day two while the previous day's are being washed. Big savings there.
Cloth diapers don't produce diaper rash nearly as often as the disposables. I think our kid got it just one time.
If you take care of them properly, you can resell them on Ebay and recoup over 1/2 the cost of the original expense.
You never have to run to the store because you're out of diapers!
The Bad:
They are more prone to leaking if you are on well water. When the diapers are washed, the quality of your water will have a significant impact on the ability of the diaper to absorb urine. Its weird, but we're on well water and when I'd forget to put salt in the softener, her diapers would leak almost every time.. as long as I kept the softener charged, they almost never leaked unless she had what we called "a blow out".
You'll be washing diapers almost every day depending on how many you purchase.. its kind of a pain in the rear end to have to run the washer so frequently. DO NOT DRY THEM IN A DRYER! Let them air dry only.
You can't just take the poop filled diaper off and toss it.. you have to dump the poop in the toilet and then rinse it down in the laundry tub.. Its not as troublesome as it sounds but it has to be done.
Conclusion:
Our kid is potty trained now.. if I had to do it again, I would still go with the cloth diapers over the disposables.
Most people don't realize how the technology has changed. Cloth diapers are not really cloth diapers anymore.. Its a water proof nylon shell and a replaceable absorbent cloth insert that slides into the shell. Plus they look a lot cooler than disposables as they come in all kinds of different colors and designs.
Hope that helps,
That sure is an awful personal question to be asking. Lol
Maybe I just am curious about cloth diapers and potty training age because I like to learn about things I don't know about. Lol
Cloth diapered both my kids, in a combination of the Fuzzi-bunz type (the best for nighttime, especially with older babies/toddlers) and good quality prefolds with PUL covers.
We routinely dried them in the dryer, as long as you don't use a fabric softener, it will work fine. Wash hot and dry hot or in the sun--indoor hanging isn't a good idea, you want to be sure to kill germs. Hard water didn't affect the absorption by the diapers, but some kinds of detergents can leave residue that does, and no doubt other issues with well water might, too. When that happens, stripping them with a vinegar rinse usually does the trick.
We didn't dunk them in the toilet, either. Anything that would come off easy would be knocked into the toilet, then we kept the diapers in a pail and washed every 2-3 days (a bit longer once they get older and aren't dirtying ten a day). Baking soda keeps any odors down.
We routinely dried them in the dryer, as long as you don't use a fabric softener, it will work fine. Wash hot and dry hot or in the sun--indoor hanging isn't a good idea, you want to be sure to kill germs. Hard water didn't affect the absorption by the diapers, but some kinds of detergents can leave residue that does, and no doubt other issues with well water might, too. When that happens, stripping them with a vinegar rinse usually does the trick.
We didn't dunk them in the toilet, either. Anything that would come off easy would be knocked into the toilet, then we kept the diapers in a pail and washed every 2-3 days (a bit longer once they get older and aren't dirtying ten a day). Baking soda keeps any odors down.
Oh man.. it all goes by so fast I forget.. Somewhere around 2 years old.. but honestly I don't remember..
I used them on my 2 girls. I just used the kind that you fold into what ever size you want.
I potty trained the first daughters at 18 months. She just wanted to us
the toilet . The second daughter was 24 months and it took about 2 days and she was good.
Then I had foster kids and kept them in clothe diapers too. You just can't beet them.
I potty trained the first daughters at 18 months. She just wanted to us
the toilet . The second daughter was 24 months and it took about 2 days and she was good.
Then I had foster kids and kept them in clothe diapers too. You just can't beet them.
Honestly, I love the idea of cloth diapers. Using them not so much.
We went with Bumgenius diapers for the first year. They held up well and very little diaper rash.
After that we went to pampers. Sucks for the wallet and garbage, but oh man, I slept so much better.
We went with Bumgenius diapers for the first year. They held up well and very little diaper rash.
After that we went to pampers. Sucks for the wallet and garbage, but oh man, I slept so much better.
I used a mix of cloth, disposable and diaper-free method with my kids. The modern cloth diapers are - IMO - very easy to use. However, I did find it very pricey. My kids are 8 and 6 and when they were in diapers, a single cloth diaper was $20-$30 (not sure what current prices are). And since each child had a very different body type, the diapers I used on one leaked like crazy with the other. I had to buy new diapers that were a better fit. However, I potty train early. My oldest only used diapers for 6 months and then we went diaper free, with my youngest we used diapers little longer because I had a 2 year old to chase after. I can see that if you potty train at 3-4 years of age as many of my friends did, it would be cheaper to use cloth.
If you use old style cotton diapers, it can be very economical ... but not as easy to use.
If I had a baby now, I would likely just go diaper free from the start (I did not learn about it until my first born was 6 months old.)
If you use old style cotton diapers, it can be very economical ... but not as easy to use.
If I had a baby now, I would likely just go diaper free from the start (I did not learn about it until my first born was 6 months old.)
I used cloth diapers on both my kids (now 20 and 19). We just used the inexpensive ones you can get at Walmart. They worked just fine. I never saw the need to spend all kinds of money on the fancy cloth diapers that people are getting now.
Pros:
Much cheaper if you get the inexpensive ones from the department store (they used to come in a pack of a dozen -- not sure now -- for about $10-15 if I recall correctly)
You can size them up or down depending on how you fold them. No need to buy a certain size like you do for disposable.
You can save them and use them for all your babies.
Much less instance of diaper rash. Because you know right away when the baby is wet, you tend to change the baby more often. Disposable diapers, with their "lock away cores" allow you to wait longer between changes.
You can use them as cleaning rags when you no longer have children in diapers.
They make potty training easier because the child can feel the sensation of being wet more easily and that uncomfortable sensation makes training easier.
Cons:
You have to wash them.
You have to cart around a baggie of wet/soiled diapers in the diaper bag when you are out and about with the baby.
Edited to add: There is a learning curve to folding cloth diapers to keep everything where it is intended to be and you can have some icky accidents while you are learning how to fold them.
Pros:
Much cheaper if you get the inexpensive ones from the department store (they used to come in a pack of a dozen -- not sure now -- for about $10-15 if I recall correctly)
You can size them up or down depending on how you fold them. No need to buy a certain size like you do for disposable.
You can save them and use them for all your babies.
Much less instance of diaper rash. Because you know right away when the baby is wet, you tend to change the baby more often. Disposable diapers, with their "lock away cores" allow you to wait longer between changes.
You can use them as cleaning rags when you no longer have children in diapers.
They make potty training easier because the child can feel the sensation of being wet more easily and that uncomfortable sensation makes training easier.
Cons:
You have to wash them.
You have to cart around a baggie of wet/soiled diapers in the diaper bag when you are out and about with the baby.
Edited to add: There is a learning curve to folding cloth diapers to keep everything where it is intended to be and you can have some icky accidents while you are learning how to fold them.
Yes, the cotton diapers make excellent cleaning rags. I think I got more use out of them that way than as diapers.
My wife cloth diapers. I say my wife because besides changing them, I don't have a lot to do with the process. I do know she enjoys buying them and getting different patterns and stuff. Biggest thing is keeping up with the laundry as in before the babies room smells like something died in it. If you buy good ones then they last through several kids
The general idea is that you learn to read your baby's body language and know when they are about to go (even before they are able to verbally tell you). Then you put them on a potty or hold them over some kind of a container when they are too little to sit on it. I did not go 100% - I used diapers at night (but you don't have to). During the day my baby wore regular undies. I started out at 6 months old using a timer and put him on the potty every 30 minutes for a short amount of time. He figured it out in no time. Eventually, we kind of figured out the rhythm and I put him on the potty when he needed to go. I kept a thick cotton diaper and a water proof pad under my son in the car seat in case I was not able to stop for a potty break.
In some cultures, people do not use diapers at all. It was quite enlightening to learn what they do. Of course, it such cultures it is also usually not a big deal to pull your baby's pants off and let him pee outside. It would be so much easier living where we are now in the country as opposed to town.
IMO, it is an alternative worth learning about.
This link has pretty good information.
http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/elimination-communication/
We cloth diaper our kids. Our favorite brand is Growvia. They have snap in liners that are very easy to use. We didn't like Bum Genius because the elastic kept stretching really bad. We've gotten a lot of them used for a fraction of the cost of new. My wife loves to get new limited prints though. We've saved tons of money, especially since we've used them on 2 kids so far and we're still keeping them.
Our 23 month old is just about potty trained. He is at home. In public he lets us know, but we most of the time we just can't get him to a bathroom in time.
Our 23 month old is just about potty trained. He is at home. In public he lets us know, but we most of the time we just can't get him to a bathroom in time.
I used cloth diapers after my 1st developed chemical burns from disposables. I birthed 4 children and after my first reacted badly I used cloth for the other 3.
I didn't have a lot of extra money, so we used pinned pre folds and covers. We also used wool covers that I made from sweaters from the thrift store. I washed them and treated them with lanolin.
My first son had awful diaper rashes. He was entirely breast fed until 8 months, when he got his first tooth. At that point we started to integrate cooked vegetables and some non-acidic fruits.
With the other 3, we used cloth diapers from the start. I found some patterns online and I made some fitted cloth diapers, to be covered by PUL covers when out or at night.
It is a lot of laundry, and please don't be afraid to use some bleach. Just add an extra rinse cycle afterwards, and don't ever use fabric softener on diapers. They won't absorb liquids if you do.
I spent less than $200 on flannel, towel material, and PUL. If you calculate that each child will cost you $2000 in disposables, we are way ahead!!!!
I didn't have a lot of extra money, so we used pinned pre folds and covers. We also used wool covers that I made from sweaters from the thrift store. I washed them and treated them with lanolin.
My first son had awful diaper rashes. He was entirely breast fed until 8 months, when he got his first tooth. At that point we started to integrate cooked vegetables and some non-acidic fruits.
With the other 3, we used cloth diapers from the start. I found some patterns online and I made some fitted cloth diapers, to be covered by PUL covers when out or at night.
It is a lot of laundry, and please don't be afraid to use some bleach. Just add an extra rinse cycle afterwards, and don't ever use fabric softener on diapers. They won't absorb liquids if you do.
I spent less than $200 on flannel, towel material, and PUL. If you calculate that each child will cost you $2000 in disposables, we are way ahead!!!!
I used cloth diapers with my older DS (who is now 4) until I was so pregnant with his younger brother that I couldn't handle the two extra loads of laundry a day that I needed to do to stay ahead of them. Cloth wipes are AWESOME, they do a much better job IMO than disposable wipes.
I did have to change him more often in cloth diapers, and you have to be careful what diaper rash creams you use, because most of them will damage the diaper. But other than that, I really liked them. They were easy to use, and when you buy them wisely (used) they aren't that expensive. When you're done with them, as long as they're in good condition, you can re-sell them and get part of your money back.
I did end up running the washer twice a day to wash them, and I dried them on low heat in my dryer (not allowed to have a clothesline where I live), so there is that expense. And like the diaper rash creams, you can't use regular detergent with cloth diapers, so another expense is getting the "right" detergent for them.
I did have to change him more often in cloth diapers, and you have to be careful what diaper rash creams you use, because most of them will damage the diaper. But other than that, I really liked them. They were easy to use, and when you buy them wisely (used) they aren't that expensive. When you're done with them, as long as they're in good condition, you can re-sell them and get part of your money back.
I did end up running the washer twice a day to wash them, and I dried them on low heat in my dryer (not allowed to have a clothesline where I live), so there is that expense. And like the diaper rash creams, you can't use regular detergent with cloth diapers, so another expense is getting the "right" detergent for them.
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