Choosing to use cloth diapers for me was an easy decision. My sister had used cloth diapers and a lot of my friends used them as well, but for people who don’t have that type of support system, it can be a difficult one. There are a lot of misconceptions that you will be touching poop and having so many more loads of laundry to do. Let’s be real here: if you are becoming a parent, you are going to have to touch poop! But because I use cloth diapers I actually experience way less blowouts and leaking through than a lot of my friends who exclusively use disposables. Here are some of the many reasons to use cloth diapers!
It is good for the environment. Yes you have to use water to wash them and electricity to run the washer and dryer, but overall, they take less energy to wash than disposables do to be produced. Landfills are filled with disposable diapers that will take hundreds of years to break down! Cloth diapers are not only re-usable but a lot of the diaper itself is made from natural fibers that break down easily once they are no longer being used. Another bonus is if you have to take your own trash to the dump or have a long walk to the dumpster it greatly cuts down on the amount of trips you have to take. Babies go to the bathroom a lot!
Cuts down toxins. You get to decide what type of detergent you use when washing cloth diapers. There is no guess what it is made of and you can decide what fibers are touching your child’s skin. Some children develop rashes from the chemicals that are used in developing disposable diapers, so using cloth is a great way to cut down on that.
You cannot beat the adorable prints. I don’t know about you, but when I see a baby with just a disposable diaper on I can’t help but think what a waste! That baby could be looking so much cuter in a cloth diaper!
It can be more affordable. For some people this is not the case due to the brand of diapers that they buy, but with the increasing popularity of cloth diapers, a baby could very easily be in diapers for under $200 for the entire time before they are potty trained. Then those diapers are able to be used for the next child as well with very little investment on repair. Once the elastic in a diaper is stretched out it can easily be replaced for pennies and an afternoon of work. I am able to use cloth diapers that my sister used on her two children. Not only saving on waste but also saving me money.
New technology has made it much easier to use cloth diapers. It is a misnomer that cloth diapering is very time consuming. It has only added two extra washes to our weekly schedule that were not there before. I believe loading the washer and then transferring the diapers to the dryer takes 10 minutes out of my day. I can spend more than 10 minutes checking my Facebook or in a line at Starbucks. With how well engendered cloth diapers are now it is very easy to assemble them and some of them require no assembly at all. So really you get to decide how much time you want to invest in using cloth diapers.
Less blow outs! Like I mentioned previously, those who use cloth diapers tend to have less blow outs than those who use disposable diapers because the elastic pulls the diaper in tighter than that of a disposable diaper.
Cloth diapers are not for everyone, but they are a great option for our family. Hopefully you have found some of this information helpful in deciding for yourself what will work best for you! Here are a few of the brands that we have loved during our cloth diaper journey. Grovia O.N.E are awesome diapers for everyday use but especially night time. We love these diapers and use them daily! https://www.bloomingfamilychiro.com/blog/ Some cheaper brands that are still great for everyday use and have really held up over time are Mama Koala https://www.amazon.com/Mama-Koala-Washable-Reusable-Microfiber/dp/B01LVWQY6K/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1547494011&sr=1-1&keywords=mama%2Bkoala&th=1 and Alva brand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DOGUY2Q/ref=twister_B07C4M2D9Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1. Every baby is different though so you have to find a brand that works well on your baby. I suggest buying a couple different brands and different fits for your new baby to try out what works best. If you have any suggestions or questions please post them below!