Cloth Diapers…Are They Worth the Extra Effort?
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This is the Charlie Banana Hybrid AI2 cloth diaper
Is cloth diapering your child worth it? Are you really saving money and time? Trust me, I also asked myself these questions before deciding to give it a try. Growing up in Jamaica, my mom told me stories of how I was a cloth diaper baby, and boy did I have many questions for her! I wanted to know everything about it. You see I was born in 1988 and although disposable diapers were invented in the 1940s, washing clothes in a bucket or the sink by hands wasn’t uncommon. My mom wanted to use the least amount of electricity as possible since only my father was working, therefore washing clothes by hand instead of using the washing machine unless truly needed was key. I wanted to know what she did whenever my sister and I had a diaper blow out and how was the transition from cloth diapering to regular underwear easy or hard. I was surprisingly pleased with her answers.
Cloth diapers, or nappies, have come a long way and now there’s plenty of options out there. A cloth nappy is a thick piece of fabric used as a diaper. There’s everything from your traditional pins and cloth diapers, waterproof diaper covers with disposable inserts, to all-in-ones. I decided to give the waterproof diaper covers and the all-in-ones a try. It is truly a trial and error learning curve that is individually based on your baby just as you would with disposables. Thank God, I have not yet experienced the big blow out that my mom and others have warned me about, but I have dealt with the leaks to which those are just as annoying…correction…as I typed those words, I experienced my first blow out! Ok so now I can give you my raw opinion!
Because I have a boy, I had to fold the cloth insert more towards the front for obvious reasons. Since this was our first go at it; I have only washed the insert once before, the more you wash it, the more absorbent it becomes. I think it’s been an easier process for me to get used to because I have a nephew and nieces that went through potty training; therefore, the consistent checks for leaks are normal for me.
To be honest, I am not 100% cloth diapering; I am more partially doing so. My diaper bag is already filled with the essentials and I didn’t want to add any extra to it. Whenever we are out and about Carter wears disposable diapers, and when we are home he wears the cloth. I do pack disposable inserts in case we forget, and we leave the house with him wearing the cloth diaper on. If you're wondering if the bulkiness is a bit annoying, your right it is. On the days where it is a bit warmer than usual, Carter will either just have the nappy on or a shirt along with it, so it’s bearable.
I found out that the average family spends $2,000 to $3,000 on disposable diapers for the first 2 years of a child’s life which is insane! Whereas cloth diaper costs $800 to $1,000 upfront for the supplies and then you just have to wash them yourself. After all, it is an investment, so it does require more effort. Cloth diapers are reusable whereas disposable is not. However, disposals are more absorbent and nappies aren’t. It came down to convenience for me. I am a stay at home mom, so I don’t mind the cleaning aspect of it, don’t get me wrong…it’s gross and it is a bit annoying for the need to wash every few days, but it does help to keep me up on all of the house chores.
There are several types of nappies out there now: All in ones (AIO), All in twos (AI2), Diaper Covers, Fitteds, Pocket Diapers, Prefolds, and Cloth Trainers. I currently use diaper covers and AI2s and have been pleased with them so far. I love AI2 because I can reuse the cover more than once on that day if I add an insert on top and the drying time is good due to separated pieces. I sometimes will put an insert inside of the pocket and a disposable pad on top.
Next, you may be asking, “How do you wash them?” and “Do you use cold or hot water”? I use cold water and it took some time for me to find information about it. Our washing machine currently only washes with cold water and I was worried that the cloth diapers wouldn’t be clean enough. I was wrong. I just needed to add a few extra steps. Here’s my routine:
If it’s just pee, I rinse it out in the sink before putting it in a wet bag. If it’s soiled, I dispose of the poop in the toilet and rinse it out then put it in the waterproof zipped bag.
On wash day (every few days or once a week) I soak everything in a bucket of water for an hour before putting it in the machine. I WASH THE DIAPERS AND ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SOILED ALONE.
Because I can only use cold water; I wash the diapers by themselves using Tide Pods meant for cold water along with Lysol sanitizer. Using a strong detergent is key for getting rid of fecal matter and urine. Once it’s done; I add the rest of his clothes to the load and do a normal load to prevent skin irritation. I like to use the Honest brand or Mrs. Myers. If you ever want to know if your favorite detergent is cloth diaper compatible, check out Detergent Index. They have great information about every detergent out there.
If it’s hot outside, I will hang them dry. And when it’s rainy or cold, I will put it in the dryer with a high heat setting.
If the diapers and insert begin to smell for any reason or there’s a stubborn stain, I will strip them. Which is when I do a deep clean to get rid of any leftover build-ups by using baking soda and distilled vinegar.
I feel like I am still getting the hang of things but so far, I don’t regret my decision to mainly use cloth diapers. Plus, I will be happy if the transition to regular underwear will be easier like my mom said. I wonder if that is true? Stay tuned…LOL.