Is cloth diapering really cheaper?

Question

I'm not looking for the whole its better for the planet answers.

just the cost really- are they-- and their inserts or w.e cheaper then disposables?

are they hard to clean ?

I know the diapers them selves are reusable but the inserts aren't and I don't know how much the inserts cost

Answer 1

I've never heard of those with the insert - but I used cloth diapers for my first two kids - I spent about $40 on them when they were born and never spent another nickel on diapers for 2 years!  So those were amazingly cheap.

Answer 2

Over the long run it can be.  But upfront you will pay about as much for one clothe diaper as you would for a bulk size package of disposables.  Most clothe diapers start anywhere from $16 to I've seen up to $35 for ONE diaper.  And the inserts aren't cheap either.  But they do have the plus of being somewhat eco-friendly.  

But keep this in mind, you'll use up more of the earths water supply to wash them.  So it's a catch 22.  You can either fill up a land fill or you can use more of the earth's water resources and electricity to wash clothe diapers almost daily.  And those "flush-able" pads really shouldn't be flushed.  A friend of mine uses those and they have clogged her toilet on several occasions.

Answer 3

You have enough washing to do when you have children; cloth nappies maybe financially cheaper but take into account the time and effort you need to put into washing. I think your time as a mother is valuable just use disposable and save your self a little time; which you can spend with your new baby.

Answer 4

yes they are hard to clean... um no they are not cheaper than disposables.. on ebay the inserts are 60$ for four yeah right .... i would never do cloth diapers...  

Answer 5

You are asking about gDiapers. They are a cotton cloth outer pant, with a snap in waterproof liner and then you place flushable/disposable/compostable inserts inside. We use these and definitely like them. They are a great step to get to using cloth full-time, or you can just use gDiapers all the way through. They can get expensive however, in comparison to generic disposables and cloth diapers. I have seen most places quoting that gDiapers work out to 42 cents a diaper, where disposables are 35 cents per diaper. I haven't worked it out personally though.

With the gDiapers you do need to buy all the cloth pants on top of the flushable inserts, plus extra liners. However, to bring costs down you can use cloth inserts (or folded up prefold cloth diapers) while you are at home.

I would definitely recommend buying a starter kit to try the system out. Most places have the starter kits for under $30. Flushables are $14-$20 a package.

http://www.gdiapers.com/shop/

Answer 6

you seem to be talking about gdiapers - and one poster answered they could be used with prefolds - but that may not be the case - flats may work better -

i dont use gdiapers, but bought 3 dozen prefolds from craigslist from a lady who was using gdiapers but with cloth liners instead of disposables, the prefolds were too thick and big, but the flatfolds were working great for her

just an fyi

Answer 7

Yeah........ Of course u make a lot of savings.....however it's disgusting to clean them... truely

Answer 8

I'm not sure what type you're talking about with inserts, but me and my siblings were raised on cloth diapers. You have to dump the p**p in the toilet and put the soiled and urinated clothes in the washing machine to clean, but of course it's much cheaper and re-usable. You just use a thick cloth and safety pins. That's what humans used for thousands of years and still do in many parts of the world. We never used inserts, never had problems either. Much, much cheaper.

Answer 9

Sure they are cheaper.  They are also better for the economy too.  Only, you have to clean them instead of tossing them.

Answer 10

Yes yes just messyer haha just throw them in the wash with no other cloz

Answer 11

Yes they are cheaper.

I buy 3 packs per child. The plain towelling ones you fold yourself. They cost $20 for 12 here. So $60 to start you up.

Then you need plastic covers, usually $3- for 3.

Then you get nappy liners, which are about $5 for a packed of 100. I get the Woolworths Homebrand, and they are perfect.

When a child does a poo, I throw it away into the bin. If they have only urinated, I wash them.

I don't know what inserts you are all talking about, but I wouldn't be paying that much for them. The ones I use never let me down.

I would NOT be using the inserts, and to be honest, I've never heard of them. This way had worked fine for me.

Then to wash, I have 3 buckets (nappy buckets are $10 at Big W).

One is for solid ones, one is for  urinated ones, and one is a soaker. Each is filled with boiling water, when I was. Then the a cup of soap flakes.

I wash my nappies every night. I put one bucket in the washing machine, then wash in hot water. The stained ones are put in my soaking tub with some bleach, and washed the next morning.

Pretty easy when you get used to it. It suits me just fine.

I don't pay for water as I have water tanks, and my hot water bill is small.

I've got two 5 months olds in cloth now, and had 2 other children in them. Never had any problems. They have to say in them, as they are allergic to the plastic content in Disposables.