Please list the pros and cons of cloth diapers..?

Question

I really really want to use cloth but everytime I look at them on the internet I think of how much of a pain it will be to have to do extra cleaning with them instead of just tossing a diaper in the trash. I think about being at a restaurant and having to scrape p**p in the toilet then go back to eating. Will you help me to be more possitve about it?? I also like the Gdiapers I just saw online But they look expensive.

Answer 1

pros of cloth:

once you have bought enough of the cloth diapers, you don't have to buy anymore of them.

less likely for baby to have an allergic reaction

some people prefer the feel and look of cloth diapers.

If you don't have to pay for water where you live, then cloth can be cheaper depending on the cost of detergent and soaking agent you use.

cloth diapers can have a million uses - as diapers, as spew up cloths, as sun shades in the car, to clean up spills etc.

cons of cloth:

scrapping and then scrubbing bowel motions out of the diapers.

on going wash loads that can often become an odor problem.

on going cost of diaper liners

on going cost of water (you do A LOT of washing)

on going cost of soaking agent

on going cost of detergent

if you have to pay for the water you use (ie if you live in australia) then they have proven that cloth costs more then disposables these days.

time and effort of washing, hanging and folding

often babies soak through cloth at night time

having to transport dirty/wet cloth diapers in your baby bag until you  get home from being out and about.

Answer 2

to answer your concerns directly:

p**p

- when you are out and about you can just plop any solids into the toilet and put the diaper in a wetbag to deal with at home.

- get a mini shower to spray off p**p into the toilet, they are TOTALLY worth it. http://www.tinytush.com/Mini-Shower_p_86...

Extra cleaning

- when baby is a nb and just breastfed, all the diapers even the poopy ones can just go in the pail, and then into the washer.  it all goes into the sewer where it belongs.  if you are concerned you can do a rinse cycle first to get off the p**p, then a wash.

- after baby is on solids, you can get a sprayer to quickly clean off the poopy ones, and the pee ones can still just go in the pail.

- when you throw the diapers into the laundry just give the pail a rinse and sprinkle some baking soda

G Diapers

- these can clog toilets

- google G Diapers and mothering.com and you will see some bad reviews

You may also want to skip diapers and try Elimination Communication, it works well for us with cloth as backup.

Answer 3

it gives them rashes! for example how would you like wet pants on or underwear whatever on until you got changed? ick

Answer 4

Love the cloth. Babies make extra laundry anyway, what the big deal of another load or two? Chemicals in disposable diapers may contribute to asthma and infertility issues later for your babe. The cloth dipes are so cheap. I diapered two kids for just 300$. Lastly, cloth diapered kids potty train sooner because they feel wet or soiled when "go".  

Answer 5

I too was nervous about using cloth, but I went for it and I'm never ever using disposables again!

My main reasons:

*Better for my baby's body (no dioxin like in disposables)

*Better for the environment

*Saves TONS of money over time!

I switched a few months back and I'm SO glad I did!!  Trust me, it's not a pain at all.  I use the "easy" ones, lol!!!  Right now all mine are the BumGenius 3.0s, which are a pocket diaper (meaning you stuff them with absorbent inserts).  A waterproof cover is attached to each diaper, so it's similar to a disposable with its convenience.

Gdiapers are more expensive, and not true cloth since they have disposable parts.

As for cleaning, get a diaper sprayer that attaches to your toilet.  It's incredibly easy, and you can adjust the pressure.  I get even the worst messes off quickly.  :)

If you're in public, you can either tip the solids into the toilet or stick the dirty diaper in a wet bag (waterproof bag for any pee or poopy messes) and just clean it off when you get home.

Good luck!  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.  :)

I buy mainly from http://www.cottonbabies.com

Edit : Cindy is describing the most basic of cloth diapers.  The ones I use are different. I use a dry pail, so no soaking, only do about 3 extra loads of laundry a week to clean them, they do NOT leak, and the detergent I use is biodegradable as well as 1/2 the amount used in regular loads.  Diaper liners are also completely optional, which is why I have the sprayer.  I also hang mine to dry, saving on electricity.   :)

Answer 6

I like disposable!  I know this might not be much help but they are the best.  Cloth you not only have to clean in the toilet you also have to wash or pay for diaper service which is a lot of money and time you could be spending with your baby

Answer 7

I use cloth diapers and totally agree about poo in a resturant.  So, I use disposables when we go out for anything more than a quick errand.

You might also feel better about not doing the extra cleaning of the planet when in 500 years your dirty disposables are still hanging around.  Gross!  You won't be here to enjoy it, but I'm sure your decendents will appreciate the gift of (10 diapers a day x 365 days x 2) 7,300 diapers!!

Cloth are cheaper in the long run!

Answer 8

I use the BumGenius all in one diapers and while they are a bit more expensive to buy up front, within 4 to 6 months (depending on how many you buy - I'd suggest at least 30.) you've already saved money. These diapers last until the kid is out of diapers.

For poo - There are disposable/flusable liners that can be placed in the diaper above the actual cloth lining. This means you simply toss/flush it away and problem of scraping pooey diapers is solved. They look almost like dryer sheets - and let the pee soak through to the liner where it's kept away from babies bottom. You will still have to wipe the dirty bottom though - that you can never escape from! The liners ARE biodegradable and can be flushed unless you're using a septic system.

Pee - The inside liners (there are two - one thinner and one larger so you can decide what to put in) hold a lot and still keep babies skin dry - you can pull out the wet liner, put that in a sealed plastic bag and simply replace the inside liner while out. The liner can be left wet for up to about 3 to 4 days before you wash them.

Washing - I've tried these on my nephews who are 1.5 months and 2 years - I had them both soil the diapers, then left them sitting for 3 days in a plastic bag (the top disposable liner with the poo was flushed away) - then I threw them in with a bunch of blankets and baby clothes, using WonderWash and let the machine wash them. Two I had tumble dry in the dryer, two I let hang out to dry and both washed up good as new. (Note that I didn't soak them in anything.)

You can wash the diapers with any other stuff the kid has spit up on - so if you do it every 3 to 4 days, you've got at least half a load when washing and really can toss in any other clothes you've got - just make sure you use the right detergent (which isn't THAT expensive either, just find a natural food store or something that sells it in bulk).

Sizing - I got the all in one, one sized diaper so I didn't have to reinvest every few months and found that they worked great on the 1.5 month old and the 2 year old. The first two weeks or so may still require the use of disposables depending on the size of the baby though, and some prefer to use them until the nasty newborn poo has cleared - then flip to the cloth by the end of the first month.

Look/feel - The BumGenius diapers are cute, come in colours and are insanely easy to use, just like a disposable diaper. They have velcro for easy on/off, have snaps to adjust the size, and you simply pre-stuff the liners in the diapers as they come out of the dryer so you just grab them and go. The outer liner is waterproof and there is no messing about with outer shells and a second cloth diaper under it - the liners simply go inside of the pocket that's there (it's a pocket diaper). There are of course other brands much like this - so go to a store/website that carries them all and take a look at what is offered. I went with these because my cousin swore by them, and I bought a few to try out my nephews before I invested in the rest of them.

Carrying them around - I mentioned that you can just bring the liners (both the poo and normal liner) in your bag and switch them out as needed when baby poos/pees. You'd be bringing a bag with bulky diapers anyway, so this doesn't add any extra weight or bulk to you. The liners are really soft, can be folded up really small and if you bring a Ziplockish type bag to store the wet liner and simply flush/toss the poo liner, even then you're not carrying around a ton of extra weight.

Like I said, within a few months you've already saved money, they last until your kid is out of diapers and they're easy to use. You save the landfills a LOT of waste, save a TON of money and it's not that much extra work.

The cost of running your washer/dryer is something you'd be doing anyways (kids spit up a lot on themselves and you!), and the cost of the disposable liners is barely anything due to them coming in a huge roll for about $30/CDN which lasts months) and detergent, which you'd be buying anyways too.

Even if you use the disposables once in a while if you're out or something, you'll still end up saving a ton of money and landfill space.

Give them a try - even if you just try one and see how you like it before investing. :)

Cons -

You have to wash them instead of just tossing them in the garbage.

You have to buy them up front (at least 25 to 30) so you've got enough to use during the week, assuming you're washing every 3 to 4 days. (My parents and grandparents pitched in and got us them all as their shower gifts to help me out.)

They're way cuter than disposables and give your baby a more padded bum which is also cuter (yes they will of course still fit in any baby clothes!) - and some babies are just so cute it just might make people's heads explode at how cute your child is with the cute diapers.

You will want to show the diapers off and explain them to people when they see them and ask what they're about.

:)

Answer 9

It's not a pain at all!  My son poops once a day and it's never been while we were out dining.  Once they reach several months of age the poops are not every couple of hours like an infant.  All you do is 2 extra loads of laundry a week, sometimes 3.  A bonus is that there's no sorting or folding.  I barely notice it at all and aside from running to and from the washer, I don't think the work is bad at all.

My son will be on this earth another 80 years.  I want him to be assured that his f***s isn't buried under tons of garbage, never to decompose in his lifetime.  I think of what our planet will be like for him and his children, and it re-affirms my choice to use cloth.

Cloth is soooo cute too!  Right now he is in his little night time diaper, which has apples on the bum.  It's much cuter than some bundle of garbage that will be thrown out in a few hours!

Oh yeah, the $$$ I saved is incredible!  

Answer 10

Why dont you do a combination of both.  Use cloth at home and disposable when you are out.  Or maybe get a nappy service to deliver and take away all the dirty ones, they have then in Australia.  I wanted desperately to use cloth but in the end it was just too hard especially when things with my son were bad at home (his sleeping) and being single.