I’m sure you have come across all kinds of ideas about why cloth diapers are really awful. Here are 13 reasons why they aren’t as bad as you might think.
13. You are helping the environment.
By not throwing 6-12 diapers in the trash everyday for 2 or more years, you are reducing your contribution to landfills quite a bit. Different people claim differing amounts of time for decomposition of disposable diapers. I won’t proclaim to be the expert on this, but we know the less we add to landfills, the better.
12. You won’t have to rush out to the store.
Realizing you just used the last disposable diaper in the house- at 10:30 p.m. is awful. With cloth diapers, you never have to feel that way again.
11. Stay in place snaps rock!
If you’ve ever had a little one who became adept at removing their diaper long before they were ready to use a potty, you know how valuable this is. It is far trickier for a toddler or baby to undo all the snaps.
10. They grow with your baby.
From newborn to toddler, your cloth diapers will adjust to fit your baby. It is as simple as changing a few snaps in the front and tailoring where you snap the sides in place.
9. They don’t leak.
Okay, a little honesty here. ALL diapers leak. Cloth diapers, when fitted properly, don’t leak any more than disposable diapers. To be extra transparent, you need to change baby regularly, to prevent leaks, but who wants to sit in a messy diaper anyway?
8. They reduce diaper rash.
Because you will likely change baby more often to avoid leaks, their skin is not exposed to the urine or feces for any length of time. This helps to reduce diaper rash.
7. Less chemical exposure.
I don’t know about you, but the less chemical exposure my little ones have, the better. Also, for those with sensitive skin, cloth diapers help prevent diaper rash.
6. They help with potty training.
Wet clothes are uncomfortable regardless of age. Cloth diapers help baby recognize when they are wet. This is uncomfortable and children learn to use the potty sooner than they might in disposable diapers which are meant to wick away moisture.
5. They don’t stink up the house.
Seriously! Have you ever stepped into a nursery with one of those diaper pails full of disposable diapers? THEY stink. Because cloth diapers get washed every few days, the odoriferous material is being dealt with quickly. You can always add a little tea tree oil to the pail or wet bag if you want some added insurance.
4. Detergent and water doesn’t cost nearly as much as disposable diapers.
People always try to act like the cost of washing diapers compares with the cost of buying disposable diapers. In reality, you are spending pennies on the dollar. Two, three, even four extra loads of laundry each week, don’t come close to the cost of a box of diapers.
3. You have a washing machine.
I always hear about the yuck factor. I get it. When your great-grandmother was washing your grandparents’ diapers by hand, there may have been a yuck factor. But today we have washing machines which, thankfully, do the work for us.
2. One time investment.
After you purchase your cloth diapers, you are good to go. You don’t have to remember to buy more each time you go to the grocery store. There are no special orders with rush delivery online, no worrying about clipping coupons to save money, reminding your spouse of the size your baby wears now, or trying to arrange a swap on your local Facebook yard sale page because your little one outgrew the diapers before you used them. Once you have them, you have them.
and if you take good care of them…..
