Choosing the right diaper for your baby’s gentle and delicate skin can be challenging. There are so many options! An alternative to disposable diapers is cloth diapering. Cloth diapering gets a bad rep, mainly because it’s messy. However, most parents who use cloth diapers for their little ones have developed a system that works for them, avoids the mess, and keeps everyone (including your hands) clean throughout the process. If you’re considering cloth diapering, I am sharing the pros and cons of cloth diapers.
Pros and Cons of Cloth Diapering
Before choosing cloth diapers over disposable diapers, you should know the pros and cons of cloth diapering and if they’re a good fit for your family.
Pros of Cloth Diapers
There are some pretty great advantages to choosing to use cloth diapers for your baby, including:
1. Cloth Diapers Can Save You a Ton of Money
You might not realize how much money you could save by switching from disposable diapers to cloth diapers!
So here’s the deal: you do spend much more upfront when it comes to cloth diapering. For example, anticipate paying around $10-$20 per cloth diaper for your little one. Then, figure out how many diapers your little one typically goes through each day. Multiply that number by the cost, and you have an estimated upfront cost of cloth diapers.
The good news is that you can save money by not buying the most expensive cloth diapers immediately and only buying what you need. However, you may run a few extra loads of laundry if you don’t get enough.
2. Cloth Diapers Contain Significantly Less Harmful Chemicals
One of the biggest reasons parents opt for cloth diapering over disposable diapering is not always to save on cost but to save their baby’s delicate skin from harmful chemicals. Disposable diapers are known to contain some pretty questionable ingredients like:
- Dioxin — a byproduct of the bleaching process to get those bright white diapers. They’re a big no-no because the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has made it very clear that you should avoid this cancer-causing agent.1
- Phthalates — another harmful chemical known for its “negative effect on the development of the male reproductive system.” 2
- Added Fragrances — these smell-good additives might make your baby’s diaper smell powdery fresh, but the added scents can irritate their delicate skin and may flare up some allergies.
By choosing to cloth diaper, you can get the best of both worlds by avoiding these unnecessary harmful chemicals while absorbing your baby’s messy eliminations.
3. They’re Great for the Environment
One of the biggest takeaways from using cloth diapers is how great they are for the environment. Fortunately, cloth diapers use about 20 times fewer materials than disposables when manufacturing them. Plus, an estimated 20 billion disposable diapers are taken to landfills each year, introducing pathogens into the environment (such as drinking water). Yuck!
4. Many Cloth Diapers Come In Adorable Patterns, Sizes, and Materials
If you thought Honest diapers were the only diapers that came in adorable patterns, don’t check cloth diapers entirely off your list yet! Cloth diapers come in a HUGE variety of designs, sizes, and materials, making it easy to find the best fit for your little one. For example, if you love animals, this reusable forest animal diaper set might be what you’re looking for! If vibrant colors are your jam, this adorable, vibrant fruit-patterned set is perfect!
5. Reusable Diapers Can Promote Potty Training (For Some Children)
This little trick doesn’t always work, but the idea behind it is that young children usually don’t like the feeling of sitting with wet fabric or material against their skin. I mean, who would, right?
So with disposable diapers, that sensation of “hey, there’s a wetness on me” isn’t as obvious because diapers do an excellent job absorbing their urine and keeping their skin dry, unlike reusable diapers. While absorbent, they don’t keep the skin nearly as dry as disposable diapers. This may lead your little one to tell you they need to be changed or go potty, preparing them for the potty training adjustment.
Cons of Cloth Diapers
Now that you know the pros of cloth diapers, let’s discuss the cons and inconveniences of cloth diapers.
1. They Can Be Messy If You’re Not Careful
Cleaning up a blowout from a reusable diaper can be pretty gross. The work is easy if your baby is little and has liquid poops. If your baby has more thick, mushy, or solid poops — you’ll have to put in some careful work to shake or scrape off the mess before tossing them into the wash.
Here’s a Simple System for Cleaning a Dirty Poopie Diaper:
- Remove any solid waste by shaking, wiping, or using a diaper sprayer.
- Place the dirty diaper into a soiled bin (similar to a diaper genie) until you’re ready to run your wash.
- Run the wash every 1 to 2 days at most. Be sure to run them through with an “extra rinse” to ensure you get all the stinky mess off those diapers for good!
2. Cloth Diapers Require More Maintenance on Your Part
It’s true. You can’t just take the diaper off and toss it into a diaper pail. Instead, you have to go through a much longer process to ensure they’re ready to go into the soiled bin and then wash them every 1 to 2 days. If you wash your soiled diapers past the second day, know you increase the chance of having a harder time getting the smell or mess entirely out. Plus, when you leave moist diapers in a waste bin for too long, you risk dealing with mold. Nobody needs that.
3. Not Always as Absorbent as Disposable Diapers
It’s true. Cloth diapers aren’t always as absorbent as disposable diapers. You may need to pick up a few cloth diaper inserts to increase the absorbency. It’s not the biggest deal in the world, but it does factor into the upfront cost and adds a little more to your laundry pile.
4. They Require a Higher Upfront Cost
As mentioned earlier, cloth diapers do cost much more upfront. You can get set with some cloth diapers, inserts, and a few waste bin bags for approximately $275 – $300. In contrast, a large box of diapers might cost you $45 and last 1-2 months.
Remember, the upfront cost pays itself off and starts saving you money around the end of the first year. When you account for the recurring cost of diapers and wipes, that’s one recurring fee you get to avoid in the future.
5. Harder to Use When Out and About
Here’s another challenge with cloth diapering: the lack of absorbency and managing those messy blowouts when you’re out and about. This is where having a portable diaper washer comes in handy to wash off the diaper and a little baggie to place it in until you’re home. You can even use doggie waste bags, which can sometimes run a little cheaper per roll.
Cloth diapering can be a handful (pun intended), but it’s pretty evident they have many benefits and advantages you shouldn’t ignore. Plus, despite paying a higher upfront cost to get them, you will save A LOT more in the long run—a few hundred dollars compared to disposable diapers. At the end of the day, we have to make the best choice for your baby and family.
Have you ever tried cloth diapering? What was your experience like?
