Cloth Diapers Vs. Disposable Diapers

I use BumGenius 3.0 diapers. They are one size pocket diapers. They are fantastic and fit babies from about 9 pounds through 35ish pounds. I recommend kissaluv's size 0 diapers with prowraps covers for newborn to 9 pounds, and if you are planning to have more kids it is an especially good investment. Good websites are jilliansdrawers.com and cottonbabies.com, as well as diaperpin.com. Jillians Drawers has a breakdown of cost for cloth vs. sposies, showing that you save easily over $1500 in diapers by using cloth. I wash my diapers every 2-3 days with the following cycle, using CountrySave detergent:

1st cycle: soak, warm water with 1/2 scoop detergent
2nd: hot wash, 1/2 scoop detergent + 1/3 cup baking soda
3rd: hot wash, 1/2 scoop detergent
4th: cold wash, 1/2 scoop detergent
4th: cold wash, no detergent, add 1 c vinegar

Machine dry on medium.

I used to use the White Cloud ones too - I've found the Parent's Choice ones at Walmart are better than they used to be and cheap also!

good luck!

Hi A.,
Congrats on the new little one!
We've gone the simple route -- prefolds with covers. We did get diaper service quality (www.babycottonbottoms.com -- and there are TONS of other sites out there), so haven't had the frustration you did. I have heard wonderful things about BumGenius, but since we're doing OK with the prefolds I can't justify the extra expense. Washing is pretty simple -- I just rinse them in cold water and then do a hot wash with BioKleen washing powder, and either dry them in the dryer or on the line (in summer). Favorite covers for the prefolds at this point are Thirsties and Dappi Diaper Pants. Either are pretty reasonable. We DO use disposables at night and for longer outings, but prefolds are the mainstay. RE: the larger "patootie," it hasn't seemed that much of a problem to me. The covers we use are very slim, so maybe that helps? In any case, I think the money you can save by using cloth -- even the more expensive type -- is well worth the bit of extra effort. Plus, they are reusable by siblings!

I know there are a lot who will disagree with me, and my research is about 6 years old. When I researched it, cloth diapers saved about $100 a year, less if you used a cleaning service. This was taking into consideration water, cleaners, electricity, etc. Also, the research I found said that the environmental impact was about the same, with disposables being slightly higher. For us, it worked better to go with disposables, especially since my husband was willing to change diapers then. :) We did use chlorine-free diapers some, but you get 30 diapers for about the same price as the White Clouds (I loved those!). We find Luvs are cheaper even without coupons, and they are guaranteed. They are made by the same company as Pampers, and I have been very pleased with their customer service when I've had a issue (2 times maybe, with 3 kids?) Huggies customer service couldn't have cared less that I was unhappy with their product. They offered me $1 off my next purchase. I never used it. Pampers and Luvs both give full refunds. Anyway, that's what we've used to make our decisions. GL and congratulations. (If you're worried about 2 in diapers, check out the book "Toilet Training in a Day". I don't remember the author. You're daughter's old enough. It worked with both our boys, and my friends love it, too.)

If you want to stick with disposable try the Target brand or I have a friend who loves the Albertsons brand. We llike the more expensive too, but they simply are expensive. I have another friend who uses G-diapers for cloth

We have used prefolds with covers. Prefolds are the cheapest and easy to clean. (The pockets or all-in-ones take longer to dry and seem to be harder to get clean.) I added a doubler to the diaper for nighttime. Prefolds aren't the easiest to use, but they still aren't too hard. We just twist it in the middle and fold it over, securing it with a Snappi. If you are concerned about a bulky bottom, then buying different sizes would be best. I am actually selling some cloth diapers. I have an ad in the KSL Classifieds. (ksl.com) I have a package that would work for a newborn, except you'd need some snappis and a wet bag for outings. It has small prefolds, one-size covers, doublers, etc. It could be sold separately.

I used bum geniuse for my son for the first year, but despite what they say they did not fit him as a new born and he was over 9lbs when he was born. I had to stop useing them at night because even with two doubler inserts he was leaking through. Eventually after a year I went to Parents Choice (WalMart) disposables. The cloth diapers were not fitting him (too small and not even a year old) and he was learning to walk and the the big bulky diapers were getting in his way. With two I would save yourself some work and frustration and go with some disposables. Also you need to figure the cost of detergent and utilites to do the extra load of laundry each day, you do save with cloth, but not as much as you think.

Hey A.
I see you are getting lots of good advice, so I will keep mine short.

We are opening up an eco-friendly baby store specializing in cloth diapers, slated to open July 1 at 3929 Tennyson in the Berkeley area of Denver. The name of the store is The Giggling Green Bean and we will have a large selection of cloth diapers, so feel free to stop in sometime and check them out for yourself! The main reason for opening the store is so moms like you can see, feel and touch the diapers to give you a better sense of how they work and what might work for you and your family!

Hope to see you soon.
B.

One thought that I have...I have two little ones in diapers now and the cloth disper company here in Fort Collins gives discounts for the second child. We pay about $17 a week for one (like 50 diapers a week) and with the second one they only charge us about $3 more a week. It is so much cheaper than disposables for us. We get the diaper covers on-line for about $6 a piece.

We wouldn't use cloth diapers if we had to clean them ourselves. We just don't have the time to soak and wash them; the diaper service is awesome! All we do is put the dirty diapers in a pail and they pick them up once a week. You don't have to clean them or anything.

You will have to get different sizes of diapers and covers just like with disposables for your kiddos. As for big butt, there isn't much you can do for that. Cloth diapers are just bigger. I guess I have just gotten used to it...

Good luck making your decision. My friend tried to wash her own cloth diapers and just couldn't get them as clean as a service (thought that I should throw that out). For me, cloth diapers are so much cheaper for us since we use a service than it would be to use disposables or to buy our own diapers ourselves.

Hi A.,

I don't care for gDiapers either. Cloth is much easier to use IMO. Pockets and All In One Diapers are very easy to use and you still save money over disposables. I personally like a 2 size diaper, one for newborns and then one for the rest of the time. The newborn clothes fit better with smaller diapers, although you can usually use a one-size all the way through if need be. I'm the owner of Denver Diaper Co. and have monthly classes on cloth diapering. If you need more info, I'm happy to talk with you. My website is http://denverdiaperco.com and my phone is ###-###-####.

A.

I have found it a great deal cheaper to use cloth than buy disposables every few weeks.

I used disposables for his first two months, then I have used the Kuahies all in one ultra and it worked great when they fit, but they are different sizes for as the baby grows but do have the diaper and cover together, and not insert to put in.

I currently use the mother ease and they are a one size fits infant through toddler, they have a snap in liner for when the baby gets bigger and needs more absorbency, and they wash with the diaper, and usually stay attached trough laundering. The covers are separate and you get the cover sizes as the baby grows.

I too have had to get pants bigger to go around the diaper, but the larger the toddler grows the littler the difference in pants vs diaper.

Enjoy your little ones.
S.
mother to Kai
www.HomeWithKai.com

I love the BumGenius pocket diapers. They are one size and I was able to use them as soon as my son's cord fell off. I think they say about 5 pounds and higher. The new ones come with newborn inserts that are smaller, and then the regular ones. You can double either two regular or a regular and newborn if needed. Yes, there is a slightly larger butt, but I actually think it is pretty cute, and if your baby isn't a heavy wetter, the newborn inserts really aren't too big. My son is now 13 months and about 23-24 pounds. The diapers still fit him well, and there is much room for growth.

I personally think that washing them is pretty easy. I do a cold rinse cycle, hot wash, cold rinse, then dry with a clean bath towel.

If you would like any other information about these, let me know (diaper pails, liners, wetbags, written washing instructions, etc.). I also got some of an older model from a friend. The external material is a bit different, and there aren't the newborn inserts (these can be purchased separately). I haven't tried to sell these yet, but I do have too many, so if you are interested, let me know.

Well, if decided you want to go for disposables, and you liked White Cloud disposables, try Parent's Choice from Walmart. I have always used them, and liked them better than White Cloud. They've also been keeping up with Pampers, etc. They have big, stretchy velcro tabs, etc. And right now, I've got some grocery store diapers right now (I was in a pinch) and HATE them. They don't fit right and make my son smell like urine all day. I can't wait to use them up so I can use the Parent's Choice.
And no one can beat their price. Costco's generic diapers are considerably more.

I say invest in cloth. We are doing cloth with baby #2 and LOVE IT!! We really liked Huggies with our first, but got fed up with the amount of money that we were tossing out with the trash.

I also used babycottonbottoms.com. The WAHM that runs that business is SO helpful. She responds promptly to e-mail questions AND holds regular workshops where she goes over all the different kinds of diapers out there, how to wash them and what she recommends for your needs. Check out the website and see what she offers. It is only $10 to do her workshop and a trip to CO Springs. Not bad if you're in the Denver area.

I figure what I have invested amounts to about what it would cost me to paper diaper for 6 mos. My Daughter is now 6 mos and she is only 15 lbs and will be able to wear what I have until she is 18lbs. Plus I can reuse these with the next baby. SO WORTH IT! I don't think my energy costs have increased very much. I do have to do more laundry, but it's not as big of a hassle as I thought it would be.

Good luck with your decision.

I saw something on the news about this comparison. It is not cheaper to buy cloth, due to the usage of water and dryer time to keep them clean, not to mention having to sanitize the washing machine with bleach in between loads so fecal matter doesn't cross contaminate. Residue from the poop can still remain after a cycle in your washing machine and get on other clothes.
That was enough to gross me out!!! You can dump some in the toilet but with a newborn we all know it is not a solid product.
You have to bleach out the washing machine and it will be running a LOT! The cost of the water and electricity to me evens it out buying even store brand disposable.

The cloth are better for the environment! That is a big factor. I am sure you an buy disposables now though that are more friendly in that area but probably not cheap.
I used Target brands for my son and LOVED THEM! They were a lot less and just as absorbant.

You can hire a service to pick up your cloth diapers, which I guess for me I would make a spreadsheet, figure the cost of running the washer/dryer constantly, what a service would cost montly and what the average cost of disposable diapers would be and figure what is best out of the three.

I copped out and used disposable for their convenience, they were better to prevent diaper rash and kept spoiled stuff off of bedding better, but when I had my son there wasn't as many cloth options. Not to mention I was so grossed out by the thought of some of those nasty diapers being in the laundry or washing machine! That is me though.
There are great cloth diapers out there though.

Just if you want, I haven't done this myself, but it's an idea: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/07/...

There is a booth at the Quilted Bear in Provo that sells all sorts of cloth diapers. If you want to check them out, that's a good place to see different brands, types, and sizes. Also the owner of the booth has lots of experience with cloth diapers and would be a good resource. Her name is Allison Roberts. Her web-site is http://littlerabbits.webs.com/

Good luck!

There are so many options available for modern cloth diapers... don't give up based on your prior experience with thin Gerber prefolds and cheap covers.

Disposables run at least $50/month per kid. More for chlorine free, and even more for flushables. So with two in diapers that is going to add up fast. One Size diapers are a great investment. There are OS diapers that fit the smaller end of the size range (starting at 5-6 lbs) better than others (most start around 7-8 lbs). But they are a GREAT way to have top of the line modern cloth diapers (you can double stuff the pocket for overnight) for about $400-600. It seems like a lot upfront, but that's all you'll need to spend. Ever on buying diapers. Detergent is next to nothing, and we even posted our water bills on www.modernmommygear.com for customers to see how little money is spent laundering. Take a look and you'll be amazed how much more we spend on watering our lawn than washing cloth diapers (we exclusively cloth diaper).

G diapers are expensive and don't work very well. Don't waste time or money on those.

We prerinse, wash hot, extra rinse. Hang or dry. Twice a week. It's not much work at all.

There's lots of info on my site, but direct message me if you have any specific questions. I'd be glad to help!

http://www.modernmommygear.com/Modern_Mommy_Gear_Cloth_Di...

http://www.modernmommygear.com/Diaper_Cost_Comparison_s/4...

http://www.modernmommygear.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/r...

Here's the latest neutral party study on the environmental impact of disposables vs cloth diapers: http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SCHO080...

Good luck!

Hi A.!
You might want to consider using a diaper service. You can buy wraps used online to save $$ (if you need more!). It ends up being the same cost or less than using disposables...around $10-$20/wk average. It cuts the hassle of washing them, finding/buying the correct size etc. There are many services in CO. I use The Bundle in Boulder, they service a HUGE area up this way if you're close. (bundlebabyshop.com) Otherwise I know there are several to choose from in other areas of the state. Good luck...hope this helps!

I use and love cloth diapers. I prefer prefolds with a snappi and cover (we like bummis super wraps best) but have some pocket diapers as well for the diaper bag. (www.greenmountaindiapers.com - I would skip the orange and start with yellow if I could do it again) I have found that charlies soap works the best for cleaning. Prewash cold, long hot wash, and an extra rinse, and more cycles if you have a super high efficiency front loader.

For your 22 month old I suggest potty training now, we did our son at 22 months (2 months before baby #2 arrived). I am so glad I did this, check out this web book: www.3daypottytraining.com

Cheers,

J.

I love the bumgenius one size diapers. Yes, they will fit your newborn, and I put them on my 3yr old to see how big they get. I love them!! I do one cold wash, and then one hot wash. hang out in the sun to bleach....and then I use real bleach in the wash once a month as recommended by the maker. I love not having to buy diapers!! they are an investment, i spent about $400 to get two dozen, I do laundry about every 4th day. There has not been a difference in water/energy cost. I have only had one blowout in a year of using the cloth diapers (4 in disposables during a two week traveling trip!) good luck.

We love our Bum Genius one-size diapers. Our daughter has been wearing the same ones since birth and she's 11 months now. We're only on the second setting, there's one bigger size to go. We bought thirty of them before she was born and it's a good number. We do laundry less than twice a week and it's not too bad at all...it kinda makes you feel a little wholesome to do it. They come with instruction for washing...it's 3 different cycles with detergent added twice. If you're in the Denver area, Modern Mommy Gear is a great website to check out. The owner, Robin, lives in Lakewood and will give you a full demonstration of the different options and what works.

Hope this helps!

I would say if you plan to have more children than cloth is a good solution but we used Pampers with our last since we had gotten rid of everything and had to start over. With combining coupons and buying in bulk I was able to pay 6 to 7 cents per diaper for Pampers. I would wait until the store had them on sale, use an additional store coupon and a manufacture coupon at once. Sometimes I could use a double coupon and get them for even less. I would buy as big a box or two as possible and they were super cheap so it worked for us. By size 3 we were down to buying diapers only every other month. I also have very little kids so we didn't go to a size 4 until we were using diapers for overnight on our 4 year old. If you have big kids those size 4-6 diapers worn early on can be really expensive. One of my friends is using cloth because her 2 year old is wearing bigger diapers than my 4 year old and it did get spendy. The environmental impact is about the same with the way new diapers are made versus cloth so it's up to what is easy for you.

Congratualation on expecting another little one. When I first starting using disposable diapers, I started with a sample pack of various diapers so I could choose which I liked best. I went with the bumGenius one size diapers (they also have diapers that are not one size, so make sure you are looking at the right diaper). My son started wearing them when he was 7 months old and he has been wearing them for 1.5 years! Even though I am using more water washing them (I do wash them twice) I feel better knowing that I am not putting a bunch of diapers in a land fill! Whatever you decide, good luck!

I would go with BumGenius one-size. You may have to use disposable for the first little while with your newborn becasue the one-size do not have a notch for the cord and will rub on it. They make cloth ones for newborns but it depends on if you want to go that way at first.
I have a 7 month old and have been using the BumGenius all-in-ones and one sizes since she was 4 months old. I have never had issues with them leaking and she does not have the big butt look. That all depends on the amount of inserts you put in.
As far as cleaning them they go through a double wash one with cold water and the other with hot. I let them dry out in the sun and they are clean and smell good.
I would say if you are looking at the finacial aspect of it the BumGenius are a little more spendy but by far the best ones I have used. The little bit of extra time spent keeping them clean is worth the benifit to both our pocketbook and my daughter's skin.
Sultana at www.simplewondersdiapers.com is amazing and can answer you questions completely and right away.

Hi A.,

I chose to use Fuzzi Bunz with my third baby. I initially bought the diapers that had slight defects (ie. the stitching was off a bit, or the snaps didn't allign perfectly) but still worked. I have had no problems with them and you can't even really tell they have defects. They are also cheaper than the regular ones. These all-in-one diapers come in different size from extra small to extra large. If you look on one of the Fuzzi Bunz websites, you'll find the weights that coincide with the sizes. I bought smalls and my baby is 6 months old and they still fit him. I just bought 12 of the new One Size Fuzzi Bunz that are supposed to work for newborns to toddler sizes. They are initially expensive - I can't remember the exact price, but I bought 12 that included two inserts for each diaper, and I spent around $250. They are guaranteed and are very well made. I agree, they're more bulky than disposable diapers, but they're great!

Washing them is easy too! I don't even rinse them off right now - my son is on breast milk and just starting solids. I seperate the liner and the diaper and throw them into my diaper pail (I just use a Diaper Dekor with a liner that I bought through one of the Fuzzi Bunz stores and put some tea tree oil in it - you can't even smell the diapers). I wash the diapers every two days - I throw them in the washer with dye-free, fragrance-free detergent, wash them on hot and rinse them twice with cold water, then I throw them in the dryer on low without fabric softener (you will get care instructions when you buy them). I have not had any issues with staining on the diaper itself, but some of the liners are a bit stained. This doesn't bother me because no one sees them, but I've heard you can use lemon juice and hang them in the sun and they will turn white again.

I still use disposable diapers (Pampers) at night because I don't want to deal with a leaky diaper if it happens, but you are supposed to be able to use the cloth diapers at night also.

I hope this helps!! If you have the time, you can look for sales on the FB diapers and save a little money!