Are Disposable Diapers Really Better Than Cloth Diapers?

I wish someone would have told me before I became a mother that cloth diapering is so easy. I assumed like most Americans that people still did it like they did in the fifties with diaper pins and plastic pants. I was delighted to find that cloth diapers are SO much easier than disposables. I'm really impressed with them. Modern cloth diapers, for those who are not familiar with them, are not like the old-fashioned variety. Essentially they are exactly the same as disposables, just safer, softer, more comfortable, and much cheaper. They work the same as a disposable, too, except they have waterproof cloth on the outside instead of plastic and have Velcro or snap tabs instead of sticky tape.

Bumgenius diapers are currently one of the most popular brands:

http://www.bumgenius.com/all-in-one.php

But don't you have to rinse cloth diapers before washing them?

I get this question a lot so I'm assuming that people are imagining having to rinse them by hand in the sink or something. Yes, you have to rinse the diapers first. You just push the "rinse" button on the washing machine. Easy. Milk-fed baby poop is liquid and rinses right out without staining. Older kids have more solid poop. You either dump it into the toilet before dropping it in the diaper pail or you place a flushable lining inside the diaper before putting it on baby and just dump it in the toilet. (Just FYI, you have to do this with disposables, too, though a lot of people don't know they have to follow the rules for human waste disposal.)

But I don't want to bother washing cloth diapers.

Gone are the days of washing diapers by hand. You simply drop the dirty diaper into the diaper pail. It's the same as dropping a disposable into a trash can. Instead of taking the trash out, you dump the diapers into the washing machine and hit "rinse." Then you leave them there until you do a load of laundry. Just dump the laundry in on top of the diapers, wash as normal, and toss it all in the dryer together. If you have time to wash your clothes and your baby's clothes, then you have time to wash cloth diapers.

Okay, well I STILL don't want to have to wash them. It's just the principle of the thing.

Diaper services will drop off a load of clean diapers at your home and pick up and wash the dirty diapers for you. You don't have to do anything. Monthly diaper service rentals are still FAR cheaper than buying disposables.

But I don't want to bother folding cloth diapers.

Honestly, it's not origami. You take the clean diaper, fold it in half, place it inside the cover, and put it on the baby. It takes the same amount of time as opening and preparing a disposable does.

But cloth diapers are not hygienic.

Cloth diapers are actually more hygienic than disposables. They do not contain absorbent chemicals which can cause yeast infections and are one of the major causes of diaper rash. They are free of dye and perfume. Disposables are designed so that baby feels dry after going to the bathroom, so they sit in their own mess for long periods of time without knowing it. Sitting in urine is the cause of diaper rash. With cloth diapers, your baby feels wet after going potty and you can change him right away. Cloth diapers are as hygienic as washing and reusing your underwear.

But cloth diapers are so expensive!

You can buy an entire cloth diapering system for under $200. That is all you will ever need, no matter how many children you have. Disposables, on the other hand, are going to cost you many, many thousands of dollars over the next few years even for just one child. Also, cloth diapers retain their value and can be sold used for quite a bit of money when you are finished with them.

But cloth diapers are so big and bulky!

This is a myth. Cloth diapers are as thin or are thinner than disposable diapers. Our diapers are one piece of cotton cloth about as thick as a very thin towel covered by a thin layer of waterproof cloth such as wool or polyester. They are very comfortable for babies. They are soft and make no crinkling noises. Think about it: would you rather wear a nice pair of comfy cotton underwear or a pair of paper and plastic Depends?

But disposables are more convenient.

Anyone who has ever run out of disposables can tell you that disposable diapers are NOT more convenient. If you forget to pick some up from the store, you've got to go back and buy some. Imagine forgetting some after an evening shopping trip. You go to bed only to get up in the middle of the night to find out there are only six diapers left. You might make it 'till morning, but probably not. Imagine having to get out of bed at three in the morning, get dressed, bundle baby up, get him in the car, drive to an all-night store, hope they carry the brand you like, and then come back home with a screaming (because now his last diaper is filthy) baby and try to go back to bed and get some sleep. With cloth, you never forget to buy diapers. You always have diapers on hand and you can't run out.

Other benefits of using cloth diapers:

Cloth diapers are so cute and soft and cuddly!

Cloth diapers are plush - not crinkly

Cloth diapers contain no chemicals which react with urine to make that awful disposable diaper + pee smell

Cloth diapers reduce the frequency of diaper rash. The incidence of diaper rash in cloth is about 7%. The frequency in disposables is about 60%.

Cloth diapers do not go into landfills. Just one baby will produce several tons of dirty diapers before potty training begins. These diapers have a huge impact on the environment, especially since millions of old-growth trees and thousands of acres of forest are destroyed to produce disposable diapers which will just be pooped on and thrown away.

Cloth diapers allow bottoms to breathe and air to circulate. Plastic diapers allow air to stagnate.

Disposables contain sodium polyacrylate which is a toxic chemical used to create the super absorbency in diapers. Even a small amount of this chemical is fatal to babies if ingested. It can also cause chemical burns if it comes into contact with a baby's skin.

Disposable diapers contain dioxin which is a byproduct of the bleaching process. Dioxin is currently one of the most toxic substances known to mankind and is the strongest known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). It is the ingredient used in the military chemical weapon known as "Agent Orange."

Babies can tear pieces of plastic, tabs, or other parts off of a disposable and choke on them.

Because most parents do not follow environmental guidelines and dispose of feces in the toilet before disposing of their diapers, millions of tons of untreated waste go to landfills each year where they can contaminate groundwater and drinking water.

You can read more about cloth vs. disposable diapers at The New Parents Guide: http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/diapers.htm