Cloth Diapers: Are They Worth It?

May 7, 2023

New parents make many decisions concerning their child's health and general well-being. Among the most important choices they face is how to diaper their baby. There are two options to choose from, cloth or disposable diapers, and each has advantages and disadvantages. As convenient as throw-away diapers are to have on hand, they may not be the best choice. If you've never used cloth diapers before but heard they're ideal for many families, continue reading to discover precisely why they're worth all the trouble of laundering them regularly.

Overall Savings

When it comes to saving money, although it may not happen immediately, over time parents can save a substantial amount of money when using cloth diapers compared to disposable ones. According to economist Nicole Kaeding, disposable diapers cost approximately twenty-five to thirty cents each, while cloth diapers cost about seven cents per diaper. If parents use roughly seven diapers per day on one child, it will save them about one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars a day using cloth diapers.

Over the lifetime of using cloth diapers, parents could see savings anywhere from 1000 dollars to 1200 dollars. Furthermore, these savings only increase with additional children considering cloth diapers are reusable. However, when comparing the two choices, parents need to take into account the extra money they will be spending on detergent, water, and electricity for washing their cloth diapers. As previously stated, over the course of a child's lifetime, cloth diapers can save parents quite a pretty penny when entering the second year of using them and with the addition of more children.

Environmentally Friendly

Cloth diapers are entirely environmentally friendly because they're not made from plastic, which puts many chemicals into the air we breathe. Since these items are not disposable, they can be used many times before deteriorating. They won't wind up in the landfill in abundance the way disposable diapers do. The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes Americans use twenty billion disposable diapers yearly, which contributes to a remarkable three and a half million tons of trash created from households with babies alone. Since the average baby goes through thousands of diapers every year, it's understandable why cloth diaper usage is on the rise.

Parents who want to ensure their children have a planet to grow up on often go the extra mile to make conscientious purchasing decisions that do more good and less harm. Eco-conscious parents have their choice of sustainable fabrics to put their children in, too. Bamboo is breathable, comfortable, and environmentally friendly, and the same can be said about organic cotton, which is commonly used to create soft and comfortable cloth baby diapers. Most environmentally friendly cloth diaper companies carry a wide range of materials and patterns for parents to choose from, so their babies are outfitted conscientiously at all times.

Easier Potty Training

Making the transition to underwear is easier because the toddler has been exposed to cloth diapers made of similar materials. Parents around the nation agree the best approach is to put the child in the undergarment right away without pants, so they have an easy time pulling underwear down to use the potty. Sitting children on the potty every twenty minutes helps train them to go the bathroom in the toilet rather than in their underwear.

Teaching them to learn their body's cues and to keep from soiling themselves takes practice, but it is considerably easier with cloth diapers. The reason it is easier is parents are already used to laundering them when they're dirty, which makes the transition to potty training pants or regular underwear smoother. There isn't the added expense of pull-up-style disposable training pants either. When a child exhibits the desired behavior, it's important to make a big deal out of it. Doing so helps build their self-esteem and helps them connect going to the bathroom with praise and reward. Keeping small items such as stickers and candies can help entice the little one to do their business in the potty, which makes potty training easier for parents.

Contains Less Harmful Chemicals

Disposable diapers are packed full of chemicals such as polyethylene film, polypropylene, sodium polyacrylate, bleached wood pulp, as well as dyes such as Disperse Blue 106 and Disperse Yellow 3. All of these substances come into contact with a child's skin, which absorbs the chemicals. Cloth diapers are free from chemicals and fragrances. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration notes sodium polyacrylate, when mixed with acrylic acid, causes issues. Parents who want to make sure their children are exposed to less harmful chemicals opt to ditch the disposable in favor of materials that don't cause skin issues.

Reduces Diaper Rash

As stated before, the chemicals in plastic diapers can cause diaper rash and other skin irritations in babies, which is another reason why some parents prefer cloth diapers because they can reduce diaper rash. When laundered with a mild detergent, they're similar to the clothing the baby wears. When they're wet, the plastic doesn't rub up against their skin and cause it to be red, inflamed, or sore.

The University of Rochester Medical Center notes many parents allow their child to become extremely wet in a disposable diaper as it is extra absorbent. Cloth diapers can prevent diaper rash and prevent things such as blisters, sores, rashes, boils, crusts, and pimples. These issues when not attended to quickly can cause serious illnesses, such as a fever, which may require a call to the baby's primary physician.

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