Cloth diapers vs. plastic?

[lizzy12]

So, I've been thinking about using cloth vs. plastic.

or a mixture. Cloth at home plastic in public.

I hear cloth although messier is more comfy for the baby. Plus, its a ton cheaper.

Any of you used cloth?

[Hemidakota]

PLASTIC....forget the cloth. On our first child, we learn by experience, not worth it. :)

[lizzy12]

my mother used cloth for both me and my brother. Isn't saving from the cost able to help endure whatever problems you have with it?

I'm not one to get sick of poop or pee,

[Elgama]

Cloth has moved on a long way in the last few years, if you can get bamboo its thinner, lighter. And its not really any messier. Just the cleaning any poo off I don't get grossed so do it in the toilet but some people use a shower over a toilet. Its worth looking at I reckon we have saved around £9000 as a result of using same nappies and wipes (just old face cloths) on our babies. Plus its actually less messy if you breastfeed in the first few months as that explosive poo in a disposable will go right up your baby's back given half a chance, and its gross to clean off. With 3 babies have never had a cloth nappy outer cover give way like that occasionally a little round top of legs. I had much less washing with cloth and a tiny baby, than I did when Mum suggested I use disposables for the first two weeks with my youngest it was awful.

Oh and cloth bummed baby poo smells less because it isn't interacting with chemicals

I tend to use it until my los get to the running round whilst trying to change em stage where pull-ups come into their own although my youngest is happy to lie down for a nappy change still.

Its a maze deciding what you like by way of cloth but my advice is to go for a bamboo prefold or terry square if you are planning on more than one baby, nappy shapes work better on one shaped baby than another and with a flat one you can just fold or boost it different

[Wingnut]

The cost ends up about comparable, I think, when you consider how much hot-water washing you have to do. Check out this system: Flip Diapers - by Cotton Babies

Cloth diapers have come a long way since the ones my mom used when I was a baby. Disposables probably have, too.

[NeuroTypical]

We never used a single cloth diaper until both kids were out of them. Now we use them for everything - they make excellent rags with a thousand uses.

[Elgama]

The cost ends up about comparable, I think, when you consider how much hot-water washing you have to do. Check out this system: Flip Diapers - by Cotton Babies

Cloth diapers have come a long way since the ones my mom used when I was a baby. Disposables probably have, too.

nah cost isn't even close with the washing the surveys that totted that up were paid for by the disposable nappy companies:) they caused a massive fuss here . I spent about £200 buying my nappies, and just throw them in the garment wash so its no extra washing (except just after vaccinations). Plus with cloth nappies, cloth wipes are easier, my only real additional cost would be a small bottle of lavender for the nappy bucket every few months

Also washing machines have come a long way so usually soaking isn't necessary and they can be washed at around 60C

[Elgama]

We never used a single cloth diaper until both kids were out of them. Now we use them for everything - they make excellent rags with a thousand uses.

lol that too I still have two of mine my Mum used on us. And when my dishwasher and washing machine broke down and flooded the kitchen one night I would have been stuck without them

Oh and they are so versatile out and about can be used as bibs. pillows if I have forgotten the wipes etc

[Wingnut]

nah cost isn't even close with the washing the surveys that totted that up were paid for by the disposable nappy companies:)

I was referring to the own research and calculations that my husband did when we were considering cloth diapers for our daughter.

[Jenamarie]

I've been cloth diapering since my almost-6-year-old was born. My 16 month old is wearing the same diapers my oldest wore at this age. It has been a very positive experience for us. :) I love having the versatility of adjusting how absorbant a diaper is depending on how long it'll be before I'll have a chance to change the baby again (for example: a diaper that'll last for 3 hours, vs. one that'll last for 12 hours while my baby is sleeping at night). I don't groan inwardly at the thought of a "wasted" diaper if my baby poops 5 minutes after a diaper change. The elastic around the legs, in my experience, holds up much better than the elastic on plastic diapers, so I get less out-the-leg leaking. I can also count on one hand the number of "blow-outs" we've had with cloth diapers on 3 kids. We get blow outs regularly when we're on vacation and using plastic diapers. They also stink WAAAAY WAAAAY less. You have to get right up close to my baby when he's poopy before you'll know that he's made a mess. Not so when he's in plastic diapers. Also, having two in diapers isn't any more expensive than having one in diapers (except for a bit more laundry), because they're wearing the same diapers!

And like LM mentioned, they can serve double-duty as cleaning rags when you're done with them.

I could go on, but I just love love love our cloth diapers! My favorites are FuzziBunz, with BumGenius a close second.

[Hemidakota]

We never used a single cloth diaper until both kids were out of them. Now we use them for everything - they make excellent rags with a thousand uses.

I used them for engine oil check.

[Elgama]

I was referring to the own research and calculations that my husband did when we were considering cloth diapers for our daughter.

ahh OK basically you could cloth all your babies for around $100 with no real extra costs, hot water washing is not essential and in fact many modern nappies won't tolerate it, like I say I wash all mine at 60/140F so medium heat in the garment wash, if they are particularly bad then I may boil them in a pan ten minutes like my Mum used to do .. I chose slightly more expensive nappies when i went with the bamboo and not a huge fan of the old fashioned rubber pants because they wear better etc. I have needed to replace the odd wrap but basically I have done all my babies in mine

Modern washing powders also are antibacterial etc so remove most nasties without needing the boil wash just sometimes it makes me feel better:)

[Elgama]

I used them for engine oil check.

Gablepa did that with my very best currently used nappies:)

[Jenamarie]

I haven't noticed any huge jump in my water bill with using cloth diapers. I wash them like a regular load of laundry, except I add a few drops of Tea Tree oil to the water and detergent for extra sanitation and a pleasant scent. I do wash them on hot water, but I wash ALL of my other laundry on cold water and I dry everything on low.

[Tarnished]

I do have a question for the OP, are you doing a research project? Researching way in advance? Or are all these questions about labor, diapers and so forth in preparation for something up coming? Your profile says you are 16 and from previous posts you seem like a very upstanding young woman. I am a little confused with all the baby questions as it seems something more reasonable coming from a pregnant woman like me than from a 16 year old girl who probably won't be really having to deal with these issues for another few years. That is if you get married at 18 or 19 and get pregnant right off the bat having your first kid by 19 or 20.

[Elgama]

I do have a question for the OP, are you doing a research project? Researching way in advance? Or are all these questions about labor, diapers and so forth in preparation for something up coming? Your profile says you are 16 and from previous posts you seem like a very upstanding young woman. I am a little confused with all the baby questions as it seems something more reasonable coming from a pregnant woman like me than from a 16 year old girl who probably won't be really having to deal with these issues for another few years. That is if you get married at 18 or 19 and get pregnant right off the bat having your first kid by 19 or 20.

lol think a lot of girls about 16 get a bit broody, I know i did. I knew when i got baptized being a Mum would be my career for a time. I kept a notebook and studied, learned from other experienced Mums. It helped me as a parent. More people should take their future as parents seriously

[Jenamarie]

lol think a lot of girls about 16 get a bit broody, I know i did. I knew when i got baptized being a Mum would be my career for a time. I kept a notebook and studied, learned from other experienced Mums. It helped me as a parent. More people should take their future as parents seriously

I did the same thing. :) My sister (7 years older than me) had her first baby when I was 15 and that's what got me started on learning all I could about pregnancy, parenthood, and caring for babies. I knew I wanted to try natural childbirth years before I'd even met my husband!

[Elgama]

I did the same thing. :) My sister (7 years older than me) had her first baby when I was 15 and that's what got me started on learning all I could about pregnancy, parenthood, and caring for babies. I knew I wanted to try natural childbirth years before I'd even met my husband!

yup I had decided on home ed, and cloth nappies about 16. I read the Continuum Concept and it greatly influences my parenting. And I just love listening and reading about the Hinckleys

[JThimm88]

In our current living situation, my husband and I will probably go with disposable diapers, though I've thought of using cloth in the past. The only thing is that we live in an apartment complex with free laundry, so we're required to share the washers and dryers with about 75 other people ... I don't think they'd appreciate it if we took our cloth diapers and washed them in there... even if we did rinse them off beforehand. Which brings me to another issue ... we don't have any good place aside from the kitchen sink to rinse poopy cloth diapers in, and that's very unsanitary. So, unless we move somewhere where the only people using the washer and dryer are my husband and I and we wouldn't be grossing out other people, we'll probably just go with disposables.

[Elgama]

In our current living situation, my husband and I will probably go with disposable diapers, though I've thought of using cloth in the past. The only thing is that we live in an apartment complex with free laundry, so we're required to share the washers and dryers with about 75 other people ... I don't think they'd appreciate it if we took our cloth diapers and washed them in there... even if we did rinse them off beforehand. Which brings me to another issue ... we don't have any good place aside from the kitchen sink to rinse poopy cloth diapers in, and that's very unsanitary. So, unless we move somewhere where the only people using the washer and dryer are my husband and I and we wouldn't be grossing out other people, we'll probably just go with disposables.

do you not have a toilet its the best place to rinse them anyway? its not that unsanitary, don't tell anyone what you are washing lol and you can use bleach in your sink or even just really hot water afterwards. Actually with an apartment its probablymore sanitary because you clean the poo off if you add lavennder oil or teatree to the bucket they generally only smell when little one is teething, Its much easier in the middle of the night to sluice a nappy in the toilet than run outside and put one in the bin, those nappy wrapper things smell worse than my nappy bucket ever has

[Jenamarie]

I don't even rinse my diapers before putting them in the pail. I just drop any solids into the toilet, then the rest goes into the pail. I've never had issues with anything not coming out in the wash.

And "baby waste" gets into the wash anyway when you have a little baby. They have "blow outs" that get poop on their clothes, or you have a little boy he might like to pee as soon as his diaper's off.

[pam]

Having had 3 kids all under the age of 2 at one point, I vote for disposable diapers.

[Suzie]

Having had 3 kids all under the age of 2 at one point, I vote for disposable diapers.

Definitely! I tried both and went for disposable all the way!

[pam]

Definitely! I tried both and went for disposable all the way!

I didn't even try cloth. I didn't want to mess with it No pun intended.

Edited July 9, 2010 by pam

[JThimm88]

do you not have a toilet its the best place to rinse them anyway? its not that unsanitary, don't tell anyone what you are washing lol and you can use bleach in your sink or even just really hot water afterwards. Actually with an apartment its probablymore sanitary because you clean the poo off if you add lavennder oil or teatree to the bucket they generally only smell when little one is teething, Its much easier in the middle of the night to sluice a nappy in the toilet than run outside and put one in the bin, those nappy wrapper things smell worse than my nappy bucket ever has

No, we have a toilet (oh wow, would that be interesting if we didn't); I just never thought of putting them in there, lol. I don't even know the "process" that goes behind cleaning cloth diapers.