So, I have to share with you my thoughts on cloth diapering. I LOVE IT!!! When Iyla was first born we did cloth diapers using a diaper service. Iyla did really well with them. The diaper service was great too! It was very affordable, around $65 a month . We received 100 newborn size diapers a week. They provided a pail and deodorizers and earth friendly liners. It was so fun to get our weekly delivery. The reason we used a service was because we didn't have a washer and dryer in our apartment so using a service was the best option. Hauling dirty diapers to the laundromat with a newborn and toddler in toe is not my idea of fun!
We used cloth diapers until Iyla was about 6 months old. The covers we used were rented from the diaper service and we kinda of old and the Velcro was not as strong. When Iyla started to crawl the covers were coming undone and since this was my first time in the realm of cloth diapering, I didn't think about simply switching covers. We just started using disposable again. Man, was I sorry we chose that! Almost right after we switched Iyla started having horrible diaper rashes and welts on her skin from the diapers. It took her about a month or so to get used to them. I felt so bad but we didn't have the money to pay the re-start up for the service so I just did the best I could with the disposables.
Now that we have access to a washer and dryer I have made the decision to switch back to cloth diapers, AND wash them myself! I spent 45 dollars in diapers and supplies back in April and have not spent a cent on diapers since! We normally spent about 50 dollars a month on diapers. So not only have we broken even on our original investment but have an extra $100 in our pocket! By the end of the year we will have saved another $300! That is a lot of money! Iyla has not had a diaper rash since we switched back.
I have also experimented with sewing cloth diapers. I have really enjoyed it. I especially like using old clothes to make diapers. They work really well and we are so glad we switched back!
I know a lot of you are thinking, that's just fine but cleaning the diapers so so gross! Well, I don't think so. it takes about 30 seconds to rinse our a poopy diaper and toss it in the pail. I do a load of diapers about every other day. I toss the diapers in the wash with about 1/4 the amount of soap one would use for a normal load of cloths and set the washing setting to hot water with a super rinse. A round in the dryer and I have diapers for the next few days. I find it much more convenient then having to drive all the way to the store walk to the back of the store (for some reason, items you REALLY need are in the back!!) walk up front, stand in line, pay 30 to 40 dollars for your diapers and then drive home. I take about a 2 minutes out of my day and never have to leave home!
This topic is one of those things that I think is hard to convince someone to go along with. I have talked to a few of my friends about this and I don't know if I convinced any of them to switch. I have brought up the convenience factor and the money saving factor... nothing. I have even mentioned that there are billions of tons of diapers in landfills all over the world and still I don't think I have convinced them.
I do know this, it works well for our family and I am so glad we have made the switch back and I hope anyone reading this who is on the fence gives it a try. I hope you love it!!
We thought long and hard about cloth diapers before Joshua was born. We knew a couple who were totally gung ho about it, but after a few months, they ended up using the disposable because their baby was babysat so often at other people's homes and they didn't want to make other people have to deal with poopy things they couldn't throw away. With Joshua and Abigail in diapers, it made me want to throw up when I spent $100 on diapers every 6 weeks or so(that's when Joshua became potty trained, I guess I couldn't keep it down anymore.)
ReplyDeleteI'm willing to rethink the diaper debate. What do you put in the "pail" with the diapers until you throw them in the wash? you know, like a deodorizer or sanitizer or baking soda or something?
I actually don't put anything special in the pail. I keep it in the garage! I do a load every other day so the smell does not get too bad. But my back up plan is Baking soda if it get's bad during the summer (that is if it get's warm!!).
ReplyDeleteLike I said, if you are on the fence, try it for a day or two. See if you like it and if your baby likes it. Good luck!!
I can see where you would want to do cloth. I didn't but mostly because I didn't want to do the rinsing thing. I was the oldest and had to do it all the time as a kid. I didn't want to do it when I was a grown up. However with all the recent complaints covered on the news about manufactured diapers causing rashes, welts and even "chemical burns" if I was to do it again, I think I would do cloth too.
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