I guess since we've always used cloth diapers, I just don't realize that everyone doesn't do it that way. Last night I forgot to put the diapers on their last rinse cycle, therefore this morning Aven is having to wear sposies while I finish up the laundry. As I was unfolding the diaper, I was shocked at how thin it was. I also just noticed how perfectly rectangular disposable diapers are and how similar they are to a piece of paper. I put it on her and though to myself, "How the heck is this going to hold ANYTHING in?" Then I tried to imagine going about life with a crinkly piece of paper attached to my crotch and then I laughed.
So, my question is: Why don't you use cloth??
Is it the cost?
From the research I've done, the average family spends around $1700 dollars on disposable diapers and wipes PER CHILD. I've spent around $600 total (which is more than I needed, but I have sort of an obsession) and I can reuse these for EACH child.
Is it the smell?
Disposable diapers smell worse than cloth. Period. Dot. They have that weird "fake baby" smell, as my husband and I like to call it. Plus, they go in your trash and get all poopy and fake baby smellin'. My cloth go in a diaper bin and I never smell them again until I take them to the laundry, which brings about my next question...
Is it the laundry?
I do an extra load of laundry every three days. No big deal. And with laundry - doing laundry is the easy part. Folding and putting away clothes is the hard part, which you don't have to do with cloth diapers, unless you're just realllly OCD. Plus, going and getting diapers from the store at 9:00 at night was way more annoying then doing a load of laundry.
Are there just too many steps?
I've shown a million pictures and even done a video before about how easy it is to cloth diaper. I just put it on and go, just like a sposie. Then I take it off and throw it in the bin, I don't even have to fold it up like a disposable, so that's one less step! They are SO easy.
Are your disposables just way cuter than cloth?
That was just a joke. Cloth diapers are SOOO cute!
Cloth diapering is just SO crazy easy. It's easier than I even thought it would be and I planned on doing it anyway. I never imagined that I wouldn't already be tired of it and considering disposables, but that's just not the case! I didn't even know about all-in-ones when I first started and those just make it a billion times easier.
Now, I do have to be honest. I'm used to using reusable things already. We don't keep paper towels in our house and we use a washable mop (no swiffers) and we have reusable coffee mugs and tumblers. About the only throw away thing we keep is toilet paper and of course all the other trash that comes with buying food and whatnot. Trash just kind of freaks me out. I get really grossed out and scared when I think of where all the trash goes when it leaves everyone's house. Not from a political standpoint, or from an environmentalist standpoint, trash just really freaks me out when I think about it all going to one huge place and stinking and smelling and getting all moldy and nasty. Ugh. Blehh.
Now, I do have to say that right now Aven is exclusively breast fed, so we don't have to do any rinsing or scraping into the toilet beforehand. That probably makes it pretty easy for me to say how easy it is. I also believe that with formula fed babies you have to rinse the diapers, too. But, I know plenty of mamas that feed their babes solid foods and still use cloth diapers, so I know it's doable! I'll probably write a new post once we start solids to let you all know how that goes.
So, why didn't or don't you use cloth? The Changing Table runs a great newborn rental program that's really, really cost efficient and let's you try out tons of different brands. Heck, I'd even be willing to let you borrow some of our diapers if it meant converting you!
Let me know below! :)
*disclaimer - I am in no way saying that your parenting skills aren't awesome if you use disposables. I just wonder WHY you don't when it's just so crazy easy! :)
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