Cloth Diapering | Five Reasons To Consider Cloth

Did you know that the average baby will use 6,000 disposable diapers from birth to potty training?! You probably read in this post a bit about why I decided to switch over to cloth diapers. I get tons of questions about why I cloth diaper, and why I should convince a new mom to start, so I wrote about it below! There’s also a Q&A at the end of this post with questions from real mamas in my Mom Tribe (my super exclusive mommy group on Facebook!) Click here to join!

Cloth is easier than disposables.
This is an opinion thing, but in my post about how to wash cloth diapers I go through my process of how I wash and dry them. It probably takes me a total of 5-10 minutes of work three times a week… the washer does everything for me! Yes, the #2 diapers can be a bit messy, but most of the time they are not that bad. These are so much cleaner and we don’t have a trash can or dumpster of stinky, chemical-y disposables each week! Seriously, the mix of waste with chemicals is so disturbing.

Cloth diapers way cuter than disposables.
You know I’m a fashion lover, so when I find a cute diaper that matches Grace’s outfit (or my outfit) I get super excited it! Charlie Banana has so many cute prints for boys and girls! Plus, they hold their value – cloth is reusable and re-sellable! You can sell them on the Facebook Buy, Sell, Trade pages!

• Why do YOU cloth diaper?
• I decided to start using cloth when Grace turned four months old. I had been using disposable diapers for a while and wasn’t happy with them for a number of reasons. I loved the idea of reducing my carbon footprint, and with a few diaper rashes, and the discomfort I saw from the rough, papery diapers, I decided it was time to make the switch. PLUS, the prints are absolutely darling!

• What are your favorite kinds of cloth diapers?
• I use Charlie Banana almost exclusively. These are pocket diapers and I prefer them because I can tailor the absorbency (amount of inserts) based on the need! I also have used organic prefolds (although they are a bit messier to wash) and I use flour sack towels or hemp inserts with pockets at night with my Charlie Banana covers.

• How do you clean them?
• Refer to my post on “How I Wash and Store Cloth Diapers” for this info 🙂

• All the acronyms… what do they mean? I’m curious about inserts, and the types of different diapers?
• AI2: All-in-Twos. An AI2 diaper has a set of snaps that attach the absorbent layer (like an insert) to the inside of the diaper. 
• AIO: All-in-Ones. An AIO diaper consists of only one piece. These are a bit more foolproof, but take FOREVER to dry, so I’m not a huge fan.
• CD: cloth diapers.
• Diaper Cover: When using a pre-fold, flat, or fitted diaper you may want to use a diaper cover to keep wetness contained. Covers are usually made of plastic, vinyl, waterproof polyester material, fleece or wool. Diaper covers are budget friendly and work great for many families. Diaper covers may be one-sized or sized. The most popular brands are Thirsties and Flip diaper covers.
• Fitted: A fabric diaper with no waterproof layer is a fitted diaper. Fitted diapers are usually cotton (or other natural fiber like hemp or bamboo) that goes on your baby with snaps. A fitted diaper requires a diaper cover to contain wetness and is great for nights, naps, or heavy wetters. The Charlie Banana covers work well as a cover!
• Flat: A flat diaper refers to a large flat piece (usually a single layer) of fabric (usually cotton, hemp, or other natural fiber) that can be folded and used as an insert in a cloth diaper. 
• Insert: Inserts are the absorbent part of the cloth diaper. They are usually rectangular-shaped and fit inside a pocket diaper, cover, or shell. The most popular material is a microfiber/microterry material (a synthetic). Inserts may also be hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, or minky. Microfiber/microterry should not be placed directly next to your baby’s skin (instead it may be placed inside a pocket).
• One-Size: Used to refer to a diaper that fits most babies from birth through potty training. A one-size diaper can be adjusted to fit different shapes and sizes of babies from 7lbs to 40lbs and more. To adjust most one-size diapers use snaps or elastic and can easily adjust to fit your growing baby at any size.
• Pocket: these have a pocket opening between the outer shell layer and the inner layer that touches baby’s skin. You can place the absorbent material (insert) inside this pocket opening. Pocket diapers are the #1 choice style for cloth diapering families.
• Pre-fold: rectangular pieces of cloth that have a thicker middle layer. These also require a cover.
• PUL: PUL stands for polyurethane laminate. PUL is the waterproof material used to make outer shells of many popular brands of diapers and diaper covers. PUL requires a chemical bond to attach to the back of fabrics. It can feel shiny or sticky.
• Stash: A collection of cloth diapers. 
• Stripping: A way to remove built-up residue from cloth diapers. (source)

• What’s up with wool for overnights? Is it worth the hassle?
• I actually do not have experience with this as we have never had issues with leaks overnight, but check out this post here about wool & cloth. I do love my hemp inserts for overnights though! They soak up so much.

• Is it really cheaper than disposables?
• Here’s a bit of a personal breakdown for you. We were spending around $40-$50 a month on disposables before we switched over. That’s around $1800 for three years of diapers. We paid around $500-$600 for our cloth diaper stash of around 40. We get to reuse these year after year.

Let me know if you have any other questions! Leave a comment below and I will reply.

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