Do Cloth Diapers Really Make a Difference?

Cloth diapers were used for years and years and years… then, along came disposable diapers. This changed the lives of many parents and soon cloth diapers became much less commonly used. But, as interest in protecting the environment increased, so did the interest in cloth diapers. Now there are all kinds of options in both disposable and cloth diapers. The question for new mothers is – do cloth diapers really make a difference?

There are a lot of benefits to cloth diapers. For one thing, because they’re made of cloth they’re naturally going to be a bit softer, perhaps a bit more comfortable on your baby’s bottom. Many mothers feel that the breathability of the natural fabric leads to a decrease in frequency of diaper rash.

Many parents who use cloth diapers calculate they save several thousand dollars over what they would have spent had they used disposable diapers. Saving money is a benefit that’s hard to ignore.

Some parents wary of the cloth diaper concept worry about the amount of diapers you’re buying. True, a cloth diaper isn’t going to be quite as absorbent as a disposable, so you’ll be changing more often. Many parents recommend purchasing about twenty-four, or twelve per day. That way there’s time to wash and trade them out. Adding in the fact that a baby might start out in newborn size, move quickly through three months to six months to twelve month, that’s going through a lot of sizes of cloth diapers, right? Not so, say the experienced cloth users: you can buy diapers in one size that will fit through toddlerhood.

Many parents about to potty train their babies find that those who used cloth diapers were much easier to train. The baby easily recognizes when they are wet when they use a cloth diaper and start to learn better when to use the potty.

Cloth diapers prevent your baby from being exposed to chemicals used in disposable diapers and this helps your baby’s skin. It also reduces the impact of the used diaper on the environment.

Any parent who has had to make a late night run to the store to get more diapers can see the benefit in the fact that cloth diapers just require a load in the washing machine. You’re saving all that time and gas by not making that run to the store every time you run out of diapers.

Some nay-sayers argue that while the biggest advantage of cloth diapers may be the impact on the environment, you’re still using a lot of water washing the diapers and that can’t be good. While that may be true, it’s hard to argue with the fact that cloth diapers are natural and biodegradable whereas those plastic-covered super-absorbent disposables will be piling up in landfills for centuries to come.

The bottom line… many parents who were initially skeptical about cloth diapers have found that they’re not much more work than changing a disposable diaper. In addition, it saves money and it’s good for the environment. Add to that the fact that it’s good for your baby’s skin, what’s not to like?