Crazy for Cloth!

The slightest mention of wanting to use cloth diapers makes people look at me like I'm insane. Maybe they aren't aware of how far cloth diapers have come since the 1980's when my Mom used them on my precious bottom. No more plastic covers. No more diaper services. No more pins. No more folding stacks of pre-folds. You put them on your little one just like you would a disposable diaper.

[No more folding.]

Oh, how the times have changed!

I cannot contain my excitement over today's cloth diapers.

(Shout out to YoungHouseLove for convincing me!)

We've decided on the brand FuzziBunz and I love that the front page of their website has articles about cloth diapering misconceptions, the cost savings, how they're better for the planet, and so on. We wash and re-wear our clothes. We wash and we-use our dishes. And the philosophy is the same with cloth diapers.

My husband and I are not big environmentalists. We don't look down on people who choose disposable diapers. I really could care less how other people choose to contain their child's waste. It's your kid. It's your money.
I am just super psyched about this, and want to shout it from a mountain!

At first, cloth diapers sounded more expensive and more time consuming. But when you take a closer look, they are the exact opposite.

The Cost

There are about $400 of up-front costs (depending on how many diapers you buy). We are planning on acquiring a set of 12-15 cloth diapers + inserts, a sprayer that attaches to the toilet & a wet bag to store them before they go into the washing machine. That's all you need for the remainder of your child's diaper wearing days. And when the next baby comes along... you're all set. Nothing to buy. If you select a high quality cloth diaper up front, they last through multiple years and multiple children. How awesome is that?

Washing them will run you about $2/week. Line drying increases their lifetime, bleaches out stains if you lay them in the sun and saves money.

Hence our new washlines outside & in the basement!

[Look closely between those 2 trees.]

This handy chart on the FuzziBunz website breaks everything down and shows you how you can save $2,685 over the course of 3 years by opting for cloth. Um, yes, I'd like that very much. You also never have to run to the store for more diapers, which saves gas. If you use cloth wipes and make your own wipes solution in a spray bottle, that's more cost savings right there. You just throw the used wipes in the wash with the diapers.

The Time Factor

It seemingly takes more time to deal with cloth diapers. You can't just roll them up, poop & all, and toss them in the Diaper Genie. This is where the sprayer comes in. When your sweet little child emits something foul, you take the diaper to the toilet and either "shake" the contents in the toilet, or, spray it off with the sprayer, depending on the consistency. (Mmm, I hope you're eating lunch right now!) Then, you put the pee diaper or rinsed #2 diaper in the wet bag for later... or directly in the washing machine. Bam, done. You save time by not having to run to the store when you're out of diapers, wipes, etc. And since most mom's do laundry frequently, we don't think this will be overwhelming.

[YoungHouseLove's sprayer]

Other Benefits

Cloth diapers keep diaper rash away from your baby's bum b/c they are made of natural fibers & are breathable. Therefore, you don't need to constantly buy & apply diaper cream! Amazing! That stuff is PRICEY. Obviously, I'd keep a tube on hand just in case, but that is a major selling point in our minds.

We've HEARD that cloth-diapered babies potty train faster b/c while absorbant, cloth diapers don't wick the moisture away as well as disposables. So they feel uncomfortable a little more often, and they want out. We really hope this is true.

Cloth diapers are so gosh darn adorable! They come in awesome colors (not just white anymore). I'm talking every color of the rainbow, even patterns. So they're a little more cute when hanging out of an outfit. Love it!

You have the option of putting an extra insert in the diaper, for long car trips and for overnight. Some are absorbant microfiber and some are hemp. We're going to try out both. The inserts are of course... washable & reusable! Are you sensing a theme, here?

Less trash, which is great for us since we pay a trash fee of $2/bag to our township. The less trash we put out, the more money we save. And we like saving money.

FuzziBunz makes a "one-size" diaper, which is the one we are going with. That means, they are fully adjustable w/ various snaps from the time your baby is 7 pounds to the time she is 30 pounds. They grow with your baby & always have a snug fit so they don't leak.

So that's our plan and we're sticking to it.
We MAY have to use disposables at first, if our little one is drowning in the one-size diaper... and of course for the beach, those Little Swimmers diapers look extremely convenient.

Can't wait to see if all the cloth-diaper claims are true! I'll be sure to tell you about it.