Why Cloth?
The Savings
Now, cloth diapers will cost a bit more up front to get started, but once that initial investment is taken care of, there is very little expense thereafter. When you think about the typical new baby going through about 10-12 diapers each day and an older baby going through about 6-8 diapers through potty training, the savings can be significant. A baby could easily go through over 6000 diapers prior to potty training. This will cost the average family around $2500-$3,000 per baby. A good stash of cloth diapers can cost anywhere from $200-$500. If you choose to use cloth wipes, there is an additional savings of around $500. You could easily save $1,000 each year your per child by using cloth.
Better for the Environment
Cloth diapers are better for the environment! By the time a baby potty trains, he or she will go through about 6000 diapers. That's a lot of disposable/single use diapers from one little baby going into landfills. What's more, it is believed that it takes up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose! Additionally, 60 times more solid waste and 20 times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp, are used in the manufacturing of disposable diapers. There are about 25 million trees consumed and manufactured into single use disposable diapers each year!
Better for Baby
Disposable diapers contain various toxins such as Tributyltin, Sodium Polyacrylate, and trace amounts of Dioxin. These chemicals are released when your baby wets and leach into your baby's delicate skin. Diaper rash was almost unheard of prior to the use of disposable diapers. Diaper rash can be caused by many reasons, but the most common is excessive moisture against the skin. Cloth diaper users tend to have less issue with diaper rash, irritated bottoms and other common complaints from disposable diaper parents. Fewer chemicals touch the baby's bottom and the less likely they are to be sensitive.
Less Time Spent in Diapers
Many parents who use cloth diapers will report that their babies spend less time in diapers prior to potty training and that it is much easier for a child to learn to use the potty after having been diapered in cloth.
They're Adorable
Let's face it, with all of the cute and adorable colors and prints...how can you resist? Many parents have too much fun matching their diapers with their baby's outfits.