Diapers Q&A - Cloth diapers cost effective late in the game?

Cloth diapers cost effective late in the game?

I know this question gets answered a lot, but please indulge me. I've been looking at using cloth diapers for a few different reasons, but I'm wondering if they are going to actually save any money in the end. My son is now 13 months old which means we won't be using them for nearly as long. We also have propane for our water heater, which is ridiculously expensive. Has anyone done the thinking or math to share if I would actually be spending the same or more because of all of the hot laundry? Also, any thoughts on family wipes?

Public Comments

Babies in cloth diapers tend to train a lot earlier than those in disposables. Calculate out your cost to wash one load of diapers. Compare that with the cost of your diapers and what difference it would make if your child trained at say 24 months vs. the 28 month average for children in disposables. Electricity costs for drying (and water in some areas) are usually a bigger cost than the water heater for these loads. Your septic system may also play a role. For instance, my sister's septic system may need replacement in 5 years. If she were doing diapers, that would probably move the replacement up a year if she had a newborn. For a 1 year old baby, two loads a week shouldn't be a problem. I made diapers for 3 couples at a cost of less than $50 in materials using flannel sheets and terry towels bought at garage sales plus new velcro. Today I would use aplix. If you want new fabric, Walmart carries the traditional double-napped flannel. For wipes, the best ones I have used had microfiber on one side and terry on the others. I made flannel on one side and terry on the other and my sister serged them.
You've got to answer some questions for yourself, like do you plan to have more children? Do you plan to use inexpensive prefolds or more expensive pockets or AIOs? Would you feel OK washing the diapers in warm water rather than hot? Do you think you'll use disposables when you go out? At night? (Of course you will at the beginning, but I mean long term.) If you plan to use prefolds, then you absolutely can save some money. Even if you want to use more expensive diapers, if you want to have more children someday, then you'll save money in the long run. You can actually sell your diapers on EBay or on a FSOT board and make quite a bit, especially if you don't smoke and have no pets. I cannot believe how much people pay for used diapers on auction sites--almost as much as new diapers cost! Hot water is really optional. It really helps rinse out the detergent, but most diaper websites recommend putting detergent into the hot wash, so I'm not sure why we need a hot wash at all. There's an article (I think it's on The Diaper Pin) about how to use warm or cold water to wash diapers. Someone is bound to say "but hot water kills all the germs!" Yeah, unless you're practically boiling the diapers, you can't ask hot water to kill all the germs. That's what vinegar, tea tree oil and the sun are for! :-) Here's a new article I found for you: http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_evaluatingtiming.asp I plan to use family wipes after my new baby arrives. I don't currently have any diaper laundry, but once the baby comes, I won't mind adding some TP to the washer! I do plan to keep using paper for number 2, however. I'm not THAT green!
I've never actually done the math myself, but having seen a lot of websites that compare the cost of buying the cloth diapers and washing them to buying disposables, it does look like you save. You'll definitely save in the long run if you have another baby or two. We've been using family cloth for about a year now. With my daughter and me peeing so much, we used to go through a whole role of TP every day. Now we don't use any and save a lot of money. :-)
Well, we started late in the game too and we think it is worth it. You don't have to wash them in "hot" water really anymore. They don't need to be "sterile". You can just dry them on the line too. I wash mine in warm and do an extra rinse. The way to make it economical is to use prefolds with covers. You will only need about 6 covers and at most 2 dozen diapers for a baby that old. I just rinse my diapers out if he has a BM (dump in the toilet and rinse in the laundry room sink with cold water). Cold water actually works the best for rinsing the diapers because it makes the yucky poo just fall off. I do have a few Drybees all in one hybrids (because I sell them) to use on outings because they are easier to change. When we're bumming around the house he is in a cover and a cloth diaper. Those dry so quickly on the line even on a cloudy day and depending on where you live (we live in rainy washington) you can get them dry easily if it is not raining. Otherwise, it doesn't take me longer than 40 minutes to dry a load of diapers. The key is to not use a lot of detergent (seems counterintuitive), no fabric softener at all, and don't wait more than a day and a half or so to wash them. I only do one more load of wash every two to three days than I normally do and I don't go psycho with the hot water and chemicals and his diapers are great. So: 2-3 dozen prefolds cost anywhere from $10-25 per dozen 6 covers--from $6-12 a piece 2 extra loads of laundry per week--it is summer so you can probably skip the dryer too. They also potty train a lot faster when they are in cloth so really, you will save money by getting him out of those diapers earlier than you will with disposables. Not to mention all the crap I have read about what they put in those yucky things! If that seems too overwhelming, look at g-diapers or something middle of the road between cloth a disposable/flushable.
We worked it out for us, and we save BUCKETS loads of money. BUT that is for us. We have rain water tanks, so no money there. I don't pay that much for hot water. To be honest we got our Electricity bill yesterday, and it is actually dropped from $90 a month to $60 a month now. Awesome!! It's weird because we have 3 more children now. You don't have to wash in hot water. I do, but not always. I soak my nappies over the day in boiling water, and then rinse them in cold. I only wash in hot water the ones that really need it. I however have no choice in using cloth nappies, my kids are allergic to plastic in disposables & wipes. I have never heard of family wipes?? I like toilet paper. I use old rags for my kids and wash them in with the nappies.
I did the research because I was planning to CD.... The start up costs for me (going new) would've been about $500 - $600. Since your son is already 13 months, that isn't a savings at all unless you plan to keep them for a second child. If you want to give it a go without breaking the bank, I would suggest starting with a 'test-drive set' from Sunshine Diapers. You can try a variety of diaper brands/styles and find what works for you before investing your money. If you like the test drive experience, then search for your preferred dipes used.