Diapers Q&A

What do you do with cloth diapers?

I've heard of the term disposable (plastic) diapers and cloth diapers. Some say cloth diapers are cheaper. So are they are not disposible? I assume they are washable, so how long should you keep one cloth diaper? Okay I get that they can be re-used but for how long. I mean for toliet trained people underwear gets dirty and old after like 1-2 years, lol. And you wash underwear so I can't imagine how a cloth diaper would look after a year. I know most people don't use cloth diapers but some say they are better for a baby's skin.

Public Comments

1. I suppose you could keep it till it looks to unsightly to use. I did not use cloth diaper except for sip up rags
2. I think cloth diapers are definitely the way to go. If I had them I would try hand-washing them slightly then machine wash them to make sure they're clean.
3. They used to have a diaper service that would take the dirty cloth ones away and bring new clean ones each week. I'm not sure if they still do it though. I only use cloth diapers for burp cloths.
4. They kind of left the scene. Very few use them any more because you have to rinse them in the toilet and then wash dry and fold them. I can remember having two in diapers at the same time, I was a lot of work, and I hung them out on a line to dry. The new generation uses them for a burp cloth.
5. Yes they are cheaper and more eco friendly, but more work a lot more work. I assume they would last quit a while as long as you don't use bleach or it will break down the fibers. I received a few for my baby shower.I use them for burp rags and when babies done with them they make great cloths for cleaning or drying off the car.
6. I kept mine until they were getting threadbare, then retired them from nappy duty and used them as spit up cloths.
7. well you'd have to judge that yourself to see how long they last, but I believe they do last at least a year, although its prob better for the baby's skin and may be cheaper you are going to be doing a heck of a lot more laundry
8. My sister uses cloth diapers from Mother Ease. There are liners that you can add so the diaper doesn't get stained from poop. The diaper come in two sizes and have three sets of snaps to adjust as the baby grows. There are all sorts of tips on how to wash them correctly but I know my sister washes them with baking soda, fluffs them in the dryer for 20 minutes, hangs them on the line, and them fluffs them in the dryer again. It sounds like a long process but it beats filling up the landfills! My sister has calculated how much she has saved and I was blown away. My nephew is 13 months old and she has used cloth since his first month. It is supposedly easier to potty train children who wore cloth diapers because training pants a gradual step up. Also, they are the classic standby that has been used for generations before disposables came out! I think cloth vs disposable is a personal preference that parents should choose to use depending on if they have the time to put in the extra labor of washing.
9. Well, I know that my friends have cloth that come in sizes... like baby clothes. So they only use them for a few months. I've got one friend who's on kid #4, and for him needed to buy a few of the larger sizes because they get beat up more w/ busy crawlers and toddlers. But she used the same cloth diapers for 3 kids with only buying one or two covers just so the new kid had their own cute one!! She also made her own inserts... she preferred hemp, making them was a ton cheaper... she and 2 other moms bought a bulk of the fabric and divied it up!! I know some brands I hear and see a lot from my 'cloth' friends are: http://www.fuzzibunz.com/ http://www.bummis.com/en/Index.html http://www.kissaluvs.com/
10. They will eventually get holes and lose their absorbency. How fast that happens depends on what kind of diaper they are, how you care for them and how often you use them. Some of my diapers were handed down from a friend of mine with three kids, and have held out to diaper both my sons. They're getting worn, but aren't worn out.
11. I used a diaper service for my three kids... they pick up the dirty diapers each week and leave you new clean ones... you just scrape off the big business into the toilet and store the dirty diapers in a diaper pail... and bundle them up on delivery day. It was about 20% less than the cost of disposables... although that was about 13 years ago...
12. It has been proven that cloth diapers are cheaper. Check out this link that verifies this fact. http://www.natural-forces.com/essays/whycloth.htm#cheaper If cloth diapers are well taken care of, they can go through at least up to four children. It would depend on the size, the style, and the fabrics used to make the diapers on how long they will last. The technical answer to your question would be to keep the cloth diaper until it no longer works. Cloth diapers become less absorbant when they are worn out. But that time will vary based on all the factors listed above. Most people find that their diapers are still functional and absorbant up to the point that their child no longer needs them. At that point they will sell them (yes people buy used cloth diapers), give them away, or donate them. Miracle Diapers is a nonprofit organization that accepts donations of new and used cloth diapers to low income families. They ask their recipients to send the diapers back after use and they are continually sent out to other families until the diapers are worn out. If salvageable, Miracle Diapers' volunteers make needed repairs on the diapers by replacing elastic and velcro or mending holes. If the diapers are not salvagable Miracle Diaper's cuts up the diapers and uses the excess materials to make diaper wipes or to use in making other diapers. For those of you who think that cloth diapers aren't used anymore... There is a new generation of cloth diaper users. Cloth diapers have changed tremendously in the last 20 years. These days they don't require pins, and some don't even need covers. Soaking in the toilet is a thing of the past with new inventions that make soaking unnecessary. Everything else has changed in the last 20 years why would you think that cloth diapers haven't?