Cloth Diaper Primer, Part One: Myth Busters

This is the first post of several in my "Cloth Diaper Primer" series! We absolutely LOVE our cloth, and I apparently talk about it far too much given the number of friends who've asked about it recently. As a way to share the fluff love and to help educate others on the amazingness that is cloth diapering, I'm sharing my thoughts, process, and learnings over the next week. 

If you have ANY questions (literally any, I'm not shy), please ask! I'd love to help! 

Now, let's bust some myths!

Myth 1: “Isn’t that how our grandmothers did diapers? Seems like an old fashioned idea.”

Yes and no. Our grandmothers DID cloth diaper, but guess what! Cloth has changed. Meet the modern cloth diaper, mama.

And this is just one example! They come in so many shapes, sizes, and kinds that there’s bound to be something out there for everyone (yes, that does make it a little daunting to pick one, but more on that later). You can go with an all-in-one (which works just like a disposable), keep things basic with flats and covers, or pretty much anything in between. Plus, now that we know cloth is awesome, there are tons of mamas out there that have figured out how to perfect it (and we have TONS of tips)! It really is one of my favorite decisions we’ve made with Wren, no regrets.

Plus, how cute is a fluffy bum?

These aren’t your grandma’s diapers, Mama. Give ‘em a chance!

Myth 2: “It’s gross! I’ll have to touch poo and I don’t want stinky diapers sitting around the house.”

Newsflash – you’re a parent. You’re gonna be touching poo at some point. So let’s consider that a moot point, shall we? I will add, however, that I’ve had to get up close and personal with poo far less often than I would have if we’d gone the disposable route. Why you ask? Answer: fewer blowouts.

I know, I see you giving me a skeptical face over there, but guess how many my 9 month old has had? One. ONE, y’all. (Oh! Fun fact: she was in a disposable at the time! So that takes our total number of blowouts in cloth to ZERO.)

Also, I know you’re thinking: but won’t I have to like…get rid of the poo somehow? Seems easier to just toss a dipe in the trash. Well, yeah. But did you know you’re supposed to flush poo even if you use sposies? Yeah...surprise!

See? Told ya.

A few additional sub-points to clarify:

• “Do you actually do the whole “Dunk & Swish” thing? Eww, no. Diaper sprayer, hun. We’ve come a long way since that practice was a thing. 
• “Won’t my house stink if I have diapers sitting around?” No, not if you have the correct set up. Does the house stink with disposables? Same concept. Proper clean up and storage means no one has to know you cloth (but they will…cause you’ll tell them…cause it’s awesome.)
• “So I won’t have to use wet pails?” Nope. Again, cloth diapering has changed. Fear not, friend. More on pre-wash storage later.

So, yeah, you’ll have to deal with clean up at some point, but remember me saying earlier that we have figured out how to perfect this process? There are ways to make clean up SO SO simple (I’ll touch on those in a subsequent post). Trust me – it’s not nearly as gross as you’re making it out to be in your head.

Myth 3: “Washing is a pain. Won’t I need a diaper service?”

Nope. Don’t get sucked in by the blogs that claim you have to have a super complicated washing routine. You really don’t need the fancy, infographic-inspired 12 step system you saw on Pinterest. Keeping it simple is actually better for your diapers (and budget) in the long run.

A few mini-myths to address here:

• “You need a special (read: super expensive) cloth diaper-safe detergent.” Nope. I hate this one because I believed it for a while. Here’s the thing: Marketers are good at their jobs, y’all. Real good. But know what? Tide is also good at what it does. So is Gain. And All. And several other regular ol’ detergents. So, don’t listen to the folks trying to get you to shell out tons of money for “cloth safe” soap. Check your preferred detergent against a reputable, unbiased source (see FluffLoveUniversity), and go with what you like. (usually anything without softeners is good to go)
• “You have to use tons of water.” Not necessarily. You don’t need 3 full cycles as some would have you believe. You don't need to add extra water to your machine. Again, keep it simple. You really only need a quick pre-wash and a full wash cycle for each load. No extra rinses or extra cycles required. Oh, and you don’t have to use hot water each time, either. Cold works fine for the pre-rinse. 
• “Too much detergent will make your diapers stink or repel.” No. Nope. Nuh uh. Just use the detergent, y’all. Like you would for regular clothes. You need enough to get the ick off (why would you use less??) 
• Note: Tide has quick dissolving bubbles, meaning suds don’t stick around and the diapers will rinse clean faster. But even if you use another brand, still use enough soap. Using too little will actually cause MORE problems.
• “I can’t use softener on diapers.” True. But you really don’t need it. Most cloth materials are super soft anyway.

So, no. You don’t need a diaper service because if you can wash your clothes, you can wash cloth! It’s really super simple. Don’t let the crazy blogs scare you!

Myth 4: “It’s a lot of extra work and disposables work better.”

Not true. Sure, there may be an extra step or two when you’re putting the diapers on (and when you wash them), but compare that to running to the store when you run out or cleaning up when a disposable fails…and it's kinda worth the trade off.

Plus, cloth works A TON better than disposables. Remember me mentioning the number of blowouts we’ve had? Yeah. Add to that the fact that we don’t get diaper rashes, we rarely have to deal with leaks, and Wren can already tell me when she’s wet (I spy early potty training in our future!)

“But won’t I have to change my baby more often?” Yeah, maybe…but is that a bad thing? Dry bum equals happy baby, so I’m not sure why that’s a problem.

“What if we’re out somewhere?” Simple: change the diaper. Wet bags keep the wet/stink hidden away in your diaper bag! (more on travel/”cloth while out” later)

So, yes, it may be a bit more work, but it’s not that bad. It’s actually kinda fun. Plus, it’s hard to argue with the results.

Myth 5: “It’s too expensive.”

Not in the long run. It may feel daunting to set up a stash, but you can build one slowly (and affordably) and you’ll be reaping savings for years! There is a wide variety of brands and types depending on how much you want to put into it, and buying used (or seconds) is way cheaper than buying new. We’ve been able to build a great stash buy watching resale groups on Facebook or hunting deals.

Not to mention, when we’re done with our stash (likely in several years after we’ve used them on multiple littles), we can resell our diapers. Some brands resell for like 60% of what people would pay new. What can you resell a used disposable for? Mmhmm.

I have a friend who bought a stash of used newborn diapers for her son and resold them once he out grew them. When she did the math, she’d diapered him for 2 months for $7. SEVEN BUCKS, y’all! That’s not even a small pack of Pampers.

Still not convinced? Look! Numbers! Math!

Let’s start with disposables. Assuming you use Pampers:

• Average cost per diaper = $0.28
• 8 changes per day for 2.5 years = $2,045.12

To keep it simple, that’s not including: wipes, rash cream, or any other accessories (like Diaper Genie bags). So, you can imagine, it’s a conservative number. 

Now, for cloth. Let’s assume you use my first system (Flip covers + inserts):

• 10 Flip covers: $150
• 30 Stay Dry Inserts: $150
• 8 changes per day for 2.5 years = $300

And that’s just for one kid (and doesn’t take into account the resale value!) Add in the savings you get by using cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes (about $400), and, even with the extra you may spend on water, energy, and accessories, it’s hard to argue with the financial benefits.

Speaking of benefits, there are tons of others beyond the money (more on that tomorrow), but I hope this was able to clarify some of the “bad” things you’ve heard about cloth and help you realize just how doable it can be!

Thanks for reading, y'all!