Cloth Diapering Q&A

I have officially entered the world of cloth diapering.

Typically when I mention that I’ve decided to cloth diaper, I hear a lot of “good luck with that” and “you’re crazy”.

But after doing my research and watching my sister-in-law do it with ease, I decided it’s the best route for our family.

I also get a lot of questions from people about how it works and had a lot of questions of my own before getting started so for today’s “Motherhood Monday” post I figured I’d do a quick Q & A for those who are considering it.

Remember when I wrote this post about the true meaning of balance?

Well, this kind of relates. I have a strong desire to buy all organic food, use all natural products, reduce my carbon footprint in every area, save money on everything…but that’s just not gonna happen. So I have to find my balance. And for me, cloth diapering is an area I’ve chosen to go green, save money and avoid nasty chemicals.

Q: Why did you decide to use cloth diapers vs. disposable?

A: Two main reasons: one source of motivation for using cloth was the savings. Using cloth will save us thousands of dollars. Yes, thousands. If I were to use disposable I would be purchasing chlorine-free, fragrance-free, eco-friendly diapers (like these from The Honest Company) which would cost around $100 per month. Over the course of a few years (multiplied by the number of kids we have) we would easily spend $4,000+ on diapers alone! That is crazy.

I’d so much rather use that $100/month toward clothing, massages, vacations, nice dinners…anything!

By using cloth we’ll spend around $200 total (thanks to gift cards). Most people spend around $500. That’s a big savings.

Right up there with the savings is my desire to keep as many chemicals out of B’s daily routine as possible. I’d prefer to avoid chemicals rubbing up against her body day in and day out (diapers contain known carcinogens that are outlawed in other countries).

I don’t buy all organic everything, but this is one area I’ve chosen to invest in. It’s how I find my sense of balance.

Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re a bad parent AT ALL if you use regular diapers, cloth isn’t for everyone.

And of course, it feels good to know I’m doing something good for the environment too.

Q: What kind of cloth diapers do you use?

A: We have a mix of GroVia Hybrids, GroVia All In Ones and Bumgenius 4.0’s. I’ll do a more detailed post on this soon.

Q: How often do you have to do laundry?

A: Every other day. I could go every 3 days but it’s not recommended. It’s much easier than I anticipated.

Q: Isn’t it gross?

A: Not yet! Since Blake isn’t eating solid food it isn’t too much to handle. And plus, you’re dealing with poop whether you use cloth or disposable, there’s just no way around it once you become a parent. 🙂

Q:  What do you like best about cloth so far?

A: No blowouts! We haven’t had a single one. Also, no diaper rash. And they’re super cute.

Q: Do you also make your own wipes?

A: I do! It’s easy. In fact, if you’re cloth diapering I think it’s easier to use cloth wipes than disposable because you can just throw them all in the same bin. I’ll share how I make them in a follow up post.

Do you have additional questions about cloth diapering? Or have a tip to share? Feel free to post below 🙂

PS- wonder why I’m posting about cloth diapers on a a health & fitness blog? CLICK HERE.