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DCL
Cloth diapers used to be the only choice. My grandmother used cloth diapers for all five kids without complaint and so did her mother. And it's no secret that the invention of the disposable diaper has come with tons of waste. In fact, more than 25 billion disposable diapers are thrown away each year in the United States.
But more and more families are switching to cloth diapers, realizing that they're much easier on the planet, cheaper, and very little extra work in the end. Celeb mommies like Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani, and many more have even jumped on the cloth diaper bandwagon.
Save Some Serious Cash
The average child will cost about $1,600 to diaper for two years in disposable diapers, or about $66 a month. That's no small investment. In comparison, cloth diapers cost about $300 for the entire time that your kids are in diapers. You can spend much more than that but you can certainly get everything that you need for that price.
Buying Cloth Diapers
For a newborn baby, it's recommended that you start with 3 dozen diapers, 2 dozen would be the minimum. For an older baby, about 15 lbs and greater, you'll need 2 dozen because you'll be changing them less. If you're using fitted diapers or pre-folds, you will also need 6 to 8 covers for newborns and 4 to 6 covers for older babies.
Washing Cloth Diapers
Natural fibers need to be washed a few times before use to make them absorbent. This includes all products made of hemp, cotton, or bamboo. After you use the diapers, you'll first want to run them through a cold rinse and then add your eco-friendly detergent and set the washer on a hot cycle and cold rinse. Dry once and you're good to go. That's really it. This will likely run you just a few extra loads a week. If you have it in your budget, buy high quality cloth diapers and you'll find they're way less trouble. Here's our guide to choosing a good diaper.
