$$ Cloth vs Disposable + a few Favorites

my favorite cloth brand
I was recently asked if cloth diapers were less expensive than disposable diapers.
Here is what I found, source credits after quotes.

• 'There are tons of cost comparisons out there, including the often cited Diaper Decisions. However, no one compared cloth diapers to the ultra cheap Huggies diapers I can get at Costco. I can pay as low as 14 cents a diaper, while the comparisons are based on a lowest price of 24 cents per diaper. So, I used the Diaper Decisions calculations of the numbers of changes required at each age, plugged in my Costco diaper prices per box for each size, and came up with a total price of $1566 for Costco diapers over 2.5 years.

  Here’s where it got tricky. I wondered how much I could save by going the cheaper/more labor intensive routes versus the more expensive/less labor intensive route. To deal with this, I created three different options. One with more prefolds, a second with less prefolds, and a third with all All in Ones. I didn’t do an all prefold option because, realistically, I can’t see myself doing that. I also included the price of cloth diaper accessories and the cost of laundry.

  The results? Savings ranged from $501 to $374, and the all All in Ones option was $131 more expensive than disposables. Even coming out close to even would be good enough for me, given the other motivations listed above for switching to cloth. However, there is another factor: if I did cloth diapers, I would also do cloth wipes (and the cost of cloth wipes was included in my list of accessories). At two wipes per change over the course of 2.5 years, I would spend $690 at Costco. Assuming I’d still spend $90 on disposable wipes, the cost savings become higher for each of the cloth diaper options: the range was $1101 to $468 for all three options.' Granola Babies

• 'At .10 cents a disposable diaper, plus .03 cents per wipe and assuming if you’re like most parents, you need at least 2-4 wipes for a diaper change. And you’re changing a diaper about 8 times a day (most pediatricians recommend changing your baby every 2-3 hours). You’re looking at roughly $45 a month for disposable diapers and wipes – really affordable disposable diapers and wipes that are at least non-scented (since we’re comparing with cloth diapers). That means that in that first year alone, you’ll spend about $540 total for disposable diapers (again very affordable disposable diapers – any other more “natural” disposable diaper will be a lot more).
  
  
  Now, let’s do the math for cloth diapers and since we’re comparing simple, super affordable disposable diapers, we should also compare simple, super affordable cloth diapers – prefolds and covers. You’d need 24 prefolds + 6 covers + 24 cloth wipes. The total cost is $152 total – from newborn through potty training.
  Super cheap disposable diapers at $540for the first year (doesn’t even include the second year or third year) vs. $152 for cloth diapers. Cloth diapers wins! Even with the most affordable disposable diapers, cloth diapers still wins when it comes to affordability.' Padded Tush
  

Favorite Diaper Laundry Soap
I use it for everything it smells great!

• Spreadsheet comparison 1
• Spreadsheet comparison 2
  
• Fuzzi Bunz Brand comparison

Favorite Diaper Accessory
Flushable Liners
My personal take:
Yes, it is cheaper, however that is not the only reason I cloth diaper. I believe it is far better on my child's tush.
More on that another day.

I think we have a problem

Cloth Diapers Part 1

Why? Well I know it is better for my babes tush, the environment and it saves money. Plus they're so darn cute!

Did you know no one really knows how long it takes disposable diapers to decompose. Estimates are that it takes 200- 500 years! That is a long time.

Dangerous chemicals used in diapers:

• Dioxin: a toxin that has been labeled by the EPA as the most toxic of all the cancer-linked chemicals. It has been banned in most countries, although not in the U.S.
• Tribuyl-tin: a chemical that has been linked to hormonal problems in humans and animals. It can be absorbed through the skin.
• Sodium Polyacrylate: a chemical that can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. This is the chemical that makes a diaper absorbent. Has your child's diaper ever been so saturated you notice little shiny beads sticking to his/her bottom? Those are Sodium Polyacrylate crystals. Sodium Polyacrylate cannot illegally be used in tampons because it can cause toxic shock syndrome, yet it can be used in diapers.

For more info: The Real Diaper Association.

More Facts:

Over 27 billion disposable diapers are used every year in the U.S.

Americans spend about 7 billion dollars on disposables every year!

Over 92% of all disposable diapers end up in a landfill (remember they will be there for several hundred years too). Disposable diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills.

Types of cloth:

Prefold: requires a snappie or pins to keep closed.

Fitted: use snaps or Velcro to close.Diaper Covers: must be used over prefolds and fitted. There are several kinds of covers: fleece, wool, and a waterproof shell most of which are made of polyester laminate .

Pocket Diapers: are made with an outer water proof shell and are cloth on the inside. They have a pocket to insert a liner or doubler. Liners/doublers come with the diapers. You can also purchase them separately. When washing, the insert/double is removed therefore lessening the drying time. An extra double the liner/doubler may be added for more absorbency and night time use.

All in One (AIO): AIO are like a disposable made of cloth. AIO take the longest to dry but are the most carefree to use. Generally the most expensive type of cloth diaper available. My favorites so far:
Happy Heinys Mini and Happy Heinys: I liked the mini's when Ashlynn was just born. She has her daddies skinny 'chicken' legs and the leg opening worked well. They aren't immensely bulky. Now that she is bigger, the mini's still fit great but she can wear medium size too. The m/lg/xl sizes of HH have snaps and Velcro, a plus is you have a baby who likes to take their diaper off. One thing I don't like is the Velcro doesn't stay put while washing causing the diapers to get stuck together and the material to pile. Instead of using the washing tabs to hold the Velcro, I have been Velcroing them as I would when I diaper, then turning the diaper inside out. This works great!
Another favorite is the FuzziBunz, pictured above under 'Pocket Diaper' (Blue with white flowers). These didn't work well when she was a newborn, they leaked at the legs, but are great now. I like them because they aren't Velcro. They seem a bit bulkier than my Happy Heiny's but this might be because they are a little larger.
I also like using fitted diapers with a diaper cover. My two favorite fitted diapers are Kissaluvs and Heiny Huggers. Both are adjustable and absorbent. The key to preventing leaks is making sure your diaper cover is covering the entire fitted diaper. Fitted diapers tend to be a bit more bulky, but they are more cost effective than Pocket or AIO.
For diaper covers I use Thirsties Duo Wrap's. I have been pleased with them. You can use a diaper cover multiple times before washing if you wipe them with a cloth between changings.
I recently ordered two Thirsties AIO to try them out. I really like them, however they take forever to dry and are expensive.

Do you use cloth? If so, what are your favorites?

Washing diapers, detergents, to soak or not to soak, keeping diapers looking white, diaper creams, and other helpful hints I have learned will be coming in another post(s).