Talk to any new parent, and they will tell you that the biggest added expense they face is buying disposable diapers. A diaper is pretty much an essential requirement to ensure your baby’s hygiene. However, a disposable diaper can be quite costly, and wearing disposable diapers can soon become uncomfortable for your baby! Fortunately for parents, there is a choice apart from expensive diapers that could harm your baby’s skin – just use cloth diapers! They can help you save some of your hard-earned money without compromising on the health and hygiene of the baby. Buying cloth diapers is an excellent choice, and these 4 benefits of cloth diapers will tell you why.
1. Cloth Diapers Are Money-Saving
A newborn will have 5 to 10 daily bowel movements, and you’ll change a wet diaper around 5 to 6 times every day. This means you will have to use that many disposable diapers. Considering the high cost of these convenient diapers, you will have to spend a lot of money till the time your baby gets potty trained.
However, turn to reusable diapers, and watch the costs drop! It’s true that an individual cloth diaper costs more than a disposable one. But since you can easily wash cloth diapers, they can be extremely cost-effective. You just have to keep about 20 cloth diapers on hand to ensure you maintain your baby’s hygiene.
Cloth diapers are comfier for your baby and cost-saving for you.
2. Environmental Benefits Of Cloth Diapers
Ever wondered what happens when a disposable diaper lands up as landfill waste? Disposable diapers create quite a mess at landfills. They can take up to 500 years to decompose, and during this time, they release methane gas into the air. The plastic, chemicals, and human feces together can potentially contaminate our water supply and even spread diseases. Using a cloth diaper, on the other hand, is so much more environmentally friendly!
A cloth diaper can decompose much easier than a disposable diaper. Plus, since you can wash reusable diapers, you avoid the excess release of methane gas into the environment. Modern cloth diapers are also a lot more study than just a folded cloth around your baby’s bottom. This saves you the hassle of worrying about leaks while keeping a low carbon footprint.
As per an estimate, a family has to buy about 7300 disposable diapers for one child as compared to 24-36 cloth diapers. Between cloth and disposable diapers, a cloth diaper is definitely one that benefits the world in which your baby will grow up.
3. A Cloth Diaper Doesn’t Contain Harmful Chemicals
Babies wear diapers up until the age of 2 to 3 years. These diapers might be considered safe for the babies’ skin, but they do contain some hazardous chemicals. Some of these are Tributyltin (TBT), superabsorbent polymers, fragrances, chlorine and dioxins, phthalates, dyes, and/or volatile organic compounds. Not all diaper companies are upfront and transparent about what chemicals they use, and this makes it even more worrying.
Some of these chemicals are carcinogens, respiratory irritants, and endocrine disruptors. They can potentially cause a range of medical issues and health complications in the long term. In the short term, they can lead to diaper rash, as can the plasticky feel of the disposable diaper. A cloth diaper on the other hand saves your baby from chemical-induced diaper rash. Using cloth diapers is thus that much better for your baby’s skin.
4. Comfortable & Convenient
Disposable diapers have a layer of plastic, which is most often a petroleum-based plastic or plastic-treated material. This serves to be a waterproof and airtight layer, but can also trap heat in the diaper. Disposable diapers are made to be airy, but without a doubt, cloth is a material that lets the skin breathe naturally. This makes them a much more comfortable option for your little one.
Plus, modern cloth diapers made it so convenient for parents. They make use of velcro straps or snaps to keep the diaper in place, and also come with proper liners or an absorbent insert. There are also expensive cloth diapers with more advanced features to improve the way they work for your baby. The DIY moms can also try their hand at making their own cloth diapers.
Depending on where you live, you could also have the benefit of a cloth diaper service. If not, there are several easy ways to wash cloth nappies that make things convenient for you. Plus, you get to pick and choose from a range of cute and colorful patterns!
You can choose from a range of cute patterns when buying cloth diapers.
Conclusion
You may think that cloth diapers are not as convenient to use as disposable ones, and take up a lot of time. Just like disposables, they’ve come a long way, and are now very easy to wear and clean. Cloth diapering may take you a bit to master, but all things considered, the benefits of cloth diapers outweigh the drawbacks. Another benefit you could use as a new parent is the ImmunifyMe app that helps you track your baby’s vaccine dates, nutrition and more.
FAQs On Benefits Of Cloth Diapers Vs. Disposable Diapers
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Cloth Diapers?
Cloth diapers reduce the solid waste in landfills, give better cost saving over a longer period of time, have no use of chemicals, and are better for the baby’s skin. On the other hand, cloth diapers need to be regularly washed thoroughly using up more laundry time and water, are more expensive than disposable diapers, and may not always be accepted by daycare centers.
Why Are Cloth Diapers Bad?
Cloth diapers can sometimes be less absorbent and less waterproof than disposable diapers. They also need to be constantly cleaned and washed thoroughly as soon as they’re dirty.
Do You Really Save Money Using Cloth Diapers?
A cloth diaper is more expensive than a disposable diaper. However, your cost savings will truly build up over a period of time. Instead of needing to constantly buy disposables, you just need to buy a set number of reusable diapers and then keep reusing them.