There are many reasons. First of all, it is easier than you may think. Second, it will save you money. Finally, there are numerous benefits to both the environment and the health of your baby. Consider for a moment that disposable diapers contain a powdery product inside the liner called "Waterlock" (sodium polyacrylate) that makes them able to absorb up to 300 times its weight in liquid by forming a gel when moist. A quick check of the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for this substance indicates that it is an "irritant" and that personal protective gear should be used while handling it. This is also the same stuff that caused the toxic shock syndrome scare with tampons in the 1980s when it was subsequently banned for use in menstrual products. Now imagine this same stuff next to your newborn's skin. Doesn't seem quite right, does it? There have been lots of other nasty stuff found in diapers too, not the least of which is dioxin (one of the most poisonous and carcinogenic substances produced on earth), tributyltin (an endocrine disruptor) and bleaches. Disposable diapers have also been linked to respiratory problems and increasing asthma rates in children. For more information, read the following article.

Now imagine that the average baby in diapers for two years will create about 2 metric tonnes of waste from disposable diapers. That's about the equivalent weight of two cars. Multiply that by all the babies in your neighbourhood and you've got a mountain of waste. Landfill practices in North America generally require waste to be well buried and then sealed in with clay to prevent contamination caused by rain water mixed with garbage from forming, meaning that your baby's diapers are virtually entombed in the landfill without sun, air and water which are key elements to decomposition.

How much money do I need to invest in cloth diapering?

This depends on the type of diapers you choose. Many parents use flat or prefold diapers during the newborn phase as they are relatively inexpensive, are changed frequently and are particularly suited to very tiny or premature babies as they can be folded down to fit without a lot of extra bulk to overwhelm a tiny body. Generally speaking, the average family invests between $400 to $1200 in cloth diapers. Compare this to over $2,000 in disposables for a two-year period. Your investment in cloth will also diaper subsequent children, further increasing your savings.

Will I save money?

Absolutely! We've spent a lot of time researching and calculating how much it costs our own family to use cloth diapers right down to the cost of detergent. We then compared what we found to other diaper manufacturers information and claims. We've found that for the first child in cloth diapers, your family will save nearly $1000. For every subsequent child in your family diapered in cloth (presuming the diapers are reused), this savings increases to over $2000. Imagine what you could do with that extra money! If you'd like more information on how we calculated this, please contact us!

How many diapers do I need?

For a newborn, we recommend having on hand at least 24 diapers and 4-6 covers (if required). A newborn generally will use, on average, 10 diapers a day. Two dozen diapers will require that you do laundry approximately every second day. For an older baby, we recommend between 15-18 diapers and about 3 covers (if required). You can also mix and match diaper types and styles, allowing you to try a variety of different diaper and cover combinations.

Do I have to rinse the diapers in the toilet?

Yes and no. If your baby is exclusively breastfed, you can put the soiled diapers directly into the diaper pail and straight into the laundry, as the stool is water-soluble. As your baby begins to eat solids or for a formula-fed baby, you can shake off the excess into the toilet. Usually the fabric of the diaper makes it fairly easy to shake off. If you have a particularly messy diaper, there are a couple of options: place the diaper dirty side down in the toilet and allow it to soak while you get a pair of rubber gloves and give it a good rinse. Or, you can purchase a hand-held sprayer to help remove those stubborn stickies. This little piece of equipment means you never have to stick your hands in the toilet! It may sound funny, but once you get started, you may enjoy cloth diapering so much that toilet duty doesn't bother you one bit!

I’m afraid of sticking my baby with diaper pins, what should I do?

Cloth diapering can be a pin free experience. While there are some families out there who swear by pinning their diapers, there are other options available. There is the Snappi diaper fastener, an innovative little T-shaped gadget with with grips on each end. These grips hook into the diaper fabric to ensure a snug-fitting diaper with enough natural movement for the baby. A Snappi can be used on any diaper where you would traditionally use pins including flat, prefold and contour diapers. You can forgo fastening all together by either using a snug fitting cover with your diapers, or by using fitted, pocket or all-in-one diapers with attached snap or hook and loop fasteners. No pinning, no poking you or baby!

What do I do with dirty diapers when I’m out? It’s so easy to throw out a disposable!

When you’re out on the town or travelling with your baby, your best friend is a waterproof bag. Throw one in your diaper bag and you’ve got a dry, clean way to transport your dirty diapers until you get back home. These bags are also useful for dirty laundry while travelling, carrying wet swimming gear from the beach, or a thousand and one other uses.

What should I use as a diaper pail?

Anything with a lid. We use Safety 1st “Odourless” diaper pail, available at most department stores. Although it is designed for use with disposables and plastic bags, you can easily line it with a Bummis Extra Large waterproof bag for easy toting to the laundry room without handling dirty diapers - just pour them out of the bag and into the wash! For families with limited space, a Bummis tote bag hung on the back of a closet door works very well as a diaper "pail".

Won't my baby get diaper rash?

In many cases, severe diaper rash in a baby wearing disposable diapers is easily cleared up when the baby is switched to cloth. The baby may be experiencing an allergic reaction to one of the many chemicals found in disposable diapers. One mother told me that her baby's rash actually got worse when she tried to change diapers more frequently in an effort to treat the diaper rash! The lack of breathability of disposable diapers may also cause the skin temperature to rise up to 4° Celsius higher than elsewhere on the body, increasing the likelihood of bacterial and yeast growth. With frequent changes and good hygiene, your baby's skin should remain healthy in cloth.

Don't cloth diapers smell bad?

In our experience, cloth diapers do not smell as bad as used disposable diapers! I know what you're thinking: you're picturing a diaper pail half-full of stinky diapers and stinky water. This only promotes the growth of odour-causing bacteria that is nearly impossible to remove from the cloth. While we advise you to have a covered diaper pail for safety reasons, a dry diaper pail is recommended. Continuous contact with water in a wet diaper pail will only cause the fibres of the diaper to break down, reducing the life of the product. When laundering your diapers, you should use only a small amount of detergent, preferably one with no perfumes or dyes to react with your baby's delicate skin.

Is there anything else I will need?

In addition to your diapers and covers, you should consider having the following on hand:

24 cloth wipes. It is habitual to use a disposable wipe, sandwich it inside a disposable diaper and throw the whole thing in the garbage. It is instinctively the same with cloth diapers - wipe your baby with a cloth wipe, fold it into the cloth diaper and into the diaper pail it goes. Nothing wasted!
4-6 extra microterry or hemp inserts for doubling up the absorbency in pocket diapers for overnight and naptime use. Hemp inserts can be used with all styles of cloth diapers to increase absorbency while microterry should be used exclusively with pocket diapers such as Fuzzi Bunz or Happy Heiny's.
A few microfleece diaper liners to use against baby's skin to keep baby feeling dry AND to protect your diapers when you are using diaper creams.
A small Bummis tote bag for carrying dirty diapers in your diaper bag if your diaper bag doesn't come with a wet bag.