For questions not answered here – please contact me at info@prettyprinteddiapers.net
How do you care for cloth diapers? Are they yucky?!
Cloth diapers can be cared for in your own home very easily. Simply wash your diapers in a perfume and dye free soap (many users recommend Charlie’s Soap) and dry in your dryer or on a line. Some people like to add a pre-soak to ensure all solids dissolve, and some people like to add an extra rinse to ensure all the soap is removed from the diapers. Also, it is recommended to use ½ – ¾ of the normal amount of laundry soap – if you do not use soap intended for cloth diapers. Once your baby begins eating solid foods, there will be a certain amount of solid waste in a diaper – whether the diaper is cloth or paper.
NOTE: It is recommended that for the sake of public health/safety – the solid waste from paper diapers should be dumped in the toilet and flushed. And think about it: if you use paper diapers and do not dump the solid waste into the toilet – that human excrement is sitting inside your house generating millions of bacteria per hour! Once in the garbage processing system – that waste bacteria threatens the health of sanitation workers as well as anyone unlucky enough to live close to a landfill. Or anyone who gets their water from a source that the landfill impacts.
Do I really save money?
Pretty Printed Diapers™ seem expensive.
The answer is yes! Some people find cloth diapering fun, and buy lots of diapers, but that isn’t necessary. For fun, here is a cost comparison based on how many diapers the average child might use in a day (and also based off how many diapers my daughter used before we switched to cloth).
|
|
Paper Diapers (Average) |
Paper Diapers |
Cloth diapers |
|
Number of diapers per month |
240 (8 per day x 30 days a month) |
390 (13 per day x 30 days a month) |
24 nb/sm, 36 med/lg, 6 covers, 66 total |
|
Cost per diaper |
.30 (Huggies, $13 for 40) |
.30 (Huggies, $13 for 40) |
$14 for diapers, $12 for covers |
|
Cost per month |
$72 |
$117 |
$25 |
|
Cost per year |
$864 |
$1404 |
$304 |
|
Total Cost |
$2592 |
$4212 |
$912 |
So you can see, the average person will save at least $1680 over the life of your diapers. Or in my case $3300!
Keep in mind, also, that this doesn’t take into account children who don’t potty train until 3 ½ (another $432-$702!), or children who frequently wet or poop right after being changed (mine did this), or children with sensitive skin necessitating frequent diaper changes.
Cloth keeps wetness next to the skin; that will case more rashes, right?
Wrong! Not just any cloth is used next to baby’s skin. Pretty Printed Diapers™ use fast wicking microfiber to keep baby feeling dry. In fact, most parents report LESS diaper rash than disposables since the moisture is not held next to baby’s skin. Many doctors will prescribe cloth diapers for children with frequent rashes.
Doesn’t it take a lot of time to wash diapers?
Absolutely not! We all know that children make messes, and any parent will tell you laundry will increase with children regardless of which type of diapers you use. Additionally, you don’t waste time and gas running to the store if you run out of diapers. I found I did more laundry when I used disposables because paper diapers are prone to poopy blowouts (newborn and breastfeed baby poop tends to be runny, and paper diapers just can’t absorb the semi-solid semi-liquid and it will often just come right out the sides).
Do they stink?
Most parents like to have a closable pail or wetbag to contain odors and wetness until wash day. That way nobody has to smell them!
My husband/mother in law/babysitter won’t fold and pin diapers. What can I do?
It can be hard for EVERYONE to learn how to fold and pin diapers, leaving mom with most of the diaper changes or family using disposables. Fitted diapers fit without folding and with the ease of a disposable paper diaper.
Pretty Printed Diapers™ are husband, babysitter and grandparent tested and approved!
