One of the most common misconceptions about cloth diapers is that they are difficult to use and maintain. However, modern cloth diapers are just as simple to change as disposables and they are just as easy to clean as washing a load of laundry.  Even better, they come with quite a few benefits – not only for your baby but for you and the environment, too!

Cloth diapering is good for your baby. Disposable diapers contain harmful chemicals that can irritate your baby’s skin, causing diaper rash. (A couple of those chemicals are Dioxin, a byproduct of bleach, and Tributyl-tin, a chemical that can cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.) Additionally, though disposable diapers are super absorbent and do a great job of keeping a baby’s skin dry, this can lead to parents changing the diapers less than the recommended every 2 to 3 hours, which in turn can cause painful diaper rashes. Using cloth diapers encourages more frequent changes, helping your baby’s bottom to stay dry and rash free!

Did you know cloth diapers are also good for your budget? They might be more expensive up front, but they will save you considerably in the long run. According to a Consumer Reports article, you will spend around $2,500 or more by around year three on disposable diapers. That number can fluctuate depending on brand names as well as if the diapers are “eco-friendly” or not. However, after paying the initial cost of cloth diapers (which is around $1,000) you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by reusing year after year and even from child to child!

Using cloth diapers are also good for the environment. Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials in production than cloth diapers. Not to mention, the difference in the time it takes to break them down in a landfill is about 250 years!!
Have you been thinking a lot about using cloth diapers? Trying to figure out which diaper system is best for your needs and budget? Wondering just how easy (or gross!) the process actually is?? Don’t worry – The Nest can teach you everything you need to know with their fun class that will help you get all the “poop” on cloth diapering!