Fluff vs. Sposies

If you are not a parent of a baby, this post won't be relevant to you. But if you are diapering a baby now or will be in the future, you may want to consider using cloth diapers, aka "fluff." I much prefer to use fluffy, soft, washable diapers rather than plasticy, chemical-smelling, throw-away diapers. Here's why I like them, what I use, and helpful links if you want to try it.

Let me just start by saying that I am thankful for disposable diapers. Sometimes it is just easier to use the diaper and throw it away. I use disposables when we are on a road trip, when the kids to go the nursery, and at other times that cloth just isn't convenient. I have a mom friend who takes her cloth on vacation and finds a laundromat if necessary - that is dedication that I do not have.

But for most of my kids' lives they have been wearing fluff, and I am overall very happy with the results. The most tangible result of using cloth is $$$$$. Some diaper websites estimate that if you use their diapers instead of disposables, you will pay only about 10% of what you would have spent had you used sposies. That seems a little to good to be true, and not quite accurate for people like me who still spend some money on disposables. But even if the number is 25% or 50% of the cost of disposables, that is a great savings. Plus, this math is only factoring in one kid. If you reuse the diapers for a second (or more!) child, you already purchased the diapers and are saving a ton. Here is a very detailed chart estimating the cost of disposables.


I also use cloth because I care about the earth. Humans consume a lot of stuff, and throw most of it away when they are done. Our family is careful to recycle whatever we can, reuse as much as possible, and buy things that are just less wasteful. I know my 2 kids wearing cloth doesn't make a huge difference in the grand scheme of trash in the landfills, but it's what I can do.

Finally, I love that cloth diapers are free from potentially dangerous chemicals. The skin is the body's largest organ, and absorbs things that are put on it. Diaper makers say the chemicals are no problem and have been proven to be harmless - I like to play it safe and avoid them as much as I can.

So, here is what we use - the options are endless (here is a good site listing tons of choices) and I certainly haven't tried the majority of them. My 2 favorite things are (1) prefold diapers with covers and (2) pocket diapers. A prefold diaper looks like this, and comes in many sizes. We have "infant" for little babies and "regular" for bigger ones. You can lay this diaper inside a diaper cover, or wrap it around the baby and hold it with a Snappi which works like the old fashioned diaper pins (but way easier, safer and cooler). If you go this route, you need about 20-30 of them, and about 5-8 covers, depending on how often you want to do laundry. The covers can be used over and over - just drop the wet/dirty prefold into the diaper pail and lay in a new one. I only wash the cover if it gets poop on it, or if I have used it all day. My favorite covers are Flip (one size fits all), Tiny Tush (sized and one-size covers) and Thirsties (Duo covers fit two sizes).

The other kind I like to use is called pocket diapers. With pocket diapers, you have a cover with a pocket sewn in where you stuff absorbent pads or even a prefold diaper. You have to own more of these diapers since the whole thing gets dirty each time. The advantage is that they are much easier to use, especially for someone who is new to cloth diapering. It's basically like putting on a disposable. For these you would need 20-30, again depending on how often you wash them. A very popular type of pocket diapers is the BumGenius brand. They work well, but I buy a cheaper version called Kawaii. They are only $7 each and the quality is really good, especially the elastic. I have also used Fuzzibunz (from a garage sale, woot!) which I liked and Softbums (not a pocket, but similar) which I did not.

Cloth diapers come in two types of closures - snaps and velcro (also called "hook and loop"). Velcro is quicker to use (just like a disposable), but it wears out and gets clogged with fuzz. Snaps are a little trickier, but they work very well and last a long time. Also, if you have a kid who likes to take off their diaper, snaps are harder for them to undo. I buy snaps when I can, but my velcro covers are working ok even after almost 3 years.

So, here's the full disclosure: cloth diapers are more work and they are a little gross. You need to wash off poop - that's just a fact. But as parents, we deal with poop (and other delightful bodily fluids) anyway. It's just a matter of being willing to touch it on a regular basis in exchange for the other benefits of cloth diapering. Actually, the first 6 months or so is a breeze since breastmilk poop comes right off in the washer - it's just the solid food poop that is more work. My husband and I handle it just fine (most days :), and thousands of cloth diapering families will tell you that it gets to be just part of the routine.

Well, that's enough fluff talk for tonight. I'll do another post soon and write about washing diapers, other things you need, and anything else I can think of. I'll leave you with my favorite cloth diaper online store Sew Crafty Baby. They have free shipping all the time!