In case anyone missed the memo I got cloth diapers for Mother's day While they haven't made it to my anxious hands yet I'm giddy with anticipation. Disturbing to some I realize but when you start breaking down the math of using disposable diapers.
Let's break it down :>
If your baby has a sensitive bum you will either have to buy the premium diapers like Huggies or Pampers- I know sam's club sells bulk diapers for like .19 cent a diaper in those brands but you also have to pay the yearly membership fees and those cents change for example size 6 are .26 cents a diaper, starting out newborns use between 6 to 8 diapers and then average about 10 diapers a day. Any way they say 8 but I use 10 usually. So here is the equation......
At .19 cents a diaper x 8 diapers a day x 365 diapers a year= $554.80 just in diapers alone (also need to figure in your membership costs for Sam's also) Not to mention wipes- which average 17$ for 600 wipes.
Just think most kids are in diapers for about 3 years- even at .19 cents a diaper that's still $1,600.
Remember, the cost goes up if you change your baby more often!
Exact prices are tough to calculate, because they vary widely by size of package, place of purchase, and size of diaper. And even types of diapers within a brand. Looking for Huggies, I found “Baby Shaped” diapers, “Little Movers” diapers, “Snug & High” diapers, etc. Some brands had prices which varied dramatically from place to place; others ranged just a few cents. Anyways, I found price ranges, and averaged it for each item. I used the newborn-small price for the first 3 months. I averaged the cost of the next 2-3 sizes for the next 27 months. I used popular brands, rather than obscure or store brands. You can customize it by putting in the exact cost of your own diapers, brand and place of purchase, using the formula of 10x per day for first 3 months, 8x per day next 27-ish months, or however often you currently change your baby. Many people with disposables don’t change their babies as often as recommended.
1) Regular Huggies: Approx. $2671
2) Seventh Generation: Approx. $2973
3) Huggies “Pure & Natural”: Approx. $3007
4) G Diapers: Approx. $3028 (total of 18 pair reusable “G Pants” purchased at $18 ea., along with disposable inserts)
5) Tushies Gel Free Disposables: Approx. $4095
back to the subject at hand, I've been reading about how to maintain and care for them.
GETTING STARTED
Ready to go with cloth diapers? Here is how many of each item you will need:
24 to 36 cloth diapers*
1 diaper pail.
3 to 4 dozen cloth diaper wipes.
*If you are using flats, fitteds, or prefolds, you will also need 4-6 covers for a toddler or 8 covers for a newborn.
When considering the quantity to buy, take into account the age of your baby. Newborns and infants will need 10 to 12 changes a day. Toddlers will need about 8. Most cloth diaperers wash diapers every 2 or 3 days.
No matter what diapering system you choose, trying one or two before investing in a large number of any one brand. Diapers vary quite a bit in size and fit from baby to baby.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS
Wash and dry new prefold cloth diapers 5 to 10 times to remove chemicals. This will also increase the absorbency of your cloth diapers. Do not worry if you notice that your cloth diapers "quilt up" during this process. This is normal.
Other types of cloth diapers only need to be washed 2-3 times prior to use. It is possible to use a cloth diaper after only washing and drying it once, however it will not reach peak absorbency until it has been washed several times.
To extend the life of our cloth diapers and covers, we hang them dry.
The washing instructions are for a full load of cloth diapers. Handwash all wool covers.
Cold Wash. Place all your soiled cloth diapers in the machine with baking soda for a cold water wash.
Hot Wash. Add your wet cloth diapers to load, add 1/4 of the recommended amount of detergent and wash in hot water.
Rinse. Rinse cloth diapers with cold water.
2nd Rinse. Rinse cloth diapers with cold water.
Do not add anything other than detergent to your diaper laundry unless you are having trouble with stinky diapers.
