The average baby will use 6,000 disposable diapers before they turn 2, which each take an average of 500 years to decompose. FIVE. HUNDRED. YEARS. I’m not the “greenest” person in the world, but when I can help minimize trash that sits in the earth for that long without too much of a hassle, I will try. Washing machines are becoming more energy and water efficient than ever before, and with all the manufacturing, packaging, delivering, and hauling away in a garbage truck that goes on with disposable diapers, there is no doubt in my mind that reusable cloth diapers have a smaller environmental footprint.
Gone are the days of having to fold up cloth diapers and carefully fasten them with safety pins. CB’s have super easy snaps. If it takes longer for me to put my baby in a cloth diaper than a disposable, it’s a matter of nanoseconds.
Think of it as another load of laundry. You put them in the washing machine with some soap, turn on the machine, wait an hour, and take them out to dry them. That’s it. You don’t have to pull out a washboard and scrub them like they do in cartoons. Laundry is pretty much the easiest chore in the world these days.
What are disposable diapers even made of? Polyethylene, Dioxins, Perfumes, Dyes, and all sorts of other stuff. No wonder my kids get diaper rash in disposables but not reusable CB’s. Those chemicals might not be harmful to all babies, but why even bother when there is a more simple alternative?
I have a total of 20 reusable cloth diapers, which are worth about $360. Almost half of them are Eva’s hand-me-downs. (Yes, you’ll regularly see Damian in pink diapers around here, haha.). I’ve read the average mom who uses disposable diapers will spend anywhere from $1,500 to 2,500 by the time their child is potty trained. Even if that number is $1000 off, I’m still saving money.
Yup. As I write this, my six-month old is wearing the same CB cloth diaper that my daughter wore right before I potty trained her at 18 months. The multiple snaps settings make the diaper adjustable for babies of all ages. CB’s patented design also includes a four-bar bra-strap buckle and strong elastic that holds the sizing of the diaper in the long run.
Did I mention my daughter was ready to potty train at 18 months? When a toddler pees in a cloth diaper, they can feel the wetness more than a toddler who pees in a disposable. This makes it easier for them to recognize that they are peeing, which is essential to being ready for potty training.
They have the best design ever. I love the cute little logo that makes them look like they’re made by some designer purse brand. There are so many colors and patterns to choose from. I WANT THEM ALL!
During our trip to Jamaica I had Damian in disposables (yes, it is perfectly okay for someone to use both!). I can’t even count all the up-the-back poopsplosions he had in the two weeks we were there. I was so excited to get home to our CB’s, which we have yet to have a single poopsplosion in.
Like I said before, I’m not the “greenest” person in the world. I drive an F-150 and have tons of plastic junk in my house. But cloth diapering makes me feel like I’m contributing in some meaningful way. It might take a little more effort than disposables, but it’s worth it. It’s worth it for the environment, for my wallet, and for my sweet baby’s bum. ????
