Are Cloth Diapers Right for Me During the Recession?

With jobs becoming scarce day by day, many parents are considering something they may never have thought they would ever consider, cloth diapers. However, many question whether or not they are cheaper after you factor in the cost of energy used to care for them and the additional cost of detergent. The upfront cost of these diapers can also be quite expensive. So here's a little information to help you consider whether cloth diapering is right for you.

Pros:

• Cloth diapers help save waste in our landfills. They are the green way to go. 
• Many argue that they are healthier for children for they do not contain any harsh chemicals that are made during manufacturing. Some even go as far to say that their children suffer from less rashes with cloth.
• Once bought, you will have a never ending supply as long as you do the laundry. No late night runs to pick up more diapers.
• They can be cheaper than using disposables. (more on this below)
• Many claim children who use cloth are easier to potty train.

Cons:

• They are more maintenance than disposables.
• They can be more difficult to put on a squirmy baby.
• Some have a really difficult time with the "gross factor" of it all.
• They take up more room in a diaper bag.
• If not cleaned properly, they can have "stink issues."

Even after exploring all positives and negative factors in using cloth diapers, for some it still comes down to whether or not cloth will be the cheaper alternative. Of course, there are many variables that factor into this decision. The quick and easy answer to this would be that they can be cheaper; there are many options out there for the type of cloth diapers to use with the cheapest being diapers called prefolds. Some have managed to buy diaper packages which include all necessities to get started and last until baby potty trains for as little as $200.00. To get such a price it may be helpful to look for websites that offer sales and clearance on their stock of diapers. There is even an online community of mothers who buy, sell, and trade used diapers at amazing prices. It pays to shop around. 

As for the cost of caring for the diapers, like the cost of the diapers themselves, this factor is a big variable. It depends on the type of machine you own whether it be a top loader or front loader. Front loaders use less water and therefore, are cheaper. Also, it depends on the temperature of water you use for each cycle with hot washes costing the most and cold washes costing the least. There are some great formulas out there if you want to get a more precise total of cost per load, but a good estimate is that it can cost anywhere from .16 cents to .69 cents per load to wash the diapers.  Of course, for anyone in a real financial pinch, air drying diapers is a good option and allows one to factor out any energy costs to dry them in a machine. Lastly, detergent can be expensive, but the amount of detergent one should use for a load of diapers is a lot less than a normal load of laundry. Also, if one is really wanting to save money on detergent there is also the option of making his or her own detergent. There are great homemade detergent recipes on the web that can cost as little as 3 cents per load.

To sum it up, deciding to go cloth can be a very big decision. When cost is the driving force, going cloth can be a very good decision. Not only can it save you money in today's recession, but you can feel good that you helping to save the earth.