09 May Cloth Diaper 411: Getting Started
Q: How many cloth diapers should you buy?
A: We have 27 cloth diapers. A lot of my research said 36 is a good number to shoot for as far as laundry issues are concerned (that’ll be part of Wednesday’s topic), but my drawer where I keep them could probably only hold 30 max.
Q: How much did you pay?
A: Smartipants sells a 24-pack for $280. We originally bought a 3-pack for $36 to try them out (I highly recommend doing this–all diapers fit all babies differently!). So all told, we made two one-time purchases totaling just over $300. That’s less than $14 per diaper! Not bad, eh? (Definitely on the cheaper end of cloth diapering without sacrificing on quality. Check out this price comparison chart for some brands of cloth diapers.)
Q: Where do you store the dirty diapers?
A: We use the Smart Pail and hang it on the back of our door. We wanted to use it as a reusable liner in a trash can, but our trash can was too big. I like this bag because it zips. Amazingly, there is NO odor in Corban’s room! (He’s not on solids yet, so…maybe that will change??)
A: For the diaper bag, we use the Smart Tote. Again, easy and odorless.
Q: How did you choose which type of cloth diaper to use?
A: Two things were important to me. (1) I wanted snaps instead of velcro. I had read it lasts longer but was afraid that it would be harder to use. Not the case at all and glad that I did. (2) I wanted a “one-size” diaper. Many brands offer a sized diaper–small, medium, and large–but since our main objective in using cloth diapers was to save money, this just didn’t make sense for us. The one-size diapers snap to adjust to different sizes. That being said, when you’re using them on the smallest setting, they are a little bulky. Not a complaint; more an observation.
Q: Do you really save money with cloth diapers?
A: A resounding yes! Check out this table I made up (of estimations). The disposables prices are based on Amazon.com and the cloth diaper prices are based on Smartipants.
| Item | Price/Month | Price/Year | Alternate | Price/Month | Price/Year |
| Disposable Diapers YEAR 1 | $50 (250 diapers per month) | $600 | Cloth Diapers YEAR 1 | $30 (24 diapers) | $300 |
| Disposable Wipes YEAR 1 | $12 (450 wipes per month) | $144 | Cloth Wipes YEAR 1 | $5 (50 wipes) | $60 |
| Disposable Diapers YEAR 2 | $40 (173 diapers per month) | $480 | Cloth Diapers YEAR 2 | $7.50 (6 replacement diapers) | $90 |
| Disposable Wipes YEAR 2 | $8 (300 wipes per month) | $96 | Cloth Wipes YEAR 2 | $0 (10 replacement wipes–learn to make your own!) | $0 |
| Wipe Solution | $.83 | $10 | |||
| Energy costs for laundering | I don’t know what these are; we haven’t seen a significant increase in our bill! | ||||
| Total after
1 Year |
$62 | $744 | $30.00 | $360 | |
| Total after
2 Years |
$110 | $1,320 | $47.50 | $450 | |
So what do YOU think about cloth diapering?
Tomorrow’s topic: why I chose the Smartipants diaper.
Stephanie
Posted at 18:23h, 09 MayThanks for this!! We might try with our next one, so it was so good to get some info!
Molly Vesperman
Posted at 11:59h, 09 MaySarah! I am loving your blogging about cloth diapers! I was very intrigued when you said you were using them and am glad I can learn from your experience for us someday if we choose to use them. I think it’s great that they don’t pollute the earth as much as disposables. I can’t wait until you blog about laundering them…….that’s what I’m REALLY curious about. :) Keep up the great work (blogging and mommying)! Happy belated Mother’s Day, too!
The Redheads
Posted at 14:22h, 09 MayThe best part about being a mom to your child is that you get to pick and choose which advice to take. Hope you can find something helpful in here! :)
Cloth Diaper 411 Week
Posted at 05:26h, 09 May[…] Getting Started […]