Ditch Disposable Diapers

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Ditch your disposable diapers. Right now. Today. 

Diapers are a dirty duty that can cost a fortune. You can expect to change approximately 2500 diapers in your baby’s first year. If you go for disposable diapers, it can run upwards of $75 a month or about $900 a year. However, it isn’t just the cost that have people turning away from disposable diapers. Many people want to avoid the plastic and chemicals associated with most disposable diapers and are also concerned with the environmental impact. Thus, many people are looking to cloth diapering alternatives that offer a more organic approach.

Zoolikins baby boutique in Scottsdale is so adamant about the idea that they, like many organizations around the country they hosted a “Great Cloth Diaper Change” party in April at their Scottsdale and Chandler locations. People tried to break the Guinness World Record for most cloth diapers changed at one time, currently 8,549, in order to raise awareness for cloth diapering.diaper

Cloth diapering can be daunting at first but there are many options to make anyone feel comfortable.

All in one ($12-$25 per diaper) This is the easiest and normally most expensive method. All parts are connected to the diaper just like a disposable. Simply use, wash and repeat. You can get that adorable elephant print diaper on Amazon for just $12!

From babble.com
From babble.com

 

Pocket ($10-$25 per diaper, liner sometimes included): Pocket diapers are similar to all-in-one diapers but feature a removable liner removed before washing. What people love about this option is the ease of an all-in-one with the option to shop around for or sew liners at a lower cost. These diapers also boast a faster drying time as a two-part system and the ability to tailor absorbance by using different liners. Check out the selection of pocket diapers at Zoolikins.

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Flip: (Covers start at about $3 or less and get more expensive and stylish up to $30 or so. Liners start as low as $1.50 a liner). This option is very economical. The flip diaper is simply a diaper cover with a cloth liner (often times just a pre-fold diaper/burp cloth) that you place in the diaper similar to a panty-liner. Ideally, you should be able to buy fewer covers and just switch the liner, but of course accidents do happen and you will have to change the cover in case of a blowout. If you can sew, this is an extremely cheap option for you. Get ten liners for $12 here.

Pre-fold (starting at $1.50 per diaper): This is super old school and the least popular option, but the cheapest. It is one, large, absorbent cloth (similar to a burp cloth) that you wrap around your baby and pin or snap it with a Snappi. These diapers are also used as just a liner in a flip diaper. See the liner link above for my top pick of pre-fold diaper and go to BuyBuyBaby for the best price on Snappis.

You will need about 25 cloth diapers in total.

You might be thinking, “This sounds good and all but kind of gross…. How do I wash these things?”

Great question! Simply rinse the diaper, I highly recommend a toilet attachment sprayer similar to what you might have in the shower for washing your dog. This one from Bumkins is awesome. Simply hold the diaper close to the water in your toilet, spray the solids off and wash with hot water and your preference of cleanser. There are tons of super cheap DIY natural diaper detergents and stain removers on Pinterest!

Before you write off cloth diapering, consider this – disposable liners. These life-savers are super thin and inserted right on top of the pad to catch the solids, the best part is that they are flushable. Flush away half of the mess. Most liners are also super affordable. These highly recommended liners in particular are 100 for $13, just 13 cents per liner!

Cloth diapering may seem daunting but more and more people are swearing by the economical, environmental, and health benefits of ditching the disposables. To learn more about cloth diapering, I highly recommend signing up for the Cloth Diapering 1o1 at Zoolikins in Old Town.