People use cloth for lots of different reasons. Some find the environmental factors a top priority. Others simply cannot afford the high cost of disposable diapers.
So why do we use cloth?
1) Disposable diapers stink
Ok, let's not mince words here. Poop stinks. It doesn't matter how you wrap it, whether it's in a paper diaper, a cloth diaper, or sitting under a lilac bush, it's gonna stink. But, there is just something uber-stinky about disposable diapers, and surprisingly, the wet disposable diapers are even worse than the poopy ones. It took me quite a long time to even approach the idea of cloth diapering, because I was under the spell of the many myths about cloth. But the smell of excrement and urine emanating from the Diaper Champ. . . day after day . . . I finally got so grossed out I caved and dove right in. It took me about 2 seconds to make the decision, once I learned what cloth is really about.
2) Health
We never really had an issue with rashes, which is why a lot of parents switch to cloth, but our daughter had a never-ending redness in her diaper area that just never went away. This really bothered me, and unfortunately, I kind of thought it was normal for a diapered kid. Well, it's not. Within the first day of putting her in cloth diapers, the redness was gone, and all parts of her body were flesh-colored again. Without the chemicals you find in disposables and the breathability of cloth, it really is much better for the skin.
3) Baby's comfort
Think of it this way, would you rather hang around all day with paper wrapped around your butt or would you like to have soft natural fibers or cozy fleece to sit your tushy in? 'Nuff said.
4) Ease and convenience
You're thinking -- she's nuts! How can cloth be easier than disposables? Well, it's all about lifestyle. It is easier for me to drop a load of laundry in the wash a couple times a week than it is to run to Costco or Target to get the best price on diapers. We spend a lot of time at home, because we work completely out of our house. Running out for diapers isn't convenient for us. The other thing for us is that the laundry room is only a few feet away from the babies' rooms. The trash cans are downstairs and outside. Lazy? Maybe. The diaper wash only has to be done every 2 or 3 days, but the nastiness in the disposable pail had to be taken out daily. I'd rather do laundry.
5) Waste
Since switching to cloth, our trash can is half as full as it was when we were on disposables. I'm not a big environmentalist, but this is a big deal for me. Judging from the total number of SUV's and minivans in the Walmart parking lot, I will make the assumption that there are a lot of kids in this country, and a lot of them wear diapers, and a lot of those diapered kids are wearing disposables. If all those people could reduce their waste by half . . . could you imagine what a difference that would make? That would be a lot fewer poop-packages in landfills (poop is not meant to go in land fills by the way. See myth #1). I know that cloth is not for everyone, but it could work for a lot of parents who, like I used to be, just don't know that cloth diapering really is different than its stereotype.
6) Expense
This one can get tricky. Cloth diapering will become what you make of it, and can be very inexpensive or outrageously expensive, depending on your taste (and your ability to resist unbelievably cute diapers). But for the most part, cloth diapering is more economical. Even if you choose to use the more high-tech diapers like AIOs and pockets, you can still save money in the long run. The up-front expense is a little frightening, but if you do the calculation, you will see it can easily be less expensive. Not to mention that the resale value of cloth diapers is generally very good, and of course, you can use them for as many kids as you're willing to produce. They take quite awhile to wear out!
7) Fit
Take one toddler who is in the 90th percentile for height and the 5th percentile for weight and what do you get? Disposable diapers that don't fit. Not only are there a zillion different options out there for cloth diapers that offer lots of different sizing options, there's also the option to make your own. That's what I started doing and how I got into this business. Now I always have diapers that fit my babies perfectly.
8) Looks and Fun
Ok, I'll admit it! If you back me into a corner I'll tell you right now, cloth diapers are CUTE. They have prints and colors and snaps and all kinds of super fun accoutrements you just aren't going to find in any disposable. And with all the great diaper-makers out there, you can find a diaper or cover that's completely different than anything any other baby is wearing. I will even admit that seeing how cute the diapers are is what got me looking at the other factors of switching in the first place. And fun? What mom doesn't adore shopping for their little one? I have a ball shopping for cute diapers for my kids.
9) Weird chemicals in disposable diapers
Ok, I'm certainly not going to say that disposables are dangerous or scary or harm children in any way. Lots and lots of moms and dads use them with confidence, and so did we and I never thought once that there could be any harm in those diapers. But once you start using cloth, you'll hear about some of these chemicals, and somehow, things like "polyacrylate gel" and dioxins just don't seem right to be on your baby's skin.
10) Cushioning
This is something I didn't think of when I switched to cloth, probably because my daughter was not walking yet. But when she was learning to walk, she fell on her butt a LOT! And a paper thin diaper would never provide the cushion than the extra padding of cloth does.
