Why Cloth?

Lots has been written about this so I won't spend too much time on it, but for me there are a few reasons why I like cloth over disposable diapers.  I only have one in diapers now, and my reasons are the same as they've always been. 

1. The cost. I've seen this number WAY overinflated, but I figure I save about $35-$40 a month by cloth diapering.  Thad is over $1,000 per child over their diapering years.  Since I have seven children, I figure I have saved at least $7,000, so the savings add up! Disposables cost around $40 a month (for generic) plus wipes, so probably $45-$50 a month.  I figure I spend maybe $10 a month to wash my diapers when you figure detergent and energy costs.  But it is still well over a dollar a day for doing something that I would do even if it was a break-even financially.

2. Cloth diapers just work better.  My baby doesn't get the "up the back" accidents, nor does she get the "down the leg" oozing with cloth.  Everything just stays put better.  She also doesn't get the saturated and squishy, saggy back end, which is characteristic of a wet disposable.

3. I am free to change my baby whenever she is wet.  Yep, I'll admit it.  When my babies have had a disposable diaper on, I waited until that diaper was fully saturated before I changed it.  I wanted to get the most out of each diaper as possible because each diaper change cost money.  Sad, but true.  With cloth, I know that adding an extra diaper to the pail costs no more to wash.  A load of laundry is a load of laundry.

4. Cloth is more comfortable for my baby.  What would you rather wear?  Disposable paper underwear or cotton ones?

5. Cloth diapers don't stink like disposables do.  Even when just wet, disposables stink far worse than a wet cloth diaper.  I can't even put a wet disposable diaper into a bathroom trashcan without the whole bathroom soon stinking.  Yet I can store wet and dirty cloth diapers in a non-sealing pail for a few days with no smell.  I don't know why this is, but it is true.

6.  Less diapers in the landfills.  This is way down on the list for me as a reason.  I am not an environmentalist to the point that this is my main reason by any means.  Yet I do like knowing I'm not adding tons of diapers to the trash.