Why Cloth Diapers Are Better Than Disposable Diapers
When people think about cloth diapers, they may think that this is just a big handkerchief wrapped like a diaper attached with a safety pin. However, there’s always a constant battle among parents about why cloth diapers are better than disposable diapers. Whatever you choose, diapers are part of your continuous journey as a parent.
Diapers are one way of keeping your babies warm and cozy. When it comes to cloth diapers versus disposable diapers, you should know that there’s a case for both. Regardless of which, in this article, we’ll dive deeper into why cloth diapers are better than disposable ones.
Reasons Why Cloth Diapers Are Way Better than Disposable Ones
With so many disposable diapers in the market, it all goes down to cloth diapers that are more beneficial to your baby. Here are some of the reasons why cloth diapers are better than disposable.
Cloth Diapers Are Way Cheaper
Disposable diapers will give you a hefty amount of cash expenditures over the years wherein your baby needs one. It will take you around $2000 to $3000 depending on the baby’s need. However, cloth diapers are way cheaper because cloth diapers are easily washable and can be used again.
If you choose cloth diapers, you are more likely to spend around $800 to $1000 throughout the baby's life. A difference of about $2000 is quite huge when you think of it. You can buy many baby essentials such as milk, crib, baby teether, clothing, and all sorts.
Imagine the things you can do and buy with that amount of money at your disposal. When you factor in washing cloth diapers such as detergent and water, it is still incomparable. Keep in mind that you can still reuse cloth diapers once another baby arrives.
Cloth Diapers Are Eco-Friendly
On average, a baby can go through 4 to 8 thousand diapers in their lives. Imagine what it can do to our environment if you are using disposable diapers. As we’ve mentioned earlier, one good thing about cloth diapers is that they are cheap, but they can be reusable.
If you imagine 4 to 8 thousand baby diapers in our environment, you could estimate around tons of diaper buildup in our dumpsite. It was estimated that USA families use almost 27.4 billion diapers each year, that’s around 3.5 million tons of diapers dumped through landfills.
Also, come to think about trees needed for making diapers, chemicals used for processing disposable diapers, and all the plastic from petroleum. If you pile those up, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Plus, you factor in the plastic packaging used, transportation of large trucks. That’s why cloth diapers are better than disposable ones. They don’t require numerous processes for them to make.
Imagine using cloth diapers for around 20 pieces, and using it time and time again. All you need for cloth diapers is proper sterilization and laundry. Plus, it is hassle-free, whereas throwing disposable diapers in the bin.
Does Not Contain Harmful Chemicals
Almost all disposable diapers use dioxin – a bleaching agent for diapers to be made. Animal studies have shown that dioxin is a contributing factor that causes nerve damage, birth defect, increased miscarriage rate, and altering of the immune system. Dioxin is even considered as a possible human carcinogen.
Another hazardous chemical in disposable diapers is Sodium Polyacrylate. They are the super-absorbent gelling materials that let your babies have a peaceful sleep. This chemical has been linked to shock syndrome and allergic reactions to the baby's skin. Plus, Sodium Polyacrylate is hazardous to pets. This type of chemical is commonly called absorbent gelling material or AGM.
Also, AGMs are linked to low sperm count among boys and increased childhood asthma among babies. Although manufactures are pointing out that these chemicals are present in their disposable diapers, but only in small doses, however, would you ever risk it? Some parents even say that disposable diapers cause diaper rush even more when compared to cloth diapers.
Helps Your Baby’s Genital Get All the Comfort They Need
It was later found that babies who wore disposable diapers have a significantly higher temperature around their genitals than a cloth diaper; a German scientist studied it.
Although it may take some time before that study is verified, scientists have suggested that prolonged use of disposable diapers is a factor why males have a significantly lower amount of sperm.
Cloth Diapers Are More Absorbent
One of the best reasons why cloth diapers are better than disposable is that it’s highly absorbent. Although this part is being opposed among parents, one thing holds when comparing diapers: absorbent.
In some cases, there are results wherein cloth diapers are more absorbent than disposable. However, you need to consider the absorbent gelling agent that is quite nasty to the baby’s skin.
Convenience
Forget about the days wherein cloth diapers are quite hard to attach to your baby as it requires safety pins that are located to specific areas to avoid puncturing your baby’s precious skin. Cloth diapers today come with Velcro snap closures that makes fitting them a whole lot easier.
Cloth diapers also come in various shapes and designs specifically for your baby’s needs. The choice is abundant all over the market today for cloth diaper design. And it’s way cheaper.
Conclusion
Regardless of what you choose, you should provide the best possible diapers for your child. However, using disposable diapers has a few caveats to show for. That’s why cloth diapers are better than disposable ones. Not only are cloth diapers cheaper by an impossible amount, but they are environment-friendly too. You get to enjoy the benefits of cloth diapers while saving our environment by minimizing diaper buildups in our landfills.