1. The CUTE factor!!  If you’ve been out of the ‘cloth diaper loop’ for a few years, you may not even recognize them. Modern cloth diapers are trim, easy to use, and come in a wide array of colors and styles. Who can say that about their disposable diapers!

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2. More economical.  Disposable diapers are extremely expensive when you consider a 2-3 year diapering period. You can easily cloth diaper one child for 3 years for as little as $400!! That’s a savings of over $1600 considering the average family spends well over $2000 in disposable diapers over 3 years.¹ These savings could be doubled if you use the same cloth diapers on a second child. Additionally, your used cloth diapers may be resold for as much as 60% of their original cost on websites like Diaperswappers! Try doing that with your used disposables!

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3.  Better for baby.  Disposable diapers contain trace amounts of Dioxin - banned in most countries (but not the US) and listed by the EPA as one of the most toxic poisons known, with a cancer risk as high as one in 100!²  They also contain: chemicals, TBT tributyl tin, perfumes and dyes, that are all harmful to your baby. Disposable diapers contain Sodium Polyacrylate (the small crystals used to absorb and hold in moisture). This substance was removed from tampons because of its link to Toxic Shock Syndrome!!³ Considering we have such great alternatives today, why take the risk?

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4. Better for the environment.  In the United States, 570 disposable diapers are thrown away every second!⁴ That’s 49 million diapers per day… Gross! Disposable diapers create 1 ton of garbage per year per child.  It is estimated to take 250-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.⁵ Cloth diapers are the obvious answer, even when considering the amount of energy and water used to make and wash them. An updated report by the UK Environment Agency confirms that reusable cloth diapers, if used and laundered according to manufacturer’s guidelines, can cause up to 40% less damage to the environment than disposable diapers!⁶

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5. CONVENIENT!  It’s much easier to toss your cloth diapers in the washing machine than it is to load your baby in the car and drive to the store to pick up a package of disposable diapers! No more late night emergency trips to the store!! And with all the innovative cloth diapering accessories available today, using cloth diapers is EASY and CONVENIENT even when you’re ‘out and about!’

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6. More reliable than disposables. Is there anything worse than a blowout? Disposable diapers are notorious for leaks of all kinds! Correctly fitted cloth diapers are much better at containing leaks and keeping messes in the diaper and off your baby’s clothes.

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7. More comfortable for baby. Think about it. Would you rather wear paper or cotton? I don’t think anyone enjoys those paper gowns they make you wear at the doctor’s office! Why would your baby think any different? And babies who wear cloth diapers tend to have less diaper rash than those in disposables.

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8. FUN!  That’s right, cloth diapering is fun! With all the choices in styles, fabrics, and colors, building your cloth diaper stash is a great way to indulge your shop-a-holic side and STILL save money!! And now that there are no pins, plastic pants, or dunking involved, cloth diapering really can be easy and fun for Moms and Dads, Grandparents, Babysitters, ANYONE!

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9. Potty train earlier.  Children in cloth diapers tend to potty learn faster than children in disposable diapers. It is easier for them to feel when they are wet.   Yea for changing less diapers!

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10. Did I mention how CUTE cloth diapers are? Modern Moms (and Dads) love showing off their cloth diapered babies, including famous celebrities like Dave Matthews, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Matthew McConaughey, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Denise Richards, and Brad Paisley!⁷ 

Choose cloth -- Make a statement!!

¹Calculation based on Mothering Magazine’s estimate that the average child goes through 8000 diaper changes before potty learning times an average of $.25 per diaper = $2000.

² Greenpeace. The Real Cancer Cure: A Dioxin Prevention Plan. June 12, 2000.

³Diffin, Elizabeth. Cloth diapers benefit baby health and the environment, advocates say. Medill Reports Chicago. April 30, 2009.

⁴Clean Air Council. Waste Facts and Figures. http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html

⁵ Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. April 2003. Women's Environmental Network

⁶ Priesnitz, Wendy. Ask Natural Life: Cloth or Single-Use Diapers?. Natural Life Magazine. September/October 2009.

⁷ Peters, Holly. Hollywood Celebrities Use Cloth Diapers / Nappies. Associated Content. May 19, 2009.