Cloth Diapers Vs Disposables - Let's Settle This Once And For All

Truth be told, the debate of cloth versus disposables is more of an economical and environmental issue than a what's-best-for-baby issue.

If you have had babies in the past, like most parents, you would have tried both and realize that none is really better than the other. While some advantages would suit, say for example, cloth over disposables, equally strong disadvantages can easily make you favor the other.

Without the environment and your budget in mind, and if you really are only truly concerned about what's best for your baby, the basic premise is this: use natural cloth on a very young child, switch to disposables when he or she gets older, switch back or switch brands if your child develops rashes, and finally switch to cloth training pants when they enter the potty training stage before they finally graduate to big boy or big girl underwear.

However, the choice is not that simple. As previously mentioned, environmental and economical factors weigh in.

The economical factor is all about which hurts your wallet the most. While the obvious answer would be disposable diapers, reusable cloth diapers present cleaning (washing) expenses that people tend to overlook. A baby goes through literally thousands of diapers in his young life which means increased spending in both water and detergents. To slightly remedy the issue, the use of diaper washing services is recommended. Diaper washing or laundering services clean diapers by bulk and waste way less water per diaper than washing them on your own.

Technically, the cost of a cloth diaper should also be an economical factor. However, due to its reusability, even if you buy the most expensive diapers available, it will simply overcome a disposable's cost with just a couple of washings-not to mention its ability to be used on subsequent children.

The good news for disposables is that they become more affordable over the years. And, If you at least have an average income, the use of disposables is still somewhat affordable. Disposables are popular among on-the-go parents because of their simplicity and ease of use.

The environmental side of things is one that is also won by cloth diapers. The burden placed by disposable diapers on landfill sites alone is much to be looked at.

Cloth diapers are not 100% environmentally friendly themselves. The use of conventional cotton heavily depends on chemicals such as insecticides. Detergents also introduce chemicals on water waste. Still, studies have shown that reusable diapers leave a much smaller carbon footprint than disposable diapers.

The good news again for disposables has much to do with advancements in technology in materials used and manufacturing. Diapers now use more biodegradable fabrics which are being substituted for plastic fastenings and linings.

When it comes to absorption, disposables have the slight upper hand. They use really effective natural and artificial fabrics that are very absorbent simply because they only have one absorbing job to do. This factor alone makes parents forget about costs because of the time they save cleaning messes.

The environmental and economical factors are won by cloth diapers. However, taking care of your baby should always come first. With some trial and error, you should easily make a solid choice based on what is best for your baby and what is good for the long run between the two diapers.

Source: http://zywchang.blogspot.com/2012/08/waterproof-diaper-covers-offer-dual.html