Why Cloth Diapers?

I don't know about you- but I've been asked this question many times by mothers, friends, and family members who think I've gone insane when they see my little one's fluffy bottom.

I would love to look at them surprised, and say "why not?", but I don't, because I've realized that some people really don't know.

Most people don't know the facts or the good things about using cloth- and I'm sure the first thing that comes to their mind is pre folds, diaper pins with plastic pull up covers, and of course, poop. 
So, let's take a breather before we begin ranting and just naming out reasons, and lets really educate them on the Why's. You never know, you could change someone's entire way of living by taking the time to educate them, like many of ours has been changed!

The Environment
Cloth diapers are better for the environment. I know, I've heard people say that there is not a difference because of the energy and water we use washing the diapers, verse theirs sitting in a landfill forever. Even though we do use more water & energy, it takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone! Even the biodegradable diapers they have now are not all that degradable. Those diapers have to be exposed to air & sun in order to properly degrade, and well...it's pretty hard for that to happen when being covered by millions of pieces of trash and dirt. Which means it can take even the "biodegradable" diapers hundreds of years to decompose. And really, the amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is comparable to the amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week.

Skin and Health
I don't think people realize that disposable diapers are chemicals, plastic, and dyes. I didn't before researching cloth diapers. Really, how can you say that it's good for your baby to use the bathroom and sit in a bunch of chemicals? The Consumer Protection Agency reported disposables to include chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin.  Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby. YIKES. I bet if you told any mom that, she would seriously consider cloth, I would hope.

Cost
This is one of the major reasons why we cloth diaper. It is cheaper, by far! Yes- even after you add the extra water and electric! I mean c'mon, you can get a complete cloth diapering kit by Econobum for $97! Add some detergent and pail liner for the basics, and your done for less than $140. With a baby, you will have spent that much in disposables in about two months, money right in the trash, literally. That's not even using the "top of the line" disposables. Use one of the many cloth diaper calculators here to find out how much you are, or can be, saving by using cloth diapers. It is so nice to be saving that money, or spending it on something else! :)

C-U-T-E-N-E-S-S
Face it, fluffy bums are CUTE! The colors and prints are CUTE! Even pre folds are CUTE!  The styles are CUTE! They are soft and fluffy. They are bright, or light. They can match what my baby is wearing. The accessories you can buy are CUTE!

To sum it up (this is not even ALL of the reasons, just the major), cloth diapering just ROCKS! The pro's out-way the con's drastically! Try to keep some of this in mind when someone looks at you like your crazy and ask's "why in the world you would put your poor baby in cloth?". Oh, we have plenty of great reasons :)

By Shay P.