Cloth vs Disposable Nappies

Cloth vs Disposable Nappies

In recent years there has been a heated debate about nappies. Some say that cloth nappies are the best way to go. Others argue that they would use nothing but disposable nappies on their child, that cloth is ridiculous. So, who is right? I believe it depends on the person and their preferences. For one to really make the best decision, however, a little research would bring the best results.

To start everyone out, here is a little taste of the pros and cons of each method.

Disposables are the nappies for the convenience minded parent. They are readily accessible and can be found in every supermarket. Today’s disposables are also made with space age materials that keep the little one dry and absorb more than their weight. One aspect that parents are especially fond of is that disposables are, yes, disposable. They can be tossed in with the normal trash.
Unfortunately, due one of these very same factors, disposables are also left on the little one longer than they should be. Moisture kept against the skin causes a rash, or nappie rash in this case. It may also lead to yeast infections, some of which may spread over the infant’s entire body. They also contain harmful chemicals. One chemical--Sodium polyacrylate--was banned from tampons when it was found to cause toxic shock syndrome.

With proper use, disposables can prevent nappy rash. The nappy must be changed more often than the package claims in order to prevent rash. Some companies claim that their nappies will last 12 hours. This is not good for the baby. Nappies should be changed closer to every four hours depending on how often the baby wets his or her nappy.

It’s not hard to explain how disposables are an expensive method. A newborn goes through many nappies a week, about 60-70 a week to start. Huggies sells a package of 40 newborn nappies for AU$29.99. This adds up to about AU$40 a week or AU$179.94 a month.

Cloth nappies are great for the environmentally minded parent on a budget. Todays cloth nappies are not the nappies of our grandmother’s days. Today’s cloth nappies are made to be easier to use and more comfortable for the baby. Pocket style nappies have a layer on the inside that wicks moisture away from the skin into an inner soaker, usually made of some form of terry cloth. This helps prevent nappy rash in most cases when used properly. Back before disposables existed nappy rash was almost unheard of. This was when only pre-folded cloth nappies were available.

Up front there is a high price for cloth nappies. Due to the time it takes to contruct one and the type of materials they are made out of, they are not cheap. However, the price paid for these nappies is a one time cost. The only other cost involved in using this method is the cost of the water and detergent to wash them in. The price per nappy is around AU$28 as an average for the nicer pocket style nappies. Pre-folds and other styles may be much cheaper.

Commonly thought to be a downside to cloth nappies, cloth needs to be washed. If one was to think about it, though, an infants clothing also needs to be washed. There is no such thing as disposable clothing. Cloth nappies are washed much like any other load of laundry. The only exception is that bleach and fabric softeners can not be used. They can be dried in the dryer or by hanging out on a line to dry in the sunshine.

So now it is up to you to make the decision of what type of nappy to use on your child. Here below I have added a chart to summarize the pros and cons I have mentioned above.