“Should I switch to cloth?” This question often sets in a couple of months after baby is born.  In the beginning, many parents use the small arsenal of disposable diapers they received as shower gifts, welcome baby gifts and from the hospital.  Once this supply dwindles down and parents are faced with the expensive reality of diaper changes, they often start to investigate cloth diapers.

What they often find is a bit of sticker shock. Instead of a quarter each, many quality diapers can cost upwards of $20. It doesn’t seem possible to save money with them, so families often bite the bullet and continue to purchase disposable diapers.

A closer look shows that while cloth diapers do cost more upfront, over time the savings are huge.  Many parents with babies spend about $40 a month on disposable diapers, and that is a conservative amount. Over 2 ½ years, the cost of using disposables runs about $1200. The price tag goes up for more expensive diapers or if the child potty-trains later. With another child, the buying simply starts again.

A look at the cost of cloth shows the true savings.  Using more expensive pocket diapers in three sizes (small, medium and large) costs about $1200. While this seems very close to the cost of disposables, consider that these diapers can be used for more than one child. Often, children are able to wear size medium until they train, bringing the overall cost down even more.

For bigger cost saving opportunities, prefolds and covers can cost less than $250 from birth to potty training. When using this system on more than one child, the savings are huge. One size diapers cost about $400 and can be used for most children from 10-30 pounds. Size estimates vary by brand.

With potential savings of $900-$2150, cloth diapers can make a lot of sense (and cents!).  In order to keep the savings large, it’s important to take care of cloth diapers. The better the care, the longer they’ll last. Here are some tips for getting the most out of cloth:

• Use the dryer sparingly.  Anything that has elastic is better off on a drying rack. Occasional low heat is fine, but elastic lasts longer out of the dryer.  For prefolds and inserts, the dryer isn’t going to do much to hurt them.
• Snaps last longer than Velcro.
• Sized diapers often last longer than one-size diapers. Since sized diapers are used for several months at a time, it’s easier to use them through multiple children. One-size diapers on the other hand, may go through several hundred uses over the course of one child’s diapering years. It’s possible to use them through more than one child, but expect to replace some as time goes on.

• Consider prefolds. Using prefolds at least part-time helps keep costs down. Without  elastic, Velcro and snaps, it’s easy for prefold diapers to last through multiple children.

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Michelle Rivenburg is a mom of two (cloth diapered) girls. She owns Snooty Booty Diapers and writes at Cloth Diapers Made Simple.

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