1. Cloth diapers are too expensive!
FALSE. Unlike disposable diapers, cloth diapers only need to be purchased once and they’ll last through one, two, or even more children. Without the ongoing expense of disposable diapers, that investment will pay for itself pretty quickly. It’s true that the initial cost may be harder to budget for, but you can trial if cloth diapering will work for you by beginning with fewer diapers. We offer both 4 & 7 packs to help slowly transition into cloth diapering.
2. Cloth diapers are complicated and inconvenient.
FALSE. Modern cloth diapers have come a long way from the big squares of cloth, pins, and plastic pants of your grandmother’s generation. Depending on the style you choose, some of them are virtually indistinguishable from disposable diapers. And need we mention, they’re so much cuter!
3. Daycares won’t let you use cloth diapers.
IT DEPENDS. It’s true that some daycare providers may not, but many do, and there are definitely ways to make cloth diapering daycare-friendly. Easy one-step diapers, wet bags, and a little bit of advocacy can win over a nervous daycare provider. There’s no harm in trying! We’ve also shared some advice on making the case for cloth diapers outside the home. Even if your daycare provider refuses to use cloth, that doesn’t mean you can’t cloth diaper the rest of the time. Which leads us to myth #4.
4. You have to choose between cloth or disposable diapers.
FALSE. Cloth diapering doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Many choose to use both cloth and disposables. Some may prefer to use disposables at night, or in daycare, or when travelling, or when mom is sick. Every time you use a cloth diaper over a disposable, you’re doing your part to keep a plastic and paper diaper out of the landfill.
5. You can’t use mainstream detergent.
FALSE. You don't need any fancy detergent. Use what you use already! Tide? Okay! Gain? Okay! Arm and hammer? Purex? No problem! They are all okay and cloth diaper safe! You can use mostly anything that you can buy at the grocery store, as long as it doesn’t have fabric softener in it (which *can* build up in multi layers of fabric) you can use! If you want to be extra sure we often reference fluff universities detergent index, which is tried, tested and true!
6. Bleach will eat away at my diapers.
FALSE. While this may be true if you are using it every day, every wash, or soaking your diapers in it often. However, the occasional (and I stress occasional) time you may need to use bleach should not cause any harm. The good news is, with a perfect wash routine setting you should never really have to bleach unless: you buy used diapers, or you happen to have a yeast rash or some other sort of fungal infection in the diaper region. It’s never something that should be used all the time or something that you rely on for getting your diapers clean. While we don’t suggest using it all the time, bleach can definitely be your best friend in some situations.
7. Cloth diapers aren’t really environmentally friendly.
FALSE. I’ve heard some people question whether cloth diapering is actually worse for the environment than disposable diapers. They claim that the additional water and energy needed to wash and dry cloth diapers creates a larger carbon footprint than the resources needed to produce, transport, and dispose of paper diapers.
While it’s true that both cloth diapers and disposables have a negative impact on the environment, high efficiency washing machines and dryers have dramatically reduced the water and electricity needed for diaper laundry. When you calculate the amount of raw materials involved in manufacturing 6000 or more disposable diapers from birth to potty training, and the sheer amount of trash that will sit in a landfill for 500+ years, cloth is the clear winner.
8. Vinegar is natures’ cure for everything!
FALSE. While vinegar can definitely be useful in a laundry setting, it’s not always the answer. According to the CDC and the EPA vinegar is not a registered disinfectant. Which means it cannot disinfect your diapers. However, like I said, vinegar can be useful on occasions. When battling extremely soft water, vinegar can be used in the rinse as a fabric softener, and to combat stubborn detergent bubbles to ensure a clean rinse. It can also be used in hard water as a fabric softener, as long as the water conditions allow. Vinegar should never be used in water that is already acidic, so it’s really important that you test your water and have the pH balance known. Typically if your water is around 9 on the pH scale, vinegar is fine to use. Using vinegar in already acidic water can eat away at your elastics causing premature relaxing.
9. PUL covers can’t be dried in the dryer!
FALSE. Typical dryers in the United States heat to around 120F. This lower temperature compensates for the thinner layer of PUL, and makes it perfectly harmless. The only real thing you need to watch out for while using the dryer with your diapers, is to let them cool before you stretch, fold, or pull on the elastics. Pulling on warm elastics can cause them to relax prematurely.
10. Cloth diapers can lead to diaper rash.
FALSE. Cloth diapers actually often help prevent diaper rash. The difference between cloth and disposables is that in cloth, your baby will feel when they are wet whereas the chemicals in disposable diapers mask the feeling of being wet and your baby will not know they are sitting in pee or poo. While wearing cloth diapers, your baby will let you know when they need to be changed which greatly reduces the incidence of diaper rash. Diaper rash commonly occurs when babies bottoms are exposed to wet, dirty and un-breathable conditions for long periods of time. Our cloth diapers are soft, comfortable and breathable near your baby’s skin.
Resources:
9 Common Myths About Cloth Diapers
