In our increasingly fragile environmental state, the decision on which diaper to use can have a dramatic impact on the environment, and your pocket book.  In a single year, Americans are estimated to use more than 27 billion diapers.  Imagine how that looks in landfills across the country.  For some, however, using cloth diapers is a real hassle and even impossible if your child is in a daycare that does not allow cloth diapers.

No All or Nothing
I firmly believe that each cloth diaper worn is a step in the right direction, and new parents should not be hassled for using disposables too.  I have had kids in diapers for the last four years, and I have never used one or the other exclusively.  Disposables are just so convenient when going on long trips, visiting, or even just for overnight use.  When we do use mainly disposables, however, our garbage output goes up amazingly.

Cloth is Easier Now
Cloth diapers these days are so much easier to use.  We use one-size pocket diapers.  These are adjustable to fit newborns to toddlers through a series of snaps.  An absorbent insert is placed into a pocket of the diaper and they are worn just like a regular diaper, fastening with either snaps or hook and loop closures.  When they are out of the laundry, we stuff the insert in, pile the diapers in a drawer and pull them out as needed.  When they are used, we throw them into a bucket with no soaking or special care and throw them in the washer when we have enough.  It really isn’t as complicated as it used to be.

So if you are on the fence about trying cloth diapers, see if you can find a few used or take advantage of a trial program through an online vendor.  You may find cloth is more enjoyable to use than you imagined.