Cloth and disposable worth it?

2-Step · June 2009

We found a really great daycare that I love, however they won't cloth diaper. That means we have to provide disposables for the 4 days per week that LO will be there. My question is, does it make sense economically to invest in cloth diapers for home? I want to CD, but I also know it's an investment to purchase all the materials and I just wonder if it will end up costing a lot more and being a hassle to do a mix of both. Anyone have experience with this or advice?

K-K-K-Katie · June 2009

we're just starting out and plan to still use disposables at night and if we travel -- at least till we are more efficient. that's why i'm trying to do the cheap CD route (prefolds, flats and covers, and only a few of the fancy AIO's etc). the problem i think you might run into is washing... you still need to wash every couple of days to avoid stink, so if you don't have a full laundry load, it would waste more water. (maybe you can mix them with baby clothes though???)

SarahSmile907 · June 2009

Absolutely I think that you could CD at home in the evenings and 3 full days a week. I would think going with cheap prefolds and covers for NB stage and switching to OS pockets or AIO so you will only purchase once. especially if you're planning to have more children. Did you show the daycare a pocket or AIO? It really shouldn't be ANY more difficult for them, just putting the used dipe in your wetbag instead of tossing. Don't take no easily.

GL!

proudarmywife08 · June 2009

We use cloth and DD's daycare will only do sposies as well. She is going to start going part time during the week to give me a break while DH is gone. Its a pain but go with cheaper sposies that work well. I like the Target brand Up & Up a lot...way better than pampers and luvs for sure.

sunset814 · June 2009

I'm in the same situation and was with my older one too. It's not really a hassle. Send the disposables to daycare and use the cloth nights and weekends. However it does not make sense economically. I do it because I like to. If you can afford it and you enjoy it, go ahead and do the cloth diapers. If it's about the money it won't be worth it. Of course I am talking about pockets and AIO. Plain ones though, not the really nice cute ones I've seen on here. Maybe you could make it work moneywise by using cheaper CD?

Sunny1inTucson · June 2009

What was their reasoning behind the "no" ? I would take in an AIO or pocket style diaper and show them it absolutely is no more work than a disposable. They simply put the diaper in your wetbag instead of the trash.

danaann78 · June 2009

I would also look into your state's regulations regarding cloth diapers. Most state regs allow for CDing in daycare. As long as you have the regs on your side they really can't refuse you. If your state regs do not allow CDing in daycare, then you have no choice but to use sposies or find a private sitter that will use CDs. GL.

KatieLG04 · June 2009

We are still using disposables at daycare 4 days a week and it is definitely worth it. I only spend $25 on diapers every 2.5-3 months when I buy a big case at BJ's. I know it would be much more than that to use them full time. In my case daycare was sort of willing to try them, but I had been given diapers from family members so it wasn't an issue. I just bought my first box of diapers since last June and figured out it will only be about $2 a week, so it almost makes doing the extra load of wash and dealing with old poopy diapers at the end of the day not worth it to me. His diapers right now are super gross due to solids too so that is part of how I justify not wanting to deal with them later. Good luck

Printergirl · June 2009

We CD part time and are in sposies the rest. Daycare will use them but I don't have enough (or enough time) at this point to do it more than 2x a week and then nights/weekends. I haven't calculated what I've spent so far on dipes but I think in the long run (ie: next baby and resale) I will be ahead with the cloth. I HATE buying sposies bc I feel like I am throwing money away.

My other motivator is that even with a new baby our trash can is less full than most of my neighbor's.

JnJ04 · June 2009

My DD is in daycare 5 days a week and we use cloth at home and disposables at daycare. It makes the "break even" point take a little longer but if you're starting from birth, you will probably still see some economic benefit in the end.

mrsmikey · June 2009

DS is in daycare full time, and he wears sposies there. Even though there are no state regulations against it, a center can refuse to CD if they don't want to. There's no law saying they can't, but there's also no law saying they have to either. Our center said absolutely not, even after I took in a BG to show them. So it was either sposie or find another center.

Now that I've said that, it's really not any cheaper. I figure for DS we'll break even. But, since we can use the same CDs for baby #2 one day, then we'll start saving. But like a pp said, I do it because I like it, and I figure it's at least that many fewer sposies in the landfill. But we buy Pampers, so if you bought generic you probably would come out on top eventually. And it's really not any more trouble, as far as laundry and keeping up with both. I just buy a big box every month or so and take the whole thing into daycare and leave it there, except a handful at home to put on him in the morning.

MrsAHoffman · June 2009

While it might be cost effective if you mixed the use of disposables at daycare and inexpensive cloth like prefolds at home, I don't see that really being convenient. For night time you would probably want pockets or fitteds & wool. And on weekends you will want something that you can use when you're out and about or that dad/ a sitter can use easily.?

Like pp said, do it if you're committed to cloth. But if you're looking to save money, you might be better off sticking with disposables. ?

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