It's been two months since we started to exclusively use cloth diaper and also two months since I got addicted to it. Zohan is 3 months now. :)
When you are on your maternity leave and 24/7 with your baby, the only leisure time you'll likely have is either watch TV or browse with your mobile phone. In my case, I just keep on surfing the net. When I knew about "cloth diapers", I kept on browsing forums/reviews, FB groups and can't stop looking in different online shops. Cloth Diaper isn't really something new because our grandparents or even our parents may have used lampins as diapers. It's just this is the modern version of those.
In this blog, I will be sharing what cloth diapers are, its advantages, why it's addicting and how we wash and dry them.
There are different types of cloth diapers in the market. The common types are pockets, All-in-One and covers. They also come in snaps, hook and loop and Velcro closure system. And the same with the disposable diaper, they have an absorbent layer.
Pockets have a whole on either end which serves as a pocket for the absorbent material known as the insert.
All In One (AIO) is a ready to wear diaper since no stuffing is needed. The soaker or the absorbent material is directly stitched in to the waterproof cover.
Covers are referred to as the shells, they can be "wipeable" and therefore reusable. You just have to put the absorbent material on top then change it when it's soiled and reuse the cover.
The absorbent material known as insert/soaker/booster come in different types depending on the material it is made of. Some are made of bamboo charcoal, microfiber, hemp, cotton terry and many more.
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| Different Inserts |
When I first tried it, I just bought 6 pcs only. In order to try and test them, whether it will be working well with Zohan or not. After a few days of observation, he seems to be comfortable and did not experience any rashes issue. So I bought another set again. Tingin tingin na naman online. HAHA :D
And there, my addiction started, I bought again another set. The prints are so lovely. But I have an a valid reason for that though ;) I need to have at least 15-20 cloth diapers to sustain using them. On the average, babies less than 3 months uses 7-10 diapers a day. In Zohan's case, around 10 diapers a day and we usually wash in the next morning after a whole day of use. But if it's poop, we immediately wash it. That is why we needed more for rotation.
So how much does a cloth diaper cost? The cheapest is around 100 pesos and ranges to 2000 pesos O_O depending on the brand. There are lots of brands in the market and there are even locally made by WAHMS.
Here are some of the reasons why I decided to use CD's.
- It's more gentle on baby's bum since it's made of cloth
- A lot of cute designs, variety of prints and colors
- More environment-friendly since it's reusable
- Adjustable which means they can fit until Zohan becomes a toddler
- Cheaper in the long run
Now, let's try to compare the cost of cloth and disposable diapers. Of course if you want to save, then choose a cheaper brand.
Month
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Average # of Nappies Used/Day
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Cost of 1 Disposable Diaper
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Cost of Disposable Diaper/Day (Php)
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Cost of
Disposable Diaper/Month (Php)
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0-3 Months
|
10
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7
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10*7= 70
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70*30= 2,100
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4-8
Months
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8
|
8
|
8*8= 64
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64*30= 1,920
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9
Months & above
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6
|
10
|
6*10= 60
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60*30= 1,800
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| Note: Figures used above are just my estimates. | ||||
So in 1 year of use, it would cost 23,100 pesos! Now, if you have 20 pcs cloth diapers which cost 200 pesos each, then you'll spend 4,000 pesos only for 1 year and even beyond. But of course, the water and detergent used is not yet taken into account. But still, I don't think those would cost you 20,000.
Let me share my humble diaper stash, which are composed of Alva and Ecopwet prints and Booldeet solids. They are all pocket types with snap system.
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| Alva first set with bamboo charcoal inserts |
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| Alva second set with one double gusset |
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| Ecopwet set except the middle one and black at the bottom |
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| Booldeet solids with 4-layer microfiber |
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| Single VS Double Gusset |
I chose to try Alva baby brand first because of its good reviews and it's also one of the cheapest brand. It costs around 200 to 400 pesos depending on the design. After Alva, I tried Ecopwet for the sake of comparison. Then next was Booldeet. Their outer lining is made of PUL (Polyurethane Laminate),which is waterproof, while the inner is made of suede, which wicks moisture away from baby's skin. There are lots of brands out there, you may check out the facebook group Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays to know more.
Let me give my review of these cloth diapers in terms of the criteria below.
5 as the highest, 1 as the lowest.
- Fit
- Fast to dry
- Absorbency
- Stain Removal
BRANDS
Alva
- Fit - 4
- Fast to dry-5 (around 2 hours of drying under direct sunlight)
- Absorbency-5
- Stain Removal-4
Ecopwet
- Fit - 5
- Fast to dry - 5
- Absorbency - 5
- Stain Removal - 4
Booldeet
Haven't used yet. I'll update this review once we have tried them.
INSERTS
Bamboo Charcoal
- Fast to dry- 4 (takes around 5 hours under direct sunlight)
- Absorbency- 4
- Stain Removal- 4
Microfiber
- Fast to dry- 2 (takes around 8 hours under direct sunlight)
- Absorbency- 3 (since only 3 layers, can absorb less)
- Stain Removal- 2 (poop stains are hard to remove)
Zorb
Known as a booster because it's very thin but very absorbent. Haven't tried yet.
Every after use when there is no poop, we just put them in the laundry bag together. Then the next morning, they are being hand washed. The shells are separated with the inserts when washing. First, soak with water. Squeeze. Then soak in water with detergent. We use cycles. You may use any detergent without fabric conditioners like Downy, because they said it will affect the absorbency of the inner lining. Then, wash. When there is direct sunlight we don't spin them but since we are now back to the condo unit, we needed to spin them in the washing machine or else we'll wait a "lifetime" for them to dry. Whenever there's poop, we wash them immediately. First use water with pressure to remove it like bidet. When it has been removed, soak in water with detergent then hand wash.
As to what brand and type to choose, will depend on what works for you and your baby. If you want to save then stick to cheaper brands with good reviews like Alva, Sunbaby, Babyland, Quigle Bum, Earthbaby, Ecopwet and Booldeet to name a few. So far it has worked well for us. No wild leaks yet. Only experienced leakage when it's full and I haven't changed it right away. The secret is just a nice fit and a trustworthy insert. If you simply love them with no budget restrictions, then there are more expensive brands like Bum Genius, Charlie Banana, Prim N' Proper and Cottony Tail. Choose the brand where your baby is comfortable and where your budget is too. I suggest you try different type and brands first before fully investing. Do your research and may join the MCNP group for more information.
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| Zohan in his cloth diapers |
As for my addiction, it has passed already ;)
