Cloth Diaper Versus Disposables?

[cushytoosh]

I'll be up front and will tell you that I own CushytOOsh Cloth Diaper CO where we sew both baby and adult cloth diapers. We, meaning, a great group of Menonite/Amish ladies that I know.

My question is what percentage of those who wear incontinence products use disposables vs. cloth??

I'm sold on Cloth Diapers but what would be helpful in helping the disposable wearers make the

leap of faith?? You've probably heard this all before but you'll save at least $2,000 per year,

reduce the 25 BILLION Disposable Diapers making it into the LANDFILL every year and yohou'll be

healthier. (Leaking of polyacrylamides) Put a piece of garlic on your toe and you'll taste it in

about 2 minutes. (They say that the acrylamides don't leach into the skin).

Anyhow, I'd love to hear your input!! Check out our website, we offer Ab/dl prints and colors.

We are also adding Birdseye Cloth Diapers very soon. Mention Daily Diapers and you'll receive

20% off for making the journey!! Susie

[froggy]

I wear for fun and mostly wear cloth diapers. I was originally a cloth baby and continue to prefer to like the feel of cloth over disposables. I will concede the ease of use with disposables when traveling, like to baby camp. I will take a look at the site.

wribbit

[redneck diaper boy]

I have been sleeping in diapers for most of my life.

I had serious medical issues in the 1970's. At that time, the disposable products were really bad.

I have tried to use many disposables. Molicare, Abena and Secures (all premium adult diapers) left my bed wet.

This may not be the case for everyone but heavy gauze or birdseye diapers, combined with plastic overpants, work for me.

If I travel alone, I use disposables and carry a bed pad with me. If my wife goes with me, she brings the cloth diapers. I have seen her wash diapers in hotel laundramats.

I don't need to wear daytime diapers unless I don't know where the rest rooms are. The last traveling I did was to the Sept 2009 DC Tea Party. I wore a Molicare while marching down Pennsylvania Ave. Standing up, the Molicare kept me dry.

[Angela Bauer]

Welcome to the Incontinence-Medical forum of Daily Diapers, Cushytoosh,

I follow this particular forum because I am profoundly urinary incontinent.

Since 1990 I have freely discussed that I use AB play as my coping strategy. However, a whole lot of incontinent adults do not want decorated diapers, disposable or cloth.

I need to earn a living, so when away from my home I am a responsible incontinent adult. I wear the most discreet disposable products under appropriate clothing.

At night for bed at home, I wear pinned cotton gauze diapers inside vinyl panties. Often to extend the capacity of my gauze night diaper I fold in a disposable pad, which I make by cutting away the wings of a Pampers DryMax Cruiser.

Your post makes some serious claims in favor of cloth diapers. Could you provide us with some source for that information? When you compare the cost of cloth vs disposable adult diapers, how did you calculate the value of the washing equipment and the time of the person doing the washing? Are we to assume once the cloth diapers are purchased there is no cost associated with their use? Does the average incontinent adult spend USA$2,000 a year more on disposables than on cloth diapers, waterproof pants and the washing of those products?

By way of full disclosure, I own no stock in any disposable or cloth diaper manufacturer.

[Dougie]

Recently becoming incontinent (a bit over a year ago) I have spent about $1580 in the last year, according to my records, on disposable diapers. I am changing to cloth for nights and at home.

[KittenAB]

You won't sell me on cloth, ever. For one it's very inefficient and I love efficiency. Two ... it's short term costs that are important for those on fixed incomes, and I mean utterly fixed, I'd have to give up internet (my primary source of ... well everything) for about 6 months just to afford enough cloth diaper supplies to make it through a week, and that's not counting wear and tear. Seriously, $20 for one piece of cloth is too much, then another $30 for s decent pair of plastic coverings.

[froggy]

I looked at the site and would love better descriptions of the product. Some of the prints are really cute.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Disposables just do not feel rgiht> I do not trust them and only use them reluctantly.

In terms of efficiency: Bang for the buck. figure the costs on a per unit basis over time. How long will a dozen cloth diapers last and how long a dozen disposables? Given that What costs more replacing the whole diaper 50 times or buying once and washing as part of a group with several others? Do the math.

Who wants to futz around with 4 to 6 tapes that can let go at the worst time? One or two pins stuck in properly will stay in

I am also told that making disposables involves processes that are carcinogenic and that small amounts of this remain on the diaper, which build up over time. This according the A. C. Medical

Then there is the matter of waste and disposal. When used, the diaper has to go somewhere and take up space. This is true every time you use one. With cloth, the only per unit waste is the water to wash thme. Beyond that. You are told to rinse pampers well after using them to get all the stuff that you put in them out of them. so you are still using water in good amounts. Most disposable users do not do this so I am told by landlords who see and smell the unwashed diapers in the trash which attracts roving dogs who go after them and spread the mess around: this may account for the greater number of incidents of coloform-related boil-water alerts we have had over the last three decades.

The many times over expense, disposal and waste and increased risk of disease hardly spell efficiency to me. Most if it is just dumping your probem off on someone else.

[cushytoosh]

Wow I am impressed!! Keep posting because I love hearing the different takes on cloth vs no cloth!

We are in the final stages of our web site and are doing the fine tuning so be sure and check back.

I've been fortunate to have a couple people that have helped us perfect our diapers according to

their incontinent needs. I know everyone is different but for the most part I think we have everyone

covered Sincerely, thanks! Susie

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

I wonder if adult diapers and rubber (plastic) panties are not overpriced. By and large, one adult diaper casts as much as a dozen baby diapers. panties, about 4 to one (except for the politically correct non-plastic baby panties, then it is about 1-1/2 to 1). From 1 dozen baby diapers, I can make 3 adutl diapers

Something I almost forgot. In 1988, a RI state social worker told me outright that she was appalled at her clients using disposables on account of the waste of money and disposal problems. Most of what goes in a diaper would be hazardous material

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

There is also another thing to consider: Who used what? Nobody could match the Depression era folks for being frugal. Those who lived through the Depression, either as children or adults kept an eye on the money. That means pre-baby-boomers Disposables had been around since the 1940's but were only used for special purposes. The first to make wholesale use of disposables as the primary diaper were those born After the Depression and this came about in the late 1960's "go-go" era of prosperity. By the economic hard times of the '70's, some did shift back, most either did not get it, were too busy with both parents working (Women, out of whom the real world of trying to have it all knocked the liberal Feminism that they got in college, complained that they were getting stressed out over working just to pay for day-care and diapers and to support the Political habit and not getting ahead) or just did not get it. Then in the 1980's and 90's times were good and they spent like drunken sailros, plus came the credit card and you see what that has gotten us. Also landfills are getting hard to come by. And as we discussed elsewhere.

Disposables have a single use, cloth diapers can multi-task

For sure, I am using the parenting model but the same principles apply and the Depression era parents of the 40's and 50's were abled to use cloth diapers and rubber panties with 3 or 4 babies and often give them to new parents. The rubber panties I wore as an infant in 1948 at going on 3 turned up on my sister in 1950 and on my cousin's doll in 1954 soemwhat the worse for wear, the elastics were a bit shot and the material was a bit stiff but the doll did not seem to mind

[Bettypooh]

....My question is what percentage of those who wear incontinence products use disposables vs. cloth?? I'm sold on Cloth Diapers but what would be helpful in helping the disposable wearers make the leap of faith??....

I wear both based on the biggest need Disposables are more discreet and convenient- my daily wear but cloth are cheaper in the long run and have great absorbency- plus I prefer cloth diapers With my minor leakage issues store brand disposables are my in-the-real-world choice; affordable for daily wear (and in my context actually cheaper than wearing cloth) and more discreet At home and for bed I wear cloth since I can hide them with more casual clothing The "which is best" debate will go on with no single answer; to each their own for their own reasons So far there is only one area where cloth diapers are unarguably superior; side-sleepers are much better protected with cloth I sew my own cloth diapers as an economy measure, and though the savings are small that matters here.

About the only way I see to get more people to try cloth diapers would be to lower the cost, and that seems impossible If you had a no-profit introductory offer more would try cloth diapers; but business doesn't allow that to happen and human nature would prevail with everyone pleading for the introductory deal over and over using different names just to save money Were it possible to make reusable SAP's that dried efficiently and a longer lasting cover than the current PUL for discretion purposes you would likely gain some customers but it's kind of outside of your bailiwick Maybe a cloth pocket diaper with an affordable disposable insert is the answer the world is waiting for I don't know really; it seems that in the long run those who wear for need do try most options and stick with the one(s) which work best for them It seems that the best you'll be able to do is keep the cost low enough and the quality high enough to strike the best balance for the overall market and you're probably aiming for that now Having a variety to choose from also helps the buyer though it increases the cost for the manufacturer. I guess the best you can do is keep on doing what sells best for you and give new ideas a try if they seem like a good idea. And if you can beat my cost you will have another low-volume customer when my stock wears out

Bettypooh

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Given the greater absorbancy of cloth, it would probably be possible to make something discreet for minor incon. Comco does pretty well and A.C Medical sells stretch latex panties. I need to start looking myself as I am havint "that problem" that goes with the age. very minor but annoying

[johnstone0822]

Given the greater absorbancy of cloth, it would probably be possible to make something discreet for minor incon. Comco does pretty well and A.C Medical sells stretch latex panties. I need to start looking myself as I am havint "that problem" that goes with the age. very minor but annoying

Like others here I also wear for need. I am active and mobile so during the day if I'm going to be out and about, I like to wear a "quality" disposable. However, for night I like Birdeye cloth the best. I don't recall having any leaks at night with good quality cloth diapers. The up front cost of buy cloth diapers is not cheap, but good quality cloth diapers do last.

[Repaid1]

I'll be up front and will tell you that I own CushytOOsh Cloth Diaper CO where we sew both baby and adult cloth diapers. We, meaning, a great group of Menonite/Amish ladies that I know.

My question is what percentage of those who wear incontinence products use disposables vs. cloth??

I'm sold on Cloth Diapers but what would be helpful in helping the disposable wearers make the

leap of faith?? You've probably heard this all before but you'll save at least $2,000 per year,

reduce the 25 BILLION Disposable Diapers making it into the LANDFILL every year and yohou'll be

healthier. (Leaking of polyacrylamides) Put a piece of garlic on your toe and you'll taste it in

about 2 minutes. (They say that the acrylamides don't leach into the skin).

Anyhow, I'd love to hear your input!! Check out our website, we offer Ab/dl prints and colors.

We are also adding Birdseye Cloth Diapers very soon. Mention Daily Diapers and you'll receive

20% off for making the journey!! Susie

Just so you know: http://www.dailydiap...webmasters.html

I also had a hard time finding the sizing guide on your site, I then found it under styles..so that was cool!

[ThomasInWVa]

Mostly I wear cloth diapers with velcro enclosures. The main problem with cloth is that I MUST change at least once during the workday. Cotton cloth can only hold so much before I must change. This can be a challenge when you have to use a port-a-pot to change in and then you need to take the wet diaper home. The other annoyance with my cloth diapers are the velcro tabs. I had to by my own velcro pieces to use on the hook portion while doing laundry or else the diaper will knot togehter and the velcro picks up every bit of lint.

Cloth does work well at night if you have enough of it and wear it properly. The up-front costs are an issue. You may want to show disposable wearers a plan to switch over to cloth. Figure out a managable way to afford cloth. I had to ramp up to using cloth by bying "sets" of cloth diapers. Start with one set of nightime cloth and 1 plast pant washing every day. Then adding a second night and then another set for evening eventually getting more sets for daytime wear. I now have enough cloth diapers to go as much as 3 days between washing with 2-3 changes per workday, one in the evening and one before bed. That is a lot of diapers of different thicknesses and a bunch of plastic pants. You can also provide information on the best way to wash cloth diapers. It is not as simple as tossing them in the washer and then the dryer. At a minimum, it takes at least 2 complete wash cycles. The first to wash with how water and the second complete wash as a rinse with cold water. Thicker diaper take more time washing and drying.

For serious cloth users, all white diapers are the only way to go. They need to be bleached and washed as easy as possible. I have no idea how anyone can properly clean a printed to colored diaper.

You can also suggest to users to find a local laundromat that will properly wash adult diapers.

[AutieAB]

yohou'll be healthier. (Leaking of polyacrylamides)

Can you tell me which disposable diapers contain polyacrylamide? I think you mean sodium polyacrylate (aka SAP), which is rather different.

Sorry but I just don't buy the whole 'cloth is better, cloth is cheaper, cloth is greener' story. For a start, as KittenAB pointed out, the initial outlay is huge. To go 24/7 cloth, assuming four diapers per day with a couple of stuffers for the overnight diaper, and enough to last 3 days between laundry runs, that's an outlay of $515 (12 diapers, 6 stuffers, using your site's prices). Plastic pants ($30+ per pair for good ones) would likely be needed for overnight too. That's a problem and a really large amount of money for most people. Of course, at that level of intensive use, they're going to start to wear out and will likely need replacing... I'd be amazed if even the best made, highest quality cloth diaper lasted a year on a 3-day wash/wear cycle.

Next you have to include the cost (economic, environmental, time and effort) of the vast amount of electricity, water and detergents (which aren't exactly what you'd call environmentally friendly!) required to clean them, especially if you use them exclusively. You can probably double the electric cost if you use a drier. Of course regularly running heavy loads of diapers will add to the strain on the machine over time too...

People say that cloth diaper babies train sooner. That may be true, I don't know, but it's not relevant to people on this site who are either wearing them because they have to or because they want to.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of cloth diapers and own a fair few and the ones on your site look nice but I really don't believe the hype that they're better than disposables. That's not to say disposables are all innocent, they're not! They're both as good/bad as each other, it's just that the costs and impacts are in different places.

[KittenAB]

I did forget to mention convenience. I'm active, and carrying soiled diapers with me is simply impossible, meaning I would have to buy both anyhow.

[Guest YkDave]

I like it both ways

I have both cloth and disp. Both have their ups and downs for me. Disposables are quick and easy, more 'natural' to me, and all around i like them better.

But the cloth diapers do have their bonuses. Yes of course initial cost is higher, but 'maintenance' is pretty low, they can be made literally as bulky and absorbent as you want! But i find that they become very uncomfortable shortly after they are wet, whereas the disposables dont.

[cushytoosh]

Wet Bags are great for wet and stinky diapers. They are waterproof and keep all the smell concealed in the bag. A must have for cloth diapering outside the home. I contacted a manufacturer today and am going to send them a PUL gussetted cover with a super absorbant contour. I'll figure out how much exactly the cost is and try and come up with a low enough figure. I'm also going to post another topic on what everyone thinks the cost should be on the 2 piece set. We've done all our sewing between myself and my Amish friends. To put it into a manufacturer's hands would really simplify things and I could easily reduce the price. Also, thanks again for all your expertise and kindness! Susie

[Dubious]

plastic disposable 4ever

easy to get, use, get rid of and it dosent cost a fortune

cloth is not my thing and its not realy that cheap when u consider what u pay for it, the amount u need to fill a machine, plastic pants is required (dosent like them either), storage place for used diapers w/o getting the smell in whole apartment etc.

[redneck diaper boy]

I forgot to mention something in my origional post.

I live in Florida. It gets really hot here in the summer. I have air conditioning and usually only wear diapers for sleeping.

I will say that when compared to cloth, disposables are hot. Several (5) years ago we were traveling. The vehicle's air conditioner failed. I was wearing a disposable. At the next rest stop, I changed to cloth. The disposable appeared to be wet with sweat. (it wasn't yellowed.

Looking back, since I was sitting up, I wish I had brought along some snap-side-stud overpants. They would have probably been cooler.

Another issue for me is I am a large person. Standard size disposables are either too large or too small. My cloth diapers can be adjusted for proper fit because I use plain old pin-on prefolds. I have to have my overpants custom made. Regarding the overpants, I can get them in my waist size but they wind up being too tight around my legs.

[cushytoosh]

Given the greater absorbancy of cloth, it would probably be possible to make something discreet for minor incon. Comco does pretty well and A.C Medical sells stretch latex panties. I need to start looking myself as I am havint "that problem" that goes with the age. very minor but annoying

My Mom heads up that area and has some really great things for the "oops moments". She has had those problems for quite a long time and knows exactly how to help. I am going to take some time and add more products to our web site. We just recently added the adult section to cushytoosh.com and it seems like the adult orders are doubling the baby ordres Thanks again!!

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Well you are about to hit the jackpot. Babyboomer guys are in "that age" bracket and many are already there where they could use a "something extra" but not a full-out diaper (unless they want to ). so who wants to fool around with four or six tapes for a few drops at a time

[Diaper666]

I Wear every so often but when i do its disposable but back when i was growing up and beeing a beedwetting teen disposable was the way we went and this being right before the internet so we had very little to choose from IE depends and or store brands and then attends were selling in stores and it was hard to find a rubber panty for me being to big for the bigger sizes that were around .would have loved to gone cloth during those times since thats what i was rasied on but ive found it to be better to go with disposable being as they are more avaible and ready to use than cloth and CHEAPER to make