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Expected lifespan


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Hey all. I am at the beginning stages of my 24/7 journey and considering cloth diapers as a cost saving measure at home when discretion and changing are less of an issue. Part of my problem is that I have almost zero experience with cloth diapers being used for anything over than a nighttime leak safety net or doubler. Meaning that I rarely have to wash them. With daily use and proper care how many uses could I reasonably expect out of cloth diapers. What would that proper care entail? 

Thank you for your help

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I’ve been wearing cloth diapers for the most part of my life. I prefer cloth squares which I can fold myself and adjust the bulk to my likings. The ones I bought some eighteen years ago still last although showing some serious signs of wear, but they still last. Some five years ago I bought ten additional diapers to keep in stock and I am afraid to run out, not that it really is an issue if they last for years, but what can I say. I only use them for number one maybe that is why they last and last.

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Hi     I have been wearing cloth diapers on and off for a long time but never full time.  I also use gauze squares from adultclothdiaper.com and twill pre-folds 

from rear z.  Both make excellent long lasting diapers that are very soft and comfortable.   As long as you have a washer/dryer you should do quite well.  the initial investment can be quite large but in the long run you will save lots of money.   You will also need plastic pants and I very much recommend Babykins adult plastic pants in the 6 mil layer of vinyl models (see model #20300V) .  

 

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I've got a couple of cloth dips from Babykins that I use on weekends when hanging around the house. Rinse in the shower after use, then wash in warm water. I use a little bit of bleach every other wash cycle to keep the smell out of them. Tumble dry on LOW heat. These are the 2nd batch of cloth dips I've ordered from Babykins, my first few lasted about 3 years being used and cared for in a similar manner.

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It's plain and simple, the more you have, the fewer you will use each per unit time and the longer each will last. Start out with two dozen if you are using at that rate and about half a dozen rubber panties or a dozen if you follow the DPF recommendations of doubling up -- rubber over plastic. I have one L.L. Medico 7 mil snap-on panty for each of my changes and a Babykins rubber over that, so that's 4 Babykins

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I get several years out of my cloth prefolds. I order 6 new diapers every year to replace those that are maybe 4 or 5 years old. The old ones can still be used as doublers. Life span all has to do with which diaper weave you choose, how often you wash them, how you wash them, how you dry them, how you fasten them, etc... I pin my prefolds on so the pinning zone will wear out first. I used to buy gauze prefolds but gauze fabric is a loose weave and does not last very long compared to birdseye weave. I double wash and rinse my prefolds in hot water and use very little detergent. Diapers tend to get a urine smell when you wet them if they are not totally rinsed when you wash them. Any excess detergent that does not rinse away is what causes the odor. That Is why you should use very little detergent and at least double rinse every load. If you continue to get the nasty urine odor then you need to strip your diapers which means that you boil them and rinse them until all the detergent is gone. I know that sounds like a lot of work but it is worth it. I wear 24/7/365 which I have for over 19 years now. I get rashes from disposables so I primarily wear cloth diapers and plastic pants. 

 

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  • 6 months later...

What determines the lifetime of clothdiapers? Their ability to hold urine or because they break down from the use of diaperpins and stress in the wings? (I use both profiles and contour clothdiapers)

Some of my oldest clothdiapers have lasted me for 5 years now, but I noticed that some of my inserts does not have the same capacity now as when they where new.

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Mostly it depends on use. That is affected by 3 things

1. How substantial they are, thicker and sturdily sewn will last longer than thinner with not as strong construction
2. The rate of use. If you wear 3 times a week at night, that dozen will last longer than if you were 24/7
3. How many you have. The more you have, the longer between uses for each one. Thus if you wear 3 times a week. 2 dozen will last longer than 1 dozen

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  • 2 weeks later...

The more parts, the greater the liklihood of failure therefore the shorter the lifespan. The traditional diaper has 2-1/3 parts. diaper, pins and a rubber panty one of which can be used with several diapers as the default. The basic set would be a dozen diapers,a dozen pins and 4 panties. If they are of good quality theycan last for about 3 - 5 years of moderate use. for use all the time, 5 dozen diapers and 20 panties may be in order for the 3 - 5 years. There are other, non-basic setups. One is a snap-panty that is changed with eachdiaper. I have 2 dozen diapers of each weight that are used together that has lasted me 9 years of light to moderate use and I am on my third set of snap-on panties, the first, snap-on Comco, the elastics wore out as did my second set of Comco . The third is LL Medico 7mil snap on's over which goes one of 4 pair of babykins rubber panties. The material of my Comco's is in fairly good condition, it outlived the elastics. I also have some Comco pull on's in the same contion

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