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Cost Analysis For Cloth Vs Disposable Diapers


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Cost analysis for Cloth vs Disposable diapers

(See below for summary.)

Here’s a recent workup I did to determine which was more cost effective, cloth or disposables. The cloth diapers I use are from Angel-Fluff. They are XX-Large Velcro pre-fold. I use a few different thicknesses for different times of the day or what I’m doing.

Disposables are Abena Abri-Form X-Pluss X-Large from XP Medical.

This figure is only for daytime use. Cloth is still used at night because no disposable alone can last all night without leaking.

Since this is for XX-Large diapers, your costs should be less.

Disposables:

A case of 48 diapers cost $75 or $1.57 per diaper. XP Medical has free ground shipping.

I would use at least 4 disposables per day for a daily total of $6.28.

Diapers:

I like to have at least 5 diapers of various thickness for use during the day. The total cost is $170.

3 plastic pants cost $39.

Shipping is about $20.

Total minimum diaper cost is $229.

The initial cost of cloth diapers will pay for themselves after about 37 days. ($229 / $6.28)

With urinary use only, cloth diapers last over 6 months with proper care. Plastic pants are harder to predict but they should last over 90 days with proper care.

Even factoring in other costs such as laundry and any personal hygiene supplies, the payback should be within 45 days. But this would require laundry every day. If possible, order more ‘sets’ of diapers so that you can have an extra days supply on hand.

The cost for one nighttime diaper & plastic pants combo is $54. (Extra heavyweight diaper.)

Summary:

One day supply of:

ITEM ORDER Per day

Disposables: $75.00 $6.28 (4 per day)

Diapers: $229.00 $1.90 (Based on 120 days.)

Nighttime Cloth $54 $0.50 (Approx 120 days.)

So for me, the most cost effective options is to use cloth diapers as much as possible. The hard part with cloth is making sure that you choose the proper size and type of diaper and plastic pants. It has taken me quite a while to find out exactly what sizes and types I should use.

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As with disposables, not all cloth diapers are alike as well. I've gotten a couple of 16 layer thick night time cloth diapers that don't really hold that much. I'm better off using a few inserts in a fitted diaper. Just watch how you get them pinned, as the direction of the pin and tension of getting a good fit, can cause the pins to rip holes in them which will only get larger with washing. Tis harder, but put the pin in vertically, the same direction as the side of the body.

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Giving cloth nappies/diapers 6 months must be worst case scenario. I have 10 terry squares and 12 inserts. Wash every other day. Plastic pants go on a twice a week cycle...

6 cloth nappies are over 2 years old, 4 are over 3years old. Inserts are all 2+years old. Plastic pants are over a year old. All work well, and I'm saving money hand over fist on these.

Definitely recommend cloth for anyone. :D

Simba B)

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When I first started, I would bleach too much and otherwise improperly care for the cloth diapers and disposable pants. They didn't last very long. And the brand I had probably wasn't so good to begin wiht. It is is also important to get the right plastic pant. To thin and it may not last 2 weeks. For real use, only the thicker plastic pants will do.

I chose 120 days as an easy number for a novice. I've had some cloth diapers well over a year.

I'm a big fan of the velcro tabbed diapers from Angel-Fluff. They are very easy to put on and adjust. The only draw back is the exposed hook part of the velcro. When washing, its important to make sure the diapers don't get stuck together too much. I tear them apart after each cycle.

I have a few standard prefold diapers that require pins. I use them occasionally but they are such a pain to put on. I only use them around the house.

I have a bunch of baby cloth diapers as inserts but I seldom use them. I properly sized diaper works quite well.

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In the long run, thecloth diapers have it hands down.

There are bad cloth diapers as others have said. If you don't mind the bulk, cloth diapers are more absorbant.

Cost analysis for Cloth vs Disposable diapers

(See below for summary.)

Here’s a recent workup I did to determine which was more cost effective, cloth or disposables. The cloth diapers I use are from Angel-Fluff. They are XX-Large Velcro pre-fold. I use a few different thicknesses for different times of the day or what I’m doing.

Disposables are Abena Abri-Form X-Pluss X-Large from XP Medical.

This figure is only for daytime use. Cloth is still used at night because no disposable alone can last all night without leaking.

Since this is for XX-Large diapers, your costs should be less.

Disposables:

A case of 48 diapers cost $75 or $1.57 per diaper. XP Medical has free ground shipping.

I would use at least 4 disposables per day for a daily total of $6.28.

Diapers:

I like to have at least 5 diapers of various thickness for use during the day. The total cost is $170.

3 plastic pants cost $39.

Shipping is about $20.

Total minimum diaper cost is $229.

The initial cost of cloth diapers will pay for themselves after about 37 days. ($229 / $6.28)

With urinary use only, cloth diapers last over 6 months with proper care. Plastic pants are harder to predict but they should last over 90 days with proper care.

Even factoring in other costs such as laundry and any personal hygiene supplies, the payback should be within 45 days. But this would require laundry every day. If possible, order more ‘sets’ of diapers so that you can have an extra days supply on hand.

The cost for one nighttime diaper & plastic pants combo is $54. (Extra heavyweight diaper.)

Summary:

One day supply of:

ITEM ORDER Per day

Disposables: $75.00 $6.28 (4 per day)

Diapers: $229.00 $1.90 (Based on 120 days.)

Nighttime Cloth $54 $0.50 (Approx 120 days.)

So for me, the most cost effective options is to use cloth diapers as much as possible. The hard part with cloth is making sure that you choose the proper size and type of diaper and plastic pants. It has taken me quite a while to find out exactly what sizes and types I should use.

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After searching for affordable, quality adult diapers for years online, I finally decided that I had to find a different alternative. I saw an ad on craigslist for custom cloth diapers for babies, and she's going to make some custom cloth adult diapers for me. Here's the E-mail she sent me...

"I am going to suggest an AIO (all-in-one) diaper with the following: fleece inner layer to wick moisture away from skin, soaker layer throughout, PUL water-proof layer, and outer cotton layer for fun :) I have yellow, green, and lavender fleece but am more than willing to hunt down another color if needed. I can't use snaps (no press to put them on) so it's either a pull-up or one with a hook and loop (high quality velcro-type) closure..the hook and loop would make it more adjustable/fit for comfort I would think. I would need to use twice as much fabric as usual, so for an AIO with the PUL material, it would be about $21/each. If we go ahead with this, I would make one and get it to you for a trial..then if it needs more soaker layers, I can either send a (free) liner to add to it or you can get it back to me and I can add to it"

This sounds reasonable to me, actually better than any other deals I've seen, and she's been very friendly and helpful. I reccomend if you do this, that you use the guise of needing diapers for your elderly mother, or something along those lines, most cloth diaper mommies don't really care to hear about why I'm really getting them, even if you're actually incontinent. I'll keep you guys updated on how they turn out!

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The two piece systems wash better. Most anyone who wets, and uses cloth diapers, will agree with me.

Long term exposure to dryer heat can damage the waterproffing material as well.

Velcro is bad news in the wash as well.

After searching for affordable, quality adult diapers for years online, I finally decided that I had to find a different alternative. I saw an ad on craigslist for custom cloth diapers for babies, and she's going to make some custom cloth adult diapers for me. Here's the E-mail she sent me...

"I am going to suggest an AIO (all-in-one) diaper with the following: fleece inner layer to wick moisture away from skin, soaker layer throughout, PUL water-proof layer, and outer cotton layer for fun :) I have yellow, green, and lavender fleece but am more than willing to hunt down another color if needed. I can't use snaps (no press to put them on) so it's either a pull-up or one with a hook and loop (high quality velcro-type) closure..the hook and loop would make it more adjustable/fit for comfort I would think. I would need to use twice as much fabric as usual, so for an AIO with the PUL material, it would be about $21/each. If we go ahead with this, I would make one and get it to you for a trial..then if it needs more soaker layers, I can either send a (free) liner to add to it or you can get it back to me and I can add to it"

This sounds reasonable to me, actually better than any other deals I've seen, and she's been very friendly and helpful. I reccomend if you do this, that you use the guise of needing diapers for your elderly mother, or something along those lines, most cloth diaper mommies don't really care to hear about why I'm really getting them, even if you're actually incontinent. I'll keep you guys updated on how they turn out!

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From someone using diapers for over 30+ years, cloth diapers are far cheaper and better than any disposable on the market. On average, a cloth diaper will last between 9mths to 4years - including messing in them.

Diaper:

Three or four flat adult sized terry squares + one or two baby sized flat terry square. After folding the 3/4 adult diapers to fit, use the 1/2 baby sized flat diaper as a liner. Therefore, it is one that gets messy.

Fastening

Sharp baby diaper pins. Blunt pins/kilt pins tend to tear the fibres in a diaper and create holes. To keep your pins sharp, when not in use the points should be kept in a bar of soap etc. Any rust or breakdown of the chrome on a diaper pin and the pin should instantly be disposed of. The way to check if the pin is sharp enough, press the point to your thumb. If your skin moves, then the pin is too blunt. If it is sharp, it will only pierce the first layer of your skin which will not bleed.

Wearing

After the diaper is affixed, make sure that your fist will fit in between your diaper and stomach (when you breathe in). This is to ensure that you are not overstraining the pins which would tear the diaper. On top of these, place a decent pair of plastic pants. As yet, I have not found a pair of plastic pants (either baby decorated or incontinence specific) that work without modification. What I normally do is order a size 10inch larger than my waist size. These I modify by using a small hook to pull out some elastic from the waist and legs and reducing the elastic length. Therefore, the elastic is tight enough on the legs but the pants are large enough to cover the cloth diaper. Due to the fact that a wet diaper will sag, I always wear a onesie over it.

Laundering Diapers

Empty the soiling from the baby flat diaper and place this into a diaper pail filled with cold water only. Warm/hot water will cause the fibres to expand and the fats in the mess to penetrate the fibres. The flat adult diapers can go into a cold rinse cycle and be placed into a dry diaper pail until you have enough for a full load. (12 diapers is a full load) Wash the adult diapers in a 40 degree wash cycle with a cupful of vinegar added to the wash. The acid in the vinegar will sterilize the diapers. With the soiled baby diaper, use a quarter of the recommended washing powder at a 40 degree wash also. As I stated earlier, hot water will expand the fibres of a diaper and any dirt caught inside will tear and damage the diaper.

Laundering Plastic Pants

Plastic pants only need to be rinsed, so a cool rinse cycle is ideal. If they happen to have any soiling on them, warm water will clean them. Laundry detergent will remove the 'plastizer' from plastic pants and cause both premature aging and cracking of the plastic.

I normally, after washing a load of diapers, leave the diapers in the machine and place the plastic pants in with them for a cool rinse.

Drying

Either can be dried out on a line (keep the plastic pants away from sunlight) or in a tumble dryer at low heat. Do not put the plastic pants in a dryer on their own as they will melt. Instead, place them in with a full load of diapers. Both will dry within 20 mins. Alternatively, plastic pants can be placed on a wire coat hanger to air dry. This normally takes 1-2 days.

Using the above, some of my diapers are more that 4+years old and the plastic pants are 2+years old.

Plastic pants $15.00 - $16.50

Diapers $12.90-$47.99

2x(pants) 16.50 + 2x(small diaper)12.90+4x(large diaper)16.50 = $124.80/(3x365)

= 0.1139

11 cents per diaper

Baby disposable diapers are $0.23ea and adult diapers are $1.57ea. Cloth work out over two times cheaper that a baby diaper and over fourteen times cheaper than adult disposables. Still, I have yet to find an adult disposable that doesn’t leak on me overnight compared to a 6 layer cloth diper and plastic pants.

Also, assume that a baby doesn't grow, uses 8 diapers a day for 4 years = 11680 diapers (4x8x365) at a cost of $37.66 for 160 = a total cost of $2,749.18 for diapers alone.

Cloth compared to this. 56 = weeks supply + 16 plastic pants. Assume that we buy 8doz = 96 diapers. $36.95doz x 8 = $295.60. Divide this by the amount of changes (11680) to get a cost per usage of 2.5 cents per diaper.

source

www.drylife.co.uk =prices for plastic pants, and cloth flat fold diapers

www.amazon.com =prices for pack of baby diapers(Pampers Size 1=$37.66 for pk of 160)

www.anglefluff.com =prices for baby cloth diapers($36.95doz)

ThomasInWVa =prices for Adult Disposabel diaper (Abena XPlus)

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Awarding PhD(iaper) to Baby Keiff...

Mo

From someone using diapers for over 30+ years, cloth diapers are far cheaper and better than any disposable on the market. On average, a cloth diaper will last between 9mths to 4years - including messing in them.

Diaper:

Three or four flat adult sized terry squares + one or two baby sized flat terry square. After folding the 3/4 adult diapers to fit, use the 1/2 baby sized flat diaper as a liner. Therefore, it is one that gets messy.

Fastening

Sharp baby diaper pins. Blunt pins/kilt pins tend to tear the fibres in a diaper and create holes. To keep your pins sharp, when not in use the points should be kept in a bar of soap etc. Any rust or breakdown of the chrome on a diaper pin and the pin should instantly be disposed of. The way to check if the pin is sharp enough, press the point to your thumb. If your skin moves, then the pin is too blunt. If it is sharp, it will only pierce the first layer of your skin which will not bleed.

Wearing

After the diaper is affixed, make sure that your fist will fit in between your diaper and stomach (when you breathe in). This is to ensure that you are not overstraining the pins which would tear the diaper. On top of these, place a decent pair of plastic pants. As yet, I have not found a pair of plastic pants (either baby decorated or incontinence specific) that work without modification. What I normally do is order a size 10inch larger than my waist size. These I modify by using a small hook to pull out some elastic from the waist and legs and reducing the elastic length. Therefore, the elastic is tight enough on the legs but the pants are large enough to cover the cloth diaper. Due to the fact that a wet diaper will sag, I always wear a onesie over it.

Laundering Diapers

Empty the soiling from the baby flat diaper and place this into a diaper pail filled with cold water only. Warm/hot water will cause the fibres to expand and the fats in the mess to penetrate the fibres. The flat adult diapers can go into a cold rinse cycle and be placed into a dry diaper pail until you have enough for a full load. (12 diapers is a full load) Wash the adult diapers in a 40 degree wash cycle with a cupful of vinegar added to the wash. The acid in the vinegar will sterilize the diapers. With the soiled baby diaper, use a quarter of the recommended washing powder at a 40 degree wash also. As I stated earlier, hot water will expand the fibres of a diaper and any dirt caught inside will tear and damage the diaper.

Laundering Plastic Pants

Plastic pants only need to be rinsed, so a cool rinse cycle is ideal. If they happen to have any soiling on them, warm water will clean them. Laundry detergent will remove the 'plastizer' from plastic pants and cause both premature aging and cracking of the plastic.

I normally, after washing a load of diapers, leave the diapers in the machine and place the plastic pants in with them for a cool rinse.

Drying

Either can be dried out on a line (keep the plastic pants away from sunlight) or in a tumble dryer at low heat. Do not put the plastic pants in a dryer on their own as they will melt. Instead, place them in with a full load of diapers. Both will dry within 20 mins. Alternatively, plastic pants can be placed on a wire coat hanger to air dry. This normally takes 1-2 days.

Using the above, some of my diapers are more that 4+years old and the plastic pants are 2+years old.

Plastic pants $15.00 - $16.50

Diapers $12.90-$47.99

2x(pants) 16.50 + 2x(small diaper)12.90+4x(large diaper)16.50 = $124.80/(3x365)

= 0.1139

11 cents per diaper

Baby disposable diapers are $0.23ea and adult diapers are $1.57ea. Cloth work out over two times cheaper that a baby diaper and over fourteen times cheaper than adult disposables. Still, I have yet to find an adult disposable that doesn’t leak on me overnight compared to a 6 layer cloth diper and plastic pants.

Also, assume that a baby doesn't grow, uses 8 diapers a day for 4 years = 11680 diapers (4x8x365) at a cost of $37.66 for 160 = a total cost of $2,749.18 for diapers alone.

Cloth compared to this. 56 = weeks supply + 16 plastic pants. Assume that we buy 8doz = 96 diapers. $36.95doz x 8 = $295.60. Divide this by the amount of changes (11680) to get a cost per usage of 2.5 cents per diaper.

source

www.drylife.co.uk =prices for plastic pants, and cloth flat fold diapers

www.amazon.com =prices for pack of baby diapers(Pampers Size 1=$37.66 for pk of 160)

www.anglefluff.com =prices for baby cloth diapers($36.95doz)

ThomasInWVa =prices for Adult Disposabel diaper (Abena XPlus)

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