Absolutely! You are right on!

I’ve very pro cloth diapering, but honestly, it will not save everyone money, and it is definitely not as easy as disposables. It will ALWAYS be more work to be RESPONSIBLE for your baby’s waste, rather than just throwing it in the trash and pretending it doesn’t exist. Cloth diapering advocates perpetuating a myth cloth is as easy as disposables it really isn’t helping anyone and probably leads new cloth diapering parents to frustration. It may be nearly as easy, or not a burden, but it is more work, and for a low income mom (especially ones with out convenient laundry facilities) I don’t blame them for turning to disposables.

I work full time and make time to clean and stuff and prepare a bag filled with cloth to take to daycare everyday. I hope the Operation Fluffy works because there are so many SAHparents that need to discover how great cloth can be, and if I have the time, they have the time!

I agree! As I was sitting here the other night, watching that stupid commercial for the Huggies jeans diapers (“I poo…in blue…” yeah, well my munchkin poos in blue, green, purple, dinosaur and Mickey prints! :p), I thought, why don’t cloth diaper companies have commercials?? Cloth diaper knowledge is spread only by word of mouth. It’s sad.

I don’t necessarily agree that cloth diapering isn’t as easy as using disposables. With both options, there’s a type of work that must be done. The work with a cloth diaper is different than the work with a disposable. With cloth, one must dispose of waste matter properly and wash the diapers, then replenish the stash with the freshly washed diapers. One must also have a way to carry home used diapers when one is out. With disposables, one must do something with the used diaper, whether throw in the trash or put in a diaper-storage unit such as a Diaper Genie, then must take this trash to the curb, then must drive to the store and purchase more diapers. I find this to be more work for me, personally. I detest going to the store. For others, maybe it isn’t harder. But I still say *both* options are equal in that they require some level of work or effort in some way. Both methods require putting a diaper on baby, disposing of the waste, and replacing the diaper. It’s just a matter of what you do in the middle part: throw it away and go buy more or wash it and use it over? I much prefer reusing the diapers. I think it’s easier. So I’m not perpetuating a “myth” but advocating my personal opinion based on having used *both* methods. But here’s what I’m really thinking: if someone doesn’t want to do work, why did they have a baby? Almost everyone who has ever had any kind of contact with a baby or child knows that they require work. To expect a diapering option to require no work is kind of silly. Unless you’re REALLY rich and you hire someone to change your child’s diapers.
I think the point of this post is that for some parents, there really and truly is not a way to use cloth, and that these families should not be bearing the brunt of the blame for not being more green, or any of the blame, for that matter. For other parents, they’ve made a choice to use disposables, for whatever reason, and I think it’s our job to educate all parents about the benefits of cloth. Whether or not you feel it’s easier, harder, or of equal work, cloth is still a better choice for the environment and for the baby’s health and well-being, and for *most* people, it will be more economical as well.

I would love to see people and businesses working together to find a solution for these low-income families who can’t use cloth. It would be great to see them get washing machines (when feasible of course) instead of packages of disposable diapers.

I think we also need to remember that when we are talking about the families who are going to be helped by the Huggies drive, we’re talking about people who are already on public assistance and STILL can’t afford diapers. And where are these families going to buy the special detergents for their cloth diapers? And if they are using the laundromat, how can they really launder them properly? And many moms who live in big cities and are apartment dwellers wouldn’t have a line to dry on and would still need to do lots of extra laundry every week. Think about the many cleaning issues most of us have had with cloth, just washing at home in our own washers and dryers. A family that is able to get to the laundromat once a week to wash is going to need a huge supply of diapers to get through that week. Cloth diapers are a big investment up front. Who is going to pay for all of that? Do cloth diaper companies make donations like this? I just feel like this conversation sounds eerily like what you hear about breastfeeding. That poor people somehow shouldn’t have a choice in the matter, they should cloth diaper (or breastfeed) and in fact, they shouldn’t get donations of disposables (or formula from WIC).

Perhaps in addition to Operation Fluffy, you and other people like you who are passionate about cloth diapers will consider donating your stashes to your local diaper drive when you’re done using them? I’m guessing if a poor mom could get an entire stash of cloth for free and was educated on the benefits, she might figure out a way to make it work for her. But if not, that’s OK, too, because just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you don’t get to choose.

I’m still scratching my head as to why more middle class or wealthy people aren’t using cloth. I think the key may lie in the fact that most daycare providers (at least in my area) still won’t use cloth. Mine wouldn’t. When I went back to work when my son was 6 months old, it didn’t make any sense to use cloth. Having only 2 diapers a day or so to wash was just crazy inconvenient. Thankfully he never had an adverse reaction.

I don’t think that WIC donates diapers at all but I could be wrong. Modern diapers are more difficult to wash than the kind that used to be washed by hand. A similar comment came up on a Facebook discussion. I would never tell an impoverished American family they have to wash diapers by hand but in other countries where that is normal I say go for it. If it means no diapers or diapers, then yes, handwashing might just be the only solution. And I tried to touch on laundromats and transportations. Some families do use coin laundry for washing their diapers but I am going to assume they all have their own cars or can walk there within a very short distance. Carrying a bag of dirty diapers on the bus or subway seems impossible on top of the other laundry that needs to be done.

I did link The Cloth Diaper Foundation and cloth companies donate directly to them, not just individuals with their older diapers, for families who want to use cloth and can’t afford to. For Christmas last year and hopefully again this year I did similar and worked directly with cloth diaper companies to rally up enough cloth diapers to send to 10 families who needed them. It seems like most families end up giving their cloth diapers to a family member or friend when they are done so they do help others.

Daycare is a huge issue but it still shouldn’t convince someone not to use cloth on a part time basis. Something is better than nothing. Luckily more and more daycares are accepting cloth. There truly is no reason middle class families can’t use cloth.

I use cloth diapers (and wash my own) and run a daycare center where we use cloth diapers while the children are there (with a diaper service). I disagree that cloth is harder to use than disposables. Once you learn, it’s just as easy. The fact is you are supposed to dump the poop from disposables into the toilet anyway so that the human waste can be treated and not put into the landfill. I don’t see having access to a washer as an obstacle. Our ancestors used cloth and did not have washers. Now there are organizations that “rent” cloth diapers to qualifying low income families. Cloth are also becoming readily available at thrift shops and consignment stores. Walmart now sells cloth diapers. I do believe that it is becoming easier for low income families to cloth diaper and you can make the time for anything. Not having time is not a good excuse, it’s about personal priorities. I agree that focus should be put on families that can afford it but let’s continue to improve on providing cloth for low income families! And let’s get more daycares to open up their facilities to cloth!

I TOTALLY AGREE that focusing the switch to cloth diapers on families with means is an excellent choice and the best strategy. When a mom struggles to put food on the table or afford diapers of ANY kind she has bigger worries than remembering to special order the detergent she needs to clean those cloth diapers and making a special trip to the laundromat to do a load at 11 pm when she gets out of work. People who say it’s just a matter of “priorities” or “not caring enough” are being INCREDIBLY naive about how hard the lower and middle-lower class in this country works. For a middle class family whose day care allows cloth or where the mom stays home, YES, ABSOLUTELY the excuses can be overcome. For some people, it’s just NOT AN OPTION.

Using cloth has become trendy, VERY trendy in my area, which I see as a good thing. Seeing so many babies in cute cloth diapers helped sway me in my decision. Hearing from other husbands how easy it was convinced my own husband to try them. And now I push other moms in that direction myself.

I think if you wanted to expand cloth use the first thing to do is make cloth more available in general. Many low-income families don’t have boutique baby stores in their area, and access to the internet isn’t guaranteed so buying and researching cloth is almost impossible. Get cloth diapers in Walmart. In grocery stores. Offer free classes at Babies R Us in how to wash and care for cloth. Continue to expand Operation Fluffy. I think you’re doing a great job, Kim.
.-= Suzanne´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday- Party Hat Edition =-.

Low income family here (20k/year). Cloth diapers *makes* sense for low income people. It can be daunting at first, but there are so many options in the cloth diapering world now, and they should be talked about much more to new-to-cloth. There’s forums – not only diaper swappers, but cloth diaper nation and diaper pin – where one can get used diapers cheap. There’s Swap Mamas – where one can swap for cloth diapers. And then there’s the community itself – which is one of the most generous communities I have encountered. And then there’s cheaper diapers such as Flip, Smartipants, and Kawaii Baby, and a ton of WAHM diapers on etsy and hyenacart. With research and perseverance, you can definitely cloth diaper for under $200. That’s not many months’ worth of disposables.

Coin-operated laundry is daunting (what I’m facing now), but it is doable, and line-drying definitely helps. Nevertheless, it still is cheaper – especially since cloth diapering reduces or eliminates blow-outs (thus reducing clothing laundry).

The only reason I can see for not cloth diapering for low income is when you are a single parent with time at a premium. Or when your diapers are provided free through welfare or other aid. When cloth diapers become more mainstream, hopefully the worse option won’t be the only option provided.

All that said, it makes more sense in the long run to try to get more middle and high class to cloth diaper, because that aids and grows the cloth diaper industry, providing more opportunity and money to donate and help low income.

I’m very glad to read this post. I am amazed at the number of people I know who cloth diaper. I didn’t even know they were doing it until I started considering it and suddenly it seems like every other person I meet is a cloth diaperer.

Why am I glad to read this post?

Some of the cloth diapering people I’ve met online are so militant about it! I suppose there are methods of cloth diapering that are less work than pockets, but I went with pockets and I can guarantee you that is more work than disposables unless you really have a hard time getting to a store (but you have to grocery shop at some point and stock up, so that argument doesn’t make much sense). I didn’t use cloth with my first b/c I didn’t know about modern cloth diapering. I am really glad I am doing it this time around and I don’t mind the additional work, but it would be very misleading to say it is less work. I’ve been doing it three months and have had all sorts of issues. They are straightened out now, but someone with less time, patience and without a support network would probably not want to deal with all the hassle I’ve gone through.

Wic doesnt donate disposable diapers. some offices may get samples etc but most offices do not supply diapers of any sort. as for formula, they do offer formula in checks but definitely push the breastfeeding. they even support part time breastfeeders. I get WIC and was unable to breastfeed becuase my milk never came in fully and then when m son was 7 weeks i had to have surgery but everytime i would go in and meet with the dietition she would not remember that i take 2 medications that i cannot breastfeed on and at at least 3 appointments had to get out her guide and double check because i guess she did not believe me. I would love to see WIC have some information on the benefits and costs of cloth diapering. I think many people just do not know that it is as easy as it is. I am not saying it is like disposable but i CD part time and it definitely helped on costs and what i purchased i can use for the next baby. hopefully the next one will be fully CD but i started late and had to decide what i liked etc.. now it is more about building my stash

and as for line drying- i line dry some of my diapers and i do it indoors on a drying rack that folds away so i really do not accept the inability to line dry by anyone. even my aio’s get fully dry by the next day if i turn them inside out to dry indoors.

I cloth diapered my child while earning a low income (less than 20k per year between my husband and I), working part-time (so was my husband). I have a washer and dryer (mostly use the clothesline) that were gifted to me, and we didn’t use daycare, so those obstacles were not there for me. I think it would be hard to do without a washer.

I think to make cloth more accessible we need to simply promote and talk about it to more people regardless of income. The more people use it, the more likely these diapers are to show up at local stores, and the more likely that daycare will accept them (or even provide them, wouldn’t that be great!). Also, we need to promote that prefolds/flats/homemade diapers can work fine for many families, at least for a starter stash or the majority of the stash. Or more options for AI2 diapers (like GroVia, Best Bottoms, etc.) because they are easy to put on, yet economical.

We’re fairly low-income, I supposed — below the poverty line, absolutely — and cloth diapering has sometimes been a chore for us. We apartment-dwell, there are weeks where I don’t have the laundry money and have to hand wash, and I’m still working on some of the issues I’ve had with ammonia since December.

It was hard to build up a stash at first, and we still have mostly prefolds and covers — with enough to do wash every other day and detergent I spent about $100 at first — and mine is still small comparatively, I guess.

Wash routines expect that we have our own washer, and I wish we did, but even without it, it’s doable. I think we’re pretty average not-too-low income, but for extremely low income and on assistance families, I can’t imagine cloth being easy or practical. Doable, but not as doable as getting help with disposables.

(Oh, as for WIC: WIC in Kansas does not help with diapers, and as far as I can tell that’s standard for WIC.)
.-= Ashley Poland´s last blog ..Good Business Manners =-.

I always dry my diapers on a drying rack or outside, all my clothes, actually. Why would I buy a dryer when clothes dry for free? We are fairly low-income, but when we had an apartment we bought a washer that attached to the sink for about $250, and we are still using it. It wouldn’t take too many trips to the laundromat to pay for that!

We had the same experience as @Jennie – bought a portable washer that hooked to the sink and line-dryed (either in the sun, or like @Heidi, on the rack in the bathtub – the only place we could put it without tripping over it).

That said, I completely agree with your post, Kim. Helping low-income families use cloth diapers should be exactly that – HELPING. IF they want it. As @Elita said, they should have the same opportunities to learn the benefits and costs of cloth diapering – all of them (environmental, health, financial). Then, if they want to cloth diaper, there should be a support system for them to learn more and make the switch – Real Diaper Circles, for example, and local stores where they can buy them. Better yet, the Cloth Diaper Foundation is great for helping people get into cloth at even less expense.

We do need to keep spreading the word so EVERYONE knows about cloth diapers – then be there to support them if they need help. Thanks for all you do, Kim, on behalf of cloth diapers!!

I tried cloth with 3 of my 4, they were too difficult!, my kids seemed to always have diaper rashes, I tried 9 different types of detergent powders and liquids, and I am obsessive about diaper changes, they never “sat in them” except if they were napping and I’m sorry, there is no way I’m waking a baby to change a diaper. I switched to plain ole pampers baby dry and all my kids diaper problems were solved. I too hate the waste but there really wasn’t another option for me.
To be fair I tried Huggies, Loves, pampers cruisers, and Seventh generation with the same problem each time.

I don’t see why it has to be a black and white “either/or”. Low income moms who need disposables because they work and that’s all the daycare will take, or don’t have adequate laundry facilities, can still keep a stash of cloth for when they run out of disposables. The working moms can save the disposables for when they need them the most, and use cloth at home to save money. Some moms can choose to just use disposables for nap or bedtime. If they use cloth the rest of the time, they will still save money. Even moms with limited laundry access can have a supply of cloth handy for when they have run out of disposables, its the end of the month, and their options are limited, and they need that last $10 to keep the electricity on. They may have to wash a few by hand IN THE SHORT TERM, but at least their baby will have a dry bottom. As a taxpayer, I don’t mind helping out, and indeed regularly donate disposable diapers, but I don’t think the taxpayers should be responsible for making buying 100% of diapers for low income folks. And if you are not working outside the home AT ALL, (as I do with 2 kids) and have running water, you should at least be willing to wash 2-3 cloth diapers a day. Come on, meet me at least part way!!!

I think if you can use cloth diapers and it is working for you and the baby it’s a great eco thing to do. Thanks for sharing.

[...] The Great Divide of Cloth Diapering [...]

[...] not gonna rehash it, but I wrote about The Great Divide of Cloth Diapering and why maybe we should promote to the middle class and not say “well if you can’t [...]

I am a college student and I work hard for my scholarships and financial aid. My sons father gives me a pathetic amount of child support. (i had to scare him with calling the police if he didnt!) I bought a full stash of cloth and have not wasted a penny on sposies! Cloth have saved me so much money that i can buy my baby what ever he needs! I wash my diapers how ever i was my clothes! hand or machine wash i get them cleaned! I just think OMG $30 for something im gonna use up in less than 2 weeks! The money that you save using cloth for one child will BUY YOU THE WASHER AND DRYER! Im saving for his college fund with the money i save from buying those sposies! If a 20 year oldsingle mom, who goes to college, and gets little money can do it, so can can 2 parrents with multiples kids to support! (and i have lived in poverty and very low income!)

Then there are families like mine.  We are typical middle-low income class family (a little closer to low right now since my husband is unemployed).  We have a washer and dryer and can easily wash and keep up with cloth diapers.  But don’t have $200 to spend at one time on having a good diaper stash for a 1.5 year old and 6 month old.  I did just go buy some at a diaper swap and can almost CD my baby during the day and do laundry each night.  We have been able to afford diapers (though there have been moments of wondering, but we’ve made it work), but I’d rather cloth diaper!  I’d love to be able to “make payments” on my stash.  Maybe a Rent to Own type program.

For now I’m just looking for used diapers at a good deal and doing an extra load of laundry!  And when we are all out of diapers….I’ll be giving them to another mom who can use them and not stress about buying disposables!