Question regarding cloth vs disposable

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babylea

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Hi all,

i have never really used cloth diapers, i tend to favour the disposable, however, i was debating looking into it.. My question.. at the moment my disposables can hold 4000ml, more if i add stuffers, are cloth diapers as absorbant, im assuming they hold less, but your comments would be appreciated..

also, one of the main reasons i use disposables, is i can be messy, cleaning is not a problem, but are cloth diapers any good at containing a mess.. im also assuming not.. but let me know anyway

cheers
BabyLea
 
i used to wear cloth as a baby too.. im 39 years old, but i have never worn cloth recently, i want to know what the absorbancy is like, are they s good as disposables, or better.. i love being wet.. so the wetness is not a problem, its just i dont want to have to change every hour beacuse i wet and leaked. etc

i dont mind the bulkiness, as i dont really go outside in them anyway.. they are mainly for me in doors..

BabyLea
 
Being an older ABDL, I strongly prefer cloth diapers. I've not used any of the premium disposables, so I can't advise on how absorbency compares. But the advantages of cloth diapers are clear: They are absorbent on the sides (important for side sleepers like myself); they are highly customizable to your needs and tastes. Just add layers, inserts, baby sized diapers, or double; They wick better than disposables which adds to their capacity (when I check my diaper for capacity, I feel the top edge not the crotch - eventually, the top will become almost as wet as the crotch due to the wicking effect); They are less costly in the long run; And they are more environmentally friendly. The disadvantage is doing laundry.

I recommend you try a cloth diaper that is as close in design as possible to a real baby diaper. This means the fabric should be 100% cotton gauze, birdseye, or twill fabric. Avoid flannel since it is not as absorbent. The shape should be a flat, or pre-fold design (although I do own contour shaped diapers that are unique to the adult market and they work very well). Also, your diaper cover, whether plastic, rubber, latex, PUL, or other waterproof material, must be sized to completely cover all the diaper fabric or that wicking action will pull the wetness out of your diaper and on to your clothing or bedding. The cover should have a really wide crotch with forward facing leg openings.

I rinse my cloth diapers thoroughly after use and keep my wet cloth diapers in a plastic bag until laundry day. I wait no longer than 3 days before laundering. And once a month I give them and extra rinse cycle in the washing machine. This routine keeps everything smelling nice and fresh. Also, do not use fabric softener or detergents with softeners as this interferes with absorbency.

Go into this slowly. Buy just a few items - diapers as well as cover - to see how you like the fit and feel. Some brands I recommend are Changing Times Diaper Company, Baby-Pants, Babykins, Plastic Pants.com, Angel Fluff, and Adult Cloth Diaper.com. Just avoid the flannel diapers.
 
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I have used cloth diapers and they are better at leak prevention at nighttime than a disposable diaper.
When I use cloth at night I usually double up. Single cloth diaper for daytime to still fit under regular pants.
Not as convenient as a disposable because of the laundry, but they are nice.
Getting the right material and size 'plastic pants' (includes rubber, vinyl, PE, terry lined, etc..) is very important.
I would avoid messing in cloth because the cleanup sucks, much easier to use a disposable for that.
 
I'll say that cloth diapers work differently from disposable diapers. The fabric doesn't absorb the same amount and you'll have to add extra layers. I enjoy both diapers.

Cloth diapers are less wasteful, you can also make them as thick you'd like, without sacrificing more money for the extra booster pads or additional diapers for disposables. You can wear these so many times that they'd pay for themselves over time.

I don't mess my cloth diapers, because I don't want to deal with the cleanup. I also would rather not stain my diapers. I know that you can create leak guards simply by rolling up the sides to help contain it, but depending on the mass, it should keep everything in just as disposables would with the plastic pants over the cloth diapers.

When dealing with cloth, press out is an issue when it reaches beyond capacity. You can feel it better when a change is needed.

I would advise you to buy a sewing measuring tape to get accurate. measurements of your body. It will. prevent ordering the wrong size, saving you money, and buyers remorse. You won't typically be able to get a refund when you do order the wrong size due to the nature of the product. This method can be used to buy other accessories such as onesies and other clothing.

You should learn how to take care of your diapers. Never use bleach or fabric softeners. They will deteriorate and will create a layer of a substance that will significantly reduce the acquisition rate and the capacity of your cloth diapers.

They have different types of diapers out there to consider, and each have their pros and cons.

AIO (All In One) diapers:
Pros: The easiest to work with they are very similar to disposables. They use snaps or velcro fasteners that are attached. You toss it in the washer and clean. Most have leg gatherers, and a lining similar to disposable to feel less wet. These are basically a reusable disposable diaper.

Cons: They aren't very durable, the cloth fabric will outlast the waterproof liner by far. As easy as they are to clean, they will contain odor after some uses and won't be 100% clean because of the waterproof lining restricting the flow of water through the diaper. You can soak it and squeeze out over and over, but you'll never get it as clean as it was new. Drying takes longer because of the waterproof liner as well ,the air doesn't get to flow through. You're only able to add so many layers until you compromise the containment of the waterproof lining.

AI2/Pocket Diaper (All In Two) is similar in style except that the diaper is in two pieces. The padding(inserts) or Pre-Fold is inserted in to a pocket of a garment that has the waterproof lining and the same feel dry lining on the inside.

Pros: Everything I've said about AIO but including it will be cleaner, and more odorless, but some have padding sewn in it.

Cons: Although the waterproof part of the diaper is separated from the padding, the garment part is considerably more expensive than a typical pair of plastic pants and won't last as long as the padding. The padding will most likely be a contoured shape or a simple rectangle for the center of the crotch, but you won't have coverage in the wings. They can only be as thick as the diaper permits.

Pre-Folds and Plastic Pants: These are the traditional cloth diapers.

Pros: Easiest to keep clean and free of odors. Dries faster. These are the most customizable in fit, thickness, fabric type, look, and usability. Plastic pants can be any color you choose. They can have snaps, or simply be pull-on. They can be as tall and as wide in the crotch as you want. You can have them as quiet or as loud as you want. You can layer much more layers to the desired thickness and add as much capacity as you want. Plastic pants are cheaper than buying an AIO when the previous ones have deteriorated.

Cons: They are more difficult to put on, until you can gain experience. They do have options beside pins like Snappi Fasteners, Boingo Fasteners that make it a breeze to put on.

I love disposable diapers and wear more often than cloth, but I love wearing cloth diapers too. Cloth diapers are definitely harder to conceal in public and the thinner it is the less capacity it has. I love how thick I can make them. I love ridiculously thick diapers and cloth diapers help me make a usable, less wasteful to wear ridiculously thick diapers.

Having cloth diapers on hand allows you to have a diaper around when otherwise you can't afford them.
 
I don't know what I wore as a baby but as an adult incon I wear both,cloth absorbs great and like someone else noted the entire diaper absorbs including the sides, I also own ones made buy Babykins (these are for long trips away from home) the benefit of the kins I have is when I ordered them I paid like 7 bucks extra to have the diapers made with three shakers built in which for these cloth that means three additional soaker levels in the entire diaper not just the crotch which makes them discrete ( about the thickness of an Abena m4 and as absorbant as one) without laying in any additional soakers,if you do add soakers is is easily an all day diaper,just pull the soaker drop in a bag and take it home to wash and keep rite on going.

Disposables are great for long vacations away from home without a conveint washer, but I much prefer cloth and the reliability of it.
 
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