Since we are cloth diaper advocates, you'd be right in assuming we use a cloth swim diaper for Chloe.I LOVE Chloe's swim diaper! It's so easy to use and saves us scads of money since we don't have to buy the overpriced disposable swim diapers.
Here's how it works, she wears a cloth swim diaper for her bathing suit bottom and when she's done, I throw it in the washing machine. I found the diaper pictured here at a thrift store but I've also found them at yard sales. You can buy them new at any online cloth diaper store (cotton babies, diaperaps, punkinbutt, even target sold them last year). I bought her a matching top at a children's store outlet for a mere 99 cents. All in all this suit cost us $1.50.
Don't get me wrong though, there are some cons to using cloth. But I think the pros far outweigh the cons. Judge for yourself . . .
Pros
- HUGE cost savings! Disposable swim diapers cost anywhere from $7-12 bucks a pop and have you noticed how small the packages are?
- Easy to use. Just rinse them and throw them in the washing machine.
- Do you see how cute Chloe looks in one? :) Sorry, I'm biased.
- You're saving the environment from more unneeded un-biodegradable material in our landfills.
- Chloe is unhindered and un-bulky (forgive me if that's not a word) in her cloth diaper. She can swim around easily and without a huge diapery bottom to weigh her down.
- If you are not swimming at home, you'll have to take the used cloth diaper home in a plastic bag. Rinsing a poopy diaper away from home is never fun either.
- I've been able to find at least 3 pairs of cloth swim diapers cheaply but you may not be able to. If you pay retail for them you'll pay at least $10.
- Cloth swim diapers don't last for unlimited hours as most disposable diapers do. Disposables pull the liquid away from your baby's bum so that she can wear them for a long time before feeling wet. Not so with cloth diapeys!
- Some public swimming pools have strict rules about what babies/toddlers must wear in the pool. Some mandate disposable diapers.
Cost is a huge factor for us so it outweighs everything else. Please don't think I'm one-sided in this debate either; I realize that every family and home have very different factors to consider.
So, there you have it. Let the debate rage! What do you use for your child?
9 comments:
Toys R Us sells the cloth swim diapers for $7. I found a cute orange bug one for Andy and I love it. No expensive swimming for us.
we do cloth swim diapers also - mainly for the cost. they're $5 at target and disposables cost a $1 each. we only have to swim 5 times for it to be worth it and we probably go once or twice a week having friend's with pools and living near the beach. the only other con - is with the target ones- don't get colors! the first time esther 'used' her diaper stephen was holding her right before we went to the pool and the diaper dyed his shirt (the pink in it gets on everything when wet). just wanted to pass that along - since i learned the hard way - stick with white!
Tracy & Shannon: Thanks for the tips! I didn't realize you could buy them so cheaply at target and toys r us. Thanks again! Maybe some other moms will follow your lead!
I use cloth swim diapers as well because of the cost - at my mom's Kayla swims twice a day and that would get expensive. She loves little plastic pools and big pools alike. I got Kayla's cloth swim diapers this year and last year at Target too.
The thing I don't like about them is that we were in the YMCA lobby waiting for our friends to come and Kayla did peeps and it pooled around her feet. It didn't appear to absorb at all. Does anyone have cloth swim diapers that are absorbent? I now know to put the diaper on her right before we get in the pool.
I discovered the cloth swim diapers when I actually had to buy one at our local "splash station" swim park where no disposables were allowed. Kinda crazy, but it saved us money in the long run! =)
Thanks for the tips! I already have one pack of disposables, but you can bet that I'll be on the lookout for some reusables for later this summer. I honestly didn't know they made them...so THANKS!!
I had never heard of such a thing. That's a great tip! Yes, the cost factor is HUGE, so thank you for the info!!!!
I've never tried the cloth swim dipes, but I think I will look for some! I still have some disposables left from last year but I think they are too big for Julia still, and Sam is potty trained now, so he won't need them this year. We will be going to the beach once a week through the summer, so I think some cloth ones would be the way to go financially. :) One question, though--will they fit under a regular one piece girl's suit? Because I have the cutest suit for Julia and I want her to be able to wear it! It's OK if it's bulky since it would be bulky with a disposable, too. Let me know what you think!
Well, since Laura Grace is not my "financial" responsibility, I hadn't considered the cost. She actually uses both, depending on where we are swimming, but mostly, she now swims in her regular bathing suit, because thankfully, she is mostly potty trained! Yea!! I hope you are as lucky as I was in that department! She was a BREEZE!!
I will keep on the look out for cloth swim diapers for MY little man, who will soon make his debut! Thanks for the tip!
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