These components include “fluff,” also known as cellulose or pulp, that’s typically made from wood, a superabsorbent gel, and elastic, all of which work together to keep the baby comfortable and the crib dry, according to Natalia Richer, a diaper and absorbent hygiene products consultant at Diaper Testing International. They have several layered components that are designed to achieve the end goal: keeping your baby’s bowel movements and urine in the diaper instead of outside of it. An overwhelming majority of parents worldwide now use disposable diapers (though the market for cloth diapers is expected to grow over the next few years). Executives were initially skeptical, though, and it wasn’t until 1961 that the first mass-produced diaper, from Pampers, became available.ĭisposable diapers went on to change the world. That first product, which she called “the Boater” and earned a patent in 1951, was, in fact, a hybrid cloth diaper with a pocket for a disposable or regular insert. The woman widely credited with developing the disposable diaper, Marion Donovan, was frustrated with soaked crib sheets that resulted from cloth diapers that she said “served more as a wick than a sponge.” She went on to eventually net $10 million in today’s dollars from her invention. Pocket diapers are similar, but instead of disposable inserts, they have washable inserts. These inserts drive up the price a bit, though, compared with other types of cloth diapers. They usually have a reusable cloth outer layer with a disposable insert. Hybrids are just that: a hybrid of a cloth and a disposable diaper. The particular benefit is that they can double as burp cloths. As with prefolds, they require pins, covers, and folding. They come in different sizes and often require covers.įlat-folds are hardcore basic: They’re just a square of unfolded, single-layer fabric. They do, however, have different layers in different areas of the folds, with more in the middle region.
Despite their name, they require some folding and, therefore, a little bit of practice. These diapers use clips or fasteners to close. Prefold diapers are probably what you think of when you think of cloth diapers.
They are, however, a bit more expensive than prefold and flat-fold diapers. Because they’re easier to use than other cloth diaper types, they’re a good choice for parents who share caretaking duties with others, such as nannies, family members, or day-care centers. They don’t require inserts, pins (picture old-fashioned diaper safety pins!), or even covers. All-in-one diapers are a better option for beginners. Prices vary depending on location, but one company that provides laundering services to Austin, Texas, and the New York City metropolitan area charges $38 to $48 per week.Ĭloth diapers come in a few types. Some parents opt for a diaper service that regularly picks up dirty diapers and drops off clean ones. Cloth diapers obviously have to be washed and reused, a potentially unpleasant task. Diaper covers, which are usually made of plastic, cotton, or terry, fit over the cloth diaper and help prevent leaks. Cloth diapers are typically made from cotton, although some are now made with bamboo. Most of us no longer wash our laundry in poison, ensuring that the cloth diapers of today are much safer than those of yesteryear. These early diapers were only marginally better, and in fact, they were washed in toxins that occasionally poisoned babies. In the West, it wasn’t until the 19th century that cloth diapers as we know them today were invented, as working-class people had begun to purchase furniture that they didn’t want getting destroyed by their children’s bowel movements. In some South American societies, babies wore something closer to what we think of as diapers, with strips of cloth that were stuffed with dried grass for increased absorption, while in Japan, old clothing was cut and wrapped around a baby’s butt for protection. Originally, swaddles sufficed as diapers in the Western world unfortunately for those babies, they were kept in their swaddles, excrement and all, for several days before they were changed.
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