One of the common questions asked by most of the new parents is “how many cloth diapers do I need”. There is not a fixed number and can range from 2 to 14. It depends on lots of factors. You will have to bear a high-cost upfront, but it will help you in the long run. So according to your budget and laundry routine buy a good number of cloth diapers.
There is not a right answer to this question. It is a simple math problem. No one can tell exactly how many cloth diapers you should have. The amount will be different for each family. You will have to consider lots of things such as how often you are doing laundry, what is your budget, and which type of cloth diaper you are using. Answer to the question “how many cloth diapers do I need” is not an easy and simple one. In this article, we will try to answer this question.
Factors to consider
There are lots of factors that will be playing a key role in deciding how many diapers you should have.
The first thing to consider while deciding how many cloth diapers do I need is, the age of the baby. Newborn babies will pee more such as might be every hour or after 4 to 6 hours. For newborns, you need 10-15 diapers a day. Infants need 6 to 10 diapers a day. For toddlers, aging 12 to 24 months might only need 4 to 7 diapers a day. For a newborn, it is better to have 36 diapers. For infants (6 to 12 months) you should have a minimum of 24 diapers. For toddlers, (12 to 24 months) a minimum of 20 is required.
Remember that these numbers are just guidelines. These numbers will vary according to the baby and the weather because every day is not the same day. Some days your baby will be consuming more cloth diapers as compared to other babies of the same age. Sometimes your baby will be consuming fewer diapers than the other babies.
It is necessary to build a cloth diaper stash. It might seem costly, but you will be thankful when you will have lots of cloth diapers. You can regularly rotate through your stash and you will not have to do frequent washing. When you don’t have to do with lots of cloth diapers every day there will be less wear and tear on the cloth diapers. This will extend the lifetime of cloth diapers. Building cloth diaper stash may seem a problem, but it will help you in the long run and saves your money.
So if you are a parent using a one-size diapering system, you need to have 40 to 50 diapers. For a single child during diapered years, you might not have to buy again the diapers. When you have a large diaper stash you will be rotating cloth diapers continuously it means diaper will be in good condition and you can even use them for the next baby as well. If you have a small diaper stash, then you would be planning to replace them every 6 to 9 months.
The most important factor in determining “how many cloth diapers do I need” is the washing schedule of your cloth diapers. It is better to wash cloth diapers every two days which means you must have stock for at least two days and some for bathroom emergencies as well. For newborns, you need to have 25 cloth diapers. 20 diapers will be used in two days and 5 for bathroom emergencies. It means you will not have an extra burden of washing diapers each day.
This number is not fixed it can vary according to the type of cloth diaper you are using. Like some hybrid cloth diapers, you are only required to wash absorbent pieces after a single-use. In this case, fewer diaper covers will be required. It is always good to have a bigger stockpile which means you will have to spend less time on laundry and you can easily rotate the cloth diapers. As a result, there will be less wear and tear and the life of the diaper will also be increased.
So how many cloth diapers should I have?
After reading all the above-given factors you will be in a position to answer this question. There is not a universal number that how many diapers you should have in hand. It is a rough estimate of how many you should have. At the start, it will be good to have 2 to 3 day’s diapers in a stockpile. The exact number will vary according to your baby’s age, type of cloth diapers, and your laundry routine. It is recommended to have 36 diapers for newborn babies, 24 diapers for infants, and a minimum of 20 cloth diapers for toddlers.
Pros and cons of a cloth diaper
When you have decided to switch to cloth diapers you must be familiar with the pros and cons of cloth diapers. You are preferring cloth diapers over disposable diapers. You will be investing a lot in cloth diapers. So it is better to have an idea of the pros and cons of cloth diapers before buying lots of cloth diapers.
Pros of cloth diapers
- You are reusing the diaper so there will be less trash in the landfill.
- Cloth diapers are made of natural fabrics, so less or no chemicals will be in contact with your baby’s skin.
- There are lots of style choices and types available in the market. It will be fun using cloth diapers on your baby.
- It’s a one-time investment so it will save you lots of money.
- Cloth diapers are reusable so these diapers are eco-friendly.
Cons of cloth diapers
- If you are away from home, then a cloth diaper is not a convenient choice.
- At the start, you will have to bear the high cost of buying cloth diapers in bulk.
- Washing of cloth diapers is a time-consuming process.