Cloth vs Disposable Diapers – Cost Comparison

Cloth vs Disposable Diapers – Cost Comparison

Diaper costs have a huge impact on the cost of having a baby. The cost of diapers depend on whether you choose cloth diapers or disposable diapers to diaper your baby. The average cost of disposable diapers for one baby from birth to potty training is about Rs. 85,000. For a family of 2 children the cost of disposable diapers will be about Rs. 1,70,000. The average cost of cloth diapers is about Rs. 21,050 and can be used on multiple babies. The cost of laundering cloth diapers for 3 years is about Rs. 13,650.

How Often Does A Baby Need To Be Changed?

Before you can figure out how much diapers will cost you need to know how many diapers your baby will need each day. When a baby wets or soils a diaper he should be changed immediately. If a baby is left in a wet or soiled diaper he will get diaper rashes and have other problems. How often a baby wets or soils her diaper depends on her age and diet. Younger babies need to be changed more often. Newborns will need their diaper changed as many as 10 – 12 times per day while an older toddler may need their diaper changed 5 – 6 times per day.

The Average Age for Completion of Potty Training?

To figure out the cost of diapers you also need to know how long your baby will be wearing diapers. Researches says that the average age for completion of “potty training” for a girl is about 34 - 36 months and for a boy it’s about 37 - 38 months. These sources say it takes an average of 6-8 months to “potty train” a child. Children diapered in cloth diapers do tend to potty train as much as 6 months earlier than children using disposable diapers.

The Cost of Disposable Diapers

0 - 2 months of age:                10 diapers per day X 60 days = 600 diapers

2 – 6 months of age:                9 diapers per day X 120 days = 1080 diapers
6 – 12 months of age:              8 diapers per day X 180 days = 1440 diapers
12 – 24 months of age:            6 diapers per day X 365 days = 2190 diapers
24 – 30 months of age:            5 diapers per day X 180 days = 900 diapers
30 – 36 months of age:            5 diapers per day X 180 days = 900 diapers

The average child uses about 7110 diapers from birth to potty training.

The average cost of a popular brand diaper from a larger package is Rs. 12 each.

The average cost of disposable diapers for ONE CHILD from birth to potty training is Rs. 85,320.

The Cost of Cloth Diapers

People that haven’t seen today’s modern cloth diapers may still think of the old-fashioned, traditional, “toilet-dunking”, plain-white flat or traditional nappies of the past. The diapers of the past required safety pins and “rubber pants”. They were time-consuming, weren't very absorbent (leaked), weren’t easy to care for and weren't “fashionable” and cute. Prefold diapers are still available and are now available in different prints. The cloth diaper has EVOLVED! Today’s cloth diapers are easy to use and wash, have built-in or separate BREATHABLE waterproof covers, snap or Velcro shut, are fitted and fit like a disposable, are very absorbent and are very fashionable. Today’s modern cloth diapers are available in many colors, prints and fabrics including organic cotton and bamboo. Cloth diapers can be used for multiple children.

The average modern/fashionable adjustable (One Size Fits All) cloth diaper system with enough diapers, covers & inserts for full-time diapering will cost about Rs. 20,000. Washing cloth diapers will cost about Rs. 13,000 over a period of 3-years based on a stash on 26 diapers. Having more than 26 diapers will mean washing larger loads, less often and result in less money and time spent on laundering. This cost has been calculated assuming that baby has 26 diapers available and it costs Rs. 25 to wash each load.

For Full time cloth diapering, a baby needs approximately 15 Pocket diapers, 6 Diaper Covers, 5 All-In-One (AIO) diapers & 45 Inserts.

15 Pockets X Average cost of 1 Pocket is Rs. 400                     = Rs. 6000
6 Diaper Covers X Average cost of 1 Cover is Rs. 350               = Rs. 2100
5 AIOs X Average cost of 1 AIO is Rs. 600                               = Rs. 3000
45 Inserts X Average cost of 1 Insert is Rs. 190                       = Rs. 8550
4 Wet Bags X Average cost of 1 Wet Bag is Rs. 350                  = Rs. 1400

Total Cost = Rs. 21,050

Assuming load needs to be washed every 2 days. So, number of loads for over a period of 3 years are 546.
No. of Loads per year = 365/2 = 182 Loads
No. of loads for 3 years = 182*3 = 546 Loads
Total Cost of washing for 3 years = 546*Rs. 25 = Rs. 13,650

The average cost of cloth diapers for ONE CHILD from birth to potty training is Rs. 34,700 and including laundering.

How Much Do Cloth Diapers Save?

For a family of 2 children, the cost of disposable diapers will be about Rs. 1,70,640.

For a family of 2 children, the cost of cloth diapers (including laundering for both children) will be about Rs. 48,350. Here I am also assuming of purchasing 50% new diaper stash for second children due to wear & tear of some used by first children, the total cost would not exceed Rs. 58,500 in any case.

Using cloth diapers will save about Rs. 1,12,140 for a family of 2 children.

The savings will be more if the cloth diapers are used on more than 2 children and/or sold after use. By using cloth diapers, you save money with each diaper change. The money saved on diapers can support another area of your family’s finances or could go towards helping someone else less fortunate.