So What's New With the "Old" Cloth Diaper?

When people hear that I run a cloth diaper service, I’m usually met with one of two reactions. “Wow, that’s so cool!” Or, more commonly, “People still use those?” The answer usually surprises them. Yes, people absolutely still use cloth diapers. But what surprises them even more is just how much cloth diapering has changed. When most people picture cloth diapers, they picture what their grandma or great grandma used. They imagine large pieces of fabric that have to be folded just right, sharp diaper pins, and a whole lot of extra work. And while some of those things are still around, modern cloth diapering has come a long way.

What Happened to the Diaper Pins?

I once had a conversation with a sweet older lady who had cloth diapered her own babies. As we talked about her experience, she told me that the hardest part of cloth diapering for her actually wasn’t the laundry.

It was the diaper pins. Back when Great Grandma was cloth diapering her babies, many families used what is called a flat diaper. Flats are large, single layers of fabric that have to be folded several times to create the right shape and absorbency for a baby.

Then came the diaper pins. They look a lot like safety pins, but they are heavier duty and designed to go through multiple layers of fabric. Which also means they are pretty sharp! This sweet lady told me about a time when she accidentally poked her baby with a diaper pin. Her baby couldn’t be consoled, and she felt terrible. Even after all those years, it was still a story she remembered.

I can understand why! That is usually where I get to share some good news. “We don’t use diaper pins anymore!” Instead, modern cloth diapering often uses something called a Snappi. A Snappi is a stretchy, T shaped fastener with small teeth on each end that grip the fabric and hold the diaper securely in place. When I explained this to her, she laughed and said, “I sure wish I had one of those when I was cloth diapering my babies!” And honestly, I hear that kind of response quite a bit.

Cloth Diapers Have Come a Long Way

Conversations like this have really made me appreciate just how much cloth diapering has evolved. We no longer have to worry about accidentally poking our babies with a diaper pin. We also have more options when it comes to getting the diaper to fit our baby without spending a ridiculous amount of time folding fabric. And then there are the covers.. back when Great Grandma was cloth diapering, her options may have been pretty simple. A plain white plastic pull on cover was a common choice.

Functional? Yes. Exciting? Not exactly.

Today, cloth diaper covers come in all kinds of styles and materials. You can find covers with snaps, Velcro closures, fun prints, and even natural waterproof options like the Bumbly Wool covers we carry in our shop. There really are options for just about every preference.

But Some Things Haven’t Changed

Here’s the funny thing, when it comes to the actual diaper, not much has changed. Prefolds are still prefolds. They are simple, practical, absorbent, and they work. And maybe that is why they have stuck around for so long. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Cloth diapering has been around for centuries. While the accessories and conveniences have changed, the basic idea remains the same: take a simple, reusable piece of fabric and use it to diaper your baby. There is something pretty neat about that. We have found ways to make cloth diapering easier and more convenient without completely reinventing what already works.

Cloth Diapering Isn’t Going Anywhere

I think that is one of the things I love most about cloth diapering. It may be considered old fashioned, but it has continued to evolve with modern families. Today, parents have more options, more information, better products, and more support than ever before. And for families who want to reduce waste, choose reusable products, or simply try something different, cloth diapering can still be a wonderful option. So the next time someone says, “People still use cloth diapers?” the answer is absolutely yes. But maybe the better answer is, “Yes, and you should see how much they’ve changed!” And if the laundry is the part that makes you pause and wonder if cloth diapering is really worth it, that is exactly where a cloth diaper service can help. You get the benefits of cloth diapering without having to take on all of the laundry yourself. Maybe cloth diapers are a little old fashioned. But after all these years, I think we can safely say they have gotten some pretty great upgrade!