The Twin Cities Guide to Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

The Twin Cities Guide to Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

Table of Contents

    Parenting is hard and there isn’t a wrong way to do it. You just do the best you can and try to survive each day and night with as much grace for yourself, your partner, and your baby as possible. Period. Full stop.

    That said, parents gotta diaper their kiddo. So, what should you choose?

    Think about the old recycling triangle—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—and consider diapering. You can’t really reduce the number of diapers your child uses. You can recycle them to a certain extent (via composting and the biochar process when using our Boo diapers, and others). But reuse is the best option of the three.

    The more you can reuse anything these days, the better. The more we can eliminate single-use everything, the better.

    Do Good provides new parents all-in-one diaper options, or 100% cotton cloth diapers, leak-resistant covers, Snappi fasteners, deodorizing discs, a bag to put the diapers in, and a lidded pail to put that bag into. Sounds like a lot, but it’s just diapers and a place to put them. Every week thousands of reusable diapers get delivered, used, picked up, thoroughly cleaned, folded and sent back out. It’s smelly sometimes, but also, a beautiful thing.

    We’re not trying to take on "Big Diaper," but their products aren't ideal for a baby’s skin or the environment, and they are a constant financial drain for many years.

    Here is what touches your baby's skin:

    Feature Standard Disposables Do Good Cloth (100% Cotton)
    Primary Material Petroleum-based plastics Renewable, breathable cotton fiber
    Absorbency Sodium Polyacrylate (SAP) chemical gel Naturally thirsty layered cotton
    Bleaching Chlorine (can leave trace Dioxins) Oxygen-bleached or Unbleached
    Hormone Safety Contains Phthalates & glues Zero additives, scents, or glues
    Breathability Low: Plastic backings trap heat High: Natural airflow keeps skin cool
    Fragrance Synthetic scents (100+ ingredients) Scent-Free: Just clean cotton
    Landfill Impact 300–500 years to decompose Zero: Reused then repurposed locally


    Parents who use cloth often report zero, or very few episodes of diaper rash. Cloth-diapered kids also usually potty train up to a year faster than kids in disposables—because they can feel the moisture and realize it’s uncomfortable.

    Store-bought disposable diapers are chemically engineered to keep kids feeling dry even when they aren't, which keeps them in diapers longer so the manufacturers make—you guessed it—more money.

    If you found this interesting or helpful, please share it with a friend. And if you have any questions for us, please reach out!

    Leave a comment