Darla sent me a deal a while back for disposable diapers on Amazon. She was buying for her grandchildren. This started me thinking about the history of diapers, and how my thoughts have changed over the years.
Way back in the stone-age when I was born, disposable diapers were unheard of for everyday use. Apparently, they did exist, but my mother said they were so expensive no one bought them unless you were going on a trip – and even then only if there were no facilities to wash cloth diapers. By the time my youngest brother was born, my mother used disposable diapers more regularly, although I remember cloth diapers in the house. I also remember that cloth diapers made the best cleaning and dusting rags, and I buy them to this day for that express purpose!
By the time Sonny-boy was born in the late 80s, cloth versus disposable diapers was a real debate. People were debating the municipal waste versus water usage environmental issue. They still are. I did try cloth for him for a few weeks but moved on to disposables before he was two months old. I couldn’t figure out how to keep us dry – plastic pants could result in diaper rash, and the diaper wraps were just coming onto the scene. I recall these fuzzy ones out of Australia that were neat, but he was born in the summer and they seemed rather hot to me. And let’s face it, rinsing a diaper is gross. Even with services, you rinsed before you dropped them in the pail. Disposable diapers are just so much easier!
But like everything convenient, the cost of disposables comes at a steep price. They just are not cheap. Conversely, you pay for cloth diapers once, and use them for an awfully long time. However that is just the sunk cost of cloth – there is also the washing and drying to consider, along with the soaps and disinfectant costs.
Whatever decision is made, the issue of using disposable or cloth diapers is much more complex than what it appears at first blush.
The History Of Diapers
● Ancient Times – animal skins, moss, linens, leaves, Milkweed leaf wraps, and other natural materials. Many babies tropical environments wore noting at all
● Elizabethan era – cloth type of diaper that was seldom changed
● Early 1800s – a square or rectangle of linen, cotton flannel, or stockinet was folded into a rectangular shape and knotted.
● Late 1800s – when the safety pin was invented in 1849, those were then used by those that could afford the pins to hold the rectangular square in place.
● 1942 – Disposable diapers were invented by Hugo Drangel of the Swedish paper company Pauliström using unbleached creped cellulose tissue.
● 1946 – Marion Donovan invented the “Boater” – a waterproof covering for cloth diapers. Her first model of the disposable diaper was a conventional cloth diaper inserted into shower curtain plastic. She had four pattens for her designs, including one for plastic snaps.
● 1948 – Johnson & Johnson introduces the first mass-marketed disposable diaper in the U.S from the Swedish import, the Chux diaper.
● 1950 – the prefold diaper was invented by a diaper service owner and produced by Curity.
● 1950 – Sybil Geeslin Kennedy invented the Safe-T Di-Dee diaper, a preformed, pinless diaper.
● 1950s – Pampers were developed
● 1968 – Kimberly Clark introduces Kimbies. Huggies were introduced in 1978.
Since the late 60s disposable diapers have evolved for more dryness. It is estimated that disposable diapers now make up 2.5% of all municipal waste, and will not dissolve until the 26th century.
What kind of diapers did you use on your children? What do your grandchildren use? What did you use? Have your thoughts on diapers changed over the years?
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Shell says
I am the oldest of 4 kids and cloth diapers were used on all of us. I used disposables on my both of my kids in the 80’s. My daughter now uses cloth diapers for my grandson. They are much different than they were when I was a kid. No one gets wet these days and none of those awful plastic pants either! They do seem to be quite expensive to get started with these days though, but they sure do have cute ones! She started out using disposable ones but my grandson always had diaper rash. She switched to cloth and no more rashes. She says she doesn’t mind washing them but she does have an old washer that fills up the drum. I have heard some people have a terrible time trying to wash them in today’s low water machines. Apparently many people resort to filling their washer up with more water from a hose to get them clean.
Candie says
I am so old that there were only cloth diapers or newspaper, I think mom used newspaper that way she could read my butt while taking care of me. Only kidding! I used cloth then disposables I thought they were expensive at $2.00 a package look at the price now. I wish the Diaper Genie was around at that time.
Patti says
Daughter has diaper genie. Wonderful! I too wish they had been around when mine were babies!
KimH says
Old fashioned cloth diapers were used on me & my siblings since we were born in the 50s & 60s.. Disposables werent a household commodity yet.. When I had my oldest daughter in ’81, I wanted to use cloth but I almost died & was supposed to have complete bed rest for 3 months after I came home.. so disposable it was for us.
When I had recovered some & she was a little older (maybe a year) I did use cloth diapers sometimes.. She was completely potty trained before she turned 2.. She did not like being wet.. Fussy little girl she was. Her second baby is just like her. My second daughter I used all disposable.. I didnt have the time or energy to use cloth..
My oldest daughter used mostly disposable on her oldest daughter (4yo) but shes using cloth with her second (4 months). She used disposable for the first 3 or 4 weeks, but then switched over to cloth. She’d been planning it for a while & was slowly buying really cute ones that are size adjustable. Its funny because some of them look like they’re swallowing her up
My youngest daughter helped a friend raise several of her kids & they used disposable all the way..
Stephanie B says
I use disposable for my son. Thankfully now that we are potty training we go through significantly fewer diapers than we did a few months ago. He pees more than any kid I know, so we could only use Pampers Swaddlers or Cruisers, and they are expensive. From the moment we brought him home until about 2 months ago (so age 2.5) we spent $100 per month on diapers!!! Some days I wish I had considered cloth diapers when I think about how much money we spent, but then I remember I have no desire to clean them.
Stephanie B says
We have in a bind purchased Tops brand diapers and I have to say they are quite good for a store brand. We now keep a small package in the car for emergencies. I would compare them to the basic Pampers baby dry and they have the best tabs of any diaper I have ever used.
Michele K says
My mom used cloth diapers on all of us. I used cloth diapers on my first 2 and then disposable on the next 2, when I was finally able to afford disposables, really for the convenience. Don’t like the thought of how much I actually spent on them though. Otherwise I don’t have a favorite, there are pros an cons to each. My granddaughter uses disposables, mainly Huggies an Luvs but she has come with diapers from toys r us, which are good, I think.
margo says
I have three grown daughters who are about 14 months apart and i used cloth diapers and rubberpants on them when they were babies.I was washing diapers every other day and it was a good thing that we had a well! I thought i was done with the cloth diapers and rubberpants for good,then the oldest daughter started wetting the bed at 12 and we put her back into the cloth diapers and rubberpants at night! then a few months later daughter number 2 started bedwetting before 12 and then number three started just after 12,so i had all three of them in cloth diapers and rubberpants again and it was easier this time as the diapers were just being wet in.All three daughters wore the cloth diapers and rubberpants untill their bedwetting stopped past 14.
Corrine J. says
To margo-I grew up with two sisters also and we were close in age.When we were in puberty,all three of us were bedwetters and mom used the whole nine yards on us- the cloth diapers,diaper pins,rubberpants,babypowder,babylotion and baby oil.At bedtime,the three of us would lay side by side and mom would go right down the line-slide the diapers under us,apply the powder,pin the diapers on us,then pull the rubberpants up our legs and over our diapers.Mom used a few different brands of rubberpants on us,the Empire brand in the extra large super size,the playtex toddler extra large size,the Woolworths patacake in the super size,the Gerber toddler size in the 35 pound and over and a couple of other brands i cant remember.I t was hard on us being 12 to 15 years old and having to wear the cloth diapers and rubberpants to bed every night.Mom even had us wear our rubberpants without our diapers under our Easter and christmas dresses as well when were were in two weddings.
Clarice A. says
I grew up in the late 50s and 60s and cloth diapers and rubberpants were worn for bedwetting and special occasions also.I was a puberty bedwetter for over two years and wore the cloth pin on diapers with super large size rubberpants over them to bed every night from age 12 to just past 14.I had a couple of close friends who were also puberty bedwetters and also wore the cloth diapers and rubberpants as well.I remember seeing the cloth diapers and rubberpants on older girls on Easter sunday under their poofy easter dresses and also under flowergirl dresses in a couple of weddings we went to.The two friends of mine that were wetters belonged to my parish and when we were 14 we did our 8th grade confirmations and had to wear white dresses and veils with tights and white shoes.All three of us were put into our diapers and rubberpants that we wore under our tights. A few of the other girls in our class had just rubberpants on under their tights with no diapers.
Clarice A. says
Yes Margo,you are right! Cloth diapers and rubberpants were not only used on babies,but also on older kids and teens for bedwetting back in the 50s,60s, and some of the 70s.Me and my sister were bedwetters going thru puberty in the late 60s and we both wore the cloth diapers and the toddler extra large or the extra large super size rubberpants over our diapers.The cloth diapers could be made to fit older kids,but the extra large super size rubberpants made by Empire were the largest size on the market at the time.Me and sis were a year and a half apart,so we were both in the cloth diapers and rubberpants for a while together.I never knew any boys who were bedwetters,but me and sis had friends who were also going thru puberty and bedwetting and also wore the diapers and rubberpants.It was very common for the moms to put the diapers and rubberpants on their daughters at bedtime and babypowder and baby lotion was used as were the regular baby diaper pins.Me and sis and most of our bedwetting friends had pastel rubberpants and even some with babyprints on them and it was fairly common at slumber parties for us girls to wear our cutest pair of the babyprint rubberpants over our diapers.Me and sis finially stopped our bedwetting before 15 as did most of our friends.
Jenny t says
To Margo and Clarice-I too grew up in the early 1960s and wore the standard cloth diapers and rubberpants as a baby.Then when i hit puberty just before 12,i started wetting the bed and it was a nightmare! Mom put me back into the cloth diapers and rubberpants at night and that time i wore the super large size rubberpants.Like you clarice,mom used baby lotion and babypowder on me before my diapers were pinned on me and she dusted my rubberpants with the baby powder to keep them soft.It was weird having the one drawer in my dresser with just the diapers,rubberpants,pins,powder,etc.in it.When i was 12,i started having sleepovers with a friend or two and mom would tell them that i was wetting the bed and wore diapers and rubberpants for it,so they would watch as mom put them on me at bedtime.My bedwetting lasted thru 13 and 14 then stopped just after i turned 15 and that was the hardest part of all.
Carol says
Cloth diapers and plastic pants worn by 3 bedwetters ages 9, 7 and 5 every night to bed. Have been doing this for 4 or 5 years and have seldom had a leak. Pj’s, nighty’s and bed sheets for all 3 dry in the morning. A lot cheaper than buying disposables for all 3.
Donna says
2 bedwetters here 8 and 6 both wearing cloth diapers and rubber pants to bed. Agree it’s cheaper than disposables for my 2.
Lorraine S. says
Our daughter is 14 and still bedwetting from puberty.She has been wearing the cloth diapers and rubberpants for it for over two years now.She is fine with the diapers and rubberpants and all of her rubberpants are in white and pastel colors and a few with babyprints.She has two pair of her rubberpants in white with ruffles across the back that she wears for holidays.
Donna says
Over a year later and 2 bedwetters now 9 and 7 still wearing cloth diapers and rubber pants to bed every night. 9 year old has dry night now and again so making slow progress.
Hannah K. says
Our niece is 13 and bedwetting in puberty.She wears the regular Gerber flat cloth diapers in the 24×27 in size pinned on her with diaper pins and adult size medium rubberpants to bed everynight.She doesnt mind the diapers and rubberpants and she kind of likes feeling like a baby for bedtime.
Dawn says
Hanna K,
Growing up I knew of older bedwetters that also wore the traditional cloth diapers and rubber pants. I remember stopping by one of mom’s friend’s house one summer evening and when we walked in there were 11 and 9 year old’s both wearing cloth diapers and rubber pants for their bedwetting. So your niece wearing them is not all that uncommon.
Dee says
Friends with mom who has 2 bedwetters and uses cloth and plastic pants so moms still use them today.
Shawna K. says
When me and my two besties,Tami and Heather,made our First Holy Communions together at age 12,in the class with the 7 year olds,per the dress code,we had to wear a cloth diaper and rubberpants with a tee shirt under our poofy communion dresses.Each of our diapers were made from the Gerber flat cloth diapers in the 24×27 inch size sewn together to make one 12 ply thick cloth diaper and was pinned on us with white diaper pins.We each wore a pair of the Comco brand adult size rubberpants in medium over our diaper that fit us blousy.Our communion dresses were short sleeve and poofy that came to the top of our knees,and we had matching veils and the lace anklets and white ‘maryjane’ shoes.The Comco rubberpants crinkled our our dresses all day long and at our parties,our dresses got lifted up and our diaper and rubberpants checked out by friends and relatives.
Christine H. says
To Shawna K.-My parish also required the cloth diapers and rubberpants for the girls under baptism,First Communion and Confirmation dresses.My parish bought the Comco rubberpants in small and medium sizes and each girl was given a pair to wear over the required diapers under the white dresses.I had to wear the Comco rubberpants over my cloth diapers twice,for my First Communion at age 12 and again under my white confirmation dress at 16.