We started using cloth swim diapers last summer as we spent endless afternoons running through sprinklers or splashing in wading pools.  Now that Roscoe is extremely mobile, his cloth swim diaper is getting even more wear on a daily basis.

Even for families who feel overwhelmed by using cloth diapers full time, swim diapers are a great option. You just pull on the swim diaper, which is usually part of a little swimming suit, and plunk baby into the pool.  As long as they’re not soiled, you simply rinse them, wring them out, and hang them to dry when the swimming session ends.

Not only are cloth swim diapers easy to use, they are actually considered more sanitary than their disposable counterparts. Their sturdy elastic leg bands keep fecal matter more securely in the diaper than disposables.  My aquatic center requires that parents bring cloth swim diapers, buy them at the front desk, or go elsewhere. Rebecca has had similar experiences at swimming pools in different parts of the state.

If you aren’t motivated by the thought of diaper leakage, consider the mounds of soggy disposables that head to landfills on a regular basis.  Better yet, think of the economic advantages of a reusable swimsuit diaper.   A swim diaper suit at Target will run you less than ten dollars.  Instead of having to buy a swimsuit and then shell out over a dollar per disposable, you are all set for the entire season.  If you want to hunt for a used swim diaper, you’ll get an even better deal.

The one drawback that keeps some people out of cloth is the occasional poopy diaper.  With disposables you just chuck it in the trash and put a new one on.  What happens when an unexpected dirty diaper comes right in the middle of your wet afternoon and your baby is wearing cloth?  The simple solution for this is to have another cloth swim diaper as a backup.  I purchased both of our swim diapers for $3.99 on clearance at Target, making our total summer cost of swim diapers and two suits less than eight bucks total.  Not a bad deal! 

Of course, in our backyard, Roscoe wears his most favorite outfit of all––his birthday suit.  It doesn’t get much greener or thriftier than that!