Cloth Coming to a Store Near You?

      A question I see over and over lately on cloth diaper forums and cloth diaper store fan pages is, "how do you feel about cloth diapers beginning to be sold in big box stores?". Some brands like Kushies have been sold in places like Babies R Us and Walmart and the like for a while, but great new modern cloth diapers have pretty exclusively been sold in online cloth or green stores as well as specialized or green brick and mortar stores. Ever since Charlie Banana made it into most Targets there has been discussion, is this good or bad? This major step in the cloth diaper world has pros and cons, what do you think of it? Yay or Nay? Do you want to buy your Grovia's online from a small WAHM (Work at Home Mom) business or from Walmart?
   What are some of the pros of having cloth in big box stores?

• Making cloth more accessible!!!

•  Cloth awareness, more people finding out about cloth diapers and that there are options to disposables

• Dismissing the stereotype of cloth being flats used with pins. Modern cloth has many CHOICES.

• Locations where there are no brick and mortar cloth diaper stores having a place where they can go and buy cloth without ordering online

• Being able to see and feel the different diapers (aids in making the choice about which to buy)

What are the cons of having  cloth in big box stores?

• Employees of big box stores do not have knowledge about cloth and give the wrong information to those interested in cloth

• Misinformation about how to use or wash cloth can lead to people abandoning cloth and thinking it does not work well

• This can possibly decrease the amount of work or drive prices lower for cloth that WAHM make or sell (or at least not increase it)

      Personally, I think it is nice that more awareness will be brought to modern cloth. Just months ago I shuddered at the thought of cloth. I thought, why? I thought about pins and what if you poke the baby. I thought about hand washing  boiling and the like. I thought about leaks and blow outs. Hence I love that people would know they have a choice other then disposables that is not that much more work, that actually reduces the quantity of rashes, reduces leaks/blowouts, and are beyond cute to boot! I like that people not only can hear that modern cloth is different but go to a store and actually touch and feel the cloth and see it with their own eyes. The negatives are huge though. I heard one person say they asked a Target employee about cloth (to test their knowledge) and were told to wash the diapers with the regular clothing, in the same detergent AND that ANY diaper rash cream would be fine to use. This type of advice can be detrimental to those interested in using cloth, they will waste a bunch of money, the diapers wont work and they will give up. Not everyone goes online and researches first, many would trust that a sales associate knows this information. This can be a big problem in gaining more cloth popularity. though this can awaken peoples interest to seek out cloth diaper stores, classes and forums. It is inevitable though that some will try it out using bad advice and HATE it.

    Will I go to Target and get some cloth? I may, especially if I do not want to pay shipping and only need one diaper and am there already. Personally I would prefer a cloth diaper specialty store. I am hoping that this major step in cloth will lead to more research online about HOW TO USE/WASH cloth and participation in Cloth 101 classes that Cloth Diaper stores offer. Plus the wonderful ladies/famillies holding these specialty stores can answer very specific questions and help you troubleshoot if you have a cloth related problem.

What do you think?