As a self proclaimed Eco-Mama, the choice to use cloth diapers was a no-brainer. I knew that disposables are a landfill disaster, taking about 500 years to breakdown. In addition, with the number of chemical gels and plastic materials in disposables, I wanted to be able use something natural against my baby’s bottom. Cloth diapers are also a whole lot easier on the budget.
When faced with the choices of cloth diapering I spent hours researching to pick the ‘right’ ones. I learned that there are quite a few types of cloth diapers: All-in-Ones, Pockets, Contoured, Prefolds…geez our parents had it much simpler with just the plain piece of Terry cloth! And then there are the many covers, inserts, liners - phew!
Well after taking all the reviews into consideration I chose to use the Chinese Unbleached Prefold Diaper
I read about many complex systems for washing, such as rinsing with vinegar and baking soda, using special buckets, mini showers etc but have found it to be a much simpler process. I have a bucket of water that all wet ones get thrown into and I change that water everyday, sometimes adding lavender oil to the mix. For poopy ones, I soak them in a separate container and as soon as I get a chance rinse out by hand and then put these in the main bucket too. I also use this same system with my homemade natural wipes. I generally wash the load in the machine every two days and to continue the natural process I use a handmade liquid soap by Natural Botanicals. It’s really simple.
It gives me such joy see my cloth diapers on the line blowing in the breeze and knowing that I can re-use them again and again. I know people that use the same cloth diapers for several children and then turn them into house rags when the child rearing days are over!
At nighttime and when I go out, I still use disposables which I think knocks several points off my Eco-mama license. However I am hoping to redeem myself by purchasing a wet bag for storing wet ones when on the move and using another brand of cloth diaper that are said to have greater absorbency at night. So I’m back to researching these alternatives and hope to be completely disposable free within the next few months. I’ll keep you updated!
For further information on the wonderful benefits of cloth diapering I really like the articles on DiaperPin.com
p.s August 2009 update. We have now been 100% cloth for over two months. It’s a fantastic feeling to never have to buy another disposable again. I have bought a range of products from Cloth Diaper Outlet and now have a great system for night time and going out. Check out more on my cloth diapering adventures and reviews here
I raised 2 children without using more than a package or 2 of disposable diapers. They are really gross. I remember reading that an average child uses enough diapers to fill a small backyard over the 2 or more years they use them.
The next thing is where do they go after. This was really brought to home for me recently. I have a day care next to me and my landlord insists on putting the diapers from the day care in his landfill just behind my apartment. As I lie in bed and smell human feces overlaid with a sickening diaper scent I thought “imagine the people who live by a landfill”. Our garbage disposal systems were not meant to handle the human poo from 1000’s of babies.
The real dangers of the super absorbent diapers are now common knowledge they can have a toxic shock effect like super absorbant tampons. Finally we are all reading about the dangers of plastic; it is linked to metabolic syndrome and a host of other problems; imagine we are wrapping our babies bottoms in plastic every day, no one can tell what the future results of our babies absorbing plastic every day all day long through the sensitive skin of their bottoms. Has this contributed to the huge rise in metabolic syndrome since we started exposing our children to plastic from the day they are born?
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Update! I am now using cloth diapers at night! http://onelovelivity.com/childofnatureblog/?p=403
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