It has come to my attention that the FuzziBunz cloth pads that I recommended in my segment For Women's Eyes Only are no longer available - anywhere. I contacted FuzziBunz directly and received bad news: they are no longer making their wonderful cloth pads. However, they did direct me to a new brand of cloth pad, Charlie Banana, who offers NEARLY identical pads, much superior to any other brands I have found. The prices are reasonable, and shipping is free. I have never used their diapers, but if they are the same quality as the pads, they are worth looking into!
I would love to hear from you if you have tried Charlie Banana cloth diapers.
Showing posts with label Cloth Diapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cloth Diapers. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Friday, April 15, 2011
For Women's Eyes Only
If I have any male readers (at this point, I am not even sure I have any female readers!) then I apologize in advance, but this posting is targeted at a female audience.
On a personal feminine note, after I began cloth-diapering, I also began noticing how much waste I was producing myself as a woman. Diapering is not the only way to go cloth. Breast-feeding moms probably already know that in addition to all of the disposable breast pads, several companies also offer "reusable" breast pads, although they can be harder to find. Some of these are not nice quality at all, but I really like the Avent-brand reusable pads (I have never used FuzziBunz pads, although I know they make them). They are soft, absorbent, easily washed and dried, and like cloth diapers, you'll need to change them a bit more often and they are expensive up front but cheaper in the long run. You can find them at Babies R Us, and I highly recommend them.
All women, whether or not we are moms, use a product very similar to disposable diapers on a regular basis. Pads and tampons clog our toilets and fill up our landfills at an alarming rate. So why isn't anyone talking about it? Probably because the discussion is at best taboo and at worst disgusting to people. But there actually are green options available to women who don't want to clutter up the landfill (with diapers or pads)! For women who prefer tampons, I recommend something called the Diva Cup. I have personally never used one (I don't like tampons, either), so I spoke to a couple of my green friends. They love them! It is a one-time expense, without worrying about clogging the toilet, filling the landfill, or overnight leaks. Easy to use and comfortable to wear, I am assured, although one friend added the caveat that it is probably a better product for women who have had sexual experience, as that will make it easier to insert and remove.
For women who prefer the pads-route (such as myself), there are cloth pads not dissimilar to cloth diapers. There are actually many brands available, so I won't name them all, but I personally prefer FuzziBunz and Happy Heiny's (another brand known for their diapers) over brands such as Glad Rags and Sckoon Organic. They are comfortable, very absorbent, easy to use without bunching, and have all of the other qualities of a good cloth diaper. I keep a small covered trash can next to the toilet and put the pads in there when I change them. Then I throw them in with my kids' cloth diapers, washed with the same detergent on the same cycle in the same temperatures. They can be dried in a dryer or on a line. I don't have much trouble with staining, and I have actually had less leaking than when I used plastic pads (I suspect because I change these more often). So easy, and so much better for the planet!
On a personal feminine note, after I began cloth-diapering, I also began noticing how much waste I was producing myself as a woman. Diapering is not the only way to go cloth. Breast-feeding moms probably already know that in addition to all of the disposable breast pads, several companies also offer "reusable" breast pads, although they can be harder to find. Some of these are not nice quality at all, but I really like the Avent-brand reusable pads (I have never used FuzziBunz pads, although I know they make them). They are soft, absorbent, easily washed and dried, and like cloth diapers, you'll need to change them a bit more often and they are expensive up front but cheaper in the long run. You can find them at Babies R Us, and I highly recommend them.
All women, whether or not we are moms, use a product very similar to disposable diapers on a regular basis. Pads and tampons clog our toilets and fill up our landfills at an alarming rate. So why isn't anyone talking about it? Probably because the discussion is at best taboo and at worst disgusting to people. But there actually are green options available to women who don't want to clutter up the landfill (with diapers or pads)! For women who prefer tampons, I recommend something called the Diva Cup. I have personally never used one (I don't like tampons, either), so I spoke to a couple of my green friends. They love them! It is a one-time expense, without worrying about clogging the toilet, filling the landfill, or overnight leaks. Easy to use and comfortable to wear, I am assured, although one friend added the caveat that it is probably a better product for women who have had sexual experience, as that will make it easier to insert and remove.
For women who prefer the pads-route (such as myself), there are cloth pads not dissimilar to cloth diapers. There are actually many brands available, so I won't name them all, but I personally prefer FuzziBunz and Happy Heiny's (another brand known for their diapers) over brands such as Glad Rags and Sckoon Organic. They are comfortable, very absorbent, easy to use without bunching, and have all of the other qualities of a good cloth diaper. I keep a small covered trash can next to the toilet and put the pads in there when I change them. Then I throw them in with my kids' cloth diapers, washed with the same detergent on the same cycle in the same temperatures. They can be dried in a dryer or on a line. I don't have much trouble with staining, and I have actually had less leaking than when I used plastic pads (I suspect because I change these more often). So easy, and so much better for the planet!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Washing Cloth Diapers
Every parent has a different way of cleaning their cloth diapers, and many different brands of cloth diapers come with specific instructions, as well. This is how I clean my diapers, and thus far, it is working for me. For parents who are new to cloth diapers, I hope these tips will be helpful. I also HIGHLY recommend you check out The Diaper Jungle's website. I don't agree with everything she says, but it's all useful!
I keep a bucket in my child's bedroom, next to the changing table for soiled diapers. When my kids were eating breast milk exclusively, I would even toss poopy diapers in the bucket, because breast-milk waste breaks down in water. My daughter is now taking some solids, though, and my son is entirely on solids, and so poopy diapers go inside out into a bucket filled with water (my daughter) or the poop gets dumped (along with a flushable insert) into the toilet and then the diaper gets tossed in the bucket with everything else (my son).
Flushable diaper liners are a wonderful invention. They make cleaning up poopy diapers so much easier, since all you have to do is dump and flush, often leaving diapers clean enough to toss into the regular diaper pail! They also enable parents to use Desitin and other diaper-rash creams with cloth diapers, since zinc-oxide-based creams RUIN the absorbency of cloth diapers. But a diaper liner protects the diaper from the cream while you protect your baby's bum with the cream. As an added bonus, they're biodegradable! There are lots of brands to choose from, but my favorites are the Real Nappies brand.
When it is time to do laundry, dump the dry pail of soiled diapers right in, and pull the poopy diapers out of the wet pail (do not dump the poopy water into your washer - dump it into your toilet). I use tongs to pull the poopy diapers out of the water, because I'm wussy about getting my hands dirty, but you don't have to. Then, spray Bac-Out or sprinkle Baking Soda in the bucket to deodorize and prepare for the next batch of dirty diapers. Try to stay away from chemicals like Lysol or bleach, which can irritate your child's skin and break-down the diaper fibers.
I prefer run a rinse load first, to get the dirty out of the diapers so that stuff isn't in the water when I start washing. Then, run your regular load of laundry, making sure to use diaper-safe detergent. Standard laundry detergents such as Tide carry several risks for cloth diapers. The first and most obvious is chemicals and fragrances, which may be what you are trying to escape by using cloth. If this is your only concern, then Free & Clear options may seem like a good choice, but beware. The petroleum found in these detergents (that's right, Tide and other detergents are made of oil) gives clothing a protective coating, and so over time it "seals" the diaper, making it less absorbent. Petroleum-free detergents are not only better for the environment, but also better for your cloth diapers (which are better for the environment!)[*]#5 There are detergents that are plant-based and petroleum-free like Seventh Generation and Method detergents (available at Target and Babies R Us), detergents that are highly recommended for cloth diapers, such as Charlie's Soap, and there are even detergents designed specifically for cloth diapers, such as Rockin Green or Bum Genius Diaper Detergent. I love Charlie's Soap because I can use it on my children's clothes as well as diapers, and it is much less expensive than the detergents designed specifically for cloth diapers.
During the wash cycle or the final rinse, I add 1-2 cups of regular white vinegar. Standard white vinegar (Kroger and Walmart both sell it by the gallon) is the cloth diaperer's secret weapon. Add it to the wash or rinse cycle, and add some to the poop bucket when you have a diaper soaking in it. It works as a natural fabric softener and deodorizer, without any harsh chemicals or fragrance. I have never had a problem with my washer or diapers smelling, and I credit this trick! NEVER use chemical fabric softener on your cloth diapers.
Many cloth diaper brands, such as Bum Genius and FuzzBunz, instruct you to wash their diapers in hot water. Hot water can help to expand the fibers in cloth diapers, so I always recommend running your first couple of loads with new diapers on hot. You do not, however, have to wash your diapers on hot continuously, as modern detergents do not clean any more efficiently in hot water, and washers do not normally get hot enough to kill off dangerous germs or bacteria, anyway (160-170 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the standard temperature needed to kill E. Coli, for example, and energy and baby experts both recommend you keep your water-heater set around 120 degrees). Most dirty diapers do not carry harmful bacteria such as E. Coli, and so disinfecting isn't a concern (more on that below) unless you know your child has a serious bacterial infection. I do not like to encourage the use of bleach, but if you know your child has a bacterial infection or a very serious case of food poisoning, you may want to consider running a bleach rinse of your washing machine after washing cloth diapers in order to clean out the tub of your washer before the next load goes in. Do not mix bleach with the cloth load, as it will break down the fibers in your diapers.
I am a particularly cautious Mama, and so I always run a secondary rinse on my children's clothes and cloth diapers after the wash cycle (which includes its own rinse cycle) has completed. This makes certain that all of the detergent is rinsed out of the diapers, because even environmentally-safe detergents can be irritating to the skin.
Finally, it is time to dry the diapers. Both a dryer or hanging the diapers in sunlight will not only dry the diapers, but also disinfect them. Sunlight is the natural world's bleach, as it removes staining and smells and also has antibacterial properties, and the dryer DOES get hot enough to kill off most germs and bacteria, so either method will sanitize your diapers for Baby's bum. If you use the dryer but discover that your diapers are stained, set them out in the sun for a day, anyway, and they'll clear right up. If you decide to hang-dry your diapers, you may want to run them through the dryer briefly on air-fluff afterward just to soften them up a bit. This will use less energy than drying them entirely in the dryer, with the same results!
I keep a bucket in my child's bedroom, next to the changing table for soiled diapers. When my kids were eating breast milk exclusively, I would even toss poopy diapers in the bucket, because breast-milk waste breaks down in water. My daughter is now taking some solids, though, and my son is entirely on solids, and so poopy diapers go inside out into a bucket filled with water (my daughter) or the poop gets dumped (along with a flushable insert) into the toilet and then the diaper gets tossed in the bucket with everything else (my son).
Flushable diaper liners are a wonderful invention. They make cleaning up poopy diapers so much easier, since all you have to do is dump and flush, often leaving diapers clean enough to toss into the regular diaper pail! They also enable parents to use Desitin and other diaper-rash creams with cloth diapers, since zinc-oxide-based creams RUIN the absorbency of cloth diapers. But a diaper liner protects the diaper from the cream while you protect your baby's bum with the cream. As an added bonus, they're biodegradable! There are lots of brands to choose from, but my favorites are the Real Nappies brand.
When it is time to do laundry, dump the dry pail of soiled diapers right in, and pull the poopy diapers out of the wet pail (do not dump the poopy water into your washer - dump it into your toilet). I use tongs to pull the poopy diapers out of the water, because I'm wussy about getting my hands dirty, but you don't have to. Then, spray Bac-Out or sprinkle Baking Soda in the bucket to deodorize and prepare for the next batch of dirty diapers. Try to stay away from chemicals like Lysol or bleach, which can irritate your child's skin and break-down the diaper fibers.
I prefer run a rinse load first, to get the dirty out of the diapers so that stuff isn't in the water when I start washing. Then, run your regular load of laundry, making sure to use diaper-safe detergent. Standard laundry detergents such as Tide carry several risks for cloth diapers. The first and most obvious is chemicals and fragrances, which may be what you are trying to escape by using cloth. If this is your only concern, then Free & Clear options may seem like a good choice, but beware. The petroleum found in these detergents (that's right, Tide and other detergents are made of oil) gives clothing a protective coating, and so over time it "seals" the diaper, making it less absorbent. Petroleum-free detergents are not only better for the environment, but also better for your cloth diapers (which are better for the environment!)[*]#5 There are detergents that are plant-based and petroleum-free like Seventh Generation and Method detergents (available at Target and Babies R Us), detergents that are highly recommended for cloth diapers, such as Charlie's Soap, and there are even detergents designed specifically for cloth diapers, such as Rockin Green or Bum Genius Diaper Detergent. I love Charlie's Soap because I can use it on my children's clothes as well as diapers, and it is much less expensive than the detergents designed specifically for cloth diapers.
During the wash cycle or the final rinse, I add 1-2 cups of regular white vinegar. Standard white vinegar (Kroger and Walmart both sell it by the gallon) is the cloth diaperer's secret weapon. Add it to the wash or rinse cycle, and add some to the poop bucket when you have a diaper soaking in it. It works as a natural fabric softener and deodorizer, without any harsh chemicals or fragrance. I have never had a problem with my washer or diapers smelling, and I credit this trick! NEVER use chemical fabric softener on your cloth diapers.
Many cloth diaper brands, such as Bum Genius and FuzzBunz, instruct you to wash their diapers in hot water. Hot water can help to expand the fibers in cloth diapers, so I always recommend running your first couple of loads with new diapers on hot. You do not, however, have to wash your diapers on hot continuously, as modern detergents do not clean any more efficiently in hot water, and washers do not normally get hot enough to kill off dangerous germs or bacteria, anyway (160-170 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the standard temperature needed to kill E. Coli, for example, and energy and baby experts both recommend you keep your water-heater set around 120 degrees). Most dirty diapers do not carry harmful bacteria such as E. Coli, and so disinfecting isn't a concern (more on that below) unless you know your child has a serious bacterial infection. I do not like to encourage the use of bleach, but if you know your child has a bacterial infection or a very serious case of food poisoning, you may want to consider running a bleach rinse of your washing machine after washing cloth diapers in order to clean out the tub of your washer before the next load goes in. Do not mix bleach with the cloth load, as it will break down the fibers in your diapers.
I am a particularly cautious Mama, and so I always run a secondary rinse on my children's clothes and cloth diapers after the wash cycle (which includes its own rinse cycle) has completed. This makes certain that all of the detergent is rinsed out of the diapers, because even environmentally-safe detergents can be irritating to the skin.
Finally, it is time to dry the diapers. Both a dryer or hanging the diapers in sunlight will not only dry the diapers, but also disinfect them. Sunlight is the natural world's bleach, as it removes staining and smells and also has antibacterial properties, and the dryer DOES get hot enough to kill off most germs and bacteria, so either method will sanitize your diapers for Baby's bum. If you use the dryer but discover that your diapers are stained, set them out in the sun for a day, anyway, and they'll clear right up. If you decide to hang-dry your diapers, you may want to run them through the dryer briefly on air-fluff afterward just to soften them up a bit. This will use less energy than drying them entirely in the dryer, with the same results!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Common Reasons People Avoid Cloth
I have been asking my other mom friends why they do or do not use cloth, and several answers have come up repeatedly. I wanted to address those here, because many of them can be overcome. These are not in any particular order:
2. I just never got around to trying cloth.
You don't have to begin cloth diapering when your first child is a newborn to make the experience worthwhile, either to the environment or your pocketbook. I began cloth-diapering part-time when my son was 8 months old. I didn't progress to full-time until he was closer to 16 months old; until then, I still put him in disposables when we left the house. I am now CDing full-time, using his old diapers on my daughter! Unless your youngest child is out of diapers completely, or will be soon, there is probably a cloth diapering solution that will save you money (and save the environment).
3. My child's skin is too sensitive for cloth diapers.
This is an interesting argument, because it boils down to what sort of skin sensitivities your child has, and what you do about it. There is some debate about whether cloth diapers are better or worse for children prone to diaper rashes, and from what I have read, there is no real consensus. Diaper rashes are caused either by skin irritation due to wetness, or by allergies. Disposable diapers whisk moisture away from the skin, whereas cloth diapers keep moisture up against the skin, and so when disposables first became available, they were heralded as the solution to diaper rashes. However, because disposables hold more liquid, parents began leaving their children in soiled diapers longer, waiting until the diaper was full rather than changing it as soon as it was wet (something you cannot do with cloth diapers because it will cause them to leak). This practice, when combined with the over 200 chemicals found in standard disposable diapers, has led to just as many diaper rashes as cloth ever did.
If your child reacts immediately or violently to a wet diaper, then disposables may be the solution, but only if you change them every 2-3 hours, as you would a cloth diaper. However, if your child has chemical sensitivities (my daughter develops a diaper rash within an hour or two of wearing any disposable), cloth could be the solution. If your child has a chemical reaction to cloth diapers, please change your laundry detergent immediately.
4. Cloth diapering is gross (I don't want to handle poo!)
No one wants to handle poopy diapers. I completely understand - I am very squeamish, and I HATE to get my hands dirty. I plan to address how to efficiently wash cloth diapers in another post, but I will deal with it briefly, here.
While I understand not wanting to handle poo, there are a couple of problems with this argument. The first is the premise that you won't have to handle poo if you use disposable diapers. Sorry, but any mother who has had an infant knows this isn't the case. There will be leaks, blow-outs, accidents, and of course, there is always the need to wipe up afterward. Parents kind of get used to handling poo. If you accept that, at several points during your child's youth (even when using disposables) you will get poo on your hands, perhaps cloth won't seem as scary.
Even more importantly, human waste in landfills is considered a serious health hazard. The World Health Organization, the CDC, and the APHA recommend that ALL human waste be FLUSHED, regardless as to whether or not it was caught in a disposable or cloth diaper. Many parents don't realize this, because only socially-responsible companies such as 365 (Whole Foods) and Seventh Generation brand diapers actually list the instructions to flush human waste on their disposable diaper packaging. However, Pampers and Huggies both list these instructions on their websites, if you know where to look (and believe me, most people don't). If you do use disposables, PLEASE FLUSH ALL OF THE SOLID WASTE DOWN THE TOILET. Water-treatment plants exist to clean up this disease-carrying material. If you are being environmentally responsible, you will end up handling poo in any case.
5. Cloth diapers leak.
If your cloth diapers leak, there is one of three reasons for it. First, cloth diapers need to be changed regularly. In my experience, once you're past the newborn stage, cloth diapers should be changed every 2-3 hours. If you let them go longer, you may get leaks (since the liquid has no place to go).
Second, you may have crummy diapers. The standard Gerber cloth that you can find at Target or Walmart is not going to hold very much or fit your baby snugly. gDiapers were a great idea, and they have brought cloth into more mainstream establishments (both Babies R Us and Whole Foods carry gDiapers, but no other cloth brand diapers), but I've actually yet to meet anyone who liked them (although I'm sure they must be out there...) Diapers with hemp or microfiber absorption will do a better job than the heavily-processed cotton you can buy at BRU.
Finally, even the best diapers will leak if the fit is wrong. Much like disposable-users choosing between Pampers and Luvs, cloth-users will have to decide between Thirsties and Motherease, and between one-size-fits-all and sized-to-fit diapers. Even fancy pocket diapers like Bum Genius and FuzziBunz have a particular fit to them, and it can take a couple of tries to figure out what works for your baby. This sounds like more work than it actually is, but I do recommend that parents considering cloth buy a couple from each group of diapers instead of purchasing an entire diaper system up front, to get a feel for what works for you.
6. Cloth diapers are too expensive.
As I covered in my previous post, cloth diapers (no matter the brand) will actually save you money in the long run, but they do cost a lot more upfront. My son has about 40 cloth diapers (spread out over several sizes), and each diaper (or set of cover and prefold) cost about $15 apiece. Being conservative, then, I spent $600 on his diapers! Wow, that's a lot of money! When compared to the $18 that a bag of Huggies Pure & Naturals would cost me, that's a gigantic difference! But the $600 is a one-time cost, and I'd be paying $18 every 14 days until he's out of diapers, bringing the total I would spend on disposables to between $1500 and $2000. Considering that my daughter is now wearing the same cloth diapers (cost of cloth for her, $0), and my savings for having two kids in cloth comes to at least $2400! Even if you add in special cloth-diapering laundry detergent (I buy Charlie's Soap - it costs $25 and lasts me over 6 months), electricity, and water, the savings are significant.
Having said that, I understand that many people cannot afford to lay out $600 up front for diapers. I couldn't, either. I bought the diapers as my son sized into them - smalls, then mediums, etc. There are also less-expensive options such as buying from Cloth Diaper Clearance or DiaperSwappers.com, going on Freecycle, or using a friend's old diapers.
7. My daycare doesn't accept cloth diapers.
This is one reason why more people need to begin cloth-diapering, but it is a problem that I cannot solve. I recommend parents go to their daycare, show off some of the easier styles of cloth diapers (seriously, they can't handle Bum Genius?), and try to get other parents who use that daycare involved. If it is what the clients want, daycares will change to accommodate them. But if none of the other parents are interested, or the daycare refuses to change its policy, you're stuck with the options of switching providers or using disposables, at least while at the daycare.
8. Cloth diapering is too complicated/time consuming - I have enough going on as it is.
For me, this excuse given by my disposable-using friends inspired the most empathy. While I would argue that cloth diapering is not nearly as time consuming as people who don't do it seem to think, when my first child was born, I was struggling to find time to shower and brush my teeth. Laundry was absolutely not on my radar. Being a new mother (or father) is daunting, exhausting, overwhelming, etc. I get it. I've been there. You're just trying to stay afloat. This is why I recommend those who feel this way take another gander at Excuse #2.
It's okay. It's okay to start your newborn out in disposables if you just can't handle one more task. It's okay to keep a pack of disposables at hand for when you get the stomach flu, go on vacation, leave the baby with a sitter, or just have a bad day. If you want to cloth diaper, you don't have to give it up because you can't handle it full-time all the time. If cloth diapering seems intimidating, start slowly. Buy a couple of diapers and use them part-time, when you're hanging around the house. If you're like me, you'll be surprised at just how little of your time cloth diapering actually takes.
9. Disposable diapers are more convenient - cloth diapers are a hassle.
This is probably the most common answer I received, and the hardest to get around. The invention of disposable diapers made life easier for lots of moms, and that mindset has kind of continued. It is a matter of priorities. For me, the environmental effect of disposables outweighs any sort of "take-and-toss" convenience, much in the same way that I prefer to use stoneware plates during dinner instead of paper plates every day. Yes, I have to wash them and put them away, but I only have to buy them once and I save thousands of trees by doing it my way.
Cloth diapering does require some extra steps. There is some extra laundry involved, and while pro-cloth people often claim the advantages of not having to run to the store to buy a bag of diapers, I don't know anyone who goes just for that reason (my friends, at least, tend to combine trips). One of my CDing friends pointed out that cloth diapering is much easier when both parents get involved, or are at least supportive of the efforts (and I completely agree!) Hassle is really in the eye of the beholder, and everyone's schedule, tolerance for extra tasks, and priorities vary. For some (like my husband) being Green is top priority, while others do it so long as they don't have to go out of their way. Many of my friends said they were Green in other ways, and so they didn't worry about using disposable diapers. None of these answers are wrong, or selfish. Everyone has to set their own standards and choose their own way to make a difference in the world. I would like to see more people using cloth diapers, for a number of reasons, but it isn't for everyone.
- My mother used cloth - it's too old fashioned.
2. I just never got around to trying cloth.
You don't have to begin cloth diapering when your first child is a newborn to make the experience worthwhile, either to the environment or your pocketbook. I began cloth-diapering part-time when my son was 8 months old. I didn't progress to full-time until he was closer to 16 months old; until then, I still put him in disposables when we left the house. I am now CDing full-time, using his old diapers on my daughter! Unless your youngest child is out of diapers completely, or will be soon, there is probably a cloth diapering solution that will save you money (and save the environment).
3. My child's skin is too sensitive for cloth diapers.
This is an interesting argument, because it boils down to what sort of skin sensitivities your child has, and what you do about it. There is some debate about whether cloth diapers are better or worse for children prone to diaper rashes, and from what I have read, there is no real consensus. Diaper rashes are caused either by skin irritation due to wetness, or by allergies. Disposable diapers whisk moisture away from the skin, whereas cloth diapers keep moisture up against the skin, and so when disposables first became available, they were heralded as the solution to diaper rashes. However, because disposables hold more liquid, parents began leaving their children in soiled diapers longer, waiting until the diaper was full rather than changing it as soon as it was wet (something you cannot do with cloth diapers because it will cause them to leak). This practice, when combined with the over 200 chemicals found in standard disposable diapers, has led to just as many diaper rashes as cloth ever did.
If your child reacts immediately or violently to a wet diaper, then disposables may be the solution, but only if you change them every 2-3 hours, as you would a cloth diaper. However, if your child has chemical sensitivities (my daughter develops a diaper rash within an hour or two of wearing any disposable), cloth could be the solution. If your child has a chemical reaction to cloth diapers, please change your laundry detergent immediately.
4. Cloth diapering is gross (I don't want to handle poo!)
No one wants to handle poopy diapers. I completely understand - I am very squeamish, and I HATE to get my hands dirty. I plan to address how to efficiently wash cloth diapers in another post, but I will deal with it briefly, here.
While I understand not wanting to handle poo, there are a couple of problems with this argument. The first is the premise that you won't have to handle poo if you use disposable diapers. Sorry, but any mother who has had an infant knows this isn't the case. There will be leaks, blow-outs, accidents, and of course, there is always the need to wipe up afterward. Parents kind of get used to handling poo. If you accept that, at several points during your child's youth (even when using disposables) you will get poo on your hands, perhaps cloth won't seem as scary.
Even more importantly, human waste in landfills is considered a serious health hazard. The World Health Organization, the CDC, and the APHA recommend that ALL human waste be FLUSHED, regardless as to whether or not it was caught in a disposable or cloth diaper. Many parents don't realize this, because only socially-responsible companies such as 365 (Whole Foods) and Seventh Generation brand diapers actually list the instructions to flush human waste on their disposable diaper packaging. However, Pampers and Huggies both list these instructions on their websites, if you know where to look (and believe me, most people don't). If you do use disposables, PLEASE FLUSH ALL OF THE SOLID WASTE DOWN THE TOILET. Water-treatment plants exist to clean up this disease-carrying material. If you are being environmentally responsible, you will end up handling poo in any case.
5. Cloth diapers leak.
If your cloth diapers leak, there is one of three reasons for it. First, cloth diapers need to be changed regularly. In my experience, once you're past the newborn stage, cloth diapers should be changed every 2-3 hours. If you let them go longer, you may get leaks (since the liquid has no place to go).
Second, you may have crummy diapers. The standard Gerber cloth that you can find at Target or Walmart is not going to hold very much or fit your baby snugly. gDiapers were a great idea, and they have brought cloth into more mainstream establishments (both Babies R Us and Whole Foods carry gDiapers, but no other cloth brand diapers), but I've actually yet to meet anyone who liked them (although I'm sure they must be out there...) Diapers with hemp or microfiber absorption will do a better job than the heavily-processed cotton you can buy at BRU.
Finally, even the best diapers will leak if the fit is wrong. Much like disposable-users choosing between Pampers and Luvs, cloth-users will have to decide between Thirsties and Motherease, and between one-size-fits-all and sized-to-fit diapers. Even fancy pocket diapers like Bum Genius and FuzziBunz have a particular fit to them, and it can take a couple of tries to figure out what works for your baby. This sounds like more work than it actually is, but I do recommend that parents considering cloth buy a couple from each group of diapers instead of purchasing an entire diaper system up front, to get a feel for what works for you.
6. Cloth diapers are too expensive.
As I covered in my previous post, cloth diapers (no matter the brand) will actually save you money in the long run, but they do cost a lot more upfront. My son has about 40 cloth diapers (spread out over several sizes), and each diaper (or set of cover and prefold) cost about $15 apiece. Being conservative, then, I spent $600 on his diapers! Wow, that's a lot of money! When compared to the $18 that a bag of Huggies Pure & Naturals would cost me, that's a gigantic difference! But the $600 is a one-time cost, and I'd be paying $18 every 14 days until he's out of diapers, bringing the total I would spend on disposables to between $1500 and $2000. Considering that my daughter is now wearing the same cloth diapers (cost of cloth for her, $0), and my savings for having two kids in cloth comes to at least $2400! Even if you add in special cloth-diapering laundry detergent (I buy Charlie's Soap - it costs $25 and lasts me over 6 months), electricity, and water, the savings are significant.
Having said that, I understand that many people cannot afford to lay out $600 up front for diapers. I couldn't, either. I bought the diapers as my son sized into them - smalls, then mediums, etc. There are also less-expensive options such as buying from Cloth Diaper Clearance or DiaperSwappers.com, going on Freecycle, or using a friend's old diapers.
7. My daycare doesn't accept cloth diapers.
This is one reason why more people need to begin cloth-diapering, but it is a problem that I cannot solve. I recommend parents go to their daycare, show off some of the easier styles of cloth diapers (seriously, they can't handle Bum Genius?), and try to get other parents who use that daycare involved. If it is what the clients want, daycares will change to accommodate them. But if none of the other parents are interested, or the daycare refuses to change its policy, you're stuck with the options of switching providers or using disposables, at least while at the daycare.
8. Cloth diapering is too complicated/time consuming - I have enough going on as it is.
For me, this excuse given by my disposable-using friends inspired the most empathy. While I would argue that cloth diapering is not nearly as time consuming as people who don't do it seem to think, when my first child was born, I was struggling to find time to shower and brush my teeth. Laundry was absolutely not on my radar. Being a new mother (or father) is daunting, exhausting, overwhelming, etc. I get it. I've been there. You're just trying to stay afloat. This is why I recommend those who feel this way take another gander at Excuse #2.
It's okay. It's okay to start your newborn out in disposables if you just can't handle one more task. It's okay to keep a pack of disposables at hand for when you get the stomach flu, go on vacation, leave the baby with a sitter, or just have a bad day. If you want to cloth diaper, you don't have to give it up because you can't handle it full-time all the time. If cloth diapering seems intimidating, start slowly. Buy a couple of diapers and use them part-time, when you're hanging around the house. If you're like me, you'll be surprised at just how little of your time cloth diapering actually takes.
9. Disposable diapers are more convenient - cloth diapers are a hassle.
This is probably the most common answer I received, and the hardest to get around. The invention of disposable diapers made life easier for lots of moms, and that mindset has kind of continued. It is a matter of priorities. For me, the environmental effect of disposables outweighs any sort of "take-and-toss" convenience, much in the same way that I prefer to use stoneware plates during dinner instead of paper plates every day. Yes, I have to wash them and put them away, but I only have to buy them once and I save thousands of trees by doing it my way.
Cloth diapering does require some extra steps. There is some extra laundry involved, and while pro-cloth people often claim the advantages of not having to run to the store to buy a bag of diapers, I don't know anyone who goes just for that reason (my friends, at least, tend to combine trips). One of my CDing friends pointed out that cloth diapering is much easier when both parents get involved, or are at least supportive of the efforts (and I completely agree!) Hassle is really in the eye of the beholder, and everyone's schedule, tolerance for extra tasks, and priorities vary. For some (like my husband) being Green is top priority, while others do it so long as they don't have to go out of their way. Many of my friends said they were Green in other ways, and so they didn't worry about using disposable diapers. None of these answers are wrong, or selfish. Everyone has to set their own standards and choose their own way to make a difference in the world. I would like to see more people using cloth diapers, for a number of reasons, but it isn't for everyone.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Why Choose Cloth Diapers?
My husband is an environmentalist, and while I'm not as passionate about the issue as he is, I always, always, always want to do what is best for my baby. When my son was born, we started out using the safest and most environmentally-friendly disposable diapers I could find: Seventh Generation brand, which uses few chemicals and no fragrances, dyes, or bleaches. I was relatively unimpressed, though. They often leaked, the sticky didn't hold very well, and they were somewhat rough to the touch. I then broadened my horizons to include 365 (Whole Foods generic) brand and Earth's Best, and eventually Huggies Pure & Naturals, none of which contain chlorine bleach. The Huggies are my favorites, both for absorbency and also texture, but they are also probably the least natural (despite the green-washing name). I don't know a lot about chemistry or chemicals, but I do know that if a company is reluctant to list ingredients on the packaging, you usually don't want to know what's in the product (they certainly don't want you to know, in any case). And no matter how green I go, even in the case of 7th Gen., disposable diapers are not environmentally friendly. Every single disposable diaper uses water, trees, and oil to produce, to package, and to deliver, and each diaper takes hundreds of years to break down - meaning that every disposable diaper ever made is still sitting in a landfill. They are not biodegradable (not even the ones that claim to be). That's scary, when I think about the future that I want for my children.
The environmental advantages of buying one product and using it over and over again instead of buying a new one each time (so that the product must use resources to be produced and delivered to the store over and over again) is significant. Cloth diapers also save money. Depending on the brand and the number you buy, it may take you several months or the better part of a year to break even, but considering that the average child is in diapers for 2-3 years, and that cloth diapers can then be used for subsequent children, the potential savings even for the most expensive brands of cloth diapers are considerable.
Some people have argued that cloth diapers do not have a material environmental advantage over disposable diapers, and the study cited to back up this claim was the 2008 UK Environment Agency study that found that cloth diapers required as much energy and produced as much waste as disposable diapers, once you accounted for the energy and water used to wash diapers in hot water daily and then to dry them in the dryer. However, what these advocates of disposable diapers often overlook is that "the report shows that, in contrast to the use of disposable nappies [diapers], it is consumers’ behaviour after purchase that determines most of the impacts from reusable [cloth] nappies." Cloth diaperers can take any number of steps in order to reduce the energy and water amounts used, which will in turn give cloth diapers a substantial environmental advantage.
1. Purchase energy-efficient washers and dryers, such as High-Efficiency EnergyStar products in the U.S.A., or A+-rated machines in the E.U.
2. Purchase diapers made of organically-grown cotton, or a less wasteful crop such as bamboo or hemp.
3. Never wash diapers (or any clothing) in water above 140°F (60°C).
***This is a good idea anyway. Almost any baby book will advise parents to turn their water-heaters down to 120°F to avoid risks of scalding their children in the bath or when washing hands. Furthermore, modern detergents do not work better in warmer water than in cold. The perceived value of washing clothing in hot-water is an idea that has outlived its truthfulness; clothing gets equally clean in hot and cold water. And since neither 120°F nor 140°F is actually warm enough to kill most germs or bacteria, washing clothing and diapers in hot water has no consequential advantage.
4. Wash fuller loads.
***A washing machine requires the same amount of energy to run a full load or just two diapers. Since soiled diapers do not need to be washed the same day, but can be washed every other day, or even every two days, washing more diapers at one time will mean using less energy.
5. Use green detergents or detergents especially made for cloth diapers.
***Important things to consider: Are the detergents petroleum-based? Do they contain non-natural perfumes, fragrances, or bleach? I personally love Charlie's Soap, but Rockin Green, Method, Seventh Generation, and Ecos all make great, cloth-diaper-friendly detergents. Never use chlorine bleach, fabric softener, dryer sheets, or unnaturally scented detergents with cloth diapers. These additives can decrease a diaper's absorbency, contaminate your water source, and cause irritation to your baby's sensitive (and porous) skin.
6. Tumble dry as little as possible, and instead line-dry.
***This is a good idea for several reasons. It will reduce any sort of impact on your electric bill, and sunlight is a natural bleach. Drying diapers in direct sunlight will remove stains, and also disinfect the diapers!
7. Reuse cloth diapers for future children.
***This is kind of obvious. The financial savings that come from purchasing cloth diapers instead of disposables add up quickly for one child - but if you use the same diapers for a second or third child, the savings will be thousands of dollars. Once you have finished with diapers, you can sell them through DiaperSwappers.com, or donate them through Freecycle or MiracleDiapers.org, thus passing the environmental (and financial) advantages on to another.
The environmental advantages of buying one product and using it over and over again instead of buying a new one each time (so that the product must use resources to be produced and delivered to the store over and over again) is significant. Cloth diapers also save money. Depending on the brand and the number you buy, it may take you several months or the better part of a year to break even, but considering that the average child is in diapers for 2-3 years, and that cloth diapers can then be used for subsequent children, the potential savings even for the most expensive brands of cloth diapers are considerable.
Some people have argued that cloth diapers do not have a material environmental advantage over disposable diapers, and the study cited to back up this claim was the 2008 UK Environment Agency study that found that cloth diapers required as much energy and produced as much waste as disposable diapers, once you accounted for the energy and water used to wash diapers in hot water daily and then to dry them in the dryer. However, what these advocates of disposable diapers often overlook is that "the report shows that, in contrast to the use of disposable nappies [diapers], it is consumers’ behaviour after purchase that determines most of the impacts from reusable [cloth] nappies." Cloth diaperers can take any number of steps in order to reduce the energy and water amounts used, which will in turn give cloth diapers a substantial environmental advantage.
1. Purchase energy-efficient washers and dryers, such as High-Efficiency EnergyStar products in the U.S.A., or A+-rated machines in the E.U.
2. Purchase diapers made of organically-grown cotton, or a less wasteful crop such as bamboo or hemp.
3. Never wash diapers (or any clothing) in water above 140°F (60°C).
***This is a good idea anyway. Almost any baby book will advise parents to turn their water-heaters down to 120°F to avoid risks of scalding their children in the bath or when washing hands. Furthermore, modern detergents do not work better in warmer water than in cold. The perceived value of washing clothing in hot-water is an idea that has outlived its truthfulness; clothing gets equally clean in hot and cold water. And since neither 120°F nor 140°F is actually warm enough to kill most germs or bacteria, washing clothing and diapers in hot water has no consequential advantage.
4. Wash fuller loads.
***A washing machine requires the same amount of energy to run a full load or just two diapers. Since soiled diapers do not need to be washed the same day, but can be washed every other day, or even every two days, washing more diapers at one time will mean using less energy.
5. Use green detergents or detergents especially made for cloth diapers.
***Important things to consider: Are the detergents petroleum-based? Do they contain non-natural perfumes, fragrances, or bleach? I personally love Charlie's Soap, but Rockin Green, Method, Seventh Generation, and Ecos all make great, cloth-diaper-friendly detergents. Never use chlorine bleach, fabric softener, dryer sheets, or unnaturally scented detergents with cloth diapers. These additives can decrease a diaper's absorbency, contaminate your water source, and cause irritation to your baby's sensitive (and porous) skin.
6. Tumble dry as little as possible, and instead line-dry.
***This is a good idea for several reasons. It will reduce any sort of impact on your electric bill, and sunlight is a natural bleach. Drying diapers in direct sunlight will remove stains, and also disinfect the diapers!
7. Reuse cloth diapers for future children.
***This is kind of obvious. The financial savings that come from purchasing cloth diapers instead of disposables add up quickly for one child - but if you use the same diapers for a second or third child, the savings will be thousands of dollars. Once you have finished with diapers, you can sell them through DiaperSwappers.com, or donate them through Freecycle or MiracleDiapers.org, thus passing the environmental (and financial) advantages on to another.
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