Cloth Diapering
Easy, Clean, Simply Green
From the Mouths of Babes
"Today is the day mom gave birth. She and dad brought me into this beautiful green earth. For the first few years of my infant life, mommy and daddy will try to do what's right. Not only by me but the earth too, trying to preserve it so it will yield us our due. The earth is meant to be here forever you see, just one reason why my parents use cloth diapers for me."
Throughout history cloth diapers have been worn. The advent of disposable or one-time use diapers in the late 50’s gave the world another option – no more cleaning, just throw away after use. The disposable diaper evolved quickly and much improvement was made by the 1980’s, rivaling cloth and seemingly making diaper pins and rubber pants a thing of the past. But with this turning tide came environmental concerns as consumption of disposables sit in landfills far beyond the consumer’s lifespan.
Preservation of the earth for generations to come has led many to reconsider diapering in a new way. Cloth diapering is back on the scene with great improvements. There is no longer the need to get stuck with using diaper pins (excuse the pun) with the invention of fasteners that are mom and baby safe. They are called Snappis and they have plastic teeth that fasten into the diaper to hold the diaper snuggly in place. The bulky cloth fabric has been replaced with more sophisticated materials that pad your baby’s diaper and keeps him dryer. The covers, as they are called, are just the icing on the cake as they are cute and decorative, but most importantly fitted and gusseted to hold in leaks. The chore of cleaning diapers does not have to be a mother’s worry, as there are diaper services ready to take on the task of delivering a fresh weekly supply of 100% cotton diapers.
Changing the baby and disposing the soiled diaper into a pail for your diaper service to pick up is the equivalent of tossing the disposable into the trash. There is no more you will need to do― no rinsing or soaking, leaving the dirty work to your diaper service where the diapers are commercially cleaned and treated― all this for a very reasonable fee. This leaves mom and dad more time to spend with their babies. The benefits to the earth become apparent as the information below relates.
Cloth Diapers Offer Multiple Benefits
Comfort and Health Benefits
Cotton's soft touch on your baby's sensitive skin provides comfort. Cotton is a breathable fabric and ventilates baby's skin which helps evaporate potentially irritating ammonia that begins to form when your baby wets. This breeds bacteria, which can lead to serious infection.
The chemical dryness of disposables or single-use diapers can mislead parents to believe that as long as the diaper feels dry, it is okay to leave on the baby. Dry does not mean clean and the urine and feces left next to baby's skin is unhealthy and harmful.
Cotton also provides natural absorbency unlike disposables that contain a combination of paperpulp, plastics, and "super absorbent chemicals. One known chemical in disposables, is "Dioxin". According to the EPA, this carcinogenic toxin is listed as the most toxic of cancer-linked chemicals and is banned in most countries excluding the U.S. Trace amounts are found in baby's disposables. Disposables also contain super absorbent polymer (SAP), which was banned from being used in tampons due to its links to toxic shock syndrome.
Faster Potty Trainers
Babies who are diapered with cloth generally train on average six months earlier than babies wearing disposables. They are aware of the wetness next to their skin. This translates into savings as baby quickly moves out of diapers! These days, it is not unusual to see three to five-year-olds in pull-ups.
Double Advantage & Dual Reward
Because parents can probably expect cloth diaper wearers to be out of diapers earlier than disposable wearers, this can mean great savings and frees up more of your time. Secondly, this fosters a significant step in baby's development because of baby's increased awareness and quick adaptation to using the potty. Your baby gains confidence. Cotton diapers have multiple uses. They are re-used 50-200 times. They serve as wash cloths, burp shields, bibs, and many other uses. After their wear period they gain new life recycled as house rags.
When using disposables, a baby's carbon footprint will contribute one ton of waste to your local landfill. Over 300 lbs. of wood and 50 lbs. of petroleum feedstock are used to produce disposable diapers for just one baby each year. As reported by the Real Women's Environmental Network, The Real Diaper Association reports the U.S. consumes an estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers each year. Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill. Disposable diapers are not readily biodegradable which is why it is estimated that they take 250-500 years to decompose. In 1991, an attempt to recycle disposable diapers was deemed economically unfeasible.
Will you go green?