Why should I use cloth diapers?

• Cost Savings: While the initial, upfront investment seems intimidating, the overall, long term cost of cloth diapering is far less than the cost of buying disposable diapers. Flat or prefold cloth diapers are the least expensive option. They come in two sizes - infant and regular - (36 diapers x 2 sizes x $ 30/doz), you'll need waterproof covers (4-6 covers x 3 sizes x $10/cover) and something to secure the diapers with (pins or Snappis®). With prefold cloth diapers, you'll be able to diaper your baby from birth through potty training for less than $400! The second least expensive option would be to use one-size pocket diapers. Super easy to use, these innovative, modern cloth diapers grow with your child from 8-35 lbs. At less than $20/each, you'll be able to purchase 3 dozen one-size pocket style cloth diapers for approximately $675. For additional flexibility, you can get a combination of sized fitted cloth diapers plus diapers covers and sized pocket style diapers or all-in-ones. Depending on the brands and styles you choose, you will spend between $1000-$1800. According to most widely-accepted estimates, you'll spend $2000-3000 to keep your baby in disposable diapers until they are completely potty trained. As an added bonus, your cloth diapers can be used for multiple children, essentially cutting your cost per child in half. Cloth diapers have a high resale value places like Diaper Swappers and eBay. For more information on cloth diapering costs, visit the eco•POLITAN™Cloth Diaper Cost Comparison chart.
• Better for Baby: With cloth diapers, baby's sensitive skin does not come in contact with harsh chemicals. Disposable diapers are made with absorbent gel crystals, whereas cloth diapers put soft, natural fibers next to baby's skin (Would you want to wear paper, or worse, plastic underwear?). Cloth diapers do not retain heat like disposables do and allow for better air circulation. As a result, cloth diapered babies experience far fewer diaper rashes, which has unequivocally been our experience. Most disposable diaper commercials tout "baby stays drier" because the absorbent gel crystals pull moisture away from baby's skin. Since cloth diapered babies can feel moisture, they potty train quicker and easier than babies who use disposable diapers. The argument for using disposable diapers because baby feels dry longer (when she isn't) puzzles me. Are you really trying to keep your baby in a wet diaper? When she's wet, change her into a dry diaper so she's more comfortable!
• Better for the Environment: Generally, the argument comes down to this - Is the water spent washing cloth diapers more harmful to the environment than collecting human waste in non-biodegradable diapers made from non-renewable natural resources and burying them in a landfill? There have been a number of "studies" performed to answer this question. If there is one thing I took home from my statistics class at Dear Ole CU, it is this: If you know where to look, you can find a statistic that supports your belief. As a responsible consumer, it is your responsibility to determine if the study was relevant, un-biased and statistically significant. As you read articles on the pros and cons of cloth diapering, consider the source of the study (do you really believe a study commissioned by a disposable diaper company will conclude cloth diapering is better for the environment than using disposables?). Look at the sample. Were there equal number of cloth diaper users and disposable diaper users (one widely cited British study compared 2000 disposable diaper users to 117 cloth users. Seriously? Do you think that is treating both sides fairly)? Finally, find out which study is relevant to your personal concerns. Chemicals? Waste? Water? Trees? Pesticides? Diaper rash? Potty training? Spend your time evaluating the studies that matter to you.
  
  For us, the choice to cloth diaper our son was simple.
  • Both cloth diapers and disposable diapers are manufactured from raw materials. With cloth diapers, cotton, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and wool are generally harvested. These resources are replenished quicker than when a forest full of mature trees are cut down to make paper products and non-renewable petroleum used in plastic. Winner=Cloth
  • Both cloth and disposable diaper manufacturers have to transform the raw material into a usable form: paper, plastic or fabric. The manufacturing facilities are going to use water and energy, and unfortunately, generate waste and pollution. Winner=Tie
  • Plastic is not biodegradable. Period. Some people say it takes 100 years. Some say 500 years. Wrong. Plastic just breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, but never completely dissolves. Yes, washing diapers uses water. But do you buy disposable clothes and use disposable cups and plates to save water but kill trees? One extra load of laundry every three days uses about as much water as a toilet trained child flushing the toilet six times a day. Winner=Cloth
  • At 6-10 diaper changes a day for 2-3 years, Levi would consume 4000-10,000 disposable diapers. Or at most, 100 cloth diapers that can be used on a second child or resold to another family, then eventually used as household rags, until they someday end up in a landfill. 100 vs 6000? Winner=Cloth
  • There are a number of studies reporting that the chemicals contained in disposable diapers are toxic, including trace amounts of dioxin, a by-product of the bleaching process that is banned in many countries due to its carcinogenic nature. Other studies indicate a higher chance of asthma and a reduced sperm count when lab animals are exposed to disposable diapers. Perhaps the study design was flawed, the sample size low, or lab animal behavior doesn't adequately represent human outcomes. However, if there is slight increase of risk to my precious little boy, why take the chance. There are no known health risks with cloth diapers. Winner=Cloth
  
  
  I encourage you to seek as much information as you can about cloth diapers, to help you make the right decision for your family.
  Consider reading some of the following articles or books:
  • Updated Life Cycle Assessment Study for Disposable and Reusable Nappies (10/2008)
  • Analysis of Original Environmental Agency Study in England by Dr Alan Greene: Responds to The Environment Agency of the UK regarding the Original "Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK" study.
  • Women's Environmental Network of UK: Responds to The Environment Agency of the UK regarding the Original "Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK" study.
  • The Politics of Diapers: a Time line of Recovered History published by Mothering Magazine
  • Diaper Facts published by The Real Diaper Association includes well documented footnotes for further review of the actual studies and articles
  • Study on human exposure to dioxin by Green Peace
  • Whitewash: Exposing the Health and Environmental Dangers of Women's Sanitary Products and Disposable Diapers: What You Can Do About It by Liz Armstrong
  • Diaper Pin Cost Calculator

  We announced that we were considering cloth diapering and even my "eco-minded" friends tried to talk me out of it because of the water usage. We live in a desert, they say. Out west, water is more valuable than landfill space.

  We concede. Can't argue that washing diapers doesn't use water. It does. So do washing my clothes, my dishes, my Klean Kanteen reusable water bottle, and my silverware. These objects are essential to modern living, and no one is arguing that it is better for the earth if we discarded our clothes when they got dirty or encourage us to replace our kitchenware with paper plates, plastic spoons and single use water bottles. Born in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ) and now residing in the high altitude desert of Denver, CO, I've lived my entire life in a desert. Water is valuable. In elementary school, we learned to turn off the water while brushing our teeth and our parents banged on the wall to let us know we'd spent long enough in the shower. As adults, we purchased a front loading washing machine with an eco-cycle sensor to use only as much water as the size of the load requires. We follow summer watering restrictions - not watering during the hottest part of the day, using a sprinkler system and timer, and only water 2-3 days a week during the summer. We rarely wash our cars... okay, perhaps that's a bit of laziness, but there's nothing more frustrating than washing your car and having it sprinkle two days later. Literally - maybe once every three months. We run the dishwater when it's full, and wash our (non-diapers) clothing in cold. We do what we can to conserve water. But the fact of the matter is, clothes and dishes need to be washed. In our house, diapers are little people underwear - so they count as clothes. I'm constantly asked, "Is your water bill less than you would have spent buying disposable diapers?" Are you kidding? The lawn our HOA and city building permit required us to put in uses considerably more water than washing diapers does. Take a look at our 2008 water bills and you will quickly recognize the increase in water bill during the warm months when we are watering the yard.
  
  

  Jan	$21.26
  Feb	$24.25
  Mar	$24.25
  Apr	$24.25
  May	$39.20
  Jun	$82.06
  Jul	$82.06
  Aug	$106.98
  Sept	$115.24*
  Oct	$54.15
  Nov	$21.26
  Dec	$24.25

  
  *Read about the act of vandalism/theft that caused the September water bill surge on the Modern Mommy Gear blog.

  Giant safety pins and rubber pants? I don't want to put those on my baby.

  Cloth diapering has evolved over the last couple of decades! Modern cloth diapers no longer require the use of dangerous safety pins or stiff, plastic, noisy waterproof "rubber pants" covering thin, not very absorbent squares of cloth. Moms just like you have revolutionized the cloth diaper industry by creating cute, absorbent, and best of all, easy-to-use cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories. Today, you can buy cloth diapers made from hemp, organic cotton, and micro-fleece terry cloth, and diaper covers made from wool, fleece, or a thin polyurethane laminate (PUL) - which is a 100% polyester knit laminated with a waterproofed backing. Choose from a variety of cloth diaper inserts, liners, and doublers to increase the aborbency of your cloth diapers. Available in bright and pastel solids and cute, fun prints, today's cloth diapers and waterproof covers are so adorable, you'll want to show them off. Best of all, there are so many styles to choose from - all-in-one (AIO) cloth diapers, fitted cloth diapers, and pocket cloth diapers have elastic waists and legs to prevent leaks, and snaps and Velcro® (or Aplix® or generic hoop and look) closures. They look and work just like a disposable diaper. The flat and prefold traditional cloth diapers are still available - but are new and improved. You can choose from hemp or unbleached cotton, multiple layers of fabric for maximum absorbency, and you can even replace the giant safety pins with the amazing Snappi® closure. For more information on the each of the cloth diapering styles available, please visit the eco•POLITAN™ Cloth Diaper Dictionary.

  How many do I need to get started?

  It depends on a number of factors including your budget, the type of diapers you are purchasing, your baby's age, and how often you want to do laundry. Depending on your baby's age, you will need anywhere from 6-12 diapers a day, with newborns needing closer to 10-12 diaper changes per day and toddlers needing 6-8. Most people plan to do laundry every 2-3 days. I planned for laundry every 3 days, and started with a newborn. So we purchased 36 diapers to start. Towards the end of my second trimester, we made the decision to use cloth diapers, so we started purchasing 8-10 diapers a month until we had 36. Spreading out the initial investment over four months helped us follow the budget we set for diapers and supplies, while still allowing us to take advantage of 'free shipping with minimum purchase' and 'bulk pricing discounts for 6 or more diapers' offers.

  BABY's AGE LAUNDRY FREQ QTY DIAPERS Newborn (10-12 changes/day) Every 2 Days Every 3 Days 20-24 diapers 30-36 diapers Infant (8-10 changes/day) Every 2 Days Every 3 Days 16-20 diapers 24-30 diapers Toddler (6-8 changes/day) Every 2 Days Every 3 Days 12-16 diapers 18-24 diapers

  
  
  • If you are choosing flat or prefold cloth diapers, most people only need two sizes, infant and regular. I recommend 24-36 in each size, plus 3-5 diaper covers in each size. Preemie and toddler are also available, as well as a thicker, more absorbent “premium” prefold in the regular size.
  • If you are choosing one-size (OS) pocket cloth diapers or one-size (OS) fitted cloth diapers, I recommend 30-36 diapers total, plus 3-5 diaper covers if you opt for fitted OS diapers.
  • If you are choosing sized all-in-one or pocket style cloth diapers, I recommend the following the diaper chart above to purchase the suggested number of diapers in each size.
  • If you are choosing a combination of fitted/covers plus pockets/all-in-ones, then I recommend taking the recommended quantity listed on the diaper chart above and purchasing half of the suggested quantity in each style in each size (For a newborn, getting 10-18 fitted/contour/prefolds plus 3 diaper covers AND 10-18 pocket/AIO).
  • If you have a very small baby (less than 7-8 pounds at birth), you may want to consider purchasing a set of 12-36 newborn/tiny/x-small diapers until your baby comfortably fits in the small size. An ill-fitting, loose diaper will be prone to leaks.

  Cloth Diapering seems like a big commitment. I don't know if I'm ready to give up disposable diapers completely.

  Cloth diapering is a lifestyle decision. By that, I mean, you decide how much or how little it works with your lifestyle. Choosing to use cloth diapers can mean using cloth exclusively and never putting a disposable on your baby, using cloth only when you are home, using cloth only during the day, the night, the weekend, the weekdays. Lots of moms use cloth when they are home and feel disposables work better when they are at the zoo, running errands or on vacation. We have friends who use cloth during the day and feel disposables work better for them overnight. When we decided to cloth diaper Levi, we thought we'd keep a pack of disposables on hand to use on vacation and when we were out. But we've found cloth is just as easy when we are out - as I always have my diaper bag (and a cute, small wet bag) with me to hold dirty diapers until we get home.
  
  Still unsure? Start small and invest in the cloth diapers that most closely resemble disposables. I suggest picking out 2-3 fitted diapers and one cover, and 1-2 pocket and 1-2 all-in-one diapers to start with. Give them a try and see how you like them and how they can fit into your lifestyle. You can always add more later. Maybe you'll find that you're comfortable using them 50% of the time, or even 25% of the time. At 4000-9000 diaper changes per baby, even using 25% cloth diapers prevents 1000-2000 disposable diapers from ending up in a landfill.

  Cloth Diapering seems gross and messy...

  As a parent you have two options. You can either teach your baby Elimination Communication or you can diaper your baby. Disposable or cloth, dirty diapers are, in fact, kind of messy. While your baby is breast fed, dirty diapers are a breeze! Secure the Velcro® tabs and deposit into your Diaper Champ® or regular trash can with a pail liner until laundry day. There is no need to rinse, dunk, or soak in a wet pail (which are considered to be hazardous due to the possibility of drowning). As solid foods are introduced, baby's bowel movements become, well, more solid. They usually roll right off the diaper and into the toilet, especially the fleece lined diapers. If you would like, you may consider purchasing a diaper sprayer. Similar to the flexible nozzle sprayer on your kitchen sink, the diaper sprayer attached directly to the water line on your toilet, allowing you to rinse off the diaper before putting it in the pail until laundry day. If you are using pocket diapers, I suggest removing the insert immediately and lay it in the middle of the diapers before placing it in the diaper pail - that way you don't have to touch it again on laundry day. I've heard some people say it is gross to rinse baby poo in a washing machine, and I have to giggle. Do they think that their toilet water is kept separate from their shower water or sink water? Waste water is waste water. It all goes into one drain and goes back to the waste water treatment facility. Call you your water company and see!

  What about diaper services?

  Diaper Services are a great option for some people. Generally, they provide 70-80 diaper service quality (DSQ) bleached, Chinese made, prefold diapers a week. You can rent or buy waterproof covers separately. They deliver, pick up, and wash your diapers each week. In Colorado, they run approximately $20 a week for the service. Consider the fact that for less than what you would spend with a Diaper Service ($20/week * 52 weeks a year = $1040 a year for 2-3 years), you could purchase a complete set of top of the line, easy to use all-in-one (AIO) or pocket style modern cloth diapers that you can use on two children! If you are considering using a diaper service, do some research on their washing techniques. According to the National Association of Diaper Services, their Diaper Services use 13 changes of water and ultra-high heat drying to ensure to remove bacteria from the diapers, since the 80 diapers left for you each week are shared among all their clients and not "yours". In addition, inquire on the type of detergent or chemicals used to launder the diapers. We use natural, biodegradable detergents in our home because we don't want bleach or any other chemicals in contact with our baby's skin, or washing back into the environment. Finally, inquire on type of fuel used by the delivery trucks. Weekly trips to and from your house can put a lot of carbon emissions into the environment.

  How do I wash cloth diapers?

  Generally, we follow the following laundry routine: Cold pre-wash. Hot heavy-wash using reduced quantity of recommended laundry detergent. Cold rinse. Extra Rinse. Tumble Dry. Place in direct sunlight to remove any lingering stains. The keys to washing cloth diapers are as follows:
  
  • If you are exclusively breastfeeding, there's no need to dunk, soak or rinse the diaper beforehand. Breastfed babies have bowel movements with virtually no odor, and rinse off easily in the wash.
  • If your baby is eating solids, you may want to shake the solids off into the toilet before storing in a dry pail or bag until laundry day. This helps with odors in the nursery.
  • Bleach should not be used on cloth diapers, as it breaks down the fabric.
  • Fabric softeners should not be used on cloth diapers, as it creates a film that repels moisture - defeating the purpose of your absorbent cloth diapers! So do optical whiteners, brighteners, and oxy-cleaning agents. Learn to read labels or check out the recommended detergents on the manufacturer's websites. eco•POLITAN™ stocks several of the recommended detergents.
  • Reduce the amount of detergent. Detergent build up on diapers can cause odors and rashes, and reduce the effectiveness of your diapers. Most detergents will only require 1-2 tablespoons of detergent to get your diapers clean. 1-2 extra rinses at the end of the wash cycle will help ensure your diapers are rinsed clean. Peak in during the final rinse -- you shouldn't see any suds. If you do, keep rinsing, and reduce the detergent you use in the next load.
  • For specific washing instructions for each manufacturer, check out the eco•POLITAN™ Laundy Tips and Washing Instructions