Cloth Diapering Today |
“You have four kids and you’re using cloth diapers?” These words are often asked of me like I’m some sort of Supermom , but in reality it’s not that big of a chore. I’ll quickly reply with a huge grin on my face, “Yes I am, let me tell you all about it!”
Cloth diapering is becoming more and more popular as many families are trying to decrease their ecological footprint. Not only do disposable diapers fill up your trash bins weekly, they are also filling up our landfills. It’s said that it takes an average of 500 years for each disposable diaper to break down in municipal landfills.
The other reason many parents are choosing cloth is the cost saving factor. By the time your child is potty trained you can expect to spend $1500-$2000 on disposable diapers, if you factor in more children this can be very costly. Cloth diapering does have an initial upfront cost (I have spent about $400 in the past year), but can be off-set since you are able to use them for more than one child. Many have also recouped costs buy selling them when they are finished with them.
Why did I choose cloth?
As I said above, many people are surprised to hear that I’m cloth diapering. I used cloth diapers for my daughter for most of her first year. At the time it was mainly for the cost saving factors. As a single mom, I tried to save my pennies and cloth diapering seemed like a good way to do that. After my son was born I hauled out my cloth again, and used them part-time but after returning to work full time I ended up switching to disposable diapers exclusively. By the time number three was born I gave up on the notion of Cloth Diapers and went straight to disposables. I was overwhelmed with a newborn and a toddler at home and my laundry was out of control and thought to myself, “How can I add diapers to the mix?”
When number four came along I continued to use disposables, and number 3 was also still in diapers, it was overwhelming, both the smell and the volume. Then one night I attended my local La Leche League meeting, and during our social time one of the moms hauled out her Cloth Diapers and I was intrigued! They were much different than the All-in-Ones I used 10 years before and seemed so much easier, dare I say maybe even easier than disposables?
That evening I went home and started researching Cloth Diapering online. It was completely overwhelming and amazing all at the same time. Almost like an underground secret society, there are even entire online communities and Message Boards with thousands of members dedicated to Cloth Diapering. CPO even has a very active Cloth Diapering Board for support. I contacted that mom from my La Leche League group and bought a handful of different styles to try out before making a full commitment.
Covers
I started out with some pocket diapers and All-in-Twos (AI2) that have covers made from PUL (poly urethane laminate) a water proof fabric that is soft on the outside and rubbery on the inside to prevent leaks. Inside they are lined with fleece to keep babies skin dry and moisture passes right through and does not absorb. The absorbent part of the diapers is added to the inside of these covers. With Pockets it’s added to an opening in the back waistband of the diaper in between the fleece and the PUL, and with All-in-Two’s the absorbency is added directly above the fleece and the cover can be reused again once the soiled absorbent insert is removed and a new dry one is added.
Absorbency
I decided to use a combination or organic cotton and hemp, due to it’s antibacterial properties and amazing absorbency. I settled on “flats” which are then tri-folded and stuffed into the diaper. No pins to worry about, just 3 folds and a top layer of fleece against babies skin! So easy!
What about laundering?
My biggest fear about cloth diapering and having 4 kids in the house was the added laundry it would cause. Honestly, when you doing as much laundry as I do each week, I have not noticed any added burden. If anything it’s a little less work, as every soiled disposable diaper went outside into a separate bin to keep smells down. Now I throw them into a dry pail and wash two to three times a week. I remove any solid matter and dump it into the toilet, then do a pre-rinse in the washing machine with cold water and vinegar (this helps to neutralize any odors), then wash in hot with a small amount of fragrance/die free detergent. One last cold rinse at the end helps to take any left over soap residue that could potentially build-up on your diapers. To save even more you can line dry everything (this is recommended for PUL covers), and the sun also helps to keep your diapers white and bright.
Beware- It’s addictive!
There are so many cute printed covers and other systems to try, all the
way from prefolded to fitted diapers you’ll find you want to try
everything! You may even find yourself in a bidding war for that
exclusive one of a kind “Kiss Me I’m Irish” cover like myself! I try
and thin out my “stash” every so often, when particular diapers are not
in my regular rotation. I have even found myself hanging out my covers
in order of the colours of the rainbow! Even more than a year later
and hundreds of diaper changes later, I still find cloth diapering fun
and it’s a good feeling that we’re doing our part as a family to help
the environment.
leanne hain | October 4, 2008 at 11:35 pm - §
I just had my first child in February. My husband and I decided to use cloth diapers while we were pregnant, it was the best decision we made. Not only do they save money and waste they are absolutely adorable and colourful. Plus, if you own enough of them they really do not make much laundry. I only wash mine twice a week. I think it is a great and easy way to reduce unnecessary waste. To anyone who seems overwhelmed by them they are not any more time consuming than disposable.