...About Cloth Diapers
I have been using cloth diapers for only a few months.
I'd like to point out that this does not make me, in any way, a cloth diapering expert.
I tend to become obsessed with things when I get an idea in my head and I tend to research them like crazy –
like when I decided I was going to get a cat in college and I checked out 20 books from the library, learned everything I could about keeping a cat, and then never actually got a cat.
We tried cloth diapers for a day (literally) when Lily was about 18 months old. I did very little research and my heart wasn’t really into it – I was overwhelmed by all the options! Just try Googling it, and you will see that there is a whole “cloth diapering” lingo out there that is a hurdle in itself!
But several months ago I got a new resolve, and decided I was sick and tired of paying for pull-ups for Lily (who is very much potty trained, but based on her parents will probably be wetting the bed till she goes to college). So I started looking for options for bed-wetting solutions in cloth. That led to realizing I should be using reusable swim diapers, ‘cuz that’s pretty much a no-brainer… it’s not like the disposable kind
actually hold anything. And then, that little inkling to try to go to full-fledged cloth diapers turned into a reality.
After lots of research, and a little trial and error, we started using
Softbums brand of cloth diapers – and never looked back. (And if you’re really interested, they have a GREAT
PDF book on their website all about using cloth diapers and getting started.) For Lily we settled on using a
pull-up style diaper with a pocket to stuff with an absorbent liner. But, the
Softbums are so adjustable in size that Lily can wear Violet’s diapers if I’m slacking on the laundry.
Cloth Diaper Myth: They are hard to change/ fold/ pin
Truth: My Softbums are super easy to use and change! They are Velcro tabs, and look just like a big fluffy disposable. When I leave Vi with family/friends I usually still give them the option of the disposable diaper, but the cloth ones are just as simple as a regular disposable. They have an easy little snap in liner that I switch in and out after I change her.
Cloth Diaper Myth: You have to wash them out in the toilet.
Truth: That's just gross. I just keep a cute little wet-bag in the diaper bag to put the dirty diapers in while we are out and about. When I get home I dump that wet-bag into my larger hanging wet-bag on a door knob. When they are time to wash I just dump the dirty liners in and the covers if they get dirty or after about three uses.
And when she poops? We just walk over to the toilet, shake the poopy into it, and flush. Yep, that’s all. No big deal. Dirty dipe goes into the wet-bag.
Cloth Diaper Myth: You have so much extra laundry to do!
Truth: Every other day I wash the dirty diapers. That means I do about 3-4 extra loads of laundry a week. For me, that’s no big deal. I do so much laundry that my wash runs every day anyway. I didn’t even notice it. (I could go longer if I had more diapers, but I have seven covers and about 18 liners and that keeps me comfortable with our laundry situation.)
I just dump the whole load (including the wet-bags) into the washer and wash it once on cold, with and extra rinse. Then a second wash on hot, with soap (you do have to use a free-and-clear type detergent with cloth) and an extra rinse. Then dry. I hang dry the covers, but I sometimes dry them in the machine if I’m in a hurry. Easy as pie. (I really love the Softbums too, because I don’t have to stuff liners into pocket diapers.)
So, why are we using cloth diapers? Well, I have a list as long as my arm – you know, save the environment from all the waste and landfills, and all – and there’s that money thing.
(We discovered that at 3 years old, we had spent about $1500 on Lily’s diapers alone – not including swim diapers and the future years she’ll be in a pull-up every night. Or factoring the year+ we put Vi in disposables. My investment into Softbums cost me about $300 - including wet-bags - and they are one-size-fits all and will last through multiple kids.) I’m only wishing I had done this a LOT sooner.
The thing that really got me, and has always bothered me the most about disposable diapers are the chemicals and junk in the diapers that are sitting on my babies’ skin. Have you ever
seen that junk that comes out of the inside of a disposable diaper if it gets too wet?
I don’t pretend to have any facts or knowledge on this…
Google it and you’ll find a million reports of conflicting information. I just know my gut doesn’t feel good about the chemicals they use to make diapers super-extra-absorbent. And I don’t like that there’s very little research on the effect of those chemicals in diapers. My gut thinks there’s a reason that so many of my friends/peers are having so many problems conceiving. And I think it might not be a coincidence that many of those experiencing the infertility problems were born in the late 70’s to early 80’s - some of the first full-time disposable diaper-wearing generations.
But, I do feel good about
organic bamboo against my babies’ skin. And that makes a few extra loads of laundry an easy choice. Saving money is an added bonus.
