Ohhh The Benefits of Cloth Diapering

When we think of cloth diapers most of us think of our moms, and how much work it must have been for them to clean soiled diapers, and then have to boil them, before they could re-use them and how fantastic it is that technology and modern times have allowed for us 21st century moms to just dispose of our dirty diapers and not have to worry about the mess, the cleaning, the laundering etc. Unfortunately this great and convenient modern practice has come with some major drawbacks, some of which most of us do not consider beforehand, but that are indeed incredibly important in terms of the impact they will have on the tushies that we so lovingly take care of every day, when these tushies grow up to live in the world that we should be lovingly taking care of just as much.

There are many reasons why I have become such a strong advocate for cloth diapers. First is that financially it just makes sense, especially in these hard economic times when we could all use some savings in every department. Reusing your diapers cuts back on cost because you are not buying new diapers every week. Cloth diapers are durable and even though some of them are quite expensive and you could end up spending even more money than if you went with disposables, if you are wise and savvy you can save a lot of cash. Plus it is a long-term investment because some cloth diapers, such as pre-folds (which are my favorites…cheap, durable, great!), will last you for years to come, which means you can use them with more than one child.

Then there is the comfort and health related reasons. If you were a baby, wouldn’t you rather be wearing yummy cotton underwear, rather than plastic underwear? Cloth diapers are breathable, which means your baby is more likely to get less diaper rashes. Because babies can feel when they are wet (as opposed to disposables that are SO absorbent that babies don’t feel it at all) they can actually let you know when they are uncomfortable so you can change the diaper at the right time. One more pro is that because babies can feel when they are wet, they become aware of their bodily functions earlier and hence not only do they potty train earlier, but it is also much easier for them to learn how to go potty. My daughter has been using the potty regularly since she was 11 months old! She was aware enough at that age that she could pick it up very quickly.

But if all of these reasons are not enough to convince you, let me tell you about the one that definitely sold me. Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills. The website www.gdiapers.com (another great environmentally friendly alternative to disposables) states that “50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day, where they sit for up to 500 years”. Because disposables are plastic based they take a very long time to break down. The estimate is that they take about 500 years to do so, but in reality no one knows how long it really takes for them to break down, because no one has been around long enough to see it happen! Just imagine: if 50 million diapers enter the landfill ever day, that is almost 20 billion a year! and now picture that they do not break down in about 500 years. How many diapers is that over the course of the next 10 years and what kind of mess are we leaving for our kids to deal with in the future? I wonder about the astounded look on my daughter’s face when 15 years down the line she says “Mom, what were you guys thinking?!”

So back to the practical side of things, cloth diapering has changed vastly in the last few years and we no longer have to hand rinse and boil diapers before using them again. There’s a wide range and variety of models and styles available in the market today to fit everyone’s taste and pocket. Plus they are super cute and colorful so you will have fun too and because you don’t have to separate them by colors, cycles, temperatures etc, washing diapers is easier than doing any other type of laundry. You just throw them all in together, do two wash cycles and you’re done! Regular wash for cloth diapers is usually one cold wash on regular cycle (to rinse diapers off) followed by one hot wash on regular cycle. Both washes should be done with 1/2 recommended amount of detergent for the load and enough water to cover all the diapers. Be sure to check in with the diaper manufacturer for details and carefully follow the washing/care instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Still, what about the poop factor, say you? Well, for as long as your baby is breastfed stools are water soluble, which means they will wash right off. You don’t even have to rinse! This makes cloth diapering almost as easy as using disposables. Breastfed baby stools are practically odorless, so you won’t have a smell problem and most dirty diapers are actually just wet diapers anyway, so poops are really not that big of a deal. When baby starts eating solids, or taking formula and stools become more solid you have a few options. If they are solid enough they will just plop into the toilet. You can also buy a water sprayer that easily attaches to your toilet ($44.95 on www.cottonbabies.com) and it will help you spray the stools right off into the toilet bowl, or you can buy disposable, biodegradable, flushable liners and put them inside the diaper so that you can just flush stools away. Follow this with a regular diaper wash and you’re done! For storage just use a dry diaper pail with a lid (so baby cannot access) and put it in a safe place away from kids. Diaper liners are made to be thrown into the wash with your soiled/wet diapers and can be washed regularly.

Yael Meyer is a full time cloth diapering mom, musician and freelance writer. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband Dani and 17 month-old-daughter Maayan, where she writes, produces and records music and blogs about environmental tips and awareness. Her new album “Heartbeat” comes out Nov 10th 2009 (iTunes and Amazon mp3). Free downloads and a full preview of the album are available on her website www.yaelmusic.com