It
used to be diapering was such a hassle; mothers had no choice but to
use cloth diapers, clumsy pins, and annoying covers. Then they
invented disposable diapers and most mothers thought it was a
miracle. Now, about 80% of diapered babies use disposable diapers.
But are plastic diapers really better? Before you go grab a pack of
Pampers, catch up on some of the benefits of cloth diapers.
Figure out about how many diapers you use in a week and times it by
52. Next time you go to buy diapers, look at how much they cost.
You’ll find that it’s a lot of diapers, translating to a lot of
money. The average parent spends two to three thousand dollars
diapering their child up to age three. Now go look at the cost of
cloth diapers. Sure, they’re a little more expensive, but you don’t
have to buy them every week at the grocery store. Cloth diapers have
the added expense of doing extra laundry every week, but it still
doesn’t compare to the cost of disposable diapers.
Now, go back to the number of diapers you calculated earlier and
times that by how many other people in the world use disposable
diapers every year. Pretty big number isn’t it? In the U.S. alone,
18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills every year. Not only do
they take up tons of space, they don’t biodegrade. Plus, they’re
just sitting there full of hazardous waste. Urine and feces can
contain harmful bacteria; which can work their way into the
environment and even your water supply. Sure, animals go to the
bathroom in the wild, but all the animals in an area don’t go in one
place like used diapers.
When I was a baby, my mom used cloth diapers. Not because they were
cheaper or environmentally friendly, but because whenever she used
disposables I’d break out in a horrible rash. If you switch to cloth
diapers, you may find that some of your child’s diaper rash is
actually caused by the irritation from plastic diapers. Even if your
kids aren’t allergic, diapers contain toxic chemicals including
Dioxin, which can cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin
diseases, and genetic disorders. And you know those absorbent
crystals you see when you rip open up a diaper? Those are the same
chemicals removed from tampons because they were linked with toxic
shock syndrome in women. Sure, the chances these chemicals might
harm your child is low, but why risk it?
Most moms choose disposables because they think cloth diapers are
annoying and inconvenient. What they don’t realize is that cloth
diapers have changed since we were kids. Diaper pins have been
replaced with convenient snappies and Velcro-like materials (Velcro
itself isn’t flexible enough). You can also get fitted diapers to
help keep out leaks. If you don’t like those annoying plastic
covers, you can get wool ones; these are especially fun because you
can find them in great colors and pattern. Wool is also more
comfortable than plastic covers, but works just as well. If you just
like the convenience of disposable diapers, there are now all in one
cloth diapers that require no folding, no liners, and can just be
thrown straight in the wash.
So, why not save the environment, save some cash, and help your kids
stay healthy by using good old, dependable cloth diapers.
