Cloth
diapering today is not what it used to be. When many parents
think of cloth diapers they think of flat diapers that need to
be folded and fastened with diaper pins and then covered with
plastic pull on covers. Generally they also think that the
clean-up involved with using cloth diapers would be tedious and
messy. It seems as though many parents have missed the total evolution of the cloth diaper that has occurred over the past
decade or so. New choices in materials and high tech fabrics are
causing an increasing number of parents to reconsider whether
disposable diapers are the best choice. We have options now
that provide us with cloth diapers that are elasticized so that they
are fitted and snug, waterproof in many instances, breathable,
and manageable with velcro-like closures or snaps. They are just
as easy and as convenient to use as disposables. Of course, it is not just
their functionality and convenience that has been affected by
this evolution either. Cloth diapers available today are
absolutely adorable, available in a variety gorgeous colors,
prints, and luxurious textures and fabric. That is a big selling
point for many parents because there is nothing cute about a
disposable diaper. Quite simply, cloth diapers are convenient,
cost effective, healthier for our children, and better for the
environment. I feel as though the real question parents should
be asking themselves is why use disposables?
Cloth Diapers Are Cheaper Than Disposable Diapers...
As a general rule, it is almost
always cheaper to reuse than to buy new every time. This is no
different with cloth diapers. Most parents go through 6 to 8
thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we
take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to
between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are
potty trained those diapers are gone. They can’t be re-used. So
a significant chunk of our heard earned money has gone to
buying, what is essentially, garbage. In comparison, enough
cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between
3 to 8 hundred dollars. At minimum that is about a 1200 dollar
savings. But wait, consider too, that those cloth diapers may
last for one or more successive children and your savings
doubles and even triples. Of course it is difficult to make any
hard and fast statements in this regard because of the varying
costs of diapers, electricity, water, and detergents. Yes, cloth
diapers will usually mean an extra one to three loads of laundry
a week, but if everyone were to weigh the extra costs of their
electricity, water usage, and detergent, I think they would be
pleasantly surprised. These costs are infinitesimal compared to
the cost of expensive disposable diapers.
Cloth Diapers Are Healthier For Your Baby...
What should be of serious concern
to all parents are the toxic chemicals present in disposable
diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause
cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases, genetic
damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in
manufacturing disposable diapers, and trace quantities may exist
in the diapers themselves. Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the
most toxic of cancer related chemicals. Disposable diapers
contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause
hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also
contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like,
super absorbant crystals in a disposable than you have seen this
first hand. Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was
removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock
syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of
this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs
24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been
done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers
can cause respiratory problems in children. Cloth diapers, on
the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in
disposable diapers.
Cloth Diapers Are Better For The
Environment...
According to the Sustainability
Institute eighty percent of the diaperings in this nation are
done with disposables. That comes to 18 BILLION diapers a year,
just in the US. They require thousands of tons of plastic and
hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. After a few hours
of active service these materials are trucked away, primarily to
landfills, where they sit, neatly wrapped packages of excrement,
entombed or mummified, undegraded for several hundred years. The
idea of a "disposable" diaper is a myth, the ramifications of
which will stay with us for centuries to come. They are the 3rd
largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and
beverage containers. The urine and feces in disposable diapers
enter landfills untreated, possibly contaminating the ground
water supply. When you consider the unnecessary depletion of our
valuable forests, the huge volume of garbage created, the toxic
air and water pollution and the potential health risks to
children, it is very difficult to comprehend how washing and
reusing cloth diapers could ever be considered an inconvenience.
They are a rewarding investment all around. A financial
investment, an investment in our children’s health, and an
investment in our planet.
Cloth Diapers Are Every Bit As Convenient As Disposable
Diapers...
The
options available today prove that cloth diapering doesn't have to be
inconvenient. Cloth diapers nowadays are fitted with elastic in the
legs and back area, they have easy hook and loop closures or snaps
too. Many different fabric choices and absorbency levels allow parents
to choose the best diapering system for their own individual needs. It
just can't get any easier. There is no time like the present to make a
firm commitment to your child, to your pocket book, and to your
planet and start using cloth diapers today!
© The
Diaper Jungle
