Decide on diapers

Posted on: July 22, 2008
Posted by: SiteEditorArianna
Related topics: daily challenge, eco friendly, family, home life, kids, and research
Challenge Yourself for: 24 Hours

Many eco-minded people assume that cloth is the greener choice when it comes to diapers. Not always so: Depending on your location, your local landfill situation, and many other factors, disposables may actually use less energy.

While disposables fill our landfills and often contain harsh substances (such as urine-absorbing gels and bleach), cloth diapers require bleach and water for cleaning (and accrue transportation costs associated with diaper services and mass cleaning). A third option are also so-called “environmental” disposables, ranging from bleach-free diapers to flushables to gel-free varieties.

If you have a baby or are planning on having one soon, challenge yourself to research the most environmentally friendly option for your location.

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Nan52
Posted July 22, 2008 at 04:05 PM

I must reply to this. My children were babies 25-30 years ago. I used cloth diapers for both of them. Neither one of them ever had diaper rash.
I had little money, so with the help of my mom devised a way to keep the cloth diapers clean, cheaply. I did however, need to put in some elbow grease, something folks either don’t want to do now or don’t have the time for. After the deaper change I would rinse it out in the toilet, flush away any solids. Next they would go into a diaper pail with water, bleach and Ivory soap. At the end of each day I would get out my scrub board and clean them in hot soapy (Ivory) water, scrubbing on the washboard. I then rinsed them well and hung them out to dry in the morning. Or in the winter, inside on a clothseling near a window. Two dozen diapers would last each child until they were potty trained, then made excellent rags. Sound like a lot of work? No. Not really, its an act of love for your little ones tender skin and for the beautiful world we live in. I challenge anyone to try this. Good Luck.

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gabrieljosephsmom
Posted July 23, 2008 at 09:37 AM

I used cloth diapers with both of my boys (now ages 2 and 6). The diapers were very easy to take care of and easy to clean, especially with an HE washer. In warm weather, there is nothing cuter than cloth diapers and covers hanging on a clothesline!
Both of my boys were potty trained before age 2. This seems to be fairly common in children who wear cloth diapers – perhaps because it’s easier for them to be aware that they are wet.
Cloth diapers saved me a ton of money and my kids had very happy, healthy skin.

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jes2321
Posted July 31, 2008 at 08:52 AM | Edited July 31, 2008 at 08:53 AM

I used cloth diapers on two children and they are definately the healthier choice for children. I NEVER bleached a diaper and you should never have to. Natural detergent, some tea tree oil and sunshine is all you need to add to the cleaning process. I didn’t want the petroleum & other chemicals found disposables rubbing against my childrens’ tender skin and the natural ‘sposies were cost prohibitive.

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ladiebug420
Posted September 10, 2008 at 06:17 AM

I would never use bleach on my cloth diapers, and I think that diaper services are dwindling even though cloth diapers are making a come back. The detergent we use is eco friendly, and it only adds two wash loads a week. I think cloth, done responsibly, is still the most eco-friendly diapering method out there.