Journal Entry

Go green with cloth diapers

We all want to do our part to keep the planet greener. As you scratch your head, trying to decide whether filling a landfill with plastic diapers is worse than using excess water washing cloth ones, it’s a tough decision. When, after much deliberation, you decide to go with cloth, opting to put soft cotton on your baby’s bottom instead of paper and plastic, you’ve got a million questions about what to do.

Picking a diaper

The first thing you’ll run across is DSQ. This stands for Diaper Service Quality. Any time you see this on a cloth diaper, it means that the fibers are woven to withstand multiple industrial washings. This is a good thing, as you certainly want a diaper you can wash more than a few times before retiring it to house rag use.

Next, you’ll wonder how many you will need. If you are using a diaper service, you’ll only need a dozen or two, depending on how often you have a pickup. But, if you wash them yourself, you’ll need about three dozen to get you through about three days.

There are a variety of cloth diapers available. The most basic and inexpensive is a flat, prefolded diaper, sewn in three panels. The middle panel is the most absorbent. You can find a variety of thicknesses, called ply. They range between 4 and 8 ply. You can find bleached and unbleached cotton, organic cotton and hemp. With a flat prefolded diaper, you’ll need pins or diaper closures. But, there are cotton diapers that have snaps or Velcro closures.

There is also an all-in-one diaper, with diaper pants sewn right to the outside. These are quite expensive, ranging anywhere from $11-20 per diaper. They are adjustable, with Velcro or snap closures. And, fancier varieties have adjustable leg holes for added comfort. They even come in a variety of colors and patterns.

Diaper covers

A cloth diaper that’s not an all-in-one will not be waterproof. That means, unless you want your couch, or whatever the baby is sitting on, to be covered in messes, you’ll want to cover his tush in a diaper cover. These come in vinyl, plastic, wool and fleece. Wool, while extremely absorbent for overnight, requires extra attention in the wash. Diaper covers typically come with convenient Velcro or snap closures and some come in bright, adorable colors. And, they usually have elastic or adjustable leg holes. Plain ones start as low as $5, but they can be as expensive as $15.

Cleaning and washing

There are two ideas that keep parents away from a cloth diaper. First is fear that they have to dunk and soak before washing. Second, that there isn’t a non-stinky storage solution for all those soiled diapers, as their local baby supply store only seems to carry diaper pails for disposable diapers.

First, you don’t have to dunk and soak a diaper before washing. But, getting excess fecal matter off a diaper before wash time will help with odor and with stains. Retailers specializing in cloth diapers sell miniature spray nozzles that attach to your sink or bathtub that will help with rinsing, which is really all that’s necessary. And, as much as you hesitate to believe it, you’ll get used to the grossness after a while and be willing to push up your sleeves and scrape it off into the toilet with a trusty hunk of toilet paper.

Second, there are pails especially designed for cloth diapers. They are readily available at online retailers that specialize in cloth diapers. They also sell pail deodorizers and sprays. These pails don’t have the features and “throw away” quality of regular pails.

To wash cloth diapers, run the washing machine twice; first on cold/cold, then on hot/cold. If your baby has sensitive skin, use Dreft. Otherwise, use ¼ cup of your favorite detergent. Do not use bleach. During the rinse cycle, use ¼ cup distilled vinegar to break down ammonia in the urine. Line dry or put them in the dryer. If line drying to save energy, they may feel a little stiff and you’ll want to toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften. If you do use the dryer, don’t use a dryer sheet or fabric softener because they are made with an enzyme that will actually repel moisture, essentially making your baby’s diapers absorbency-free.

Cloth diapering can seem overwhelming because of the extra maintenance. But, think about making fewer midnight runs to the store for diapers. And, while it may be a larger investment at the outset, you’ll eventually recoup the money as you won’t need to continually replace diapers, like disposables. A benefit we often forget, too, is that as babies grow, disposable diapers increase in price as their sizes increase; not so with cloth diapers. Plus, aside from the added comfort for your baby, you’ll be doing a little part to keep landfills a bit emptier.