The Benefits of Cloth Diapers

The cloth diaper has evolved over the last few decades. There have been many changes in the cloth diaper that have made them just as easy to use and practical as a disposable diaper. Using cloth on your baby has great benefits compared to using more modern disposable diapers.

1. Physical Benefits

One of the benefits of CDing is they are healthier for your baby. Disposable diapers manufactured today are made with chemicals and materials that have been linked to different physical problems such as asthma. Cloth also reduce the risk of diaper rash because there is a lack of proper air flow in disposable diapers and babies stay in wet disposable diapers longer than they would cotton diapers. It has also been shown that some children will have allergic reactions to disposable diapers due to the chemicals used to mask odor.

2. Environmental Benefits

The environment also benefits from the use of cloth diaper. This is because a CD is going to be reused. The average lifespan of a quality CD is approximately 80 – 100 washes.

Did you know that an estimated 10,00 tons of disposable diapers enter landfills each day! A disposable diaper can take almost 500 years to decompose. Talk about taking up a lot of space! Did you also know the over 80% of American households use disposable diapers. Another benefit of cloth baby diapers is they can be saved for the next child, even be resold, or just used as rags after their lifespan has run out.

3. Cost Benefits

Overall cost is another one of the benefits of cloth baby diapers. Cloth baby diapers are expensive initially, but in the long run save you a lot of money. The average child goes through 8,000 diaper changes before being potty-trained; at 25 cents a diaper, that adds up to $2,000. So the money you invest in cloth saves you quite a bit in the long run, particularly if you plan on using cloth for two or more children.

Studies have been done comparing all the costs associated with using a cloth diaper like: diaper cost, energy costs, etc. With all these factors taking into consideration, cloth is still an economical way to cover your babies bottom.

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To get started cloth diapering, you will need a few basic things. First you will need to decide which type of diaper you want to use. Read our article on how to choose the right diaper for you here if you haven’t decided. Once you figure that out, you will need to make sure you have either a diaper pail or a wet bag to store your dirty diapers in. A large lided plastic trash can with a liner will work perfectly for a diaper pail. Or you can find a variety of hanging wet bags. Then you will need to stock up on wipes and wipe solution. Lastly, you will need to determine what kind of laundry detergent you want to wash your diapers with.

How Many Do I Need?

How many diapers you need will depend on three important factors. What kind of diapers you are using, the age of your child, and how often you wash. Here is a general idea of what you will need based on a three day wash cycle.

Newborn to 6 months

* 30 – 36 diapers

* 2 – 3 dozen cloth wipes

* 6 – 8 covers

* 12 – 15 doublers for naps or more for heavy wetters

* 2 -3 Snappi fasteners (if needed)

* 30 – 36 pocket inserts (if needed)

6 to 12 Months

* 24 – 30 diapers

* 2 – 3 dozen cloth wipes

* 4 – 6 covers

* 6 – 9 doublers for naps or more for heavy wetters

* 2 -3 Snappi fasteners (if needed)

* 24 – 30 pocket inserts (if needed)

12 – 24+ Months

* 18 – 24 diapers

* 2 – 3 dozen cloth wipes

* 3 – 4 covers

* 3 – 6 doublers for naps or more for heavy wetters

* 2 – 3 Snappi fasteners (if needed)

* 18 – 24 pocket inserts (if needed)

For Night-time

* 3 pockets with inserts, or

* 3 “night-time” fitteds, or

* 3 prefolds with doublers and

* 1 -2 wool covers, or

* 1 -3 PUL or fleece covers

How Much Will It Cost?

The cost of using cloth diapers varies from person to person. You can spend as little as you need, or you can spend alot. If you are on a tight budget, there are many ways to make your own diapers. You can sew diapers yourself using items from around your house such as t-shirts, or you can buy your own materials. Another inexpensive way is to use Chinese or Indian Prefolds. Prefolds usually cost around $2 each, so you could spend $30 for a stash of two dozen. Add in your covers and Snappi’s and you have a complete stash for under $80.

Of course if you have more allowance in your budget, and you want to go with fitteds or pockets, you can still build a nice stash without breaking the bank. For around $400, you can get about two dozen mid-priced fitteds and some covers. For about the same price, you can get two dozen pocket diapers.

Just think of it this way – even though it seems like you are spending alot of money on diapers, this is still less than half the cost of what you would spend if you used disposables. Compared to the price of using disposables, if you spend $400 on diapers and covers, you will break even in less than a year. When you put it that way, you are actually saving alot of money.

Beth Eckert ~
Eco Baby Buzz~
Get the Buzz on everything cloth diapering ~
http://www.ecobabybuzz.com

Author: Beth Eckert
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Cloth diapers are making a comeback. With the ever increasing price of gas and cost of living, mothers with very young children are thinking of ways to save on their monthly household expenses. One item that take a big chunk of the monthly pay are disposable diapers. A baby usually go through seven to ten diapers a day. This means that the mother would have to spend more than $80 a month on diapers, depending on the brand and price.

Forty over years ago, diapers were primarily made of white square cloths. The square cloth was folded into a triangle, wrapped around the bottom of the baby and hooked with a large safety pin. To prevent leakage, a thick piece of plastic is used over it. The thought of going through all the hassle of using the old-styled cloth diaper has put off many women of today. Thus, they continue to choose the easier to use disposable diapers despite their high price.

But time has changed. Over the recent years, a growing number of new moms are starting to seek alternatives to the disposable diapers. Some of the branded disposable diapers are also getting to be too expensive to use for the duration of the babies’ needs. Since all used disposable diapers always end up in the many landfills all across the country, so are the feces. Some babies are found to develop some allergy to the different types of water-absorbing gel used in the disposable diapers.

There are some considerations that need to be taken in the choice of cloth diapers for your baby. The fabric used must be of materials that do not cause allergic reactions in babies. The cloth diaper are so designed that moms can easily put them onto their babies and that they fit well. There are no need for safety pins as they are now pre cut and shaped to cover the baby’s bottom quickly and easily. An outer layer of laminated polyester fabric prevents leakage.

Although the cloth diapers of yester years were primarily made of white cloth, the present day cloth diapers come in many colors. Young mothers of today have a wide variety of printed designs to choose from, too.

After carefully disposing of the feces into the toilet, these diapers are light enough to be washed in the washing machines. This helps the young mother to spend more time with the baby, as well as knowing that they are keeping the environment clean.

Once the baby outgrows them, these cloth diapers can be cleaned and kept for future use. They can either be handed down to future siblings, or passed on to young nieces and nephews. When properly handled, cleaned and stored, they can be handed down just like clothes and shoes. Thus, there are big savings over time and reduce wastage.

Someone who can sew can get patterns for cloth diapers over the internet. Sewing cloth diapers for one’s own needs will definitely save a lot of money. If not, young moms can always buy them at the local store or online. There are a few websites that provide information on how to cut and sew cloth diapers, and also where to get good price for ready made ones on the net.

Author: Noorazimah Taharim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

No more is there only the choice of cloth or disposable diapers. Who would have thought that years ago, there would be biodegradable, earth friendly diapers? What a mouthful! Even though my boys are out of diapers, I was intrigued by these new diapers, so off I went researching and found out some interesting facts about these new types of diapers, boy how things change!

Would you be surprised to know that 50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day, where they sit for up to 500 years!! You’d be amazed how much baby poop from disposable diapers ends up in the landfill where the potential health risk and ground water contamination from viruses and bacteria in feces are real threats.

Flushable Diapers inserts break down and sends everything to the wastewater treatment facility where it can be treated safely with the rest of our human waste and where valuable nutrients can be recovered.

Because Earth Friendly Diapers are flushable, they don’t have to end up in a landfill. They go down the toilet. That means no over-flowing garbage cans and no smelly diaper pail full of poopy diapers in your baby’s room.

If flushing is not your thing, you can do home composting, which many people are finding a great way of recycling their garden and green waste at home, you can add the urine soiled (the wet ones) flushables into the mix. In 50-150 days they’ll completely decompose becoming a welcome addition to your garden. Now that’s a sustainable diaper system. NOTE: NEVER COMPOST THE POOPY ONES! THEY MUST BE FLUSHED!

Diaper Rash is mainly caused by skin wetness and allergic reactions. Urinary wetness raises the skin pH and make the skin sensitive to additives. This intensifies with stool enzymes and other irritants that inflame the skin. By using Earth Friendly or Chlorine Free Diapers this lessens the irritants on your babies skin to reduce Diaper Rash.

Diapers that are plastic free are breathable and reduce wetness. Plastic holds in the wetness. Diapers that do not contain any chlorine, perfumes, inks or dyes will also reduce allergic reactions, which can be another cause of diaper rash.

There are many new “earth friendly diapers” that are out there on the market today.

Check out some great Earth Friendly Flushable Diapers here….Earth Friendly Flusable Diapers which has a wide selection of Earth Friendly Baby Products, including Diapers, Clothing, Toys and more. Better for your baby, better for the environment.

Author: Ann Cohen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

Thirty years ago, cloth diapers were commonly used, while disposables were a considered by many to be a luxury item. Today, however, disposables are the norm, and few people even consider using cloth diapers.

However, just as the Bob Dylan song goes, “the times they are a-changin’”. Here are four reasons that modern parents may want to use cloth diapers instead of disposables.

1) Affordability

Money talks. Even if you decide to use a diaper service to clean and refresh the soiled nappies, you should be able to save money. In one price comparison that was done for newborns, disposables averaged $3.50 per day whereas a diaper service was $2.86 per day. Prices, of course, may vary in your area.

2) Modern Developments

There will be those amongst our parents and grandparents who will be naysayers and list all the reasons why cloth diapers are a pain.

Just be kind to them and point out that modern cloth diapering is much more convenient than it was 30 years ago. Folding is now a thing of the past, as modern cloth diapers are pre-cut and pre-shaped to fit your baby’s bottom. Also, you won’t be sticking yourself with pins, thanks to the modern Velcro or snaps used to fasten the sides together. You have probably heard about those smelly pails full of diapers, waiting to be washed? Many of today’s services provide a flushable, biodegradable paper lining that catches all the solid waste, allowing it to be easily disposed of in the toilet so soiled and smelly diapers don’t sit around. No more soaking-wet diapers caused by having to rinse them out in the toilet.

3) Health

Disposables tend to retain heat, which accelerates bacterial growth. As cloth diapers have no plastic lining, and cotton “breathes” well, your baby should experience fewer diaper rashes.

4) Environmental Concerns

A significant portion of disposable diapers is plastic. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade well, which means that we are adding to the landfill problems that will plague generations to come. It has been estimated that over 10,000 tons of disposable diapers are added to landfills EACH DAY. There may be a large group that believe that the convenience offered by disposable diapers outweighs this fact, but the environmentalist in you knows that the use of cloth diapers is just one more step that we can take personally to help protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.

Try Them.

Cloth diapers are, in many ways, a thing of the past, but they are by no means gone forever. For the parent with financial or environmental concerns they are still a very viable option for covering the bottoms of their babies. Be one of a small but growing group that are helping make cloth diapers the way to go.

D. Martin publishes reviews of child care software to help child care providers better manage their daycare’s accounting, scheduling and other administrative tasks.

Author: D. Martin
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Over the years many new parents have had to make the choice of whether to use cloth diapers or disposable diapers on their child. Disposables have been around since the early 1960s and cloth has been used for thousands of years. The choice of what to use will affect your child’s health and comfort along with your finances and the environment. There are pros and cons to each type of diaper.

Disposable diapers seem to be the most popular choice of new parents. There are many reasons why this is. Disposables are convenient and easy to use. They can be thrown away instead of washed after one use. They are ideal for those who tend to travel a lot and cannot use cloth. They also leak less and have a tighter fit than cloth diapers.

However, disposable diapers have cons as well as the pros. They are extremely more expensive than their cloth counterparts, in fact you will spend approximately $1,500 on throw away diapers before your child is potty trained. You will have a harder time potty training your child compared to if your child wore cloth diapers. They are bad for the environment because they do not disintegrate. Also there is a chemical in them that has been known to cause TSS or Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Cloth diapers are a less popular choice for new parents because of the inconveniences they bring. Cloth is much less expensive than disposables because they can be washed and reused. This also helps them be more environmentally friendly. It is also a proven fact that children who wear cloth have less diaper rash that those who wear disposables. Children in fabric diapers tend to potty train easier and faster than those who wore throw away diapers.

You should remember that with the good comes the bad. Cloth diapers are usually fastened with pins, however, you can find Velcro and snap closures. If you decide to send your child to day care you will have to find one that is okay with changing them. Many day care centers will not accept a child it he or she wears cloth. They are not very good for traveling with and they tend to leak much worse than disposable diapers.

All in all the decision whether to use cloth or disposable diapers is completely a personal choice. It is up to you whether you want something more convenient or something that helps out the environment. You have to make the decision on what is best for you, your family and your schedule. Choose wisely, because what ever you decide have more affect on your child than you think. Many parents have to use cloth because their child is allergic to disposable and vice versa. Although the chance of your child being allergic to material used in them is slim to none there is still that chance.

Jacky Welles

This article was brought to you by the Baby Diapering Shop. If you are looking for more tips and information on cloth diapers please visit our site. Baby Diapering Shop has a large selection of used cloth diapers for sale including popular brands like Fuzzi Bunz and Bumkins.

Author: Jacky Welles
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Console game news

How to wash cloth diapers.? This is the question everyone new to cloth diapering asks. Do you have to soak them in water? Do you have to use special soap. It can be kind of confusing and you may find a lot of contradictory advice online. It will wash routine will ultimately hinge on a few factors and your routine will eventually be your own.

Factors in washing cloth diapers

Your water. Is your water hard or soft? Does it have lot of minerals in it? This will make a difference in how much and which kind of detergent you can use on your cloth diapers.

Your washing machine.

What kind of washing machine do you have? If you have a front loader your routine for washing cloth diapers will be very different than someone who has a top loading washing machine.

The front loading washing machine uses a lot less water than a top loading machine. This is great for the environment, but makes washing cloth diapers a little more difficult. Here’s how I wash cloth diapers with a front loading machine.

Front Loader ~ this is the kind of machine I have and here is how I wash my cloth diapers.

1. Short cycle cold wash cold rinse. Wash cloth diapers through one cold cycle to rinse them off and get any left over feces off of them. No detergent in this cycle
2. hot wash/hot rinse. Wash cloth diapers on a long cycle with the stain rinse and an extra rinse cycle. Use a detergent free from dyes, perfumes and any additives.
3. Hot wash/hot rinse. Third cycle to make sure any detergent residue has rinsed free.

The discussion of detergents for cloth diapers is confusing at best. Make sure you get one that is free of dyes, perfumes and additives, but understand you may have to try a few different brands to find one that works well with your machine and your water.

If your detergent is leaving residue on your diapers you will know because one of two or both of these things will happen. Your diapers will start to stink or your baby will get a rash.

Best way to get rid of residue is to run your diapers through a few cycles in the washing machine with really hot water. If you see any suds at all in the water or on the machine run them through again.

I have suffered with residue problems. It’s best to avoid the problem in the first place and washing cloth diapers with this process with a front loading washing machine has virtually eliminated the problem. I did find the detergents specially made for front loading washing machines worked much better for me. You can find these detergents free of dyes and perfumes as well. Having a front loading washing machine can make things a little more complicated, but once you figure out a system that works with your diapers, your water and your machine it will be easy enough.

This is how I am washing cloth diapers in a front loading machine. It is a bit of a long process but it’s what I found that works. If you want to figure out which detergents to use and find answers for any other cloth diaper questions stop by the cloth diaper resource center.

Author: Jackie Lee
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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