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What did mothers do before disposable diapers made it so convenient to keep baby’s bottom clean? Of course, they used cloth diapers. You should too! It’s not as difficult as it seems to use them, nor is it an all-or-nothing proposition. Using cloth diapers can save money, it’s ecologically beneficial and also good for your baby.
Technology is making progress in developing disposable diapers that aren’t so bad for our environment, but they still take up a lot of space in landfills. The chemicals that make diapers super-absorbent can cause diaper rash and even bleeding and urinary infections. Disposable diapers cost a lot too – even the economy brands can be ten cents each. This doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider the fact that a newborn may go through twenty or more per day, it really adds up!
Compare the cost of disposables to the cost of cloth diapers. Diaper services typically charge between $10 and $15 per week, which is roughly equivalent to the cost of disposables for the same amount. If you choose to wash the diapers yourself, the cost is considerably lower. There is a one-time investment to purchase the diapers which varies according to style – they come in basic, pre-folded, different types of thickness and material, or all-in-one which don’t require pins. Two dozen are a good amount to start with. You need to purchase a few diaper covers to keep bedding and clothes dry, and also fasteners. Pins are no longer required – plastic clips do the job more safely. After these items are purchased, the only cost is for soap and hot water, and the cost of gas or electric to dry them unless you use a clothes line in the backyard.
Mothers may be concerned about the safety of cloth diapers, or of removing stains. Why worry about stains on an item that will be worn under clothing and stained the next day? Here’s an easy method of maintaining the load of dirty diapers. Shake loose feces into toilet, or swish in toilet bowl to remove most of it. Place wet diapers in a diaper pail lined with a garbage bag. At the end of the day, if there aren’t enough diapers to run a load of laundry, place the diaper pail contents in the washing machine and fill it with water and detergent, but don’t complete the cycle. Let the dirty diapers soak until there’s enough to run a full load. You can also soak dirty diapers in the pail with cold water and borax or vinegar until there’s enough to wash, but wash them at least every other day. When they’re washed, either dry them in a dryer for 60 minutes or hang them on a clothesline. Drying diapers in the sun will both sterilize them and remove stains. Bleach is rarely needed, and damages diapers if used too often.
I used a combination of cloth and disposable diapers with my babies. They wore cloth during the day when at home, and disposable diapers at night and while we were away from home. This reduced the need for midnight diaper changes, kept bedding dry, and made traveling more convenient while saving money during the average day. Since newborns “soil” their diapers very often, it didn’t make sense to me to use a ten-cent disposable each time. When they got older and “soiled” less often, and the major offender was urine, I switched to the more absorbent disposables and used far less of them. I can’t imagine using anything but cloth for the newborn months. If money was tight at any time, I was grateful to have the cloth diapers to fall back on if I ran out of disposable diapers.
When the diapering stage is over, cloth diapers kept in good condition are easy to sell at yard sales or even consignment stores, or to pass along to friends and relatives. They also make wonderful cleaning cloths. I use my basic flat, unfolded diapers for dishtowels – they’re the perfect size and very absorbent. Diapers are great for dusting furniture and are lint-free for cleaning windows, eliminating the cost of paper towels.
No new mother should be without a couple dozen cloth diapers, with covers and fasteners, Cloth diapers can save a lot of money, and are friendlier to the environment and to the baby’s skin because they don’t have added chemicals. They aren’t as hard to use as many new mothers fear, and when used in a combination with disposable diapers, can be very convenient, and diaper services make it even easier. Maintaining hygeine is easy, and a row of diapers flapping in the wind on a clothesline can be very gratifying. After their time on baby’s butt, they come in handy for cleaning. Give another thought to an old-fashioned idea that never went out of style.
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