Cloth Diapering Basics
Cloth diapers are making a comeback! Parents are saying yes to reusable diapers and finding the washing routine a breeze! Cloth Reusable Diapers are increasingly becoming a household fixture for new families these days. Parents are more conscious of their choices for their children, more mindful of their spending habits and more aware of how their choices affect the environment. When looking at diapering options for their baby, parents are looking to cloth and here is why.
1. Better for Baby: Babies in cloth diapers have healthier skin. That means less rash and discomfort and a happier baby!
2. Better for the Family Budget: Families can save upwards of $2000 per child in diapers by using home laundered cloth diapers!
3. Better for the Earth: Only 48 cloth diapers (or less!) will get you through from birth to potty. If you go the disposable route, you’ll be throwing away more than 7000 diapers which is equal to about 1 tonne of solid waste per child!
4. Better for Toilet Training: Children diapered in cloth diapers better retain the association between eliminating and feeling wet. This gives them a major hand up in learning how to use the potty earlier and easier than their counterparts in super-absorbant disposables.
5. It’s Fun: Really, how fun is it to put on a white paper diaper? You’ll be spending a lot of time changing diapers with your little one. Cloth diapers can come in many colours and patterns. Why not make diaper changing a fun event for both you and your baby?
So you are convinced? Not yet? You want to go cloth, but can’t imagine the washing routine. You are worried about smell, all the poop and spending hours upon hours in the laundry room. Don’t fret! Modern cloth diapers are very easy to care for! Here is a basic routine I recommend for storing your diapers until wash day followed by your basic washing routine:
1. Storage: Store diapers in a pail with a tight lid. Simple. No tricky Genie or Champ required. Don’t use any soaking solution and there still will be no stink (I promise!).
2. After Changing: Peed on diapers get tossed in without any thought. Soiled diapers need no further steps if the baby is only drinking breast milk. Once the babe is on solids or formula milk, however, you can use a flushable liner that catches the poop and makes it easy to dispose of. Then the remaining cloth diaper goes in the pail with the rest.
3. Washing: Dump all diapers into the washer. Run a cold rinse cycle, then a hot wash cycle with an approved, residue-free detergent. Everything goes onto the clothesline or into the dryer on medium. You’re good to go for another few days!
Cloth Diapers: Easy, simple, sustainable living with babies in a time when consumption can feel overwhelming.
Karen Randall – Owner, New & Green Baby Co.
Guest Contributor
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