Cloth diapers. The very words send fear through many a parents' heart - but a lot of what you think you know about cloth diapers is probably not true. Old-fashioned rubber pants, fiddling with diaper pins and leaky rectangles of cloth are usually what people have in mind when they think about cloth diapers. Oh, how the world of diapering has changed!
Of course, many of these myths about about cloth are perpetuated by the disposable diaper industry - after all, protecting their share of this billion dollar market is important to them. According to the Real Diaper Association, 18 billion disposable diapers are used in the US every year. At an average cost of 25 cents each, that is a lot of money and a lot of landfill space.
Here are some common myths about using "real diapers:"
* They leak! Any diaper that is not changed often enough will leak. However, modern diaper covers and pocket diapers (a diaper that holds an absorbent insert in a special pocket opening) make leaks a rare occurrence. In fact, most moms tell me that after switching to cloth they see far fewer leaks and "blowouts" than with disposables. Elastic is a good thing!
* They are hard to clean! Well, I spend about 30 seconds cleaning a dirty diaper since I use either a flushable diaper liner or a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet to rinse off any mess. Wet diapers go straight in the diaper pail until wash day. Modern fabrics are much easier to clean than the rubber pants of old!
* They are hard to wash! It takes me about 6 minutes, three times a week, to dump a load of diapers into the wash and run a cold rinse. I then run a hot wash and a cold rinse again. Ta da! Clean diapers. I never even have to touch them between the diaper pail and time to put them in the dryer. Thanks to the cool, new-fangled invention of the washing machine, washing diapers is a cinch!
* All that water, electricity and soap will cost as much as disposables! Seriously, this argument is weak at best. I use a special biodegradable, additive free detergent and it STILL only costs me 10 cents per load. Running three wash and dry cycles a week just does not make a noticeable dent in our electric bill. If you are really worried about it, try using a high efficiency machine and line drying your diapers.
* You can't use them away from home. I use a simple zippered wet bag to keep used cloth diapers in our diaper bag until we get home. It's like camping, you simply pack out what you pack in. Now that my baby is on solids most of the time, I use a flushable liner when we go out. With a flushable liner, I can dump any mess in the toilet and I only have to deal with wet dipes when we get home.
See, cloth diapers are so much easier than you have probably been lead to believe! You can get started with cloth for a small investment to see if you like them and start saving your family money every week. I'll warn you though, a lot of parents are soon addicted to finding the cutest diapers for their babies!
Julie R. Holland is an attachment parenting author and owner of One Lucky Mama cloth diapers. Subscribe to the free One Lucky Mama newsletter for cloth diaper savings and more great articles like this one. Visit http://www.littlefornow.com for lots of great tips for getting started with cloth diapers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Julie_R._Holland/65269
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3101577
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
Cloth Diapering - The Incomparable Benefits
Making the decision to cloth diaper can be a daunting one, but the benefits certainly outweigh the minor drawbacks. I never thought I'd be a cloth diapering mom until I gathered a wealth of knowledge on the advantages. Initially, cloth diapering was a deterrent as family and friend alike tried to talk me out of it, convinced that even if I tried it, I wouldn't last long. I made the decision to put my baby in cloth, and a year later, I'm loving it. It's one of the best decisions I've made for my baby and our budget.
Choosing the type of diaper was the most difficult part as a soon-to-be new mother. There are prefolds, fitted diapers, covers, one-size diapers, pocket diapers and all-in-ones (AIO's). Where to begin? Fortunately, I had the time to research and read tons of product reviews and chose the solution that was rated most highly by other parents. However, you need to choose a diaper based on your needs.
I knew I needed a diaper that was versatile and easy to use, so I chose a one-size cloth diaper. It was the most most user-friendly not only for me, but also for the friends, family members and potential daycare providers that could take over without being confused by the cloth diapering process. After all, my goal was to keep my baby in cloth 100% of the time. If my cloth diaper system was confusing for others, it would have been more difficult to be successful.
Cloth diapering has been a satisfying experience for both of us this past year. It's been a little messy at times since baby has begun solids and I had to use a diaper sprayer to clean out the mess before throwing the diaper into the washer, but the benefits we've both had from this experience have been tremendous. Now that I'm a full-time stay-at-home mom, I've found that using the prefolds with covers have made washing preparation even easier than my beloved pocket diapers.
There have, of course, been several occasions where my baby has been in disposables and my experience with them always confirms my devotion to cloth. Sure, disposables are less bulky than the cloth, but there are so many cloth diapers that are slimmer and incredibly simpler than the old-fashioned pin and cover cloth diaper that is well-known.
Not only have my cloth diapers contained blow-outs better, they've kept baby drier overnight (the disposables have always leaked for me even though I've tried various brands), and they've kept diaper rash at bay. Also, they're much more economical. The average family can save approximately $1,500 to $2,000 per child using cloth. As an added bonus, cloth diapers are environmentally-friendly and free from potentially harmful chemicals found in so many disposable diapers.
I highly recommend cloth diapering to any caregiver. It's been such a breeze and I enjoy knowing that my baby is happy, we're doing something sustainable for the environment, and to top it all of, we're saving money.
Stephanie shares additional tips, resources, and writings on a variety of interesting topics. Visit Variety is the Spice of Life for information on a sprinkling of informative topics you'll want to read!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stephanie_Bill/493057
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3370867
Choosing the type of diaper was the most difficult part as a soon-to-be new mother. There are prefolds, fitted diapers, covers, one-size diapers, pocket diapers and all-in-ones (AIO's). Where to begin? Fortunately, I had the time to research and read tons of product reviews and chose the solution that was rated most highly by other parents. However, you need to choose a diaper based on your needs.
I knew I needed a diaper that was versatile and easy to use, so I chose a one-size cloth diaper. It was the most most user-friendly not only for me, but also for the friends, family members and potential daycare providers that could take over without being confused by the cloth diapering process. After all, my goal was to keep my baby in cloth 100% of the time. If my cloth diaper system was confusing for others, it would have been more difficult to be successful.
Cloth diapering has been a satisfying experience for both of us this past year. It's been a little messy at times since baby has begun solids and I had to use a diaper sprayer to clean out the mess before throwing the diaper into the washer, but the benefits we've both had from this experience have been tremendous. Now that I'm a full-time stay-at-home mom, I've found that using the prefolds with covers have made washing preparation even easier than my beloved pocket diapers.
There have, of course, been several occasions where my baby has been in disposables and my experience with them always confirms my devotion to cloth. Sure, disposables are less bulky than the cloth, but there are so many cloth diapers that are slimmer and incredibly simpler than the old-fashioned pin and cover cloth diaper that is well-known.
Not only have my cloth diapers contained blow-outs better, they've kept baby drier overnight (the disposables have always leaked for me even though I've tried various brands), and they've kept diaper rash at bay. Also, they're much more economical. The average family can save approximately $1,500 to $2,000 per child using cloth. As an added bonus, cloth diapers are environmentally-friendly and free from potentially harmful chemicals found in so many disposable diapers.
I highly recommend cloth diapering to any caregiver. It's been such a breeze and I enjoy knowing that my baby is happy, we're doing something sustainable for the environment, and to top it all of, we're saving money.
Stephanie shares additional tips, resources, and writings on a variety of interesting topics. Visit Variety is the Spice of Life for information on a sprinkling of informative topics you'll want to read!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stephanie_Bill/493057
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3370867
Cloth Diapers - Flat and Pre-Fold Diapers
Cloth diapers can be confusing. Gone are the days when the only diapers on the market were white terry squares. These days, there's a proliferation of different types, shapes, sizes, colours and systems. And with more and more diapers coming on to the market every year, it can all seem a bit bewildering.
So here is an introduction to the basic kinds of cloth diaper you will find today.
This first article looks at
Flat diapers
Pre-fold diapers
The next article will look other types on the market. Remember that you don't have to stick to one brand. Mix and match your diaper stash to get the right combination of cloth diapers for you, your baby, and your family's lifestyle.
1. Flat diapers.
These, basically, are the old-fashioned terry squares (though you can get them in different colours these days). You fold it, then fasten it snugly around your baby. There are many different ways to fold a flat diaper, from a simple triangle to what can only be described as diaper-origami. For newborn babies, you can also use a square of muslin folded in the same way, which cuts out the bulkiness. The diaper is the absorbent part, so you need to use a separate waterproof wrap over the top.
Flat diapers are the cheapest you can get. It might be worth stocking up on these, which will save you a considerable amount of money compared to the more expensive cloth diapers, so that you can afford better waterproof wraps.
And don't be fooled by the fact that flat diapers are so cheap. Once you get the hang of how you use them, they can work as well as (if not better than) any other kind of premium cloth diaper. Practise different folds until you work out which you like best, and you can tweak, tighten and tuck the diaper so that it moulds your baby's unique shape absolutely perfectly.
Parents who start off using shaped diapers for their first baby often end up 'graduating' to flat diapers for subsequent babies, because they've realised how versatile and reliable they are. Once you're an expert at folding and fitting a flat diaper, they'll withstand any amount of wriggling. Nothing will escape from the diaper - not even the baby!
The other advantage of flat diapers is that they dry so fast. Because they unfold into a single layer of cloth, they will usually dry in a matter of hours. Other, thicker, shaped diapers, with several layers of cloth, take longer.
You need something to secure the diaper in place. In the past, this used to be safety pins. These days, you can get clever little stretchy devices with tiny 'teeth' that hook into the fabric and do the same job.
The only real disadvantage of flat diapers is that they can be a bit bulkier than some of the more expensive brands. Shops tend to sell baby clothes to go over disposable diapers, not cloth ones. But if you dress your baby in stretchy clothes, though, this shouldn't be a problem. So it's worth having a stash of these, even if you only use them at home.
2. Pre-fold diapers.
These are pretty much like flat diapers, except that they consist of a couple of layers of absorbent material, with a pre-stitched 'fold' line. Think of a three-fold leaflet - that's how you fold a pre-fold diaper, to make what is basically a rectangular wad of cloth. The waterproof wrap holds this in place. The only real advantage of this diaper over the flat terry squares is simply that you don't have to mess about with any folding.
Pre-folds work well with smaller, less mobile babies. You may find, though, that as your baby starts crawling around, pre-fold diapers might start to slip out of place.
Some parents swear by pre-folds as a perfectly workable compromise between cost and convenience. They're still pretty cheap, but you don't have to mess about learning any folding. So, if you really, really, really can't stand the idea of folding a diaper, but you still want to keep your costs down, consider pre-folds.
But do yourself a favour - just have a few tries with a standard flat diaper as well, just in case you change mind. Who knows? You might find (as many parents have before you) that you enjoy the art of folding diapers - and even become something of an expert.
If you enjoyed reading this article by Tamsin Constable, a professional, BBC-trained writer, and you would like free tips on how to improve your own writing, please feel free to mosey along to Tamsin's blog at http://www.tamsinconstable.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tamsin_Constable/515092
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3537647
So here is an introduction to the basic kinds of cloth diaper you will find today.
This first article looks at
Flat diapers
Pre-fold diapers
The next article will look other types on the market. Remember that you don't have to stick to one brand. Mix and match your diaper stash to get the right combination of cloth diapers for you, your baby, and your family's lifestyle.
1. Flat diapers.
These, basically, are the old-fashioned terry squares (though you can get them in different colours these days). You fold it, then fasten it snugly around your baby. There are many different ways to fold a flat diaper, from a simple triangle to what can only be described as diaper-origami. For newborn babies, you can also use a square of muslin folded in the same way, which cuts out the bulkiness. The diaper is the absorbent part, so you need to use a separate waterproof wrap over the top.
Flat diapers are the cheapest you can get. It might be worth stocking up on these, which will save you a considerable amount of money compared to the more expensive cloth diapers, so that you can afford better waterproof wraps.
And don't be fooled by the fact that flat diapers are so cheap. Once you get the hang of how you use them, they can work as well as (if not better than) any other kind of premium cloth diaper. Practise different folds until you work out which you like best, and you can tweak, tighten and tuck the diaper so that it moulds your baby's unique shape absolutely perfectly.
Parents who start off using shaped diapers for their first baby often end up 'graduating' to flat diapers for subsequent babies, because they've realised how versatile and reliable they are. Once you're an expert at folding and fitting a flat diaper, they'll withstand any amount of wriggling. Nothing will escape from the diaper - not even the baby!
The other advantage of flat diapers is that they dry so fast. Because they unfold into a single layer of cloth, they will usually dry in a matter of hours. Other, thicker, shaped diapers, with several layers of cloth, take longer.
You need something to secure the diaper in place. In the past, this used to be safety pins. These days, you can get clever little stretchy devices with tiny 'teeth' that hook into the fabric and do the same job.
The only real disadvantage of flat diapers is that they can be a bit bulkier than some of the more expensive brands. Shops tend to sell baby clothes to go over disposable diapers, not cloth ones. But if you dress your baby in stretchy clothes, though, this shouldn't be a problem. So it's worth having a stash of these, even if you only use them at home.
2. Pre-fold diapers.
These are pretty much like flat diapers, except that they consist of a couple of layers of absorbent material, with a pre-stitched 'fold' line. Think of a three-fold leaflet - that's how you fold a pre-fold diaper, to make what is basically a rectangular wad of cloth. The waterproof wrap holds this in place. The only real advantage of this diaper over the flat terry squares is simply that you don't have to mess about with any folding.
Pre-folds work well with smaller, less mobile babies. You may find, though, that as your baby starts crawling around, pre-fold diapers might start to slip out of place.
Some parents swear by pre-folds as a perfectly workable compromise between cost and convenience. They're still pretty cheap, but you don't have to mess about learning any folding. So, if you really, really, really can't stand the idea of folding a diaper, but you still want to keep your costs down, consider pre-folds.
But do yourself a favour - just have a few tries with a standard flat diaper as well, just in case you change mind. Who knows? You might find (as many parents have before you) that you enjoy the art of folding diapers - and even become something of an expert.
If you enjoyed reading this article by Tamsin Constable, a professional, BBC-trained writer, and you would like free tips on how to improve your own writing, please feel free to mosey along to Tamsin's blog at http://www.tamsinconstable.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tamsin_Constable/515092
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3537647
Sunday, May 1, 2016
One-Size Cloth Diapers - Everything You Need to Know
One of the most popular things that people looking into using cloth on their kids want to know are the pros and cons of sized diapers (small, med, large) versus a one size diaper. The idea of only having to buy one set of diapers is not only ideal from a convenience standpoint but certainly from a financial standpoint. Lots of parents think that they can purchase a certain number of one-size diapers and then recycling them through 2-3 or more kids - which may not be realistic. This seems like a perfect plan before thinking about some of the factors that are worth considering.
There are several factors that influence that life of a cloth diaper. The most important thing would be the washing routine. If you read the directions for washing on most cloth diapers, they say something similar to - wash on hot with a mild, additive free detergent, follow up with a cold rinse and then either tumble dry low or hang to dry (some people like to do an initial cold rinse to help with stains as well). Also, depending on your lifestyle and the size of your diaper stash, it may not always be feasible to hang your diapers to dry each and every time - line drying will greatly increase the life of your diapers. Even if you plan on line drying, also plan on having to use the dryer every once in awhile when you are in a rush! The last factor is the actual number of diapers you have, which directly influences the number of times you have to wash your diapers per week which in turn will influence how long they last. For example - a dozen one size diapers that are washed every 1.5-2 days for 2 years are going to wear out twice as fast than if you had 2 dozen diapers and washed just twice a week (on average that is the difference between 100 and 200 trips through the washer per year.)
The next thing to consider is the actual diapering needs of infants v. toddlers. As seasoned parents can attest to, the older the child, generally, the less diaper changes needed. In those early infant weeks and months, when babe is likely needing changing all the time, you will certainly go through twice as many diapers than say a 10-12 month old child. The need to change so often starts spacing out substantially as the child gets older - especially when solids are introduced. We generally recommend 2-3 dozen diapers for a newborn (or more if you don't like to wash as often), this would be way more than one would necessarily need for an older child - this certainly lends itself to thinking that it might make the most sense to have a separate nb/sm stash of 2-3 dozen diapers and then moving up to a smaller stash of medium diapers or one-size diapers when the babe grows out of the smaller collection. This also would allow families of multiple, different aged children to cycle through the sizes - especially if you plan on having several children and using cloth on all of them. The wear on one set of one size diapers through 2 or more children is going to be quite substantial and you could be disappointed when they begin to wear out earlier than you had hoped. Although you will most likely get quite a bit of wear out of a one size diaper, it may not be feasible to expect any piece of cloth to withstand being washed every other day for upwards of 2 years.
Another thing to consider is the resale value. There is a good market for well taken care of, but used cloth diapers - so if you do end up with more in a particular size than you need or if they still have some life in them once your own kids are done with them, you quite possibly could recoup some of your investment.
If you do choose to have a stash consisting mainly of one size diapers, you want to make sure that it is large enough that you only wash a couple times a week and really properly care for them to extend their life. Our recommendation is that if you know you want to have 2 or more children, sized diapers may be your better choice atleast for some of your stash - 2-3 dozen newborn or small, 1-2 dozen mediums and some kiddies don't even need large as they potty train before they grow out of the mediums. If you are having your children close together, having 6-12 one size diapers added to the mix might be good for outings and to streamline a little bit and make the diaper bag easier to tote around! It's important to make sure your expectations for any wear product is realistic and want to make sure that everyone finds the type of diaper that will suit their family.
The author is Katie Ham and she is an expert on clothdiapering and natural family living. She writes for Maine Cloth Diaper Company out of Damariscotta, Maine which is a small boutique both off and online that specializes in baby and toddler items including cloth diapers, cloth diaper supplies, clothes, safe toys, safe feeding items, nursing bras and covers, baby carriers and more. Both Katie and Maine Cloth Diaper's mission is to spread the word about cloth diapers and how how easy and healthy they are for both the environment and your child.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Katie_C_Ham/544306
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3679289
Cloth Diapering Systems and What Each Type is Good For - What Cloth Diaper Should I Buy?
Cloth diapers might seem like a step back in time but in reality we need to become more conscious of our environment and this is one step parents can take to start the process and ensure our next generations have a place left to move forward.
There are several different options when it comes to cloth diapers. There is the pocket cloth diaper, the all-in-one, the one size fits all and the two part pre folds. They all have some strong environmental advantages but some types make more sense in practicality, convenience, and cost.
Pocket cloth diapers are designed for ease of use. The cloth diaper is stuffed inside a pocket before hand and put onto the child quickly. This form is quick, easy, and convenient. The downside to this is that once the diaper is soiled the whole thing is soiled as well. The cloth diaper cannot just be removed from the pocket and stuffed with another because the cover is wet. Not to mention that you will need a lot of diapers to keep up with the baby's wetting cycle which in turn will cost more money. So this isn't really the best idea unless you have lots of money to spend.
Next is the all in one cloth diaper which is both diaper and wrap in one. This is much like the pocket design except there is no pocket to stuff as the diaper comes pre stuffed. Similar to the pocket diaper these are easy to use in the sense that they go on very quick. The down side is once this diaper is soiled it is soiled and it will need a full wash and dry before it is usable again. In turn this creates a lot of wear and tear which means you will need to own a lot of diapers and in turn spend more money.
The one size fits all style cloth diapers are designed to be the the one and only cloth diaper you will need. They can come in all in one or pocket style and have a great amount of adjust-ability to fit children from newborn to toddler. The downside to this style of diaper is that no matter what the manufacturer says there is simply no way one size can fit all. The amount of liquid a newborn produces is clearly different than that of a toddler.
The final and most superior diapering system on the market is the two-part pre-fold type of system made popular by Real Nappies. With Real Nappies the cloth diaper is separate from the cover. This way the diaper cover is unaffected by soiling and only the inside cloth needs to be replaced. This translates not only into less washing but also less supplies to carry around. Also this system has different size covers and diapers for each stage of your child's growth. This way you have a perfect fit from new born to toddler. Also the wear is spread over four different sizes so that one set of Nappies can be used for on two separate children of different ages at the same time. Over all the the diaper system made popular by Real Nappies cloth diapers seems to be the best overall option when it comes to price, practicality, and environmental impact.
Francis Frost is the owner of Module Marketing. Module is based in Auckland New Zealand. Frost has a 10 week old baby and is an advocate of the Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag. For more information on Merino sleep sacks in the USA go to Babysleepbags.com and for more information or to purchase in the rest of the world go to Babysleepbags.co.uk [http://www.babysleepbags.co.uk].
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Francis_Frost/413936
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3613048
There are several different options when it comes to cloth diapers. There is the pocket cloth diaper, the all-in-one, the one size fits all and the two part pre folds. They all have some strong environmental advantages but some types make more sense in practicality, convenience, and cost.
Pocket cloth diapers are designed for ease of use. The cloth diaper is stuffed inside a pocket before hand and put onto the child quickly. This form is quick, easy, and convenient. The downside to this is that once the diaper is soiled the whole thing is soiled as well. The cloth diaper cannot just be removed from the pocket and stuffed with another because the cover is wet. Not to mention that you will need a lot of diapers to keep up with the baby's wetting cycle which in turn will cost more money. So this isn't really the best idea unless you have lots of money to spend.
Next is the all in one cloth diaper which is both diaper and wrap in one. This is much like the pocket design except there is no pocket to stuff as the diaper comes pre stuffed. Similar to the pocket diaper these are easy to use in the sense that they go on very quick. The down side is once this diaper is soiled it is soiled and it will need a full wash and dry before it is usable again. In turn this creates a lot of wear and tear which means you will need to own a lot of diapers and in turn spend more money.
The one size fits all style cloth diapers are designed to be the the one and only cloth diaper you will need. They can come in all in one or pocket style and have a great amount of adjust-ability to fit children from newborn to toddler. The downside to this style of diaper is that no matter what the manufacturer says there is simply no way one size can fit all. The amount of liquid a newborn produces is clearly different than that of a toddler.
The final and most superior diapering system on the market is the two-part pre-fold type of system made popular by Real Nappies. With Real Nappies the cloth diaper is separate from the cover. This way the diaper cover is unaffected by soiling and only the inside cloth needs to be replaced. This translates not only into less washing but also less supplies to carry around. Also this system has different size covers and diapers for each stage of your child's growth. This way you have a perfect fit from new born to toddler. Also the wear is spread over four different sizes so that one set of Nappies can be used for on two separate children of different ages at the same time. Over all the the diaper system made popular by Real Nappies cloth diapers seems to be the best overall option when it comes to price, practicality, and environmental impact.
Francis Frost is the owner of Module Marketing. Module is based in Auckland New Zealand. Frost has a 10 week old baby and is an advocate of the Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag. For more information on Merino sleep sacks in the USA go to Babysleepbags.com and for more information or to purchase in the rest of the world go to Babysleepbags.co.uk [http://www.babysleepbags.co.uk].
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Francis_Frost/413936
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3613048
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