Benefits of Cloth diapers
Very much cheaper in the long-run
In recent years, there are many studies out there that compare the costs of using disposable diapers vs cloth diapers. Most of the studies agree that using home laundered cloth diapers is definitely much cheaper than buying of disposable diapers.
How much can we save?
From a newborn baby to a 3 year old toddler, base on an average of 8 disposable diapers a day, this kid would have used 8760 disposable diapers. An average quality disposable diaper costs a minimum of $0.25, thus, by the end of 3 years, you would have spent $2190. Not including the money spent on petrol or bus rides to the supermarket to get the disposable diapers, diaper rash cream that you have to buy etc. You would have spent more than $2190 and yet you are just ‘donating’ this amount away to the landfills.
However, if you are using cloth diapers, base on a comfortable set of 25 diapers to be used for 3 years and an average of $34 per diaper, you will have to spend an initial ‘investment’ of $850 (before bulk purchase discount). Let us round it up to $900, inclusive of bulk discount, buying of nappy liners and additional inserts and accessories. You would have saved $1290. A GREAT saving! Of course, you could argue that you spent money on utility bill for water is needed and electricity if you are using the washing machine. However, with the high efficiency of washing machine, the amount of money that you spend on water and electrical bill is still lesser than using of disposable diapers. Moreover, if great care is used on the cloth diapers, these diapers can be passed down to subsequent child or to be resold to other parents.
Initial costs of cloth diapers may seem to be huge amount of money and daunting to some while costs of disposable diapers are usually hidden in groceries bills. If you have the time and try to do your sums, you will realize that lots of savings are associated mainly with cloth diapering.
Environmentally friendly
Imagine an average baby uses about 8000 disposable diapers during her/her first 3 years of life. While another cloth diapering baby uses about 25 cloth diapers for the same duration and most likely these 25 cloth diapers can be used for another child.
Consider this. The resources used to manufacture 8000 disposable diapers is definitely far greater than that of 25 cloth diapers even when laundering of these cloth diapers are taken into consideration. Moreover, it is a known fact that each disposable diaper takes about 500 years to degrade in a landfill. Imagine the leakage of chemical byproducts from these disposable diapers in the landfill to our water sources. Can you? I can’t even bear to think of that.
No harsh chemicals used
Have you ever wonder what makes the disposable diapers so ‘ultra-absorbent’? The answer is the chemical called sodium polyacrylate which absorbs up to 100 times its weight in water. Thus, if you are very observant, you would have notice that there are beads of clear gel on the genitals of your baby after each diaper change. This chemical was used in tampons prior to 1985. However, it was removed after it is linked to toxic shock syndrome. Till today, no study has been done to see if there are any long term effects of such chemical on baby’s skin almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for at least 2 to 3 years.
All of us parents should be very concern with the type of chemicals that the baby is in contact with. However, most of the time we are only duly concern with those that is in contact with the baby’s mouth but not baby’s skin. One type of chemicals, Dioxin, is used in the process of manufacturing of disposable diapers. It is a by product of the paper bleaching process and traces of it might be in the disposable diapers themselves. EPA has listed Dioxin as the most toxic of cancer-related chemicals.
Also, disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) which is a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans.
More comfortable
Which material feels more comfortable on your own bum? Cloth or cotton with chemical and gel-like substance? Just because babies can’t talk doesn’t mean that they are comfortable in disposable diapers. Even with cotton-like disposable diapers, these are still less ‘breathable’ than cloth diapers and may result in diaper rash on your precious baby’s bum.
Less Diaper Rash
Not surprising, since most of the disposable diapers are made from synthetic material and chemicals. According to Procter & Gamble’s studies, the occurrence of diaper rash increases from 7.1% to 61% with the increased usage of disposable diapers.
Most people have this mistaken impression that the more absorbent the diaper is, the less likely that the baby will get diaper rash. In recent years, the disposable diapers are getting more and more absorbent, so much so that most parents are not changing their babies’ diapers often enough.
When babies are exposed to moisture for long period of time and together with friction, bacteria and ammonia build up, diaper rash will result. Disposable diapers cause diaper rash as the super absorbent gel in it ‘attracts’ natural moisture from the baby’s skin and combined with less frequent diaper change, irritation will result.
Less allergies
Baby’s skin is extremely sensitive. Many babies are allergic to the chemicals in disposable diapers. However, cloth diapers would eliminate this worry since there are no chemicals in them.
More frequent change of baby’s nappy
As cloth diapers allow the care giver to have a better gauge of the baby’s output, it also results in more frequent change of baby’s nappy. Moreover, as cloth diapers also allows the children to feel the wetness, they tend to ‘complain’ when they are wet thus resulting in frequent changes as well. It is definitely much better to change the baby’s nappy more frequently as the babies are not exposed to their own poo especially for long period of time.
Potty-train friendly
Why? This is because cloth diapers allow the baby to feel its wetness while super absorbent disposable diapers do not. Thus, studies have shown that for children who use cloth diapers, the average age of potty-trained is 2 while that of disposable diapers is 2 and a half.
Easy to clean up baby’s poo
Super absorbent disposable diapers make it difficult to clean up baby’s poo because it ‘pulls’ all the moisture from the baby’s bum while cloth diaper does not. Thus, it is much easier to clean up the baby’s poo when he or she is using cloth diaper.
Convenient
Ever forgot to replenish your disposable supplies and had a mad rush to the nearest supermarket before it close for the night? I did. Cloth diapers are very convenient compared to the usage of disposable diapers. Once you have washed them, it’s there for the baby for the next use. Moreover, with aplix or snaps fasternings, they are definitely more convenient than traditional cloth diapers with safety pins etc.
Gives baby better cushioning of their bum
Cloth diapers can even offer cushion to the baby’s bum if they had a fall etc.
Cute Colours & Prints
Why dress your baby in boring disposable diapers? Cloth diapers are available in very cute prints and colours. It is amazing world of cloth diapers in the market today. There is a cloth diaper to suit each set of cloths that you choose for your little precious. Why wait to start cloth diapering?
Stands out in a sea of babies
A baby in cloth diaper will definitely stand out among the rest of the babies as cloth diapers comes in a wide array of colours and lovely prints. So be different and start cloth diapering now!
Resale value
Disposable diapers are to be ‘use & throw’ and for ONE time use only while cloth diapers have some sort of resale value in them.
No comments:
Post a Comment