My friend Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry blog has been very busy lately.  First she creates the Cloth Diaper Finder, an amazing program that helps you select the perfect cloth diaper for you based on your preferences.  She’s also working on a few other surprises that I’m sure will be equally exciting.  Then a few months ago there were several articles floating around the internet about the lengths that some parents take in order to save a few dollars.  See disposable diapers are expensive and the cost keeps rising.  There are families out there who literally have to make the choice between buying food and buying diapers. Parents will leave disposable diapers on their babies hours longer than they should and some will even go to the extreme of reusing a disposable diaper!!  Sadly it’s the babies who suffer; sitting in any diaper for more than a few hours can lead to severe rashes and infections.  Left untreated due to the high cost of medical treatment these babies lives are at risk.

Thankfully there are options out there but those who are in need aren’t always educated about the ease and cost savings of using cloth diapers.  I won’t go into the politics behind our welfare and low income assistance programs because that’s not really my specialty – cloth diapers on the other hand are my specialty.

So Kim decided to hold a challenge for herself and for anyone else who was willing to participate (over 200 people are currently signed up).  The Flats & Handwashing Challenge was born!!  From May 23-30th participants will try to cloth diaper under the same stresses that many of the low income Americans face everyday - no money, no laundry facilities, and no support from the government for necessities like diapering your baby.

Flats are (typically) large square or rectangular pieces of cotton that can be folded and placed inside a diaper cover.  They consist of a single, thin layer of fabric which makes them ideal for handwashing and air drying.  Store bought flats sell for as little as $1.00 each making them the most economical form of diapering available today and since flats are typically made from cotton you can turn ordinary household items (tshirts, receiving blankets, old sweaters, and more) into diapers with little effort.

Handwashing? Yes, the challenge says we have to handwash our diapers for one week.  Why? If you were living under the most extreme conditions where you didn’t have access to a laundry or laundry mat how else would you wash your clothing … and your cloth diapers?  Even for those of us who are fortunate enough to have laundry readily available what would you do if your washer broke, or if a natural disaster struck and you were left without power?  These are realities that people face every day across America.

Why am I joining the Flats & Handwashing Challenge? Being an advocate for cloth diapering is important to me – something that I take to heart.  I’m always trying to lead by example so that I might encourage at least one person to use cloth diapers on their baby.  My blog reaches many more people than I’ll ever know and maybe someone who reads about our challenge will be able to share the information with someone in need; and you just never know when you yourself may be the one who is in need tomorrow.

The rules from the Dirty Diaper Laundry blog:

• You MUST use Flats.
• You MUST handwash them.  How is up to you.  (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter)
• You MUST air dry them.  (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference)
• You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less.
• You can use any detergent you want.  (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)
• You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work.  Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.
• You can use disposable liners.
• You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer.  I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families.  Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape!
• You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30.
• You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience.  Results will be published here and can be republished on your own blog.
• You don’t have to be a blogger!  Your conclusions about the experiment will be entered into the survey at the end of the challenge.  You can share on your Facebook, Twitter, various messageboards.  But if you are a blogger please share your experience on your own blog.  Grab the button and let people know you are planning on joining the challenge.  Recruit others!  Challenge your own readers to join and fill out the completion survey.  You can blog everyday updating your experience, beforehand to let people know you are getting ready for it and explain what you will be doing, and of course, after the fact to let people know how it went.  If you hated it, say so.  If you think it was awesome and want to continue in some aspect, say that too!  Who knows, flats might be your favorite diaper!

So there you have it – in just a little over a week I will be cloth diapering under the most extreme (yet modified) conditions – and so will my husband and my daycare provider!  Although to be honest with you my husband will be out of the country that week and my daycare provider will only have to change the diapers – I’ll be the one doing the washing!

My supplies so far:

• One dozen natural birdseye cotton flats purchased from Kelly’s Closet ($21.95/dozen)
• Five flour sack towels purchased from WalMart ($4.87/5 pack)
• Old tshirts and receiving blankets to make repurposed flats
• Miscellaneous diaper covers from our stash (retail prices start at $8.95 for Econobum)

Items I still need to find/buy/borrow:

• Plunger for washing (optional for washing)
• Bucket for handwashing (although you could use a tub or sink)
• Low cost cloth diaper safe detergent (I’ll probably get a box of Planet for the challenge)

I’ve already been experimenting with my birdseye flats and I have to tell you that I’m quite impressed with how simple they are to use and how absorbent they are at night.  I’m really excited to see how well I do with the handwashing; especially considering how little time I have free each day.   This is going to be an extreme challenge for me.

Will you join us?  To learn more about the challenge and for more information on how to participate please visit Dirty Diaper Laundry.  Kim has developed some video tutorials on handwashing, prepping, and folding flat diapers.

Related posts:

1. 30 Reasons to Love Cloth Diapers – Diaper Covers, Pre-folds, Flats, and Snappis! Day 17: Diaper Covers, Pre-folds, Flats, and More – back...
2. 30 Reasons to Love Cloth Diapers – Real Diapers Industry Association Reason 19: Because it really it one big community working...
3. 30 Reasons to Love Cloth Diapers – Guest Post Day 18: Five things I would do differently the second...

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The Diaper Wars continue but are we making an impact? If you aren’t on Facebook you may have missed the most recent cloth diapering battle.  CBS Eye on Parenting filmed a segment with Natali Del Conte about the difference between disposable diapers and cloth diapers.  Unfortunately the media and guest pediatrician did not do such a good job explaining cloth diapers.

In fact, the piece was incredibly one-sided and only showed Gerber pre-folds (and mentioned safety pins) as the modern cloth diapering option.  For most parents this is what they expect to see when they think of cloth diapers but for those of us in the cloth diapering community it’s a kick in the face.  It’s hard enough getting people to see past their stereotypes of pre-folds, pins, and plastic pants long enough to see how easy cloth diapering really is.  The community was outraged and left Natali and CBS hundreds of comments on their video.  You can go watch the original video on the Eye on Parenting site; Diaper Wars post.

What came next is exciting to the cloth diapering community – the very next day Natali accepted our challenge! She is going to give cloth diapering a try on her own child for one month.  She has already begun her Cloth Diapering Challenge. She’s documenting her and her families journey on her personal blog Mommy (Beta).

How can we help Natali best? Sure our initial response to the video was a slap in the face and we all got a little hot and fired back.  However, we all need to remember that we have the opportunity to spread the word – to advocate – about the modern cloth diapering revolution.  Think back to the first time you Googled “cloth diapers” and found yourself in a sea of information that overwhelmed you.  What was it that made you continue to dig deeper and pursue cloth diapering?  Was it the environmental benefits of cloth diapers?  Was it the money that you would be saving from buying all those paper diapers?  Was it the toxic chemicals that you were trying to avoid putting next to your babies delicate skin?

Here is my challenge to you (and to me) – follow the Mommy (Beta) blog and Natali’s 30-day Cloth Diapering Challenge and give her helpful advice and support on her journey.  Leave her comments explaining what has worked for you.  Provide her links to your own blogs so she can see why the cloth diapering community stands together unlike no other community I’ve seen before.  Let’s prove to her husband and his partner in crime (Daddy on Board) that we aren’t cloth diaper nazi’s – instead we are just parents who are trying our hardest to make a difference in this world – one baby at a time.

While our favorite retailers are sending Natali samples of their products let’s help her with the support that she needs.  Let’s convert Natali from a skeptic to a cloth diaper addict just like the rest of us.  Who’s with me?

Let’s start by telling Natali how long it took for us to become ‘comfortable’ with cloth diapers.  Do you think 30-days is a long enough period for her to “LIKE THIS?”

Me?  I’ll have to be honest with you Natali – it took me several months before I fully accepted cloth diapers.  I WANTED to love them but there is a learning curve.  You will find some diapers that you absolutely LOVE – and some that you just don’t understand.

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Last week I attended a double baby shower for two ladies that I met at church.  They’ve heard me go on and on about how cute, how easy, and how much better cloth diapers are - but they still haven’t made the commitment.

I try not to guilt someone into trying cloth diapers but rather debunk the myths that exist about using cloth diapers to help better educate parents.  I have a few friends with babies that still use disposables and I don’t make them feel bad about their decision.  I’m always showing off Lil’ B’s fluffy bum in hopes that they will give up their disposable addiction and join me in my mad addiction passion.

Now you’d think that the perfect baby shower gift would be a cute new cloth diaper, right?  Since cloth diapers are not a cheap investment (I try to stay around the $15-20 range) I don’t buy cloth diapers for people who haven’t made the commitment.  I would be upset to see fluff sitting on a shelf NOT being used because a parent was scared to try them.  Instead for this shower they both received a copy of the Healthy Child, Healthy World book, an Under the Nile organic toy, and some ecoStore USA baby products. With these products the parents have the opportunity to make some other small changes in their lives.

I did have a few diapers with me – in my bag – because I was showing off some of my new fluff to a friend of mine who just begun using cloth diapers.  While we were all sitting around chatting another one of our friends immediately went into the disposable diaper panic.  What’s that?  When you realize that you are OUT of diapers at home and you left your toddler with daddy and NO diaper for bedtime. Now – I haven’t had that panic attack since Big B was a baby 7 years ago so I jokingly said something about if she used cloth she’d never run out.  I then flashed a diaper and said “Here – take this!”

You know what?  She just about cried with excitement!  For starters, she didn’t have to rush to the store after the baby shower to buy a box of pull ups for her 3 year old – who only wears them at night and nap time.  She said she never thought about using cloth diapers this late in the game but it actually made since to her now.  The next day she stopped by my house and bought 3 of my old fluffy stash for her little man!  Second hand fluff is super duper cheap and costs a lot less than a box of pull ups.  I even gave her a baggie of detergent and a mini-laundry lesson.

Her biggest surprise the next day?  The ammonia smell!  She’s NEVER smelled that before using disposable diapers. Unlike most cloth diaper users who think that there is something wrong with their diapers when they smell ammonia – she was in shock about the chemicals that are used in disposable that mask that odor.  It’s NORMAL for a diaper to smell like ammonia after a long night sleep!

I guess it’s never too late to make a cloth diaper convert out of someone. Have you convinced someone to try cloth diapers out of desperation – or later in their diapering journey?  I’d love to hear your story.

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GUEST POST:  Please welcome my BFF Mama M as she presents “The Other Side.’  She promised me that she would send me more posts and if you like her introduction let her know that you’d like to hear more.    The Other Side – Part One (Introduction)  Hello! I’m really excited to have this opportunity that The Eco Chicis giving me to guest post on her blog. I love reading her blogs and posts on Facebook. She often gives me a new way to think about the way I do things; how I live my life and what I can do better.   Just a few quick things:   1. For disclosure purposes, I am The Eco Chic’s BFF. Most of the time, we agree on things but there are issues that we could not be further apart on. She promised not to edit. We’ll see if she publishes some of my thoughts about her passions.   2. I’m not a blogger or a writer. I have a secret blog for venting and it’s full of typos and run-on sentences. I will try to use proper grammar and actual sentences when I guest post.   3. These are my own thoughts and opinions. If you as a reader disagree with something, SPEAK UP! Please comment. I love hearing other perspectives. 　 So, where should I start. I guess I’ll talk about myself and my goal in guest posting.   I am 29 years old, married to an awesome guy from Missouri and the mother of an amazing six year old. I’m a CPA for a small firm and a contractor for the IRS but I don’t act like the typical tax accountant. I am FUN. I love to shop. I have a shoe addiction. I own 20 pairs of jeans and I can’t get enough tank tops. I am your typical working mother… lots of driving (sometimes in circles) and all about convenience. I TRY to make good choices in every aspect of my life but I am admittedly wasteful and not always kind to the Earth.   I’m not saying I’m a litter bug or that I throw cigarettes out the window when I’m driving (I don’t smoke but I see people do this all the time and it disgusts me).. but I don’t recycle regularly, I own a gas guzzling SUV and I up until I met The Eco Chic, I loved all things related to cleaning products. I had no idea that all of the “clean” and “fresh” smells were harmful CHEMICALS! I’ve done a lot research about the dangers my those products and the wonderful alternatives available.   Oh and cloth diapers? Never considered them. I never thought about the impact of the THOUSANDS of Pampers I tossed in the trash. I have come a long way since I met The Eco Chic (who we lovingly refer to as “The Eco Freak” behind her back) but I know I still have a lot to learn.   Stay turned for my adventures and stubborn opinions. I have a lot of them.

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Now tell me – do you want that next to your babies bottom?  I didn’t think so!  TRY CLOTH DIAPERS!

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Hi and Welcome to The Eco Chic blog – if you are a new reader I hope to convince you that cloth diapers REALLY are better for the environment.  Not only will I convince you that they are better for the environment; I will also remind you that they are better for your baby AND better for your wallet! 

If you are a regular reader I am working with the Real Diaper Association (RDA) and other cloth diapering bloggers to help reveal the TRUTH and LIES behind recent Pamper’s controversy.  You can help too – visit the RDA to find out more.

Are you pregnant?  Do you have a baby in diapers?  If so, you might have heard that Pamper’s disposable diapers are currently under investigation by the CPSC.  Why?  Pamper’s newest technology – Dry Max – has been accused of causing severe chemical burns and diaper rashes in numerous cases.  To make it worse – Pamper’s has *supposedly* pulled their Dry Max off the shelf – however; rumor has it that they have just repackaged those diapers into the old boxes.  If you take nothing else from this article PLEASE use caution when purchasing or using Pamper’s diapers - if your baby starts getting a diaper rash STOP using those diapers IMMEDIATELY! 

Pamper’s in their defense has issued a Myth’s vs Facts about their diapers (and disposable diapers in general).  I would like to tell you my TRUTH about disposable diapers vs cloth diapers – I hope that in the end you will consider using cloth diapers just like my family has.  It’s really just as simple to use cloth diapers as it is to use disposable diapers.

Pamper’s MYTH: Cloth diapers are better for my baby. 
MY FACT:  Why YES, Pamper’s they are better for my baby!  Of course you are trying to spread lies by telling us that this is not true!  The research that is available is skewed - look at who paid for the research to be conducted and WHEN it was actually conducted.  My personal story – my first son ALWAYS had a diaper rash when he was in disposables but I didn’t know that cloth diapers were this easy.  My daughter (and all babies) still gets minimal diaper rashes but I now know the keys to keeping diaper rash at bay.  You can ready my post on diaper rash HERE.  If my daughter develops a rash now (which is rare compared to my son) it is minimal and can be cured within a day or two.  The only reason that disposable diapers can keep your baby drier than cloth is because of the toxic chemicals that absorb the moisture – I don’t want my baby to be swaddled in the same toxic chemicals that were banned from tampons - just change your babies diaper and they will remain dry. 

Pamper’s MYTH:  Cloth diapers are better for the environment.
MY FACT:  **Did you know that I am an environmental scientist? No – I don’t research this topic for my job but I do know a LOT about the impact we all leave on the environment by our decisions.**  Pamper’s CLAIMS that the life-cycle assessment from the UK study doesn’t show any difference between disposable diapers and cloth diapers – I simply CANNOT understand how they can make this claim and feel like they are telling the truth.  Disposable diapers all end up in landfills (or thrown out on the side of the road, on the beach, in the ocean, or incinerated) where they will SIT for over 500 years.  No one knows for sure how long it takes for a disposable diaper takes to breakdown but I don’t want my great-great-grandchildren to have to clean up disposable diapers from my daughter!  My daughter is 16 months at the time of this post – we have about 35 cloth diapers that we have accumulated.  When my daughter is potty trained we will either donate or sell those cloth diapers to another family to use again and again.  If you start using cloth diapers with your first child you won’t need to purchase diapers for the rest of your children.  Yes – cloth diapers can wear out after time but most can be repaired with little effort.  And if you are like my mother – you can give your diapers another life by using them to clean around the house.  My mom used my cloth diapers to dust with.  I even ended up with a few of them to use on my baby dolls when I was a child.  Even if you add in the water and electricity used in laundering our cloth diapers you have to subtract 1) manufacturing costs of the 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers that a baby uses in the first 2 years of life, 2) the natural resources used in manufacturing those same 4,000-5.000 disposable diapers, 3) transportation from the manufacturer – to the warehouse – to the store - to your home (and I’m probably skipping a few trips between retailer warehouses) for those same 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers, 4) transportation from your house to the landfill for those same 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers, 5) the natural resources lost to dispose of those 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers (afterall since most end up in landfills - land is NOT a renewable resource), 6) you get the picture don’t you!  My 35 (+/-) diapers CANNOT create as much damage on the environment as 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers.  Unless you practice elimination communication (diaper free baby) diapering your baby is going to create some environmental impact – you decide for yourself which is worse – I choose cloth diapers so that our families environmental impact can be lessened and I honestly believe that as MY TRUTH!

Pamper’s MYTH: Disposable diapers  are harmful to the environment.
MY FACT:  Didn’t I just talk about this?  This is Pamper’s clever way to make disposable diapers look good.  While the disposable diapers that are around today (and in the future) will continue to use less natural resources by making the diapers thinner and thinner – or biodegradable – or whatever new technology they can come up with…can you honestly convince yourself that allowing 4,000-5,000 disposable diapers (per child) rot in the ground for 500+ years is NOT harmful to the environment?  Can you?  You have the ability to choose reusable and sustainable cloth diapers that are much better for the environment than disposables – make the right choice! 

Did you notice that Pamper’s didn’t even attempt to touch the cost analysis of cloth diapers vs disposable diapers?  In today’s tight economy cloth diapers are the clear winner in saving parents thousands of dollars in diapering their babies.  The exact cost varies depending on the type of cloth diaper you choose (prefold – pocket – all-in-one – etc) and the number of children you have (or the number of children each diaper is used on).  While my husband was hesitant to use cloth diapers in the early days he is more than happy to put extra money into our savings account each month that we would otherwise be spending on disposable diapers.  Where do you want to put your money each month – your savings account or into the deep pockets of the disposable diapering companies?

Do you want to learn more?
1) Read my old posts about cloth diapering to learn more about our journey.

2) Visit the Real Diaper Association.

3) Find other cloth diapering bloggers like myself.  Some of my favorites include Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry and Emi at The Cloth Diaper Report. 

4) Visit the blogs of cloth diaper manufacturers and retailers like Kelly’s Closet – The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. 

5) Still have questions? Email, Tweet or Facebook me – I’ll be happy to help!  

This post is part of the Real Diaper Facts carnival hosted by Real Diaper Events, the official blog of the Real Diaper Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cloth diaper education. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the list at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.

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Giveaway Alert!  The Natural Baby Co is giving away one Gro Baby Bio Soaker Intro Package to a lucky reader.  To enter see details at the end of this post.    ECO-ngratulatins Holly S!

One of the newest hybrid cloth diapering systems out there is the Gro Baby System.  Check out there cute new animated short video HERE! 

The original Gro Baby shell consists of a water proof shell and an organic cotton soaker pad that snaps into the shell.  The idea is that you purchase several soaker pads and reuse the shell.  Unlike most pocket diapers the Gro Baby has a unique quick drying layer between the soaker and the shell (it’s sewn into the shell and looks like a large weave mesh).  The soakers attach to the shell with two snaps; one at the front and one at the back.  The original soakers are very thick organic cotton and are very absorbent.  They also come with a booster for nights and naps.  The other unique feature to the Gro Baby Shell is the closure.  It’s a very fine hook closure that works withthe very soft fabric loop (similar to Velcro only much softer and finer).  If you prefer snaps The Natural Baby Co will convert your Gro Baby shell for a small fee.

The features don’t stop there!  The Gro Baby shells will also work with their newest product…the Bio Soakers biodegradable, disposable soaker pads.  These disposable pads easily attach using two adhesive tabs located on the back of the pads.  Each pad is made up of three parts; 1) the lining, 2) the core, and 3) the waterproof outer.  The lining and waterproof outer layers are both compostable.  The core is biodegradeable.  The core is made of a wood pulp fiber and contains about 3 grams of superabsorbent polymers (SAP).  SAP is what makes traditional diapers (and other hygiene products) absorb and retain liquids.  Not only can the Bio Soakers be composted the core is flushable (similar to G Diapers)…just tear it open and flush the insides.  (*As with any flushable product, please use caution!)  Bio Soakers would make a practical travel option that would allow you to have the cuteness of your fluff with the convenience of a disposable. 

The traditional GroBaby cloth diapering system is very compareable to other organic diapers (selling at $24.95 each…same as the BG Organic).  The nice feature to the Gro Baby is that you can reuse the shell.  The soakerpads sell for $16.95 for a set of two.  With just one shell and three soakers you would spend $41.90 and end up with three diaper changes…three BG organics would cost you $74.85…not a bad savings!  The Bio Soakers cost $19.99 for a box of 50 pads…a mere 40 cents for each pad. 

What did I think?  I have a two part response to that question. 

1) Traditional Gro Baby System: I love it!  It’s very easy to use and I wish I had a few more soakers so I could take full advantage of the reusability of the shell.  I love the absorbency of the organic cotton…it just soaks up the pee!  I really like the closure system.  It’s a much softer hook closure than traditional Velcro.  The only negative comment I have about the traditional Gro Baby is the laundry tabs don’t seem to hold very well.  Each time I washed the shell the tabs were stuck on another diaper.  This is easily rectified if you purchase the snap conversion…but I prefer the hook closure for me.  Out of all the diapers I’ve tried the Gro Baby is at the top of my list.  Just look at how cute it is…even in the simple vanilla color! 

2) The Bio Soakers with Gro Baby Shell:  I used the Bio Soakers a few different ways.  When I used the bio soakers as they were intended to be used…with the Gro Baby shell…they worked wonderful.  Unfortunately I only have one shell at the moment.  It never fails that each time I put it on Lil’ B she decides to poo…and poo large…and spill out onto the shell.  This makes it difficult to reuse the shell…hence my frustration begins.  If I had at least 3-6 shells I think I would have enjoyed the bio soakers much more.  Instead…I attempted to use the bio soakers inside other diaper covers…while they still functioned the same way there was one problem that I encountered.  The adhesive that is used on the bio soakers is a very strong adhesive and it didn’t remove easily from my BG cover material.  You can read all about my travel experience here.  I’ve used the bio soakers a few random times around the house with the Gro Baby shell and I’ve never had any problems arise when I use them the right way! 

Here is a tip I received from Kim at The Natural Baby Co regarding the Gro Baby Bio Soakers. 
“We use a eco friendly adhesive which can get sticky when warmed from being by baby’s skin.  My biggest tip is to let your diaper sit for a minute BEFORE peeling off the soaker pad.”

Buy It!  Want to try the Gro Baby system yourself?  You can purchase your own system at The Natural Baby Co.  The introductory package (one shell and 50 bio soakers) sells for $34.95. 

Win It!  I know…you want to win your own Gro Baby system…who doesn’t want free fluff?  I’m giving away one complete introductory package (one shell and 50 bio soakers) to a lucky reader!  Contest is open to residents of the US and Canada.  ECO-ngratulations Holly S!

MANDATORY ENTRY!  Visit The Natural Baby Co and tell me what your favorite Gro Baby shell color is…don’t forget they have some brand new prints available!  Leave me a comment below with your answer.

Bonus Entries:  Leave an individual comment for each item completed with links (if applicable).
1.  Become a Fan of Gro Baby on Facebook.
2.  Become a Fan of The Eco Chic on Facebook.
3.  Follow Gro Baby on Twitter.
4.  Follow The Eco Chic on Twitter.
5.  Add my button to your blog or website!
6.  Subscribe to The Eco Chic on Feedburner…deliver me to your inbox!
7.  Subscribe to The Eco Chic in Google Reader (or other feed reader).
8.  Tweet about this giveaway…be sure to include @TheEcoChic and @GroBaby and a link back here! (Max 5 tweets per giveaway!)
9.  Blog about this giveaway.
10. Make any purchase from The Natural Baby Co (valid for purchases between now and the end of the contest only) and earn 5 extra entries to this giveaway!

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO BE ENTERED TO THIS CONTEST!

Contest ends at midnight (EST) on October 29th, 2009.

Yes, a Gro Baby Introductory Package was provided to me in exchange for this post…I’ve been writing this post for over 3 hrs now so I think that’s a good exchange for my time…don’t you?   

Now the tricky questions that I am trying to find answers to.  While I’ve began doing some research on the topics I can’t learn it all in one evening.  Biodegradable, compostable, and other environmental marketing terminology.  Are they just keen marketing skills or are they really environmentally friendly?  This is where I start to get a little lost in the sea of green!  So to help you out a little here are some definitions:

Biodegradable:  the material breakdown of chemicals by the environment.

Compostable:  according to Wiki it means the same as biodegradable.

Bio-Film (Fecula): a compostable material that is made from all natural corn starch.

SAP:  super absorbent polymers used in disposable diapers to absorb moisture.  Regular disposables contain 10-20 grams of SAP.  SAP was removed from tampon production in the 1980s due to the link between SAP and Toxic Shock Syndrom (TSS).  Most babies in the US are in disposable diapers all day, every day, for three years! 

EN13432 (EU):  European standards for biodegradability and compostability.

ASTM D 6400 (US):  An American standard for composting.  Refers to the use of aerobic composting facilities (similar to wastewater treatment processes) to kill pathogens in human waste. 

Aerobic Composting:  the breakdown of a material by heat-loving organisms at a very high temperature.  Can occur at an industrial composting facility or when using special composting toilets. 

Sources:
http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby™-ic-11_16.html
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/dissin_disposables_why_cloth_diapers_rule/
http://ilex-envirosciences.com/leaflets/EN13432.pdf
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D6400.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_digestion#Active_.28aerobic.29 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superabsorbent_polymer
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/green-eco-diapers-66031101

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In honor of the Cloth Diaper Carnival Part Deux I thought I would share my wash routine.  As you probably know by now there is no exact science and no perfect way to wash your cloth diapers.  I would imagine that each of the participants in this carnival will have a slightly different routine. 

For me I try not to stress out too much about my routine.  I have a (few) system that works and I try not to mess it up.  My wash routine begins after each diaper change.  I still haven’t invested in a diaper sprayer so I rinse my diapers briefly in the sink (or toilet if really nasty) so that my diaper pail doesn’t stink up the bathroom.  I then wring them out and place them in my diaper pail.  My diaper pail is actually a plastic tub that sits next to the toilet.  I do this with each and every diaper until wash day.  (Except for when I’m really busy or tired and I just toss it in the pail without rinsing…but I try to rinse them within the day.)  Oh yeah, and don’t forget that if you are using Bum Genius diapers that you need to attach the Velcro to the laundry tabs at this stage.

After about two days I start running out of diapers so the wash cycle begins.  I run one cold water rinse cycle without any detergent to remove the pee and poop.  Next I add the detergent and start a hot/cold wash cycle.  I don’t have too many diapers so they never fill up the drum but I run the load as if it were a full load to allow for plenty of agitation. 

Detergent!  This is one of those tricky areas.  I have been using Arm & Hammer Essentials but I’ve tried a few other detergents that I really like better.  I just tried the Rockin’ Green soap that is formulated specifically for cloth diapers and I’ve tried EcoNuts.  Both worked about the same and I like them for different reasons.  The Rockin’ Green is made from a WAHM in her very own kitchen and it smells FABULOUS!  EcoNuts (full review coming soon) is a seed from a plant that acts as a surfactant.  I highly recommend trying both and judging for yourself.  They all removed most of the stains with no problems.  (Don’t forget to enter the Rockin’ Green giveaway!  See previous post!)

Stains!  That’s right…we all have them…poo stains!  I have the luxury of living in the sunny state of Florida where the sun shines almost every day!  The sun is the BEST way to beat stains and smells!  At the end of the wash cycle I like to take all the inserts and covers and place them outside on our hammock to dry in the sun naturally.  The result is CLEAN, WHITE, ODORLESS cloth diapers!

Lil’ B is almost 8 months old and has been breastfeeding since birth.  She’s only been eating solids for 2 months so I’m sure that I will face more problems along the way.  The most important part to remember is to keep looking for answers.  Someone out there has experienced your problem and someone out there has the answers!  You can always join the Cloth Diapers chat on Twitter, Monday nights at 8pm (EST).  Just be sure to use #clothdiapers to join in on the fun.

What about the environmental impact of washing cloth diapers?  One of the top argument against cloth diapers is the use of water and electricity in caring for cloth diapers.  Yes, you do use water and you do use electricity BUT that shouldn’t deter you from using cloth diapers.  I run 3 extra loads of laundry each week and I try not to dry them in the dryer.  I prefer to line dry my diapers because of the strength of the sun in bleaching them.  You also have to remember that the natural resources used to make disposable diapers is outrageous!  They cut down tons of trees, ship them thousands of miles, using tons of fossil fuels in transportation just to the manufacturers.  Then you have to add up the impact of manufacturing and of course distribution to the stores.  Then you have the impacts on the landfills that are filling up with thousands of disposable diapers EACH DAY!  Like I said, yes there are some environmental impacts of using cloth diapers but I honestly believe that my impact is much less than using disposables!  Search the internet and I’m sure you can find actual data and figures to support this.  Here are just a few that I found doing a quick search:  Cloth Diapers Exposed - The Facts & The Fiction and Environmental Reasons to Use Cloth Diapers. 

CHECK BACK TUESDAY MORNING FOR A LINK TO ALL OF THE OTHER CLOTH DIAPER CARNIVAL BLOGGERS!

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