The EcoChic

The answer SHOULD be YES!  As I began planning for my #BlogHer10 experience I had originally planned on bringing the entire family along with me.  I researched NYC diaper services and had set up a batch of diapers to be delivered right to our hotel.

Over the past month our plans changed.  We were still planning our family trip to Disney (before our annual passes expired) but then the family was going in many different directions.

We packed up last weekend and headed to Orlando – complete with our stash of cloth diapers.  My first trip to Disney with the baby we packed disposables, hybrids, and cloth because I really didn’t know HOW to travel with cloth diapers.  I found out quickly that it’s NOT much different than at home.  This trip to Disney I only packed the fluff!  The only time it was a little less than pleasant was the 3rd day (when my DD had held her bowl movements for 3 whole days) when she decided to poo while at the water park.  Thankfully cloth holds in the solids BUT the water parks are NOT known for having great changing stations.  In fact they down right SUCK! So on a small bench in the changing room I changed a gross, nasty, 3 day poop that had just been mushed in by a baby sitting in the pool!  Anyways – as gross as it sounds it was actually quite painless – after I changed her we walked across the room to the toilet and dumped the evidence!  FLUSH!  Stuff the cover in the wetbag and then back in the locker – now back to playing.

After our Disney adventure it was time to leave the DD at Camp Grandma/Grandpa.  I even left my mom the bag of dirty diapers – which she called to tell me were all clean again.  I’m sure like last time she won’t be able to figure out which insert goes with which diaper but that’s not really too important.  And like last time the snaps will sit in the bag unused while Grandma prefers the velcros!  The point is that Grandma does cloth diapers and is just as proud as I am about it.

Really – traveling with cloth diapers isn’t much different than at home.  But if you aren’t lucky enough to have a Grandma to do your diaper laundry check out these great tips for the Real Diaper Association’s (RDA) Travel Tip Sheet.  The RDA is still fundraising for their $3500 in 35 Days campaign to keep their Executive Director.  For more information on the RDA please visit them at www.realdiaperassociation.org.  If you like their tip sheet or any of their other work please consider donating to the $3500 in 35 Days campaign so they can continue to advocate for cloth diapers on every baby – all the time!  And if you join the RDA (as low as $25) you will receive a quarterly newsletter and a great button to show your support!  I’ll be wearing my button this week while at #BlogHer10!  If you see me don’t be afraid to “Ask me about cloth diapers!”

I’ve written about my laundry routine before with my cloth diapers but I wanted to give you an update…after all our routines change as our children continue to grow and our diapers get older. 

Let me first start by saying that what works for me may not work for you.  Why is that?  Let me first start by giving you some facts on me, my diapers, and our routine.

1. Lil’ B is 16 months old, still breastfed and eating solids regularly.  I tell you this because a wash routine of an infant is different from a toddler.

2.  Our stash is primarily BumGenius 3.0s (about 20) and about 10-15 mixed other brands that we’ve tried.  All are pockets, all-in-ones, or all-in-twos.  We’ve never used pre-folds.

3.  More info on our stash – most of them are microfiber, microfleece, or some other micro-combination.  We do have some bamboo, hemp, and cotton combo inserts as well. 

4.  We have an old-fashioned top loader washing machine.  We’re waiting for it to croak before we invest in a front loader (or HE).

5.  We live in Florida – where we live has incredibly HARD water and we do NOT have a water softener installed yet.  (Don’t ask – we like to procrastinate!)

6.  We wash every 3rd day usually. 

Detergents we’ve used:  We have tried a variety of detergents…more on my personal recommendations in a minute.

1.  Arm & Hammer Essentials (unscented-free): recommended as cloth diaper approved by several online resources

2.  EcoStoreUSA liquid detergent

3.  Eco Nuts (a natural soap nut): recommended for cloth diapers

4.  Rockin’ Green Classic (scented): cloth diaper specific WAHM brand

5.  Rockin’ Green HARD ROCK (scented): new formula specific for hard water

6.  Planet: recommended by BumGenius for hard water (and several online resources) *Note on Planet – Planet does contain Borax in the list of ingredients.

Extra’s we’ve used (at some point):

1.  Bleach

2.  Hydrogen Peroxide (Publix non-chlorine bleach and EcoStoreUSA Oxygenated Whitener)

3.  Calgon: recommended for hard water/it’s a water softener

4.  Bac-out: recommended for stink issues

5.  Borax: controversial; some resources recommend the use of Borax while others warn against the danger of using Borax

Yes – I know that sounds like a lot of stuff but we don’t use it all at the same time.  I’ve been pretty consistent with our routine but I’ve varied the detergents on occasion because we have a serious problem!  HARD WATER!  Because of the hard water we’ve experienced ammonia stink, staining, and the occasional rash.  The rash is caused from detergent residue left behind from the hard water.  The way it was explained to me was that the minerals in the water bind with the detergent and coat (or clog) the pores of the diaper. 

Since most of my stash is made up of BGs I decided to call their customer service and ask for their recommendations for my scenario.  Here is what they recommended: 1 cold wash with Planet detergent and Calgon, followed by one hot wash with Planet and Calgon, followed by an extra rinse.  They recommended that I increase my bleach to 3/4 cup (once a month) and dry in the sun.  I also contacted Kim with Rockin’ Green Soap since I was working with her on a few projects.  Kim recommended that I ROCK-THE-SOAK and follow it up with a wash and rinse (maybe 2 rinses just in case).  Kim also recommended that I use Calgon.  I also spoke with Rump•a•rooz®, read information provided to me by Diaper Shops, and spoke with Heather at the Real Diaper Association.  I mention all of these great ladies because they are the Experts in cloth diapers!

The reason I mention all of the different recommendations is to show you that everyone has their own ideas on what works well for them.  There really isn’t one routine, detergent, or additive that will work for everyone all the time.  I remember my hair dresser once told me that you should switch your shampoo regularly so that you can strip your hair of different chemicals…why shouldn’t that be true for detergents and laundry too.  I’ve actually found that switching my detergents regularly actually help keep the problems away. 

My current routine (and what’s on my laundry shelf):

1.  I TRY to rinse my diapers once I take them off Lil’ B – I do this to keep the bathroom ammonia smell away.  Now I’m a busy mom so this does NOT always happen!  Poops ALWAYS get rinsed (and we use flushable liners) but not always pees.
2.  Diapers sit in 1) an open bin in the bathroom or 2) a closed wet bag until laundry day.  Both are dry pail method. 
3.  On laundry day I place all of the diapers (about 15-20 should be max load size – sometimes we throw in a few more) into the wash and run a cold wash cycle with no detergent.  *Although sometimes I will use detergent IF I have stink issues.  I mention the load size because I found myself getting lazy and washing every 3-4 days – be sure you wash every 2-3 days and keep the load size down!!!  This will help with your smell and staining issues. 
4.  Next we run a Hot/Cold cycle with detergent and Calgon.  Currently I use either Rockin’ Green or Planet.  I only have a few loads of RNG left and I have a full box of Planet…I will probably use Planet next since it seems to be working well AT THE MOMENT! 
5.  Next we run a cold rinse…if I really have stink issues I’ll run a full cold wash/rinse and not just the rinse. 
6.  Dry! 
*Optional – bleach or non-chlorine bleach: I will use this about once a month on ALL of my diapers and inserts.  I will never include it in a soak.
*Optional – ROCK THE SOAK is done on my diapers about once a month as needed for stink and staining issues.  I will soak in RNG anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight depending on the severity of my problem.

Let’s talk about drying your diapers for just a minute!  I normally dry everything in the dryer because it’s usually 10pm when I finish my routine and the sun is not shining at night.  IF I wash early enough and can dry them outside I lay my diapers on a hammock so they can dry and get sun bleached.  The sun works WONDERFULLY on staining…but the old stubborn stains are stuck and won’t come out!  We have recently aquired some BuddhaBunz wool dryer balls; I add 2 dryer balls when I use the dryer.  The dryer balls reduce the length of time it takes for your laundry to dry.  It’s like adding a dry towel to a load of wrinkled clothes…it sucks the moisture out quicker. 

A note about enzymes:  Many manufacturers and retailers tell you NOT to use a detergent with enzymes.  The reason behind it is that detergents with enzymes have a greater risk of causing diaper rash in some babies.  There is actually some conflicting information on enzymes…some are actually telling people that the use of detergents with enzymers is RECOMMENDED to get your diapers really clean.  My recommendation on enzymes is to use what works best for you and your diapers.  If you have tried changing everything else in your routine…try to switch your detergent to one with enzymes and see if that solves your problem.  Only you will know how sensitive your babies skin is…if you have a super sensitive baby I would save this for the last possible change in your routine.           

My last piece of advice…trust your gut and keep things as simple as possible! 

What about you?  What variables are unique for you?  What conditions are the same?

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.

As I continue my cloth diaper journey over this past year I have become associated with many wonderful companies, organizations and people who support the modern cloth diaper revolution.  I’m still trying to decide how I can best serve the cause and bring cloth diapers into more homes.  One way I have began advocating cloth diapers is through the Real Diaper Association (RDA).  I am in the process of becoming an RDA Circle Leader…an advocate for cloth diapers in the community. 

The RDA is a non-profit organization who works with parents all across the US to encourage the use of reusable cloth diapers 100% of the time!  I like to say that I use cloth diapers 99.99% of the time…and I cringe every time I put Lil’ B in a hard, crunchy sposie. 

My commitment to cloth diapers is primarily an environmental commitment.  Research shows that cloth diapers are far better for the environment than disposables.  Even though you will use slightly more water for washing…your babies environmental butt-print (hehe!) will be greatly reduced when using cloth diapers.

How can I help?  By introducing cloth diapers to others in my own community (and online!).  We’ve already worked to educate our babies caregivers, our family, and our friends to the world of cloth diapers.  I have several friends of mine who have recently given birth or are expecting…and I continue to share my own experiences with them.  Disposable diapers are readily available and accepted as the norm…cloth diapers are not.  When I mention to my friends that we use cloth they think I’m some new aged, hippie chick!  I’m just a normal working mom with a normal family.  Yes, we (OK…I) am a little obsessed with eco-issues and my friends have learned to love me for it.  Just like with recycling and CFLs…I believe that cloth diapers will one day be considered the norm as well. 

And I will continue to share my own cloth diaper journey with others…one baby at a time!  What about you? Is your baby in 100% reusable cloth diapers all the time?  Do you want to learn more about cloth diaper or the RDA?