Why you should consider using modern cloth nappies

(By Obsidian from www.clothpads.org)

Now… before you just go "I aint dealing with cloth nappies!" please just hear me out…. I'm not going to pretend that disposables aren't the easiest way to go, but there are some points about cloth nappies you should consider before you make the choice of what you are going to use.

Disposables and Cost

Buying disposable nappies from the supermarket, you're looking at about 30c to $1 each….. with an average of about 40c each (newborn nappies are cheapest and night nappies can go as high as $1.40 each)… and about 5c each for baby wipes.  You'll go through about 10 nappies a day for newborns, perhaps more… decreasing to about 4-5 a day just before toilet training (about 2-4 years old), plus at least one baby wipe per nappy change, sometimes up to about 5, so an average of about 10 wipes a day.

To start with you'll go through many many nappies as babies tend to poo each feed.  Then as they get older  they do less poo, but as they start to sleep through the night you'll find normal day nappies won't be absorbent enough so you need to buy night nappies, which generally cost $1 each - so they are expensive all through their time in nappies!  You're either buying lots of cheaper ones, or fewer more expensive ones.  Our daughter was such a heavy wetter overnight we had to buy the most expensive nappies on the market to try and hold it all, and even had to boost those with pieces of cloth!  Toilet training can some any time between say 1 year and 4 years.  Its generally uncommon for disposable clad children to toilet train before 2, most commonly it starts about 3. 

To give you an idea of just how much that costs, I worked out that for a child (about 1 year old), who has 6 nappy changes a day, you're looking at about 60c worth of baby wipes and $2.28 in nappies… so about $3.40 -  per day or $24 a week…… That is based on averages of costs in nappies (38c each) and wipes (6c each).  Not including nappy liners or nappy sacks (small plastic bags)

So by year 2 in disposables, you've tossed a massive $2,446 or more in disposables.  If your child is nappies full time until they are 3 (not uncommon), that's about $3,669. Then they may still need night nappies until about 4 or 5 (and at $1 each, that's of course about $365 a year for those)…. So all up, one child  in disposable nappies may cost you around $4,500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Money that could otherwise go to your mortgage, a holiday… or a hell of a lot of beer!

             (if you have a second child, that's a second lot of all that cost too…. )

And other mums borrow nappies, and you loose some, you'.. want some over at your mother's house or somewhere as spares....you'll take one off and won't be able to put it back on even though its clean because the sticky stuff only sticks once…. And nothing opens a child's bowels like a clean fresh nappy *sigh*    You go through a LOT of nappies!  {one estimation was 8000})

A note on toilet training

I don't know why, but they say cloth nappied children toilet train faster than disposable wearingones. It used to be the case that they would feel wet and thus be more interested in toilet training because they knew what was happening more, but with the modern nappies they feel dry like with disposables, so it can't be that.  It could be the bulk of the nappy being more uncomfortable? but I think perhaps it is because there is a little more going on with cloth, so theawareness might start sooner (as they watch nappies being washed the child is learning what they are and what they are for and so on).  It could also be that the parents are more inclined to start toilet training so they can stop washing nappies ?  as I've spoken to a couple of mothersof disposable wearing children who only just started toilet training at 3.

Cloth and Cost

(remember we're talking about the modern kind, not the old fashioned "terry flat" square of white towelling folks of old used!  Coz frankly, I probably wouldn't bother with those either!)

Ok….. I'll freely admit I don't have any experience with an infant in cloth nappies…. As we only found them when our daughter was 2.  So we got lucky as by then she didn't need as many as if we'd started with an infant.

When you look at the cost of 1 disposable nappy (about 40c) compared to the cost of one cloth nappy (about $20) it looks like a more expensive option.  But not only does it work out MUCH cheaper in the long run, you can also sell your old nappies when you've finished with them, or pass them on to friends or use for subsequent children - Can't do that with disposables!!!!

You'll still use as many cloth nappies as you would disposables, and how many nappies you have will depend on how often you want to wash them.  But you'll want to have a collection of about 20 nappies or more.  Depending on how you care for them, a nappy can last through 3 children.

So a cloth nappy collection, that will last you the entire time your child is in nappies, would probably cost you about $300-$500.  Of course, you can also make them yourself, so depending on the type of nappy system you choose, the cost of materials is much less than buying made nappies.

If you're using cloth nappies, you can then use cloth wipes, which you can make a suitable size for those huggies wipes containers.  You can just wet them with water, or use a mild soap solution (or fancy things like chamomile tea solution)… a towelling backed cloth wipe works better than a disposable one too!

Cost of washing

Ahh yes, but what of the cost of washing…eh?

I've worked that out too, and I bet you'll be surprised.  Our washing machine is new enough to have all the ratings info available, so I worked out how much the water and energy costs were (for a cold water full load).  Which was 2c a wash in electricity, and 8c a wash for water (7 litre machine), and 17c for detergent (for a $6.50 a 3 lt bottle of detergent).  So if you are washing 3 times a week, that’s only about $42 a year in detergent, power and water cost.   We line dried, so that doesn't include using a clothes dryer.  Hot water washing will use more power...

Ecological Considerations

You are actually supposed to empty solid contents of disposable nappies into the toilet before putting them in the bin, as it is otherwise putting human effluent into the rubbish (which is apparently illegal in some states - something I didn't know)….. all that poo then makes its way through the soil, where viruses and bacteria in it can contaminate the water table….. eww!  Apparently more than 100 viruses can be passed in poo!   (Until last year the polio vacine given to children was a "live" virus, capable of infecting anyone who came into contact with the child's poo - now they use a "dead" virus)

Disposable nappies make up an average of something like 1/4 of all household garbage nationally…. A scary thought considering it is believed they can take between 200 and 500 years for a plastic nappy to decompose (some reports say decomposition in a rubbish dump is impossible due to a lack of oxygen and moisture needed).  So the nappies in the ground from our generation will be there long after our grandchildren have grandchildren!

The wood pulp used to make nappies is grown using a lot of water and processed using even more… it's of course bleached too.  So the nappies themselves are bad for the environment, before they are even put into landfill!   Which is one reason that even this biodegradable nappies (while even more expensive than regular disposables) still aren't a great environmental choice.

Modern cloth nappies normally use hemp fabric, which as a crop takes less water to grow, uses less pesticides than cotton crops, and isn't bleached or processed like cotton, making it much more environmentally friendly (its also stronger and more absorbent and durable than cotton and also apparently mildew resistant too)…

Health Issues

There are some concerns about boy babies wearing disposables as the plastic outer keeps the heat in, which is thought to be a contributing factor to male infertility.  Some babies are more prone to nappy rash with disposables, or rashes from allergies to the particular compounds used in the nappies.

A study conducted by Anderson Laboratories in 1999 and published in the Archives of Environmental Health, found that disposable nappies release chemicals called "volatile organic compounds", including toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and dipentene. All of which have been shown to have toxic health effects, such as cancer and brain damage, with long-term or high level exposure.  (Remember, a child wears a nappy containing these pretty much 24 hours a day for up to 3 years!)

Compounds such as tributyl tin (also found in many if not most nappies), can damage the immune system and impair the hormone system (and is absorbed through the skin).  Babies can come in contact with 3.6 times the WHO tolerable daily intake!  It's considered such a toxic substance (it's used in marine ship paint), that there are international plans to phase out its use.

Lab tests on mice have shown that they are more likely to develop asthma-like breathing difficulties when exposed to disposable nappies than cloth nappies.  Babies apparently breathe more air per pound than adults do (and of course are closer to the nappy on a continual basis), so are very susceptible to such airborne toxins.  This study brought up questions on the increase in asthma cases and the use of disposable nappies.

They are bleached with chlorine bleach, which leaves trace amounts of dioxins (A carcinogen). To be fair, this is also true of any cloth or paper item that is bleached (including toilet paper, pads and cotton fabric - but not of organic or unbleached cotton, nor of hemp which is unbleached)…however I believe washing cotton fabrics must release it, as I've not heard of dioxins in clothing etc.   Dioxins are such a highly toxic substance that there are debates on whether there is any level of it that is safe.

Most nappies these days are made with sodium polyacrylate crystals - which are added to absorb more urine.  These do find their way out of nappies (most mothers have had to pick these off babies bums and out of girly bits), and  haven't been tested for long term side effects.  They can cause severe skin irritation, fever and vomiting (even apparently killing children who consumed less than 5g of it)...

Some of the dyes used (some nappies have blue or pink coloured parts) can cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and liver.  People are becoming concerned with the increase in genital cancers and the long term effects of wearing chemical laden nappies for the first few years of babies lives. Then of course the baby wipes… have a look and the chemical cocktail they are swimming in!  plus its more junk thrown away… more poo in landfill.

The problem is there are no regulations on what chemicals can be used, and for testing chemicals for long term effects (presumably since they are worn externally)…. And no regulations on what can and can't go into a nappy (in fact they don't even have to give any information of what is in them at all).

Yes, the chances of bub ingesting the nappy contents or having a severe reaction are slim... but it has happened and someone's children are those statistics....  Even I can admit that we used disposables blissfully ignorant of all of this until our daughter was 2, and then I found modern cloth nappies and through that, the dangers of disposables.  And while nothing bad happened in those 2 years of disposable use, knowing what I do now, I am not prepared to take the risk…. Are you?

If that makes you think - think also about disposable pads and tampons - they are made virtually the same way, and are also not subject to any regulations on ingredients.… infact similar super absorbent crystals to those used in nappies were used in tampons until the 80s, when it was realised they were a factor in TSS and were removed (that was more for absorbency reasons than chemical, although it does pose questions about cervical cancer..... when chemical laden tampons are being used in such a sensitive area).  Pads are now starting to also use these crystals…. Many women get symptoms ranging from slight rashes to severe skin irritations to pain (internal and external) from using disposable pads….. which goes to show there is nasty stuff in them!  So if you are considering using cloth on bub.. how about switching to cloth pads as well…

Cloth Washing

Yep, you have to wash them - but its not so bad….really!

With a child you'll already be doing more washing than normal anyway….. nappies leak onto clothing (yes, disposables can leak), they spit up, spill food etc.  Cloth nappies can be washed in any load of washing, so you can do some with the babies clothing when you need to, or save them up and do one nappy only load.  They do wash better if they can swish about though (which is true of all laundry), so don't overload the machine.

We had about 25 nappies all up (we ended up giving some away once we hit toilet training), which for a 2 year old, lasted us about 5-7 days before needing to wash. So I only washed once a week!  Hardly any effort!  And no, nappies don't go mouldy sitting there for a week.  Now that we only need nappies for bed, we probably have them sit around up to 2 weeks!  They can get a bit eyeburny though (the fumes from the urine!) and that's not the best way to do laundry, but it goes to show.. you can be less than perfect with the laundry duties and still cloth nappy your child!

I'm not known for my housewifeliness….. infact, I'm pretty well known for my lack of it…..  Yet I managed it!

Seriously…. I'm the first to be lazy and get out of housework…I have the "floordrobe" thing happening (where I'm too lazy to put away my clothes so they migrate from bed {"I will put them away"}, to floor {"oops, I forgot to put them away, I'll put them on the floor so I can sleep in the bed, and will put them away tomorrow"} and so on for months and months)…… If I consider it easy then it must be hardly any effort!

What you do is….. take the nappy off the child, and place it into a bucket (dry - no water in it) by the change table, then put a new one on the child.  Then, if the nappy has been pooed in, you have a choice to deal with it now or later.  Sometimes poo comes off the cloth easier when dry, sometimes its easier wet…. Depends on the individual poo.  For more solid ones, its easier to take the nappy (or liner) to the toilet give it a shake and it should plop off.  A more squidgy one will probably need rinsing off. 

You can buy a gadget called a "little squirt", which is a trigger hose thingie that attaches to your toilet so you can clean them off that way.  Some people like them, some find it easy without using them.  (They are about $50 for memory, and sometimes you find them on ebay)  The squidgy ones you can leave to deal with later - I find it comes off better when dry (though the nappy bucket smalls less if there is no poo in there obviously.) 

You can buy things called "nappy pals" or "citrus circles", which you put in the nappy bucket (we found they work best taped to the lid), that mask the smell when you lift the lid.  But you'd be surprised, several mums have commented that a bucket of cloth nappies smells less than the pong of a disposable in a bin.

If its not a poo nappy (or when you've dealt with the poo), its just a case of leaving the nappies in the (dry) bucket (with the lid on!) until you wash them.  Then chuck them in the washing machine.  No soaking, no need for napisan or bleach or anything, just wash like you would wash clothing (its actually recommended to use 1/3 less detergent than the bottle says).

We found it helpful to have 2 nappy buckets (which are a large bucket with a lid), one by the change table being filled and the other in the laundry full of nappies waiting to be washed.  If the nappy has a polarfleece inner, or you've put a polarfleece liner in it, the poo usually comes off easily and without staining…. So its really not hard or too bad to deal with - and I was quite icked about all things poo.

We liked the style that uses an outer nappy part with absorbent "boosters" you place inside (Called "pocket nappies").  Because while you have to assemble them before use (you can pre assemble them as you fold the washing), and there are more things to hang up, all bits dry really quickly without needing a clothes dryer, and you can adjust the absorbency.

You'll notice there is no soaking in bleach or sanitisers…. Its generally considered that due to the more effective washing machines and detergents today, that sanitising nappies is not needed.  Most modern cloth nappy websites will say its not needed, while some will say it is.  The fact that many of us cloth nappy users don't use sanitisers and just use detergent in a cold wash - and don't have problems with rashes or infections or sickness tends to suggest it isn't necessary to soak nappies in chemicals to get them clean enough for

use.  (remember, a lot of baby clothing gets soiled and disposable using parents don't always think to soak those in sanitisers, and what's the difference?)  If your child has thrush or gastro, or something like that, you may want to wash in very hot water or toss a bit of disinfectant in the wash… but otherwise, a cold wash should be all that is needed.  Hanging the nappies on the line to dry allows them to air out and the sun to help fade any stains and kill bacteria.  Our society is constantly told that we should disinfect everything and

use antibacterial soaps and handwashes etc.  and then we wonder why we have no resistance to colds and flu and why so many people are getting allergies…. 

Benefits of cloth

Well I think there are heaps, but here is a list…

* Cheaper - a LOT cheaper.. and Environmentally friendly

* Less exposure to deadly toxins and nasty chemicals

* Funky, cute, cool or whatever mood you are in!  (fun to look at)

* You are more likely to change a cloth nappy more often because they don't cost you 50c each time!  So your child is going to be  sitting in their own filth a lot less than we tend to leave them in disposables for…

* Cloth using parents seem to offer "nappy free time" more often, which is great for the bub

* Easily tailor the absorbency you need, and can be much more absorbent at night

* Sometimes less likely to leak than disposables

* If you are out shopping or something and you need to mop up a spill you can use a bit of the nappy (wouldn't do that with a 50c  disposable!)

* If you are out and run out of nappies, it is sometimes possible to let a cloth nappy hang outside and dry a bit and put it back  on in an emergency situation

* They can be passed on to other parents or sold when no longer needed

* Supporting small businesses in the manufacturing of them (or buying of fabrics) more than mega disposable manufacturers.

* Can custom make them to fit your particular child

* Sounds funny, but the act of getting out of the house enough to hang washing on the line in the sun is sometimes very very beneficial!  Particularly those of us who suffered from PND.

Disposable Suggestions

If you do decide to use disposable nappies, I will be disappointed, but here are some suggestions.

* Nappy liners can stop the skin coming into contact with things like the scary crystals (and you can buy flushable ones so you can easily take care of the poo issue).

* You can buy compostable disposable nappies, and more eco friendly ones, but they are more expensive.

* You can also use My Planet nappy recycling service ($7 a fortnight for memory, and they give you a wheelie bin and you chuck dirty nappies in there and they turn them into things like wheelie bins!)

In 1955, 100% of American babies wore COTTON DIAPERS, 0% wore DISPOSABLES, and 7.1% experienced DIAPER RASH.  In 1991, 10% of American babies wore COTTON DIAPERS, 90% wore DISPOSABLES, and 78% experienced DIAPER RASH.

SOURCES:

JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS 1959, Vol 54 pp. 793-800 "Relationship of Peri-Anal Dermititis to Fecel pH" by Drs. Tamio, Steiner, Benjamin

CLINICAL PEDRIATRICS May 1991, Vol 30 Department of Internal Medicine & Pedriatrics, Loyola University Medical Ctr. "Newborn Chemical Exposure from over-the-counter Skin-Care Products" by Drs. Cetta, Lambert, & Ross

______________________________________________________________________________________

Websites for information on health issues

http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/toxics/2000may192.html

http://www.rwh.org.au/wellwomens/whic.cfm?doc_id=7691   http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/education/articles-detail-print.asp?Main_ID=554

http://adc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/archdischild;85/3/268d

http://www.nappies.net/tbt.htm

http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/environment/rubbish_waste_and_recycling/education_on_recycling/re-usable_nappies.htm

http://www.science-house.org/CO2/activities/polymer/diaper.html   (This is a science page using the crystals found in the nappy, and gives warnings about the crystals.... hmm... how safe are these crystals?)

_____________________________________________________________

Written by Obsidian from www.clothpads.org 2006