The “old-fashioned” diaper or prefold cloth diapers are making a comeback today with the emphasis we’re placing on using environmentally products. Prefold diapers are shaped rectangularly and can use diaper covers for maximum wetness protection. Look for prefold diapers with the DSQ (Diaper Service Quality) designation and you’ll know you’ll be using a cloth diapering system that is of the highest quality. Both Chinese prefold cloth diapers and Indian prefold diapers typically carry the DSQ tag for excellent diaper quality.
Not only are these diapers environmentally friendly but they are friendly to your pocketbook as well. Expect to pay around $200 from the time you start using this type of cloth diapering system until your infant starts potty training. These kinds of “old-fashioned” diapers last many years, which means you can use them for more than one baby.
Understanding the Basics
With our increasing need to strive for more environmentally friendly ways to conduct our day-to-day activities, choosing cloth diapers make sense. Ideally, if you’re on a budget, a prefold diaper used in conjunction with a diaper cover is an economical and eco friendly way to diaper your baby. If you have a newborn, you should purchase enough to have several sets of 15 cloth diapers per day to adequately meet your baby’s diapering needs. Once they get a little older, usually up to 10 diapers per day should be enough. In addition to your diapers, don’t forget the diaper pail and diaper pail liner to make the activity of diapering complete.
An Eco Friendly Diaper?Today, people are demanding that the products they purchase are not only economical but that they are environmentally friendly as well. Cloth diapering offers this advantage for parents of newborns. All you have to do is look at the statistics with regard to disposable diapers to understand the importance of using reusable diapers for your child. Disposable diapers do not decompose readily and are one of the most common products found in landfills today. In one report, it was shown that disposable diapers made up 3.6 million tons of the waste produced in 2005 alone. This statistic in and of itself makes the use of cloth diapers even more imperative. Not only are disposable diapers unsatisfactory from an environmental standpoint, they are equally unacceptable to anyone who follows a budget. You can use the money you save by using cloth diapers in another area of your family finances such as saving for your baby’s future education.
Financially Sound
By using cloth diapers, you save money with each diaper change. The money saved on diapers can support another area of your family’s finances or could go towards helping someone else less fortunate. I know of a woman who takes the money that she saves from each diaper change and donates it to buy formula for babies in an orphanage that Cotton Babies supports in Africa.
Chinese Prefold Diapers
The Chinese prefold diaper is a flat diaper that is bulkier in the middle and comes in various sizes and absorbencies. This diaper is one of the most economical ways to diaper your baby. Diapers of this type usually come in white or bleached and unbleached. Unbleached Chinese prefold diapers should be washed a number of times in order to enhance their absorbency. Once they have gone through several washings, they are much softer than their white counterparts. However, when shopping for any Chinese prefold cloth diapers make sure that they meet the DSQ designation so you can be assured the diaper is well-made and that you’re getting the best value for your money.
Gerber Cloth Diapers
With a long company history, Gerber is a name you can trust. They offer diapers of the prefold type with middles that provide for added absorbency. Gerber also offers the regular cloth diaper style which can also be used as a cloth for varied uses such as a changing pad, lap pad or burp cloth. Therefore, not only are these types of diapers economical they can be used in a variety of ways to add to their all ready high level of economy.
Laundering
Although cloth diapers offer many benefits economically and environmentally you still have to give them a number of washings in order for them to meet standards with regards to softness and absorbency. However, once they’re washed, they are indeed much softer and absorbent and can be used and recycled many times over. For example if you purchase the Chinese prefold types of diapers, they need to be washed at least six times in hot water with detergent. Washing assists in removing any of the oil and wax residues from the cotton fiber which are usually eliminated when they’re bleached. Other types of pre-fold diapers should be washed about 4 times before they are used.
In today’s economy and with a trend toward “green” living, choosing cloth diapers is the responsible and right thing to do.
Related posts: