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Re: Cloth diapers?
posted at 12/26/2009 12:11 PM ESToh, that's good to know! The laundering instructions I've read did seem remarkably simple compared to what I expected it to be, especially not even having to soak them in a pail. so I wasn't sure if it was all a little too optimistic.... or if it's 'gross' to just do the 1 rinse/wash, although it does sound reasonable to me for cleaning soiled clothing. I'm still going to give cloth a shot. the potential for early potty training and less blowouts is enough to convince me to try it :) and fewer diapers overall sounds more environmentally friendly, but here's to hoping it all works out over the next a couple of years, lol. who knows! I'm planning to buy a small assortment of styles this week. I will report back in a few weeks when reality hits and let you know if I'm using them or selling them on craigslist :)
Re: Cloth diapers?
posted at 12/27/2009 1:20 PM ESTI've cloth diapered all my kids (4 plus foster) and I do think that if you purchase prefolds and covers and use them for multiple kids it is kinder environmentally than disposables. I launder them myself and line dry about 80% of the time.
I do think that throw away diapers are easier. You can leave a kid in a disposable diaper for a long, long time before they feel wet or it will leak. This is great for traveling, etc. The easiest thing however is not always the right thing. Once you find a system that works it gets much easier. And cd part time is hard because you have soiled diapers sitting around for longer until you wash. My youngest is almost out of diapers and it will be slightly bittersweet to pass on the still functional diapers after 10+ years.
Re: Cloth diapers?
posted at 12/27/2009 3:13 PM ESTFor commercial laundering, there is not just the consideration of them ending up clean, but of the health of the people who may be handling and breathing near the unwashed things.
Since super strong chlorine bleaching is extremely bad for the water released into the environment, as well as releasing fumes and breaking down cloth, Commercial operations must have an anti- fungal, anti-viral (think hepatitis) and anti- bacterial wash agent wash, as well as two detergent wash cycles. These with rinses, plus an initial rinse to remove solid waste, are the "7 washes."
Only services, nursing homes, pediatric facilities and hospitals have those public health standards. Most people use an oxygenated bleaching agent to soak diapers while waiting to be washed (anti-fungal, viral , bacterial) then a normal heavy duty washing of the regular washer with detergent (and sometimes added borax.)
Edit: A great story, can't help myself!
An older Army nurse was put in charge of equipping and laying out a hospital in Viet Nam during the war, and kept trying to point things out to the translator, a US Army officer, and getting shushed. She finally ended up blocking the pouring of cement, bodily, with the helpful assistance of the nurses.
Fundamental cultural understanding problem: the Vietnamese construction people, and the US Army earthmovers/cement pourers, could not see what her problem was: There were no places to put water pipes through the concrete walls, in or out. 1968, a surgical hospital with a laundry, and no provision for water except carrying it in buckets from the pond the oxen used (both ends of the Oxen.)
As we ponder the need for 7 washes for a baby dydee.