By Tina Santiago-Rodriguez

With the problems facing our world today, especially those connected to climate change, more and more people are looking for ways to lessen their impact on the environment by adopting more ecologically-friendly practices, such as using carpools, harnessing solar energy and cutting down on waste. One of the ways parents can chip in is by using cloth diapers – this way, mums and dads can help save the earth – one baby bum at a time.

According to the Real Diaper Association (RDA), using cloth diapers is not just about being environmentally-friendly, but also about promoting what is best for your baby's health. Disposable diapers contain traces of dioxin, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. They also contain Tributyl-tin (TBT), a toxic pollutant that has been known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals; and Sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet.  This chemical can cause skin irritations and severe allergic reactions including vomiting, staph infections, and fever.

Now that the case for using cloth diapers has been made, let's take a look at the basics of cloth diapering especially for new parents. (Perhaps you can get your parents, family members or friends who have used cloth diapers before to help you as well!)

Choosing The Right Diaper

If you try searching the Internet for the different types and brands of cloth diapers available today, you may be a bit bewildered by the many choices you have. Try to ask around for recommended brands and do your research before purchasing any diapers. You may also want to consider buying just a few of each type of diaper to see which you prefer best.

There are basically five different types of cloth diapers available these days:

i. Terries: Also known as flat diapers, these are the cheapest and most basic cloth diapers available. They are basically a piece of cloth that you fold and fasten with diaper clips or pins. These diapers may have been what your grandparents used on your own parents when they were still babies. Terries are usually quick-drying; however they are not as absorbent as the other types of cloth diapers.

ii. Pre-folds: These are square, flat diapers, usually made out of cotton flannel, terry material, or birds-eye cotton. They are folded into a rectangular shape, and have no outer layer to hold wetness in, so these are usually used with waterproof diaper wraps or covers. Pre-folds also take less time to dry, but are less absorbent than shaped or all-in-one diapers.

iii. Shaped diapers: Also known as contoured or fitted diapers, these are cloth diapers that are already cut and shaped to fit around Baby. They are similar in shape to disposable diapers and are fastened either by using Velcro tabs or snap buttons. To prevent leaks, these diapers are usually covered with a diaper cover.

iv. All-in-ones and Pocket diapers: All-in-One diapers (AIO) look like fitted diapers, except that it already has a diaper cover attached to it. The disadvantage though is that AIO diapers are more difficult to wash and take a long time to dry. Because of this, some parents may opt for the pocket diapers. These look similar to AIO, but the insert/soaker, which is the thick absorbent material inside the diaper, can be removed. If you want the diaper to be more absorbent, you can add additional inserts. Also, the diapers are easier to wash since one can dry the two parts separately.

v. One-Size: These are all-in-ones or pocket diapers that are adjustable in size, so you can use them from Baby's infancy to toddler years. The diapers can be folded and hooked /snapped in a special way to fit smaller babies, and then unsnapped/unhooked and unfolded to fit bigger babies. These are definitely more economical.

Buying Diapers

Try looking online for local cloth diapering stores. There may even be some auction websites that sell used cloth diapers. If you're really trying to save cash, you may even want to consider asking around among your friends and relatives if they have any cloth diapers they'd be willing to give you, or sell to you at a low price. Good quality one-size cloth diapers can be adjusted as your baby grows, and may be a bit pricey, but are more economical in the long run, since you can use them on your future babies.

How Many Is Enough?

To estimate the number of diapers you need, you need to consider the age of your baby. Newborns and infants usually need about 10 to 12 diaper changes a day; whereas toddlers might need about 8 to 10. Some people buy a dozen diapers for each day that they won't be doing laundry.

A lot of people who exclusively use cloth diapers recommend buying at least 2 to 3 dozen diapers. As your baby grows, you usually need to buy larger sized diapers, unless you buy one-size diapers.

Washing Cloth Diapers

This is probably one of the reasons why many parents are hesitant to make the switch from disposables to cloth. However, as a mom who uses cloth diapers (though admittedly, not 100% of the time), I can confidently say that washing cloth diapers is not as difficult as one thinks.

Of course, the ease of washing cloth diapers will also depend on the type of washing machine you have, availability of hot and cold water in your faucets (we don't have piped hot water at home), and if you have a household help (in which case, washing will probably not pose a big concern to you! J)

There are several suggestions that you can find online for washing cloth diapers. Many of them are based on the presumption that those reading it have access to washing machines with hot and cold water options or tumble dryers. However, in Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and especially East Timor, this is usually not the case. Here are tips for washing cloth diapers, based on our family's experience:

1.    Buy a pail with a cover – this will serve as your diaper pail. All dirty diapers should go in here until it's time for washing. We have found that it helps to soak the diapers in water with a little laundry soap. Some online sites suggest putting baking soda and water in the diaper pail to help eliminate stains and odour.

2.    Invest in a "diaper sprayer" which to us Southeast Asians would simply be the good old hand-held bidet. Hubby installed one in our toilet in East Timor and it helped to make our cloth-diapering days a LOT easier! Just hold your baby's soiled nappy over the toilet bowl, spray the poo with the bidet into the toilet, then dump the diaper into your diaper pail.

3.    If needed, scrub the dirty diapers with a little laundry soap before putting it in the pail. When it's time for washing, scrub the diapers with a brush (the type you usually use to scrub clothes or sometimes ceramic surfaces and toilets). Make sure however that the brush is used exclusively for diaper washing.

4.    Put the diapers in the washing machine and wash them as you would your other clothes. If you have the time though, and want to conserve electricity, you can rinse the diapers twice then put them in the machine for spin-drying.

5.    If possible, line dry the diapers under the sun. Sunlight acts as a natural bleaching agent, helps to kill germs and eliminate odours. Even after spin-drying, we usually put all diapers and diaper covers out in the sun.

6.    For tough stains, my mom (who helped us out when I gave birth in East Timor – bless her for her love and kindness!) would place the scrubbed, unrinsed diapers on a flat container or basin, and leave them out in the sun for an hour or so. Then she would rinse them and place them in the dryer.

7.    Some people recommend including a "vinegar rinse" in your cloth diaper laundry cycle. This means putting a cup of white vinegar in the water before your final rinse (either in your machine or in your basin). White vinegar acts as a bleaching agent but without the harmful chemicals. It attacks odours and kills bacteria and fungi without irritating your baby's skin or staining diapers. We used vinegar in our wash when our baby girl had a fungal diaper rash and found it very effective.

Diaper Duty for Dads

Using cloth diapers can give fathers extra opportunities to show their love and devotion. How? Well, for starters, daddies can give mummies the well-deserved rest they need, especially after giving birth, by taking over diaper duty, which can include the changing AND washing of dirty diapers. My husband did this with both of our kids when they were newborn, and I am totally appreciative of it, even up to this very day. In fact, it was he who came up with the idea of using the hand-held bidet to spray soiled cloth diapers. Although using cloth diapers may seem inconvenient to the average working dad, its benefits far outweigh its disadvantages, as many a father like my husband would say.

Ultimately, switching from disposables to cloth will take a lot of determination, patience and perseverance. However, most parents and families will realize that it pays off in the end – you get to save money, resources and the environment, and also ensure the health of your little one!

If you are based in Singapore, you may want to try checking out the following websites:

Bumwear claims to be Singapore's one-stop shop for your cloth diapering needs. http://www.bumwear.com/shopping/clothdiaper/diaper-index.html

Babehouse.com is an online natural parenting store owned by a stay at home mom (SAHM) and part-time piano teacher. She sells cloth diapers and other items. http://www.babehause.com/store/

For pictures that may be of help to you, please visit this link: http://www.cirerrek.addr.com/girl/diapers/diaperbasics.html

For more detailed information about cloth diapers, you may want to check out these links:

http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/basics.htm

http://www.diaperpin.com/howto.asp#vinegar

References:

http://realdiaperassociation.org

http://www.babycenter.com.sg/baby/buyingforbaby/nappies/reusable-on-test/