Cleaning Cloth Diapers
The method you choose to wash your cloth diapers will have a major influence over the environmental impact of your diapering choice. A lot will depend on the services and facilities in your local area.
Washing Diapers at Home
Washing cloth diapers at home is as simple as tossing the contents of your laundry pail in the washing machine. Use your regular nontoxic laundry detergent to get diapers clean. You might also want to add a few drops of tea tree oil to the rinse cycle to remove odors.
Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets on cloth diapers. These products coat diapers with an oily film to make garments soft. However, they could weaken the absorbency of your diapers. To keep diapers soft, add a quarter-cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle during washing.
Cloth diapers can take the environmental edge over disposables with some energy- and water-saving washing techniques. Wash full loads of diapers in warm water whenever possible, skipping the pre-soak option. Line dry cloth diapers to minimize the energy needed to dry.
Diaper Services
Many new parents turn to a diaper service to handle the cleaning and care of their baby's cloth diapers. Diaper services are professional laundries that deliver clean cloth diapers and pick up soiled diapers on a weekly basis. These services rent diapers to families of infants, hospital nurseries, and day-care centers. The cost of a diaper service will vary depending upon your location and the number of diapers you sign up for each week.
The major plus of diaper services is that you will never have to launder your baby's diapers directly. Just toss the dirties in the pail and hand them over in exchange for a pile of freshly laundered and ready to use cloth diapers. Diaper services allow you to choose the number and size of diapers you require for your baby each week, so you can be flexible according to your baby's needs. The down side is that you may not be able to choose specialized styles of cloth diapers as many services tend to be limited in the variety that the offer.
Can I continue to use a cloth diaper service when traveling?
Yes. Contact your diaper service ahead of time to order any extra diapers you might need for your trip and to let them know that you will not need a diaper pick up while you are gone. Seal used diapers in a waterproof bag (like a large zip-top bag) and pack them in your luggage. Schedule a pick up and delivery immediately upon your return.
From an environmental standpoint, it is a toss up as to whether using a diaper service is greener than washing cloth diapers at home. It really depends on the diaper service facility. Some businesses go all-out to be green, using nontoxic cleaners, washing the fullest loads possible, and even delivering diapers via eco-friendly cars. On the other hand, some diaper services use bleach and extremely hot water to launder diapers.
Contact the National Association of Diaper Services (www.diapernet.org) to find a business in your area. Before you sign up with a diaper service, ask them these questions to make sure that they will help you minimize the impact created by your baby's diapers.
What type of diapers do you offer?
How many diapers do you recommend that I order per week?
How much is the cost and when will the bill come?
How do you launder your diapers?
Do you take any steps to green your business? (Electric vehicles, carbon offsets, green cleaners?)
If you do decide to use a diaper service, it is a good idea to schedule a pre-birth delivery of diapers to arrive a couple of weeks before your due date. That way you will have diapers at home ready to use.
