Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Monday, March 24, 2008
Cloth is back, baby: Traditional diapers friendly to earth, pocketbook, kids
RUSHFORD, Minn. — Tina Darr believes in saving the environment one cloth diaper at a time. Well, actually two cloth diapers at a time for the mother of 13-month-old twins.
“There has been a cloth diaper revolution,” she said. “Cloth diapers are not like they used to be.”
Like breastfeeding, glass bottle usage and organic baby foods, an increasing percentage of the 12 million U.S. households with children younger than 3 are choosing cloth diapers over single-use disposables because of the environmental, health and cost-saving benefits.
A small but growing number of ecologically conscious parents like Darr and her husband, Bruce, are taking parenting back to the basics. It’s not shunning the conventional, but a movement to make natural practices and organic, toxic-free products more mainstream, they said.
Eco-consciousness gained attention with Al Gore, the lead toy recalls and the local food movement, said Karen Deerwester, parenting author, online parenting advice expert and owner of Family Time Coaching and Consulting.
“It just touches too close to home for mothers not to respond,” she said. “These are well-educated, well-informed mothers … and they know how to have their voices heard in the marketplace.”
Darr experienced diaper changing the “old-fashioned” way at 15, helping out her mom wrap her sibling’s bum with an old white cloth with pins. They eventually started sewing their own diapers out of flannel and cotton.
When the 26-year-old became pregnant with twins, Darr researched cloth diapers online and found more options than she bargained for.
“I couldn’t believe all the different types,” Darr said. “There’s no folding or pinning involved. There are options on colors, snap or Velcro fasteners, separate covers or attached, and many other variations.”
She was so impressed with cloth diapering her twins, Daisy and Beatty, Darr recently opened an in-home cloth diaper store called Cloth Diapers Today. It’s basically a kitchen-table business.
“I just want people to see and feel them,” Darr said. “Many still think it’s old sheets you have to fold.”
She carries diapers from online retailers like gDiaper, Mother-ease, Tiny Tush and Starbunz — products she’s tested and know will hold a messy job.
The reusable fitted diapers have thicker elastic and thicker layers of materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, micro fleece and polyester. Some are basic organic “prefolds,” similar to the old-fashioned sheets grandma used. Some are called “pocket diapers,” where a biodegradable or cotton liner is inserted inside. Others are “all-in-one,” just as the name implies.
Her diapers cost the same as online retailers, but come with free advice.
The all-in-ones take longer to dry and contour diapers are less-fitted and need a cover, Darr said. She recommends all-natural laundry soap that reduces residue build-up and is phosphate-free and biodegradable.
Darr wipes off solids into the toilet — something parents using disposable diapers should be doing anyway n and sprays on a citrus odor and stain remover. She washes daily, but said most will need to do laundry every couple days.
The diaper debate between disposables and cloth has been waged since single-use diapers took over the market in the 1960s. The laundering aspect of cloth diapers causes some researchers to conclude it’s no more environmentally-friendly than disposable diapers clogging landfills, but Lori Taylor doesn’t believe it.
“You can’t compare one cotton diaper to 6,000 plastic diapers,” said Taylor, president of Real Diaper Association. “The wind will come out of their sails soon enough.”
Cloth diapers are a growing industry, Taylor said. Manufactures and retailers are stepping up production, she said, and more work-at-home moms like Darr are getting into the industry.
The Real Diaper Association estimates disposable diapers cost an average of $1,600 over 2½ years versus $100 to $1,000 for cloth diapers. The cost savings is a major factor, but more parents are picking cloth diapers for health reasons.
“What people are increasingly concerned about today is getting toxins out of the environment — not only in our homes but our earth,” said Nancy Massotto, executive director of Holistic Moms Network. “When someone starts a family, there’s a time when parents sit back and think about how to have a healthy pregnancy. That opens up a whole questioning, if I don’t want those chemicals in my body, why would I want them in my nursery?”
Holistic Moms Network, a nonprofit parent support and resource organization, grew from three New Jersey moms in October 2003 to 3,000 active members today in more than 115 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
Some parents find the chemicals and fragrances in disposable diapers unappealing, while the routine needed for cloth diapering may not work for other parents’ lifestyle, Massotto said. It’s about making an informed choice.
“I think the movement has been there all by itself, and I think it’s been there longer than we’re aware,” Massotto said. “It’s a personal and political movement and we’re saying this is what we want for our lives.”
Contact reporter Amber Dulek at amber.dulek@lee.net or (507) 453-3513.
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