the McElroy House Cloth Diaper Skill Share Workshop

The Cost of Cloth.

COST:  Disposable diapers vary in price according to the size and brand, with the average. From birth to potty training you can expect one child to have 9,000 diaper changes and you can expect to spend around $2,700 on disposable diapers alone. In contrast, cloth diapering a child can cost as little as $300. That is roughly the cost as purchasing disposable diapers for 4 months.  Using these figures, you can see that you can save up to $2,400. With proper care and use, you will extend the life of your cloth diapers, allowing for further savings by using the same set of diapers for any future babies your family may have.

Why Choose Cloth?  The cost per cloth diaper 3¢  The cost per disposable diapers 25¢  Cost is broken down over the time an average child will be in diapers from birth to potty training.  Environmental Impact: disposable diapers are the 3 rd largest contributor to our landfills and will take an estimated 250,500 years to decompose.  An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the US.  Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.

everyday i will choose Cloth because it is better for my Child better for my Wallet better for the World

Myth: Cloth Diapers are gross, hard to use and wash, and only low income families use them Reality: Cloth diapers are no different to use than it’s disposable counterpart. It’s just an extra load of laundry every few days and touching “gross things” are just part of being a parent. Cloth diapers do not discriminate. All families can use cloth diapers and do, including the British Royal Family.

How to care for cloth diapers. How to properly Wash Cloth Diapers Prewash: 1)Remove inserts from pockets, fasten laundry tabs, and load diapers and wetbag into the washer. 2)Add a small amount of detergent, usually line 1. 3)Select your shortest wash cycle and go! Main wash: 1)If you aren’t washing enough diapers to get a stew consistency (non-HE machines) or your drum is less than 2/3-3/4 full (HE machines) add other laundry to get to this level. 2)Add the full recommended amount of detergent for a heavily soiled load of laundry.  If you choose a plant based (hot water only) or free and clear detergent, you may need to add up to double the amount since these detergents are weaker in nature. 3) Add a water softener (borax or calgon) if you have hard water. 4) Choose your longest wash cycle. 5) Don’t add any extra rinses! 6) Go! Dry: 1)Hang dry or toss in the dryer!

How to Strip Your Cloth Diapers -Removing hard water mineral build up – Always start with CLEAN diapers. Fill your top-loader or bathtub ½ full with HOT WATER. Add your mineral removal solution and dissolve well. There are several mineral removing solutions: a.) Grovia Mighty Bubbles: At $8 for 10 pads and $14 for 20 it may seem pricy. However, it equals out to $0.80 to $0.70 PER pod 3 pods are needed for ONE strip = $ $2.10 per strip. These pods also make excellent boosters to your washes afterwards. b.) DYI mix*: This homemade mixture has awesome success. Washing Soda, Borax and Calgon create this concoction at around $16.28 for it all at Walmart (in the laundry aisle). 3 tablespoons of each for one strip = $0.49 per strip. Also, all components can be used for cleaning and laundry boosters post strip. c.) RLR*: $2.99 per pack x 3 for one strip = $9 a strip **We also suggest that you ADD ½ cup of good strong detergent, preferably with enzymes, to options b AND c. This will improve the effectiveness and reduce any risk of temporary absorbency issues.** Next, add all items into your water. Soak in hot water until it cools or about 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally to help release more of the minerals. The water MAY change colors and possibly smell funky, If it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean it’s not working. There are a lot of gross things we can not see. Once the water is cool, follow mineral strip with a water only wash cycle to remove existing strip solution and detergent. Then proceed with a 30-minute bleach soak according to the Bleach Soak Instructions. (Note: If you have IRON rich water, do not use bleach! Follow along with the bleach alternatives) Wash 2-4 times, with detergent after this step to ensure that all minerals are pulled out and washed away. Now that your diapers are back to square one, be sure to start fresh with a proper wash routine to ensure that the problem doesn’t come back. Be sure to follow the washing document for more detailed washing instructions. How to Bleach Your Cloth Diapers Always start with CLEAN diapers. Fill your vessel with COLD water. Add the bleach first mix WELL> Use only disinfecting bleach that is less Than 9 months old. Disinfecting bleach has at least the sodium Hypochlorite percentage of 5.25% or higher; Bleaches with 8% are common. (Splash-less, scented, color-safe, and non-chlorine bleaches do NOT work for disinfecting.) Soak all items for minutes to allow the bleach to work its way into the layers of fabric. Use the following dilutions corresponding to your water level: Top-loader (non-HE); Small – 1/3 cup Medium – ½ cup Large – ¾ cup Bathtub: ½ tub full – ½ cup ¾ tub full – ¾ cup Garden Bathtub: ½ tub full – ¾ cup Smaller Vessel: 1 Tablespoon PER gallon of cold water up to 5 gallons -Soaking in a HE is not recommended – After soaking for minutes, rinse out all items in HOT water. Following with a HOT wash cycle with the recommended amount of detergent. The hot water breaks down the bleach, allowing for a clean rinse. Please keep in mind that cotton is susceptible to fading. (A lot of variables come into play with that.) Following along with the exact instructions will ensure that you do everything possible to minimize this risk. Making sure that they are completely submerged will also help reduce the risk. Adding fabric, such as a white towel or other diapers, on top of cotton fabrics is a good solution. *If you have IRON rich water, DO NOT use bleach. Please seek bleach alternatives.

How to pick your detergent!

The different types of cloth diapers. Prefolds Requires a wrap or a cover AIOS/AI2s Does not requires a wrap or a cover - this feature is built in. Pocket Diapers Does not requires a wrap or a cover - this feature is built in. Fitted Diapers Requires a wrap or a cover May require a fastener such as pins or a snappi Usually fastens with snaps or hook and loop (velcro) Usually fastens with snaps or hook and loop (velcro), sometimes a snappi or pins may be used. Usually made of cotton, gauze, Birdseye flannel, hemp, or velour. Outer layer is waterproof...usually made with PUL, Procare, fleece, or wool. Outer and inner layers are not waterproof and may consist of many different fabrics types. A doubler will increase absorbency. A separate stuffer or doubler lays inside an AI2. Requires and absorbent stuffer material to be placed in the pocket before use. A doubler will increase absorbency. Usually has elastic and legs and back area.

Helpful resources.  For general laundry advice  Facebook: Love& CD Science/ Love& CD Science/  Fluff Love & CD Science