Life without the Diaper Genie
Posted
Nov 12 2007, 12:38 PM
by
Donna Freedman
For all you parents and parents-to-be who are worried about money, here's a bit of modern heresy: cloth diapers.
I'm not talking about the pricey ones that can cost up to $28.50 apiece, but about plain, unfolded cotton diapers.
I used them when my daughter was born 29 years ago. I bought “slight irregulars.” Honest. The only thing wrong with them was that the blue “CURITY” stamp had run or was blurred. They cost $3.99 a dozen.
Obviously, the price has gone up. But a quick Internet search unearthed unfolded nappies for as cheap as $11.96 a dozen. You also might check Craigslist, local parent groups and -- best-case scenario -- freecycle.org.
I suggest getting at least six dozen to start. As the baby grows, so does its bladder, and you'll have to double the diapers. (I used double diapers at night right from the start.) That’s an initial investment of about $72 plus tax, and you'll also have to buy plastic pants or diaper covers.
According to an MSN article, you’ll spend about $2,000 on disposables (not counting wet wipes) until your child is toilet-trained.
It's a dirty job, but …
Yes, cloth diapers have to be changed more often. No, nobody likes dunking them in the toilet to rinse off the, uh, remnants. You can’t go for more than a few days without washing a load of diapers -- even when you add a little Borax or Clorox to the diaper pail, it develops a certain air about it.
If you don't have a washing machine handy, staying ahead of the diaper laundering might be a bit daunting. At my lowest point financially, I couldn’t afford the Laundromat, and so for about 15 months I washed diapers on a washboard. I washed all our other clothes that way, too. I hope none of you are ever that cash-strapped.
The environmental impact of disposables has been debated for years. A recent Environmental News Network article cited a three-year study that concluded both types have an impact, so it doesn't matter which kind you use. However, some people are critical of the research that was used to come to that conclusion.
I'm skeptical about it too, given how much space dirty didies take up in landfills and the chemicals that leach from them. But I'm also cognizant of how much fertilizer, pesticide and farm-machinery fuel are used to grow and harvest cotton, and how much energy it takes to launder diapers. (Air-drying them cuts that cost considerably.)
Most of all, I'm aware that disposables are the most sensible choice for some people, because they're extremely pressed for time or don't live near laundry facilities.
What price convenience?
I'm not writing this to make people feel guilty about using disposables. I'm simply pointing out that while cloth diapers aren't nearly as easy, they are doable.
People survived without Pampers for thousands of years. Without baby wipes, too -- or, God forbid, baby-wipe warmers -- but I’m losing focus here.
I’m not saying you have to do this. I’m just suggesting that if your money is really tight, cloth diapers can be a big dollar-saver.
After all, if you have 40 bucks until payday, how much of it do you want to piddle away on didies?
And besides: Would you wear paper underwear?
