Does Your Own Underwear Gross You Out? How I Made the Leap to Cloth Diapers

photo by cote

Cloth diapering is not for everyone. (It also will not single-handedly save the planet.) Prior to having my baby, I had all the same objections I hear from everyone who finds out I'm using cloth diapers. But in all honesty, cloth diapering is no big deal and I really love it, here are the reasons why:

1. Cloth diapering is not difficult.

Cloth diapering is easy. You do not have to wrap towel-like cloths around your baby's bottom and secure with pins if you don't want. There are diapers that function just like "real" diapers. (Bummis Tots Bots are my current faves by the way!) You can get them new, used or even on etsy for much cheaper than buying them from the big corporate cloth diaper makers. You can even make them much cheaper yourself if you are handy with a sewing machine.

"So what," you say, "I don't care if it's easy, it's gross." 

2. Cloth diapering is not gross, nor is it unsanitary*

While I do understand the cognitive hurdle that must be overcome, *cloth diapering is not any more gross or unsanitary than other gross, unsanitary things you are probably already quite comfortable with. Unless you are grossed out by your own underclothing and routinely bleach everything in your home to "get rid of germs," (and I mean daily, because humans are gross, dirty creatures) there is nothing any more gross or unsanitary about cloth diapers than anything else in your home. (Come on, you've seen those studies about how disgusting people's water bottles and work spaces are!)

Also, to point out the obvious, people seem to forget that underwear is basically the same concept as a diaper (and don't tell me it's not because you don't "go" in your underpants, there's a reason for the barrier, you know it and I know it, otherwise you wouldn't wear underpants). Regardless, most people are not overwhelmingly grossed out by themselves for not using disposable underpants, nor do they obsessively bleach them.

3. But what about the POOP!!??

I hate to break it to you, but you should have thought of that before you had a kid. (Also, if you happen to have a pet, and do not use underwear on them or wipe their behind every time they do their duty - you already have poop EVERYWHERE. Just think about it rationally.) 

Anyway, poop and its effective removal/disposal will be a regular part of your daily life no matter what kind of diapering system you use. Cloth or disposables will not hold in all the poop your baby can produce and it will get all over your child and his or her clothing, bedding, and you. 

4. But what about the extra step involved with the POOP!!!???

This is a fear I hear about all the time, and trust me, I had the same apprehension before I started cloth diapering until I was reassured it's no big deal, and it is not. This supposed extra step not only takes little effort but using disposables does not "exempt" you from the step anyway! It's against the law. Yep, this is true, not hyperbole. You legally cannot put human excrement into the garbage, since the garbage was not designed to get rid of it, but the sewage system is. This should be obvious enough, but I never even thought about it. 

You might be thinking, "Ugh, I hate stupid environmentalist wackos telling me what to do, and the government should stay out of my business!!" I can really, really respect that - I'm sick of crazy environmentalists too, but feces in landfills causes human intestinal viruses to basically thrive and multiply there, traveling back to us via the water system and insects. So, illegal or not, it seems actually more gross to me than putting poop in a toilet where it belongs and can be effectively removed by a system that was designed to do just that.

5. But what about the POOP in your washing machine! Ahhh! Eww! Gross!

Yes, I hear you. I too was worried that my entire washing machine would be full of poop forever. I was wrong. Again, the sewage system is designed for such things and if you understand #3 and follow #4, there will be no poop residing permanently in your washing machine.  

6. That doesn't sound very eco-friendly, all that washing and drying.

You may be right about that. I've heard the cost-benefit analysis is about equal, but I do think that they save lots of money and if you plan your laundry well (I put the other soiled baby stuff in on the hot cycle once the poop has been rinsed out), and air-dry on a regular basis anyway (which I do) you are probably saving more money and energy in the long run. Babies are expensive energy hogs, again, you should have thought of that before you had a kid. And if environmentalism is your thing, at least you are not taking up space in landfills with diapers, but reusing stuff.

7. But cloth diapers themselves are so expensive.

Yeah, depending on the kind you get, they can be costly, but like I said, there are ways to save as well as all-in-one systems like the Econobum "Full" Kit that are convertible and will fit your child for most of their diapering days. Most people spend a ton on cloth diapers because they are super cute and they are more like clothing than diapers. So, there is no need to spend too much if you do your research and purchase wisely. Also, keep in mind that you can lend the diapers to a friend or family member or use them for future kids, so you will get your money's worth the longer you use them.

8. I just don't wanna.

That's totally cool, and I don't care what your preferences are, it's none of my business, really. Just please stop telling me your preferences when you hear about mine, and that the reasons are because cloth diapers are too gross, too costly, or too time-consuming.

9. Other things I think are great about cloth diapers.

• You'll never run out of diapers!
• You will enjoy changing diapers more, because they are super cute!
• More fun to photograph!
• Cute in the summer when baby wears nothing, but still looks like they are dressed up!
• The more kids you have the better deal they become!

10. Other benefits/negatives I see or have heard about that I cannot 100% verify, so take them for what you will. (Also known as the part where some people will try to scare/shame you into using cloth diapers, but that's not my goal.)

Disposables hold a freakish amount of pee. This is because of their awesome super-duper absorbent capabilities. These capabilities are the same as in tampons/pads, but way more extreme. The chemicals needed to do this can literally burn a sensitive baby's skin (which may look like diaper rash, but isn't, it's a chemical burn) as well as harm the reproductive system, especially for a girl baby. And yes, tampons/pads can do the same thing, but at least you aren't wearing those day in and day out for two years straight. Oddly enough, the main ingredient in absorbent diapers, polyacrylic acid, is "not meant for skin contact." It was removed from tampons in 1985 because of its toxic properties and higher incidence of toxic shock syndrome. So, I don't know, maybe the paper barrier is very effective at separating the acid from the skin, but it is porous. On the other hand, there are plenty of very good disposables that don't contain this chemical, so it is avoidable, but maybe not quite as absorbent.

People tend to not change their babies frequently enough in disposables, not because they are horrible people, but because it is harder to tell when the baby has "gone." It's harder for the baby to notify you via crying since they also don't feel the mess as readily. In cloth they can immediately feel the wetness and get uncomfortable, signaling you to change them. Instead, in disposables, it is more likely that the poor child will be left sitting in its own pee and poo for longer than it would in cloth simply because it goes unnoticed. This breeds bacteria, (which is gross, right?) and leads to needless irritation for baby.

There are also some questions about the effect of the chemicals on baby's reproductive system. Dioxins that are toxic and alter hormones, chemicals that are known carcinogens (I know, it's about scale, so that's why I'm not using this as a main reason, but it is enough to freak me out personally) as well as the internal temperatures of disposable diapers increasing scrotal temperatures and damaging future fertility for males. Cloth diapers are breathable and allow more air circulation, but I suppose you could always just change very frequently and let your baby go commando in between changes for a break from disposables.

Supposedly cloth diapers services are cheaper and easier to use than doing it yourself, but I wouldn't know.