Cloth diapers in a high drought climate?

aegrimm

I have been debating over cloth vs. disposable diapers for this baby. I have been trying to go to very UNBIASED websites (which are hard to find) to get thoughts from both sides. While I understand that disposables will sit in a landfill no matter where you live, it seems (to me) irresponsible to add more laundry (and therefore more water usage) when we live in the desert.

I am very responsible with water usage (we don't water our grass in the summer and all of our plants are drought tolerent (sp) so we don't have to water every day) so I feel that adding extra laundry to our household would add to an already growing problem here in Phoenix.

Any thoughts on this? None of the "neutral" websites I have found have made this point against cloth diapers but it seemed like a valid argument to me...maybe I'm missing something?

Just trying to make a decision....thanks!

aegrimm

I just want to add that I really, really, really want to use cloth...I just want to make the "right" decision...

cinderellabella

It really isn't a lot of extra laundry or water usage. It's about an extra load every 2-3 days, not a huge impact. I guess when you first get them and need to prep them, and also if you need to strip them, then it's a lot of water being used, but as far as just regular usage it's really not much more.

cinderellabella

Oh, I should also add (and I may get my head bit off) but leaks and blowouts happen a lot lot less with cloth compared to 'sposies, so you may even equal out the amount of laundry that way.

Leap08

cinderellabella:

It really isn't a lot of extra laundry or water usage. It's about an extra load every 2-3 days, not a huge impact. I guess when you first get them and need to prep them, and also if you need to strip them, then it's a lot of water being used, but as far as just regular usage it's really not much more.

I agree. You're talking about 2 more loads of laundry a week. Really that's not a lot of extra water, and I think it's totally worth it. For me it's not just that disposables end of in landfills for 100s of years, it's also all the chemicals that go into disposables. I just don't want to put them on my baby. 

epphd

Another thing you might consider would be a diaper service that does the laundry for you - they use ultra-high efficiency washers and that would substantially minimize the extra water.

FWIW, if I recall correctly the "studies" that were performed ages ago that claimed that the environmental benefit to using cloth was outweighed by the extra water usage were sponsored by the disposable diaper manufacturers. 

Also remember that when using disposables water and resources are consumed in the production of the diapers, so while YOU may not be using extra water, the disposable diaper makers are.

 

aegrimm

cinderellabella:

It really isn't a lot of extra laundry or water usage. It's about an extra load every 2-3 days, not a huge impact. I guess when you first get them and need to prep them, and also if you need to strip them, then it's a lot of water being used, but as far as just regular usage it's really not much more.

Hmmm, interesting....I guess I assumed it was a load a day, which doesn't make sense, because babies don't potty that much...(duh, lol) I also didn't realize about the blowouts, either... thanks!

BravoBravo

I also live in AZ.  I am planning on using cloth diapers.  I am just doing what I want for the baby.  Maybe you can get a HE washer...  I lurve mine!!

aegrimm

Excellent points ladies! I will bring those to the table in the ongoing debate/discussion I am having with DH. Thank you!

cinderellabella

aegrimm:

cinderellabella:

It really isn't a lot of extra laundry or water usage. It's about an extra load every 2-3 days, not a huge impact. I guess when you first get them and need to prep them, and also if you need to strip them, then it's a lot of water being used, but as far as just regular usage it's really not much more.

Hmmm, interesting....I guess I assumed it was a load a day, which doesn't make sense, because babies don't potty that much...(duh, lol) I also didn't realize about the blowouts, either... thanks!

It really depends how big your stash is. Newborns supposedly use 12-14 diapers a day, but older babies use 4-6. If you'd like to wash less, just buy a bigger stash. CD don't smell nearly as bad as 'sposies. CD aren't pumped and coated with all sorts of chemicals like the the sposies, the interaction between baby waste and the chemicals is what makes them smell so bad. (Not that poop ever smells good, but mixed with chemicals is just a lot worse.) 

AmandaToo

It's great that you're thinking this through. Something that might add to your perspective is that the manufacturing of the plastic and paper in disposable diapers uses a lot of water on the front end of the process.  Then there's the depletion of the water quality near landfills, right?

NotEve

Interesting post!  I agree with those who have said you'll only be doing laundry every 2-3 days (depending on how many you have).  Plus, you won't fill the washing machine up all the way -just halfway at most.

As far as a diaper service, everything I've read says that is the least environmental or economical way to do cloth diapers.  But, it is hard to find unbiased websites.

shindylahoe

cinderellabella:

Oh, I should also add (and I may get my head bit off) but leaks and blowouts happen a lot lot less with cloth compared to 'sposies, so you may even equal out the amount of laundry that way.

THis is a super good point! I never have had any leaks with cloth but  it's a totally different story with sposies.

One way to prep diapers (at least prefolds and fitteds) that uses way less water is to boil them for 10 minutes. Then after that you only have to wash once and they are ready to go!

lostaspen

I live in NM, so I totally understand where you are coming from.  We just bought a house and bought a high efficiency front loading washing machine that uses very little water (compared to top load washers) and cleans amazingly well.  So adding on more load of laundry a week hasn't even crossed my mind in terms of water usage.  Plus I believe the water usage still GREATLY outweighs the environmental damages of how many disposable diapers one child will use!

bbowie

That's a very good question.  You should consider the local environmental impact.  I almost took a break from cloth this summer b/c we have a water shortage.  Yes, it's a wee bit more of a drain on water BUT compared to the many years a disposable would sit in the landfill (also local) I personally felt it still was environmentally better to continue with cloth. 

If you do go with cloth, may I recommend prefolds and covers?  They require less "work" I'll say than other types.  They wash (and dry) really fast. 

Also, cloth diapers supposedly consume the same amount of water an average person uses each day flushing the toilet.  So when your baby is toilet trained, your water usage will remain the same. 

 

HersheyK

Check out gDiapers.com. We decided to go with them because they have a cloth option OR a biodegradable liner (you flush it). They are reasonably priced, we'll probably opt for a mixture of the cloth and biodegradable to help with water conservation.