Adventures in Cloth Diapering: Customer Service is Still King

Monday, July 14, 2008

Customer Service is Still King

I am so incredibly amazed by the company who makes BumGenius diapers, CottonBabies. For the second time in 2 1/2 years, I've returned my diapers because the elastic had worn out. It's possible the elastic wore out because I was not washing them properly. BOTH times, they sent me an entire set of brand new diapers at no charge! I will definitely keep using their products and recommend them to everyone I know. What customer service!

A couple of things I was doing wrong: soaking the diapers before washing, using vinegar in the rinse cycle a couple of times. Don't do this with BumGenius diapers! The company has a one year guarantee on diapers assuming they are being cared for properly.

1 comment:

KRISTI said...: I'm trying all different kinds right now and BG are my favorites so far!; August 12, 2008 at 4:26 AM

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My Cloth Diapering Experience

I started using cloth diapers when my first baby was born, and now use them on both of my daughters. Yes, I have two in diapers right now! When my friends and family heard I was going to use cloth, many laughed and said it wouldn't last. I found that it really isn't that hard, and there are many products in the cloth diapering world that make it so much easier than in the "olden days" of diaper pins and plastic pants. I've had many friends ask for advice on how to get started and what to buy. I hope to give some help with this blog. Please feel free to post comments on what works for you and what other questions you have.

Types of Cloth Diapers

prefold – rectangular cloth with several layers sewn together, usually used with a cover/wrap; CPF - chinese prefold, IPF - indian prefold or DSQ - diaper service quality are all good quality prefolds
contour -- hourglass shaped, but do not have any fastening devices, also used with a cover/wrap; these don't need to be folded
fitted - shaped like a disposable, closes with velcro or snaps, used with a cover/wrap; these may contain messes better and are easy to snap/velcro on
Pocket - a diaper with an outer layer of waterproof material, an inner layer of microfleece or suedecloth, and a pocket for an absorbent insert; inserts of different absorbancies or multiple inserts can be used for day/night
All-in-one (AIO) - like a pocket, but the absorbent layer is sewn in, used just like a disposable
One Size - size can be adjusted to grow with child

Why use cloth?

Environmental Concerns
It takes 1 cup of crude oil to make the plastic for 1 disposable diaper.
Disposable diapers are the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent 30% of non-biodegradable waste. That’s 1 ton of waste per child!
Disposables generate sixty times more solid waste than cotton.
It is estimated that it would take a disposable diaper 500 years to decompose in a landfill.
Whether or not you use cloth diapers, consider this:
Our landfills contain 5 million tons of untreated human waste (due mostly to disposable diapers) - a breeding ground for diseases that could potentially contaminate our groundwater. There are an estimated 100 intestinal viruses living on the feces in landfills and these viruses are also possible contaminates of our water supplies and could latch on to the insects that would bring these diseases back to us.
So, dump that poop in the toilet where it belongs whenever possible!

Cost
Here is a cost comparison of disposables vs different types of cloth diapers. It’s a little shocking to learn how much we spend on diapers! This information was taken from http://www.diaperdecisions.com/. See the website for the details and all the assumptions that were made. The costs for cloth include energy costs for washing. Keep in mind that you may be able to find cloth diapers for much cheaper, since these are list prices for new diapers.
Disposable diapers: $2577
Prefolds and covers: $431
Fitted Diapers and Covers: $1620
Pocket Diapers: $1251
All-In-One diapers: $1943

FUN!
In my opinion, cloth diapers are cute and fun to show off! There is an addictive component to cloth diapering, and you may find yourself looking at the latest and greatest styles even after you have a sufficient stash!

Other benefits of cloth include comfort and earlier toilet training. Some children are very sensitive to the chemicals in disposable diapers and do much better with cloth. Most children who wear cloth toilet train earlier because they can feel when they are wet.

Drawbacks of cloth include needing to change diapers more often, less convenient, and more water use.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

Monday, July 14, 2008

Customer Service is Still King

1 comment:

You Can Do It!

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My Cloth Diapering Experience

Types of Cloth Diapers

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Why use cloth?