I don’t throw away my socks.
I used a cloth rag instead of a paper towel when my friends came over the other night.
No one exclaimed with horror over my decision to wipe up a nasty mess with something that needed to be washed. That mess was going in the washer! OMG.
But I meet people everyday who when I tell them that I have been selling cloth diapers for nine years will say, “Do people still use cloth diapers?” I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that there are many places stay in business with zero customers. I think that they just don’t know what to say and that is the first thing that comes out. It’s OK, my mission seems to have become waste reduction.
Throw away has evolved upon our society. Can you imagine 200 years ago? There was no easy way to get the products to the consumer and no easy way to haul away the trash. People took care of disposal of items themselves. Now everything is so simple. Meat comes in sanitary plastic wrap and your baby’s bottom is contained the same way. In a plastic ‘cotton like’ outer cover. Feces are wrapped up in plastic and carted away to the landfill where they sit, bereft of oxygen and sunshine that could allow the biodegradable type to actually degrade.
A reusable diaper allows the soft cotton (or other absorbent material) part to sit on the inside against the baby. Most outer covers are nice feeling to parents as well but the idea of comfort for the baby is the main concern.
There is of course the argument that washing diapers uses too much water. You really need to decide if you are willing to fill up half of your trash can with encapsulated waste or wash diapers and send the waste to the water treatment plant where it can be properly taken of.
I liked using a cloth rag for cleanup. It’s soft, sturdy and does a good job. I know that I will have one in the house to use when I need it. My cloth rags have helped our family of five get the smallest trash can required in our town. They also used to be diapers for my three kids. Cotton prefolds to be exact. I don’t throw away my socks either - they are great for dusting.
Jeanne