Did You Know Hemp Diapers Are The Naturally Perfect Solution?
Perhaps you have thought about cloth diapers, but have you considered hemp diapers?
Surprised?
I know I was.
Whether your a Mom-pro or a new Mom-to-be, you've likely been thinking abut your options when it comes to diapering.
Hemp is one of the most natural and environmentally friendly fabrics available, and is favored for it softness and durability.
If you've chosen the organic baby route, hemp diapers are a great essential for diaper duty.
Diaper Heaven
Hemp provides unparalleled absorbency and can't be beat when absorbency is a must.
Hemp diapers even have a tendency to feel less damp than those of organic cotton. The fabric is breathable and keeps baby comfortable day after day.
It has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that make it perfect for reducing diaper rash. Because of this fabric's resistance to mold and mildew, it is a healthy, non-allergenic choice for babies.
Downy soft hemp diapers,
like these Boo Bear Buns,
provide a snuggly, comfortable fit from newborn to toddler. For a healthy, happy baby.
Hemp Cloth Diaper Liners And Doublers
Hemp diaper liners are used to line a cloth diaper. The don't add bulk or help much with absorbency, but they do make it much easier to dispose of solids.
Boo Bear Buns hemp diaper doublers
are inserts that fit in most diapers and do add bulk. They increase absorbency and are perfect for heavy wetters or night time diapers.
Always pre-wash to 3 or 4 times in hot water to remove natural oils, fluff the fabric and improve absorbency. It takes about 8 washes to reach full absorbency. You can expect about 20% shrinkage, but most hemp diapers you purchase make an allowance for that.
use a small amount of organic detergent - too much will cause a build-up, may irritate baby's skin
never use bleach - breaks down the fibers, contains harmful toxins
never use fabric softener - leave a film which results in reduced absorbency, may irritate baby's skin
avoid drying with high heat - tumble on low after line drying for best results
Hemp Baby Blends
Hemp is often blended with organic cotton to create diapers to improve the fit of diapers that can be bulky. The result is quality and dependability you
can count on. Here's a short guideline to help make sense of hemp/organic cotton blends:
Hemp fleece is a blend of cotton and hemp that has a looped knit and has been brushed on one side, like your favorite sweatshirt.
Hemp terry is the fleece fabric with the loops intact (like a towel). It is not brushed.
Hemp stretch knit terry is knit on one side with small loops on the other, like a baby bath towel. It is less bulky.
Hemp knit jersey is the soft lightweight fabric like that of a T shirt.
Hemp muslin is the soft, durable fabric used for hemp diapers.
Cloth diapers are unattractive, bulky and cumbersome
Organic hemp, cotton and bamboo diapers are really cute! Innovative designs with built in fasteners make diapering your infant easy, with less bulk.
The addition of diaper liners and covers add style far beyond the age old cloth and plastic pants era. These lightweight fabrics are woven and created to reduce bulk. Your baby won't feel overwhelmed by bulkiness and discomfort. And you will be much more confident knowing your child is free of nasty chemicals.
Cloth diapers are inconvenient and hard to care for
If you consider 2 or 3 loads of laundry a week inconvenient, maybe so. But that is a small price to pay for baby's good health.
Actually, cloth diapers are very easy to care for. They don't need ironing or even pre-folding for that matter. If you're pressed for time, just grab one from the clean basket, fold and do diaper duty.
Using liners helps make life easier because you can just dump solids in the toilet, then toss the diaper into a cold water diaper pail. Some parents even say that they just toss into a dry pail, then straight to the washer.
Some like to use the dryer while others choose line drying. You decide which method is best for you. Overall, there is really no more work involved than any other laundry.
The stains make them more trouble than they're worth
Given the weight of the pros for organic diapering, a few stains seem insignificant.
However, discoloration can be annoying, mostly because we have been "conditioned" in a world where everything perceived as clean has been bleached white. After all, bright white disposable diapers conceal the unhealthy truth hidden in their layers.
But, I get it. You want your diapers to look clean and fresh - and it's frustrating if they don't. So here's a few tricks to try to rid yourself of those pesky stains.
Don't do everything on the same diaper stain. Try one thing, then wash it and try another - experiment to see what works best for you. Don't stress!
pre-soak in cold water (to keep the stains from setting) with either 1/4 c vinegar OR baking soda
rub the stain with organic toothpaste
apply lemon juice OR hydrogen peroxide (from your medicine cabinet) to stubborn stains
apply lemon juice to stain and leave diaper in the sun until it dries, then wash as usual
run through a cold water wash, followed by a hot water wash
hang stained diapers in the sun to bleach out naturally - it works!
unfold diapers before washing
use organic laundry detergent that is free of perfumes, dyes, stain guard and bleach
less is more when it comes to detergent - too much can cause odor and irritate baby's skin
avoid bleach or whitening agents and fabric softeners
Cloth diapers leak
Today's organic fabrics and various styles have improved fit and absorbency. The is a preconceived notion that cloth diapersshould outperform disposables in order to be worthwhile.
The unfortunate thing about disposables is that the chemicals used are geared to mask wetness by turning it to gel. The result is that caregivers leave children in this chemical and urine soup for several pees - uncomfortable and unhealthy for the child.
If baby is changed as they should be - immediately when they wet or soil their diaper - then leaks are rarely, if ever, a problem.
Diapers smell bad
Given the contents, cloth doesn't smell any more than disposables.
An unkempt diaper pail can emanate an unpleasant odor, but that's easily remedied by not allowing the water to stagnate. Keep the diaper pail water fresh by adding 1/4 c vinegar, and wash as soon as you have enough for a load.
Cloth is unsanitary
Babies, children and adults are surrounded by cloth all day, every day. Organic cotton, bamboo and hemp diapers are the best choice since all have natural anti-bacterial qualities and are chemical-free.
Baby's diapers don't have to be sanitized. The just need to be clean and chemical-free. Washing in hot water and either line drying or the dryer is sufficient for your child's good health.
Cloth diapering is expensive
Actually, the exact opposite is true. Approximately $300 would enable you to get everything you need to diaper your baby in cloth. A generous $600 would cover all your diaper supplies from birth to potty training.
The average child goes through roughly 5000 diapers from during that time. If you were buying disposable diapers, the cost would be $2500 to $3000. That's a lot of money to pay for "garbage." Cloth diapers, on the other hand, last for years at a fraction of the cost, and can be used on other children as well.
All the extra laundry wastes water and costs money
Even if you have to pay for your household water, it is a fraction of the cost of disposable diapers. To put it in perspective, it is less than a fraction of the cost of the water used to cut and chemically process trees into disposables, and that's just the beginning of the cycle.
If you're seriously concerned about water consumption, consider catching rainwater or melting snow for a truly natural alternative.
Having a baby is not easy. But once you DO have a little miracle, they are worth every ounce of energy to provide the comfort, happiness, and good health they deserve. With hemp cloth diapers, you truly give your precious baby the gift of love.
