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From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Re: cloth diapers
Message-ID: <1440@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 17:10:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1440
Posted: Sun Aug 25 17:10:35 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Aug-85 06:31:27 EDT
References: <246@drutx.UUCP> <496@riccb.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh
Lines: 40

In article <496@riccb.UUCP> jmc@riccb.UUCP (Jeff McQuinn ) writes:
>        Of course they are all refastenable now.

A year or two ago they started making disposables refastenable and
showed people unfastening them to "check the baby".  This is cute
but not very close to reality.  You quickly learn to check the baby
without undressing him/her, and you don't unfasten the straps.  You
either check inside the leg openings or down their back.

The real reason why refastenable tapes are better is disposal after
you are getting rid of the diaper.  The old kind tore the plastic
lining, which made it impossible to restick it anywhere.  You like to
roll a used diaper into a little ball and tape it shut with one or
both of the tapes, this keeps it from smelling so much and from coming
apart and messing things up.  This matters if you stick it in a diaper
bag for later disposal, or if you toss it into a wastebasket and don't
want to draw flies.  (A wastebasket with a lid and a deoderizer helps too.)

>>   3.  Cheaper.  Of course.
>
>        This is where cloth has it all out over disposable.  Two dozen cloth
>        diapers cost about $20 to $30 and last until the kid outgrows the need.
>        (Quantity depends on how often you want to wash them)  A case of 
>        disposables cost $35 and only lasts a month or two.

I've always wondered why anybody would buy diapers instead of getting a
diaper service.  You spend most of your life washing diapers, and you
probably spend more on electricity to run your washer and hot water than
the diaper service would cost.  (The latter cost about $10/week, pretty
close to the cost of disposables.)  With a diaper service, there is always
an infinite supply of diapers handy to use as rags, spit-up diapers, etc.
If you buy your own, you probably ration them zealously to keep from
having to wash them so often.  And you have to handle a pail full of old
smelly diapers, presumably soaking in some caustic liquid, when you
wash them.  And rinse them when first soiled.  (I'm not speaking from
experience here, perhaps someone can enlighten me yere.)  Has anyone
really looked at the electricity/water/time/aggravation cost of washing
your own diapers and decided it really costs less than $10/week?

	Mark