Cloth Diaper: Gateway to All Things Green?

I started my cloth diaper journey as a necessity. In order for me to stay at home with my son
most days, our family decided that we needed to cut back on expenses here and there. When
I found out about cloth diapers, I saw this as a HUGE way to decrease monthly baby expenses.
But as I learned more and more about the added benefits to using cloth diapers, besides saving
money, I began to have a “greener” outlook on life. Let me explain…

Not only are cloth diapers more environmentally friendly than disposables, but they make you
think about all of the chemicals that would have gone on your little one’s bum. The chemicals
found in disposables are not present in cloth diapers, thus your baby is not being exposed
nearly 24 hours a day to chemicals. This got me wondering…what other chemicals is my family
being exposed to that I never really thought about… detergents, fabric softeners, food, and
cleaners just to name a few. I quickly realized that these harmful chemicals were all around me.

Slowly over time my thoughts and attitudes about these harmful chemicals started to change.
I no longer wanted my son or my family to be as exposed to them. I started to do research
and discovered that there were little things I could change that wouldn’t break the bank. For
instance:

1) We grow our own garden, this saves us from having to buy organic produce during the
spring and summer seasons. When there is extra money in the budget, we try to splurge
on fruit and meats without added hormones, pesticides, etc.

2) I make my own cleaning solutions. Many with vinegar and other all natural ingredients
found around the house.

3) I make my own powdered dishwashing detergent.

4) I use Wool Dryer balls instead of fabric softener or dryer sheets.

5) I try to recycle as often as possible…either putting items in the recycling bin, or re-using
glass jars or containers.

So are cloth diapers really a gateway to going “greener.” For my family and I, the answer to that
question is yes. It was not a huge change all at once, but more so a gradual realization of what
was surrounding my family’s immediate environment.

What about you? Do you think cloth diapers are a gateway to other “green” lifestyle changes
in your families’ life?