Diapers which are better cloth or disposable?

I have taken an interest in diapers...which are better cloth or disposable? There are many types of disposable diapers available in today’s market for our convenience-conscious society; while concern over landfill space has pushed for “greener” alternatives, disposable diapers are still disposable. A disposable diaper with a plastic exterior lining is no different than a 100% plastic-free disposable diaper once it has been tossed into a plastic household trash bag and dumped into a landfill. There's the super absorbent name brand ones, or the not-so famous cloth diapers.

Now these aren't the same cloth ones your mom or grandma used on you, these are much more sophisticated. They have flushable liners, snaps or velcro, and less fill for the landfills. Yes, this requires more laundry, about 2 more loads per week. But the way I look at it, is that it may be more work for you, but I'd rather do the extra work, then let the poop fill up the landfills. And from the research I've gathered, it appears that disposable diapers cost about $2200 over the course of the diapering stage, whereas cloth will cost you about $600, with the extra washing costs.

So my personal opinion is: cloth worked for my bottom just fine; I think I'll stick with it for my children too! What are your opinions, suggestions, and/or tips on cloth or disposable?

Laundry Detergent Causes Asthma? NY Lawsuit seeks disclosure

Sierra Club, the American Lung Association & 4 other groups are suing Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and 2 other chemical cleaner manufacturers to demand that they release the ingredients to their products. The groups requested ingredient disclosure from all 4 companies & many others last September, citing the New York law, but were refused.

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What's the Difference between Traditional Cotton and Organic Cotton?

Well, first let’s look at plain old cotton. It’s the most universally comfortable, breathable and softest of all the fibers, natural or man-made. Cotton only uses about 3% of the farmland, but the farmers use more then 25% pesticides on it then any other crop, except for coffee. (Doesn’t say much about our coffee…) With this excessive use of fertilizers, cotton production has led to environmental pollution. Many of these chemicals that are sprayed on cotton are known to cause cancer in humans. The average cotton T-shirt is only 73% cotton fiber; the rest is chemicals and resins.

So far from my understanding, traditional cotton has a heavy dose of pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers which have been known to cause allergies, respiratory problems, and even cancer.

On the other hand, organic cotton does not involve the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides, therefore causing fewer allergies, respiratory problems, and a healthier life for farmers. All the chemicals in the soil have poisoned the farmers before, but with the organic certified fields, the farmers have not been experiencing as many issues.

Organic clothing is popular among infants and children due to their developing skin being more sensitive to the health risks posed from chemicals and pesticides. But why stop there? Yes, our children need to be well taken care of, but what about us. We need to continue treating ourselves to these healthy choices and teach our children this is the healthier way to live.

Well the NFL took a step in the right direction this year. The championship t-shirts worn by the Pittsburgh Steelers this year right after the super bowl were made of 100% organic cotton. These t-shirts are then sold to the fans and are one of the highest-selling NFL products of the year. Reebok made the t-shirts using organic yarn and the tags were made from recycled material and green stitching inside the neck seam identified the shirts as official.

Organic cotton increased 33% last year and is expected to increase 24% this year. This is good news for the certified organic cotton farmers. Hopefully, this will persuade the rest of the farmers to get their farms certified. Certification requires the land to be chemically free for at least 3 years. USDA regulates organic cotton as a food product, and they say less than one tenth of an ounce of pesticides are used per 100 lbs. of cotton.

When buying organic clothing, one need to make sure the finished product is also organically made. This includes the dying, finishing and sewing process. Dyes can be made from plants and natural vegetables and do not need harsh chemicals like previously.

We need to realign our buying habits to seek quality and longevity, not just the latest trends. We need to focus on the importance of our planet rather then how we look.

Leave a Mark, Not a Stain

Today's generation needs to leave a mark in history as the generation that saved the planet. Not be known to the future generations as the one's who killed the planet and made it a waste dump. We need to think more environmentally safe in our daily lives, whether it be as simple as using safer cleaning products or to using less waste. I know a lot of people are doing what ever they can at home, but what about big companies, the one's that can make a big impact. They should start thinking about making changes. There is a lot of simple things they can do as well. For example start using Eco-friendly tissue paper and cleaning products. They could even goes as far as giving some kind of incentive to employees who drive hybrid cars to work. Because if we don't start making the changes now there will be no future for our children. So I say to you, leave a mark in history not a stain. Fight for the future in the present.

If anyone knows of any companies who are making a difference please comment here and let me know about them and what they have done. I would like a list of Eco-friendly companies to share with the people.

Organic Clothing

I'm noticing more and more people looking for organic clothing, especially for their wee-ones. Everyone starts off with organic clothing for their babies, whether diapers or baby blankets, but then it usually stops there. Sometimes people still buy the organic clothing for themselves, but because it was costly, they opted for the cheaper clothing. But now we need to start looking more closely at the organic clothing, due to how much healthier for the earth it is.

To be a certified organic farmer, they can not use any chemicals fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides on their land for 3 years. If they do use any chemicals, it would be organic versions of these chemicals. Once the soil is free of contaminates, they can grow the cotton, hemp, bamboo, or soy products used in making the respective fabrics. But along the way, they also need to make sure that the dying, finishing, sewing process, and tags are also Eco-friendly too! When dealing with organic, it usually means higher quality and more attention to details, as to why it was more expensive early on. Now the best thing to do is just look for good deals and make sure the tags say that they were made with organic products versus the polyester and rayon materials, or just the plain old cotton.

I'm starting to find this topic more interesting, so expect to see more blogs about this topic!

Sami

The Dangers of Bleach

We've all used bleach for making our whites whiter and for sterilizing and disinfecting our homes. But have you ever taken a look at the chemical behind it all. This is a huge eye-opening to actually realize how toxic and dangerous this chemical really is. Even the label on the bleach bottle says "DANGER: Corrosive. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and skin...Avoid breathing vapors and use only in a well-ventilated area."

The most common time and/or area that these chemicals will come into contact with each other is when your are cleaning your bathroom. Since you usually have something for the toilet, something else for the sinks/counter tops, and of course the shower and that dreadful soap scum. The bathroom is one of the few places in your home that has a vent in it.

The main active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite which reacts with ammonia, drain cleaners and other acids. The combination of these two common household chemicals can release chlorine gas, a cousin to the chemical warfare used during World War I. When bleach and ammonia are mixed together, toxic gases called chloramines are produced, which can cause: coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, nausea, watery eyes, irritation to the throat, nose and eyes and pneumonia and fluid in the lungs. There also have been reports that some people are so allergic to chlorine, that they need an epiPen when they are exposed to a concentrated does of vapors. When bleach and acid combine, chlorine gas is given off. At low levels this exposure almost always irritates the mucus membranes (eyes, throat and nose), and causes coughing and breathing problems, burning and watery eyes, and a running nose. Higher levels of exposure can cause chest pain, more severe breathing difficulties, vomiting, pneumonia, and fluid in the lungs. Very high levels can cause death.

So if you still want to use bleach, then you may want to switch out your other chemicals to natural products. Ones that do not use toxic chemicals which can harm you, your children, and your pets. There are quite a few choices out there, I'm still working on what I think is the best. Does anyone have any suggestions?


Sami

What’s Really in Those Cleaning Products?

Now, when it comes to our children, we take every precaution necessary. But do we really take those strict precautions when it comes to our cleaning products, especially the ones that we use around our children? It’s amazing how many harmful and toxic chemicals are in regular cleaning supplies. There have been recent studies stating that there is a link between some cleaning products and asthma and reproductive harm. It’s just not each individual cleaner that is the problem, it when you combine them.

Let’s say the bathroom; you need something for the toilet, the floor and counters, and for the shower. Now each of them separately is fine, but when you mix them this is where the concern is. You end up in a small space with many toxins exposed to each other. These solutions are highly concentrated mixtures of chlorine, formaldehyde, and sodium hypochlorite, which irritate your eyes, lungs, and skin. Even when these chemicals go down the drain, they can mix with others chemicals and create dangerous compounds like chlorine gas that can work its way back into your house.

There are safe solutions out there. But you do need to watch what is in each bottle. Yes, there are many kinds of “green” cleaners now, but not all of them are truly “green”. Some are still made with toxins; therefore they are still causing harm to people and the environment. There are others that still have toxins in them, and are either not labeled properly, or they are using different names to hide what they truly are. This is where we need to take some action; we need to tell our representatives for Congress that they need to create a bill that requires that all companies to disclose all ingredients in household cleaners on product labels and to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives.

We need to step up and help each other in creating a healthier and non-toxic planet, before there isn’t anything left to save!

Sami