Six Ways Cloth Diapers Can Change Your Life this Spring

For many families all over the world, today is Ash Wednesday: the first day of Lent. Now, we’re a Louisiana-based company, and maybe you didn’t know it, but Lent is A Big Deal here.

(Public domain image.)

But even if you don’t observe Lent, Spring is the time of year for change and renewal cross-culturally. And springtime, believe it or not, always has me a little bit focused on cloth diapers.

Maybe it’s because it’s the time of year I became aware of modern cloth diapers after my first child was born. It’s also the time of year that we found out our second child was a girl, and I got my hands on a “retired” daisy print FuzziBunz, the “gateway” diaper in my collection of fun and interesting prints.

It's no secret that cloth diapers changed my life! Switching to cloth first provided us with money-savings, and then it gave me my career, first as a local eLeMeNO-Pee rep and now as the home office's resident social media gal. Beyond any of that, it's connected my family to families all over Louisiana. I met my best friend because she dropped me a link on Facebook about how easy modern cloth diapers can be!

Here are six things you can do with cloth diapers this spring that will change your life and your practices:

1) Switch to cloth. You knew this would be first on the list! But seriously--if you’ve had your eye on cloth diapers for awhile but haven’t yet taken the plunge, this is the perfect time of year. For many families, it’s tax refund time, and that means the funds are available to purchase 12-15 cloth diapers and the necessary accessories to cloth diaper full-time, which is the easiest way to get started and find success! If you’ve hesitated because you’re not a “laundry person,” and you think cloth will be extra work, Lent is an ideal time to embark on a sacrificial adventure for your baby, your family’s finances, and the earth. I have a hunch that by Easter, “doing cloth” will be so routine that you won’t think of it as a sacrifice any more.
 
2) Line-dry your cloth diapers. Mount a clothesline, like this retractable line available at any major hardware store, to your fence or back porch posts and enjoy the energy (and cost!)-saving and natural bleaching powers of the spring sun’s rays! If you’re an observer of Lent, you can take on this chore as a sacrifice and even use the alone time to focus on Lenten prayers.
  
3) If you’re a “cloth diaper collector” like I am, don’t add to your stash right now. (See #4.)


4)  Buy diapers to donate to a family in need. I know I love to check my mail and find a package with that familiar eLeMeNO-Pee label or to get a phone call from the home office, now that it’s local to me, saying my fluffy items are ready to be picked up. But one thing I’ve learned is that receiving “fluffy mail” is just as thrilling when I’m not keeping the items! There are so many good reasons to donate cloth diapers, and there are many venues through which to donate—either directly to a family you know or through an organization like Giving Diapers, Giving Hope.
 
5) Let your love for cloth inspire. Tell your friends about cloth diapers, and refer them to their local eLeMeNO-Pee representative, especially if you’re a busy mama (aren’t we all?) and you know they’ll have lots of questions. You might also let your love for cloth diapers become a love for a “cloth life” in general—use this time to explore other cloth options like mama cloth, unpaper towels, and even cloth that replaces tissues and toilet paper. These will benefit your family’s health and finances and reduce your carbon footprint. Again, if you’re observing Lent, allow the adjustment period—when you’re adding a couple loads of extra laundry to your weekly routine—to be part of your Lenten sacrifice!




6) Participate in the Great Cloth Diaper Change. This annual springtime event, which is timed to coincide with Earth Day, is a Guinness World Records event with locations all over the world. It’s a great opportunity for you to join other cloth diapering families in solidarity to inspire others to jump in for the betterment of the earth by… changing your baby's diaper! The idea is that cloth skeptics might see just how simple modern cloth diapers are and be inspired to join the revolution. Many major cloth diaper manufacturers are sponsors of the event, and they donate door prizes and free gifts to the retailers who host locations! This year, the event falls on April 21^st at 10 am central. eLeMeNO-Pee is proudly hosting the Lake Charles location.