Cloth Diaper Lingo

New to the world of cloth diapering? Trying to learn as much about this environmentally friendly option as you can? ZiggleBaby can help! Today's lesson: some of the common terms and phrases you'll see associated with cloth diapers.

Below are some of the common terms and acronyms in the industry:

• AIO - All-In-One - AIOs are fitted diapers that have a waterproof outer layer. This layer usually consists of fabric that has a PUL (PolyUrethane Laminate) backing, polar fleece such as Windpro, or wool. These are the closest in similarity to disposable diapers since they are a one-piece diapering system. The absorbent soaker material is often sewn into the diaper; it may also be detachable.
• Contour Diapers - Contours are hourglass shaped diapers with no elastic in the legs or back. They must be held together with a SNAPPI Diaper Fastener, pins, or a diaper cover. These diapers are not waterproof, so a cover will be needed.
• Fitted Diapers - Fitted diapers closely resemble disposable diapers. They are contoured and fitted with elastic around the legs and back. They fasten with Velcro or snaps, and a waterproof cover must be worn over them. They are the next step up from flat pre-fold diapers and much easier to use.
• Liners - Liners are thin layers of cloth or paper that are placed inside the diaper to aid in the cleaning of solid waste. In the case of paper liners, the solid waste collected on the liner can be removed from the soiled diaper and either thrown away or flushed. Cloth liners must be washed, but aid in laundering. They also help protect the actual diaper from staining.
• Pre-folds - Pre-fold diapers are rectangular shaped diapers that must be folded into the shape of a diaper. They are similar to flats, but have multiple layers with more layering in the middle. They often have 2-4 layers of absorbent material on either side and 6-8 layers in the middle. The amount of layers varies according to the size you choose, generally ranging from preemie to toddler. You may see a pre-fold described as being 4x8x4. This describes how many layers there are in the outer and inner sections: 4 layers in both outer sections and 8 layers in the inner or middle section. Pre-folds are usually the cheapest type of cloth diapers available. They must be used in conjunction with a cover.
• Soakers - The term soaker can be applied two ways. It often refers to the absorbent middle part of the diaper that absorbs the moisture when a baby wets. Soakers may be sewn inside the diaper, partially sewn to form a flap, snapped in inside the diaper, or simply laid inside the diaper. The term soaker is also used in reference to wool diaper covers.
• Flats - These one-layer diapers, generally made out of 100% cotton gauze, are the most "old-fashioned" choice. They dry quickly and fit a large range of sizes. Folding and pinning are required.

ZiggleBaby cloth diapers are an All-In-One type of diaper, meaning it can easily be used for babies of all sizes: up to 45 pounds in weight.

Want to learn more on cloth diaper terminology? Visit our website for more detailed information.

The Environmental Impact of Disposable Diapers

These days, we're all trying to live our lives in a more environmentally friendly manner. Recycle, reuse and conserve are all in our everyday thoughts and actions, and rightly so. Going green is one of the primary reasons we're in the cloth diaper business - it can make a significant positive impact. Let's take a look at how much of a difference reusable cloth diapers can make over disposable diapers.

The Diaper Math:

From birth through the end of diaper years, each child should use approximately 5,300 disposable diapers. It takes between 440 and 880 pounds of fluff pulp and 286 pounds of plastic (including the packaging) per year to supply a single baby with disposable diapers. Wow! That means every child brought up using disposable diapers is putting that much into our landfills.

Here are some interesting stats on diapers in our landfills:

• diapers are the 3rd largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers
• in regions where paper, glass and other materials are collected for recycling, diapers make up an even larger portion of the total landfill garbage
• in our lifetimes, diapers do not decompose in landfills. That means the human waste trapped inside the diapers can also not decompose properly
• it is estimated that in Canada and the USA, 20,000,000,000 disposable diapers are discarded into landfill sites every single year
• disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. This chemical also ends up in our landfills

Some scary eye-opening statistics aren't they? Make the right decision for your family and the environment by seriously considering switching to reusable cloth diapers instead. Want to learn more? Visit our Cloth Diapers 101 webpage for more helpful information.

Happy better late than never new year

Well here we are, my late-happy new year post!!! And, only two weeks late!!!!!

I never claimed to be super woman :)

Anyway, as my very first blog post of the new year and my very first blog post for ZiggleBaby I have to admit I am so excited about all of the cool new things this year is going to bring! As many of you have had a chance to look through the new site and are just now awaiting your pretty new packages to arrive in the post let me shed some light on some of the things coming down the pipe, your new team and of course the fluff!!!!!
Lets start off first by introducing our line up shall we! Driving the bus we have our fearless leader Scott and his super awesome wife Tanya! Tanya is our customer service manager and also the one working very hard to get everything out to all of you amazing families on time and in good order! Scott and Tanya are also busy being hockey parents to three very cute kidlets.

Next in line you have my self, (Sher) I am here in lovely Calgary, Alberta, Canada and I look after all of the product design and development for the ZiggleBaby line, ecobumz line as well as scouring the juvenile products world for innovative products to bring to you in an effort to make your parenting lives easier. I look after the blogging and the social media for the most part as well:) I am a mother of two crazy and rambunctious but adorable little boys, an avid natural birth advocate, Birth Doula, Registered Massage Therapist and Child Birth Educator. I tend to consider myself one of those "crazy hippy" types and have no problem admitting that.

We also have our web guy Wayne here in Calgary. He's a dad and family man himself with 2 kids, now aged 9 and 13. I'm sure he'll tell you he 'misses' the days of changing diapers fondly....but he's likely lying! In any case, he knows well the things parents go through when raising young ones. Wayne's background is online marketing, having been in e-commerce for over a dozen years. In addition, Wayne is our pseudo-webmaster, responsible for getting our new website and online store up and running.

Now lets get to the good stuff! Lets talk fluff! I have a really hard time classifying this diaper because there isn't really any diaper or diaper style like it out there right now with a name. I guess that comes with the territory of being innovative! If you have had a chance to check our our YouTube video or peruse our website you will see exactly what I am talking about. Having the ability to fasten and fold the diaper ANYWHERE is a huge benefit and allows for superior fit and function from teeny-tiny-fresh-babies to I-can't-wait-till-this-kid-is-outta-diapers toddlers. The soaker pad is super versatile and sticks in using our patented magic buttons either folded or flat depending on how you want to tailor the fit.

I can't even tell you how many blow outs were saved in the testing phase by these excellent little double leg gussets that we have at the sides either! On the outside we have cased gentle elastic and then on the inside we have a really nice and soft fabric covered elastic over a fluid proof barrier fabric to keep EVERYTHING contained! Try matching that with a sposie! Not gonna happen!

Anyway, we have to leave something for the reviews but trust me! You're are really really gonna love this diaper! I promise!

Now let's talk about washing it and all of your other house hold laundry. If you decide to use laundry detergent you are gonna want to make sure that you steer clear of chlorinated bleach (will wear the elastic a lot faster) and try to avoid fabric softener as it will put a residue on the diapers that will hinder the absorption. In one of our earlier blog posts we discussed the SmartKlean laundry ball and it is a fantastic option for washing diapers and everything else. It's also gonna save you a TON of cash!This little laundry ball will take what ever you can throw at it! I Seriously feel like the Sham-Wow guy right now. Oh well, it's awesome! I found this little Laundry Ball about two years ago and I am now on my second laundry ball. It literally does exactly what it says it will. No detergent required. I wash diapers and all my regular items and they are all perfectly clean! Honestly I was very skeptical at first but then my son who had had eczema for the longest time started to clear up and no has none and my own skin has become less irritated as well. Not to mention we are all clean and none of us smell like hobos!

So, those are the two things I wanted to touch on today! I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings!

A New Eco-Friendly Revolution in Laundry

Doing your laundry without detergent?! Is that possible? Yes it is....and its good for the environment!

We here at ZiggleBaby are strong believers in doing what's best for our families, children and the environment. And with so many great new products coming to market that meet these goals, its a good time to be environmentally conscience.

One new product we're very excited about, and we are happy to be able to offer to our shoppers, is the SmartKlean Eco-Friendly Laundry Ball. This revolutionary product effectively cleans 365 loads of laundry without using any soap or detergent, while also replacing the need for fabric softener and dryer sheets. It helps conserve water, energy and money!

The laundry ball is 100% free of harmful pthalates or artificial fragrances. The laundry will smell neutral after every wash. The SmartKlean laundry ball is also 100% hypoallergenic. Try one today for your family, you'll be amazed at how well it works.

Please visit our website for more information on the SmartKlean Laundry Ball. We here at ZiggleBaby highly recommend the product for all your cleaning, including washing our ZiggleBaby Cloth Diapers.

The Savings in Using Cloth Diapers

How Much Can You Save Using Cloth Diapers?

We all know that disposable baby diapers account for a huge amount of garbage going into landfills each year. In addition to the obvious environmental costs of that waste, what about the dollars and cents cost of that waste? Are you aware of how much money the typical family spends on disposable diapers?

Well let's take a stab and calculating that cost:

We estimate that each baby will need about 6,000 diapers 7 during the first two 8 years of life. For these calculations, let's assume that a family needs about 60 diapers a week. Disposable diapers cost roughly 23¢ per store-brand diaper and 28¢ for name-brand. This averages to 25.5¢ per diaper. Thus the average child will cost about $1,600 to diaper for two years in disposable diapers, or about $66 a month.

For cloth diapering, each family will probably need about 6 dozen diapers. The cost of cloth diapering can vary considerably, from as low as $300 for a basic set-up of prefolds and covers, to $1,000 or more for organic cotton fitted diapers. Despite this large price range, it should be possible to buy a generous mix of prefolds and diaper covers for about $300, most of which will probably last for two children in a family

The net savings? Conservatively it works out to about $1,300 less to use cloth diapers than disposable diapers over the course of 2 years. Could your family find a better use for that $1,300?

Interested in learning more? Visit ZiggleBaby.com to get more information, as well as learn about our adjustable one-size cloth diapers. 

Welcome!

Welcome to the ZiggleBaby blog! Thanks for stopping by.

This blog will become the regular home for news, tips, articles, videos and much more, all related to eco-friendly cloth diapers from ZiggleBaby. We'll also offer helpful and interesting articles related to all our baby products, and relevant lifestyle info for our valued customers and fans.

Thanks again for visiting. Watch for much more coming very soon!!