Cloth Diaper Service

Hey K.,
Unfortunatly, from what I know, cloth diapers are just about as bad as disposable. They use so much energy (heating water and driving them around), water, and the detergents and chemicals that they end up being just as bad. check out whole foods- they sell something called I think a g diaper that is a fabric outside with a disposable inside. They came out just after I had my son and they- like most green items are expensive. I think that is the most enviornmentally friendly options. I tried the seventh generation one and they leaked everywhere. Check out the new water show at the American Museum of Natural History ( i teach there) and you will be amazed at how much water we waste. M.

be careful to weigh the carbon imprint of the daiper service... driving to pick up your stuff, washing everything in hot hot water with bleach, using lots of energy... i have heard it isn't necessarily better than eco-friendly diapers.
i just got these new disposables that have NO plastic or chlorine... even the packaging is biodigradable... made from chalk! they are called Nature Babycare... made by a swedish mom... have won lots of praise in europe.
check them out: http://www.diapers.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=...

Hi K.,
good for you for trying to go green! I have been using Queen Bee for a few months now and while the diapers are working fine, the customer service has been a challenge.

Well, I can't answer your question about Manhattan diaper services but I wanted to respond to the other poster's comments. Both reusable and single-use diapers impact the environment though in different ways. But using biodegradable diapers isn't very different from using regular diapers if you're throwing them away. Nothing degrades well in a landfill; you need exposure to air or light to degrade organic matter. (but if you're worried about the toxins used in disposable diaper manufacturing or the absorbent gels, that's a whole different reason to avoid most disposable diapers.) You also should never use bleach to clean cloth diapers because it will damage and weaken the diapers.

We actually used a diaper service when we lived in San Francisco but now that we're in NJ we've been washing them at home, and it's not that time-consuming (we also use an energy efficient front-loader).

I'm sorry I couldn't answer your question. Good luck with your resolution!