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My son has been and is using both - cloth in the day, and disposable at night or if a baby-sitter is squeamish. He's only had diaper rash when teething, which is a common coincidence. My mother swears that we were all potty-trained early because she used cloth diapers. She's probably right - I know a lot of children who are still in disposables when they start school. One boy of eight still needs a diaper at night!

Cloth diapers do not have to be messy: I use disposable liners in my son's. They're like tissue or baby wipes (only dry). They collect all the poop, and can be flushed down the toilet just like toilet paper. I keep the diapers in a plastic pail with a well-fitting lid while they're awaiting laundering, and so far no one has noticed any smells.

My son gets through enough diapers that I can do a wash nearly every day - 90 degrees (or whatever your boil wash is), non-bio washing powder/tablets, bleach in the rinse and an extra rinse if you're really worried. Normally I'll throw in whatever towels, face flannels, etc., need laundering with the diapers - I know some people will be horrified by this, but it's a BOIL wash - more than you'd do for your own undies!

I don't bother with soaking solutions or anything like that - they're a waste of money. They may have been necessary in the past, but modern detergents and washing machines are so efficient that they're unnecessary - and of course by not using them, you're helping the environment even more.

Don't let anyone scare you about hygiene, diaper rash, chemicals etc. It is no more healthy for your child to be sitting for hours in a disposable with plastic lining than in a cloth diaper with plastic pants (they don't have to be plastic! check out www.thenappylady.co.uk for info on alternatives, and more). If you do choose to use soaking solutions, bleach and so forth on your cloth diapers, remember disposables are made using (and contain) many chemicals, some of whose effects are unknown. And remember that you only need to do as much for your child hygiene-wise as you do for yourself every time you visit the toilet!

Learn more about this author, Rachel Anderson.
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