Cloth Diapers

Diapers can be classified into two main categories: disposable diapers and cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are made of layers of fabric such as terry toweling and can b washed and reused a number of times. Disposable diapers contain absorbent material and can be thrown away after use. Presently, these are commonly in use and Huggies and Pampers the most well-known in the industry. Diapers that can be disposed were introduced into the market several decades ago.

Marion Donovan was a young mother in the post war baby boom era. She came from a family of inventors and inherited the inventing gene. She first invented the boater which was a plastic covering for cloth diapers. This she first made using a shower curtain. The year was 1946. The final product was fitted with metal and plastic shafts instead of safety pins and was manufactured from nylon parachute cloth. The invention came about as she was unhappy with the cloth diapers which had to be washed several times. A year later, she combined the boater design with disposable absorbent material to make the first disposable diaper. Cloth diapers were first mass produced by Maria Allen in the year 1887. Disposable diapers that are made to fit a baby's bottom were first patented by Stanley Mason in 1949. These were pin free diapers.

The common materials that disposable diapers are made of are super-absorbent polymers; reseal able tapes and elasticized waistbands. Earlier these diapers used to be thick but now they are thinner and their absorbing capacity is much increased. Modern diapers have a layered construction. It causes the transfer and distribution of urine to an absorbent core structure where it is locked in. The top sheet closest to the skin is made of soft, non woven fabric which allows the urine to be transferred quickly to the layers underneath. The distribution layer receives the urine and transfers it to the absorbent core. The absorbent core structure is made of a mixture of cellulose pulp and super absorbent polymers. The back sheet is manufactured from ‘breathable' polyethylene film or a composite of film and non-woven that prevents the wetness from being transferred to the clothes.

The market for disposable diapers is much higher than the cloth diapers. These diapers have their convenience and they are much in demand. But cloth diapers have their own advantages. Cloth diapers are reusable and can be made from natural fibers, man mad materials or a combination of both. In many places there are special services to clean the diapers and deliver them to the respective homes. They are often made of industrial cotton and the cotton may be bleached white or left in their natural colors. Other natural materials such as bamboo, wool or unbleached hemp are also used. Man made fibers such as micro fibers or polyurethane laminate are also used. The most disposable diapers manufactured are the brands, Pampers and Huggies. Both the brands are very well known and admired. The debate about which is better- the disposable or cloth diapers still rages.