Bamboo Fabric Makes Cloth Diapers Even More Eco-Friendly

There is only one thing cuter than a sweet little baby, and that's a sweet little baby in a cloth diaper! Of course the adorable bum factor is only one of many reasons that cloth diaper use is on the rise. Many mainstream parenting magazines are starting to carry advertisements for brands such as Fuzzi Buns and BumGenius! diapers. Just as the cloth diapering world starts to gain momentum and attention, a new twist is introduced. This twist is bamboo. The use of bamboo in cloth diapers will make them more environmentally friendly, absorbent and even more healthful.

Bamboo is an amazingly sustainable solution for textiles. The plants themselves grow remarkable fast, and require less water than cotton. Bamboo plants take in five times more greenhouse gases and releases 35% more oxygen than comparable timber trees. Bamboo can regenerate, so it doesn't require replanting. It is also disease and pest resistant, so there is less pollution from pesticides. The presence of Bamboo has cut down on soil erosion in China. Finally, bamboo is completely biodegradable.

Bamboo fabric is especially useful in diapers. As you can see in this video by Bamboo-wear, the absorbency of bamboo fabric is 3 to 4 times greater than cotton. This allows diapers made with bamboo to stand up to heavy wetters. It wicks away moisture to keep baby comfortable between changes. Fabrics such as bamboo fleece and bamboo velour are especially soft against the delicate skin of a baby. The structure of bamboo fabric makes it cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather.

Bamboo fabric carries with it a natural anti-microbial property called Bamboo Kun. This property is shown to stand up to many washings without fading. The presence of Bamboo Kun can cut down on natural odor and skin break down. These qualities lend themselves to making cloth diapers cleaner and better for such close and constant contact with skin.

While Bamboo fabrics haven't caught on in manufactured diapers yet, they are widely used by Work at Home Moms (WAHMs) who sell their wares on sites like Hyena Cart. As we have seen in years past, the best ideas can come from mothers. They have their very own test lab crawling across their sewing room floor. Most of these diapers have a layer of Bamboo Velour as an inner next to baby's skin with Bamboo Fleece or Terry added inside for extra absorbency.

Bamboo fabrics in diaper making will continue to become more popular because of the sustainability, absorbency and anti-microbial nature of Bamboo. Within the next year there will be more WAHM and possibly mass produced cloth diapers available. Once a major cloth diaper manufacturer picks up on bamboo, there will be even more options for those that prefer brick and mortar stores or the guarantee of a dependable company. No matter where they come from, Bamboo diapers are an exciting option for cloth diapering that will only grow in the year to come.