Did you know that Bamboo is actually a grass and not a tree? It is very fast growing and a sustainable recourse. Bamboo uses almost no water to grow. It can shoot up about 3+ feet a day! That is amazing. In about 4 years it is mature for harvesting, and then it doesn’t need to be replanted. The roots from the bamboo send up new shoots all around. It does all this without any pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. This makes it a very “green” plant since there is no need for machinery to plant it.
As a fabric, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and hypoallergenic. It is 100% biodegradable and will completely decomposed in the soil by micro-organisms and sunlight without any nasty pollutants left over. There is a problem here though, we cover our landfills and most things that are decomposable, like bamboo, don’t get the sunlight that they need to decompose properly. Don’t ask me hos to fix that, I don’t know. Eco-certification such as Oeko-Tex is necessary to insure that the manufacturing and finishing processes of Bamboo fabric are healthy.
As for fabric for cloth diapers, bamboo is a great choice. Bamboo is highly absorbent and wicks water away from the body 3 to 4 times faster than cotton, thus helping keep the baby drier, cooler and more comfortable. Plus it doesn’t stick to the skin. Because of the smooth and round structure of its fibers, bamboo fabric is soft and non-irritating, even to sensitive skin. I use bamboo velour as a layer on my cloth diaper inserts for these reasons:
- Bamboo is a wicking fabric, and wicking fabrics are best used right up against the baby’s bum.
- Bamboo velour is so very super soft!
- Bamboo is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and also anti-fungal; making the diaper easier to clean.
- Bamboo is a natural fiber.
So, “what about your Pocket diapers?” you ask… well stay tuned!
Happy diapering,
Vilate
vilate@niftynappy.com
About Vilate
