SUMMERSIDE - Parents Stephen and Lynne Lund are Summerside's newest business owners and in a few weeks, they will launch Bumbleberry Diaper Service.
Using cloth diapers is definitely not a new concept, but having them retrieved, cleaned and returned to your home in the Summerside area is.
"In about every other city in Canada they have diaper services and they love using cloth diapers," said Lynne, who is the proud mommy of eight-month-old, cloth-diaper-wearer Maddix. "My husband and I talked about it and said we would use cloth diapers if there was a service and my husband said 'why don't we start one?'"
The Lunds have spent the past four months researching cloth diapers and are now taking names of local families interested in receiving diaper service.
Lund said the response thus far has been overwhelming with many parents eager to get their baby into cloth diapers.
"Everyone thinks it's such a fantastic idea. Cloth diapers are so much better for babies, there are health benefits, the cost is comparable and even slightly cheaper and there's the environmental aspect."
The pair also learned babies use more than 7,300 diapers per year, totaling about one ton of waste in a landfill. They also claim babies who wear cloth diapers can be potty trained up to six months sooner than babies wearing disposable diapers.
According to the Lunds, there can also be harmful chemicals in disposable diapers.
There are dozens of websites that list the pros and cons of both cloth and disposable diapers with many summarizing the final test is what’s best for each family.
Lynne said as well that cloth diapers are something the family has to decide to embark on for themselves, but if they do choose cloth diapers she will be there to help.
They will provide parents with a demonstration of how to use cloth diapers and once the parents are comfortable, Bumbleberry Diaper Service takes over.
For about $20 per week, an ample supply of cloth diapers will be provided to the family along with a waste bin for soiled diapers. Diapers will be retrieved and replaced with clean ones on a weekly basis.
Today’s cloth diapers can have several absorbent layers to minimize leakage. And some have Velcro strips, eliminating the need for safety pins.
The Lunds have studied washing techniques to ensure diapers are perfectly clean for babies to wear. They sanitize the diapers using heat and cleaning agents that are specifically designed for cloth diapers and they check the pH level of each load to ensure it matches the pH balance of baby's skin.
"I use to think it was kind of old fashioned and a lot of work, but it isn't at all and there are just so many great reasons to use cloth diapers and it's so easy - even daddies and babysitters can do it," Lynne said.
For more information about Bumbleberry Diaper Service visit bumbleberry.ca.
