It's recently come to my attention that families choosing to cloth diaper may take what I and other cloth diapering bloggers say to be fact, essentially cloth diaper gospel, and will do what we say without question. Why? Because I have a blog, because I have a generous number of fans on Facebook or perhaps because I have a fancy logo or my own domain name?
A previous post on my blog about the use of
Fish Tank Ammonia Remover as a last resort method for
removing ammonia from your cloth diapers has brought this to light. I'm told that by even mentioning this method, even though I never did say that I recommended it, I could be held liable in a court of law for glorifying the use of a chemical for use on cloth diapers that will be in contact with a babies delicate skin.
I can admit, the comments have gotten to me. Do readers take what I say as gospel? Would a parent do something I say without even an inkling of their own research and should I feel responsible if should something happen?
I used a wetpail when I cloth diapered. It worked wonders for my cloth diapers. I kept the pail in our laundry room away from my children and it posed no drowning risk to them, but I cannot guarantee that should I recommend this method, or discuss how it worked for me, to the cloth diapering community that something horrible would not happen.
I cannot guarantee that a baby carrier I recommend will not be used improperly and cause injury to a child and I also can't guarantee that a cloth diaper safe detergent that I promote will not be the suspect of a baby's new blistering rash.
This is one factor that IS true for the cloth diaper industry, what works for one person may not work for another. Someone's favorite cloth diaper may leak non-stop on another's baby, one's wash routine may be the complete opposite of what will work for another family, and most importantly, babies have sensitive skin, some more than others and they can react to even the most hypoallergneic of fabrics, detergents and rash remedies.
I dare you to visit 2-3 cloth diaper manufacturers warranty and wash instructions literature and find one that does not contradict what the other says.
I would like to clarify with you all that the goal and purpose of my blog is to advocate cloth diaper use, share helpful cloth diaper care and use tips, resources (which sometimes includes information on what has worked for other people), and to help promote some of the amazing family owned and operated businesses that retail these products.
While I am flattered that people would see me as a cloth diaper expert, there is NO one person or expert in this industry who's advice is guaranteed to work for every single family or baby every time. You should NEVER associate the number of fans a page has or how fancy their website is with how knowledgeable, professional or educated they are on a topic. Always do your own research, always find multiple opinions that support your decision and ultimately remember that YOU CAN not trust every person online who appear to be an expert in their field.
With that, I thank you for being a fan. I look forward to continuing to share with those of you who take the time to follow my page and my blog.
Smooches,
Julie
Cloth Diaper Geek
