Our History
Started by two sisters, Donna and Cindy in the Fall of 1990. They began in their parents’ basement. One sister worked a full-time job in a human service organization, and the other worked as a full time preschool day care teacher. They moved the business to their current location in the Spring of 1995. They then increased equipment and hired one part-time employee. In 1996 Donna assumed the business solely and quit her full time job to focus entirely on the diaper service. At present, Changing Habits provides diapers to over 160 families and travels approximately 950 miles each week. That equates to an average of 6 miles of travel per customer.
Our Wash
Changing Habits uses OZONE in cleaning and sanitizing your baby’s diapers. This provides a safer method to kill all germs and bacteria in the wash. It ensures a healthier work environment for my employees and myself.
Using OZONE also allows Changing Habits to reduce its carbon footprint. Since implementing OZONE in the wash process, Changing Habits has reduced water usage. Changing Habits uses less natural gas because diapers dry faster because diapers wring out drier. And OZONE allows Changing Habits to use more cold water cycles. So the gas water heater is not cycling as often. This savings helps to keep the cost of diaper service down for our customers.
Changing Habits’ Ozone equipment is supplied and maintained by Aquawing Ozone Systems. You can learn more by following the link http://aquawingozone.com
Our Deliveries
Changing Habits limits delivery routes to an average of 7 miles per customer. If there are 30 customers on a given route the maximum mileage we will cover on that route is 210 miles. Changing Habits will not go to addresses which require increasing that equation because it increases the amount of labor expense involved in delivering bags and the amount of gasoline burned to accomplish the deliveries.
The delivery areas seem broad but they are done with great forethought to accomplishing the distance in an efficient, timely manner. There is also a demand in areas not covered by any other service and Changing Habits is committed to reaching as many families seeking the service as economically and environmentally practical. The greatest challenge is providing service to communities outside the urban areas. Once you get to some of the towns that are more spread out in population and square mileage, the smaller the probability in providing service to those families. More families using the service, increases the likelihood of adding these locations to the delivery routes. Getting more and more families into cloth diapering is the goal.
Included with the first delivery is a demonstration of folding the diaper into a diaper cover and a demonstration of diapering using the Snappi Fastener. Changing Habits uses a doll to allow new parents an opportunity to practice their diapering skills before they try a diaper on their newborn infant. Changing Habits shows you how to give that prefold diaper a “bikini twist” and a “burrito fold”.
The start visit is geared to the demonstration of diapering. Questions pertaining to all the other ‘business’ type concerns….ozone, how I do the wash, and the contract, should be resolved in the phone conversations leading up to the first visit. I have up to 40 deliveries on some routes. The visit is something which should be accomplished in 30-40 minutes at most. I am very generous with my phone conversations and I am a wonderful resource even if you purchase covers and other items elsewhere.
The First Visit
Changing Habits requires one week’s notice to begin service. Each area of MetroWest has a specific delivery day. We travel East on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. The first delivery requires a 4 week payment and a non-refundable $20.00 start fee. Every family is allowed to cancel the following delivery week if the baby hasn’t arrived or no diapers are soiled yet. The week after that cancelled week, you will be charged regardless of use or need. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to begin service on the delivery day closest to or just past your due date.
