How does diaper service work?
Changing Habits will drop off cotton diapers for your baby and pick up dirty diapers. You dispose of used cotton diapers and wipes in a reusable pail and we launder them. While you are using one set, we are washing another set. You always get back the same diapers you use. We do not wash diapers owned by the customer and we do not sell diapers used during the service to customers. These diapers revert back to Changing Habits.
Why should you choose to cotton diaper your baby?
Cotton diapering is less expensive than disposable diapering. Eighty (80) disposable Honest diapers will cost $32.50. The same number cotton diapers from Changing Habits will cost $28.00 (even towns outside the basic delivery limits will still only cost $31.00 weekly). You can add 80 wipes to the order and be at $34.00 inside the delivery limits and $36.00 if you are outside the delivery limits. You will be reusing the diapers and wipes rather than throwing all your diapering materials into the waste stream. The reusable covers add a few dollars per week to the cost over the lifetime of your diapering years because they last through the growth of your baby and can be used for another child. Plus they are CUTE! And the cooler part of cloth diapering is that it is a stronger bonding activity raising your child. Cotton diapers need to be changed. You are instilling good hygiene habits when you teach your child that sitting in a soiled diaper isn’t a good idea. That is why children potty train faster. It is a way of life of being much more in tune with your child.
How many diapers should you order?
New babies start with 70 diapers weekly. You can always increase the quantity. We increase and decrease quantities in increments of 10. You can see our price list here!
What size diaper should you order?
Typically most babies start in the infant size diaper. Changing Habits does stock 4 sizes of cotton diapers. The newborn diaper is reserved for twins, triplets, or a single newborn baby weighing less than 7 pounds. Adjustments can always be made once you know what your baby weighs or if the diaper you are using doesn’t seem to fit easily.
How do you know when it is time to switch diaper sizes?
Sometimes when the diapers begin to get snug and the snappi fastener is getting stretched at the grips you need to ask for the next size in diaper. Changing Habits will deliver 2-3 samples of the next size for you to try on your baby. Sometimes you need to increase the diaper cover size and that will help a lot. When you have more leakage from any diaper opening you need to try a larger cover first and then sample the next size diaper.
How much notice do you need to give to make changes and adjustments to your diaper service?
Making a phone call or leaving a note with your soiled diapers will get the process started.
- Two weeks notice to change diaper size.
- One week notice to increase or decrease diaper quantities.
- One week notice to cancel service for a vacation or to cancel permanently.
What other items do you need to begin using the diaper service?
Changing Habits wants to keep it simple for our new families. With a delivery of 70 cotton diapers all you need are 4-6 diaper covers, a snappi fastener, 80 cotton flannel wipes, and a 13 gallon tall kitchen trash can. In reality the snappi fastener and the cotton flannel wipes are optional. All you really need are diapers, covers, and a container to store the soiled diapers. We do not allow the use of the diaper genie and we discourage the use of the Diaper Dekor, the Ubbi pail and the Diaper Champ. Seventy soiled diapers fills a 13 gallon pail. The boutique type pails are smaller and require storing soiled diapers all balled up when it is best to just have enough room to drop a dirty diaper into the container without needing to force it through a circle to get it in the bag. Diapers need to be unfolded and separated if doing double diapers. Soiled diapers should never be stacked one on top of the other flat or like cheese slices. Many people pack their diapers into too small a pail. Size matters. Changing Habits provides the bags to be used. Soiled diapers need to be in one bag unless you have multiple babies. Bags inside of bags are not acceptable. AND DISPOSABLE WIPES NEED TO BE IN YOUR TRASH, NOT OUR BAG.
Can you buy gift certificates?
Yes, Changing Habits sells gift certificates. Gift certificates are non-refundable and non-transferable. To sign up for service a customer needs to do a minimum of 4 weeks of service. You need to call us at 413-665-0202 and speak with Donna. We do not have a gift registry for this purpose. You will need to send a check in the amount of the gift, a note specifying the recipient and their address. You may also ask for the gift card to be sent back to you for you to gift it or ask for Changing Habits to send it directly to the recipient. Two weeks notice is requested to process the transaction.
How do you start diaper service?
All you need to do to sign up with Changing Habits is give one week’s notice and call Donna Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM at 413-665-0202. We prefer to deliver as close to your due date as possible. We have 3 delivery days.
- Monday includes Brookline, Brighton, Allston, Newton, Watertown, Belmont and Waltham, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Arlington, Lexington, Stoneham, Melrose, and Woburn.
- Wednesday includes Western Massachusetts communities.
- Thursday includes Quincy, Dorchester, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Dedham, Norwood, Medfield and Needham.
At the first delivery, Donna will deliver the first set of cotton diapers and any other items you have selected. We will sign the contract and you will pay for the first 4 weeks and a $25 start fee. During this visit you are welcomed to ask any questions you may have and you will have the opportunity to practice your skills on a doll. You will be shown the most frequently used folds with the diapers and how to use a snappi fastener. Donna always has a selection of covers and snappi fasteners if you need to purchase anything.
What time do diaper deliveries happen?
Changing Habits accomplishes the bulk of deliveries between the hours of 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM. Customers need to put their diapers out before they go to bed. The contract will stipulate when your bag should be available for pick up. If Changing Habits needs to knock, ring a doorbell or make a phone call or text because the soiled diapers are not out, the customer will be left a note to pay $5.00 for the waiting time the following week. The first forget is usually forgiven, There have been and always will be customers who forget quite frequently. It takes so much time away from my accomplishing the routes in an efficient time frame that I feel I need to be compensated for that time. I usually put the funds toward caffeine or a meal while I am delivering. It is recommended that you put a reminder on your phone, or a huge note on a door. When starting new families the first deliveries can happen between the hours of 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM. It helps to let me know if you have specific routines in the evening that hinders this timing. You need to just leave out your soiled diapers each week on your specific delivery day and when you wake up you will have clean diapers waiting for you.
What if Changing Habits does not get your soiled diapers one week?
If Changing Habits does not get your soiled diapers you will not get a delivery of clean diapers on your next delivery day. It is imperative to put your soiled diapers out each and every week. Soiled diapers should never accumulate unwashed over a 2 week period. It breaks down the fibers and wears the cotton prematurely.
How do you pay for the diaper service?
Changing Habits bills in 4 week increments. Customers are paying ahead for their service. Changing Habits takes payment in the form of checks or cash. When payments are late, they are assessed a $1.00 per week late fee. Customers paying on a 4 week cycle are billed when money is owed. Customers choosing to pay weekly once the initial 4 week period has ended will not be billed. They should always leave a one week payment with their soiled diapers. We recommend putting your payments under the soiled bag of diapers so it won’t be seen and will not blow away. There is a PayPal option which requires the payer to add additional funds per week to their payment to cover fees lost by Changing Habits in the transaction.
What happens to the diapers when you are done with the service?
When a customer switches diaper sizes or ends the service contract, Changing Habits works to reuse those diapers with a new family. If they cannot be reused, Changing Habits rags out those diapers and sells rags by the pound to specific accounts or donates diapers to other humanitarian causes.
