Kudos 100% Cotton FAQs
We talk about our 100% cotton liner a LOT! So naturally, we get a lot of questions.
If you haven’t heard, Kudos is the first disposable diaper to ensure that the only thing touching your baby’s sensitive bottom is cotton. The alternative is processed plastic liners, which are used in most diapers (even “natural” ones). But who wants plastic hugging your butt day and night? Not us. Not our babies.
See if your Q about Kudos cotton is listed below. If not, reach out to us at support@mykudos.com. We aim to be as transparent as possible.
Q: Why is cotton better for my baby’s sensitive skin again?
A: 100% cotton underwear is considered the comfiest for adults, and the same logic goes for babies. Cotton is naturally soft, hypoallergenic, and proven to cause zero skin irritation according to a study you can check out here. This makes cotton the #1 doctor-recommended material for rash and eczema, and the #1 choice for Kudos diaper liners. Not plastic.
Q: Why does Kudos use cotton instead of bamboo?
A: Bamboo has to go through extremely harsh chemical processing in order to feel soft vs. cotton (which is naturally soft). With other related negative environmental + health factors you can read about here, Kudos definitely prefers cotton over bamboo.
Q: Where is Kudos cotton sourced?
A: Our cotton is entirely sourced from farmers in the USA!
Q: What’s unique about the cotton that Kudos uses?
A: We use TruCotton(TM), which, as mentioned before, is entirely sourced from farmers in the U.S. and is cleaned with a breakthrough process that utilizes zero water, chemicals, or process heat. You can learn more about it here.
Q: Is cotton better for the environment than other textiles or plastic?
A: Generally speaking, yes. Cotton is energy self-sustaining, and does not contribute to net greenhouse gas emissions. This is because cotton naturally uses sunlight to convert itself into a soft fiber without any intermediate processing steps (unlike plastic or bamboo). So, cotton basically has a “negative” energy footprint. You can learn more about that here.
Q: Does the use of cotton make Kudos compostable or biodegradable?
A: Our cotton itself is biodegradable, but other elements of our diaper are not. Unfortunately - even using natural materials - no diaper (including Kudos) is fully compostable or biodegradable yet. We are pushing the industry to make the changes necessary! See more diaper composting truths here.
Q: Is Kudos cotton organic?
A: Unfortunately, we can’t get enough organic cotton in the USA yet. We also don’t want to source cotton from Asia because of unreliable practices, regulations, and “organic” classifications. Check out the NYT article on this here. Instead, we focus on sourcing cotton from the safest, most sustainable farms we can find in our country.
Q: What about pesticides in Kudos cotton?
A: Some pesticides and fertilizers are always involved in the production of cotton - organic and non-organic. Our goal is and always will be to make sure that any pesticides and fertilizers used are the safest and most natural possible. Additionally, we know that once Kudos cotton fiber is exposed to the air (the “puffs” start to bloom), no pesticides are applied to the plant’s surface at all.
Q: Are any chemicals used in processing Kudos cotton?
A: No! TruCotton (the type used in Kudos diapers) is processed in a breakthrough way using zero water, chemicals, or processed heat. We know of no other method that has ever been able to achieve this level of purified cotton cellulose without the use of caustic chemicals.
Q: Is Kudos cotton bleached?
A: Kudos uses a mix of 70% unbleached cotton and 30% bleached cotton. The bleaching is 100% chlorine-free and gives the cotton the strength necessary to hold up in a diaper. Most cotton you see in baby products is 100% bleached cotton (which is why it’s so white). With Kudos, you may see some tiny specks from our pure unbleached cotton. That’s the cotton showing off how natural (and unbleached) it is.
Q: Is Kudos cotton OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified? (And what does that mean?)
A: Kudos cotton is super proud to be both OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified and USDA Biobased certified! In fact, our entire diaper is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified. This certification is the gold standard in safety for textile products. It means our diaper is free of 100+ of the most harmful chemicals. You can learn more about this here.