5 things you might not know about cloth nappies

June 18, 2018

5 things you might not know about cloth nappies is a good place to start when you are first thinking about reusable nappies for your baby.

Cloth nappies are easy

People often assume that cloth nappies are complicated and hard work. Having a new baby is hard enough as it is, without adding an extra complication. But, cloth nappies are actually easy. Especially once you have started to use them. Most modern cloth nappies are put on in the same way that a disposable nappy is. There aren’t complicated folds, nappy pins and plastic pants that old-fashioned nappies had. There is a little bit of extra washing, but with less rubbish to deal with and the added reliability that comes with cloth nappies, it’s not a big deal.

Reliability

I have to admit that I assumed when I first looked at using reusable nappies on my babies, that they would be likely to leak. I suspect that years of disposable nappy adverts on the television had convinced me that disposables were better. In actual fact, it’s probably the other way around. Most cloth nappies have at least one layer of elastic on the back and legs which help to keep everything in. Disposable nappies are much less reliable in that area. I never had one poo-splosion to deal with when my children were babies, unlike friends who used disposables. They often talked about things escaping all up their babies backs or even into their socks. You might be doing more washing because of cloth nappies, but you will be doing less washing of clothes after a poonami.

Washing is simple

Washing cloth nappies is easy

Another area that people struggle with, is the idea of washing cloth. Don’t you need something special to be able to do it? A dryer, is surely essential? What about the special powders and detergents that you need? Although you can get detergents that are designed especially for washing cloth nappies, you really don’t need them. Your normal washing detergent will work fine. Just avoid one with a built-in fabric softener. As for needing a dryer, they can be handy in the depths of winter, but they are far from essential. I recently asked on my facebook page how people were getting their nappies dry this winter. Nearly everyone was putting them to dry in front of the fire or under a heat pump. Find out more about washing cloth nappies here.

Fit into your lifestyle

Using cloth nappies doesn’t have to be an all or nothing decision. Although the fewer disposable nappies you use, the better it is for the environment it is and the more money you’ll save, it isn’t the end of the world if you do use them. Some people find that rather than using cloth nappies all of the time, they prefer to use them just during the day, or just at home. There is no wrong or right way to use cloth. Reusable nappies should work for you and your family and fit into your life the way that you need them to.

Save money

When you first look at starting out with cloth nappies, they can seem to be very expensive. The great thing about using reusable nappies is that they soon pay for themselves. Over the course of time that your baby is in cloth, you will save somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on what nappies you buy. If you reuse these nappies on future babies, there are even more savings. If you are struggling to initially pay for your nappies, then we offer laybuy. You could also look at purchasing second-hand nappies or speaking to charities such as pregnancy help that may be able to assist you.