How to use cloth nappies

How to use cloth nappies

Folding your prefold cloth nappies

For the most simple method of use, Ecobots do not need pins, snappis or other fasteners. Simply fold the nappy and put it inside the cover.

Choose where you need the most absorbency, for girls, the middle is often best. For boys, you may want more bulk at the front. These simple folding methods are shown below, but there are others.

The Girl Fold:

This is the basic way to fold your prefold’s for use with a little girl.  The thickest area of the nappy is in the middle. This is the area that you are likely to need to highest level of absorbency for a little girl.

First, lay the nappy flat, next fold the longest edge of the nappy in towards the center. Then fold the other side in over the top of the first fold, finally place into the nappy cover.

  

The Boy Fold:

When folding your nappies for boys, you will probably need the nappy to be thicker and therefore more absorbent at the front of the nappy.  These photo’s show a simple way to achieve this:

First lay the nappy flat, then fold one of the short ends of the nappy in, if your baby is quite small you will need to fold it in quite a way, if they are bigger then you can fold it a smaller amount. Next fold the other two sides into the centre, folding along the sewn lines. You can see from the photo that one end on the nappy is now thicker than the other end and there is extra fabric here. Place the nappy in the cover with this thicker part to the front of the cover.

  

How to use cloth nappies

For both boys and girls, once folded, put a liner over the nappy. (Liners are optional, they make nappies easier to wash because they catch the solids.)

Once you have placed the nappy in the cover, make sure that it doesn’t stick out anywhere. Then secure the velcro tabs at the front around your baby, making sure that the nappy is not too tight or too loose, particularly around the legs.

If you prefer to use a snappi nappy fastener, which helps to hold everything in, then check out our instructions here. You can also find more prefold folds here.