There is a serious amount of overwhelming information regarding cloth nappies. When I made the decision to cloth nappy Molly, I was met with a lot of negativity from people. “You’ll do it for a week and then go back”. “You will never keep it up” ” Ew that’s so gross”. Despite all of this negativity, I took the plunge and got a bunch of second hand ( Yes, second hand ) cloth nappies. You know what? I haven’t looked back since!!
I struggled to find out everything I needed to know at first. It wasn’t all in one place and everyone used different ones. I got quite confused at times if I’m honest. But here, I want to change that. I want to post a few posts on everything I have learnt over the last few months for anyone looking into venturing into the world of cloth nappies.
The Statistics.
It is predicted that a child will use between 4,000 and 6,000 nappies from birth the three years old. That’s adds up to about 8 million nappies heading to landfill every.single.day in the UK alone. Which accounts for about three percent of our household waste.
Disposable nappies in landfills take around 500 years to degrade. Not just that, but they also have a huge impact through the manufacturing, transport and chemicals they require.
Did you know you’re supposed to empty the disposable nappy of poop? Not many people do, I didn’t until recently if I’m honest. Because of this, the waste goes to landfill and as the nappies decompose, they give out a harmful greenhouse gas called methane, which contributes greatly to climate change.
Using reusable nappies could save you up to £500 per child. Who doesn’t like to save a bit of money?!
Choosing your Nappy
When choosing what nappy would best suit Molly, I was so confused by what was available. So many charts on “whats easiest”. The truth is, there is no easiest option. Each reusable nappy has their pro’s and cons. These pros and cons all depend on you and your little one. You have to find out what works best for you.
After a lot of research, I decided I wanted to try the all in one (AIOs) nappies. All in ones are known as the “premium diaper”. There are absolutely no steps: no stuffing or inserts. AIOS are one piece just like disposables. They are usually more expensive than other cloth diaper systems (but still cheaper than disposables!) if you buy them brand new. If you are OK with buying them second hand, you can save yourself some ££.
The AIOs also take longer to dry because of the thickness of the inserts, however we have found that if you have a decent enough stash and do a wash every other day, you’re good to go. Granted we only have the 1 child. If you have multiple tiny humans who wear cloth, a nappy system that dries quicker may be a better option for you.
Conclusion..
So far we have LOVED our cloth nappy journey. We use the Bambino Mio AIOs and they are fab! We use a booster insert at night time to add extra absorbency. I now also make my own reusable fleece liners ( to catch the poop and whip the wee away from the skin ) which was a tip from Gee over at geegardner.com. We also use reusable wipes, there is a brand called Cheeky Wipes that I got a load from, but to be honest, you can use old towels cut up, or flannels. We tend to use cheeky wipes for nappy changes and flannels for hands and face.
I can honestly say we don’t have many cases of nappy rash anymore. If we do, it’s either due to Molly not drinking enough which makes her urine rather acidic or being in the nappy a little too long ( normally after we’ve been stuck in traffic when out ). Other than that it’s been smooth sailing.
Do you use cloth nappies? What brands do you like best?
