Reusable/washable/cloth nappies

samf1971

Thanks to everyone for thier messages about the nappies.

I tried using my first terry today - talk about pathetic, it dropped off as soon as he walked away and he yes, he was trying to pull it off, I tried to put it back on and he wriggled and wriggled and in the end I just put a disposable on! Think I'm going to get the sewing machine at the ready as having looked at the design of the disposable I'm convinced I could make my own "shaped" terry into the same design.

Fleece liners, I've bought fleece and made my own.

Wraps, I see what you mean now I've looked at them and I've not seen them on the high street - these are just waterproof bits of material and can see no reason whatsoever for them to charge £8 for one! and again I'm sure these can be easily made.

I'm not giving up on the reusables though, think I may need to try a different fold so I've been looking around at them to see suitable ones & will try again.

I've not bothered with the nappy pail - a poundland bucket will do me, having looked at other threads, most people seem to say dry pailing is sufficient if I'm washing regularly so there's no smell.

samf1971

happymummy24-7 wrote: »

can i just say from the same point of view as yourself SAM, my daughter is nearly 2 and has been in disposables for the last 6mths because i couldnt afford to buy the next size up in washables-hanging head in shame-i then bought her the appropriate size to do her until trained and found she absolutly refuses to use the washable ones on because they are so bulky and restricting compared to the pampers she has become used to now walking! She pulls at the tabs and removes them herself and when i put her in dungarees that she cant remove,she wont walk any where ( she resembles john wayne,lol) ive tried both stuffables.all in ones and the full terry system and she just point blank refuses to feel restricted!
SO......what im trying to say is PLEASE dont spend a fortune on a whole system,give your wee one a trial incase the shock is too much for them!
By the way....i LOVE washables so dont get me wrong-its just the gap in between using them with her was too long and she was too old to like the change! I will be keeping everything for number 4 ( hubby runs and hides,lol) though so i feel abit better!
Laura. xxx

Thanks for the advice, the first one I put on it fell down as soon as he walked away ! & he was tugging at it to take it off. I've done everything as moneysaving as possible so I haven't spent too much money - probably on principle as I just think companies are making shed loads of money on all these new fangled shaped and cute coloured nappies & wraps. Even if my DS doesn't take to them I'll definately keep them as we're trying for no.2.

LilMissEmmylou

honestly the £8 is worth it in the long run as finding a good wrap is the key. you want one thats still breathable but wont wick (let the moisture out). You will only need 2 or 3 in all honesty. If you buy motherease 2nd hand you should be able to pick some up for £4 - £5 each in great condition and remember you can sell them on when your done so they cost very little in the long run.

if you dont like spending lots of money on principle, you could try buying from WHAMs that dont make much money as they only work on a small scale. Some good ones are wee notions and puddlepants although there are loads out there

If you go to the nappy lady site there should be lots of links for different ways to fold terries - give a few of them a try and see which ones will stay on your DS best good luck x

Madmel

I second the advice about getting good wraps. You can boost a nappy with just about anything, but you should never skimp on the wrap. I sold & advised on cloth napies for 5+ years and found this to be the best advice of all.

There are some good folds for terries, but you have to pull them reasonably tight. nappi nippas, as has been said, are better than pins as they don't pierce the fabric. Also, they are harder to undo from "inside".

For people who are finding their nappy sopping wet, it's not a problem unless it leaks, but you might want to think about using a microfibre cloth as extra boosting. This hardly takes up any space but can absorb upto 500ml more. Poundland or Tesco sell them for less than £1 - just don't put them next to the baby's skin.

Nappies going hard on the washing line can be softened by putting white vinegar into the rinse cycle, where you would put fabric conditioner. I would not recommend fabric conditioner at all; it coats the fibres of the cloth and prevents it from absorbing.

I adore terries and used the very successfully on DD2 from birth. I agree about using them pad folded in a pocket (stuffable) nappy if you get a wriggly child. However, people using nappies on 2 children often get on well with a one sized nappy such as Motherease One size or OneLife. They seem to go for years and have a good resale value.

Feel free to PM me. I don't work for anyone to do with nappies now, so think I'm pretty impartial

beefcarrot

I agree on the advice about getting a good wrap - they also tend to be elasticated around the legs, allowing easier movement and better, er, containment.
We use white vinegar with our wash cycle. A few drops of essential oils such as lavendar or lemon make them smell nicer!

mrs*mosschops

Hiya

I used square terry nappies, paper liners and plastic pants for both of mine and never had any problems. I did look at getting wraps and prefolds but I don't think you can beat the proper old fashion way.

Once you get the hang of the folding then your laughing. Its so so easy and much better for your pocket.

I bought my liners from Time2Change website, they have free postage for UK addresses and the prices are very reasonable. They also have lots of diagrams to show how to fold the nappy and appropriate folds for the age of your little one.


I was very lucky when I got mine my mum bought them for me as the company she worked for were sent terries instead of disposables as a freebie.


If you want to be environmentally friendly then I would use something like essential oil for soaking. If your not that fussy then Napisan is good. You could always dry pail them but I found that you have to wash them daily just to make sure they don't start smelling.

I am going to stop now! I could go on forever lol

beefcarrot

Oh yes - our nappy bucket is actually a storage box from Staples, as it has a lid that can be clamped shut!

samf1971

Thanks again everyone (my button isn't working still) I've managed to find a fold that will stay on ! after much hysterics at the weekend laughing at my DS running round with the nappy round his ankles! I'm using the kite fold with pins, which I have to say don't really grip the nappy very tight so I'm going to get some nippas to see if they hold it together tighter. He's stopped trying to pull them down too so I think he's getting used to the idea. My first lot that I've washed seem ok but I'll definately get some white vinegar to make them a bit softer as I guess after a few washes they may start to get cardboardy

onlyroz

Does anybody here use washable nappies? Which ones are good? How do you wash them? (e.g. temperature, washing powder/liquid, ecoballs etc). What are your experiences?

I used Boots-own-brand and Kooshies on my firstborn. I found the Boots ones to be useless - leaky, ill-fitting etc. The kooshies were better but you needed a wrapper to hold it all in.

I didn't find the washing out too bad, although I was never sure about what temperature I should be using, or what I should be soaking them in, and for how long. Also, they seemed to be causing my washing machine to be covered in smelly gunge after a while, but that might have been related to the brand of soak I was using.

Also, I found that once my boy started to crawl, that the nappies were so bulky that they were constricting his movement.

Can anybody recommend a good brand for my second-born (due in January). Ideally I'd like a brand that could last from birth up until you start potty training - because with the kooshies you had to buy a whole new set after about a year. They need to be comfortable, even when the baby is learning to crawl or walk, and they should stay soft after washing. I'm also not sure whether it's best to go for an all-in-one, or one that needs wraps.

Any advice?

foreversomeday

There is a website called https://www.thenappylady.co.uk, you can go on and fill in a questionnaire and they email you telling you which nappies are best for you. I signed up months ago for the recommendation service and they haven't sent me any emails other than the one where they recommended me a brand.

My baby isn't born yet but we'll be using a mixture of washables and eco disposables and I definitely won't be washing them at 90 because I don't see the need. I'm not sure though whether I can put them in with my normal wash at 40 or if they need to be washed at 60 so I will be researching that before he arrives. I won't be using antibacterial washing powder either, but all I know about detergents is you shouldn't use fabric softener as it coats the fabric and reduces absorbancy, and that it's worth washing the nappies once or twice before use to loosen the fibres and increase their absorbency. I don't know about bio or non bio, I would imagine bio would get the stains out (although who really looks at the inside of a nappy??) but non bio is kinder to babies' skin.