Washable/Reusable Nappies

rach

Hi Hannah

Yep those are called Prefold nappies.

Most people now just dry pail nappies, so chuck/flush the paper liner away, shove the nappy in a bucket (lots of people put a few drops of tea tree oil on a flannel in the bottom of the bucket to keep it smelling ok) and wash at 60 when you need to. Most wraps (the plastic pants bits) I think need to be washed at 40.

The stuff you're talking about is called Napisan you seem to be able to get at boots and supermarkets etc.

Lots of people also use nappy nippas with prefolds too i think.

Another common thing is to use fleece liners which are washable rather than paper ones (though some people stick to paper ones for runny newborn poo!) The fleece works in a kind of 'stay dry' way and the poo can just be flicked down the loo! Lots of people just make these out of fleece blankets but I confess I've bought some as my nappies were all free/almost free and I am lazy!

building_with_lego

(You can wash paper liners too- I used a little mesh bag to keep them together and washed with the nappies at 40 deg with a bit of Tea Tree oil. They'll last up to about six goes. It made a huge difference in the early days with my son: the first pack of 100 liners lasted a fortnight, thereafter I washed them and made the same amount last almost two months. )

lauren_1

I found prefolds a bit useless after the first month or so, apart from stuffing in a pocket nappy or using as a extra booster for shaped nappies. The bambino mio wraps are good with them but cotton bottoms seemed rather useless

Fleece is a godsend!

Madmel

Don't use Napisan, it's really harsh and has nasties in it. You can wash the prefolds at 40 degrees with some sanitiser in the wash, or 60 without. The best sanitiser is sunlight, so line drying is tops.

Don't put fabric conditioner in the wash as it coats the fibres and makes them less absorbent. A tablespoon of white vinegar in the conditioner drawer helps remove washing powder traces and softens the nappies.

The advice on liners above is great. However, wraps have moved on a lot in the last 10 years. I used to advise & sell cloth nappies and used them on both my DDs. Prefolds are a bit of an art and don't work for everyone. You need a really top notch wrap, preferably with gussets and a slim fit like the Motherease Rikki. I had many customers who had bought a box of prefolds and didn't get on with them. Once they tried the Rikki wraps, they worked much better.

If you decide to go for something different, your prefolds will work really well in a pocket wrap like FuzziBunz or as boosters in shaped nappies.

If you want any more help PM me. I gave up advising 4 years ago, but can remember the basics..!

Hannah_10

I know it wasn't nappisan or a branded product, or even anything specifically for nappies, it was something you would cook with (and therefore can eat) but as it was a long time ago I can't remember what. Anyone? I don't like the idea of dry storing them at all, my sister does this and we've had a few conversations about that!

Whatever I had in 1999 began with a K and was the best thing on the market, they were shaped soft nappies, with optional sanitry-towel shaped cotton inserts if baby was a bit wetter than usual and a shaped plastic wrap to go over the top. Then I just bought paper liners and of course whatever that white stuff was.

As to what I have- I have no idea who made them. I was given the wraps and swim nappies too and a roll of paper liners (will be sticking to paper liners rather than scraping poo off fleeces I expect). If I'd have been out to buy nappies I would have bought something more like what I used to have as I was perfectly happy with the last lot and these seem more complicated than my lovely old ones, however being skint if someone was good enough to give me a whole set then hey, I'm gonna use them!

Still can't think of that powder though. Anyone at all?

lauren_1

Hannah_10 wrote: »

I know it wasn't nappisan or a branded product, or even anything specifically for nappies, it was something you would cook with (and therefore can eat) but as it was a long time ago I can't remember what. Anyone? I don't like the idea of dry storing them at all, my sister does this and we've had a few conversations about that!

Whatever I had in 1999 began with a K and was the best thing on the market, they were shaped soft nappies, with optional sanitry-towel shaped cotton inserts if baby was a bit wetter than usual and a shaped plastic wrap to go over the top. Then I just bought paper liners and of course whatever that white stuff was.

As to what I have- I have no idea who made them. I was given the wraps and swim nappies too and a roll of paper liners (will be sticking to paper liners rather than scraping poo off fleeces I expect). If I'd have been out to buy nappies I would have bought something more like what I used to have as I was perfectly happy with the last lot and these seem more complicated than my lovely old ones, however being skint if someone was good enough to give me a whole set then hey, I'm gonna use them!

Still can't think of that powder though. Anyone at all?

Kushies? They used to do 2 parters but are infamously known for the awful AIO's.

You dont scrap poo off a fleece liner, poo doesnt stick to it, it really just rolls off it down the loo. You have to try it to believe it, honestly!

fernliebee

I gave up on my prefolds and moved onto a shaped nappy, but that was before I discovered motherease rikki wraps! They are brilliant, never had a leak since. There is a fair bit on youtube for different folding techniques etc.

Some people soak nappies in bicarb (maybe in the baking aisle) Which would be fine with prefolds, but with shaped nappies can corode the elastics so is generally advised against now (? or so I'm told) You can wash with white vinegar instead of softener if they are getting to crunchy, or a run through the tumble drier works well too.

ETA- fleece liners all the way. I bought a blanket from ikea for approx 2 quid and made 30+ liners, I couldn't get on with the vile papery ones at all, I just kept thinking of wiping with that horrible crunchy toilet paper they used to have in public loo's!

lauren_1

There is nothing wrong with dry pailing however many mums dry pail with either lavender, pine or tea tree essential oils (all anti-bacterial), dry pailing with Bicarbonate of soda powder (if your nappy bucket lid is not a tight fit it absorbs any smell).

Wet pailing you can use water added to any of the above however many find wet pailing smellier than dry pailing, using pine disinfectant at a 1/8 ratio (wilkinsons own comes highly recommended)

HelenKA_2

Just to add it's worth getting friendly with the local pharmacy. Your bicarb comes cheaper from there!

I dry pailed twins with fleece liners, it was no bother at all.

Madmel

Yes, I think Lauren is correct. In 1999, Kooshies (as they were then spelled) were the bees knees - how times have changed!

Now, most people prefer breathable wraps, which Kushies definitely weren't. Breathable wraps help keep the nappy area a bit cooler and are just nicer.

I also agree that I was told to soak with bicarbonate of soda back in 1999. We bought it in 1kg sacks at a local bakers shop. Again, things move on and most people dry pail. If you do soak, use cold water. You can buy special nappy soaks but IMHO they are a waste of money. As has already been mentioned, essential oils help with the smell.

Liners have also changed. In 1999, we used paper liners because that's all we could find. Then, people started to use polyester fleece. You can make your own, you don't even need to stitch round them. They wick the wee into the absorbent part of the nappy and they act as a dry layer next to baby's skin. As Lauren says, poo just flicks off them. Otherwise, some people used to use the shower if it reached that far or a shower head attachment and sluice the liners into the loo. If you are brave & have a steady hand, you can flush the loo whilst you hold horrid liners in the flow, then just pop them into the bucket.