Washable Nappies

sparkle76

Thanks for all the advice everyone - we're first timers so any and all advice and tips much appreciated. I will now not buy the big set I thought I wanted, or the nappy bucket from the nappy sites etc and will try to get my own bucket/mesh bag locally, plus buy one or two of the nappies to see how I get on once baby has passed the 'black tar' stage. For first few weeks i will use up the disposables from the Bounty pack/vouchers etc... Tea tree here I come!

SwipernoSwiping

Sorry I haven't been around, illnesses and bugs keeping me busy.

babyboysmommy: Storage: we use a plastic 4 drawer tower about £14.99 the top two are taken up with nappies, wraps and other bits in the 3rd, with toys in the bottom. Plus point being the unit slowly becomes used as a toy storage as you need less nappies. Some people I know use plastic storage boxes or wicker baskets.

thorsoak You can still get nappisan now, but the nappy makers don't like it, it's not good for the nappies full of bleaching agents and such.
Bio D nappy soak is the way to go but it is more expensive. Alternatively just use a teaspoon of soda crystals - don't go mad or you'll have a washing machine full of suds.
sveika - very true, never buy all one brand - mix and match is the way to go, slim for day time, bulky for night time, quick drying if you don't have a tumble...etc.

Nicki - haven't tried the teddies but the Bumbles ROCK! great for extra boosting requirements. DD2 is just going into these still in good nick from the first use on DD1

If your worried about getting stains out - stick them out on the line with the sunshine. It will do the rest, brighter than your daz can any day.

SwipernoSwiping

thorsoak wrote: »

...
They were usually dropped in a bucket of napisan, given a 10 minute boil wash (in twin tub for nos 1 & 2 babies) then just hot wash in automatic for nos 3 & 4 - and line dried outside. In frosty weather they might come in frozen stiff - but when they thawed and dried they would be extra soft....

Never any nappy rash, either!

:T


All I can say is thank God for modern washing machines
Neither of mine have had nappy rash issues unless I have had to put them in sposies.
Bepanthen cream is fantastic for that - don't use sudocreme as it stops the nappy from soaking up the wees!

GobbledyGook

I love cloth nappies. They are very MSE too when you consider the cost of disposables, especially because they hold their resale value or can be used for subsequent children (some of mine are on their third outing now).

My tip would be to gather as many samples as you can (often free) and not buy many nappies until you have tested all of your samples on your baby. Different nappies suit different people. I loathe the ones my friend uses - fiddly, leaky things imo - , but I am loving using my totbots again.

I never, ever buy liners. I make my own from cheap fleece blankets from Primark and the likes. I can cut the fleece perfectly to size and I find fleece wicks moisture away from the skin much better than some of the bought liners.

Between the nappies and the reusable wipes I reckon I've saved a fortune over the years.

sparkle76

Gobbledygook thanks for your post - re: the fleece wipes, isn't that really tricky when baby has poo'd and you have to shake it all down the loo?
Are they practical though - I am worried I'd heave and so would need to use paper ones, even though they cost more and may not be as effective...

Nicki

sparkle76 wrote: »

Gobbledygook thanks or your post - re: the fleece wipes, isn't that really tricky when baby has poo'd and you have to shake it all down the loo?
Are they practical though - I am worried I'd heave and so would need to use paper ones, even though they cost more and may not be as effective...

You do need to get used to handling poo even with liners! The liners will catch most of the poo, but there will be occasions with a big or squishy poo, when some goes on the nappy and you will have to rinse it off, if you want to avoid stains and a smelly nappy bin until wash day. I tend to hold the dirty nappy in the loo and flush to get the worst of any solids off, but some people wash it off in the sink, or use a shower attachment to hose them down.

With fleece liners, the poo does tend to slide off down the loo quite easily by the way, but you might well still get leaks onto the nappy which need to be dealt with even with a fleece liner.

Waffle_On

I'm a cloth nappy wannabe!

I stumbled across what turned out to be a set of 15 wonderoos + bucket + liners+net bags for £28 on ebay (allegedly used, but if they were it was only once!) and bought them on a whim last year. At the time my LO was 8 months and just starting to commando shuffle. This was bad news for wee leaks - quishing wee-y cloth means it sprays out the front! I'm also yet to sort out the tricky task of getting clothes to fit over the top.

I'm also worried about re-training myself to change him more often. My little boy isn't a heavy wetter (he's 16 months), and aside from any poos, he only needs his pampers changing at breakfast, lunch and bedtime. The cloth only seems to be safe for around 3 hours, unless I add an extra insert, which causes even bigger clothing problems!

Anyway, I've had a great tip for storage - cloth nappies fit perfectly into DVD storage units! It's a great way to show off any pretty ones you have too!

Nicki

Ds is a skinny minny so we don't have a problem with fitting clothes over his nappies, but I've heard that Tesco clothes are cut very generously roumd the bottom and are good for real nappy users. Otherwise, try the next size up in clothes and roll up the legs if needed?

sparkle76

Thanks Nicki, I guess there's no way round it he he - will have to get on with it!
As to the fleece - our bubs is due in Summer, so presume it's too warm to use fleece then? So would it be best to start with paper liners and then fleece? our local £1 store has some fleece baby blankets so could get some of those and cut up.

Also want to get some washable wipes - the Nappy lady website has some for £22 - fleece one side and flannel the other I think, any thoughts or are there better / cheaper ones?

Nicki

sparkle76 wrote: »

Thanks Nicki, I guess there's no way round it he he - will have to get on with it!
As to the fleece - our bubs is due in Summer, so presume it's too warm to use fleece then? So would it be best to start with paper liners and then fleece? our local £1 store has some fleece baby blankets so could get some of those and cut up.

Also want to get some washable wipes - the Nappy lady website has some for £22 - fleece one side and flannel the other I think, any thoughts or are there better / cheaper ones?

I don't think a fleece liner will add much to the heat of a nappy to be honest. They tend to be quite thin! For the first few weeks we used Muslins as nappies anyway fastened with a nappy nippa and a small wrap over the top, as shaped nappies are a bit big and bulky for newborns and you don't need much absorbency at that stage.

We just have little towelling wipes (no fleece) which we bought from the nappy lady a few years ago so don't know if she still stocks them. They are great. I use clean ones to swish and swipe the bathroom and throw them in the nappy bucket afterwards, as well as for changing nappies, and they wash well and come up looking quite white and respectable afterwards (except the ones I used to clean the mirror when dd drew on it with red lipstick but that was perhaps a challenge too far!) £22 does sound expensive though unless you are getting hundreds of them. Maybe cut up a few cheap thin towels with pinking scissors instead for a cheaper option?