cloth nappies 13 January 2013 at 5:45PM in MoneySaving mums 55 replies 7.9K views

jackyann

I'm old enough for disposables not to have been a realistic option for my kids (they were around but were both expensive & inefficient)
I didn't use nappy liners, just put down the loo, hold tight to one corner & flush! Then straight into a nappy bucket. I did put them through on a 95 degree wash (didn't occur to me to wash at a lower temp) but I managed to line dry them most of the time, backed up by a clothes horse & airing cupboard.
No need for expensive disposable wipes. I always washed with a flannel, dried with a towel, and put both through the wash with the nappies.
I not only have "floorcloths" from my kids, but there is still one from my own babyhood (60 years ago!)
You might also find this interesting: http://www.ecoearthfabrics.com

pesky85

I was all for trying cloth nappies with my first, did not get on with them at all. He found them very uncomfortable and wearing cloth was the only time he suffered from nappy rash. I didn't bother with my second son!

Some people really get on well with them though, but try lots of different brands before you invest.

I know people who have got in to the cloth nappy craze so much that they've spent far more on different designed nappies than I would ever spend on disposables!!

The theory behind cloth bums being potty trained quicker (which is just that - a theory) is due to the toddler being so uncomfortable being wrapped in wee-soaked cloth that they don't want it on anymore, and in my experience I can see why!! Disposables are more absorbent and draw the moisture away from the toddler's bum, so it actually doesn't bother them a lot of the time when they've done a wee.

I'm not against cloth nappies, they just didn't work for me. For my first DS was in Boots nappies as I felt they were great value for money. My 2nd DS can only wear Pampers as he will get severe nappy rash in any other brand (tried them all, yes cloth too lol). I just buy them in bulk whenever they're on offer.

Gillyx

I think for anyone who wants to try cloth the best option really is to find a nappy library. There are so many different brands, varieties, sizes, etc that there will be instances where certain brands just don't suit. We have a few that just don't suit here, but you can always sell them on I've found.

There is no point in shelling out for nappies and you don't know if they're going to be any good, I think for a lot of people it is a lot of trial and error and obviously with a baby in tow sometimes that's not ideal.

Make-it-3

I love it, I'm an ironing freak, but I'd never do my nappies! Also fabric conditioner is not advised as it decreases nappy absorbency.

Yes there are cloth bum addicts who spend a fortune, but I have managed with terries, nippers and wraps probably spending less than £60 in total.

I'm sure most people who are doing it for the environment also use low-degree washes, line dry and eco-friendly detergent (soap nuts for us).

When I have had to use (eco) sposies I've found I've done just as much washing of LO's clothes because they just can't contain poo explosions.

Lozzy88

I would love to try cloth nappies, I have 2 ds`s one is nearly 16 months and the other is 4 weeks but I just have no clue where to start, there are no council run schemes or cash back things in my area.

There is so much choice am thinking of buying a few trial packs, I really wanted to try them when dd was a baby but my family put my off saying how much extra work it was, but since watching 16kids and counting I think if she can do cloth nappies then surely I can I must do about a tenth of whay she does day to day lol.

redleopardcat

I have been using cloth nappies for nearly 3 years now, potty trained ds when dd was born! I can highly recommend motherease nappies didn't like the pocket type myself and found the Velcro type wears out quickly and cling to each other in the wash! I tend to use Disposable at night as we live in quite a cold house and I wouldn't want to spend up to 12 hours wrapped in a wet towel so why should They. The only nappy rash I had was when using disposables for a while eg. Holidays. Oh and as someone mentioned earlier poomageddon WILL happen and any fear of dealing with dirty nappies soon disappears (as my poo fearing hubby will now vouch for:D)

When I first looked into reusables I filled in a q&a on choose a nappy . Co uk it does at least give a start point of what type might suit your own needs. Hth

Lozzy88

Interesting website, I have no problems with poo, I have had to hand wash quite a lot of my ds pooie clothes as his nappies have been usless for him and if they are washed/rinsed straight away so far i have had no stains, these include pampers, huggies, little angels, morisons own and morrisons super cheap ones, they have all been useless for his poo!

He also has really bad eczema ( is that how you spell it? ) so I wonder is cloth would be one less thing to iritate him.

clare64

Lozzy
I am a fan of Terry nappies, see my post #31 ( sorry don't know how to do links!), my Twins have sensitive skin but never got nappy rash with Terri nappies.As they got older I used to fold 2 nappies together for nighttime to avoid leaks
Clarex

Gillyx

lozzy88 wrote: »

I would love to try cloth nappies, I have 2 ds`s one is nearly 16 months and the other is 4 weeks but I just have no clue where to start, there are no council run schemes or cash back things in my area.

There is so much choice am thinking of buying a few trial packs, I really wanted to try them when dd was a baby but my family put my off saying how much extra work it was, but since watching 16kids and counting I think if she can do cloth nappies then surely I can I must do about a tenth of whay she does day to day lol.

I wouldn't buy any massive packs, on the off chance they don't suit. I'd try and buy a few and see how they suit. Real Nappy Week will be coming up, albeit not until April time, but there will be loads of discounts about then if there are a brand you really like.

I'd recommend trying Bumgenius, I don't know of anyone who doesn't like them. They will definitely fit your 16 month old and when your wee one hits about 8/9lbs (if not already) they should fit him too. So you could use the same nappy for both.

notanewuser

A friend of mine told me this week that she's using reusables on her youngest who has just started crawling because the bulkiness of them slows him down!! :eek: