The old moneysaving nappy debate

Savvy_Sue

Well, I used good old fashioned terry squares for my eldest until he was about a year old, there were very few of these fancy sizes and shapes in those days, certainly no nappy laundering services! And I didn't have a tumble drier, although I wish I had because line dried nappies are stiff as boards!

But our bathroom was downstairs, next to the kitchen, and the washing machine was right next to the bathroom door. So it was a doddle to move the nappy bucket from the bathroom to the washing machine. And I had an enormous nappy bucket so I always did a full load of nappies, used to change the soaking water every day to stop it stinking the place out!

Then we moved in with a (male) friend while we re-did bits of our house. The bathroom was upstairs, the washing machine was downstairs, and I didn't think he'd appreciate a bucket of soaking terries in his bathroom. Plus I knew I couldn't carry a full bucket of nappies downstairs without spilling it. So we went onto disposables.

We moved into our own house, and the bathroom was very small, only space for a nappy bucket would have been in the bath. I'd still have had to cart the nappy bucket downstairs to the kitchen, or keep it in the kitchen. Well I know that's what my mum did, and then boil the nappies on the stove, I can still see that galvanised iron bucket in my mind! :rotfl: But I didn't fancy it myself.

So that was the end of using terry nappies! But the nappies were still very useful as sicky cloths for the other two, although I have to say that neither of them rivalled their big brother for puking ability. And that's something to bear in mind with all these fancy styles: nothing beats a terry or muslin square for slinging over your shoulder when you're burping a baby!

Come to think of it, I think they're still in a suitcase in my wardrobe ...

So, thoughts about my preferences. While I had no problem with terries themselves, you do have to give some thought to the practicalities of soaking them before washing them, and actually getting them to the washing machine. If you haven't got a tumble drier, your house will be permanently full of wet nappies in the average British winter, unless you are prepared to pop in and out of the garden every five minutes hanging them out as soon as it stops raining and hauling them in when it starts again.

Disposables are a lot less hassle - I'm not saying terries are a big hassle, but they are LESS hassle. But the landfill issue just doesn't go away, does it? I've heard of various schemes to recycle nappies into flowerpots etc but I'm not aware of any truly commercial schemes in operation.

And Jay-Jay, you may find your dear offspring has views of his/her own about 'proper' nappies vs. disposables ... A child wearing a terry nappy does KNOW when s/he is wet! They don't all care that much, but they do KNOW!

Loadsabob

On the cost issue - my brother has used biodegradables for his child, and found them great quality, and competitively priced. I think they've bought them from Sainsburys (it's next door to them, but they don't do their food shopping there), and felt that it was only a matter of pence between the degradables and the normal disposables. However, they were miffed to find that the degradable nappy bags to dispose of them in were HUGELY more expensive than the non degradable ones. Bit of a stumbling block there! I think they got cheaper degradable food bags instead, and used them.

wheeze

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Well, I used good old fashioned terry squares for my eldest until he was about a year old, there were very few of these fancy sizes and shapes in those days, certainly no nappy laundering services! And I didn't have a tumble drier, although I wish I had because line dried nappies are stiff as boards!

But our bathroom was downstairs, next to the kitchen, and the washing machine was right next to the bathroom door. So it was a doddle to move the nappy bucket from the bathroom to the washing machine. And I had an enormous nappy bucket so I always did a full load of nappies, used to change the soaking water every day to stop it stinking the place out!

Then we moved in with a (male) friend while we re-did bits of our house. The bathroom was upstairs, the washing machine was downstairs, and I didn't think he'd appreciate a bucket of soaking terries in his bathroom. Plus I knew I couldn't carry a full bucket of nappies downstairs without spilling it. So we went onto disposables.

We moved into our own house, and the bathroom was very small, only space for a nappy bucket would have been in the bath. I'd still have had to cart the nappy bucket downstairs to the kitchen, or keep it in the kitchen. Well I know that's what my mum did, and then boil the nappies on the stove, I can still see that galvanised iron bucket in my mind! :rotfl: But I didn't fancy it myself.

So that was the end of using terry nappies! But the nappies were still very useful as sicky cloths for the other two, although I have to say that neither of them rivalled their big brother for puking ability. And that's something to bear in mind with all these fancy styles: nothing beats a terry or muslin square for slinging over your shoulder when you're burping a baby!

Come to think of it, I think they're still in a suitcase in my wardrobe ...

So, thoughts about my preferences. While I had no problem with terries themselves, you do have to give some thought to the practicalities of soaking them before washing them, and actually getting them to the washing machine. If you haven't got a tumble drier, your house will be permanently full of wet nappies in the average British winter, unless you are prepared to pop in and out of the garden every five minutes hanging them out as soon as it stops raining and hauling them in when it starts again.

Disposables are a lot less hassle - I'm not saying terries are a big hassle, but they are LESS hassle. But the landfill issue just doesn't go away, does it? I've heard of various schemes to recycle nappies into flowerpots etc but I'm not aware of any truly commercial schemes in operation.

And Jay-Jay, you may find your dear offspring has views of his/her own about 'proper' nappies vs. disposables ... A child wearing a terry nappy does KNOW when s/he is wet! They don't all care that much, but they do KNOW!

We use washable nappies on our son and you do not need to pre soak them. Most parents `dry pail` - sling them in a bucket without soaking then straght in the machine.

I'd also add that most systems available on the High Street are best avoided due to their unreliability. Most of the parents I know use nappies that are generally only available on line, eg Tots Bots, Fuzzi Bunz etc. There is a massive internet market out there, lots of chat rooms about reusable nappies (yes really) and nappy agents like myself trying to spread the word.

Needless to say this report made our hearts sink, but is based on a lots of assumptions (eg that we iron our nappies - what??) . I personally smell a rat, after all the large nappy manufacturers must have some influence, especially as Real Nappy Week is next month, a bit of bad publicity for us clothies doesnt go amiss!

Jay-Jay_4

Thanks so much for all your comments, I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

I may have another baby just to try them out properly

wheeze

that looks like a terry on your avatar!!

jellyhead

fab idea - is it moneysaving though? lol! if you use cloth nappies and breastmilk you might actually make a profit out of the extra child benefit, let us know how it goes

as for the nappy report i also wondered how much influence the big disposable manufacturers had over it, especially so close to real nappy week. hmmm .... as for ironing nappies my mum used terry squares and she never ironed them, i certainly won't be ironing my shaped nappies. what is ironing anyway, lol!

Jay-Jay_4

wheeze wrote:

that looks like a terry on your avatar!!

you're right....it does

Savvy_Sue

Jay-Jay wrote:

I may have another baby just to try them out properly

:rotfl: That is definitely NOT very moneysaving! And remember, all babies grow into TWO YEAR OLDS! (Or I'd still be having them!) And if you (and they) survive the terrible twos, they get to be SCARY TEENAGERS! :eek:

SaraSeahorse

http://www.wen.org.uk/general_pages/Newsitems/ms_LCA19.5.05.htm

interesting reading about this report

http://www.wen.org.uk/nappies/facts.htm


"A 1998 study by Best Foot Forward, an independent organisation recognised as experts in 'ecological footprinting'(3) compared disposable, home laundered and service laundered nappies. Footprinting is a recognised method of calculating the amount of land required to provide the resources and to absorb the wastes of all sorts of activities. It looks at the whole lifecycle of a product from its manufacture, through its use, to disposal. All materials, energy, water etc. used and residues created at any stage in the process are taken into consideration.

Best Foot Forward carried out comparative footprinting analysis of disposable and washable nappies with the following results.

Comparative footprints for nappies required, laundered and disposed of
for one baby over one year
Nappy system

Laundry service
Home laundered nappies
Disposable nappies
Environmental Footprint

1,600 sqm
2,300 sqm
4,300 sqm

This study concludes that disposable nappies have almost twice (1.8 times) the environmental impact of home laundered nappies and over two and a half times (2.6 times) that of service laundered nappies.

"

J_Tous

Thank all very much for this really useful information. I am having my first baby this year and am planning on using resuables as I can't bear the thought of all the waste produced by disposable nappies, plus it should save money in the long-run. I've arranged with a friend to have a nappy demonstration at home so that we can look at all the different options (and then I'll work out the cheapest way to do it!).

Luckily most of my friends and family feel the same way as me about this. But since the Environment Agency report came out I have had people say to me "aren't you pleased now that they have found out that disposables aren't any worse for the environment?". I agree that many of the assumptions in the report about real-nappy users were debatable - for example I have an A- rated washing machine, buy my wind-powered electricity from Npower Juice (which turned out to be cheaper than my existing supplier!), and have a washing-line for when the weather is nice. I'll also use environmentally-friendly cleaning products when possible (I'm sure there will be a few tips on Old-Style Moneysaving about nappy cleaning! Will it involve vinegar?....). And I definitely won't be ironing the nappies! Therefore, my nappies are likely to have less of an environmental impact that the samples used in the report.

I don't necessarily disagree with the report findings, but on how they were reported - for example, instead of saying that there is little difference in environmental impact it could have headlined with 'Reusable nappies can have much less environmental impact than disposables' if users take into account things like electricity etc. I think its such a shame than instead of using this opportunity for providing useful suggestions for people to lessen their environmental impact (and possibly save money), all the publicity and airtime just focused on the fact that reusables are also environmentally damaging. Everything we do is environmentally damaging! but there are ways to limit it. It was such a wasted opportunity - I doubt that Real Nappy Week will get this much airtime, and I also feel that the Environment Agency were rather irresponsible in not being more aware about how the report would be received by the media etc.

Anyway, that is my rant for today!

By the way, I also agree with the person who said that everyone has to do what is right for them. I am lucky in having a garden to hang washing in and the support of my family and friends, but like others may find the practicalities of it difficult - but I'll give it a go!