Switching To Reusable Nappies
The first major change I decided to make in the quest to becoming waste free was switching from disposable nappies to reusable cloth nappies.
Our child is nearing his first birthday, and over the last year both my husband and I have noticed a significant increase in the amount of waste our household creates. This is mainly down to the amount of nappies and wipes needed during daily clean ups.
In the UK alone, more than 8 million disposable nappies are thrown out each day. These are thought to remain in landfill sites for some hundreds of years before they’re fully decomposed. It is thought that using reusable nappies for just one child can cut a person’s carbon footprint down by 40% compared with using disposables.
However, when I started my research into reusable nappies I became extremely confused by the quantity and variety of products available, and if i’m honest it took a good week of research before I finally got my head around it! This was mainly due to the number of items that accompany cloth nappies, such as boosters, liners, inserts etc.
I have complied my findings into this blog to help those of you who are considering cloth nappies and are wanting some advice about where to start:
Firstly, here are the items I would advise purchasing if you are planning on using reusable nappies. The upfront cost may be high, but over the two/three years of a child’s nappy wearing life, it actually works out cheaper than using disposables!
- A nappy bin – Preferably with a lid to keep in smells.
- Laundry bags – To line the nappy bin, and to prevent the need of handling the dirty nappies.
- 15-20 nappies – If used full time, possibly more if using for newborns.
- Nappy liners – A thin disposable layer that works to catch the poo, not essential but so so much easier!
- Boosters – I actually add one to each nappy, just to provide an extra layer of absorbency, and we haven’t had any leaks so far!
- Inserts – These are the primary absorbency layer, the nappies we chose to use are “all in one” nappies so we didn’t need to purchase these. Some nappies have separate covers, that go over the insert layers.
- A wet bag – To store dirty nappies on the go.
Essential reusable nappy tips
- Do not use fabric softener as it reduces the absorbency of the nappies.
- Using tumble dryers can wear the nappies down faster, and increases the carbon emissions of using cloth nappies.
- Get into the habit of changing nappies frequently, every 2-4 hours.
- For night time nappy use, use extra boosters for more absorbency.
- Use the sun as a natural way of drying and stain removal!
- The absorbency of the nappies increases over time. This means that new nappies should be washed at least once before use, and to expect it to take a couple of washes before they are fully absorbent.
Misconceptions
Nappies need to be soaked in water before washing
- This is no longer needed! Washing with non-bio detergent is enough to get them clean. Extra laundry cleansers can be used to keep them stain free if required.
They are more hassle and time consuming
- I haven’t found this to be true! I wash the nappies every two days, in the evening and put them out to dry on the radiators before bed! It takes 10 minutes in total to put the washing machine on and nappies out!
You have to spend time scraping poop out the nappies
- This isn’t the case! If disposable liners are used they catch most or all of the poo! This means they just need to be removed, disposed of and the nappies can go straight in the nappy bin, ready for washing.
They leak, and need to be changed frequently
- We use Bambino mio all in one nappies, and i have not experienced leaking so far! Our one year old uses these through the night, for approximately 12 hours, and we have not had any leaks. We use these with an extra booster layer.
Choosing the right nappy for you
There are loads of different brands and types of nappies currently available, and it is sometimes best to try a variety of different ones to find the best fit for your baby. I will post a separate blog post on the different types and sizing of reusable nappies, so keep an eye out for that!
Some areas have nappy libraries where you can go and try a variety of nappies to see which is the best fit for your baby! These are amazing and prevent you from buying the wrong nappies.
It’s also important to check your local area, as some councils offer cash back incentives where cloth nappies are used!
