Cloth Nappies

[LoveYouHoneybear]

I'm sure there have been a million threads about this but I'm really interested in using cloth nappies for my upcoming baby. However, I only have a washing machine, not a dryer. Would that be a problem? How many diapers would I need? Anyone recommend a brand? Thanks a lot!

[LittleTiger007]

I’m not experienced with this but am pregnant and hope to use cloth nappies ... so I’m interested to see what people say!

We have brought a bambino mio starter pack as it was on offer (about a month ago) ... but I know we will need to add more. I would imagine that if you don’t have a dryer you will need more nappies, simply because the turn around won’t be so quick.
I think I will use disposable in the hospital and for the first week or so for convenience and then get into a routine with washing nappies. After the initial outlay of money it should be cheaper and much better on the environment. It also helps with potty training. My best friend used cloth nappies and all three children were potty trained completely before they were two.

[MrsG30]

I used cloth nappies part time for 2 years with my DS.

I never tumble dried them as I was scared of ruining the waterproofing, and didn’t tumble dry the absorbent inner bit as I found they leaked constantly and I didn’t want to do anything to risk reducing absorbency (my son was an insanely heavy wetter)

So I’d do a rinse at 60, wash with detergent on a long wash, then hang on airers or outside on line to dry.

I had a right mix of nappies, the bambino mios I found dried pretty quick as they are microfibre - I did always need to boost them though to get more than half hour with them (based on my son, it might not be that for you)

If you’re going to try a few different types, then I really recommend close pop ins. I found those fabulously absorbent, easy to wash and use and he still had room in them when he potty trained at 2. They were also the only nappy that would see him through the night (with the night booster - and we tried everything, Lenny lamb, bamboozles, grovia- you name it, I think I tried it 😂)

I ended up with a huge stash of nappies. I can’t really remember how many we used per day, perhaps 8 or so but more earlier on - so you need enough for a full day and night wear, with one lot in the wash and one lot drying - perhaps with a few extra spare just in case.

[NamechangeTTC]

I’m following as interested.

[EithneBlue]

I'm still pregnant but intending to use cloth and also don't have a drier. What I do have (and might be worth you looking at if budget allows) is a basic heated airer. I've got both Tots Bots Peenut nappies and Little Lamb nappies to start with (all bought off ebay) and will then sell on any style that I don't use/get on with. When I did a test wash with them I found that the inners dried fine overnight on the heated airer and they would definitely be fine on the washing line in warmer weather :-) I've avoided the all in one style because they take longer to dry: I am really hoping baby fits the Tots Bots as they seem so incredibly easy to use!

[RestorationInsanity]

I'm due in a couple of weeks and also gearing up to use reusable nappies. Most brands don't recommend a tumble dryer as they can damage the fabrics, elastic etc and generally lead to the nappies having a shorter lifespan. You could try muslins and a cover to start with as these should dry very quickly. I've gone for the bubblebubz one size as recommended by the nappy lady and these are bamboo, which is slower to dry. I have a range so they dry fine overnight in front of that, as well as a ceiling airer, but imagine drying time would only be a few hours outside on a dry blowy day, even if not that warm.

I'd try the nappy lady questionnaire, as it can tailor recommendations to your specific circumstances. You can then hire some trial kits or buy elsewhere, but it's a good source of information. Good luck!

[3JsMa]

I used standard,square nappies made of muslin with my first DS.
I dried them on clothes dryer and ironed afterward.They were pretty thin so dried pretty quickly.
With my last 2 I finally was able to use,proper,modern reusable nappies and they tend to be a bit thicker but they did dry nicely outside or just in the radiator in winter months.
I used GroVia and they were pretty good although wasn't brave enough to use reusables overnight.

[Moo678]

I’ve cloth bummed 3 and have never had a drier.

Brand preference is very personal - I love tots bots and bumgenius. If I was buying new all over again I might just stick with tots bots :)

[OhThatNamingThing]

Best not to use a dryer anyway as previous posters have said. It can ruin the elastic and waterproofing. I used cloth from day 1 with my daughter and am planning the same with this baby too.
Look into the different nappy styles, I found I preferred the two in one system and just changed the inserts inside the wrap unless the wrap was wet or the nappy was a poop one. It meant I could go out for the day with a couple wraps prepped and a bunch of inserts, but I know some mums prefer the ease of using all in one nappies. In the early days I was probably using about 7 nappies during the day and a few at night too, by the time she was 2, it was just the one nappy at night and 3 or 4 during the day.
On a sunny day nappies will be dry outside pretty quick, we used a dehumidifier and warm room during the wet, cold months and it took a couple days for the inserts to be completely dry. All in ones dry quicker, bamboo inserts take forever to dry but soak up the most wee. We had enough nappies to do 2 full days and washed almost everyday. You can get packs of wraps and inserts from Amazon pretty cheap, called little bloom, not the prettiest, but handy. Second the poster recommending close pop in, they are gorgeous to look at and hold everything inside! I also liked giggle, tickle tots and we used tots bots peanut wraps and inserts with the bamboozle nappies for night time.
Congratulations! And good luck! One of my favourite things about pregnancy was buying all the cute cloth nappies.

[OhThatNamingThing]

Oh also if you are buying second hand, or if you have the same nappies for a long time, the ammonia can build up. Look into strip washing, basically using a very small amount of bleach with the insert/cloth bits. It’ll strip the ammonia out and will help your nappies stay softer for longer