How many reusable nappies for starters?

[Mummyome]

I’m thinking of using the reusable cloth/popper style nappies this time around but I haven’t a clue how many I would need to buy? I dont want to risk running out or having thin leaking nappies, can any experienced reusable nappy users have any advice for me? Eg. How many should I buy? What liners are best & how many do I need per nappy? What type of powder/detergent do I wash them with? What else do I need? How often should I wash them? Etc.. HELP!!!

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MNHQ

Little Lambs and bamboozles here too and bumgenius.

You'll find loads of posts on here - it's easy to get slightly obsessed with the nappies!

I second don't go buying a load.
I would really recommend a nappy library and hiring a kit to see what you like.
I didn't do this and bought about 30 nappies, all different types, terries, wraps, AIO, BTP etc. Used one once and then couldn't be bothered with extra washing (i can barely keep up with what we have).
I'm now selling them all!!
Find out what works for you with a hire kit and go from there!

you've had the up-to-date advice, my only addition as an old-timer is that hanging nappies on the line is the best way to remove stains (esp milk poo). sunlight really is the best disinfectant!

g'luck op, i've seen them swing into and out of fashion over the years, good to know some people still do :)

We started with 20.

Annanimmity thank you, I’ll add ‘bumgenious’ onto this list ....‘little lambs’, ‘totsbots bamboozle’ & ‘baba & boo’ x

Thetardis thanks, our garden is surrounded by huge old trees so it’s not always the quickest whirligig, but we have just installed a fab old fashioned ‘pulley’ in our kitchen (we had one in our last house & loved it - dries clothes in no time) so I will prob be using that mainly..any other tips for removing stains?

i wouldn't dry nappies in the kitchen myself but ymmv :D

Dry them outside where possible,the sun does magic things to the stains.
I have about 20 totsbots easy fit nappies which is enough. I probably won't use them for the first couple of weeks while I get settled into newborn mode again!

i just dried them in the tumble drier.

I did realise that wasn't completely consistent with my motives behind using the nappies in the first place.

I used washable nappies with my DS and have been meaning to sell them on. He's 19!

SirB0bby oh wow..how on Earth did you source re-useables 19 years ago?? Did you make them yourself?

Teachermaths I would probably manage it in the summer but not in autumn/winter I don’t think! Thetardis our pulley is at the far side of our kitchen - Don’t worry...well away from food ha!

AnnaNimmity I will probably use our tumble dryer from time to time, but my husband worries it uses too much electricity & gives me a row every time I use it, we’ve had some pretty huge electricity bills in this cottage!! I personally don’t think it’s a problem, we all have to use electricity to a reasonable degree...

@Mummyome To be honest they haven't really changed much. The Motherease one size are exactly the same!

FWIW we found Bumgenius worked well on a skinny baby and Totsbots and Blueberry on a chubby one, less well vice versa. Two of three were allergic to disposables so we had a huge incentive to keep with the washables!

Nursery were happy to use any nappies that didn't need separate wraps - another reason to go second hand was a couple times, a temp worker threw away a nappy not realising it wasn't a disposable... Lost the only new nappy I ever bought!