AIBU to wonder why more people don’t use reusable nappies?

[KatyClaire]

I have a fairly new baby and I’m a little surprised at how few people I’ve encountered are using reusable nappies. I haven’t met anyone using them in my antenatal group / baby classes / local parents group etc. There has been such an explosion in the use of reusable products (sanitary products, straws, cups, make up wipes etc) that I had assumed it would have crossed into nappies as well.

I don’t know whether it’s a perception issue (people thinking they’re messy and hard to clean), the upfront cost, confusing information etc?

It’s really unpleasant to start making all of this personal and categorising all cloth nappy users as those who are an odd group in society and claiming they all are evangelical ‘cloth bummers’ who have a vendetta against disposables.

It’s exactly these kind of labels which make it harder for people to consider the actual nappy facts and make an informed choice for themselves, because the nappies become tied up with their views of the supposed users.

I agree that some cloth users don’t do themselves any favours and are insensitive and smug. But there are many who aren’t at all and are just normal people finding the cloth nappies do suit their babies, save them money and help reduce landfill. That’s it.

People should look at the issue for their own situation and based on the facts. It’s too easy to dismiss even giving the possibility thought, because of a stereotype of the kind of person who uses reusables. And when the discussion moves away from looking at people’s experiences and the nappies themselves to just attacks in groups of people (who use either kind of nappy) we’ve all lost out.

With babies, we all need nappies of some kind. There’s a choice and people are free to use whatever they like. There are pros and cons of each. Isn’t it just about being fully aware about both to make an informed choice. Particularly with reusables, there are lots who do t have much info or know anyone who uses them, along with some misinformation. There are facts that can be shared as well as personal experiences of their use, which differ, which can help people choose.

However there is never a substitute to having a go for yourself. It’s why I’d hope that one day schemes will be available for all new mums to have the chance to try some cloth nappies for free on their baby, so they can see if they like them or not. Not everyone will, but given a chance to try, more people certainly would see advantages for their family and landfill too.

@WombatChocolate thank you for your measured posts and for taking time to write about the subject; your posts have been the best thing on this thread TBH.

I have tried the cloth nappies and I don’t think they worked for me at that time (and I say me because I did all the work connected with them

• the OP’s situation is completely exceptional in that regard).

But they’re still in the loft and it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give it another shot, now my son has settled into a less frequent poo pattern. Particularly as it’s lockdown and we can’t really bloody go anywhere.

I'll take lazy and selfish over swimming in poomageddon every day.

@NewCatMummy does making a comment like that make you feel good? Because as someone pointed out earlier, being an arsehole is not the way to win people round to your way of thinking, if you want people use use reusable nappies. Unless you don’t ‘cloth nappy’ for any reason other than it makes you feel superior to other mums.

There is so much wrong information out there about them:

You do not have to soak them. Or boil them.

They smell less than disposables.

They do get more wee leaks but you don't get the poonami up the back problem you do with disposables.

They are actually good for their hips.

Bambino Mio miosolos are rubbish but so accessible so many people pick one up from the supermarket, find it leaks then write reusables off entirely.

If anyone is considering them or having problems I recommend joining Cloth Bum Mums on Facebook

People are just too lazy and selfish to do it because it’s a bit more hassle

Yeah and?
Convenience will win EVERY time with me

I don't want the washing machine and dryer running all day, how ecologically poor is that.

I don't have the time, disposable nappies cost pence for Lidl or Aldi.

Looking forward to OP starting weaning and dealing with those nappies..

[quote KatyClaire]@wrinklyelbows as I said - determined to find fault![/quote]
Stop trying to gaslight people.

Just done a field test - my baby has had his nappy on since 10:30 last night and the liner feels dry as crisp Sauvignon Blanc against his skin

I think the verbing of cloth nappy comes from the US where the word diaper is used as a verb anyway - so it doesn't sound weird to include cloth.

Sounds weird in the UK because we don't generally talk about "nappying" we just talk about changing.

Ebay is not a good measurement for cloth nappy prices because they usually delete those listings as you are not allowed to sell used underwear on there. There used to be like another ebay for cloth nappies, can't remember its name now - I expect it's all on facebook or nappy forums these days. You could get them significantly cheaper there, although premium brands would still attract a premium price, especially a retired print.

Just as a nappy gets a scrub first and then in the machine for a warm/hot wash with decent detergent. Missing out the violets step but that's just a pretty weak laundry detergent so isn't really doing much in that process. With cloth nappies it's on a bigger scale but much the same process as you would with soiled items, it's nothing massively extraordinary and definitely not unhygienic

Thing with cloth nappies though is you can’t use bio detergent and wash on 60 can you? At least the ones I tried you couldn’t, they had to be washed with non bio on a gentle cycle and not tumble dried.

The violets I used to try and soak out the stains. It was one of the few detergents listed as compatible with cloth.

With a soiled vest or pants it’s a one off, while nappies are going in the wash almost daily so I’d be surprised if the machine didn’t trap poo fragments over time. I guess you could put it on a cleaning cycle at 90 after each nappy wash but that’s not very eco friendly either.

The nurseries I used, it stated in their brochures they don’t take cloth and parents must use disposables. To me the thought of poo-soiled nappies in wet bags in the child’s rucksack is really off putting, especially in hot weather; those wet bags must be a breeding ground for bacteria and microbes.

Bravo. You win at parenting for 9 weeks.

@HikeForward

Just as a nappy gets a scrub first and then in the machine for a warm/hot wash with decent detergent. Missing out the violets step but that's just a pretty weak laundry detergent so isn't really doing much in that process. With cloth nappies it's on a bigger scale but much the same process as you would with soiled items, it's nothing massively extraordinary and definitely not unhygienic

Thing with cloth nappies though is you can’t use bio detergent and wash on 60 can you? At least the ones I tried you couldn’t, they had to be washed with non bio on a gentle cycle and not tumble dried.

The violets I used to try and soak out the stains. It was one of the few detergents listed as compatible with cloth.

With a soiled vest or pants it’s a one off, while nappies are going in the wash almost daily so I’d be surprised if the machine didn’t trap poo fragments over time. I guess you could put it on a cleaning cycle at 90 after each nappy wash but that’s not very eco friendly either.

The nurseries I used, it stated in their brochures they don’t take cloth and parents must use disposables. To me the thought of poo-soiled nappies in wet bags in the child’s rucksack is really off putting, especially in hot weather; those wet bags must be a breeding ground for bacteria and microbes.

Yes unfortunately the washing instructions from a lot of nappy companies are rubbish. They're not delicate silk, there's no need to treat them so carefully IMO. Anything as dirty as a nappy needs a proper wash and regardless of manufacturers advice I wash all of mine in bio detergent at 40/60. They are all prewashed to get out the worst of the soiling and then washed again on a warm/hot cycle in fresh water to bring them up really clean. In nearly 18 months I haven't had a nappy suffer any ill harm from this and DD has only ever had teething nappy rash. I think the poor washing advice from companies must play a part in the troubles people have with cloth nappies and stains and rashes. I wouldn't trust a cool, delicate cycle with rubbish detergent to get my clothes clean, never mind nappies.

My machine smells fresh, my nappies smell fresh and so do my clothes and other laundry so I can't find myself getting too emotional about poo particles.

It's a shame your nurseries had that attitude as clearly a lot are much more open minded and supportive. Honestly working in a nursery and having children snot, sneeze and vomit onto me, I can't count my nearly wrapped up cloth nappy in a bag as one of the biggest bacteria concerns 😂

I grew up in a household where shitty horse rugs were cleaned in the washing machine and bits / stirrups in the dishwasher, so I can’t say the concept of poo particles causes me too much grief either

We use tots bots nappies. They can be washed at 60 and tumble dried. We don’t soak. Just wash at 60 every other day. We don’t tumble dry. Wash in morning, hung on rack indoors atm (outside in summer), and they are dry the next morning.
If people’s laundry takes a week to dry indoors your house must be either very cold or damp.
Ours are just white.

I have them but they work MUCH better as burp/spit-up cloths. Considering how many babies go through, I find it's cheaper just to buy the diapers. The water bill, electric bill, the detergent + more because of how often you'd have to do the laundry...it's just easier.

@MerryDecembermas

Looking forward to OP starting weaning and dealing with those nappies..

I dealt with 'those' nappies with my first 3 kids and soon with my 4th.. Nothing particular problematic there.

I'm surprised at the issues some people have with the idea of putting dirty clothes in a washing machine. Yes washable nappies will be more obviously soiled but most of the poo doesn't go into the washing machine and... well it's a washing machine, it's there to wash... in my years of washable nappies I've never had any issue with my washing machine breaking because of it or anything smelling bad. I use soap nuts in the main and it does the job perfectly well in my experience.

[quote KatyClaire]@wrinklyelbows as I said - determined to find fault![/quote]
So. You started a thread on AIBU: a board specifically designed to ask for other people's opinions on matters. Your thread was posed in a way that would invite people to discuss both the pros and the cons of cloth nappies. But when people mention the cons (of which there are plenty, otherwise everybody would be using them and there wouldn't even be a need for disposables to have been invented) you aren't interested in listening and people are searching for faults to spite you? So really the only point in posting a faux question was to soapbox about an issue that is (bizarrely) an important issue to you, and humble brag about how great you are? I implore you to find a hobby.

I have a 6yo and a 3yo. My nappy days are behind me. I used disposables from day 1 because I wanted to - convenient, easy. The amount of times my nappy choices have come up in daily conversation probably totals 4. Anybody who mentioned they used reusables didn't receive an award. Find a more important issue to preach about.

With the first 2 kids I bought a bundle of used nappies for about £40 and that did both. Poo was flicked down the loo if possible, then dry pailed and a nappy wash done every other day.

Rinse cycle, then long cotton wash on 60 with an extra rinse. Bio washing powder. Tumble dried if needed. If they started getting smelly I'd strip wash them, but that was only every few months at the most.

We were in a slightly different financial position with #3 so he had some new nappies as well as the old ones, but they all got the same treatment.

I tried, but then my baby had CMPA and reflux. The milk just went through her until we got on top of things. Her record was 22 poo nappies in 24 hours. We quickly ran out of reusables and went to our disposable back up. Managing her needs and recovering from a brutal EMCS meant it was 6 months before I had the energy to retry the reusables... and she had outgrown all the ones we had bought and hardly used.

I regret not trying to get back into using reusables and do feel bad about the waste we created 😥

@IndecentFeminist

With the first 2 kids I bought a bundle of used nappies for about £40 and that did both. Poo was flicked down the loo if possible, then dry pailed and a nappy wash done every other day.

Rinse cycle, then long cotton wash on 60 with an extra rinse. Bio washing powder. Tumble dried if needed. If they started getting smelly I'd strip wash them, but that was only every few months at the most.

We were in a slightly different financial position with #3 so he had some new nappies as well as the old ones, but they all got the same treatment.

This is a genuine question, but doesn't the fact you have to wash them twice, on their own, and then tumble dried negate the environmentally friendly aspect of reusables? You're just replacing one ecologically damaging act with another, surely?

Ultimately its personal choice but it's v disingenuous to suggest that the cost saving / environmental benefits are minimum or do not exist. It is pretty obvious that using cloth nappies is considerably cheaper and it is better for the environment even with the washing added into the equation.

I cloth nappied incredibly needy twins (breastfed at least every 90 min for 18 months), no tumble drier. Of course it’s possible and of course it’s more environmentally friendly than binning a load of disposables that’ll be in landfill for hundreds of years. People are just too lazy and selfish to do it because it’s a bit more hassle

I know I shouldn't bite but seriously!! Maybe I am lazy and selfish but it's a damn sight better than being dead and I'm telling you that I got that close even with the convenience of disposable nappies. Anything extra would have tipped me over the edge.

Wonder what a big national scheme would look like - like council subsidiaries there are in some places or full cloth library? How much would it cost for every new born to be given three nappies? Would national rubbish collection and disposal costs go down enough to compensate?

I am an accidental cloth nappy-er. I was looking into it with DS2 then my childminder gave me a bundle of old cloth nappies she had and I was off. Didn’t have to think about which type etc