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?

I feel like some posters are being a bit unfair to the OP here, some have mentioned 'judging' but actually I feel the opposite and think on these discussions it's the one who use the cloth nappies that are being judged for having "unhygienic / grim / shit filled washing machines"..

Honestly I think OP was raising a good point that there is so much more focus about reusables now but nappies don't seem to have reached mainstream like menstrual cups and the like.

I am a single parent, didn't have any help with my baby and her father was useless so between the baby, all the washing abd ironing, the house and a dog, I just couldn't add the pressure of making sure I had clean nappies washed and dried. Plus the upfront cost put me off.

I could barely keep up with washing and drying the clothes for my babies, I didn't hate myself enough to add washing nappies to my daily chores too.

I don't understand the people who say an extra load a week is as environmentally bad as producing and disposing of a weeks worth of nappies.
They are hard to dry in the winter because the inserts are so thick. I do get it, but women have been doing it for years and its worked.

One thing that makes it all worth while is the fact that cloth babies tend to toilet train easier than disposable babies because cloth feels wet so its easier to distinguish between dry (I havent had a wee) and wet (i have had a wee and now I'm all wet)
disposables feel dryer for longer.
I say this with experience in both.

I don't understand the people who say an extra load a week is as environmentally bad as producing and disposing of a weeks worth of nappies.

Not had a baby, so happy to be educated on this. Surely it's not just one extra load of washing a week? You'd have to have (pardon the pun) a shit ton of reusables to go a week without washing and drying them?

I tried them for a bit and my main issues were

-they leaked constantly
-despite following washing instructions they were poor at wicking
-they took ages to dry
-they require the use of harmful products harmful to the environment clean them
-my son has a disability that has an impact on his balance, due to the huge bulk of washable nappies they had a negative effect on his ability to walk
-picking him and a bag of dirty nappies up from nursery was great

@grannyinapram

I don't understand the people who say an extra load a week is as environmentally bad as producing and disposing of a weeks worth of nappies. They are hard to dry in the winter because the inserts are so thick. I do get it, but women have been doing it for years and its worked.

One thing that makes it all worth while is the fact that cloth babies tend to toilet train easier than disposable babies because cloth feels wet so its easier to distinguish between dry (I havent had a wee) and wet (i have had a wee and now I'm all wet)
disposables feel dryer for longer.
I say this with experience in both.

One load a week?

A new born baby on average requires upto 10 changes a day, that would be mean over 70 nappies as you would need nappies for day eight when the others are all in the wash. You would also struggle to find a washing machine large enough for 70 nappies.

An older baby needs around 5/6 that’s 42 nappies.

Bamboo takes ages to dry! The quick-drying material on my nappies is totally synthetic and it's ace, but then again some people want to use cloth nappies so they're using all natural materials.

Also, should have said that we have a downstairs bathroom with a shower that we never use - it's only there because our house was previously rented to students so the previous owners used all the rooms as bedrooms and put in showers and sinks wherever they could.

When I have to deal with a pooey nappy I put on rubber gloves, take the inside of the nappy out of the wrap, hold it over the loo and hold the shower head over that and wash off the poo. I then stick the poo-free nappy in the bucket to soak. It's really convenient and gets rid of all the poo rather than having it hanging around in a bucket or bin. If I didn't have my unnecessary downstairs shower, not sure I'd be so keen on cloth nappies. So yes it very much depends on circumstances.

I don't understand the people who say an extra load a week is as environmentally bad as producing and disposing of a weeks worth of nappies.

One load a week is incredibly niave!

Because a small baby is hard enough without adding another element into the mix. It's a lovely idea and maybe in the future but for now cloth nappies are a PITA too far.

Most people I know do too

It’s saved me a fortune. I don’t have to have a max rush to the shop when I get low and never have any bottom rash

I also got mine free through the council scheme to save landfill waste

@AaronPurr (I LOVE your username!)

We have to do two loads of nappies a week, and they dry on an overhead pulley. We went for terrycloths with waterproof wraps. The terrycloths aren’t expensive so we have plenty, and the wraps can be used for several nappies before they need changing, so it’s really just one or two of those per day.

I think it would be a lot more washing or a lot more expense if we had gone for another brand where the whole nappy needs washed, as those ones can be very expensive.

We will be using reuseable nappies.
But it was a minefield trying to find which ones to buy and plan a wash routine and work out how many we needed. It took alot of research and asking different people what they do.
With disposables, you buy one brand, they dont work, you've lost 9 quid.
Plus I am dreading the amount of washing I'll be doing, and planning holidays, we'll probably use disposables for holidays tbh.
I don't judge anyone for not wanting to do all.

We manage on 2 washes a week too. It’s been easy. Haven’t even needed to use the tumble dryer through winter as we use two part system too so not much bulk to dry.
In summer it’s lovely to have it all on the line.

Not too sure why people say you have to use environmentally damaging products to clean them as you’re not meant to use bio products on them so most use eco wash anyway

Also on leakages - I’ve only had poo leaks the odd time I’ve used a disposable

Modern cloth nappies seem bomb proof

For people concerned about wicking, I really recommend microfleece liners - they’re amazing. They come out of the washing machine virtually dry and they wick the moisture right away from your baby’s skin. They feel dryer than a disposable nappy when I change them, and they’re so soft against the baby’s skin.

YANBU at all. We used cloth nappies on our four. Helped the environment and saved us money in long run. There should be more support for mothers who want to try this. Right now you get disposable ones pushed on you and you really have to want to go cloth to be able to find them and use them correctly.

Because I don’t want to be handling wee and poo anymore than I have to and disposables are quicker and easier.

I wanted to use them recently, but theh really do seem like a faff. Having to research and test different types rather than simply buying a pack with the weekly shop. That, and "flicking poo" always seems to be mentioned. I dont want to do that.
I did try the kit and kin degradables but they weren't very effective.

@KatyClaire

For people concerned about wicking, I really recommend microfleece liners - they’re amazing. They come out of the washing machine virtually dry and they wick the moisture right away from your baby’s skin. They feel dryer than a disposable nappy when I change them, and they’re so soft against the baby’s skin.

Microfleece is damaging to the environment, thats the problem, it just exhanges one bad product for another.

Honestly, because they leak. Even if they don't leak to begin with, the child grows, changes shape so what used to work doesn't. You end up buying all kinds of brands and types to get them to work and it becomes a money pit. Then the PUL goes and you've wasted money.

Also the washing. I have tried with both DC to use them but both times have given up because I work full time and it's been too hard. Nursery treat them like disposables so they end up sat in wet nappies for far too long too, and so when I have to buy disposable for nursery it makes little sense to persist with cloth for the few hours they're at home.

Clothes won't fit well unless you spend out on expensive brands like frugi.

Going out is also a nightmare with cloth - having to pack a ton of material, wet bags etc. With disposables I go out with one nappy in my normal hand bag and one reusable wipe (which I do rate, they are fantastic).

Also good luck if your child has allergies and you're changing 14 poos a day for 6 months.

We had those biodegradable liners for our nappies so you could just peel them off cloth nappy if a poo and flush down the toilet. They still make them even though this was, god the youngest is 16 so ages ago.

www.cocooncenter.co.uk/bum-diapers-biodegradable-cloth-diaper-liners-roll-of-100/52790.html

I do get it, but women have been doing it for years and its worked.

Women. Women do it. Women spend their time doing this bloody extra drudge work when caring for a small baby is enough work.

If men had to do it, cloth nappies wouldn’t even be an option.

See also elective C section versus labour and vaginal birth.

@Onedropbeat

Most people I know do too

It’s saved me a fortune. I don’t have to have a max rush to the shop when I get low and never have any bottom rash

I also got mine free through the council scheme to save landfill waste

Out of curiosity where do you live if you dont mind my prying?

I think that there would absolutely be a higher uptake if councils gave them out for free or subsidised their usage but I dont know anywhere that does this. It's also probably why most of the people you know use them.

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]We had those biodegradable liners for our nappies so you could just peel them off cloth nappy if a poo and flush down the toilet. They still make them even though this was, god the youngest is 16 so ages ago.

www.cocooncenter.co.uk/bum-diapers-biodegradable-cloth-diaper-liners-roll-of-100/52790.html[/quote]
Please don't flush these down the toilet, despite being marketed for it products like this can still block pipes etc!