Re-usable Nappies - Want to be greener but help needed to get going

[Wills]

I've always wanted to be a little greener, unfortunately though with dd she was in disposables all the way. With only 5 weeks to go I'd really like to get myself kitted out to use re-usable but I'm completely lost as to where to start. Ideally I would like to find a company that clean them for me as I'm "not good" with pooh at the best of times hence why I failed first time round. I have a number of questions but would be grateful for any advice.

1. My dm is adament that disposable allow the baby's bottom to "breath" better thus preventing nappy rash. She's full of doom and gloom that if I use cloth nappies I will constantly be fighting the dreaded nappy rash. True/False.
   
2. There are sooo many different types and they are rather expensive - what in everyone's experience where best?
   
3. How do you go about finding a company to do the cleaning for you? Are they dependable? Do they supply the nappies or do you have to buy an initial load? (images of sewing names tags into nappies comes to mind).
   
4. If you are using a company to do the cleaning did you ever have qualms about using a piece of cloth that other babies could have poohed on?
   
5. Are cloth nappies any good for b/f babies? With dd her pooh was shooting out the ends and I get the impression that cloth nappies are far looser than dipsoable.
   
6. If you do clean your own - how the heck do you cope with that on top of everything else
   
   Would very much like to hear from people who are using re-usable nappies to hear their experiences.

[Katherine]

Go for it girl. Brill news Wills. What have you gone for? Have you looked on the Buy and sell forum at UK parents - you can expereiment at low cost then and there are plenty of new unused nappies come up if you prefer to just use new.

I've just bought a wool wrap and its brill - only used the fleece and PUL before as thought wool would be too much hassle but actually its easier as it only needs washing every week or so.

So glad you've switched - now we'll be able to talk nappies again
And don't forget to think about wipes - its so easy once you are using cloth nappies anyway and its amazing how much you save.

[bobsmum]

Good choice Wills! What nappies have you gone for after this epic of a thread?
If you've got any questions I'm sure there are enough cloth users on here to help out.

All the best

[Wills]

Done it! Finally, I've just ordered some nappies and hopefully will be contacted about some others to trial. I hope this works.

[bloss]

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[bea]

what happenned to it being your last post dadslib?... you do not need to answer this... it's a rhetorical question....

[elliott]

Ok, dadslib, I apologise for my rather rude posting - I'm afraid I let my irritation get the better of me. One reason I don't generally venture into heated debates.... I have to say I don't like labels either - I would never describe myself as 'green' (and certainly not a 'clothie' because it makes people assume 'well, you do 'x' therefore you must believe 'y' and do 'z' as well...anyway I'll shut up now before I say something else intemperate.

[zebra]

Can anyone follow what Dadslib just wrote?

[dadslib]

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[bloss]

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[bloss]

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[Ness73]

Yay on the bottle bank dadslib - good on you..

[dadslib]

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[anais]

Dadslib,"Your ideal seems to be individual responsibility, everyone should 'do their bit'. Is that not anarchy, when taken to its logical conclusion"

Absolutely not, that's society. People each taking reponsibility for themselves and their impact on the environment. And at any rate, what's wrong with anarchy?

Don't all supermarkets have recycling bins in the carparks? They certainly do round here. So it's hardly an effort is it? Sorry but I do think a lot of this is just apathy and laziness. The way we live now has such a huge negative impact on the planet, I think we have a responsibility to limit that as much as possible - put back some of what we are taking out. That's only fair isn't it? Anyone heard the saying "we do not inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Do you not want to at least try and give your children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren a chance at some kind of future???

Harrysmum, the big bottomed babies is one of the best bits imo! They look so cute in big cloth bottoms.

[jasper]

Dadslib, I agree with a lot of what you have said here.
Too tired to add any more just now

[Harrysmum]

Well, we are dipping our toes into the world of reusable nappies thanks to this thread! Just found fab service where I can borrow all types of nappies, wraps, liners etc for 2-3 weeks to give the concept and the products a fair trial before committing. I don't like buying without being able to make an informed decision (i.e. trying, not just reading) so this has made it possible. Not sure that we'll be more than 50% clothies due to work etc but I figure some is better than none. Only downside so far is the big bum thing; I have such a stringbean baby that it does make a difference to his clothes and appearance.


I do make an effort elsewhere with greenie things but don't know how much of that is down to it being so easy - fill up supermarket box with recycling through the week, take to supermarket on shopping day, empty recycling into designated bins in the car park and fill empty box with shopping. No effort at all. Don't know how much I would do were it not so easy so do have some (!) sympathy for Dadslib (incidentally, if you can't be bothered working out which colour goes into which bottle bank I'm sure your littlie would!).

[Katherine]

Not a raw nerve dadslib - I just find it irritating when people start a thread because THEY want to be green that someone like you seems to feel compelled to keep questioning the point of anyones efforts. Of ocurse you are entitled to your opinions and if you can't be bothered doing anything then that is your choice but I do think its wrong that you seem to want to keep questioning those who can be bothered and who do want to make the effort.

[zebra]

Tax on plastic carrier bags would be good, too. Seems to have been a smash hit successful policy in Eire.

[dadslib]

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[elliott]

I don't think he's a troll, but I suspect he's sitting at his pc rubbing his hands and muttering 'see, just wind them up and watch them go...'

I agree, not worth arguing with. Each point will be met by an increasingly infuriating and illogical rejoinder - he's not trying to put a coherent position together, just being provocative for effect!

[Tissy]

I still think he's a troll...he can't surely believe what he's saying?

Was that polite enough for you dadslib?

[bloss]

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[bloss]

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[zebra]

Yeah Dadslib, build more airport runways. That's a swell idea. Hardly controversial, are they?

I'd like to see that survey you refer to saying that airplanes are such an efficient mode of transport. All I can find are links that suggest otherwise. And what about noise pollution???

www.aef.org.uk/icsa/pp2.htm
www.andrew.h.lohmann.btinternet.co.uk/energy.htm
www.transformscotland.org.uk/info/docs/19990328AirTransport.pdf
www.transport2000.org.uk/

Don't mean to pick on you. It's good if you stand your grand for a proper debate.... but don't be surprised if I query the things you say that I can't believe!

[Katherine]

"I suspect that a lot of green ways to live your life are hard, time consuming and costly because that's the way 'greens' like it. It makes them feel conscientious, and sometimes a little smug. "

Thank goodness you are in the minority dadslib - otherwise our planet would be doomed! not to mention society!

So you think it is hard to sort bottles into 3 colours and push them into 3 different holes! You think it is hard to put your food scraps into a compost bin? you think it is hard to register with a green supplier of electicity. Please!

One of the biggest obstacles to greener living is not government inaction or even individual apathy - it is individuals who constantly spread the word that green living is hard work and try to make anyone who makes an effort out to be some kind of fanatic. The people on this thread have been sharing ideas about how they can take simple steps towards greener living. Why can't you just let us get on with it instead of constantly spreading falsehoods and misinformation. If you put as much effort into a greener lifestyle as you seem to be putting into winding people up here then imagine what you could achieve......

[Ness73]

Oh God, dadslib I'm surprised you can even be bothered to post - everything seems too much of an effort. How can you say the govt should be responsible for everything - aren't we all part of society? What about responsibility for your fellow human beings? Your attitude is naive at best - if you wait for the govt to fund all charities and save the environment, you'll be sorely disappointed.

I would have thought the future of your children's planet would at least give you the incentive to sort your bottles (um, green, white, brown - gee that was hard) at the bottle bank.