With no radiators/tumble drier, are cloth nappies suitable for me?!

[SKT27]

Hello, am expecting in Oct with first child, and wish to use cloth nappies for environmental/cost reasons, BUT, and it is a huge but, I have only underfloor heating, and as it is winter I can't line dry. Do mums experienced in the cloth way of doing things think this would be a real pain in the neck trying to get them dried? I don't really want to have to buy tons of them to allow for rotation but maybe this is the only way? Help!

Cheers for this - did you find it a hassle, or ok as you were washing other stuff at same time? Also, what brand would you recommend, and how many did you buy? Sorry, quite sure discussing nappies is the last thing you want to be doing on a sunday morning!

Hi.
We use this to help get them dry:
www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/Dry-Soon-Heated-Tower-Dryer - I love it.

Not a hassle at all. Much easier than regularly buying disposables, and disposing of disposables.

For quickness of drying, I like the www.thenappylady.co.uk/productDetail.asp?productid=106 or www.thenappylady.co.uk/productDetail.asp?productid=58&item=TotsWraps%20From%20Tots%20Bots, and www.babybots.co.uk/rumparooz_nappies.htm.

Can I recommend you use washable wipes too! They are ace, and if you are doing reusable nappies, you may as well.

Re how many, I would start off trying a few different types, really, and see what suits you best. Then stock up. I have lots of different types. Some also weren't so good on DS from birth (even though they said suitable from birth) but were brilliant from about six months.

Sorry, I did not mean to link to the wraps - I personally don't like wraps, I meant to link to these: www.thenappylady.co.uk/productDetail.asp?productid=142.

I started out with Pop ins dream dri, they come out of the washer practically dry. I found this site really useful, this links to their quick drying nappies section. Also their kits are quite good value and you get to ry a few types out then :)

If you have plenty of hanging space (overhead one, maybe?) then give it a go - you might want more nappies than you would otherwise.
I recommend getting piles of second-hand nappies from places like clothnappytree, which also means you can try different brands. After the first couple months I've had around 20 being used and some spares.

I found pieces of soft cloth were the best wipes until started weaning - then I started using ordinary wipes, but might try reusable types next time.

Ds is now out of nappies and I've never used the drier once for nappies (a couple times for grobag and sheets when ill, and pants when potty training, otherwise used about twice a year).

I didn't use washable nappies, so can't help with that, but this is a fantastic airer. Ikea do a version too, but I haven't seen it anywhere else.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8500368.htm

Hi, I'm in the same situation and have used bamibex teddies for the past 18 months. I pit them in the wash at 8pm and put them on an airer in the kitchen and they are good to go by 7am next morning. Any bamboo ones take ages.

Don't get bamboo and give them a good spin in the machine and they should dry within 24 hours. Bumgenius are pretty good.

I used old-fashioned terry squares from about 1yr with first baby and from 6 wks to potty training with the second. I have no tumbler. I used a laundry service to start with with first baby, maybe something to consider if you have one near you.

I found that you can dry outside for a lot of the year, then on the airer indoors for rest of the time. I liked the squares as they dried quickly and were flexible, I could change the folds to get a good snug fit on 2 differently shaped children (bit bulky on newborn, but doable). I used reusable wipes second time too, no extra bother if you're washing nappies too.

I used to do a nappy wash about 2-3 times a week.

I'm in the same position got my nappies s/hand so if I don't like them they don't 'need'to be worn out. I'm loving tots bots atm. Started of using disposables @night but they leaked. So instead I'm using cloth all the time but changing when I feed @night.
Got a lot of nappies to start with which we could afford as s/h, which helped with drying time. I'm now trying to work out which to get in next size up :o

You'll need to get into a routine - we washed every other day the nappies without fail, and were never caught short.

We do have radiators but the heating is hardly ever on, so in theory things should dry in your house if you have nice cosy underfloor heating.

We had about 20-25 nappies (tots bots shaped - not sure if they still exist - it's been a while!)

No reason i can see! I had DS in October but due to size started using re useables in Jan. I live in a small two bedroom flat with no garden, no radiators nor a tumble drier. I used the heated airer that nohumintended mentioned. And i agree with jamais you need some kind of routine and the nappies need to fully separate so that the layers are not too thick.

Ive no drier and underfloor heating and managed fine, i do have quite q huge stash mind you!!!
I wash in eve then air dry, i have a mix of nappies so some dry quicker then others. I have lots of bamboo but they just take a little longer to dry but not a prob as have quick drying nappies too!