Right, I want to use reusables for this baby, but I have lots of questions!!!!! I am new to this, can anyone help?????

[bumponboardagain]

Never used reusables before. Baby is due in the new year and due to finances, I am considering using washable nappies for this baby (my 3rd dc). I have a lot some questions, some of which may seem a bit stupid, but hope someone can help!! Here goes!

1. What is a good brand to use? I want something that doesnt take days to dry on the clothes airer in the house, but can also be bunged in the dryer in an emergancy! A nappy that will last, fits well and doesnt leak!!

1. How many will I need and will I need to get different sizes? What about extra bits- 'liners' and 'inserts' etc?

1. What do you do with the used nappies? Basically, how do you remove the sticky baby poo? Do they need rinsing before soaking and if so how do you rinse them? Do you just put wet nappies straight in to soak or rinse first?

1. What do you soak them in and how long for? Do they create much of an odour while soaking?

1. How often do you do a nappy wash?

Thanks for reading!

Hi, I use wonderoos and find them good. They didn't fit leak free at first as dd had skinny legs but I've used them from 8 weeks old. People sell them second hand on eBay.

I use them in the day (I use disposables at night) and wash every 3 days so 20.

I have the birth to potty ones so only one size to buy.they come with absorbing inserts and you cam get more to add adsorbance if you start to get leaks.

you dry pall them in a nappy bucket in a net and put them in the net in the machine with half your normal amount of non bio at 60.

You put a paper liner in which catches the pooh, you then flush or bin that.

you need to change them more often than chuckables every 2 ish hours rather than every 4.

You need to experiment with fitting and inserts to get them leak free.

get microfibre inserts they dry so much faster than bamboo or hemp.

I use bumbles by easypeasy with motherease wraps. The nappy slightly depends on the shape of child so you might want to try a few out but for wraps definitely motherease. You probably need around 20, plus a few more if you need spares at nursery, for instance. I do a nappy wash every 2 days. I don't soak or do any thing apart from bung them in a bucket lined with a net and then bung the net into the wash.

So I have 20 nappies that should say.

Bum genius are also good.

The type I use and prefer are referred to generically as pocket nappies as they just have 2 bits, a shell and the inserts. When used you shake the insert out of the shell into the nappy bin so the two bits get washed separately.

I use Bumgenius v4 - they are fabulous. They fit from birth to potty - and my DS is huge.
Try googling 'nappy lady' she has a fantastic website with a questionnaire you can fill in all about your requirements and it will generate a recommendation for you.

I use Bumgenius v3 - these are now being used on DS2 having been used on DS1 from 6 weeks - 2 years. I only stopped using them on DS1 when morning sickness and extreme exhaustion intervened. They come in 3 parts - 1 outer bit and 2 inserts made of fleece type material which you put inside the outer bit. You can choose whether to use one or both inserts depending on how heavy a wetter you have. The bumgenius is a birth to potty - it has snappers down the front so that you can gradually increase the size as baby grows.

I've found them fine to use during the day, but I prefer to use disposables at night.

So apply nappy as usual! When taking off, with newborn poo, I don't bother to scrape it off at all, I pull the inner liners from the outer wrapper then drop them both into the nappy pail. You don't really even need to do this as in most cases the liners come out of the wrapper in the wash anyway. I don't think that the nappy bucket smells and I use a few drops of teatree oil under the lid to combat any smells. Later on down the line, toddler poos either go straight down the loo or pushed off with a wodge of toilet roll.

I don't bother to soak nappies: I have a nappy bucket with a close fitting lid and a mesh bag to line the bucket. Nappies go in the mesh bag then when full, I just lift the bag out and put it straight in the washing machine. I use non-bio powder and use 2 tsp per wash. I do a cold rinse, wash at 40 then further rinse. Once a month I do a 60 degree wash with no detergent to ensure that no detergent remains in the nappies (this is known as a strip wash). Any poo stains get bleached out by the sun.

I do a nappy wash about every 2-3 days.

HTH!

Thank you both! You make it sound easy!

So I dont need to have any sort of soaking liquid in the bucket? Just a dry empty bucket? And I dont need to rinse at all?

Just of to look up to google the brands youve suggested. :) Thank you!

Nope no soaking liquid. I do a rinse first, then wash. I've heard that a cold rinse helps to stop the smell of urea setting in the fabric.

Sorry - I don't soak them and wash about twice a week now that he's older (22mo). In the early days I washed prob every other day. Never noticed the smell as most of the poo (if not all) is flushed away.
I use a disposable overnight though and DS pees a lot at night and I can't be arsed getting up

I used cloth nappies for 5 years (2 children) and although it's been over 6 months since youngest was out of them, I still feel obliged to treat myself to the odd little thing with the money that I saved over those years.

I used a mixture of Bumgenius, Wonderoos, Fluffles, Motherease and Bumbles (last 3 with Motherease wraps). All have pros and cons - I would suggest getting a few different ones (I think nappy sellers like The Nappy Lady do mixed samples) and seeing what suits you. Fluffles dry incredibly quickly, which might be useful if you've washing for 5 of you... They're also very fluffy and very white and it's a shame to have to cover them with a wrap...

Somewhere between 15-20, depending on the type and how often you wash. Not as many wraps. I used hemp boosters once babies got over a year to make them last longer. Washable liners and wipes saved loads of cash and hassle of running out. Lots of nappies are birth to potty though if you do buy sized ones bear in mind that the medium sizes often start at 10-12lbs, so you may not need many or even any of the small ones.

I 'dried pailed' as they call it ie washed any poo off the nappy down the toilet with the shower hose and put them in a net in a nappy pail. Did a wash every 2-3 days, washed nappy bucket out with hot water, tea tree oil and lavender oil. The bucket just sat in the corner of the bathroom - no external odour.

Washed with TINY amount of Fairy at 60 degrees, occasional 90 if baby had had a bug or something like that. NO fabric softener. Occasionally 'striped washed' with washing up liquid when they became less absorbent.

HTH. I miss my nappies.

Sorry, x-posted my last post.

One more question, is it important to use only a small amount of washing powder?

Thanks everyone, sound so easy, have had a quick look at some and they look lovely! Will go and visit the Nappy Lady website.....

Of course you have lots of questions - there's lots of different nappies!

You don't need to soak nappies before washing
They don't smell while waiting to collect a washload in a lidded bucket
I do a nappy wash every other day
I use disposable liners so lift out the poo and flush before putting the nappy in the bucket
I put the nappies through a rinse cycle first, then a 40degree cycle with sanitiser and fast spin.

Different nappies are made of different materials, different materials have different benefits - bamboo is very absorbent, so can be quite slim fitting but will be slow drying.
Microfleece nappies are less absorbent but amazingly quick drying

Tumble drying - depends on your kind of nappy. If you use 2 part nappies (separate absorben t nappy, and waterproof cover) then you can tumble the nappy, but its not good for the waterproof part. So tumble drying isn't generally recommended for all-in-one nappies.

All-in-ones are the most like disposables to use

Whether you need different sizes depends again on the specific nappies, some adjust, normally with poppers, to fit as your baby grows, others come in 2 or 3 different sizes

I'm due at the end of this month with my first, so here is what I've learned so far!

1. What is a good brand to use? I want something that doesnt take days to dry on the clothes airer in the house, but can also be bunged in the dryer in an emergancy! A nappy that will last, fits well and doesnt leak!!

This very much depends on the shape of your baby, which a) you won't know til they're born and b) will change as they grow. Two part systems (separate fluffy bit and waterproof bit) are the most adaptable although less convenient than all in one systems.

Fastest to dry are flat nappies - old school terries, or cotton prefolds. Next quickest are AIO types, but you can't tumble dry these (it can melt the laminate stuff that makes the outside waterproof). Last are the fitted - these come in various different fabrics with different drying and absorbency qualities, with bamboo being the most absorbent/slowest to dry and microfibre the least absorbent/fastest drying.

You can, however, use a bamboo booster with a microfibre fitted nappy. The flat booster will dry faster than if it were a many-layered, elasticated shaped nappy.

2. How many will I need and will I need to get different sizes? What about extra bits- 'liners' and 'inserts' etc?

New borns generally don't fit AIO systems, which seem to cater for babies 10lb+. A newborn will get through 10-12 nappies per day, an older baby will last 3-4 hours during the day and longer with the right boosting over night - boosting makes the nappy very bulky, so hard for baby to move around.

Liners are either disposable or fleece (or silk if you're rich/have truly evil nappy rash). Disposable ones just stop the worst of the poo getting to the nappy, making washing easier. Fleece ones wick urine away from baby's skin.

Inserts and boosters are the same thing. They make the nappy more or less absorbent, depending on what you want the nappy to do and how long you want to go between changes.

3. What do you do with the used nappies? Basically, how do you remove the sticky baby poo? Do they need rinsing before soaking and if so how do you rinse them? Do you just put wet nappies straight in to soak or rinse first?

Bf poo soaks in. Weaned poo can roll off into the toilet (if you're lucky!) or hold the nappy in the flow of the toilet flush. Then put it into a mesh bag in a lidded bin or bucket. A sanitary pad with a few drops of teatree or lavender should sort smells. No water, that just makes poo soup!

4. What do you soak them in and how long for? Do they create much of an odour while soaking?

See above re dry-pailing. A cold rinse, then a 40* wash with a tbsp powder, then another rinse or two seems to suit most people.

5. How often do you do a nappy wash?

Every 2-3 days seems pretty standard.

This is brilliant, and so easy. Will be showing this thread to dh as he is not convinced about the washable nappy idea. I think I have been converted though, and will be giving washables a go. Will probably use disposables at night though once the baby is hopefully sleeping through! I really cant believe how easy it is! Wish Id used them with my other two children now!

Just thought of another question for you all!!

Did you use them from birth/first few weeks? Did you buy before baby was born or wait? I like the idea of the sample packs and giving them a try before commiting to one brand/type as it is quite an investment, but wonder should I be using the washables from when we return home from hospital so that Im not tempted into the habbit and convenience of disposables??

I used them from about 2 months with my oldest, which was mainly because I hadn't researched it all before she was born and it took me that long to get it together and buy them.

I used them from much earlier with ds, when the meconium had finished I think. A friend of mine took them into hospital when she went into labour, and used them from day 1 but that's pretty hard core.

I'd suggest getting a sample pack and paraphenelia (nappy bucket, liners, wraps are essential) and having them ready at home to use as soon as you can.

I used them as soon as home from hospital

Nothing much to add to the advice above, we used Bumgenius V3. Saved us a fortune particularly as DS is 2.8 and not potty trained yet!
The initial outlay is big though so be prepared for that. I really liked www.lizziesnappies.co.uk they have a questionnaire thing to try to work out which brand/type would be best for you.
In answer to your last question we didn't use from birth as i was worried about the extra washing with a newborn, we started around two/three months. Because we had spent the money we were determined to use them!

i use bumgenius flips...they have pros and cons

pros - easy to use, i just tip the lot into a lidded bucket and then into my twintub with some cold water for an initial bash about, then do a normal wash with ecover. they dry very quickly. they are absolutely bombproof when it comes to poosplosions!

cons - my baby is a very heavy wetter and from 3mo needed to inserts, which mkes the nappy really bulky so i think just cant be comfy for her really. she was also up to the last set of poppers by 5mo so if she grows anymore we have nowhere to go and given i spent a small fortune on them i had hoped to get more use from them.

all in all i dunno if i'd get them again - i chose these because of the biodegradable inserts you can get but havnt used that option yet!

overnight forget it - pampers last 12hrs and seem much more comfy.

oh yes, they also seem tight around her thighs but baggy around the waist so a bit of a weird fit for sum too...

I'm so out of touch as my cloth bottomed bub is moe 13 but they are great !

I used everything from shaped to pocketed to all in ones and terry squares.

What I'd say is don't be tempted by a birt to potty type deal - you'll, at some stage hate it- what suits a newborn won't necessarily worth all the way through - eg we had all in ones or stuffsbles that worked like aio for the childminder , shaped terry at night , and when I got confident actually a neatly folded terry square with a nippa and breathable cover was my favourite .

Do get some really nice terry squares- you can use them for anything. They wash and dry best of course too bring only a single fabric layer when drying.

I'm probably going to get many " how skanky" posts but after a bit I didn't usually do separate nappy washes except really icky ones - bit of wee is neither here more there when you have a small baby that vomits and leaks and then chucks food about too... ( and a dirty nappy with a fleece liner - again the poo goes in the loo easily and flushes - minor traces on the liner/ nappy really aren't that different to toddler skiddy pants to wash!

The worst was a phase when the cm didn't flush poo for some reason - that was hortd, but we gently trained her (and used fleed pocket Naples by then)

Overnight we used a well padded wool wrap nappy. Generally worked fine if well lanolinised. Dd2 as sensitive o disposables

I'll be going into cloth from about day 2, once the meconium stage is over.

FWIW I've bought all 2nd hand, spent about £70 and have approximately 60 prefolds, 20 wraps and 20 assorted fitteds and AIOs. I don't even have a baby yet

1. What is a good brand to use? Fuzzybunz were great, used them on 2 kids. Fitted well from 2 months, before that leaked a bit due to skinny baby legs. Used disposables b4 2 months, and sometimes at night later (around 1yr old). Lovely colours, and stayed in good condition such that i sold them afterwards and made half pf the money back!

1. How many will I need and will I need to get different sizes? What about extra bits- 'liners' and 'inserts' etc? - i had 20-24, which was plenty. I got smalls, till about 1 yr(i think) then mediums, which fit up till 2 yrs, but depending on the child you could need large in the end. But just get the smalls to start with! They come with inserts, you can get extra inserts to soak up more, but i used micofibre cloths instead( so the one insert plusca cloth in each nappy) and that worked grand.

1. What do you do with the used nappies? - you put a flushable liner on when putting the nappy on, then when dirty : shake that and the poo into the loo, then pull out the insert and chuck that and the nappy into lidded nappy bin

1. What do you soak them in and how long for? Do they create much of an odour while soaking? I started off siaking them, in water containing soda carbonate or some drops of tea tree oil. Smelled a little. Later i just put them in the bucket dry, no smell.

1. How often do you do a nappy wash? Used about 6 nappies a day, probably washed every 1.5 days. So had 8 washing, 8 drying, 8 available. The nappies dry on the line really fast, the inserts are slower to dry, so worth buying extra inserts.

To answer your question about the amount of powder to use, it is important to not use the amount you'd use for a normal wash, but equally, don't use too little. I made this mistake, and found the nappies whiffed. I find half the amount of powder you'd use for a normal wash to be about right. And as already mentioned, do a rinse first, as otherwise you're washing the nappies in wee!

If you need convincing further, a bucket of cloth nappies smells far less than a stinky bin of disposables! Cloth really isn't any harder than disposables once you get into a routine, and they just look so cute on! Don't put yourself under pressure to get your newborn into them immediately though, a couple of weeks in disposables is fine! I would certainly suggest trying out a few on your actual baby before committing to a full set of anything, you don't really know what you'll like until you start using them.

Best of luck with it!

I have used washables from about 5 days with all three of mine. Pockets are my favourite for days, bamboo with a fleece wrap are great for nights, even with really heavy wetters that pampers cannot contain. I have lots of different types of nappies and wraps. I treated DS age 2 weeks to some teeny tiny ones, that will no doubt be used on baby dolls once he grows.

Hi, I am a big fan of TotsBots but that's just me. I think it is good to have different kind as you use them differently: some dry faster, some are more absorbent, etc... even if some are not your favourite, you will use them.

Very important: try to find a Nappuccino (that's a nappy demo) or a nappy library in your area so you can have a look at them and ask questions. Those events are free and the people who run them love to talk about nappies.

I would also say: ease yourself in. Buy a few, try them, get some more, etc...

And if you want to save money, make sure you check with your council for any cashback scheme. Or as it's almost Christmas, ask for NapNap Vouchers which are gift vouchers for nappies. You can use the voucher in lots of different online shops so you can choose the nappies you want and that could cover almost all your needs! They have a website if you want to know more.

good luck!