Cost and eco benefits - reusables w. laundry service or eco with nappy bin?

[monniemae]

I'm totally lazy overwhelmed by how much research I have to do into a heap of baby stuff and wondered if anyone might be able to tell me the answer quickly!

I'm interested in reusables for our forthcoming baby, but I'd want to use a laundry service because I'm lazy because I can't believe that by the time I've used a tumble dryer several times a week it's any benefit to the environment. Whereas presumably a laundry service is like a bus to a taxi iyswim?

Alternatively I'd use the more eco disposables and a nappy bin but by the time I've bought bin liner thingies and pricier nappies what cost am I realistically looking at?

Apologies in advance for my blatant laziness but any advice / tips / thoughts welcome.

We use Totsbots EasyFit. they dry overnight, so no tumbledrying required. I wash them every other day. Its no faff at all, and I couldn't justify the cost of a laundry service. I did all of the maths ages ago so I can't remember the specifics, but the cost of buying the nappies, laundry (average £1 a week), and paper liners worked out almost exactly the same as what I estimated we'd spend on pampers for one DC. The second DC is where the cost saving comes in!

Eco disposables still take around 50 years to decompose, so they weren't for us, so I can't help you with the cost - sorry!

If you want info about reusables, have a look at The Nappy Lady website, she has a form you can fill in and she will answer all of your questions in a crazy level of detail!!

I washed my own, did flat nappies (might get prefolds now though they have improved!) so no tumbling except in emergencies...it wasn't that hard and saved hundreds and hundreds of pounds and the environment...my nappies and wraps (imsey vimsey wraps) did my 4 children then my neighbours 2, then the nappies went to a refugee family for their twins....I wonder where they are now!

I fully recommend them...it was not hard really and the environmental cost is so huge even for eco.

Cost comparison:
Disposable nappies cost £1274
Disposable wipes cost £310.70
Total cost in the UK if using disposable nappies and wipes over 2.5 years = £1584.70 for own brand supermarket nappies

This does not include extras such as bags to put the nappies in and any extra costs from your council of disposing of your babies nappies.

Washable nappies birth to potty £220-£647 depending on brand
Washable Wipes cost £15
Washing costs over 2.5 years £100 (about £40 per year for home wash)
Total cost for this option for 2.5 years = £335-£762

You save £1249.70-£822.70 depending on options

You would need to research laundry costs and adjust accordingly also factor in whether there will be any more DC in your family (God willing) or people you can sell on to.

http://a0768b4a8a31e106d8b0-50dc802554eb38a24458b98ff72d550b.r19.cf3.rackcdn.com/scho0808boir-e-e.pdf this is the environment agency report into the impact of cloth versus disposable nappies.....warning long

sorry should be

this is the environment agency report into the impact of cloth versus disposable nappies.....warning long

Cloth nappies are so easy you really don't need a laundry service. If you get enough nappies you only need to wash them every 2-3 days and most dry quickly overnight without a tumble drier (although I dry mine as I'm impatient!) ... you also don't need to soak them now, you just bung in a bag with a zip (a wet bag) or a bin with a lid and wash as needed. So easy... !

I would dry my nappies on an airer. They are cotton so dry quickly and the house doesn't smell of poo! Honestly! They wash us well, no boiling required. I guess it depends on how you wash and dry your nappies as to the environmental impact, but it really is just another load of washing and the cost saving and positive impact on the environments opposed to disposables is immense.

Eco disposables only decompose if you compost them yourself. There isn't enough oxygen in a pile of landfill rubbish to allow them to break down.

I do one extra wash every 2 days. I have 15 AIO nappies in rotation (mostly easyfits and realeasies) plus 6 fitted nappies for nights, although he's dropped the night change now at 5 months so realistically only need 3-4 (spares for emergencies). I use wool over the night nappies, so they get dumped in lanolin every 4 weeks or so. The AIOs dry in 3-4 hours on the radiator airer, bamboo night nappies more like 8-10. That's if i really can't get them out to blow!

I find chucking an extra wash on far easier than dragging a baby round the supermarket then carrying and storing giant boxes of nappies, only to have them stink up the bin

Wow thanks for responses! Really useful.
I am trying to avoid a situation where we have nappies drying round the house too much though as it's already a damp house.
Has anyone used a laundry service?
x

no, too much trouble where I am...I would have needed twice the number of nappies and been more organized than I ever managed...i could always bung on an extra wash but the laundry people only came when they came IYKWIM...in fact I know several people who started with the laundry service and ended up doing it themselves.

Do you have somewhere outdoors to dry? If not tumbling or a "radiator air dryer" might be an option that keeps your house fresher.

If you are stopping working for a while you will be able to air the house more as well!!