Switching to cloth nappies - a few questions

[Hulla]

I am seriously considering switching to cloth nappies. I am feeling increasingly uncomfortable with throwing away disposables and I don't like seeing the crystal-gel-bits on her skin.

We tried a couple of Close Pop-In bamboo nappies and got on well with those and I have noticed a faster drying version on Kiddiecare:

Here

• Can anyone tell me if 10 is enough?

• Is anything else we'll need? I am sure there must be.

• We travel around visiting family quite a lot - is it good manners/more practical to take disposables?

• Are nurseries ok with cloth nappies? DD will start nursery for a couple of days a week from age 1.

Many thanks for any info/tips

I have to pop out for a while now so I am not ignoring any replies

The dream dri and pop in bamboo are fab nappies - my favourites at the moment - easy to use/wash/dry and birth to potty. I take my cloth nappies everywhere and they go to childminder and preschool.

Would recommend 14-18 - 10 is okay but you will need to wash more regularly.

You will need liners, sanitiser, bucket or storage bag and washable wipes are brilliant.

That price at Kiddicare is pretty unbeatable to be honest - I am a seller and could only do them for £126.

Thanks Octo, that's good to hear then! The more I think about it the more I am convinced that it's a good idea.

Thanks for posting!

I use washables out and about too - octo sells some fab bags for the purpose called monkey foot bags - the zips are sealed and keep in the smell fairly well.

I wouldn't get all one type to be honest. I would get some fitteds and wraps, some pockets etc. I prefer 2 parters (fitteds and wraps). DH and nursery use pockets as they are just the same as a disposable to put on.

Thanks dippymummy I think I'll have to do some more research then. I haven't a clue what pockets are! It's all pretty confusing and I want to avoid an expensive mistake really (which is why we got the trial pack). Maybe I'll hangfire for a few days and look into it a bit more.

The smell was something I was concerned about so I'll have a look at Octo's site too.

Thanks for the tips!

Sorry Hulla - I should have explained. Pockets are nappies that are like a disposable to put on and off, you add all the absorbant stuff into the pocket (I do it as soon as they are dry, so that they are ready for DH to use).

Blake has Wonderoos, Upsy Daisy and Wee Notions Side Snaps as his pockets - other popular ones are bumgenius and fuzzis. I don't like aplix and prefer poppers, just as aplix catches things in the wash and looks older quickly.

I also don't like cotton nappies, most we have are bamboo, some hemp and some french soy. Cotton can be crunchy with no tumble drier and isn't as absorbant imo.

dippymummy and others is this a good deal for bum genius?

What do you think about the bum genius brand?

Also what about using these as night nappies?
I did see a you tube demo where a lady used a microfibre towel that she had from an autodealer to stuff the nappy, which seemed to work for her overnight?

www.mothercare.com/bumGenius-Cloth-Nappy-Full-One-Size/dp/B00180IM3S/sr=1-4/qid=1251706934/ref=sr_1_ 4/280-6853891-3569234?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=76390031&mcb=core

I have never tried bumgenius. They are supposed to be excellent to use from quite small (they are birth to potty nappies - like wonderoos, which aren't supposed to be as good on small babies). I personally avoid aplix. I don't think a heavy wetter could use them overnight tbh.

I bought quite a few microfibre cloths from poundland to use in pockets and they worked fine, but aren't as absorbent for the same slimness as the bamboo and hemp ones that I gradually replaced them with. In the wonderoos I use the microfibre / hemp inserts they come with. Blake tends to have leaks if we don't use the specific ones shaped for that nappy.

Easy Peasy does 5 hemp boosters for £10 and free postage. They are super thin and absorbent - ideal for pocket nappies.

thanks for this dippymummy.

hulla you might want to try a few different second hand nappies to see which ones suit your LO before shelling out. I also found 'the nappy lady' website useful for advice when I first started looking at cloth.

I dry pail nappies so as well as the nappies/wraps the only other things I need are a lidded bucket, mesh bag (for transferring nappies from bucket to washing machine) and that's it! I use fleece liners too - they help keep DS's bum dry.

cloth nappy tree is good for buying preloved and advice on using cloth nappies.

Bumgenius are excellent for daytime use, I have 2.5yo and 8mo both in cloth nappies. I find you can add a hemp booster which helps them last longer, but need to add fairly flat stuff and too much padding distorts the leg holes, which means leaks.

Bumgenius are good for nursery/other people too as they are just as easy as a disposable to put on. I definately go for a 2 part system for nights though, a cotton/bamboo/hemp nappy with a waterproof cover like a Motherease Rikki. Most 2 part nappies are a lot cheaper than pocket nappies too, so you could get more of them, then use the 2 parters at home and the pocket nappies while you are out. Bumbles are very very good, virtually never leak, and are quite cheap. You only need to change the cover say once a day, unless it gets poo on it.

I love my cloth nappies but I use disposables if we are away overnight or longer.

i know I have hijacked the thread but thanks hackedoff

I have that kit! (the popins) Love it. I only use them pt, send to nursery in disposables. I find I have to wash every day because they take all day to dry, but i think i have the original rather than dri version. I also use disposables for nights, when i used the night booster it did keep her dry, but now she is nearly 2 isnt a great fit with the booster in. I love that they are all in one, you don't need to worry about separate wraps, just unpop one end and shove the whole thing in the wash. I would just go for that pack tbh, they work really well and if you need extra you can add to the pack. I don't have a bucket either, I use the bag that came with the kit, and chuck it in the machine at the end of the day. I often find that unless it is really warm they are still a bit damp when I get the washing in so I chuck them in the tumble dryer for a few mins, brings them up really soft as well.
Also I hate the smell and crystal gel thing in disposables, I find Sainsburys eco nappies are fab for overnight and nursery.

Does anyone near you do free trial kits you can borrow? I run the ones in North/West Wilts and people like trying them out first. Worth having a look through the go real site at local advisors/services in the nappy finder - check the abbreviation list for trial/hire kits.

Hi ~ just contemplating moving to cloth for our DD2 (bought stuff for DD1 but used it too early for me and for her BF squidgy poo {TMI? } and I sold them. Now ready to try again but am a bit bamboozled by all that's out there - have read above threads and see pop-in sets seem good? Anyone tried itti bitti d'lish? Am total novice so any advice on what exactly you need (outers/inners/liners/cruise-ships/bags/bins etc etc)

RE Pop-in multi pack, Babipur are selling it for £110 at the moment which is better than Kiddicare. Good service too I ordered 1 pop-in it arrived the next morning.

{Whispers} discount code F300 will give you 10% off. (I don't work for them just got a note in my order!)

so £110 or £99 WOW!!! May buy some myself!

yes they are that cheap! blimey!

Thanks so much for this everyone.

Our local council does cashback on nappy purchases (£30 I think).

wonderstuff thanks for the tips for using pop-ins.

dippymum Monkey Foot bags look brilliant and they also have a design which exactly matches my Beco carrier! I'll definately get one of those from Octo's shop.

I am off to do some googling. I hadn't thought of washable wipes but they make perfect sense!

One last question, can you wash reusables in normal washing powder or do I need something specifically for nappies?

Bubba I have to admit the bf-poop put me off cloth nappies when when used the Pop-in trial packs. Wish I'd stuck with it though now.

Hulla where did you go to get your trial packs?

Hi - use normal washing powder but no fabric conditioner. You can buy sanitiser like Lollipop Clean & fresh which is totally natural to help get your nappies cleaner - I use it with most of my washing now - esp boys school shirts!!

Hulla on the washing powder I use normal washing powder but you should only use about half the amount of what you use in a normal wash. I don't use any sanitiser, but I always put them on a rinse or a pre-wash first. Definitely don't use fabric conditioner; it affects the absorbancy (sp? - my brain is mush today).

I got them in Waitrose Bubba they were selling them for £8.99 (not the Dream-Dri ones) so I bought a few.

Thanks for the washing advice. It doesn't sound as daunting as it did when I was pg.