Interested in cloth nappies, but got a few questions.

[SoBroken]

I was fully intending to do terry nappies with my DS1 and failed after just two days. This time I'd like to give it another go, but I think I'd be better off with the shaped cloth variety having done a bit more reading.

What puts me off is the huge initial outlay. I know they are cheaper in the long run, but I can work £6-7 into my shopping budget once a week, whereas finding £300 is very hard. Can anyone recommend a cheap place to get them from?

Also, would you dry pail or wet pail? My elder DS has eczema so if this one does too I am worried about his nappies sitting in chemicals all day. But then i think soaking them might get them a bit cleaner?

Are the shaped cloth ones a bit more absorbant than terries? What put me off last time was that my poor little baby was essentially wearing a wee-soaked towel and it went everywhere, even though he had rubbers on.

Any advice I can get will be gratefully received. Thanks!

Come over to the "Nappies" section, that's where most of us cloth addicts live

I can answer some of your queries though.

1. Initial outlay - yes, this is an issue but you will save so much money in the long term. Terries are probably the cheapest way but if you want a different type maybe try second hand/freecycle etc. Start off with a free trial pack from the council so you can find out which one suits you best before you buy a whole set (my first nappy investment was an expensive mistake - so take your time and choose carefully!)
2. I find dry pailing fine, and I think it's better for the nappies (definitely if you're using waterproof wraps that don't much like sitting in water for days). I do a cold rinse in the machine first then a hot wash at 60 and they come out clean every time. If eczema is a worry you need to make sure the nappies are really well rinsed so that there's no washing powder residue in them.
3. I also found terries a bit wet and soggy, the newer style shaped nappies seem to be eliminate this problem to a certain extent (fleece for example seems to wick away the moisture much bettter than terry towelling). However bear in mind that cloth nappies work differently to disposables, so they will feel wet to the touch but your baby's skin won't feel soggy.

HTH

Hi

I have been using reusables since my Ds was 5 weeks - he's now 8mnths and I have had no problems at all with them and will use them again for number 2 without hesitation.

Its real nappy week next week so quite a few online companys will be doing deals this month.

First things first, I would check with your local council whether they do an incentive to use reusables. Some give £30 in vouchers.

I use this website to buy mine from and have found they are so quick and helpful. They have lots of advice too. www.fill-your-pants.com

What I did was to buy a trial pack of 3 nappies to see how they were and which brand I liked best. then I got the complete kit for £260 which was around 15 nappies.

Personally I dry pail my nappies and just bung them into the machine usually every other day. I then use normal washing powder with a bit of napisan mixed in. The best way to get them sparkling again is to dry them outside in the sun, they come up like new every time.

I use bumgenius all in ones, they have a waterproof cover and then you put a microfibre insert in. They only leak when full and they are designed to take the wetness away from the skin.

Sorry for the waffle but hope that has given you some pointers.

1. Go on the For Sale board on here, there is a dedicated reusable nappy board there and you shoud be able to get them alot cheaper than new

2. If you can work in a weekly budget of disposables, why not buy one washable nappy a week now as it wont cost much more, and by the time the baby comes you should have a decent stock

3. Use disposables for the first couple of weeks atleast, to give yourself a chance to get used to newborn baby care again before you start using cloth

4. I always dry pailed unless they had a tummy bug when they were soaked and then boil washed. Use disposable liners and the poo goes down the loo, and I tended to do a wash first thing in the morning of the previous days/nights nappies and then they had the whole day to dry. Washing each day means you need less nappies too. With the eczema I wouldnt risk soaking in anything other than water.

5. Rubbers are crap. They dont seal very well on the legs and can rub their poor legs raw. You need wraps. There are several different types available but for preference I like Tots Bots and Mothereast Airflow Yes they are expensive but you can get away with 3 per size if you wash every day and again, you can get them second hand.

6)NAppies - Well again I prefer Tots Bots but that is personal preference. If you havent used them before then probably nappies with Aplix fastenings will be easier (Aplix is like velcro but better) in a 2 size system as folding one size system nappies to fit can be an art form :o Lollipop do some nice ones in 2 sizes and I have heard good things about their Bamboo nappies.

7. Ask your local council if there is a cloth nappy initiative in your area. There may well be a local group that can advise you on the best nappies to get, some councils have loaner packs where you can try several different types before deciding what to buy. Our council also give a council tax reduction if you use cloth nappies.

8. Google the Real Nappy Network and see if there is a group in your area, as again they can offer advice, loaners and sometimes have sales of second hand nappies.

When is your baby due? I will have some to sell on towards the end of the year in first size.

i've got little lambs and they do a pay by installments service here

they are dry pailed so no chemicals and they wash fine with soap nuts too.

oooh X posting all over the place there! Sorry :o

Had Fuzzi Bunz for my first 2, and about to use the same nappies with my 3rd (they pay for themselves with the first baby, so we're positively in profit now!). Our local council gives £25 as an incentive to sue them, and we got it with our second too as we used the same nappies, si if we get the same we'll have had £75 towards the total cost, which was about £200 overall.

Just to add my two-penneth:

• Dry pailing has always worked for me, no smells, stains etc. Bucket with a lid, net too to save you handling (not essential), and a few drops of tea tree oil.

• Fuzzi Bunz are a shaped/all-in-one (not sure you can still get them), which I'd recommend as a great style to have. They have stuffable pockets which we stuff with specially shaped inserts (can use more or fewer depending on the wetness), then the whole lot just gets dropped in the bucket and washed altogether.

In fact, take newbroom's advice, sounds like an expert! x

SoBroken not surprised you gave up after 2 days with terries. Have never used them but they just seem so bulky.

Have used washables with both of mine. With DC1 we used a nappy laundry service for the first few months until we were sure we wanted to use them. That way you aren't paying out a couple of hundred pounds on something you may not use.

Then we bought Motherease one size which we found to be great for us. Have still got them and they seem fine after 2DC.

Like newbroom we used disposables for the first couple weeks with both though and we dry pailed too.

We have looked at cloth nappies but the whole thing looks so complicated, it has really put me off. We are going to start with disposables and might get a trial kit of reusables to try later.

I think part of my concern about the expense is about spending money for nappies we won't use - even if we find something that is suitable now, how do we know it will be suitable in 6 months or a year when he is bigger? And when you are having to do so much extra washing - how much cost saving is really made? I'm also not sure whether once I have a screaming baby needing changing in the middle of the night I will care whether my choice of nappy was ecologically sound.

VJ, you soon get used to using them. Its just habit so in the middle of the night you will just get on with it, that said I do know a few people who use disps at night and cloth during the day.

The cost comparisons do take into account washing etc, and I always used the half load setting on the washer and line/radiator dried rather than tumbling as that does rack the costs up.

The thing about whether you would still use the same nappies later on is why I prefer 2 size systems. DD2 for example was a right skinny bean when she was born but chunked up by 12 months, so I found that I did need a different type of nappy as she aged. The stuffables (nature baby and fuzzibunz both do them) can be good for that in that you can stuff them to the required absorbancy.

Do bear in mind though that a child in cloth nappies will need bigger clothes as most baby clothes are sized for disposable nappies. I found girls easier as you can put them in dresses with tights. With the boys I bought a size bigger in trousers and took them up.

The Real Nappy Network have alot of demos etc on next week with real nappy week, if you google the RNN and your county then it should bring up your local groups and they will be able to help you choose a system that is good for you. Also, they do sell on second hand nappies sometimes too so you can save a few quid that way.

vj32 I'd try your local council. OUrs offer either a voucher off your first purchase or a trial kit and demo.

If you buy something like a onesize the savings can be huge as you don't have to keep buying different size nappies and they can be used for subsequent babies. Usually its just one extra load of washing every other day so not a huge hassle.

Terries can suit any baby/tot up to 2yo. That's the brilliance of them.

The trick with terries is getting the folds right; then you don't get leaks.
With any cloth option they will have wet fabric next to their skin unless you go for polyester fleece as innermost layer (in which case it will be damp not wet).

I happily used cloth for all mine but tbh (controversial statement coming up!) having worked thru the numbers carefully, you don't save that much money using cloth. Not for a single child, anyway; the real savings are when you have multiple children.

I was very happy with dry pailing, wet pailing way too much bother and no advantages.

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your replies. Not been online over the weekend so I haven't had a chance to read until now.

I'll check out the Nappies section if I can find it, I looked for one before I posted this and couldn't see it!

Looks like dry-pailing is the preferred option, and I wash pretty much every day as it is with my older son and mechanic DH getting so grubby!

Someone suggested starting with disposables and then switching to cloth nappies when new baby weans so the poo is bulkier and easier to get down the loo, what are opinions on this?

My mum, who used terries on me and all my sisters even after disposables came out, is a bit horrified by the idea of dry pailing and also thought that washing nappies in with other clothes wouldn't be very hygenic.

I think doing separate nappy washes would probably eliminate any savings as you'd have to buy loads in the first place so you built up enough to fill a machine, am I right? Also we will be living in a flat where we can't dry clothes outside, so I'm a bit worried I'll be up to my neck in clothes airers. It's bad enough as it is! We also only have storage heaters and I try to only use my tumble dryer in emergencies.

One word - ebay.

I used them with dc2, didn't with dc3 because of initial costs but now looking at doing it again via ebay.

Just don't bid on anything I want

I adore itti bittis and the SIO snap in version means you can often just change the snap in bit reusing the shell. The shells also dry much quicker than the boosters. so it makes sense to have more snap ins than shells. I can get a shell dry overnight inside but boosters sometimes take 2 days. If you line your nappy with a microfleece reusable liner then that also draws moisture away from the skin. I have a variety of styles including some china cheapies OSFM. These seem to work well If you boost the pocket with an extra insert I have made my own microfibre ones and bought some extra hemp boosters and bamboo boosters.
My machine has a half load setting which helps with regard to water usage.

starting with disposables and then switching to cloth nappies when new baby weans ...what are opinions on this?

Will your baby (likely) be breastfed? Most breastfed babies only poo every few days (at most). With 4th dc I finally ditched liners completely until weaning; I found the breastfed poo washed out fine. I cut up old clothes to use as washable or disposable rag liners (good for meconium), so never any cost for nappy liners after the first child.

My mum, ....thought that washing nappies in with other clothes wouldn't be very hygenic.

They come out smelling and looking fine, ime, nobody got ill from handling them post-wash. I treat wet-only nappies different from pooey ones. Wet-onlies I washed when convenient and with anything. Pooey ones were somewhat segregated, often stored until I had a bucketful, then either washed at 60 or at 30 with Napisan and with other whites, or with other yucky stuff (vomit).

good thread :) was planning to dry pail and wash once a day - so glad you agree ladies

I've just invested in BG flips and am excited to use cloth!

Just one more bit of advise to add, I went to a baby fair and saw a few brands in action before I made my mind up.

"Terries can suit any baby/tot up to 2yo. That's the brilliance of them.

The trick with terries is getting the folds right; then you don't get leaks."

I agree with this statement.
Once you get the hang of terries and the fold that suits your baby, they are brilliant. For leaks, you need to make sure you have a well fitting wrap.

While I still think that you make savings with a first, the bigger savings come with subsequent babies.

From the Kittykins website:

4 x 6pk of littleearthlets terries 21.15 = 84.60
12 wraps in 3 sizes 12 x 9.50 = 114
nappy nippas = 4.50
Total =203.10

not bad really for around 2.5 years.

Junior Joy are cheaper terries at 11.66 for 6 but I found them to be thinner and so didn't go as long between changes. Still very good though and there were times when they were preferable.

The wraps don't all need to be bought immediately as you would only need 4 to begin with.

If you could afford the price of a bag of disposables per week then why not save that up per week while you are pregnant. That would pay for most (if not all) of the nappy stuff you need when the baby is born.

Obviously other websites to look around and compare prices.

Ive just seen on my local concil website that you can buy a trial pack - for a very reduced price - worth having a look at your council website :)

I used disposables for the first couple of months as I too was completely overwhelmed by the types and choices - I finally had a demonstration of a 'all-in-one' nappy and my DD have used them since she was 3 months. I used cloth nappied during the day and disposables during the night as we found that the cloth nappies didn't last the night and/or would wake DD up because they got so heavy and wet. We also used disposables when we were out and about all day.

We used Totbots one-size (where you adjust the sizing as the baby grows) and found them 'as easy as disposables' to use. We also used little muslin squares to wash DD's bottom instead of wetwipes/cotton wool so every 2-3 days, I did a 60 degree wash with the little muslin squares, the normal size muslins, nappies and dishcloths plus any white clothes (vests etc) which needed it. Once in a while I washed it all with a stain remover to make them pristine looking again. I am currently expecting and will be using the nappies again.

My primary reason for using reusable nappies were 1) environmental (landfills, chemicals!!) and 2) that I had heard that the chemicals in disposible nappies are particularly suspect close to a little girl's sensitive bits but I know that I have also gained financially by using re-usable nappies (and would have gained even more if I had bought 2nd hand ones).

OP - consider also your local NCT Nearly New Sale - certainly at my local one there are big sets of second hand nappies for sale at £20-£50. There are always people around who are happy to help you choose.

Hi I used itti bittis and bumgenius with dc1 and def saw a cost saving on disposables but did however use them at night. I found the pocket bg's as easy to use as dis and even DH found them easy to use! will be using them on dc who is due in Oct so will see more financial benefit then.
However they do take a while to dry on radiators or on the line outside so this is def something for you to factor in. bamboo nappies take a lot longer to dry than microfiber so the later might be a better option?
Hope that helps!!