Gone are the days when terry squares, pins & plastic pilchers were your only options when using cloth nappies. Now there is a fantastic range of Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN) that are just as simple to use as disposables. So now its much easier to be kind to your hip pocket, your babys bum & the environment.
Facts
* Every disposable nappy ever dumped still exists today as they take centuries to break down.
* Washing/hanging out/putting away nappies for a bub in cloth full time takes 7 minutes a day - less time than it takes to go to the store and return home with a box of disposable nappies.
* In most cities there are laws against dumping faeces in the garbage, and solid waste must be disposed of in the toilet, regardless of what type of nappy you use.
* In America, in 1955,100% of babies wore Cotton Diapers, 0% wore disposables, and 7.1% of babies experienced nappy rash.
* In America, in 1991,10% of babies wore Cotton Diapers, 90% wore disposables, and 78% of babies experienced nappy rash.
Figures
* 1.375 Billion disposable nappies used annually in Australia and New Zealand.
* 3.75 Million disposable nappies dumped every single day in these 2 nations alone.
* 3 Million trees felled every year to make disposable nappies for Australia / New Zealand.
* It costs approx $3,894 to use disposable nappies full time on a child to toilet training where as it can cost $659 to cheaply nappy a bub in cloth to toilet training.
* 100 intestinal viruses leach from untreated human waste at rubbish dumps, contaminating ground water at land fill and creating risks to sanitation workers.
* 50% of total household waste will be disposable nappies, in a household with 1 baby using disposable nappies full time.
* 2 Tonnes of landfill created by each baby in disposable nappies full time.
* 3.5 Litres of water needed to make each disposable nappy.
* 1 Litre of water required to wash a cloth nappy (depending on machine, and how many nappies are washed in one load).
* 1 cup of crude oil used to make the plastic components of each disposable nappy.
* The average temperature of a boy's testicles in a disposable nappy is 1 degree hotter - possibly related to increases in infertility and testicular cancer of the last 25 years.
These facts & figures came from the Australian Nappy Network Website – http://www.modernclothnappies.org/
Different Types
Flats:
The ‘traditional’ cloth nappies. These are a square of terry towelling, flannelette, bamboo etc designed to be folded in a variety of different ways to adjust the "wet zone" and fastened by pins or snappis.
I thought I’d include a link to my two favourite folds:
o The Bat Fold – this fold is fantastic for newborns because its quite small & there’s lots of absorbent layers in the wet zone: http://www.kittykins.co.uk/advice/id/25
o The Kite Fold – I just used this one when jet grew out of the bat fold, honestly I chose this one because my brain was sleep deprived & I couldn’t figure out the instructions for the rest, its nice & simple: http://www.kittykins.co.uk/advice/id/23
Prefolds:
Similar to a Terry Flat, but made of a trimmer material and with a thicker, more absorbent central panel so there is less folding involved.
Fitted Nappies:
A shaped cloth nappy made of absorbent material, generally fastened by snaps or touch tape. These are usually the most versatile & absorbent of the MCN nappies & are great to use at night as well as during the day. Fitted nappies need a waterproof cover over the top which makes them very good at containing ‘messes’. They do take longer to put on which becomes more difficult with a wriggly baby. They can take a while to dry due to multiple layers all sewn together. Some have snap in boosters which decreases drying time but does make the washing more fiddly.
Covers:
These fit over a fitted nappy. They are made of waterproof or water resistant material, generally Fleece, PUL or Wool (called a Soaker).
Pocket Nappies:
A pocket nappy has an outer water resistant layer of PUL or heavy duty fleece & an inner layer usually made from microfleece or suede cloth (these keep bub dry but allow the liquid to pass through). These two layers form a pocket which you stuff the absorbent material into allowing you to adjust absorbency while keeping drying time to a minimum (tip: you can use pockets unstuffed as a cover if you get stuck).
All in One (AIO):
These nappies are used much the same as disposables. The absorbent material & cover are sewn together. These are great because they are simple to use & convenient (great for dads!) but they do usually take longer to dry & generally can’t be worn for long periods such as over night
Different Fabrics
Bamboo – The most absorbent fabric but takes the longest time to dry. Very soft to touch. Bamboo comes from a highly renewable source so very environmentally friendly.
Flannelette - A traditional nappy fabric, it is a densely woven and brushed cotton.
Hemp - Stronger and more absorbent than cotton , it is a porous (breathable) fabric with natural antifungal and antibacterial properties, making it ideal for use in Modern Cloth Nappies.
Microfibre – Microfibre is a trim absorbent fabric that makes great inserts for pocket nappies or AIO’s. It is quick drying but is more likely to leak under compression when full.
Terry - Soft absorbent cotton fabric covered in tiny loops.
Velour - A very soft blend fabric, generally 80% cotton, 20% polyester.
PUL (PolyUrethane Laminate) – this is fabric that has been laminated to make a moisture proof yet breathable layer.
Fleece - Hydrophobic material, with heavyweight fleece used in covers or the Outers of AIOs and lighter weight or microfleece used as liners or inners to keep moisture away from baby's skin
Wool - Used in Soakers (a Wool Cover) and Longies (a Cover with extended pant legs) it is super absorbent, and the loose knit means it evaporates moisture quickly.
Caring for your Nappies
* Cloth nappies can be washed in front or top loading washing machines.
* Nappies should be washed & dried prior to use to remove residues left behind from fabric manufacture.
* Hemp & Bamboo will take quite a few washes to reach their maximum absorbency.
* MCN are best dried in the sun which will help to remove any marks left after washing however most can be tumbled dry on low (check individual brands).
* It is best to use a liner when using any nappy rash creams as they may leave a residue on your nappies (the cheapest way to do this is to purchase microfleece from spotlight or lincraft & just cut them into the desired shape then wash them with your nappies)
Washing your Nappies & Covers
* Put your nappies into a dry nappy bucket (soiled nappies should be rinsed first).
* Empty the nappy bucket into your machine making sure that any touch tape tabs are folded over onto their laundry tabs. You can place touch tape nappies in laundry bags if you wish (they touch tape can catch on other things in the washing).
* Use only ½ strength deodorant, using too much detergent can lead to a build up of product on your nappies and can affect the nappyies absorbency and perhaps make them smelly. Do not use fabric softener as it will leave a residue on your nappies. Vinegar can be used in the rinse cycle for flats, prefolds or fitteds however do not use it on any PUL fabric as it will deteriorate it.
* It is recommended to do a rinse cycle before you wash.
* If you are using woollen covers they will need to be lanolised. You can use Lansinoh (readily avalible from any chemist, generally sold as nipple cream!). Just place a small amount in hot water until it dissolves then add cool water till its just warm & chuck in your woollens turned inside out. Leave them there for a few hours then dry them in the shade.
Links
Forums & Other Info:
http://www.nappycino.com.au/ – this is a fantastic cloth nappy forum. Got any questions? Just go here & you will get loads of answers! There are also lots of very helpful links on this site & info on sewing your own nappies & knitting your own soakers & longies.
www.ozclothnappies.org/images/mcnbrochure2007.pdf - a very informative cloth nappy brochure.
http://www.diaperpin.com/ – lots of different cloth nappy reviews
http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/ – another forum, this ones in New Zealand. Again, lots of helpful links & DIY info.
http://www.modernclothnappies.org/ – home of the Australian Nappy Network
Where to buy Nappies:
There are hundreds of cloth nappy brands out there & even more places you can purchase them online, Heres just a couple of the sites that I frequent way to often:
http://www.darlingsdownunder.com.au/ – my personal fave, tania who owns darlings down under is wonderful & will answer all of your questions (trust me, im the queen of question asking & she hasn’t told me to jump yet!).
http://www.babybeehinds.com.au/ – these nappies are quite popular & affordable, there more info on their site too.
http://www.bubblebubs.com.au/ – very cute, absorbent AIO nappies
http://www.buyforbaby.com.au/ – a great place to buy & sell second hand nappies
http://www.greenkids.com.au/ – one size pocket nappies that come in stacks of colours & prints
DIY
Want to make your own cloth nappies & knit your own covers, well that’s easy too!!!
There are lots of free patterns & tutorials available online to help you learn to make your own nappies & anyone can do it, trust me…if I can do it anyone can! I hadn’t really sewn before (just the odd thing at school & a couple of projects I started then tricked my mum into doing for me) & id never knittind, yet ive managed to sew quite a few pocket nappies & even knit a couple of soakers, sure they might not look as fancy with their crocked stitching & all, but they still work well!
Sewing Cloth Nappies
Ok, to start off with you’ll need some materials. Again there are quite a few places to buy materials but here’s just a couple. For single nappy cuts in lots of different fabrics go to http://www.nappiescovered.com.au/ , or if you’re after a meter or more http://www.bubbaearth.com.au/ is a great place to start.
There are lots of free patterns available both www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/diy.php & http://www.nappycino.com.au/ - have links to quite a few different patterns & tutorials as well as tips.
Knitting Soakers & Longies
There is a fantastic free site out there that teaches you to knit step by step with videos – http://www.knittinghelp.com/ – its absolutely fabulous!!!
You can find links to free patterns on http://www.nappycino.com.au/. If you have any questions pop over to their forum & ask away, the girls on there are wonderful.
There are lots of places to buy beautiful wool out there, but you can always start with any 100% wool from spotlight or lincraft.
Pricing Scenario
There are lots of pricing scenario’s out there but I thought id put my own together based on the nappies I would buy if I was starting over. Please note that I have never found a nappy that every one loves, I’m not suggesting you go out & buy all these nappies, I would always recommend buying just a few of the types you would like first rather than purchasing a whole stack then hating them (having said that if you do buy a nappy you don’t like there is a second hand market for selling them).
6 x Bamboo Baby Beehinds One size @ $25 each (mainly for nights) $150.00
9 x Baby Beehind Covers (3 each S, M, L) @ $11.50 each $103.50
10 x Small Bubblebubs AIO’s x @ 25.95 $259.50
10 x Medium Bubblebubs AIO’s x @ 27.95 $279.50
10 x Large Bubblebubs AIO’s x @ 29.95 $299.50
12 x Canningvale Flats $39.95
4 x Snappis @ $5 each $16.00
10 x Haute One Size Pocket Nappies @ $26 each $260.00
4 x Extra boosters for night @ $9 each $36.00
4 x Bummis Whisper Pants New Born size for catching explosive poos @ $10 each $40.00
1 x Little Squirt $70.00
2 x Bummis Wet Bags (1 x Small $11 & 1 x Medium $13.50) $24.50
40 terry face washers to use as wipes from best & less $40.00
Total: $1618.45
This scenario allows for at least 26 nappies fitting at all times from newborn through to toilet training which is quite generous, with this many nappies you will be able to wash every second day. You do not need this many nappies, you could easily cut out the bubblebubs and just have 10 pockets & 6 fitteds, you would definitely have to wash every day though & may occasionally need to fall back on flats.
There are a variety of nappy types including flats, fitteds, pockets & AIO’s in this scenario. It also includes cloth wipes, wetbags & a little squirt which is a great way to rinse your dirty nappies before washing.
It just goes to show that even a complete deluxe selection of nappies such as this one is still cheaper than using disposables on one child & you will be able to use the majority of your nappies on more than one child!
