We use a combination of reusable nappies and ‘eco’ disposables (Naty nappies – they also sell cornstarch nappy sack bags). My youngest is now in reusable nappies 90% of the time, but taking a flexible approach to reusable vs disposable nappies has made life much easier. My eldest child was in disposables the whole time (as I hadn’t started on my eco journey way back then). So I’ve tried both approaches and in comparison reusables have saved us money, not caused nappy rash and have never had a ‘poonami’ explosion leak.
Newborns poo pretty much non-stop and we couldn’t cope with the washing anyway from the constant puking (let alone with reusables added in) so we waited and started our reusable journey with a 3 month old and then fell head over heels in love with the gorgeous world of cloth bums.
‘Cloth’ nappies have come a long way since the terry towelling nappies of the 1980s. There are so many types to choose from (flats / pre-fold nappies / pocket nappies / all-in-one nappies / all-in-two nappies etc). Don’t be overwhelmed – try the Nappy Advice Questionnaire on thenappylady.co.uk to see which type would suit you.
I wanted something which could be taken apart for faster washing / drying, but could be put back together easily (by sleep-deprived zombie parents), which would last from small baby to potty training and which looked cute enough to make me smile every time I used them, even if they contained something vile.
I chose ‘Close Parent’ birth-to-potty, all-in-two ‘Pop-ins’ (the ones with the poppers NOT their Velcro version, as Velcro just gets stuck to everything in the wash), which come in AMAZING patterns and colours. ‘Close Parent’ all-in-two Pop-ins are an expensive choice mind, so I’d suggest waiting until they have a sale on – which happens periodically during the year and often on Boxing Day. These nappies can be adjusted as your baby grows – meaning they can be used from newborn (if you are braver than me) until potty training. The Close Parent Pop-in nappies pictured below have been used for two whole years (so far) - they are incredibly well made as they work just as well and they look just as good as they did when new!
I rate absorbency boosters made of hemp (which get more absorbent each time they are washed as the natural oils are released). You can buy such hemp boosters from thenappylady.co.uk , I like the ones by Ellas House (as they are so long they can be cut in half, giving you twice as many!) I fold them numerous times to add multiple layers of absorbency at the front of the nappy (as I have a boy child). Hemp is rather scratchy-feeling though so I always cove a hemp liner with a ‘Little Lamb’ fleece liner (which are sooo soft and fluffy). Hemp and fleece liner / boosters are both essential additions to your nappy arsenal in my opinion. If you have a boy you soon learn to fold the booster up and tuck it at the front of the nappy as that’s where most of the wee ends up!
There are disposable liners sold by most nappy brands – supposedly to catch the poo and make it easier to dispose of – I found they just wrinkle up and miss whatever they are supposed to catch, so we don’t bother with them, but they might work for you.
These are the reusable nappies which I have heard good things about repeatedly on social media and from friends…
Close Pop-ins (‘Ai2’ aka ‘all-in-two’ with poppers NOT Velcro)
Petit Lulu Wool Wraps (for an extra layer of absorbency at night)
As well as thenappylady.co.uk there are actual regional nappy lending networks, so if you are still undecided you can borrow their nappies for a small fee for a few weeks to ‘try before you buy’ a particular brand. Or ask a friend who uses cloth nappies and I’m sure they would lend you a nappy or two to try out.
If you want to do reusable nappies pretty much full time you’ll need a minimum of 20 nappies (and a tumble dryer if you live in the UK or anywhere with a cool / damp climate for much of the year). That’s how many nappies we have and we don’t often run out , although sometimes we do. But please do remember, using even one reusable nappy a day keeps 365 disposable nappies out of landfill, in a year. So it’s not all-or-nothing, gradually adding to your reusable nappy stash (as and when you can) is what most people do.
Other practicalities to consider are how to store dirty nappies and how to wash them.
Well, this is what we do in our house…
There is a ‘Tots Bots’ lidded nappy bucket in the bathroom and one in the utility room (rather a grand name for the back of the garage where the washing machine lives!). Both have a Tots Bots mesh bag inside (so you don’t have to touch what’s in the bucket – just lift the bag out and fling it straight into the washing machine!)
The bathroom bucket holds rinsed-out ‘Close Parent’ Pop-in nappy innards (rinsed slightly and squeezed out so the bathroom doesn’t smell of wee). Most people don't rinse out their nappies before storing them in a lidded 'dry pail' (a dry bucket) but I can't stand the stench of ammonia each time you lift the lid if they aren't rinsed out! Whatever you do, DO NOT store the nappies in a bucket of water as this 'soaking' method is an awful drowning hazard to have in the house.
Nappy inners with poo on are dealt with using rubber gloves - they are dangled in the toilet and scrubbed in on themselves until any ‘solid bits’ dislodge, then they too are rinsed in the sink and squeezed out and placed in the bathroom bucket.
The utility room bucket holds the (well-rinsed in cold water) ‘Close Parent’ Pop-in nappy outers (made of plastic PUL) separately, as they CANNOT be washed with Napisan (which I use in all other laundry washes to kill germs at 40 C). The PUL outers get washed on a longish cycle at 60 C, with a minimum amount (a 1/4 of the suggested dose) of fragrance-free non-bio laundry detergent, followed by an extra rinse cycle. I always put a few clean-but-wet flannel cloths / small towels in with these shiny outers, to give extra friction and scrubbing power. This wash is done once there are enough to justify a full machine wash (so every two or three days in our house). NEVER EVER wash PUL (plastic) nappy outers in Napisan or any other 'chlorine bleach', as it removes the waterproof layer and your nappies will leak for ever more and cannot be fixed.
The nappy inners (kept in the bathroom bucket) get washed every day – they get put in a 45 minute ‘short’ 40 C wash (plus a tiny bit of detergent, a 1/4 of the suggested dose) with any other reusable toilet-related items (reusable loo roll, reusable baby wipes and reusable sanitary pads). So most of the remaining urine and traces of faeces are removed, before I add the rest of the day’s washing to the machine (with a minimal amount of detergent and plenty of Napisan) for the full length 40 C wash. It's important not to use much detergent when washing nappies, as a build up of detergent can make the inners less able to absorb moisture - if you notice this happening then do a long 60 C wash without any detergent at all to rectify the situation.
Once empty, the nappy buckets are rinsed (under the bath tap) using hot water and then sprayed with tea tree oil. The lids are left off / ajar to let the clean, empty bucket(s) air.
How to dry reusable nappies is a vital consideration.
We need our tumble dryer in the winter to keep up with a baby in virtually full-time reusables. I would strongly advise against drying any laundry on radiators in your house as the damp, evaporating air encourages mould growth and so can lead to serious respiratory health problems long term (for adults let alone babies). We dry laundry outside on the washing line as the norm, but on rainy / cold days we use the tumble dryer. After tumble drying, the 'shaped' part of the Close-Parent nappy inners need to be stretched as wide as they can go and hung up on an Ikea Pressa whirligig to ensure they are fully dry in the creases. If you can afford 30 reusable nappies then you could probably manage without a tumble dryer, but our more modest stash of 20 nappies isn't quite large enough to allow us to achieve that dream.
The Close Parent 'all-in-two' nappies we use have a bamboo-terry-towelling insert moulded to fit the nappy outer - the shaping means the inserts fit very well but the inserts do take longer to dry than 'flat' nappies (but they are sooo easy to use!) The PUL (plastic) outers of the 'all-in-two' nappies we use don't have any hidden pockets (like pocket nappies would do) so the outers dry very quickly when hung outside. Some nappy liners are made of Minkee (polyester microfibre) which dries really quickly but isn't really absorbent enough to be effective as a nappy liner, bamboo-mix fabrics work very well as nappy liners / boosters but they do take a bit longer to dry - I would choose bamboo (especially bamboo-terry) every time for its softness and excellent absorption.
For full-time reusables you should definitely get four whirligigs (that's what my Grandma called them anyway) from Ikea to hang the nappy inners and nappy outers on - so you can super-quickly transfer them to the line and back in again, as needed when the weather turns and / or when baby allows it!
How long does all this take?
Reusable nappies definitely take longer than disposable nappies. But personally I am happy to spend (approximately) an extra 15 minutes a day dealing with them: separating layers / rinsing / putting on a pre-wash / hanging on a whirligig / re-attaching the parts of the nappy. But if you are someone who feels rushed off their feet already, then please do realise that reusables will give you yet more to do. So consider if you have the time. Obviously doing part-time reusables will take up less time, so just do what you can.
What about leaving the house with a baby in reusable nappies?
I am not currently an expert at going out and about with a baby in reusable nappies (as I am out of practice when it comes to actually leaving the house!) but ‘wet bags’ (i.e. waterproof bags which seal up / shut with a drawstring) are essential. ‘Bambino Mio’ do a brilliantly designed wet bag which folds over and clips shut, making it leak proof and easy to use – you’ll need two or three such bags, as you need to factor in washing and drying the actual bags too (again avoid Napisan or any other 'chlorine bleach' as the bags are made from PUL, which the Napisan degrades).
As I said before, we have always done a combination of reusables and disposables. Caravan trip – disposables. Long car journey punctuated by service stations – disposables. Washing machine breaks down - disposables. Leaving baby with a relative who isn’t on board with reusables – disposables. Going out to places where I know that I will be distracted and time will pass without me noticing – disposable + reusable (yes, very occasionally we even 'double up' with a disposable inside a reusable just to make life easier!). Leaving baby with a relative who managed terry towelling nappies back in the day – reusables. Most other times – reusables. Being flexible, so the nappies work for you and your household long term is so important.
Whilst we are thinking about parents saving the planet – why not also try reusable baby wipes (‘Cheeky Wipes’ do an excellent system of wipes, boxes and bags). I use a couple of drops of tea-tree oil plus tap water in a spray bottle to dampen the wipes. I've written a blog post about baby wipes, as 'biodegradable' disposable wipes exist for moments when you need them. Also save yourself some money and ditch nappy cream for coconut oil - I've written a whole blog post on it here.
Well, good luck with your nappy journey, whatever you decide…