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Ditch the disposables - 3 great reasons to make the change to cloth nappies today!

If you’re sick and tired of your bin being filled up with smelly disposable nappies each week, try something new and make the change to cloth nappies.  You won’t regret it!  Here are our top 3 reasons to make the switch:

1 – They’re nothing like the old school terry towelling nappies our mums used 

2 – You’ll be helping the environment

3 – You will save $$$

And if that’s not enough to convince you, they’re also super cute!

Curious?  Read on to find out more…

1 - Times have changed!

I’m sure your mum has recounted to you over the years the horror stories of all the cloth nappies she used when you were a baby.

These days, things have changed! There’s no longer any need for safety pins, no awkward folding while you try and wrestle a wriggling baby, no plastic pilchers, and no soaking!

Modern cloth nappies come in a range of styles that can really be broken down into 3 main groups. All in Ones (AIO), which work just like a disposable but can take a long time to dry; All In 2 (AI2) which come with clip in absorbency to aid drying times; and pocket nappies which allow you to boost with as much absorbency as you need. Personal preferences differ, so try a few different types to see which ones suit you and your baby best before making a big investment.

New cloth nappies do away with safety pins.  Today you have far easier options.  Think plastic snaps and Velcro.  Safer for your baby, and easier for you too! You no longer need to struggle with complicated origami folds on your terry squares.  Modern Cloth Nappies are just as easy to put on as a disposable.  Everything fits together in one piece.  The absorbent core (usually made from microfiber, bamboo, bamboo/cotton, or a mixture of natural and synthetic materials) sit inside or snap onto the waterproof lining - a breathable laminate adhered to the inside of the nappy that helps prevent leaks.

Modern cloth nappies can be sized, or more commonly One Size Fits Most (OSFM).  These nappies will take you from birth to toilet training and are generally suitable for babies of approximately 4-16kg.

With the right fit and absorbency for your child, a good modern cloth nappy will last you at least 2 hours, often a fair bit longer.  For hygiene purposes it is recommended to change your baby every 2 hours, or immediately if they have soiled their nappy. 

Keeping the baby’s skin dry is one of the most important things you can do to prevent the occurrence of nappy rash.  It’s the reason many people use disposables, because they think cloth nappies will stay wet against their baby’s skin.  Not true!  Most Modern Cloth Nappies come with a microfleece or synthetic suedecloth inner.  This layer acts as a stay dry layer against your baby’s skin, and it works by wicking any moisture away to the absorbent layers underneath.

Are you worried about cleaning dirty nappies?  If you’ve used disposables you’ll know that an explosion can be really messy.  Full outfit and bedding changes are commonplace.  If you can deal with that, you can easily deal with cloth nappies.  In fact, since cloth nappies provide better coverage than disposables you will actually have less (even no!) explosions.  Once you have your washing routine sorted, you’ll settle in and not even notice the extra 5-10 minutes it takes out of your day.  The steps are pretty simple.  Store your used nappies in an airy basket (believe it or not, allowing air to circulate creates far less smells than a bucket with a closed lid).  Soiled nappies should have solids emptied into the toilet and then be rinsed in the sink.  On wash day (every 1-2 days), put your nappies on a quick wash cycle with a good detergent.  Then add the rest of your laundry (no large items like towels) and wash on a heavy duty cycle, again with a good detergent.  Inserts can be tumble dried if need be, but laminated outer shells should always be line dried.

Easy!  And you’ll never find yourself needing to run down to the shops to buy more disposables because you’ve only got one left.  Just put on a load of washing instead.

 2 – You’ll be helping the environment.

On average, children will go through approximately 2,000 nappy changes a year from birth to toilet training.  In Australia, that amounts to over 2 billion disposable nappies going into landfill in every single year.  Even if you only use 1 reusable nappy per day, you’ll save 365 disposables from landfill each year.  That’s huge.  Your wheelie bin will thank you :)

 3 – You will save money.

An average priced disposable nappy will set you back about 25c.  That doesn’t sound like much, until you realise that you’ll need 2,000 of them each year, for potentially up to 3 years.  Depending on the brands you use, this could set you back anywhere from $1,000-$3,000 per child.  These costs quickly add up, especially if you’re considering having more than one child.

If you plan to use cloth full time during the day, and wash every second day you’ll need approximately 24 nappies.  Depending on the quality and brands you choose, expect to pay between $200 to $700+.

Whilst the initial upfront investment is high, you will quickly see that the cloth nappies pay for themselves.  Especially if you plan to use them on subsequent children.

It’s important to remember that it’s not all or nothing.  Many people use cloth part time during the day while they’re home, and use disposables at night or when they’re out.  Do what works best for you, and know that you are making a difference, one nappy at a time.  It’s also not necessary to buy a full stash upfront.  You can trial a few different brands and styles to see what suits you and your baby the best.  It is also worthwhile to keep an eye on your local buy swap sell sites as there are often great bargains to be had on good quality second hand nappies.

And did I mention they’re super cute?  Well, they are :)  Cloth nappies rock, and once you start you’ll soon realise the addiction is real.  Cute prints for you to look at all day long, and nice comfortable fluffy cloth bums for your bub.

Have we convinced you to look a bit further?  Why not take a look at some of the cute prints available from Pumpkin Pips. 

Have some questions or want to know more? We’d love to chat all things cloth with you.  Email info@pumpkinpips.com.au, or visit our website www.pumpkinpips.com.au


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