What are cloth nappies really like?

[aob1013]

Hi girls,

OH and I are seriously considering switching to cloth nappies, as we already do co-sleeping, baby wearing, AP that kinda thing so it only seems natural for us to also switch to cloth nappies.

So obviously at the moment, we use disposables. So i wipe up the poo and chuck the nappy in the bin .. is cloth nappying as easy as that? What happens when i am out and about, i carry a pooey nappy? How do i keep up with the washing? What do i need?!

Sorry for all the questions!

Ally x

 

[aob1013]

Just seen the guides girls sorry xx

 

[Lliena]

Im selling a few wraps and fitted nappies in the thread at the top of this forum if your interested pm me

 

[LittlePants]

Hi girls,

OH and I are seriously considering switching to cloth nappies, as we already do co-sleeping, baby wearing, AP that kinda thing so it only seems natural for us to also switch to cloth nappies.

So obviously at the moment, we use disposables. So i wipe up the poo and chuck the nappy in the bin .. is cloth nappying as easy as that? What happens when i am out and about, i carry a pooey nappy? How do i keep up with the washing? What do i need?!

Sorry for all the questions!

Ally x

Actually probably easier than disposables, as you won't have to keep going to buy them and lug them home, and your wheelie bin won't be overflowing with rank nappies! Also, as they leak less than disposables, you'll probably find you don't have that much more washing, as you won't have to wash the whole outfit and cot/pram sheets as well!!

Seriously though, if you're out and about, flush the poo down the loo wherever you change the nappy. The rest has probably been answered in the other thread, but if not, just post further questions here!

 

[ellie]

^^ wts
its dead easy once you get yourself into your own system with it (if you see what i mean). so we started gradually, with 1-2 cloth per day, building up to mostly full time (with the odd disposable at night still). basically, with BF poo, we mostly just left it on the fleece liner, or threw it away with teh disposable liners - it just washed off really easily though some people rinse them off in the toilet or shower first. Now his poos are solid, they just plop down the loo. Nappies get separated (we mostly use pockets and AIOs or AI2s) and chucked in the nappy pail with a few drops of tea tree oil on the mesh bag or on a pad in the lid. About every other day I chuck them in the washing machine.
Out and about - if he's changed in a baby change / toilet, the poo gets plopped down the loo, nappy gets put in a wetbag and wrapped up in the nappy bag to take home. If he's changed outdoors or not near a toilet, I might wrap the poo up in a liner or something, or put it in a disposable nappy bag, or put it in the nappy bag ot take home, or put it in a bin if theres one about (or a dog poo bin!) Kind of depends on the situation.
Thats sort of it really! Check out the guides and ask away on here - and check the nappy sell thread for bargains to start off with - I've got some small ones going but I should put an updated post on really

 

[twiggy56]

You know what...people ask me how difficult I find it, and they ask my OH....and his answer says it all 'its just normal to us'

And once you've gotten your nappies, and your routine with them, you dont think about what you're doing...you just do it? if that makes any sense.

We've got Flips for during the day and a mix of about 3 brands of 'pretties' that are fail-safe that we use when we're out. DONE. Thats it.

I wash every 3rd day- hand em out to dry, stuff the pockets back in...and use.

repeat!

The transition from disposables can be difficult because they are just use and chuck. Although once you start reusables you'l get a sense of how much you are actually throwing away just now. Its horrifying.

Oh and if you get a wetbag (lined in PUL and sealed with a zip) you put the dirty nappy in it when out (no smells) and then chuck it in your pail when you get home. Its not really a bother imo!

 

[Char&Bump-x]

I used disposables until 11 months then switched to cloth part time bar overnight and a few days ago full time.

I get so many people say 'oh I just couldn't be bothered! but it really is easy, toss the wet ones in a bucket and rinse the dirty ones under the shower.

It's addictive though, I've got 51 and have only been using cloth for 6/7 weeks!

If you do, post piccies, newborns in fluff are gorgeous!! X

 

[Hayley90]

yaaay ally come join us!

It really is as simple as the girls have said, once you get going it becomes second nature. The only thing id say, as Leni is still so titchy, you may find you dont get a good fit with many nappies - there are some especially for tiny babies though

I wont go into detail with the "routine" as its pretty much the same as Twiggy's! (and everyone elses..!) plenty of help in here though, so fire away with Qs x

 

[lynnikins]

i will say it is addictive lol im hooked , although i did have a previous passion for cloth from ds1 but i wasnt able to go for it like i am now ( lol within my finacial limits lol )

 

[cleckner04]

It is really so easy that it almost becomes second nature. That is always the comment I get..'thats too much work'. It's not work at all. Everyone does laundry. At least I'd hope they do. What's 2 more loads a week? Breastfeeding poos are the easiest to wash out too so that'll be nice for you in the beginning. I love, love, love cloth diapering though. We never worry that we'll run out of diapers and they are SO cute! I'm sure you'll read the rest in the guides but I wanted to give my positive experience.

 

[littlestar]

it does baffle me how people think it's so much work!

your wash loads already increase in number from more clothes to wash - what difference is a load of nappies.

Admittedly it took a few weeks of getting used to how often we needed to wash (was getting too many to fit in a wash load) but once we were sorted it's easy!!

 

[kate.m.]

we still use disposables at night, but cloth isnt a bigger workload at all; in fact, i sometimes find the disposables more of a hassle! We have 2 nappy bins: 1 for cloth & 1 for disposables. The cloth bin gets emptied into the washer once every 2/3 days & the disposables get emptied into the wheelie bin. I find going to the wheelie bin more hassle!! Its further away than my washer & sometimes u have to go out in the rain! WE probably do 2 to 3 more washes a week than we would without cloth, but its not a hassle. The thing i like most is that i'll never run out of nappies! Im so forgetful im sure id run out of sposies & have a mad 10pm tesco-dash for more if he was in them full-time!
And of course the most important thing about cloth.... they look soooooo cute!!

 

[kiwimama]

I work full time and manage to keep up with washing every 2-3 days, so it's definately doable. Buy a few preloveds off here, try them out, see how you go. Once I'd dived in I saw how easy it was and was hooked!