What are cloth nappies made from? They can be made from any absorbent material. The most common ones are made from cotton. All-in-ones and shaped nappies also tend to use a lot of polyester and/ or micro-fleece, which is excellent at wicking moisture away from the skin. Other very absorbent nappies are made from hemp or bamboo. Aren’t cloth nappies really bulky by comparison? Yes, they can be, especially flat nappies. However, hemp & bamboo nappies are particularly absorbent while being very slim and trim. There’s no need to have a bulky baby, but there are advantages – think of the extra padding when baby is just learning to walk! New nappies are bulkier because they are still coated with softeners from the manufacturers. Wash them several times before using them to reduce their bulk and improve their absorbency. Do cloth nappies help with potty training? Older women who see 2 or 3-yr olds still in nappies tut-tut and comment that their children were potty trained by 18 months. While this is probably not true, it is true that babies in real nappies generally potty train earlier. This is because real nappies are slightly less absorbent than disposables, meaning that baby becomes aware of the wetness earlier. Having said that, remember that potty training, like everything else in childhood, is an individual process. Won't I need to soak my nappies? Not necessarily. Washing machines and washing powders nowadays are much more advanced than a generation or two ago. This means that they will deal effectively with anything left behind on the nappy. You can also put a bit of stain remover on your nappy before you put it in the nappy bin if you're worried about staining. If you are worried about sterilisation, simply use a lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda rinse for the last rinse. Won't my dry nappy bin smell though? Not necessarily. If you leave soiled nappies for a week, or if you fail to wash your nappy bin out properly when you empty it, then yes, you probably will notice a smell. However, current nappy bins have very effectively sealing lids so that any potential smell doesn't escape. If you're still worried though, put a few drops of Tea-tree oil in the bottom of the bin or on a muslin that you keep on top of the soiled nappies. Surely washing at 60°C is not enough to kill bacteria? Yes it is, and you only need to wash at 60°C if you have a poo nappy in the wash. Anywhere between 40°C and 60°C is sufficient to kill most bacteria though. Sunshine also helps to sanitise and kill any bacteria that might possibly escape the wash and stay in the nappy. If your baby has diarrhoea, or other tummy infection, though you might want to wash your nappy at 90°C. Don't you have to scrape poo off a nappy? I couldn't be bothered with that. Understandably! Use a flushable or biodegradable liner and most of the time you won't have to - just chuck it in the loo. You could also use a fleece or silk liner that will flush clean quickly and easily. Cloth nappies are too expensive for me to buy up front. The initial outlay is a very real concern for a lot of families. Any good cloth nappy stockist will allow you to set aside some money every month of your pregnancy or to buy a few nappies at a time while you're pregnant, keep them aside, and then post them all to you in one go to save on postage. They should also be able to provide you with a hire kit for the first few weeks so you can try different systems to find the one that suits you best, which is also cheaper than buying. Alternatively, you could buy some second-hand from friends who have them or off the web, or have each of your friends buy one or two for you as a present for the new baby. Cloth nappies are so boring. At least disposables have cute little drawings on them. Not true! Cloth nappies are now made with funky designs and are as individual as your child. You can colour co-ordinate them with your baby's wardrobe, or even match the design on them to the design in your nursery! How many nappies do I need? That depends on how often you plan to wash them. If you wash every day, you need 2 days' worth. If you wash every other day, you need 3 days' worth. If you only wash once a week, you will need about 8 or 9 days' worth. For a child up to about 6 months, you will need approximately 8 nappies per day (24hrs). From about 6 months, you will need about 5 per day. How do I decide what
sort of cloth nappy would suit me? Complete the questionnaire on the 'Buying a System' page and I'll help you decide. How do the costs compare? With disposables, your costs are spread out over the time your child will be in nappies. Currently, you will pay about R150 for 80 (depending on brand, size and type). This translates to about R100 per week for the first 6 months, and then about R75 per week until potty training. Multiply this roughly by 3 years, and you will spend in the region of R12 000 per child. For cloth nappies, the calculation is a bit more complicated: R4500 for the Lovely Laities nappies and accessories
(including 2 sizes) Obviously, if you reuse your nappies with subsequent children, you will make an even greater saving. Likewise, if you sell your nappies when you have decided not to have any further children, you will also recoup a percentage of your expenditure. |
