Washable Nappies: Everything You Need to Know
As the closest item of clothing your baby wears, nappy choice is important. When making the decision to use a washable nappy system, you need to know that the system you decide on is: effective, comfortable for baby, simple to use and affordable. You can prepare yourself, before buying, with as much information as possible on the different types and decide, for yourself, what type would be best for you. Below you will find information on everything you need to know about cloth diapers.
It is sectioned as follows (click on to skip to):
Component Parts
The DIAPER – provides absorbency. Can be either shaped or flat.
The WRAP – is the waterproof outer layer – stops clothes getting wet.
The LINER – although not essential (but makes life easier) catches poo while urine passes through to the diaper. They can be either disposable or flushable.
The BOOSTER – for sleeping through the night or if you have a heavy wetter, you may need extra absorbency. Some children need no boosting at all, whereas others need boosting day and night.
DIAPER TYPES
1. TWO PART NAPPY SYSTEMS (require wraps/diaper covers)
Flat diapers (prefolds/terries/muslins/tie-ons)
They need folding before putting on the baby and and they all need something to hold/fix them on, with the exception of tie-ons (however for a newborn tie-ons are recommended to be used with a nappy nippa for superior containment www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk).
They are very easy to launder and dry, versatile (you can use them for mopping up spill and make good cleaning rags in years to come), durable and should last through several babies. These diapers are very cheap and you also only need one size, as you are folding them to accommodate your baby.
Although they can be a fiddly (especially if you have a very wriggly baby), practise really does make perfect and with the amount of diaper changes you will be doing anyway it won’t take very long to master.
Shaped Diapers
These are the next step up. They are shaped for a better fit and have elastic at the legs and waist. They fasten with either poppers or Velcro. Some shaped diapers require several sizes to be bought but some come in a size adjustable size (so no other sizes will need to be bought). They are much more expensive than flat diapers, especially if one chooses to get the type that require several different sizes.
These are the most like disposables – shaped to fit, and usually fastened with velcro/poppers. They are very easy to put on and take off as a result. However, they are the slowest drying because the waterproof layer delays speed of drying. There are types, however, that come to try and cut drying time. They are also the most expensive and likely to wear out the soonest. They are also more likely to leak and are less reliable (especially if your child is a heavy wetter).
| DIAPER TYPE | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
| FLAT | • Very cheap • Absorbant • No need to purchase other sizes – fold to fit baby • Easy to launder • Quick drying • Durable • Versatile – can be used as cleaning rags as well! |
• Fiddly at first • Not as convenient as the others. |
| SHAPED | • Easy to use • Medium drying time • Velcro may need replacing • One size type can be bulky for a newborn |
• More Expensive than Flat |
| ALL-IN-ONE | • Most like a disposable • Easiest to use • No separate cover required • More expensive than other types • Less reliable • Harder to clean effectively |
• Slow drying time |
Boosters
Boosters are used to add absorbency, but sometimes may be referred to as booster liners. Muslin squares can be used or you can shaped booster liners. You may need to adjust the number you use depending on how your child is.
Wraps for flat/shaped diapers.
A wrap is used over the top of the diaper to keep moisture in and everything else dry. There are several different types of wrap available. Fabrics vary from waterproofed nylon, polyester or cotton to fleece to wool. Styles range through popper and Velcro fastening to pull-on; all allow for quick and easy nappy changes. I would avoid PVC and PUL and go for a wool or fleece cover. These are waterproof and very breathable wraps. I use wool on ones currently and love them! If you choose wool too, you can wash them every two weeks, but every six weeks you need to apply lanolin.
How many will I need?
The number you need can vary depending on how your baby is and also how often you want to wash your nappies. I would say about 18-24 and 3 wraps (if you are using prefolds or a two-piece system). My bub can get through 10 nappies or so a day. I personally have 24 and do I load of washing everyday. To me though that isn’t a big hassle. My machine isn’t big anyway and I don’t want to stuff it completely full so they can’t get washed properly!
If your baby is going to use around 8 nappies a day, you can go 2 days without washing and then do some washing on the third day. I know that you will have to estimate this yourself, I had to. I decided I would rather have too many nappies (I am still saving money afterall) than too little, so went with 24 instead of 18. It works for me. If you feel you have too many you can always sell the extras on ebay or have them as emergencies. I always have 2 nappies ready in my changing bag for going out. I wouldn’t worry too much about not having enough.
What I use
I use prefolds. These in particular: click here. I use muslin squares inside as boosters and double at night. I use these with a wool wrap. I decided on prefolds, because they were very cheap and also I could adjust the size. I chose the wool wrap because it was breathable and I thought it would be great for my baby (I also thought they looked cute!). Three months in I really really like these still. They were not really hard to use at all – yes they take a bit to get used too, but they are really easy to use. Not to mention if I hang them on the line they dry really quickly. The wool pants have to be soaked in lanolin at first and drip dry but this didn’t really bother me. I consider these to be really comfortable for my baby and I really really like them still. I do, however, want to try out a fleece wrap just out of curiosity, but I cannot recommend the tie nappy and wool wrap enough. With the tie nappy you need some muslins or cotton squares to put in and you can use paper liners. I used paper liners for a while but have recently tried fleece liners because they are soft and they are working out fantastic for me. The fleece ones are also reusable too I have also found reusable wipes really good too. I can get away with only using a couple with messy nappies, but with disposables wipes I have found I have had to use several to do the job. Seeing as I am washing anyway the wipes and liners aren’t really extra at all. Not to mention, again it saves you even more money.
Initially you need to store soiled nappies ready for washing. To do so you can use a bucket (although if your baby has particular smelly nappies then you may not want to do this or if you don’t wash nappies on a daily basis – I tend to use a bucket when I am over my mother-in-laws’ just simply because that is what she has and it doesn’t bother me) or a bin with a lid. You get a cheap bin from somewhere like Wilkinson’s (if you are in the UK). That is where I got mine and it is awesome. It is like a little dustbin. In addition you may also want to place a laundry bag in the bin, so when you empty it you won’t have to pick up each nappy at a time and place in the machine, you will be able to put them all in using the bag. As I use the bag in the washing machine, I tend to transfer the nappies from the bin to the bag just before I place in the washing machine. My nappies also have ties so putting them in a bag stops them getting tangled and means I don’t have to tie each one after changing my bub.
To stop the bin from smelling, which seems to creep up on you after a few weeks (I swear for the first few months my little bub’s nappies did not smell at all, but as week goes on then seem to get stronger and stronger!), you can tape some cotton wool to the lid that has a few drops of lavender or tee tree oil (has anti-bacterial properties) on. I do this from time to time, but I am not too bothered by the smell at the moment.
There is also the issue of whether to dry pail or wet pail. Dry-pailing simply means placing your used nappies in the bin as they are and wet-pailing means keeping them soaked in water. Apparently wet-pailing is better for stains, but if you do your washing daily I don’t see the point of it, but just an added workload. If you wet-pail you need to change the water daily too. You can also add some tea tree oil to the water to sanitise (but remember some babies maybe sensitive to this so be careful). I dry pail because it is easier and also as my bub pretty much drenches a substantial amount of clothing daily with either dribble or puke (he is only 3 months too!), I do a load of washing daily. I don’t care too much for stains either – not on nappies anyway. You can get this really good stain remover too which in my experience has removed stains even after the hubby has put soiled clothing in the wash and forgot to get the stains out before. There is also the sun – if you want to get rid of stains just let your nappies dry outside.
Anyway whether you dry or wet pail, it is really down to preference.
The traditional way of washing and sterilizing nappies was boil washing. It was believed this was the only way to kill bacteria and some still believe this. But from my own reading I have discovered that you can get away with putting your nappies on a 40º wash. However, for newborn and the first 6 weeks, I would recommend doing your nappies on a 60º wash. I will wash my nappies every so often on a 60º wash, but most of the time stick to 40º. A lot of wraps can only be washed at 40º anyway (apart from wool which you need to use a lower temperature – I handwash my wraps).
What to use to wash nappies
Before the baby, I had eco-balls. They were great for my washing, but I have read quite a lot all over the web that they are not good for nappies. Not because they don’t wash them properly, but because they can damage them in some way. I can’t remember the exact details, but basically I have never used them for my nappies. I was using ecover for a while until I worked out something better value wise. I tried soap nuts. I like them. They are, to me, sort of like using my eco-balls. I will also add white vinegar (about a ¼-1/2 cup – you can estimate) and sometimes tea tree oil to my wash too. Tea tree for it’s antibacterial properties and the vinegar because it neutralizes the smell – so not only do your nappies not come out still smelling slightly of urine or poo, but neither does your machine smell of these. I have never had my machine smell of excrement, but I still use the vinegar every so often to avoid it happening. Before I had my baby I would hear and read everywhere that people’s machines were smelling!
DRYING
As stated before, sunshine will naturally bleach the nappies and will also deodorize them – so you can line dry them. However, in the current climate here in England, I have reluctantly used my tumble drier. My nappies are prefolds, and as much as they dry really quickly, in door drying seems to make them a bit stiff. The tumble drier seems to make them softer. Although they are fine to be dried inside, because the tumble drier makes them softer, I do this because it is better for my bub’s bottom. It isn’t that great a difference, but it is a difference enough to justify doing so. However, when the weather is better, I shall be putting them out on the line.
NB: Make sure you don’t use fabric conditioner – you may feel this is necessary to make the nappies softer for your child, but fabric conditioner reduces absorbency so don’t use it!
As with all new things. Time and practice will soon make you an expert.
Links:
http://www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk
If you would like any advice or have a question please leave a comment on email me at kelly@myecoeden.com.
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