What you need to know to get started with reusable nappies…

Feeling bamboozled by reusable nappies, but don’t know where to start? Here are my top tips on getting started with cloth:

1. 1. Remember that all nappies need something absorbent, and something waterproof. All the different names and types are just different ways of putting them together. There are pros and cons to all the different types, which we’ll discuss later in the week.
3. 2. How many you need depends on how often you change and how often you want to wash. The average newborn needs 8 changes a day, a toddler only 4 or 5. It’s a good idea to have 3 days worth of nappies (so 24 if starting from birth). That gives you enough to wash every other day, with a days worth to use while you get the dirty ones washed and dried.
5. 3. You need somewhere to store your dirty nappies until you wash them. This can be a bucket with a lid, or a wet bag. Wet bags are bags made of waterproof material that can go into the wash with your nappies. You will also need a smaller wetbag to bring dirty nappies home in when you are out and about.
7. 4. Liners are useful for keeping baby dry, catching poo and preventing your nappies from staining. You have a choice of fleece liners, which are great for keeping baby dry and can be reused indefinitely; and paper liners, which can be bagged and binned like disposable nappies. Fleece liners tend to work better with newborn baby poo, paper liners can be useful during the weaning phase.
9. 5. Cloth nappies fit differently to disposable. They tend to come in three sizes. Size one fit from about 5lbs (2.4kg) and 18lbs (8kg), size two fits from around 12lbs (5.5kg) to about 35lb (16kg) and Birth to Potty, which in reality fit from around 9lbs(4kg) to 35lbs(16kg). The leg elastic needs to be up in the knicker line like pants, rather than round the thigh.
11. 6. Washing them is easy. Drop in a bucket/wet bag until ready to wash, no need to soak. Throw in the washing machine and do a rinse cycle (this stops stains from setting), at this point you can put other things in the wash if you wish. Wash at 60 degrees (or the temperature recommended by your manufacturer if lower) with a full dose of your usual washing powder and jobs a good one (if you are worried about the temperature making them less green, read here )
13. 7. Not all nappies suit all babies, so if you can, get along to your local nappy library and try some out. The people that run them are minds of cloth nappy info, so always worth getting in touch! Find your local library here

So there you go! Hope you have an idea now of how to get started. Have a wander through the blog for other reusable nappy hints and tips, buy your cloth nappies here and get in touch if you are stuck!