First of all they can cost considerably less than disposables over your baby's  birth to potty stage.  Disposable nappies cost around £383  for a supermarket value own brand to approximately £876  for a major brand standard nappy, and the premium version of the big brand can cost over £1000. These figures are approximate, based on a price check on a major supermarket website on 18th March 2011, using 7p/16p/20p a nappy change, average 6 changes a day for 30 months. You will be able to buy a kit of nappies and covers from us and wash them for 30 months for around £280. This is a kit of organically grown cotton nappies and good quality waterproof covers, reusable fleece liners and just over £100 for laundry costs (electricity, water and detergent) for 3 washes a week for 30 months. And you'll be able to use most of the kit again for a second baby saving even more money. You can of course spend much more than this on some cloth nappy systems, but you don't need to in order to get good performance from your nappy kit.

Secondly there's the environment. There are no trees constantly cut down to make the next pack of nappies, there doesn't need to be any plastic involved if you use wool covers, you can wash at lower temperatures and air dry to keep your carbon footprint down and there's nothing to throw away at each and every nappy change. The UK is a relatively small island with a high population, we are running out of places to bury our waste. Reusable nappies make perfect sense in these circumstances.

Then there's your baby and that lovely kissable soft skin. Do you know what's in a disposable nappy? If you do, please let me know, because I certainly don't. I'm not one for scaremongering, but let's put it this way, when you wash your baby's nappies, you are in complete control. You choose the nappies, the detergent, the temperature and how even how much to rinse them. OK, you won't find a 100% list of ingredients on most detergent packets, but you can choose to use those especially for sensitive skin, or good for the envirnment, or whatever you want. I won't name any brands, but when our youngest daughter was small, we used to use a few disposables when away from home. We used both the big brands, but I did have a suspition about one causing a bit of soreness, but because she never in them for long, usually 2 days maximum, I didn't really think much about it. However, when she was a year old, we were going on an overseas holiday for over a week and I was tempted to the suspect disposable brand by a special offer price. It was a major disaster. Within about 2 days she was red and sore, and it took about a week after our return for that to settle down. I never used another disposable again and her bottom was never as sore again. I honestly don't believe the other brand of disposable was a problem for my daughter, and it was probably unfortunate that she reacted to something, but it did make me wary of what was in the nappies. I found I much prefered to have control over what came near her skin.

Finally, the cute factor. I don't think anyone can claim that disposables can match the lovely covers we have for cloth nappies.

So, do your research, and think about it. Cloth isn't for everyone, I know that, but as someone who has had 5 children in a busy, busy household, with the washing machine on more than once a day, every day, I can definitely say they aren't all that much hard work. If I could do it, so can you.

Cloth Nappy Language/Terminology

Cloth nappies are not complicated or difficult, but you will come across some new terminology, and it will help your research considerably if you have a clear understanding of what these phrases and words mean. There are a number of leaflets and websites that don't make things as clear as they could be, so we hope this will make your cloth nappy research just that little bit easier. Feel free to print this page off for reference, although as usual, please respect our copyright if you are a nappy seller. 

Nappy - this is the absorbent part of the nappy, the bit that holds the wee and poo. It may be just a flat cotton nappy, it may be shaped and fitted, with elasticated legs and waist and fasten with poppers or velcro, it may or may not incorporate a waterproof layer, but the key thing is, it will be absorbent in some way. The American term for nappy is Diaper.

Flat Nappy - This nappy will be flat, and in most cases require some folding. Most are square or rectangle in shape, although some are shaped (see below). There is no elastication or fastenings. Examples are prefolds (e.g. Bambino Mio), Flat terries, muslins.

Shaped Flat Nappy - This nappy will be flat, but also cut to shape that should fit around your babies legs and waist. Most have no elastication or fastenings, although the tie on nappies do have ribbon style ties. Most require further folding, although some do not. Some are shaped like a large hour glass, some are more H shaped (on the side), some are long and wider a one end that the other. Examples are Disana tie on nappies, Imse nappies.

Fitted Nappy - This nappy will be cut to shape to fit around your baby snuggly, and will have elastication at the legs, and in most cases, also at the waist. Some are elasticated all around the waist, some only at the back of the waist. Some will have no fastenings, and are intended to be used with pins or nappi nippas, others will fasten with Velcro, Aplix (similar to Velcro) or poppers. Examples are Nature Babies Big Softie, Nature Babies Bamboo Bambini, Tots Bots nappies, Mother-ease nappies. 

Birth to Potty Nappy - This nappy will fit the average baby from birth through to potty training, about 2 and 1/2 years old. Most are size adjusted by folding in a certain way, although this is usually very simple and intuitive to do. Examples are flat terries, tie on nappies, Nature Babies Big Softie, Nature Babies Bambini.

Two Sized Nappy - A Nappy that needs 2 or more sizes to fit from birth to potty. The first size usually fits up to between 8 and 12 month, the second size usually fits to around 2 to 2 and 1/2 years, and the third size, if there is one, usually fits from around age 2 and up. Examples are Nature Babies Loveable, Disana Fitted nappies.

All-In-One Nappy - A nappy that has the absorbent cotton part and the waterproof cover attatched, so the whole nappy is all in one, no separate cover required. Convenient, but they also have some performance and washing/drying drawbacks. 

Two Part Nappy - A cotton or hemp nappy, that needs a separate cover. The vast majority of nappies fall into this category, and unless specifically stated in the description, you should always assume a nappy needs a separate cover. 

Wrap, or cover - This is the part that goes over the absorbent nappy, to keep the wetness in and protect your baby's clothing from getting damp. Some people refer to them as covers, some people refer to them as wraps. They are the same thing. 

Pocket Cover/Wrap - also sometimes called pocket nappies or pocket nappy systems, this is not a nappy at all, but in fact a nappy cover, with a waterproof layer on one side, and a non absorbent stay dry lining on the inside, usually polyester polar fleece. There is an open hole at the back, that means you can stuff the pocket cover with any absorbent fabric nappy that you wish to use. The pocket cover is not absorbent in its own right, it needs to be stuffed with something absorbent, in order work as a pocket nappy system. The most commonly used stuffings are prefold nappies, terry nappies, or specially shaped inserts that may be made by the pocket cover manufacturer. Examples are Nature Babies Stuffables, Bumgenius. 

Pocket Nappy - This is a nappy that has an open pocket so that additional boosting can be added between the layers, allowing the bulk and absorbency of the nappy to be customised to your baby's needs. A number of pocket covers are4 described as pocket nappies, but they are not true nappies. A true pocket nappy has the absorbent layers included, and generally consists of a few outer layers of absorbent terry cotton, and a single inner stay dry lining of polyester fleece. The opening at the back or front of the nappy allows for additional boosing as necessary, but this nappy will work as it is without being stuffed. However, you will need a waterproof cover. Examples include Nature Babies Loveable

Cotton - The most commonly used fibre in the fabric used for making cloth nappies. Available in organic and non organically grown versions. 

Bamboo Fibre- This fabric has become very popular in recent years. Not strictly a natural fibre, it's actually a manmade fibre, created from a natural raw material. Bamboo grows very fast with little need for pesticides and herbicides. The resultant fibre has a criss cross structure that captures moisture within the gaps created by the structure. It is reportedly more absorbent than cotton, although I would say it's more absorbent than the equivalent volume of cotton, but probably the same based on a similar weight of cotton. It can take a little longer to dry than cotton. However, the biggest advantage of bamboo fibre is the softness. It stays very soft even after many washes and also when washed in hard water and not tumble dried.

Hemp - A strong and very absorbent fibre sometimes used in the fabric used for making nappies. Hemp grows very fast and virulently, needing little or no herbicide and pesticide sprays, as it tends to overgrow everything in its way. Hemp is increasing in popularity, and is considered a greener fibre than cotton. You will mostly find it used in a 55%hemp/45% cotton mixture, as hemp alone is a fairly harsh fabric. Hemp can become a little compacted after repeated washing, so tumble drying or shaking hard before putting on the line to dry will help aerate the fibres and keep them soft. Hemp has lost out to Bamboo in recent years, but is still a useful nappy fibre if you can find nappies made from this.

Polyester - A synthetic fibre used in some fabrics to make nappies. It has no absorbency, but can add strength to a fabric. Polyester is also used to make fleece liners, stay dry linings and some so called "super soakers". It is the most common outer covering on nappy covers/wraps and works well in this capacity as it is non absorbent, therfore, with minimal wicking.

PUL - Polyurethane laminate,  breathable but still waterproof fabric, used to make cloth nappy covers that hold wetness away from the outer clothing. Generally PUL is laminated to polyester, but it is sometimes laminated to cotton or polyester/cotton fabrics. PUL is also used for breathable waterproof rainwear and outdoor/camping gear. It is a synthetic, but has a micro sponge type structure, that allows air exchange, without allowing larger liquid droplets to pass through. 

Polyester soaker, polyester/rayon soaker, polyester/viscose soaker - these are are synthetic or semi-synthetic so called "super soakers". Rayon and viscose are manmade fibres, made from natural substances (wood fibres), so they are naturally absorbent to a certain extent, but the polyester part is not absorbent. The soakers are mostly made as wadding, that is used between two layers of absorbent fabric, probably cotton, and some manufacturers claim they are super absorbent. We beg to differ on this. They work like a sponge, and will hold liquid between the fibres, but not in the fibres like cotton and hemp. These soakers may initially give the impression of being highly absorbent, (one manufacturer in particular is keen on the glass of water test, dip a piece of their polyester super soaker in water, and see how much comes out when you lift it up) but just like a bath sponge, when squeezed, they release the wetness easily. This is good for drying time after a good washing machine spin, but not so good when your baby sits on a wet nappy, as the wetness is just squeezed back out, onto your baby's skin, under the weight of the baby. If you need a very fast drying time and can live with the reduced absorbency, then by all means use a nappy with one of these soakers in, but we don't sell any such nappies.

Liners - There are two main types of liners, booster liners and one way liners, see below for the descriptions.

Booster liners - These are added to the inside of the nappy to give additional absorbency when required, typically overnight. They are rectangle or slightly hour glass shaped, and are usually 3 layers of fabric thick. They are available in all the same fabrics as the nappies. You don't need to use the same brand or type of booster as your nappies, they are very mix and match items. Apart from the custom made boosters available to buy, you can use any absorbent piece of cloth to boost your baby's nappy, muslins, flannelette squares, small terries, even old face flannels, the only requirement is that is is absorbent. Some boosters have integral stay dry linings, see below for the description of a stay dry liner. 

One way liners - These are thin liners that help to separate the wee and poo in the nappy, and therefore reduce the likelihood of nappy rash developing. These liners should be the top layer, next to your baby's skin. They are not absorbent, and will not add absorbency to the nappy system. See below for the different types of one way liners. 

Flushable or biodegradable liners - are either paper or cellulose based and will break down in the sewerage system. However, please be cautious with flushable liners, as they can clog the drains if you flush more than one at a time. It is best if you tear them into a few strips before flushing, and never more than one at a time. Please check the packaging of nappy liners you may buy in high street shops, as some are not biodegradable and may have a picture of a cross over a toilet. Do not flush these, they must be put in the normal rubbish bin. Do not fold one way liners in half (cut to size if need be), or use two, or they won't work as well and may increase the likelihood of leaks. Also, do not use one way liners with reusable stay dry liners such as fleece, as again they won't work as well and may increase the likelihood of leaks.

Reusable stay dry liners  - are either knitted polyester, polyester mesh, or polyester fleece. Polyester is not absorbent, so the wetness passes through the liner, and into the absorbent cotton or hemp below. Because the nappy is more absorbent than your baby's bottom, the wetness will stay there, unless the nappy gets too wet and the wetness has no where else to go. Poo tends not to stick to these polyester liners, and is very easily shaken off the liner into the toilet for flushing, before the liner is washed with the nappies to be used again. They are very durable, and can last through several babies making them very good value for money and a greener item, as each liner is used potentially thousands of times. Fleece liners in particular are extremely popular, so much so, that many nappies are now made with an integral fleece lining. Do not fold stay dry liners in half (cut to size if need be), or use two, or they won't work as well and may increase the likelihood of leaks. Also, do not use one way liners with reusable stay dry liners such as fleece, as again they won't work as well and may increase the likelihood of leaks.

Bourette Silk liners - are raw silk liners that are used as a first aid treatment for nappy rash and sore skin. I really can't tell you why they work, I just know from personal experience that they do, very well. This is not a stay dry liner nor one way liner like those above, and it will get quite wet, but they work beautifully. Use in direct contact with skin no creams or ointments, and if possible use overnight. Can also be used in contact with sore skin on any part of the body, just bandage over the affected part, as the raw silk is anti bacterial, anti-fungal and promotes skin healing. Apparently there is research under way, to try and find the active ingredient in the silk so it can be extracted and put in creams. Silk liners are absorbent, but are thin, so will not replace a booster liner. You can fold these to fit if need be. 

Velcro and Aplix - these are both hook and loop fastenings, very similar, that make nappy changing super easy and fast. 

Nappi nippas / Nappy Nippas / Nappy grips - these are little plastic T shaped items with claws on each end that grip into the fabric of the nappies to provide a snug and secure fastening. They replace pins. Used mainly on terries, and some shaped nappies without fastenings, such as Tots Bots, Bumble, Diddy diaper. 

If you come across any other terms you feel should be added to this list, please e-mail us. 

Copyright © Kim Wong, CuddleBabes 2011

Modern Cloth Nappies 

Cloth nappies have changed beyond all recognition since around 1990. Aska lot of people what a cloth nappy looks like and they will still describe a flat square of terry towelling. In fact there are a wide variety of cloth nappy types available now, starting with the simplest of flat terry squares, up to the shaped All-In-Ones that are just like using a disposable, only difference being, you will wash and use it again and again. The average modern cloth nappy consists of a system like that below, a waterproof cover, probably velcro fastening, and an absorbent nappy inner, probably shaped and fitted with elastic and velcro or popper fastening. You may use a booster at times when your baby needs additional absorbency. Finally, you may like to use a one way liner, either flushable, or reusable. The whole system closes to make a neat looking and leak proof nappy. No folding is required to use the vast majority of modern cloth nappies, but you can save a considerable amount of money if you choose a system that does require some folding. 

This is a very brief introduction to the styles of cloth nappy available in the UK.

Cloth Nappy types fall into four basic categories. Flat, Shaped, All-In-Ones and Pocket systems.

  Flat Nappies

These are terry squares, prefolds, muslins and tie ons. They each need folding before putting on the baby, and with the exception of tie ons, they all need something to hold or fix them on. They all need a waterproof or water resistant cover over the top. Mostly only one size needed.

Pros, very cheap, from a couple of pounds each, very easy to launder and dry, versatile, durable, should last  through several babies.

Cons, can be a bit fiddly, but practise makes perfect, not as leak proof for faeces as some other systems.

 Shaped Nappies

These are the next step up. Made of various cotton fabrics, these nappies are shaped for a better fit with elastic at the legs and often the waist as well. They fasten with velcro or poppers and some open out slightly for easier washing and drying. Some shaped nappies require several sizes to be bought, some come in a size adjustable design, that means the same nappy will fit from birth to potty. These need a waterproof or water resistant cover over the top. Cost around £6 to £12 each.

Pros, very easy to use, very leakproof, easy to launder, medium drying time. Reasonably durable, should last through 2 babies, possibly more.

Cons, more expensive than flat nappies, velcro may need replacing for a second baby to use them. 

 All-In-One nappies

As the name implies, these are a nappy that has the waterproof cover built in. Shaped like a disposable again, these really are like using a disposable, only difference being they will be washed and used again. They fasten with velcro or poppers. The whole nappy goes in the wash each time. No extra waterproof cover required.  The ultimate in cloth convenience. Cost from around £10 to £13 each.

Pros, extremely easy to use, no additional waterproof cover required. Good for occasional babysitters to use.

Cons, the most expensive system, not as durable as the others, generally will only last one baby as the waterproofing is washed each time with the nappy, take a long time to dry.

Pocket cover/nappy systems

These are in fact a special kind of nappy cover. The whole inner part of the cover is lined with micro polyester, and an opening at the rear allows you to stuff the cover with whatever you want as your absorbent part of the nappy syste. Once stuffed, this is just like using an All-In-One nappy, but you can separate the parts for easier washing, drying and greater durability  Very easy to use and overcome some of the All-In-One drawbacks. Cost from around £12 to £15 each.

Pros, extremely easy to use, dry faster than All-In-Ones and more flexible. Fleece lining keeps skin much dryer. Good for occasional babysitters and nurseries to use.

Cons, one of the most expensive systems, need to wash cover after each use, not as leak proof as a true two part system.  

Covers, These fall into three categories. They are available in  velcro fastening,  popper fastening, or pull on  styles. 

Waterproof Wraps

These are generally made of vinyl or PVC.  They are totally waterproof and not breathable.

Pros, they are the cheapest covers, from less than £1.00 to £5.00 each.

Cons, the vinyl covers don't last very long and need frequent replacements, the PVC ones are a little better. The temperature inside the nappy can get quite hot, so these are not good for babies who are prone to thrush and other nappy rashes. Not suitable for frequent machine washing. Can get a bit hard and brittle, which can chaff baby's legs. 

Breathable Waterproof Wraps

These are made of nylon, polyester or cotton fabrics, bonded to a polyurethane coating that allows an exchange of warm moist air, in the same way that breathable rainwear does. The temperature inside the nappy is lower than with plastic covers, but the covers still offer excellent waterproof protection. Cost a little more than waterproof covers, average prices around £7.00.

Pros, remain very soft, can be machine washed at 60 degrees, offer some breathablilty, only one set required per size as they are very durable.

Cons,  more expensive than plastic wraps. 

Totally Breathable Wraps

These are made of wool or polyester fleece. The wool  wraps are the greenest option, being all natural, and capable of decomposition.

The wool wraps are capable of absorbing up to 40% of their own weight in fluid before it starts to come through to the other side, so they add some absorbency to the nappy system, and are therefore popular over night. The lanolin, naturally present in the wool makes the wrap water resistant, but the open structure allows evaporation of some of the fluid, which in turn reduces the temperature within the nappy by several degrees. An excellent option for babies prone to frequent rashes. Some babies are sensitive to lanolin or wool, in which  case polyester fleece is an excellent alternative. Polyester is synthetic and naturally water resistant, so offering the same advantages as wool, although it is synthetic and  won't decompose in the same way.  Wool wraps cost from £11 to £20, polyester fleece around £7 to £10.

Pros, totally breathable, wool is the greenest option for covers, and it also adds absorbency to the nappy system. Wool needs very little washing, only every couple of weeks as it is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Excellent for over night use as the temperature inside the nappy is lower. Polyester fleece is very affordable and some is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles.

Cons, Wool is the most expensive of wraps. Needs gentle hand washing, and occasional lanolin treatment, although see above, wool only needs washing once every 2 or so weeks. Polyester fleece needs washing after most uses.

General care information 

Following these simple instructions will help you get the best performance and lifespan from your nappies and covers. 

Before you use your nappies. This is essential, you must wash the nappies at least three times before use. You do not need to dry between these washes, although tumble drying can help to open up the fibres and speed the absorbency process, especially with prefolds. This will remove the natural resins and other treatments that may have been added in manufacturing to allow them to absorb properly. Do not use conditioner, this will reduce absorbency and can cause skin reactions. Use only half the manufacturer's recommended detergent dose, and make sure the nappies are thoroughly rinsed. If necessary, be prepared to rest the washing machine for an extra rinse cycle if you see bubbles on the surface of the water during the last rinse. The older the machine, the more likely that this is necessary. After drying, you are now ready to use the nappies. Unbleached and organic nappies may take a little more washing than white nappies to bring them up to full absorbency, and will benefit from at least one 90 degree wash (no matter what the label says, one 90 degree wash will not harm the nappies long term). Daisy Diapers should also be washed once at 90/95 degrees to tighten the backcloth and prevent snagging of the loops in the terry.

The first time you use the nappies. If you have been used to disposable nappies up to now, you may find using cloth nappies a little different. The first thing you will notice is that the nappy feels a lot wetter than the disposable. This is not a bad thing, it allows you to tell easily that your baby has wee'd and needs to be changed. It also means that your baby will learn to associate the feeling of needing a wee, with passing urine and feeling the wetness afterwards. They may potty train earlier because of this fact. If the wetness bothers you or your baby, try polyester fleece liners, these keep the skin very much dryer although most babies are not at all upset by wetness.

How often to change. You will need to change cloth nappies a little more often than disposables. This is because the super absorbers in disposables can absorb many times their weight in fluid. You should aim to keep an eye on when your baby is wet or dirty and change them as soon as possible after a poo, and fairly soon after a wee. This also applies to disposable nappies. You will probably find you change about every 2-4 hours. Over night you should change your baby if they are very young and wake for a feed, but do not become too obsessed with this, if you have added enough booster padding, your baby will make it quite happily through the night in a cloth nappy. If baby seems sleepy, then just put them back down to sleep, they won't come to any harm with a wet nappy, although if it is dirty, you should change it, as faeces can cause a rash fairly quickly if left unchanged.

Night nappies. You will need to use boosters at night most of the time after the first few months, and a cover that fits well and is waterproof. Personally I always used a wool wrap overnight. Our daughter sleeps in our bed and we never had a wet bed since I started using the wool wraps. If these are kept lanolised, they are very effective at keeping the wetness where it should be, as well as being breathable. Another surprisingly effective overnight wrap is fleece. These are easy care, throw in the machine with the nappies if you wash in soap. Otherwise, a good waterproof wrap is called for. My recommendation would be Pro wraps, Air-rika or Popo wraps. Make sure all the cloth is tucked in around the legs and waist or you will get leaks and do not tuck the vest into the wrap.

Liners. There are several types of liners that you may wish to use. Flushable are useful for catching poo and flushing down the toilet. Just peel off the dirty liner and flush away. Remember to tuck the liner in around the inner flap or pad in most nappies to keep it in place. You can cut flushable liners in half for newborns, but newborn poo is very runny, and easily washed out, so experiment with and without liners at this stage. You may find you don't need the flushable liners in the early months until baby goes onto solids. There are also one way stay-dry washable liners. These are polyester knit or fleece and allow the urine through to the absorbent cloth and keep it there away from baby's skin. Rinse any poo off into the toilet and wash along with the nappies. Silk liners are excellent for nappy rash or sensitive skins. The final type of liners are booster liners. These can be bought with or without stay dry liners built in, or you can use anything you like as a booster. Muslin nappies are very versatile are mop up cloths with a young baby around, but also make really good boosters. Old towels cut to size and zigzag stitched, old flannelette sheets cut to size, these both make good boosters for night time. If you do this, cut the fabric to 3 or 4 times the size you need, this will allow you to fold over several layers thick, but it will open out for easier drying. 

If you have bought a trial pack, you will have a free standard flushable liner per nappy, plus one ultra, thick liner/wipe for comparison.

Changing time with all in ones is as easy as with disposables, just remove the wet/dirty nappy, clean and put a clean one on. If you are organised with the other types, they are just as easy, but you may need to fold the prefold and lay in a wrap or do a two part change with shaped nappies and wraps. It's easy to lay the clean fitted nappy on top of a clean wrap, and just slide the whole thing under baby's bottom after you have removed the wet/dirty nappy. A little tip to help make dirty nappy changes easier, is to lay either a few pieces of toilet tissue or a clean washable wipe under babies bottom to cover the dirty nappy while you clean baby well. All types of nappy are easy once you are used to them. Try and fold the nappies ready for use as soon as they are dry, this will save time at the point of changing. You can easily use washable wipes. These are easily bought or made, again old flannelette sheets make nice soft wipes. There are various recipes for wetting the wipes, see Washable Wipes overleaf.

To soak or not to soak. Well I didn't most of the time, nor do many cloth using parents, but you can if you wish. I recommend about 4 or 5 drops of tea tree oil in a half filled bucket of water. The nappies must be well rinsed after the wash though, without tea tree oil in the final rinse as this can cause some sensitivity in a few rare cases. You will need 1 or 2 buckets for storage, you can use this to soak, or to store wet/dirty nappies until you are ready to wash them. If not washing them that day I put them in the machine and set a quick rinse cycle, adding three or four drops of tea tree oil to the conditioner dispenser (No conditioner). Once finished I put them back in the bucket ready for washing next day or so. Do not leave the nappies more than three days before washing, this will encourage mildew stains. If you must go longer than three days, then you must soak them. By all means use branded soaking products if you like them, but please be careful to ensure these are very well rinsed out of the nappies, as they can cause skin irritation, even the greener brands. Do not soak wraps of any kind in any way or the breathable waterproof layer may fail.

Washing Nappies. This is the bit that gets everyone in a tizzy before they have tried it. The most common reason put forward for not using cloth is "I can't be bothered to wash them". Well, you don't have to. If you have an automatic washing machine, then the machine does it for you! All you have to do is put them in the machine, turn it on and go and have a rest while it does the job for you. Many Parents wash nappies overnight. What could be easier than that, you sleep while the machine does the work for you? Next morning just put on an extra rinse cycle (if needed), have breakfast, then put the nappies on the line or in the dryer.

Line drying in the summer is good because it sanitizes the nappies and bleaches them too. You can wash at 60 degrees all the time, with non-bio detergent, No conditioner, or you can boil occasionally, but be aware that this reduces the life of any nappy. Do not use too much detergent, halve the amount the manufacturer recommends, and be sure the nappies are very well rinsed. Reset a second rinse cycle if need be, but cutting down the amount of detergent is usually sufficient. Detergent residues are responsible for more nappy rash than any other cause. Nappy sanitizers are not necessary. 60 Degrees kills most germs and if your baby has a touch of thrush (very common in all types of nappies and to be expected from time to time), you can sterilize the nappies in a boil wash or throw them in the microwave still wet, but clean, for 1 minute per nappy. Not as daft as it sounds, they do this in hospitals. Avoid boiling All-In-Ones or microwaving them too often, it can damage the waterproof lining. Dry in the tumble dryer, or on the line. Any nappy without waterproof coating included can be dried on the radiator. Never use conditioner on nappies, it reduces the absorbency.

To recap, wash at 60 degrees, reduce the amount of detergent as much as possible, only use non-bio detergent, never use conditioner, and ensure the nappies are very well rinsed. Line, radiator or tumble dry. Alternatively, tumble for 10 minutes to fluff them up, then continue to line or radiator dry.

If you find the nappies get a bit smelly with long term use, even when dry, do a one off biological wash, rinse well, then a normal non bio wash. This usually clears the problem., and shouldn't need to be done more often than about once a month at most.

Washing wraps. Do not soak wraps. Most wraps need to be treated more gently than the nappies. Most will wash at 60 degrees, though 40 degrees is better. You can easily rinse them through by hand too. Fleece wraps should be washed in soap only to retain the waterproof properties, and the same goes for wool. Most wraps (not wool or Diaperaps) can be tumble dried, but do not dry on a radiator. 40 degrees washing with little or no tumble drying will result in the longest lasting wraps.

Wool wraps are actually very easy to care for. They do need to be washed with care, preferably by hand and will need occasional re lanolising, but you only need to wash them every two weeks or so, or if soiled. Very easy care. You need to have at least two as they should be aired after each use over a nappy. Use soap to wash them by hand. If used in this way they will remain waterproof and odour free up to 6 weeks. When there is an odour or they leak slightly, time to re-lanolise. With a bottle of wool cure solution, this is easy. Add 1 teaspoon of wool cure per 1 litre of luke warm water, soak the wool wraps for 10 minutes to several hours (overnight is good), you don't need to rinse, roll up in a dry towel to remove excess moisture or spin in the machine on a low spin speed. Leave to dry away from direct heat. That should last another 6 weeks or more. The wraps are now completely water resistant (drop a few drops of water on them and see what happens) and are wonderful overnight. If the clothing feels damp in the morning, lanolise again. Excellent for babies with sensitive skin as they allow air exchange. Many wool wraps work better after the first 3 lanolin treatments. You may like to do three treatments spread across the first week or two of use, make sure you dry the wrap fully between treatments.

Washable wipes. You don't need to use expensive disposable, non flushable, non biodgradeable wipes. These are great for occasional use when out and about, but at home you can use washable wipes. You can buy these ready made or make them from any absorbent soft cloth you have at home. Wash them with the nappies. Run them under the tap to dampen, use with soap, or a washing solution to use with the wipes, I put a cup of camomile tea in an old disposable wipes box, add a little grapeseed oil or olive oil (vegetable oils are easier to wash out than baby oil, made of mineral oil), then just one or two drops of lavender oil. This is antibacterial, slightly anti fungal (not as much as tea tree oil) and very safe on baby skin. Tea tree oil is too strong for use directly on babies skin as it can cause sensitivity in a few rare cases. We do also have some dual purpose wipes/liners available that are flushable and biodegradeable, called ultra liners. They are soft for use as flushable liners, but strong and thick enough to use as wipes. You can just run them under the tap to dampen them when you need to. Great for keeping a roll in the changing bag when travelling out and about.

Cloth nappies are a bit more bulky than disposables (but all the more cute for it in my opinion.), so you may need to bear that in mind when buying clothing for your baby. You will probably find that just buying the next size up, especially for body suit vests, is all you need to do.

There are many folds for terries, here are just a few.

New Born/Chinese/Origami fold

Kite Fold, the most popular fold.

Neat Fold, a modified kite fold, that keeps the corners of the nappy tucked away from baby's bottom.

Gaynor's Fold, so called as a Mum called Gaynor apparently invented it.

Care of wool wraps.

Your brand new wool cover. Please bear in mind that wool is a natural fibre and some natural variations may occur from one cover to the next, especially with the very untreated covers. Some wool covers seem to benefit from 2 or 3 lanolin treatments when new to build up the water resistance. Do this over the 1st 2 or 3 weeks of use, then you should find you can go up to 8 weeks before the next treatment. If you do find a brand new cover seems to leak, try lanolising a few times, but allowing a few uses in between the treatments. This seems to work the lanolin deeper into the fibres, and helps the felting process, which also aids water resistance. See below for lanolin treatment details.

Washing. You only need to wash your wool wraps when they get dirty with faeces, or if they seem a bit smelly. This should only be about every other week or so, more frequently with a newborn, since they are more likely to get faeces on the wrap. Wool wraps are best washed by hand in plain white vegetable or olive soap. White vegetable soap is available in most supermarkets and is not expensive. Olive soap is available from wool wrap suppliers and specialists. You can also use a wool shampoo, but soap helps the wool to retain it’s water-resistant properties a little better.

Just rub the soap over the wrap in luke warm water, or even just the dirty bit, then rinse. When washing the whole wrap, it is a good idea to finish off with a little white vinegar in the last rinse. Wool prefers slightly acid conditions, and hard water especially, is quite alkaline. Just a tablespoon is enough. If you have a child who soaks most of the wool overnight regularly, then a 10 minute soak in vinegar water before the wash can be beneficial to the wool. Some wraps can be machine washed in the wool cycle, but only at 30 degrees, check the label and also your washing machine instructions, as some older machines still do a wool wash at 40 degrees.

After washing, spin the wrap on a very gentle spin in the washing machine, or roll the wrap up in a dry towel to remove the excess moisture, then hang to dry away from direct heat. Never put a wool wrap on a radiator or in the tumble drier, or it will shrink and felt. This is not bad in itself, as felted wool is very leak proof, but it won’t fit any more. The airing cupboard is fine to dry the wraps if you are in a hurry, but in general, allow 24 hours for them to dry fully if you have washed the whole wrap. It is also best not to dry wool in direct sunlight as this can also cause shrinkage.

Lanolising. Every 3 or 4 washes, you will need to add some more lanolin to the wool wrap to keep it’s waterproof quality. You will know this needs doing, as the outside of the wrap and baby’s clothes will start to feel slightly damp when the nappy has been on a while, such as overnight. With an older child, you may find the wrap is smelly even when dry, this is when you should lanolise, even if the wrap isn’t yet starting to leak. A bed wetting 4 year old may need the woollen wrap lanolised every 10 days or so. Some wool wraps seem to benefit from 2 or 3 lanolin treatments when new to build up the water-resistance. Do these over the first 2 or 3 weeks of use, then you should find you can go 8 weeks or so before the next treatment.

Wash the whole wrap in soap, as above then you can use one of 2 methods to relanolise the wrap.

You can buy wool cure solution from the wool wrap supplier, this may look a little expensive, but a 200ml bottle will last about a year in normal use, so it is in fact very economical. You need about 1 teaspoon of wool cure to 1 litre of water (cool or lukewarm), a good way to do this is in an old ice cream tub. Use luke warm water to soak the wrap from 10 minutes to 8 hours in the solution, overnight is good. No need to rinse, just dry as above, after washing.

The other method is cheaper, but a bit more work. Buy some pure lanolin from your chemist, it should be about £6.00 for a 500g tub. This is more than enough for 2 ½ years use. After washing the whole wrap, set it aside. Make a soapy water solution with about 1-2 litres of luke warm water and either 2 tablespoons of soap flakes or pure soap (rub it round in your hands until the water has a good lather, or grate.) Make sure you have a good lather. Then scoop out a little in a cup and add a level teaspoon of the pure lanolin. Heat in the microwave (or you could use a little boiling water) until the lanolin has melted. Pour this back into the soapy water. The water should go very milky in appearance. Now soak your wrap in this solution for 10 minutes to 8 hours, as above. Dry as above.

While this may seem like a lot of bother, remember, you only need to wash every other week or so, and lanolise once every 4 to 8 weeks (depending on how much you use the wrap). Compare this with most other wraps that need daily washing, and you’ll see that wool is actually low very maintenance.

Washing

This isn't the huge task many mothers perceive it to be. It may seem a bit daunting at first, especially when you read all the different methods advised by different people, although it's all common sense and no more difficult than any other family laundry. Don't worry about it, you will soon find a method that suits you and your circumstances and the whole process will soon become part of your routine with your baby. It takes up surprisingly little of your time, especially with an automatic washing machine and tumble drier. The following is the method I use but also check Kooshies web site for their own recommended method. The Real Nappy Association also can supply a leaflet detailing various washing methods.

First things first, all nappies, no matter what type, need washing before use. The fabric has been coated at the manufacturing stage and this significantly reduces the absorbency of the nappies. Therefore they will need washing at least three times in a hot, 60 degree wash, with non-bio detergent and no fabric conditioner. If you try to use them before washing properly you will be disappointed, so please follow the instructions carefully. You don't need to dry between the washes, just run the wash cycle again.

Changing - Remove the wet/dirty nappy. Peel away the flushable liner (if used) with any solids and flush away own the toilet. Wet liners can be flushed if you wish, but they will wash several times before developing holes. The paper liners will hold most of the solids, so you shouldn't need to sluice the nappy in the toilet. If the nappy is a bit messy you can always put it in the washing machine and set a quick rinse. It's not entirely necessary though.

Storing - No need to soak if you don't want to. I rarely did. Just place the nappies in a lidded bucket, a beer brewing bucket is great for this, holds several days nappies and has a firm press down lid that is fairly toddler proof. Beer brewing buckets seem to be harder to obtain these days, so oherwise, try a shop like Poundstretcher or Wlkinsons. They often have quite cheap storage bins, with a lid, that may not have been specifically designed as a nappy bucket, but they are usually larger than a standard nappy bucket and will do the job very nicely. They generally cost between £2.00 and £5.00. If you do soak, a few drops of tea tree oil added to the water is best, never use any kind of steriliser, or bleach with nappies that have a waterproof coating, as it will shorten the life of the nappy, it can break down the PUL coating and the same applies to nappy covers of all types.

Washing - You can choose how often to do this, every day, or if you bought enough nappies then every two or three days. Remember to allow time for the nappies to wash and dry, that could be 24 hours if you are line drying in cool weather, so make sure you wash while you still have a days supply of clean nappies.

If you have soaked, then tip the solution down the toilet or sink, put the nappies in the machine and spin once. This will remove excess solution and prevent damage to your washing machine door seal.

If you have stored the nappies "dry", put them in the machine and set a quick rinse cycle, such as the one for adding conditioner at the end of the wash.

Then either way, you are ready to wash. Only use Non-Bio detergents and no steriliser or bleach. Wash on a 60 degrees cotton wash cycle. When the wash has finished, I set a second complete rinse cycle to be sure that all detergent residues are gone. Do not use fabric conditioner as this leaves a coating on the nappies, reducing their absorbency.

If you wish to wash the flushable liners, then just put them in with the rest of the nappies. I usually separate them before the nappies go in the drier and pull them out to a flat shape before ironing them back to original condition. Ironing sterilising them as well, although most germs will be killed at 60 degrees.

Put the nappies in the drier and dry for on hot. Putting a dry towel in with the nappies helps them to dry faster. Before drying, make sure the Velcro tabs are all firmly folded down on themselves. Tumble drying fluffs the nappies nicely but may reduce their life slightly. Radiators can be used for the prefolds although they leave the nappies a bit hard, but can be useful in the winter if no tumble drier is available. Line drying in the sun is especially good as the sun has a natural bleaching and sterilising effect and a breezy day leaves the nappies lovely and soft. Line drying ( in or out of doors) is to be recommended if you expect to pass the nappies onto another child.

That's it. Sounds a bit much right now, but this is my one of own routines.

Morning - Put the kettle on! While waiting for it to boil, reset the washing machine for a second rinse cycle. Make cup of tea and carry on with usual breakfast routine.

When the rinse and spin has finished (about 40 minutes later in my case), transfer the nappies to the dryer or line.

Throughout the day, just add nappies to the bucket.

Evening - while still in the kitchen clearing after dinner, put the nappies in the washing machine and set a short rinse and spin (about 10 minutes in my case). By the time the washing up, dishwasher loading etc. is done, the rinse is finished. Some time before bed time set the machine for a cotton 60 degree wash and go to bed.

Get up next morning and start the routine again. You can do this every day, or as I do, about every 2 or 3 days.

That's all there is to it.

Nappies and the Environment

Which is best for the environment, cloth or disposables? That's a very difficult one to call in the light of current studies. It is frequently stated by AHPMA (the disposable nappy manufacturer's trade association) that there is little to choose between cloth and disposables when it comes to environmental damage. Now I personally find that a little hard to understand. Not because I believe cloth is better, but simply because we cannot say for certain that ALL cloth nappies are better or the same as disposables. The fact is, there are a very wide variety of cloth nappies in use these days. There are also wide variations in the way they are then treated within the family home. Lets look at two different scenarios.

A white standard cotton cloth nappy is used for a relatively short time, and thrown away after being outgrown, is washed at 90 degrees frequently, in a strong detergent with lots of optical brighteners, tumble dried all the time, plus soaked in a nappy sanitiser after every use. Plastic covers are used.

An organically grown unbleached cotton nappy is used for more than one child, washed at no more than 60 degrees, with just wet nappies being washed at 40 degrees when possible, not presoaked, a green detergent with no optical brighteners used, reusable liners used, never tumble dried, always line dried, and wool outer covers used.

No one can deny that the second scenario is the greener and kinder to the environment. Therefore I have a major issue with any statement, from anyone, pro cloth or pro disposables, that makes a blanket claim about which is better. The real truth is that it is fairly easy to work out the overall picture with disposables, as they are all very similar . However, cloth has moved on leaps and bounds from Terries and plastic pants and there are many different types, many different fabrics, some much greener in production than others, many different washing machines, various methods of drying, some greener than others, many different detergents, some greener than others, and so on and so on. So you see the problem. 19th May 2005 saw the publication of an Environment agency report (UK) about the differences between cloth and disposable, and yet again, the cloth users seem to have been very poorly represented. According to the Women's Environmental Network, around 2000 typical disposables users were involved, but well under 200 cloth users. Due to the wide variety of cloth nappies available, less than 50 used terries, the rest used other types of cloth nappy, and in one case only 2 people used one type of cloth nappy. These are hardly representative figures and should not really have been used to create an "average" cloth nappy user. To be truly representative, at the very minimum, something along the lines of our two scenarios should have been used, to give the two possible extremes of cloth nappy use. Of course in reality, most families will fall somewhere in the middle, but at least we would be able to see the effect of using a greener washing routine. My own guess is that the second scenario will beat the disposables, but the 1st may not. So, read the rest of this article, make up your own mind, but bear in mind one thing, using cloth nappies gives you a huge amount of control over your own impact on the environment, using disposables does not, its however they come out of the packet, and currently the only workable mass disposal method is landfill. So you can pass the buck to the local authority and all the Council tax payers, or you can take some responsibility for the waste that you and your's produce. Your decision.

If you want to see what the government Environment agency say about this issue, and for a link to the actual report, click here. Also click here to read what the Guardian newspaper had to say about the report.

So why should you use cloth nappies? Oh so many reasons.

Lets first look at disposables. These are undoubtedly convenient. Nothing anyone can say can challenge that. But what price do we pay for that convenience? I have tried to be as objective and non biased as possible in the following text.

Have you ever thought about what is in a disposable nappy? Did you know:-

It takes approximately one full cup of crude oil to make one the plastic for one disposable nappy.

It takes 4 & 1/2 trees to make the pulp to fill the nappies for one baby over 2 & 1/2 years.

The super absorber gel, sodium polyacrylate, can swell in the respiratory or digestive tract of pets and kill. Don't ever let your baby play with a disposable nappy, as the gel granules can get out and the baby could swallow or inhale them. Also, think carefully about letting older children play with disposables, with gel, on dolls.  However, please be aware that it is unlikely, in my view, that the gel is actually toxic, and anyone telling you this is using unethical scaremonger tactics. There is no hard evidence one way or the other. The problems with animals relate to the way that gel granules swell in a moist environment, causing blockages of the the digestive tract or airways. 

Just a quick note about the super absorber that was removed from tampons some years ago, due to concerns about toxic shock syndrome. This was a very different super absorber than that in nappies, and is in no way related to sodium polyacrylate. 

We don't know how long it will take for disposables to fully decompose. Some parts of the nappy (the plastic parts) may never fully decompose. Landfill site conditions aren't terribly good for the efficient breakdown of an item that is often wrapped in several layers of plastic before being buried. 

Human faeces used to be classed as clinical waste and ideally should be incinerated or flushed/washed into the sewerage system. Packets of disposables used to tell you to dispose of solids down the toilet first, but for some mysterious reason, no longer do so.

Each and every baby in full time disposables will create around one tonne of solid waste to be buried in the ground, which costs money, that is added to our Council tax bills. Think about how you feel if you had to bury that in your own back garden. Also, think about the additional dustcart journeys created each year, just to take the extra waste to the landfill site, and all the associated fuel usage and air pollution. 

Approximately 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away each day in Britain alone. According to ITN news, this means we need two whole new landfill sites a year, every year, in the UK, just to deal with disposable nappy waste. The fact is, we live on a relatively small island, and land use is an issue for us, we barely have enough to build new houses on, never mind find sites for new landfill. We must reduce our waste output.  

Producing wood pulp for disposables is especially water intensive. Proctor and Gamble's environmental study in the mid 1990's conveniently "forgets" to include the water used at this stage, and concentrates only on the water usage after manufacture. In fact, if the water at production stage of all nappies is included in the calculations, it is likely that disposables use more water over all than washables. 

A study by Best Foot Forward, an independent organisation who specialise in ecological footprinting, concluded that disposables have 1.8 times the environmental impact of home laundered nappies, and 2.6 times the impact of nappy service laundered nappies. www.bestfootforward.com 

Overall, disposable nappies use 3.5 times more energy, 8 times more non-renewable raw materials, 90 times more renewable materials than washable nappies. www.bestfootforward.com

Disposable nappies produce 2.3 times more waste water (at the production stage) and 60 times more solid waste than washable nappies. www.bestfootforward.com 

Disposable nappies require between 4 and 30 times more land for growing natural materials than washable nappies. www.bestfootforward.com 

Both systems do however use similar amounts of fossil fuels. www.bestfootforward.com  

One last word here, some people will say that many components of a disposable nappy have never been tested on babies. Well, to balance that argument, neither have the cotton nappies and covers. That is just propaganda and more scaremongering. 

I hope I haven't given you too many nightmares thinking about all that, I could go on, but that should be enough to make you think hard about your choice of nappies.

Now lets look at cloth nappies. What is in a cloth nappy?

In most cases just cotton. Pure cotton, nothing more, nothing less. You can choose from organically dgrown cotton and standard cotton, or the greener fabric, hemp.

There is Velcro/Aplix on some, but unlike the similar fixings on disposables, this will be used hundreds of times before you discard it.

Plastic popper fixings, again, these will be used hundreds of times before you discard them. A good wrap will last easily through more than one baby, so the poppers and Velcro/Aplix on those will be used even more.

True, some do contain PVC (notably Kooshies), but once again, this is used many times over before being discarded.

Viscose/rayon soakers (in some nappies), these are made from wood pulp, so will decompose fairly easily in the ground.

Waterproof backing for some wraps. It is a fact of life that many do not want to risk leaks from cloth nappies, so some kind of waterproof wrap is necessary in order that more people use and reuse cloth nappies. The wraps are mostly long lasting with care, so the waterproofing is used hundreds of times possibly before being discarded, unlike the single use of the plastic in a disposable.

Fleece in some wraps, this is synthetic, but is sometimes made of recycled plastic, so can be reasonably environmentally friendly. But above all, it is probably the most durable of wrap materials. This could be passed to your grandchildren, no problem!

Wool is the most green of all the wrap materials, and is very long lasting with care. This is what you should be considering if you want the greenest option of all. Pull on wool covers have no synthetics, not even elastic in them, the most green of all. 

As for the washing, that is up to you. You can be as green as you like about that, using the least detergent you can, or using soap or Eco-Balls or similar. If you want to soak, then try tea tree oil instead of anything chemical. You can wash at 40 degrees if you wish, although 60 is better for germ killing. You don't have to tumble dry. The point is, you have control over the amount of environmental impact your laundering has. You have none with a disposable.

Most cotton crops are sprayed with vast quantities of pesticides, so this is environmental black mark against using ordinary cotton, however, there is now a very good range of organically grown cotton nappies, and I would recommend you consider these if you can afford the slightly higher cost, although there are some cheaper options even in organic cotton, tie on nappies, for example. 

Check the  Women's Environmental Network Web site for more information.

In additional to all these reasons there is of course the issue of money. That is dealt with on the cost comparisons page, but to sum up here, you are burying your money in the ground if you buy disposables, you can save £100's if you choose to use cloth, and the savings increase with each baby you have.  In fact, using washable nappies is one of the few ways you can go green as well as save money. The choice is yours.

For minimal environmental impact, WEN (women's environmental nework) recommends the following
* Use an A rated washing machine - achieving a 14% reduction in global warming impact
* Wash soiled nappies at 60oC - achieving at least a 4% reduction in global warming impact
* Wash wet nappies at lower temperatures along with the rest of your laundry.
* Don't tumble dry - air dry
* Don't soak - store nappies dry in a lidded bucket
* If soaking, don't use a sanitiser - use a natural agent
* Don't use conditioner - it reduces absorbency and is an unnecessary use of chemicals
* Use an eco-detergent
* Use washable liners
* Never iron nappies or wraps
* Avoid PVC wraps
* Use organic products
* Use second hand nappies.
* Extend the life of your nappies - reuse them on another baby, or give/sell them to someone else
 

Childcare and Cloth Nappies

This is where I really get on my high horse, and I am very qualified to do so, having been a registered childminder for almost 18 years. I have always been more than happy to provide the kind of service that any one parent wants, including accomodating any particular lifestyle choices they have made for their baby. It is after all a service that is paid for by the parents.

So why all childcare facilities, home based or nursery, can't see it that way is beyond me. Many childminders and nurseries are more than happy to accept children in cloth nappies, but a few try to insist that you provide disposables, or provide them themselves. How do you persuade these few that they should give cloth a try for your child? I can't promise any of this will work, but I have a few tips for you.

First of all, don't be defensive, but not aggressive either. State firmly that you use cloth nappies on your baby, and that you would like them to do the same. Don't go in, asking meekly if it might be all right, just state the fact that you use cloth, and be assertive and confident.

If they raise a few eyebrows, ask what they think the problem will be? Once you know the objections, you are in a better position to overcome them.

Show them the nappies you intend to send your child with. It would be a good idea to plan for this when you buy your nappies and I would strongly recommend you opt for fitted shaped nappies or Snuggle Naps, or at least  have enough for use during two days at childcare. Show them how you change your baby and how quick it is. Point out that it is no slower than any disposable.

Point out that you can have all the nappies, liners and wraps put together ready for easy use and that you will provide a waterproof bag for the wet/dirty nappies. Although it is obviously good for pooey nappies to be rinsed/flushed off after a change, it isn't absolutely necessary, and the nappy can be rolled up, with it's wrap, and put straight in the wet nappy bag, and the zip done up, or drawstring pulled tight.

If they voice concerns about the nappies being stored all day on the premises, ask where they keep the disposable nappies after use? Also, ask how often these are collected for disposal. I suspect it won't be daily, so you have one point in your favour, as you will be removing your baby's dirty nappies daily and replacing them next day with clean ones.

Again, on the point of disposal, if you are looking at a nursery, ask if the nappies are removed as clinical waste (they should be), and how much they pay for that service. By taking your baby's nappies away each day, you will be saving the nursery some money, as most commercial waste is charged for by weight. You are not necessarily be asking for a discount, so the saving will go straight to the nursery.

If the childminder/nursery is concerned that they may have to change more often, point out that this is not likely, as you will send nappies that are fully absorbent. In any case, if the baby has wet a lot, it is not necessary to wait until a nappy is full, it should still be changed on a regular basis.

Ask if they have any further questions, and answer each one clearly.

Lastly, and I would recommend you keep this as a last resort as you want a good relationship with the person/people who will take care of your most precious little baby, you can point out that by law they are required to offer equal opportunities to all, and that includes those who have chosen a slightly alternative lifestyle. You cannot be turned away because you choose not to use disposable nappies (although if there is heavy competition for only a few nursery places where you live, you may have to accept that they have a large number of families to choose from), this could amount to discrimination, and you could take your case to your Local Authority/Ofsted inspectors. There is no practical reason why they should refuse to use nappies provided by you, and taken away daily and laundered by you.

Preventing leaks

If you are experiencing problems with leaks, check the hints and tips below, and if your problem is not covered, please contact us.

First of all, have you washed your nappies three times, with no conditioner? Some nappies need more washing than others to bring them up to peak absorbency. Never use conditioner on nappies, it will reduce the absorbency.

Next check for the fit of the nappies and covers. You need a neat, snug fit around the leg especially. It isn't so essential to have a really snug fit round the leg with wool covers, so long as the nappy itself fits well. A nappy or cover that is too loose or one that is too tight can both cause leaking. Sometimes leaks out of the blue can mean it's time to change the wrap to the next size up. 

This next one is common sense, but is the most common cause of leaks. Check that all the cotton part of the nappy system is well tucked in. You only need the very tiniest bit of cotton sticking out for a leak to occur. Once that bit of cotton gets wet, if it touches any of your baby's clothing, it will allow the wetness to soak (wick) outwards to the vest, sleep-suit, bedding etc.

Also check you are using enough boosting, especially at night, some babies seem to wee quite large volumes overnight, they can need quite a lot of extra boosting. Try using a muslin if you have one, folded down into a rectangle pad to, lay down the centre of the nappy, or flannelette hush cloths make nice soft boosters.

Also, be sure that you are changing your baby often enough for his/her needs. Some babies just need changing more often than others.

If your baby is a little boy, it may be that his "directional weeing equipment" is pointing to the side, and he maybe weeing straight across the nappy (especially in the case of prefolds), and towards the leg binding of the wrap. Little boys do seem to wee under greater pressure that little girls, and as such, they can overwhelm the nappy and cover at one side, before the wetness has had a chance to be absorbed. In fact this is a much greater problem in disposables than cloth. Ask any Mum who uses them, if she ever gets leaks to one side of the nappy, especially at night, when baby may roll over to the side. There is no out and out cure for this with prefolds (except switching to a fitted shaped nappy for night only), but arranging your little boy's bits to point downwards can help. Also, try spreading the prefold pad out wider in the centre, or at least splaying it out at the back to fit the inside of the wrap better. 

If your baby is now somewhere between 6 and 10 months, average about 8 months, there may be a developmental change happening to his/her body, which can cause leaks until you have learned to adjust the nappy system to cope. Around 8 months, your baby's kidneys are starting to work better, and the bladder is also growing. Your baby is now able to concentrate the urine (you may notice it starts to smell, whereas up to now, it didn't), and also hold it in the bladder for longer. So instead of weeing frequently in small quantities, your baby now holds the urine for a while, then releases a whole bladder-full at one time. This can overwhelm the nappy quite quickly, causing leaks. Now is the time to start using boosters. You may only need them at night, or all the time, but the chances are, at 8 months or so, you will need to adjust the absorbency of your baby's nappy. A  booster is just to add absorbency (as the name suggests), so it can be any absorbent piece of cotton. A half or whole muslin, small prefold folded inside a large prefold, flannelette cotton squares, or specially designed boosters, it doesn't matter what you use inside the nappy, so long as you add more absorbency. Even an old face flannel will be enough to test the theory, before you jump in and buy something new. 

With reference to the 8 month mark mentioned above, it may also be time to think about the next size up nappy, if you are using a two sized system. This will not only add size, but also absorbency. 

If your baby is now a toddler, look carefully at what they are drinking and how much. If your toddler likes a lot of juice or squash, this will cause very large volumes of urine to be produced, and you will need to change them very frequently. While it is not my place to advise on what your baby should drink, do bear in mind the cycle that builds up when a baby drinks a lot of juice or squash type drinks. Baby likes sweet things, so he/she will take the drink very readily. They experience a sugar rush in the blood, so the body sends out insulin to deal with the sugar. However, this is easily used up sugar, and the blood sugar drops rapidly. The body now has too much insulin, so baby craves another sweet drink and will demand one. You give them the drink, and the cycle starts again. This will cause large amounts of urine to be produced, and juice type drinks are very acidic. This causes the bladder to be irritated, so the urine is passed very quickly, the child does not learn to hold the urine for long, which they do need to do to become dry.

If your baby is still very young and still on milk feeds only, you will find that what goes in is liquid, and what comes out is almost as liquid, the poo is certainly very runny. It squits everywhere. This is a feature of young babies, and not one over which you have much control. However, there are a few things you can do to minimise runny poo leaks. Again, check the fit of the nappy and wrap. The correct size wrap is essential, especially with prefolds and pad folded nappies. The other thing to look at is the liners. Most parents do start out using flushable liners, and there is certainly some sense in this. However, the standard liners are very smooth, and runny poo passed under pressure (as it tends to be at this age) seems to just skim straight across the surface and hit the leg area. It doesn't get time to pass through the liner before it's making it's way out of the leg binding, and all over your lap (or worse still, Auntie Jean's best dress!). Experiment, try using liners, both standard and ultra (thicker and less smooth), and try not using liners, especially if the nappy has a loop pile to it, such as terry. You may find that the loops stop everything in it's tracks and absorb the worst before it gets as far as the legs. New born poo is so runny, it is very easily washed out by the washing machine, so don't worry to much about having a nasty mess to clean off. Just throw the nappies in the machine as they are, they will be fine. Don't throw away the liners though, they come into their own when baby goes onto solids and discovers such delights as banana (experienced parents are now laughing gleefully at the thought of you  newbies discovering your first banana poo!), plums, spinach and more.

Last of all, if you are using a cotton or cotton mix cover, you will very likely experience what is called wicking. When the nappy gets very wet, the binding round the leg elastic of the cover will get wet. This will wick or soak round to the outside of the leg binding, then because it touches the cotton outer, it will start to wick across the surface of the wrap. Cotton covered wraps are lovely and soft, and nice for day use, but unless your baby has bad eczema and can't tolerate any other fabric, they are not to be recommended for long periods between nappy changes, or for night time. You will need to change more frequently or change the type of wrap you are using if this is your problem. Look for one of the polyester or nylon covers.

Dealing with rashes-Prevention

The best way to deal with nappy rash is to prevent it in the first place. Part of this is understanding what causes nappy rash. Much of this article is based on my own experience with our five children. It is not meant to be totally exhaustive, but I hope I have covered the major causes of nappy rash that you should be aware of. 

Wee and Poo. First of all, wetness in itself does not cause nappy rash, and urine is sterile when it leaves the body. Anyone familiar with wet wrap treatment for severe eczema can tell you that moist skin heals faster than dry skin, so lets get that one out of the way. It is the interaction between urine and faeces that causes most nappy rash, so the most important thing to do is to change your baby as soon as he/she has done a poo. The way that disposables help prevent nappy rash is by separating the urine and faeces (soaking the urine away into the gel), however, 10 minutes in any pooey nappy, paper and gel, or cloth, is enough to trigger a nappy rash. Make sure you clean your baby's skin thoroughly after a poo, check all those little creases. Also, thrush is present in the faeces, so to avoid a thrush rash, you must change a poo nappy as soon as possible. Either way, aim to change your baby's nappy every 2-4 hours during the day, even if it isn't totally soaked through. Don't worry about night times, babies rarely poo in them night after the first few months, and if you have taken good care at other times, your baby's skin will be in good enough condition to withstand the night in a wet nappy. Consider using a wool or fleece cover for nights, see below, about waterproof covers. 

The effect washing can have. Next, and in my opinion, this is actually the biggest cause of nappy rash in cloth, look at your washing routine. If you want to cut through the waffle and get to the point of what comes next, go straight to the next paragraph. However, if you read on, you will see why I believe the washing routine has so much to do with nappy rash.  I started my nappy washing many moons ago with a second hand twin tub. The rinse facility didn't work properly, so I had to rinse by hand, then put back in the spinner to spin. Inevitably I was often tempted to cut a rinse, or rush the job. My son (our oldest) had by far the most nappy rash of all our babies. There was much less understanding of the effects of detergents and harsh cleaning chemicals on skin even in 1982. Looking back, I'm sure I was the cause of most of the nappy rash, as I was soaking with Napisan, using too much detergent and probably not rinsing enough after the wash. By the time number two arrived in 1985, I had an automatic washing machine. I still used Napisan, but I had started to become aware of excess detergents, since I now had developed a nasty eczema rash on my hands, which the doctor said was due to detergents. I had started to cut down on detergent quantities in the wash. My oldest daughter had much less nappy rash. Then in 1988, our twins were born. I have to admit to my highest use of disposables for their first year, we used about half and half cloth and disposables, and one day I ran out of Napisan. I still soaked in plain water, but for the next few washes, I was certain that the nappies seemed softer. No rash either. Then I bought some more Napisan, and we were back to nasty hard nappies and nappy rash. So I stopped the Napisan, and never used it again. Now all of this is of course just anecdotal evidence, but none the less, it did make me much more aware of the effect of chemicals used in nappy washing, and in fact family laundry in general. From that day on, I halved the amount of washing powder recommended on the packet, and we live in a very hard water area. My machine did not die (as predicted by a well known water softener advert), it in fact lived for 14 years, and the element never did go wrong. We all had softer clothes as a consequence, and our household budget went that little bit further. And of course, our little girls didn't get nappy rash very often at all! At that time, I wasn't overly aware of the environmental impact of excess detergents and chemicals, I just found it was better for us in many ways to use less detergent. Our mothers and Grandmothers would have had to do most rinsing by hand, so the chances are they were leaving harsh detergents and chemicals such as washing soda (great on greasy kitchens, and cheap, but very harsh on skin!) behind in the nappy. It was most likely these chemical residues that were causing a large amount of the nappy rash in babies at  the time, which, added to the use of non breathable rubber or plastic pants, has led many of that generation telling us that terries cause nappy rash. My opinion is, that it was not the terries, but what we did with them that was the problem.  

Washing routine. Which leads me to one of the things I have grown to like about cloth so much, and that is the greater control you have over your baby's environment when you use cloth. No one has yet managed to extract a full list of ingredients in a disposable nappy from the manufacturers, so you have no idea what is in them. With a cotton nappy, you can know exactly what is there, because once you start washing it, it is you that controls the process. So, the first thing to do is never add more than half the amount of detergent that the manufacturer recommends. This will result in softer nappies for starters. Then make sure that the nappies are being properly rinsed. Any residues of detergent left behind in the nappy can cause skin irritation, even non bio detergent, as soon as the nappy is wet, those residues are back in solution, and will irritate the skin. Watch your machine as it gets to the last rinse cycle, if there are any bubbles on the surface of the water, set another rinse cycle. If you have a very up to date machine, chances are that this won't be necessary, but I know from experience that older machines are not quite as efficient as newer ones. (We changed our 14 year old faithful machine in 2000, we always set a second rinse cycle on the old machine, but the new one doesn't need it at all.) You may also need to experiment with a few detergent brands, as some babies are sensitive to one brand (maybe the perfumes?), but not another. It goes without saying that you should only use non bio for routine washing. 

Soaking. Backtracking a little to my own experience again, as I said in the second paragraph, we decided that soaking in Napisan was contributing to nappy rash in our babies. When I first discovered prefolds for our last daughter (born in 1998), I bought some Nappy Fresh for, soaking, as it is kinder to the environment, and I thought it would be kinder to the skin too. Once again though, when I experimented, I discovered she was red when I did use it, but not when I didn't. So I stopped using it. It may be that your baby is fine with it, but do look at such things if you are struggling to bring nappy rash under control. If you do want to soak, then try using tea tree oil instead. Again, some babies (not many) are sensitive to this, so also try not soaking at all, or just using plain water. We didn't soak at all after a few months with our last daughter, she had the least nappy rash of all our children, and when she did, I could always point to the cause, e.g. poo nappy on too long, or teething redness. 

Waterproof Pants. In our climate in the UK it is unreasonable to expect babies to wear nothing over their nappy, so we use some kind of waterproof or water resistant cover to protect the outer layer of clothes. While this is not a direct cause of nappy rash, it can make certain types of rash worse. In particular, thrush loves to grow and multiply in a very warm moist environment, which is exactly what waterproof pants over a wet nappy provide. The thrush won't start up by itself in a wet nappy, urine is sterile when it leaves the body. Thrush starts from faeces. So if your baby was left just a little too long in a poo nappy (we've all done it, no need to feel too guilty), or wasn't cleaned well enough at nappy change time, then the thrush yeast can start to grow. Then, nicely encased in a plastic cover, baby wees in the night, the temperature inside the plastic cover rises, the thrush yeast are having a party and multiplying like there's no tomorrow. Of course, when the said tomorrow does arrive, you remove junior's nappy, and hey presto, red raw bot! All the time you continue to use a plastic non breathable cover, the thrush is getting worse. So, please, please do use breathable covers, either waterproof breathables, such as polyurethane bonded polyester or nylon, or totally breathables, such as wool or fleece. Waterproof breathable covers offer a properly waterproof barrier, but allow some exchange of air to keep the nappy temperature down a little. Wool in particular keeps the nappy temperature cooler to the touch, and this is my strong recommendation if you have a baby who is prone to attacks of thrush. Please note that you will probably need a prescription only cream for thrush, if you suspect that your baby has thrush, please see the doctor. In the meantime, make sure you are using a breathable cover to help the healing and to help prevent further recurrence. 

Teething. This can be a bit of a bone of contention, but most parents agree that for some reason their babies seem prone to a red bottom when teething. This often seems to occur overnight, and we found that using silk liners routinely at those times more or less prevented it. Dealing with rashes-first aid for more details. 

Diet. There is no doubt in many people's minds that what goes in must affect what comes out, this can affect skin health. For example, tomatoes are quite acidic as are plums and oranges. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that these, among some other foods, are implicated in nappy rash in some babies. If you suspect a particular food is causing a problem, try reducing or cutting it out. Please do take nutritional advice from your Health Visitor though, I am not qualified to tell you what your baby should or should not eat. 

Health. Your baby's general health can also affect his/her skin health. As an eczema sufferer myself, I can confirm this, even in adults. So if your baby is under the weather with a cold for example, don't panic if he/she gets a bit of a red bottom. Silk liners are the best for this kind of situation, they help to keep the redness to a minimum. Also, when your baby is on a course of anti-biotics, not only does this often cause mild diarrhoea meaning you have to keep on top of nappy changes more than usual, it can also trigger a bit of a sore bottom in itself.

Dealing with Rashes - First Aid tips

Your baby should not suffer from any more nappy rash in cloth nappies than  they would in disposable nappies. A survey done by Bristol University a few years ago concluded that the type of nappy used was not a significant factor in nappy rash. In fact, most experienced cloth users will tell you that one of the nicest things about it is, that you have control over the chemicals that get near your baby's skin, unlike a ready to use disposable. One of the big brand name disposables brought out a "Sensitive" skin version of their nappy in 2000. I think that speaks volumes about their regular nappy, to my mind, ALL nappies should be suitable for sensitive skin. The same applies to that company's baby wipes for sensitive skin. 

So, you open up your baby's nappy to find a rash. What do you do? There will be no instant cure, but there is plenty you can do to prevent it. Most babies do get a bit of a red bottom at teething time, so don't be alarmed about it, there are a few things you can do to help that too.

First aid for a sore bottom. First of all, let your babies bottom get as much exposure to air as possible, let them kick around nappy-less for a while when changing their nappy. You can then use any cream for nappy rash bought at the chemist. You may need to try a few before you find the one that suits your baby. Not all creams suit every baby. If you want to take the more natural route, and this was our preference, try silk liners. We found these really good for a sore bottom, especially at teething time. We routinely used one in our daughter's nappy overnight, and it really did seem to reduce the severity of the redness, and most nights, any redness that had built up by day was completely gone by morning. Silk liners do not reduce the wetness next to baby's skin, but they do have some magical ingredient that seems to encourage healing. You must not use any creams or wetness barriers with silk liners, the liner needs to touch the skin directly. I have been told various possible reasons as to why they work. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly why they do, I just know they do. One theory relates to the mulberry bush leaves that silk worms eat, it has a high gum content, and it may e be this that has healing properties. The other possibility is the protein content. Cotton is of plant origin, silk and wool are from an animal origin, and therefore contain protein. Some people think it is this anti-bacterial, anti-fungal protein that is the magical ingredient. The other natural first aid method that works well is camomile and honey. Make up a cup of camomile tea, and add a teaspoon of honey. Soak a piece of muslin or a washable wipe (or any piece of suitably sized cotton) in the solution, then place this, still wet, between the nappy and your baby's skin. I have never tried this method, but it is reportedly another miraculous cure. Also, try using Lynn's wipe's recipe (below) between nappy changes, as Camomile is extremely soothing to sore skin.

Lynn's washable wipe recipe. Lynn from Durham came up with this recipe for using with washable wipes. We used it most of the time after I discovered it, we had problems as our daughter was sensitive to most commercially available disposable wipes, this recipe was just what we needed.

Make a cup of Camomile tea, add a few drops of lavender oil, and a tablespoon (approx) of vegetable oil, grapeseed oil is good, the kind you use for baby massage. Beware of using baby oil Baby oil, it is petroleum based, and will be difficult to wash out of the cotton fibres properly. Vegetable oils are much lighter and easier to remove in the wash. The oil allows the wipes to glide smoothly over the skin. I kept this solution in a old wet wipes box with lid, and dunked the washable wipes as and when needed throughout the day. The solution seems to last about 2 days (if there is any left that is), we did not try and keep it any longer, as there was never any left. This solution is very soothing to the skin.

While trying these first aid tips, do also check the nappy rash prevention page, as there is more on how you can find out what caused the rash in the first place.

If your attempts to bring nappy rash under control do not work, then please do see the doctor, it may be that your baby has a thrush rash, and needs a prescription only cream. Do not leave it more than a couple of days, as Thrush can get very painful for your baby. See the nappy rash prevention page for more on thrush.

Dealing with Stained Nappies

From time to time you may get stained nappies, and as with most things, prevention is part of the key.

Liners can help prevent stains, especially polyester fleece liners. They really can reduce not only the amount of skin wetness, but also the poo stains. You can cut fleece liners out yourself from any 100% polyester polar fleece (even an old jacket will do), no need to hem, or we sell them in the accessories section.

Soaking also helps reduce stains, but beware of using too much in the way of nappy sterilization solutions. Try either tea tree oil or plain water. Nappy Fresh does keep stains to a minimum, but not all babies get along well with it, if you like very white nappies then you could try this, but be cautious, and keep a close eye on your baby's skin. 

Do not use hot water, it sets the protein stains in more, only soak in cold water.  Some parents dry store the plain wet nappies in one bucket and soak the poo nappies in another bucket. Before you do the actual wash, doing a quick machine rinse to remove the worst of the gunk, can help. Nappy services have to do a pre-rinse (sluice) before the washing starts, so it does make sense to do this for particularly messy nappies yourself. 

Dry on the line in direct sun as often as possible. This is not only the greenest method, but sunlight is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, as well as bleaching out stains nicely. 

If you nappies get some particularly bad stains that bother you, do a wash with double your normal detergent dose, then do another wash with no detergent at all. You can do this with a bio detergent if you wish, but don't do it too often, and I would recommend 1 bio wash, followed by a non bio wash (1/2 powder), then a no detergent wash. This really is only for the really badly stained nappies. If you leave the stains as they are, chances are they will reduce in time anyway. By the way, the enzymes in bio detergents are not especially bad for the environment, but they are a serious skin irritant, hence the need to wash/rinse them well away from the nappy before you use it next to your baby's skin. Enzymes occur everywhere in nature, but some enzymes for manufacturing are made using genetic modification though, so only use them if you really, really have to. 

And finally, remember that after all your efforts to remove the stains, the nappy is going straight back on a baby's bottom, to get pooed on again! So don't get too obsessed about stains.

Smelly Nappies-when clean

Some parents report that their nappies start to smell after a while, even when clean. It isn't an overly common problem, but it obviously isn't so pleasant if you are affected. The nappies most prone to this seem to be those containing some polyester in the fibres, such as 85% cotton/ 15% polyester. I am not sure why this happens, but here are a few suggestions to help with this problem. Experiment to see which is most effective for you. 

Check the temperature you wash your nappies at, nappies washed regularly at 40 degrees seem to suffer from this more than those washed regularly at 60 degrees. Do a one off 90 degree wash.

The most effective way to deal with this is to do a biological wash occasionally. However, since biological detergents can be quite irritating to sensitive skin, either do a normal non bio wash afterwards, or do a second wash cycle (cool will do), but with no detergent. This will ensure that the nappies are very well rinsed before you use them on baby again. You won't need to do this all the time, usually about once a month is enough, but the best way is to only do it when you feel the nappies are getting a bit whiffy again. 

Try soaking with tea tree oil.

Sometimes a build up of detergent may have  occurred. Try washing the nappies without any detergent, then rinsing again. If the nappies seem softer after this, reduce the amount of detergent you use in future.

Try a different detergent brand.

Try drying in direct sunlight as often as possible.

Reduce the number of nappies in each wash to give them more room to circulate in the washing water.

I'm afraid it's trial and error, and if you are reading this before buying any nappies, remember that 100% cotton nappies don't seem to suffer from this problem.

Our Environmental Policy

It wouldn't be much use spouting off about the environmental advantages of using cloth nappies, if we didn't take steps to run our business in a way that is as environmentally friendly as possible. This is how we do it.

• Where possible we use paper that has all ready been used and would have otherwise been thrown away. All our own copies of customer invoices and other paperwork is printed on the reverse side of previously used paper (usually obtained from a local business that would otherwise throw this away). You may occasionally notice very small amounts of printing in the corner of the reverse of your invoice from us, this is paper from the same source, that has so little printed on it, that we consider it suitable for sending out to you, the customer. Again, this would otherwise have been thrown away. Reusing is much more efficient than recycling which would use more energy and transportation.

• We use recycled paper for printing where practical.

• We use recycled envelopes.

• We reuse envelopes where possible, by using envelope reuse stickers.

• We try to reuse as much packaging that we receive as possible. We also try to use newspaper to pack empty spaces in parcels, rather than non biodegradeable polystyrene. Any bubble wrap we use was previously used to protect soft fruits in transit (thank you Morrisons supermarket).

• We also buy most of our plastic mailing bags made from recycled plastic or biodegradable plastic, although these are not available in all the sizes that we need.

• We don't send out our goods in unnecessary packaging, most nappies will not be in individual packets, and we try to buy our flushable liners from a company that is happy to supply them without extra plastic packing, although this is not always possible.

• We use recycled ink cartridges as much as possible, and send our own used ones for recycling. We also refill cartridges where possible.