How I Cloth

There’s a trend here. Even outside of the blog [ie., in my “actual” life], I started to get the feeling like I was an unofficial and unremunerated nappy saleslady. I carted around spare copies of the business card for Nest Nappies, a dedicated cloth nappy store in my hometown of Brisbane. I pocketed a bunch on my last visit because people everyone from the grannies outside Woolies to the teenage mums in the mother’s rooms all started asking me about cloth. Benny tires of the repeated questions we attract as parents of infant twins, but this particular question we welcome.

And then, as I typed off the 4th reply to an [actual] pregnant friend asking me about cloth, and made another coffee date to meet a friend along the Paddington cafe strip and then take them on a visit to Nest Nappies, I realised this blog post was inevitable. So, if you read this post and you like it, well you still have to take me on a coffee date as payment for my advice.

Of course, you can just google or look up some of the information on the advertised brands, but I found my friends were asking about my real learned experience with using cloth nappies. This is just my experience. But I did nappy two babies at once, so yes, I’m an expert.

It’s probably best to start by reading the Why I Cloth post. This, then, is the How. Or the What. For there is an entire cloth nappy vocab to learn.

The Terminology

MCN: Modern Cloth Nappy. They’re shaped like a disposable nappy and do up with velcro or clips.

AIO: All In One. The nappy has no removable parts and does not need to be separated for washing. Usually the insert is sewn into the outer nappy.

AI2: All In Twos. Uh, comes in two parts. It might be a pocket nappy (see below), a nappy with a clipable insert, or an all-absorbent nappy with a pilcher-like cover.

PUL: Polyurethane Laminate. A non-biodegradable but extremely durable waterproof plastic-backed fabric. PUL fabrics are made with funky patterns and are used for the outer covers of MCNs.

Minky: Means a soft fleecy fabric which forms the outer of the nappy. It’s better for overnights as it’s kinder on skin with accumulations of wee.

Pre-Folds: These are usually referring to the old granny style nappies made from towelling fabric. Modern pre-folds though are made of bamboo or other MCN material and can be used as boosters or used on their own with a wet-proof cover.

Pocket Nappy: Means a nappy with an inner liner which is inserted along the body of the nappy. Imagine a super-absorbent cloth panty liner that goes inside your knickers. The liner does not touch the skin, and is removed for washing.

OSFA: One Size Fits All. This term is not particular to cloth nappies, but in this case it means you can use the one nappy from birth until toilet training. Some brands do sized nappies, some are OSFA. Unless you have major fitting issues, I’ve used OSFA and they’ll be cheaper as they will last the whole of your nappying life.

TT: Toilet Training. Der.

China Cheapies: A generic term for nappies purchased on eBay or similar, for around a tenth of the price of the reputable brands.

Bamboo: A fabric made with bamboo fibres. Comes in many different forms, but used a lot in MCNs because it holds moisture very well and is gentle on skin. And it is a more renewable resource than cotton.

Strip Wash: Nappies accumulate soap residue with repeated use, which limits their absorbency. A strip wash helps restore them to brand and spanky new again.

Dry pail: What most nappy brands recommend. Nappies aren’t soaked, just plonk them in a big bin and wait until wash day.

Swim nappy: A reusable cloth nappy they can swim, bathe, and luxuriate in at their local spa.

Inserts: The bits that go in the nappy. It’s a good idea to have extras of these (boosters) to add into the nappy for overnight or if you’re likely to be out for a long time and it won’t be easy to change the nappy.

Liners: You can purchase single-use or reusable liners that go in the nappy (next to bum) to catch stray poos. The idea is that these are then flushed down the loo, or with some brands you can put them through the wash for re-use if you only catch a wee [hats off to my friend Jo for this tip].

The Outlay

Nappy brands charge between $20 and $35 (AUS) for each nappy.

You will need about 15 nappies I reckon.

You can purchase additional absorbent inserts or boosters, and flushable, biodegradable liners.

We should have bought a Little Squirt or something similar, but instead just scraped poo with our hands, or with some toilet paper, or with a spatula. This is not a joke. When the poo is solid enough it just falls into the toilet, but there are many a times it is too soft to lift but too solid to rinse. This device in hindsight would have come in very handy.

You need a good bin with a tight-fitting lid.

Cloth bum wipes are da bomb, but I’d recommend making your own. Blog post to come.

Wet bags made from PUL are a must for the nappy bag.

The Cloth-ing Process

To prepare: You’ll need to sort your nappies out of the wash and with some if they are AI2s you’ll need to construct them together. At a pinch, you can just assemble as you go but I prefer to have them ready to go and they’re neater on the shelf.

To use: I’ve never understood why trashy Rom Coms and suchlike try to make out like nappy changing is some big feat. It couldn’t be easier. Lie baby down, undo the clips, wipe, fold the nappy and place in bin, clip on the new one. Your cloth wipes and wet bags also go into the nappy bin for washing.

To wash: To protect the fabric and extend their life, use the following guidelines.

• Not too hot: About 40 C
• Use half the usual amount of detergent
• No fabric conditioner, bleaching agents, Napisan etc.

To dry: Hanging outside in the sunlight is preferable as the sun bleaches any stains and kills bacteria (it’s true! like magic!).

All of the websites where you can purchase your nappies have a section on nappy care, so it’s worth checking these out.

Where To Get ‘Em

You can order directly through the following websites, or there are heaps and heaps of other online stores nowadays (like EcoBabe and The Nappy Bucket, but really there are too many to mention) which sell a range of products. Baby and kids’ markets are also great places to find smaller and excellent brands. And of course in Brisbane, there’s Nest and Biome.

Here are a few of my favourites for buying online:

Issy Bear Nappies

Green Kids

Baby Bee Hinds

Pea Pods

Cushie Tushies

Bambooty

And Finally, A Picture Diary

Here is a sample of our personal stash…

From Top to Bottom: Issy Bear. China cheapy. Pea Pods. Issy Bear. Chloe Toes. Baby BeeHinds. Baby BeeHinds. Issy Bear. Green Kids. China cheapy. Nappylicious. Bubble Bums

And out little soldiers awaiting use under the change table…

Ooh gets me all tingly on the insides

Some of our wetbags…

Even the wetbags are purdy

And the upgraded nappy pails. Yes, they are empty protein powder bins, with thanks to our mate Joe who is a semi-professional muscle maniac and passed these on to us. They look ghastly but work better than our original bins.

Repurposed plastic! nappy pails

I think that about *covers* it. Feel free to *leak* this post to others. Using your com*poo*ter please Like and Share! Ok, I’m off to go die now in Bad Pun Land. Hope this makes you all happy nappy chappies!

Why I Cloth

For hubby and me it was a no-brainer. You know how every now and then the Red Sea of marital debate and discussion parts and you find yourselves on exactly the same page at exactly the same time?

That’s how it was for us when we took a stroll one Saturday morning after breakfast, and our hearts thumped and our hands clasped as our gaze rested on this bad boy at the Eco store.

The “bad boy”. As modelled by Inez c. 12 months of age

Isn’t he the cutest? Still my favourite. So, my predilection for cute badass undergarments aside, it was settled from the start for both of us that we would do cloth. Which is lucky, seeing as though the bulk of the poo-scraping falls to my dear Benjamin.

So, here, as I see it, are the reasons to cloth…

Please note, I have tried to not make this sound like propoganda. There are some downsides.

1. They’re cuter. Obviously. See justification above.

2. They’re cheaper. Seriously. The maths has been done. Around $2000 per year, anyone? And then you can hand them down, use them for the next kidlet, or sell them. Ka-ching!

3. They’re better for the planet. Every now and then some cynic pops up on their soapbox and they’re all like, what about all the water you are using when you wash? what about the detergent? To me, these people are a bit like climate change deniers. The research is in, people. The major brand disposable nappies sit in landfill for ever. Consider using a more eco-friendly detergent. And you use half as much detergent with clothies than for a normal wash.

4. They’re better for bums. Now, you might need to change them more often because dispos apparently contain some gel that draws away moisture. Picture the pad ads with the blue water. And now refer to point 3 above, and remember that plastic, like diamonds, is forever! Cloth nappies can benefit from an antibacterial wash every now and then, and you’ve got to avoid mould and nasties accumulating on them. But personally I’d rather wear absorbent underpants than a plastic and paper chafing undergarment.

5. They’re not needed for as long. Kids toilet train sooner on cloth. An added bonus! They learn to associate the feeling of being wet with having just gone wee wees, and this helps them build the association and anticipate their wee wees. Even better, give the kiddles as much nappy-free time as you can. This saves your nappies, saves their bums, and helps kiddies learn to use the toilet. Yay!

6. They’re heaps better than the good ol’ days. No more pokey pins and pilchers. This I find to be the biggest myth I get asked. No, things have evolved past the terry cloths people.

7. They’re not that much [extra] work. Bubbies make a lot of mess. They puke and smear food and upend their drinks and snot and sometimes, even disposable nappies LEAK POO! Yes there is more washing with a bub in general and I find the nappies are not noticed as an extra burden. You might need to rinse away the poo before washing (we’ve found we have to do this), and there is no denying that this sucks. We just tell ourselves points 1 through 6 above and that it’s an act of love. Luckily, you will not be disgusted by your own child’s poo. It’s not gross, it’s just work.

And lastly, ok, I’m going to spout all high-and-mighty from my mouth orifice for a minute here. What an indictment on our society it is that we consider disposable and single use objects to be the norm. People would think it absurd that we would use plastic plates and cutlery for all of our meals. No mess! No fuss! Just schlep it all into the bin at the end of your meal! No more dishwashing in an old-fashioned sad old kitchen sink. Think of all the pollution from water use and detergent! What a load of rot. We normalise something like dishwashing because there hasn’t been some massive campaign by major corporations to convince us using disposable options are its easier, more hygienic, somehow the better option. We confine “party plates” to where they belong, parties and events where it is impractical to cart around ceramics and stainless steel. Disposable nappies should be the same. When we went travelling in Japan, we used disposables. For home and everyday, we use cloth nappies. Let’s all help to make this the new norm.

The clever marketing toward “harried housewives” works extremely well, and when you think of it is actually quite insulting. Yes, taking care of babies is extremely hard work. But it’s hard because most of that work is confined to the home, it’s repetitive and often thankless. Children are relentless in their need for attention and comfort and stimulation and care. Cloth nappies do not add to this burden. Parenting is hard for many reasons, but an extra load of wash every few days is NOT one of them. End rant.

The next blog post will talk about some of the ins and outs of cloth. But whether you use them all the the time, or only for a bit, I can not for the life of me find a good argument why you would NOT use cloth nappies. I think they are more awesome now than when we first fell in love with them on that breezy Saturday morning when I was only 13 weeks and really hoping I was about to start showing [be careful what you wish for, ay?].

Go on, I DARE you to tell me something to spoil my rose-coloured view on cloth.