My passion for cloth nappies began long ago.  Several of my girlfriends had made the decision to use cloth in more recent years, but I had always assumed that I would when i had children of my own. Let’s face it in comparison with our grandmothers we have life pretty easy – no need to boil the water and soak and scrub with our bare hands anymore!  My grandmother even had dirt floors in their first home in country NSW to contend with – imagine how dirty even the outside of my mother’s nappies would have become in that situation! Let alone the inside. And with no electricity and certainly no front loading washing machine with matching tumble dryer!

So I always figured (having grown up listening to stories like this) that in comparison to that – how hard could it be? And when I was alerted to the existence of the ‘Modern Cloth Nappy’ available on the market today…well, let’s just say the deal was sealed!

I did, however, run into a small hurdle…my gorgeous and wonderful husband…. Who, with every concern for my sanity and the amount of work he perceived cloth nappies creating for me, was hesitant to agree upfront without and more information.

It was a serendipitous event. Because of his concerns I did some research…. And wow was I surprised to read what I did. Sentences like ‘…up to and sometimes exceeding 500 years to break down’ and ‘every disposable nappy requires more water to be created than creating and washing cloth as well as a cup of crude oil’ That’s PER NAPPY!!!! Let alone the massive effects of landfill on the environment.

Though I knew disposable nappies created a lot of waste – I remember a friend saying that she had to contact the council about getting a larger garbage bin for their home after their first child was born – I never realized the true reality of it. Up to 2 tonnes of waste, per child for their nappy wearing life. 2 TONNES! And with millions of disposable nappies used daily in Australia alone, we have a responsibility to make some changes and not leave our children a legacy of landfills. All closed by the time they are old enough to understand any of this because they fill up so very quickly but all needing to be maintained – for centuries after we are gone to prevent leakage into the water table.

If that doesn’t hit home, have you ever changed or seen someone change a poo filled disposable? Did you or that person remove the solid waste from that nappy before rolling it up, sealing with the convenient Velcro tabs and placing in the garbage? Did you realize that as well as being illegal, that poo filled nappy, full of human body waste and bacteria, is now sitting in a landfill site, with the sun beating down on it and the rain hitting it? It is now a bio hazard in a landfill that is not designed for that kind of waste. As the velcro tabs loosen and the nappy opens that waste is in real danger of leaking through the seal of the landfill and effecting the water table of this country. Not to mention the gels and other chemicals used to store the moisture inside the nappy while your baby has it on. A country in which we pride ourselves on clean drinking water – it is something many countries cannot boast about. Is that the kind of legacy we want to leave our kids? I know I don’t.

When I mention that we use cloth nappies in our home I have received many and varied comments and if you are a user or are thinking about it or definitely intending to, I am sure you have encountered the same. The look of absolute horror and the ‘really? Are you sure you want to do that?’ and also ‘are you crazy – do you have any idea how much water you  are using washing those nappies?’ or my favourite ‘well, you must have a lot of spare time – there is no way that could work in our house’ I am here to tell you that this can work in your home. It worked for a very long time before the introduction of disposables 30 years ago or so, and as I have said – in much more difficult conditions than we face now.

Many of my friends said ‘but how on earth do you fold one of those things?’ and ‘what about the plastic pants that go over them? They are disgusting’  Well the news is good J There are many cloth nappying options out there and many of them are fold free systems. Fitted and tailored to prevent leaks and the cover? Well they are now the most beautiful soft breathable coated fabrics that allow for air to pass through to your baby and keep them comfortable and cool without allowing moisture out.

But I digress…. Cloth nappy use requires washing – yes – drying – yes. It takes me, about 3 and a half minutes to put a bucket full of nappies into the machine, add a small amount of detergent, close the lid and turn the dial to go. About 45 minutes later I come back to fresh clean nappies. I personally try to hang my nappies as often as is possible with regards to the weather. Summer is a dream, they dry in a heartbeat outside in the sun. In winter I hang them in the house on a clothes horse and only put them in the drier if I need to use them and they are not quite there. Or if I feel that they still have that winter almost damp feeling clothes sometimes get in the winter I pop them in the drier for 5 minutes or so to finish them off. They are going to get wet enough on my baby, no need to start out slightly damp I say J

We have enough nappies in our stockpile, fitted, folded, all in one, pocket, contoured, hybrid etc etc ( we tried a little of everything in the beginning) to keep us going for about 3 days. This means I wash about 3 times a week. 1 Load, 3 times a week. Not such a huge commitment. And on the water usage topic… It feels much more obvious to people because they are using it in their own home. Because it is coming from their taps.  We must however remember that just because we don’t see the water usage in a disposable nappy does not mean that it is not there. Along with, as mentioned, the crude oil and chemicals and plastics used in the production process.

Another topic I have not mentioned yet is the cost. Every person I know, along with every person I have ever seen in the supermarket who buys disposable nappies searches for them on sale and laments having to pay full price for them. This indicates to me that somewhere in their minds they realize what a massive investment they are making over time and that the savings they are making – however small today, when accumulated over the nappy wearing life of their child will make a financial difference to them. Somewhere in the realm of $40 every 10 days for a newborn doesn’t seem so bad on first glance. And 37 cents a nappy certainly seems like a good deal. But over 2 or 3 years?

Cloth Nappies definitely pose a more daunting upfront cost. There are many ways in which to minimize this upfront cost if this is a concern for your household. Prefold packages are incredibly good value and can include over 30 ‘prefolds’ and waterproof breathable covers which can be a total nappy system, no other purchase required from around $200. Pre folded as the name indicates, they have absorbency panels already and need a simple fold here or there to suit the sex of your baby and then are inserted in the covers which close with Velcro most often and you are done. They are quick drying and very functional.  A great cost efficient system.

There are many other systems available. All in ones ,which function like a disposable. No removable parts, close in the front with snaps or Velcro.  Covers attached, a whole package nappy so to speak.  Pocket nappies are just that. A cover and the liner are attached but have an opening in the back. Into this opening you place your absorbent material. Pre shaped boosters can be used for this or folded cotton cloth nappies, microfiber for more absorbency, pretty much any absorbent fabric you have. These pieces are placed in the wash and dried separately. A great year round nappy – however particularly useful in cold winter conditions as drying time is significantly reduced by the separation.

Fitted nappies are all the absorbency you will need. Fitted and styled with elastic and Velcro or snaps to fit your baby snugly. They are however not waterproof. All fitted nappies will require a waterproof cover to be placed over them to prevent leakage. You will encounter other words in your cloth nappy journey such as contours, PUL, wool soakers, boosters and many other terms. It is a fun and informative journey.

Another nappy we LOVE is the ‘hybrid nappy’. Designed in Australia and in production since 1991!!! The Weenee Nappy from Eenee is amazing. Consisting of a stretch cotton outer pant with gorgeous styling and colours, lined with a waterproof fabric. Inside the pant are 4 small snaps, into which you attach an inner ‘pouch’ which is waterproof again and elasticized around the edges. What makes this nappy hybrid is what comes next. You have a couple of options for the filling of this pouch for absorbency. One option is a folded cloth nappy made of cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber. The other option is a pre shaped and specifically designed 100% biodegradable and flushable pad. When changing these nappies the pads can be put into your toilet and flushed away – you safe in the knowledge that they will completely degrade and contain no harmful chemicals or plastics. The other option for wet pads is composting. If you have a compost pile in your garden, or a place where they can be buried and allowed to decompose they will do so in 50 – 150 days depending on the moisture in the soil. (Do not compost soiled pads for health reasons these need to be flushed so the plumbing or septic system can deal with it in a safe manner)

So what am I trying to say here. Whether you agree with me, disagree, can see my perspective or not. I am trying to say nothing more than how I feel and what I think. There is a whole world of wonder out there. I, for one, do not want my children or my grandchildren to experience anything less than the whole thing. I hope that the legacy we leave our children is something they can be proud of, something we can be proud of too. Isn’t that what we all want?

And best of all, to make it easy for you to have a look and make the right choice, we have our convenient store located just a mouse click away, Right Here