Reusable nappies are more and more becoming the ‘thing’ to use. I tell you what it isn’t because they are trendy either. These simple things we call reusable nappies are colossal money savers!
In today’s climate who doesn’t want to save money?
Well, today you are going to learn how to save money, easily. Reusable nappies aren’t as daunting as they may first seem.
Reasons On Why You Should Use Them!
So why should you decide that reusable nappies are right for you and your family? I have so many reasons to share so let’s get into it.
They Are Good For Your babies’ Sensitive Skin
Babies skin isn’t quite as hardy as us tough old adults… if you consider it. Their skin has been super well protected whilst hidden away in the womb.
So when your baby has come out it is going to take the skin some time to toughen up. Hence the saying ‘soft as a baby’s but’.
The fabrics used in reusable nappies are beneficial cause there is no chance of chemicals or any nasties being within those nappies!
Plus if you have bamboo charcoal the fabric is hypoallergenic and antibacterial. What more could you want against your baby’s soft skin?
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They Save Money… Lots Of It!
Cloth nappies save SO much money. I have said it once and I will say it again, they are a huge money saver.
*insert graph*
You can take a look at my blog post-Reusable Nappies Are The Best to find out even more info on what you can save.
The basic info you need to know is:
“The average kid will use 7000 nappies in their lifetime. This is from newborn to potty trained… The average mum using modern cloth nappies full time will need 18-25 nappies for a year, so you won’t be washing all the time!
A singular disposable nappy costs an average of 0.70 cents. Not much eh? Now let’s times that by 7000… 0.70 x 7000= 4900.
$4900! There are a lot of things you can do with that sort of money…”
You Can Use Them For Multiple Kids
Reusable cloth nappies, if taken care of properly can last a lifetime. Well, not a WHOLE lifetime but a good 3-5 years if not more.
By taking care of them you could be saving thousands of dollars over multiple kids and that is so valuable.
Not only are you making a smaller number of the 7000 nappies per kid go to waste (good for our planet, which is good for us). But you are saving so much per child.
Reusable nappies’ shelf life makes them an even better choice.
They Have A Good Effect On Our Wastage Output
The pretty basic (no airy fairies around here) look at waste is that there are a lot of humans on this planet. Plus we all produce waste, so that is a lot of waste.
I don’t know a whole lot about the details of our effect on the planet. But I do know that minimizing our waste has got to be a good thing.
7000 nappies is an awful lot. It can take anywhere from 150-500 YEARS for a nappy to biodegrade or decompose.
That is far longer than you or I will live. By the time your babies have been and gone those nappies will STILL be around!
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How To Use Them
Using reusable nappies is a whole lot easier than you might think! So let us get into it.
Stuffing Pocket Nappies
The first thing you need to know about pocket nappies, you have to stuff them. A motherly mundane task, it can be quite enjoyable.
The biggest points to stick by when stuffing your nappies.
- Flat, get the liners flat
- Make sure there is no gap at the back or front
- Adjust the liner if you adjust the sizing
- Experiment with multiple liners but follow the points above
How To Put Them On…
Every brand of nappy will fit differently and be adjusted differently. There are some basic points you can look for.
- A good firm but comfortable fit around the legs
- A nice fit around the waistband, It needs to be firm against them but have some room for if the baby is sitting up
By adjusting the buttons correctly and aiming for those two main points you can avoid the chance of leakage.
The biggest thing to consider is you want your baby to be comfortable and leakproof, so finding a balance between those two things is really important.
As your baby moves onto solids using bio liners inside your nappies makes clean-up so much easier.
How To Wash Them
Washing reusable cloth nappies is a whole lot easier than you might think. It can feel daunting at the start but once you have a good idea of what to do, you will be away and laughing.
The washing process I use is as follows:
- Put the dirty nappies into a ‘dry’ bucket.
- When it is washing day, take the nappies into the washroom and empty them into the washing machine. I remove the liners as I put them in. You could also take liners out and put them within the shell before you put them in the dry bucket.
- I then add my eco-washing powder and a laundry boost (from Paddock Of Peonies)
- I set my washing machine on a Warm, Soak, and generally Short wash as the soaking is very effective!
Some people like to do a rinse cycle first, then stain treatment. I use Little Genie nappies which are made with charcoal bamboo, a hypoallergenic and antibacterial material that I have never had issues with staining.
It takes a while to figure out exactly what will work for you but once you do, you will have made life super easy for yourself.
How To Get In A Good Wash Routine
One of my biggest pieces of advice to anyone wanting to use reusable nappies is to get into a really good washing routine.
This was a lifesaver in the early days of using nappies and becoming a mum, routines helped me remember what I had to do.
I knew my dirty nappies went into the dry bucket and every night after bathing my daughter, I would put them on a wash cycle (Warm, Short, Soak).
In the morning when I would get up first thing on my list to do was head to the bathroom (besides the laundry) and hang out the nappies, as well as remove the dry ones from the day before and restock the change table.
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Stain Removal
I have had limited issues with staining, at least when it comes to reusable nappies. (Merino singlets are a different story)
With staining, I have always been inclined to use a sard wonder bar and soak or I recently acquired a little genie stain bar which is fantastic as well!
Because so many of our nappies are charcoal bamboo fabric, we have limited issues with staining and that is part of the reason I love Little Genie nappies so much.
I think sometimes the trick with stain removal is that you need to presoak it in a bucket with stain remover, then rinse then put through a soak setting on your washing machine.
The more time spend in the water the more your stain should soften and hopefully remove as well as possible.
With reusable nappies, drying them in the sun is another great way to get stains out. Similar to a natural bleaching process this can whiten up your nappies nicely.
Using Bio Liners
Bio liners are great, especially when it comes time to use solids. They catch the poop and stop it from getting mashed into the nappy.
Not only that though but it means you can remove the liner and throw it in the bin making cleanup so much easier.
Actually, with the Little Genie liners we have you can also compost them how awesome!
Honestly for a newborn liners aren’t very helpful. At that stage, your /baby’s poo is water soluble so it is just as easy to just wash it off.
Man oh man, when you get to solids though, they are life savers. They make life so easy and make your washing routine way less complex.
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The Best Hacks To Make Life Easier
When it comes to reusable nappies in no time you will have it figured out exactly what you need to do to make your life easier.
Here are my 5 favorite tips when it comes to how to use reusable nappies.
A Dirty/Dry Bucket
Our dry bucket is a LIFE saver. Any time a nappy gets dirty it just gets popped in there.
The bucket we have has a handle so we just pick it up take it out to the washing machine chuck them in…
You know my process now!
Then the bucket is there waiting for after to bring them in and hang them… It is the perfect merry-go-round.
It is easy to clean and easy to use and we use it every day, we have one for her dirty clothes as well.
Soak Option On The Washing Machine
The soak option on the washing machine is a lifesaver! I would love to tell you so much about it. But what is there to tell?
If you have a soak option. using that with warm water seems to get my nappies shiny and clean EVERY SINGLE TIME.
It works well for softening and removing stains naturally, which is especially good if you have any sort of boar water or wastewater system.
If you don’t have a soaking setting on your machine make sure to give your nappies a good soak in a bucket first, that will help increase your chances of having stain-free nappies.
Double Lining
This might sound so silly but it took me ages to realize that double lining my nappies were going to save me!
I was trying so hard to get my reusables working overnight, every night they were leaking.
Then I realized it wasn’t absorbent enough so how could I make it more absorbent?
Yes, correct class, add more inserts/liners.
Double lining got us through the night and now she is 6 months old, triple lining does the trick. How many liners depend on the type of liner too.
Find A Good Routine
As I talked about earlier finding a good routine was a lifesaver. It meant I didn’t forget and was able to stay on top of everything.
That is the best hack in my eyes. Habit stacking and creating a routine, like I always went to the bathroom in the morning and that is where our laundry was.
Plus I had the inside line in the hallway on the way there.
I essentially made it super easy for myself. You can too!
Try Different Nappy Brands…
My other point is to keep trying until you are in love with a brand.
Get a couple from one brand and use them and if they are eh try another brand.
Keep going till you find one you love, then get as many of those as possible.
Using ones you enjoy makes your washing and using routine easier.
So How Do You Use Reusable Nappies?
Using reusable nappies should feel a whole lot less daunting now you have got through this post!
Using reusable nappies has so many benefits and by arming yourself with the right knowledge you can make it an easy journey for you and your baby!
So now you know how to use reusable nappies with ease… get to it!
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