Keeping Cloth Nappies Soft

When it is cold and wet a lot of people rely on radiators to dry their real nappies. If you live in a hard water area this could mean that your nappies go a bit hard. Some nappies are better than others for hard water areas: The Flip Nappies from bumGenius are good for hard water areas, and they dry relatively quickly too. They are one size nappies, easy to use, you need a cover and an insert that can be disposable or washable, if you want to learn more please visit our Quick Guide to Flip Nappy System One of the other reusable nappies we recommend at the Natural Nursery for hard water areas is the bumGenius. This is a birth to potty pocket nappy and it is also a relatively quick dryer.  

1) Use a fleece liner to reduce the amount of hard nappy touching your babies skin.

Fleece liners are cheap, colourful and they can be washed and re-used hundreds of times. They are soft against your baby’s skin and help to wick the wet away from the bottom, meaning a more comfortable baby.

2) Scrunch the nappy up and rub it hard between your hands after it has dried.

The idea here is to physically fluff up the fibres of the nappy. It is mostly the movement in a tumble dryer that helps to keep a nappy soft so anything you can do to replicate that helps.

3) Hang the nappy out on the line if possible

Grab every opportunity to give your cloth nappies a bit of line drying time as they will be softer than if they are dried on a radiator. If you really have to radiator dry try to keep the nappies away from the radiator a little - either by using an airer that hooks over the radiator or by drying on chair backs next to the radiator.

4) Tumble dry nappies now and again if possible.

A once a month tumble dry will give your nappies a boost, I used to take mine to my mum's for a nappy spa day, or I'd use a launderette once in a while.

5) Reduce the amount of washing powder you use.

Washing powders can build up on fabric, stiffening it and making it less asorbent. Once in a while try just running the nappies through on a hot wash with no powder to strip them of anything that might be making them hard.

6) Put a small cupful of white distilled vinegar into the wash.

White vinegar is great for neutralising smells and for softening hard water. You just put it in the conditioner drawer. I have used ordinary vinegar in desperation and it works just as well, just smells more vinegary than the distilled stuff.

7) Do an extra fast spin at the end of the wash.

The logic here is to remove as much water from the nappies as possible so they need less time to dry.

8) Add bicarbonate of soda to the washing powder.

This helps to soften the water, you can use it with white distilled vinegar as well to remove stains. Half a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda is more than enough. If you have any other tips to help keep your real nappies soft please let us know.

Real Nappies, Baby Health and Saving Money

Washable Nappies

Modern cloth nappies are easy to use, save you a fortune and are better for your baby and the environment. A modern washable nappy system consists of an absorbent part (the nappy) and a waterproof part (the nappy wrap or cover). There are lots of types of nappies and you can find out more about the different styles at www.naturalnursery.co.uk

My Baby’s Health

Disposable nappies contain over 200 chemicals, some of which are believed to cause cancers or hormonal changes. Cloth nappies are made from soft or natural fabrics to feel lovely on the skin and have the following health benefits: They have better air circulation than disposables, meaning your baby is kept cooler and fresher and latest research shows lowered sperm counts may be due to raised scrotal temperatures in disposables Many parents report a reduction in nappy rash and eczema when they make the switch to cloth Babies in cloth nappies adopt the “frog” position which offers better posture support and can help hips develop properly

The Money

A full set of cloth nappies, including home laundry, will cost from £200 to £500, against a total bill of around £1500 to £2000 for disposable nappies. This could give you a saving of around £12 PER WEEK if you use cloth nappies and reusable wipes. You may also qualify for a nappy incentive from your local council; you can find out more on our website at www.naturalnursery.co.uk/real-nappy-incentives.html Plus you can keep your gorgeous nappies and use them for your next baby.    

Choosing your Real Nappies

With so many brands, styles and types of nappies around, it can be a little hard to work out which one is right for you and your baby. There are a number of factors that you might like to consider: Your budget Flat nappies or simple one size nappies are more economical than all-in-one nappies. There might be a real nappy incentive scheme in your area which could give you cash back or offer a free trial. Speed of drying Pocket and flat nappies will dry quickest, followed by slim one-sized nappies with all-in-ones taking the longest to dry Fabric Natural fabrics such as organic cotton or bamboo are lovely on a baby’s skin but new fabrics are hard-wearing and absorbent Ethics You could try to buy nappies that are made in the UK or Europe or ensure that they come to the UK by boat, not aeroplane to reduce “nappy miles” Fit If you want a slim fitting nappy, then look for trim nappies such as the Flip or the Mother-ease one size Breastfed new baby poo Generally a 2-part nappy system is better at containment but we have had good reviews of the Flip and the Wonderoo too Ease of use All-in-one nappies are the simplest to use, but they do take longer to dry and are more expensive If you want more help and advice in choosing the perfect nappy for your family please visit www.naturalnursery.co.uk/reusable-nappies-advice.html    

See a disposable nappy mountain!

UK parents throw away around 3 billion disposable nappies every year - that is a lot of landfill and this is what one babies nappy mountain looks like -    

 It is believed that it will take up to 500 years for these nappies to decompose (all the while producing dangerous methane gas), which could be a big headache for our grandchildren. A Women’s Environmental Network study shows that disposable nappies use: 3.5 times as much energy 8 times as much non-renewable raw materials 2.3 times as much waste water as reusable nappies.

Real Nappy Comparison Chart, which one is best for you?

Here at the Natural Nursery we are passionate about real nappies and we want to make it easier for you to find the very best ones for your family.

Sizing

Real nappies may be sized, to cope with growing babies or one sized/birth to potty, meaning the same set of nappies should fit from around 8lbs to 35lbs, roughly the size of babies/toddlers when they are in nappies.    

Flat Nappies

Terry squares or pre-folds - rectangles of fabric that can be folded in a number of ways to ensure the perfect fit for your baby. They are highly economical, hard-wearing and are among the easiest washable nappies to care for. The Flip Nappy System is particularly popular as it is so simple to use and comes with a range of inserts.  

All-in-One Nappy

A nappy that contains both the absorbent part and the waterproof part in one, so it goes on and off the baby much like a disposable. All-in-Ones can be sized or birth to potty and can fasten with hook and loop tape or poppers. They can be very convenient to use, but are more expensive than other brands and may not last as long as the whole nappy has to be washed and dried each time.  

2-Part Nappy

A nappy system where the absorbent and waterproof parts are separate, meaning they can be washed separately as the nappy wrap does not need to be washed each time it is used. A 2-part shaped nappy can be sized or birth to potty. The birth to potty versions are more common and normally adjust using rows of poppers to ensure a neat, leak free fit.  

Pocket Nappy

A shaped nappy that works much like an all-in-one nappy except that the absorbent part is stuffed into a pocket in the nappy, between the lining and the waterproof cover. This means you can add as much or as little padding as you need, and it comes out for easy washing and drying. Again, they can be sized or birth to potty and once they have been assembled they are as easy to put on as a disposable nappy.  

Making your own disposable baby wipes

It is easy to spend a fortune on disposable baby wipes, when it is very simple to make and use your own washable wipes. Even families that use disposable nappies often use reusable wipes as they are so soft on the baby, save hundreds of pounds and don’t contain any nasty chemicals. Washable wipes can be used for all sorts of clean ups – on hands and faces, not just on bots.

I just dampen my wipes under the hot tap before using, but you could make up a special solution if you liked. The wipes can then be popped in the nappy bucket ready for washing or just washed along with your normal laundry if you don’t use cloth nappies.
Making your own fleece washable wipes is very simple, I made mine out of an old fleece blanket. If you don't have one, you can pick one up cheaply at charity shops, car boot sales or discount stores in town. I chose a tartan pattern as it is easy to cut out – just follow the lines. As a rough guide, you want the wipe to be about the size of your palm, say around 10cm x 15cm but it is really up to you. To make your own fleece baby wipes:

1. Lay your fleece fabric/blanket out and cut along one of the lines to make a strip of fabric your chosen width.
2. Cut the strip into your chosen lengths.
3. My fabric is a picnic rug, so I had to unpick the blanket stitch edging.
4. Snip a small triangle off each corner as this will make wipe easier to hold.

These fleece washable wipes are really very simple to make but if you would rather buy them, The Natural Nursery sells Devon made fleece liners in their online shop www.naturalnursery.co.uk

Caring for your cloth nappies

You will need to wash your new nappies a few times before you use them to ensure they are fully absorbent. We suggest that you just wash and use a few nappies first to make sure they suit your baby as you will not be able to return any used or washed nappies. When you need to change your baby, flush the disposable liner down the loo and pop the soiled nappy into your nappy bucket, ready for washing. If you are using a 2-part nappy system, you can wipe the wrap out ready to be used again, unless it is very soiled. Please refer to individual manufacturers’ guides for specific instructions - you will find more information on our website at www.naturalnursery.co.uk/reusable-nappies-advice.html

To wash your nappies:

• Flip any solids off the nappy and into the loo before you put them in your nappy bucket
• There is no need to soak your nappies - dry pailing (without water) is much easier
• Wash at 60 degrees (or lower if you like)
• Use only 1/3 of the amount of detergent normally used
• Make sure you use a non-bio detergent that does not have perfumes, dyes, whiteners, brighteners or enzymes
• Do NOT add fabric conditioner, baking soda, bleach or vinegar
• Where possible, line dry your nappies but many can be tumble dried on low if necessary