I get asked about these so often I’m going to write about them here.

For 2.5years now, we’ve been using cloth nappies for our boys. It was a big initial investment, that I hoped would pay off and it totally has!

Here’s what we use, tips for making it work in a busy home and my answers to the FAQs I get asked the most…

Which brand?

If you haven’t looked into ClothDiapers/Modern Cloth Nappies/MCN (as Aussies call them) then brace yourself… the online community is PASSIONATE, full of misinformation and extreme examples.
We went with Bumgenius Elementals. A USA brand that combined six organic cotton layers with a waterproof outer fabric called PUL. We picked these because I’ve always had trouble getting microfiber truly clean and cotton is hardy. The Elementals are all-in-ones, which means the waterproof layer and the cotton is all attached, no stuffing or separate parts to them (a big bonus for daycare, church and grandparents) They work like a regular paper diapers but just have press snaps instead of sticky tabs.
Did I mention they are adjustable? You can adjust the snaps so they work from about 4-6wks old right up until 2.

Our Laundry Detergent

This is why I’m writing a post… in Australia there isn’t a lot of information about one critical thing you have to do with MCN… Wash with the right detergent and have a good wash routine. If you don’t get this right the nappies can build up in chemicals or fillers and stop working or cause skin conditions on baby… So for the Australian market I did a tonne of research on laundry powders, the ingredients and whether they are ‘safe’ with MCN.

It came down to two practical options for me, Radiant Sensitive Powder and Bosisto EucoFresh Powder. I started out with the Bosisto but found it didn’t really wash out our other laundry as well as I wanted it to (whites were grey etc). And no way in heck I was going to have two separate detergents going on! I switched to Radiant Sensitive and it works great. They only thing to be aware of in the Radiant detergent is an enzyme that eats away and pilled/lumpy cotton over a very long period of time, that’s the only ingredint the nappy manufacturers would take issue with. But after using it for a year, I haven’t noticed any more degrading than the year I used Bosisto.

Here’s our wash routine:

• Collect dirty nappies in a Planetwise Wetbag (we use size large)
• If it’s poopy, immediately wash off in our toilet with our nappy sprayer that we installed directly to our toilet. Put in Wetbag.
• Wash every day or at most, every second day.
• 40C (60C every couple of months if I think the nappies need it)
• Pre wash or rinse+no spin setting. Nappies are absorbent and my HE front loader won’t use enough water unless I trick the cycle to add more in.
• Use recommended amount of detergent on the box
• I use our cotton setting (the one I use has 3 washes)
• Add extra rinses to the cycle before starting. Whatever works so that you’re happy all the detergent is washed out at the end. I add one more so there’s a total of 4.
• Line dry. I space out the inside layers so they both get sun and cover the elastic sides. Our Aussie sun is way too harsh on PUL, I actually ruined a whole bunch of nappies from too much heat (a combo of hot washing and too much sun exposure).
• Sun is a natural bleacher and disinfectant. I am always amazed at how the nappies can come out of the machine clean, but still stained and come off the line purely white.
• Don’t use heat cycles in your clothes dryer. They’ll ruin your PUL. Cold air cycles are ok.

Here’s our FAQs answered:

Isn’t it gross touching poop?
Sorry to bust your bubble but you’re going to be touching poop and way worse any way. So why not?

Is it heaps more work?
I guess so, but we got used to it. Again, your laundry increases so much anyway you may not notice it.

Do they last as long on baby?
Not as long as paper nappies, you’ll need to change baby every 3hrs. A paper nappy would last 4-6hrs.

How much are they?
About $30AUD each. We brought 24 nappies for our stash, I wouldn’t recommend any less or you’ll be washing them so often they’ll wear out quicker. 

That’s a lot of $$, is it worth it?
I did a cost comparison before buying, including water and detergent use with washing. It worked out to about saving $1,900 on nappies in baby’s first year alone. And now we’re using them for our second child!

What about overnight/daycare/babysitters?
Find a daycare that’s open to it. Use All-In-Ones so they are really simple for carers to use. We ask them to put the poopy nappies in a traditional plastic nappy bag and then into the Wetbag. Then we know there’s a bomb in the bag and spray it out as soon as we get home 🙂 Overnight you can use a booster insert or just use disposables. There are no black/white rules! 
Anything else to know?

You can’t use traditional nappy rash creams. There are cloth nappy safe ones. We use Natures Child Wonder Balm and has worked awesomely for us. If you do need to use a medicated cream etc just use paper nappies.

We use cloth wipes too, and make our own solution spray for them. We’re already washing, so it’s no big deal to add wipes into the mix. The spray lasts for ages. It’s made of distilled water, witch hazel, baby soap and tea tree oil.

Best thing?
They look cute! Money savings and environmental impact. Some sources say one paper nappy can take up to 500 YEARS to break down. When you’re using 10+ a DAY in those early weeks it all adds up.

Worst thing?
Winter drying times. Washing every day sometimes is a grind.

So if you’re considering cloth nappies, hope this helps!