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Beginners Guide to Cloth Nappies

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I wanted to use reusable nappies.

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I didn't know anyone that used them. I didn't even know whether anyone did anymore. I didn't know what types there were or how deep the rabbit hole I was about to dive into really was.


I was cloth-nappied as a baby, and so there are plenty of photos of me with a massive big terry towelling bum as a newborn, and I'd heard my mum talk about buckets of napisan with nappies soaking all day long.


I thought surely, with everything we know today, there must be other people out there who are using reusable nappies because they are concerned about their environmental footprint?


So I googled "reusable cloth nappies". Well. There was a tonne of information, websites, brands, hire companies all talking about "MCNs" : Modern Cloth Nappies.


My first thought was: amazing! Not only are other people using them, but they seem to have been improved over the years and designed to be easier to use than ever. Freaking fantastic.


So I started to dig a little deeper - I opened a few websites and browsed their shops and their products. And I got very quickly overwhelmed.


Sure, they've changed a lot and the designs have really improved to be modern, sleek, easy to use... But that has also complicated it significantly. There are So. Many. Options. How on earth was I supposed to know whether I should buy an all-in-one or a pocket nappy? A hybrid or a snap-and-wipe shell? What are flats, are they different to terry towels? And then preflats, what's different about them? Why are some $5 and others $50? And would someone please tell give me a cheatsheet for all these acronyms?!


I stumbled around for a while desperately trying to work out the difference in the different styles and options and what brands were good. I was losing my mind trying to figure out what the difference between an AI2 and Pocket nappy was (and then brands that said they were both??) and eventually I decided on two brands that I would get and try out based on what seemed popular and most commonly available online.


I've now got two kids - one is about to turn 3 and toilet training, the other is 8 months old. I've done cloth nappies with them both, with breaks along the way. And, unsurprisingly, I've learned a LOT. Truly, if I had my time again, I'd start very differently.

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I have always tried to be very open on social media about our cloth nappy journey, particularly because I knew what it was like to want to do it but feel like it didn't exist anymore. In doing so, I've attracted a lot of questions from friends asking about cloth. So now, I figure I should condense my lessons learned into a blog post for all to share in.


To avoid this from getting insanely long, I've created the glossary cheat sheet I always dreamed of which is free for you to download here:

Make sure to download and read it alongside this if you start feeling your head implode from all the cloth nappy jargon (who knew, right?)


MY TOP TIPS FOR STARTING CLOTH

Get ready for opinions and naysayers

This is a bit of a theme when it comes to parenting in general... There will always be people who want to give you their (usually) well-meaning opinions on your choices as a parent.


If you want to use cloth nappies, you go for it! And be reassured that there are PLENTY of people around the world doing so. You might find people will tell you anything from "you'll never have the time to keep up with the laundry once the baby's here" to "it's not even more sustainable by the time you do all that washing and drying" (which is a myth, by the way - people seem to forget the abhorrent amount of water require to produce plastic products including disposable nappies) There's no reason you can't give it a go. And to the naysayers, a response I always like it "thank you for your concerns, this is the decision we've made for our family". Or just a smile and nod is always a good back up.

Consider hiring a trial pack

I'm not exaggerating when I say there are hundreds of brands of nappies out there these days. Some very, very similar (some are even just one brand with a different label) and then others are totally unique. Cloth nappies, when being purchased new in particular, can be a big investment from the get-go and I'm sorry to confirm a lot of what you might have read by saying that different nappies really will work and fit differently on each baby. Sometimes you might even need a different stash for a second baby! A few months into my cloth journey with my first, I found out a friend of mine was also using cloth, which was awesome to learn. She was using a few different brands to me, and I had been dealing with daily leaks that I had assumed was just par for the course with cloth. I purchased a couple of one of the brands she recommended and it was like a whole new world - it fit like a GLOVE, and the leaks stopped immediately. I was so excited! I decided to try other the other brand she recommended and though I persevered with them for a while because I loved the prints, I struggled with the fit which left deep marks on my baby, as well as being annoyed by the inserts. These two brands (the one I was using and getting constant leaks, as well as the second one my friend recommended) were two of the most popular brands at the time, but they just didn't work for me and my baby. Most people (me included) just want to be able to pick one, buy a stash and be done with it, but it really is worth trying a few different types to work out what works best for your baby and your routine. That's where hire packs can be an absolute blessing! Some people will hire a newborn pack for those few weeks and months until a baby is big enough for OSFM nappies, while others simply want to try out a few different types before committing.

Prepare your laundry space and routine

One of the big factors for success with cloth nappies is understanding the cleaning routine and setting up your laundry to be able to manage the cleaning without fuss. As with so many things in parenting (and life!) things change over time, and it is no longer recommended to soak your nappies overnight in buckets of napisan. There are three main reasons for this: napisan ingredients have changed and no longer contains bleach, the materials used in most cloth nappies today will degrade with frequent soaking, and it was recognised as a drowning hazard to keep full buckets of liquids around the house with babies and small children. One of the absolute best resources for this is the website Cloth Nappy Help. This website has abundant free information for washing your nappies, including suggested routines for top and front loaders (yep, it'll be different depending on your machine), recommended detergents, and strip and sanitise instructions. Cloth nappies need to be washed adequately or they can pose a health risk, most often with ammonia build up. It might seem really overwhelming to begin with but it boils down to three basic principles - two wash cycles, adequate detergent, and warm-hot water. Some of the equipment you will need to set up your laundry include an airy basket for 'dry pailing' (or a couple) and I also recommend something to help scrub poo nappies, particularly once solids have been started. The Kmart silicone dish brushes are perfect. Some people also like to have something in the bathroom for scraping solids into the toilet, like a butter knife. Just make sure to label all of your nappy cleaning materials to avoid them ending up in the kitchen! Some of the online cloth nappy groups have albums where other cloth nappy parents have uploaded pictures of their laundry set ups, which can help you to see what might work for your space! Don't feel like you need a laundry reno to make cloth nappies work... I have a teeny laundry that is really just a hallway (literally not even a room) in the back part of my house, and we do just fine. If you've been doing a bit of research already, you may see Clean Cloth Nappies (CCN) recommended as a resource for laundry advice. They are also a perfectly adequate resource, but the majority of their information is behind a paywall and the woman behind Cloth Nappy Help was the original scientist behind Clean Cloth Nappies, so she is not a poor imitation by any stretch, and her information is what CCN is based on.

Seriously consider investing a bit of time to do flats over MCNs if you're strapped for cash or facilities

Flats are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to do cloth nappies because you can buy a lot for very little, they dry the fastest because the unfold to be one thin layer, and they are pretty bomb proof as far as treating them goes. They can be washed constantly on 90 degree washes and hold up for a loooong time, which can help if you're a bit nervous about getting the wash routine right but want to make sure your nappies are definitely clean. A 90 degree wash will kill almost everything you don't want hanging around on your nappies, so it's an easy way to put your mind at ease. They can also handle being bleached really well. You can use PUL covers and just cycle through a few across a day, making sure to pop them in the wash if they get soiled or the elastics get wet, or you can use wool covers for a totally plastic-free cloth experience. Wool covers need specific care, but they are a brilliant option. Flats seem really intimidating because they require being folded and if you google 'cloth nappy folds' there are approximately thirty thousand options out there. If you want to do flats, I'd suggest getting hold of them early and practicing a few folds on a teddy bear or similar. It does not take long to get the hang of it, particularly once you're doing it multiple times a day, so truly - don't let it freak you out if you feel like this might be the best way for you to do cloth. The most common flat is the classic terry towel flat which you can purchase from Kmart, Big W, and Supercheap Auto (plus probably other places), but there are other options from cloth nappy brands that are made of materials that are denser and/or more absorbent so that they are a trimmer fit on a baby. Which brings me to the other drawback of flats - they are the bulkier option compared to the MCNs of today. If that's something that will bother you, keep it in mind.

Or consider buying secondhand for even lower carbon footprint and financial savings

Yes, secondhand cloth nappies is definitely a thing. If they are quality nappies that have been cared for with a proper wash routine, there is no reason that they can't be purchased second-hand. In fact, the cloth world went bananas over the early covid days - remember when you couldn't buy toilet paper? You also couldn't buy nappies half the time, and a lot of people made the jump to cloth nappies instead. Nappy retailers and many brands found themselves suddenly with no stock and huge delays on new stock because the majority comes from China and their manufacturing practically shut down overnight to manage covid cases. Secondhand nappy sales were in huge demand, and people were finding they could sell their nappies on often for as much as they'd paid for them new.


However, it's been a great lesson in economics for those of us who are still in the cloth nappy game - when things are in high demand, you can charge what you want. Now the market has been saturated with cloth nappies (which is amazing - think of how many disposables were saved over that time!) and so the secondhand sales are very low.


It's great news for anyone looking to get into cloth now, because you can buy secondhand quality brands for an actually reasonable price.


When buying secondhand, try to get as much information about the history of the nappies as possible (how old are they, how many kids have they been used on, what wash routine did the owner follow, etc.) and ask for proof of condition. If you aren't familiar with the brand, research it - if they are very cheap nappies to buy brand new, that will tend to mean that the quality of the materials may be low and it might not be worth buying second hand. Generally speaking, a more expensive nappy uses better quality materials and is a higher standard of manufacturing (such as a WAHM nappy, which is hand made).


If they are PUL, check that there is no sign of delamination (where the plastic layer starts to separate from the fabric layer) or degradation (my PUL nappies have more often degraded than delaminated, and it's harder to see in a photo, but if you stretched the material you could see little tears in the plastic lining). If they have hidden PUL layers, including minky nappies, when you get them, check for any crinkling or crackling sounds from the nappy which can indicate delamination.


A strip and sanitise should always be done on secondhand nappies for hygiene reasons.

Jump right in as early as you can to maximise savings and fall into the routine

I see a lot of people waiting until their baby is older before starting the cloth routine, but honestly, if you can, I truly recommend just starting ASAP.


Firstly, because pre-solids poos can go straight into the washing machine, so you want to maximise taking advantage of this! Once solids have been introduced, the poos need to be emptied into the toilet before washing. This extra step can be a real pain with kids whose number two habits never seem to change from "smooshed everywhere" so start reaping the benefits before you have to deal with it, I reckon.


I also think that the earlier you begin, the faster it just becomes part of your daily I-have-a-baby-now routine, whereas often by the fourth or the sixth month, you have settled into a routine with your bub and then are trying to work out where to fit in this extra component, and it can just seem like too much. Obviously, do what works best for you - if you have a newborn that simply does not sleep or does not settle and you are hanging on by a thread, absolutely leave the cloth for now. But if you're just not sure when a good time to get started is, just jump in and go for it! Even part time, if you're worried. One cloth nappy a day is going to save 365 nappies a year from landfill. Every little helps.


Plus, the earlier you start, the more money you save overall on disposables.

Use cloth wipes

This is such a simple idea but it made my cloth journey SO much easier! It's crazy how introducing another reusable item actually simplified things, but I promise you it is true.


When you're using disposable wipes alongside cloth nappies, you have to remember to buy them, you have to have a way to dispose of them at your changing station, and they can irritate baby's skin quite easily. I often have a packet that I take out with me, in case I don't have enough cloth wipes, or I just need a quick hand or face clean for the older kid, and when I choose cloth wipes, I always test them by wiping my own face with them first. If it stings or feels uncomfortable on my face, I won't use them on the baby's bottom and I won't buy them again.


When you use cloth wipes, you'll find they are WAY easier to clean a messy bottom with, and then you can also just sit it inside the nappy to go into the dry pail ready for washing. It takes the whole disposal component away. They are also super easy to just run under the tap as you need them.

Be flexible and go easy on yourself

When I started cloth nappies with my first, I was very all-or-nothing. But, I also didn't have much else to be worrying about and it was easy enough for me to keep up the cloth routine. I even sent cloth to grandparents' houses when she was in care there and to daycare as well. To be honest, once I went back to work, I struggled to stay on top of it but I felt so deeply committed by that point (as my girl had not had a single disposable on her since we'd started when she was about 10 days old) that I felt I really needed to just keep going.


In hindsight, I should've taken a break. Or even just reduced my cloth workload a little by allowing disposables at daycare or grandma's.


Now that I have two babies, I take things a lot easier. I happily let the grandmothers do disposables at their houses and I take advantage of daycare's provision of disposables that is included in my fees. It means that I can otherwise stay on top of the washing while looking after two kids, one at home with me full-time, and start my business.


Cloth does NOT need to be an all-or-nothing approach. I also use disposables overnight with my baby now, because she has the CHUNKIEST legs and wets super inconsistently overnight - sometimes huge, sometimes practically nothing. She was constantly ending up with friction burns from wet nappy elastics overnight and I just couldn't get the flats and wool covers working for me for night set ups, so I relented to using one disposable a day for her. I'll also likely allow disposables at daycare for her when she eventually starts.


Every disposable you don't use is a win. When we talk about something being sustainable, it doesn't just mean sustainable for the planet, but it needs to be sustainable for you to manage. If you can't manage full time cloth, there is nothing wrong with doing part time cloth, and that's a thousand times better than giving up altogether (literally, you'll probably save a thousand disposables from landfill).


Be gentle on yourself, recognise when you need a break or when you need to adjust your plan.

Join some of the online communities for advice on fitting, different brands, wash routine, and general troubleshooting

Getting the right fit and the right level of absorbency can be a real challenge with cloth, but thankfully, we live in the age of social media and there are online communities of people who have been doing this far longer than us who are willing to help and give advice.


Don't be afraid to to participate in these groups asking for advice and support - the faster you troubleshoot your problems, the easier your journey will be!


Resources I recommend:

(not currently active - one of the presenters, Vicki, died suddenly last year and therefore the production of the podcast was halted. It remains full of great tips and information, though. RIP Vicki)


Facbook Groups:


Hire Libraries/Hire Packs:

Plus probably many more out there!

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Retailers of multiple brands:

and more!



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