My experience with cloth nappies and what I use
Harrison at 5 months wearing a Disana cloth nappy on his Rudie Nudie waterproof playmat
Before having a baby I was using period undies to lessen my wastage of pads and tampons. When I fell pregnant I knew I wanted to use cloth nappies on my baby. I was aware of the terrible impact disposable nappies have on the environment, some take up to 400 years to breakdown. I knew I wanted to minimise my contribution to landfill so I began researching cloth nappies in Australia.
My friend was using modern cloth nappies (MCNs as the parenting world calls them). She invited me to a Facebook group to get up to speed. I was completely overwhelmed. There were so many MCN brands to choose from, different and complex washing techniques and hacks for using the snaps. It seemed overly complicated and I was almost dissuaded from giving them a go at all.
Harrison at 2 months in his Disana cloth nappy pants
Although looks shouldn’t be a big factor when it comes to sustainability, aesthetics of the nappies mattered to me. I didn’t like the prints and patterns of majority of MCNs. They were too ‘loud’ and colourful. If I’m changing my baby’s nappy so many times a day, I want to look at nappies that are pleasing to my eye.
After a little more research I discovered Disana reusable nappies. There were no prints, just a beautiful neutral cotton colour. They didn't have snaps, just ties.
As a trial I bought a pack of five Disana organic cotton muslin nappies, Disana organic brushed cotton liners and Disana disposable absorbent paper liners. To absorb the excess moisture and waterproof his clothing, I bought two of the Disana organic merino woollen nappy covers to put over the cloth nappy.
The woollen nappy cover naturally self-cleans and is hygienic due to the woollen fibres. Once the Disana woollen nappy cover becomes less absorbent, soak it in lanolin, dry in the shade and they’re good to go for another 2-3 weeks unless soiled.
From the first use I loved the Disana nappy system’s simplicity and the beautiful organic fabrics natural for both baby and planet. They are easy to put on, just as easy to wash and super quick to dry. Just a note that cloth nappies need to be changed slightly more regularly than disposables but I don’t find that too much of an inconvenience.
Harrison at 4 months wearing Baby BeeHinds wool nappy cover
One downside I’ve found with the woollen nappy cover is that while extremely absorbent they’re bulky so don’t fit well under the baby's clothes unless you go a size up in clothing. On colder days and during winter my bub wears them as pants. But so he can wear the nappies under his regular sized clothes, I have the Baby BeeHinds Wool Cover which I love! They’re much less bulky, cooler for hot days and just as absorbent/waterproof as the thicker Disana woollen nappy covers. I recommend sizing up in covers as they grow out of them so quickly!
Environmentally some sources say that cloth nappies are just as harmful mostly due to the use of detergents, water and energy used to wash them. Yet if you wash your nappies in full loads (put them in with your towels), with the heat on 40/60 not hotter and line dry instead of placing them in the dryer, overall they tend to be the more environmentally friendly option. If you choose to use the disposable paper liners to save cleaning the cotton liner, the amount of paper placed in the rubbish compared to a whole disposable nappy is incomparable.
Another positive of cloth nappies is the cost. A full cloth nappy set costs $300-400 and can last several children. Disposable nappies on the other hand can cost between $2000-$4000 per child.
My baby is now eight months old and I’m still using part-time Disana cloth nappies. I use the cloth nappies during the day when home and disposables when we’re out and about. Overnight I use the Disana Muslin Nappies as a liner with a disposable and this seems to work well for a full night overnight without leaks.
This year one of my (planet) resolutions is to move to full-time cloth. I feel confident as I know how easy they are.
My advice if you’re interested in trialling cloth nappies, is to start part-time. Buy 4-5 cloth nappies, trial different brands, purchase second-hand and see how you go! Even with part-time cloth nappy use you’re still doing your bit for the environment, and for your wallet.
Let me know if you have any questions, just comment below!
Good luck!
Lei xx
What I use: The Breakdown
During the day:
Disana reusable organic cotton nappies - I have 15 nappies and almost do full time reusable. This means I am washing mine every 2-3 days. For full time use 20-25 is recommended I believe. You can easily start off with 5-10 or 15 and then purchase more.
Baby BeeHinds Wool Cover - These are my favourite nappy covers. I would recommend having at least 2 so one can air while bub is wearing the other.
Cheeky Wipes - a new find and I am obsessed! I bought the All-in-one Kit which includes 25 cotton terry towels, 2 x containers, 2 x essential oils, a net for the mucky wipes and 2 travel pouches. I chose the mandarin essential oil which smells divine. Cheeky wipes work so much better than disposable wipes and even come with a travel kit so you can take them when you’re out and about too. I wash these every 2 days along with my soiled nappies. I am considering buying another 25 pack and another mesh bag so I’m not washing them quite so much and saving energy that way.
If you’re handy with the sewing machine you could definitely make your own wipe system for a fraction of the price. But if you’re like me and that doesn’t sound like you it’s more convenient being able to buy the kit set-up and ready to use.
Overnight:
Unfortunately I haven’t found the perfect overnight reusable system yet so any advice on what you do would be extremely helpful! We used to use a disposable nappy because it’s a more protective cover than a wool one (I like Moltex eco disposable nappies) with a Disana muslin cloth liner and that would keep him dry. But when our little boy got bad nappy rash (not from the muslin liners I don’t think) we took a break from them and have ended up using 2 Moltex nappies on top of each other. In the morning we remove the soaked through bottom one and use the dry top nappy as his first nappy of the day. That works for us for now, but ideally I would like to move to full reusable overnight. Please share any tips you have!