Since the toddler twosome were born they have been in cloth nappies (or diaper's as my American friends, and teen who watches too many American shows, would call them!) and i have had many queries about why i would want ‘to do that to myself!' Actually, it never occured to me to do otherwise and i have been surprised by how many people think i am slightly insane! It does take a little more work but with an easy system in place it can be less time consuming than you might think!
I am still lucky enough to be a stay at home Mum so i think this makes it a little easier as i don't have daycare and lots of outings to consider. Really though, i am just one of those people that love to see those little padded bums running around and nappies hanging on the line in the sun. I love knowing how much money i am saving and how many bags of smelly nappies we are keeping out of the rubbish collection each week!
I'm not overzealous about cloth nappies by any means…we do occasionally use the disposable nappy when it suits our purpose but overall i don't find washing and folding the girls nappies too much of a chore. The only time it begins to get a little on top of me is when we have had persistent rainy, cold days when nappies are hard to get dry and the folding is piling up around me.
For this reason i have found myself pushing my lovely modern cloth nappies with their snaps and velcro to the back of the shelves and going to back to the terry flats with covers. They are just so much easier to dry and when we are home most of the time anyway they are just as easy to use. I used them with my now nearly 16 year old and i still use them today in much the same way even though there have been many advances with all in one nappies and washing systems. The new PUL covers are so much better than the old plastic pilchers we used to use ‘back in the day' though (gosh now i really feel like an older mother!)
I have had a few people ask me how i wash my nappies and what folds i use with the flats and truly my system just couldn't be any simpler. You can read about my favourite terry flat fold if interested in this post..
I have a large bucket with lid (brought from Bunnings….plain but so much cheaper than your fancy baby buckets…i can't believe what they charge for those things…goodness, they are just for soaking poop!) that i keep up in my laundry sink. I half fill with cold water and add a splash of vinegar. Every few weeks i add a scoop of antibacterial soaker that i purchase cheaply from Aldi ($2.99…bargain!) just to give them all a good soak and freshen. Because i have twins i usually fill the bucket each day so at the end of the day i simply pour into the washing machine, add 1/4 cup of my homemade washing liquid (want to know more about making your own?…read this post), a little vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser and then a cold wash and rinse.
Preferably onto the line to dry in the sun and then sitting down at night to take 10 minutes with a cuppa to fold them up ready for the next day.
Wet nappies i pop straight into the bucket to soak…..soiled nappies i rinse into the toilet using my squirter nozzle (those things are gold….wish they had been around all those years ago!) The microfleece liners i make usually catch most of the mess and it rinses easily off them…saving the terry nappy from stains over time.
When i was pregnant and doing some research online about the new emerging world of cloth and modern cloth nappies i was so surprised at the number of forums and discussions that are everywhere…i became a little overwhelmed as i read about dry pailing and what you could and couldn't use to wash them. I read about people getting so stressed on how to wash the nappies and whether to soak that they gave up before they even started! There are always positives and negatives to every system and i think you just have to settle on what works best for you and your family environment.
I tried dry pailing which is where you just rinse the soiled nappy and throw in the bucket with a lid on even though it didn't really make sense to me…i am a little old fashioned i guess and ended up reverting back to the way i had used before…after all, it worked fine then..why wouldn't it now? I found the nappies seemed to have a smell that lingered even after washing and didn't feel clean to me…i noticed that many also said you needed to do a certain degree hot wash if dry pailing…i certainly didn't want to use all my hot water on nappies!
I know that many of the MCN companies recommend not soaking and not using essential oils or soap but all i can say is that i have been using these simple methods for nearly 2 years now….with twin bums and all of the nappies, both terry flat and mcn are still in good condition…no stretched elastic, no lessening of absorbency that i can notice and they have held their shape well. A little tip…i turn my mcn all in ones inside out to dry the padded insert quicker!
So…let's recap for those that may be interested in basic nappy washing but i have lost along the way…(sorry about that!)
1. Always use liners with your nappies…..you can cut your own up from microfleece or use some disposable dishcloth type liners cut in half (chux are good and you get quite a few washes from them before they begin to disintegrate) I like to make my own wipes as well…they are so easy! Find out how to make and use them with this post.
2. Rinse soiled nappies into the toilet (try to use one that is close to your bucket or laundry) A ‘little squirt' type product is great for this job.
3. Have a bucket with lid half filled with cold water…you can add a drop of tea tree or eucalyptus oil, a splash of vinegar, a scoop of nappy sanitiser or just leave to soak in plain water…whatever you are comfortable with…all will work!
4. Put your nappies in to soak for a day or overnight and then tip into your washing machine, set to a low wash, add a little of your washing powder (you can read about how i make my own washing liquid in this post )and make sure you include a rinse and spin cycle. Make sure you use less washing powder than you normally would for clothes as you don't want a build up of soap or that can make the nappies become less absorbent over time. To fix this problem you can do a ‘strip wash' which is a wash or two without powder but i haven't had to do this as yet and i think that is due to the ‘magic helper'.
5. Make sure to add some ‘magic helper' to your rinse cycle…i use about a 1/4 cup of vinegar to each cycle. This sanitises and softens your nappies and helps remove any soap residue during the rinse. Don't use fabric softener with nappies as it will lessen their absorbency….i know they smell nice but don't go there! There may be a slight vinegar smell after the cycle finishes but don't worry…it disappears as soon as they dry.
6. Try to dry on the line in the sun…this removes many stains and smells that may be lingering! If you can't dry in the sun try and have a few portable clothes horses around and if you really have to use the dryer my tip is don't try and load it up…best to break into a few loads as they will dry a lot quicker…try adding a tennis ball or dry hand towel to the dryer load as they soak up the moisture and help them to dry quicker!
That's really all there is to it! That's my system and it has been working well for me…i have a routine and this helps to keep the job from becoming overwhelming. Remember, you don't need to wash them everyday…i have double the nappies with twins so i usually have to but the world won't end if you don't get that load on…just make sure you have lots in your stash as a back up!
Think you could manage to handwash your nappies everyday? Scary thought to many of us i know but have a look at this challenge that Momma T is taking part in….i am fascinated by her progress and i must say a little in awe of her dedication!!
Linking up this post here….
I used this same method with Miss 12 when she was a baby. I would use the disposable liners and reuse them if it was just a wet nappy but throw them out for a soiled nappy. We would have a bucket close by and just put them in with a bit of nappy sanitiser and then washed them, dried them outside and then folded them till we needed them again. When she was little there wasn’t any modern nappies around and I think the flats worked out fine. I did find them not so great as she got older though over night so we used disposables instead. I love those big bottoms too:) Have a wonderful weekend. xx
Flat cloths were our nappy of choice for our four oldest children. I would rinse and then soak them in a bucket until I had enough to do a load…generally every second day. The thing I found most frustrating with using cloths was that most pants weren’t big enough to accomodate the bulk.
With our fifth I researched the MCN’s and bought a combination of those and flats but we only lasted a few months…once pnd rared it’s ugly head I couldn’t cope with the general day to day things so we turned to disposables to make life easier.
I would definitely be interested to hear more about the different systems available Jode, if we have another it will be a cloth bummed babe ๐
x
Hey Jode! Love my mcns. Only pain is getting them dry in winter, without a dryer! I was doing the dry pailing but came to the same conclusion as you and now I soak them…just as I did 14 years ago with terry toweling nappies with my eldest ๐ Thanks for the extra tips on vinegar I will endevour to try and add these to my routine! Your right, by adding vinegar to your wash you are keeping on top of the build up. I defiently prefer mcn to terry toweling…hence I have heaps! Peapods and Baby Beehinds being my favs!
Thanks…I always love new tips for our cloth. We use pockets- I think I will have to try wet pailing them instead of dry- sounds like it works well! Popping over from TGIF…I blog over at http://thehandleyhome.blogspot.com/2012/05/tire-swing.html
Thanks for stopping by Helen…i can definitely recommend the wet pail system! Dropping by for a visit right now!
We use prefolds and covers. The cool part is that I’m using the same diapers that my mother-in-law used with my husband! So, we have 30 year old diapers that work like a champ. I also recommend using fleece liners. I find that the poop washes off so much easier and they help with the occasional diaper rash. We use a dry pail and I use our dryer most of the time. I will say that a good dry in the sun is great for cloth. I will line dry mine every once in a while to help with any stains and to get them looking like new again. Thanks for your tips.
Hey Jode you should link this up to Melting Moments Link Party http://meltingmoments.info/?cat=75. You can link any favourite post.
Thank you so much for posting about this Jode! What you have explained makes so much sense and is very straight forward ๐ And thanks for the links to your other info too! Your photos of all the nappies are just so sweet x Hope you are having a lovely weekend!!
Great tips. We love our MCNs here. We’ve saved a heap too. Thanks too Amie for sharing our link ๐
Thanks for stopping by Kaz!
This is a brilliant post. I used to use tea tree oils.
If you ever fancy doing a guest post contact me on [email protected]
Thanks so much…have sent you an email x
I am so impressed that you are using cloth with twins! We have 27-month old twins and are in the midst of potty training. Just washing out their soiled underwear while we train is time consuming enough, but to do that with all of their diapers… you are a green goddess!
Thanks Theresa…i think i am in fear of toilet training twins more than the nappies so i wish you much luck!!! So happy to meet another twin mummy too….thanks for dropping by xx
Thanks for the great straight forward info. I’m using cloth nappies for the first time tomorrow with the aim to use them all the time for the children in my home day care (4 days a week), if you can do it with two full time than I can hopefully keep up with potentially 4 at a time! Lucky ive only got one in nappies in my day care at the moment so it will be a good time to get used to it. I would definitely like some info on different types of nappies, ive got some pocket nappies to start off with but im not sure if Ill stick with them or try something else
Hi Karen…thanks for stopping by, i popped over to your blog to leave a comment!
Thanks for linking this up to The Accidental Housewife!
I use cloth nappies, the insert kind, but I have been having to use the dryer because of cold weather. They were taking far too long to dry! I didn’t even think about going back to terry cloth. Thanks for the great idea!
Thanks for hosting your lovely linky! Terry cloth are indeed my wet weather saviour and with all this rain we are having at the moment i have totally pushed aside my pocket nappies i am afraid!
My kids are past the diaper stage but I really loved using cloth–they are so much more beautiful than the disposables!
I saw that you live near Byron Bay–we were just up in Mullimbimby on a road trip from Wollongong to Fraser Island. We adored that town; are you near there?
Hi Annie….we are about 30-40 minutes away from Mullimbimby but it is part of our community for sure…a lovely little quirky town!I also used to live in Hervey bay and visited Fraser quite often…enjoy your travels (don’t feed a dingo when on the island as it will keep following you and they can get a little too persistent!)Thanks so much for visiting!
Hi there, just dropping by via The Accidental Housewife Link up. I’m from Lismore, so we are practically neighbours! I used cloth nappies with my first, until she was about 1, then I think it all just got too hard and cloth slowly got replaced by disposable. I was less environmentally minded back then, if I was to do it all over again it would be cloth all the way. Thankfully I’m well past that stage now.
Oh wow…i am in Goonellabah so probably very close to you! Isn’t it a small world! You will have enjoyed a wet and windy long weekend as well then…don’t think the rain is going to stop!
I definitely have the sometimes cloth are too hard days…and then remember that i’m not working at the moment and have a tight budget lol!Thanks so much for stopping by xx
One word: Superwoman
Oh definitely not! But tryiing to be one somedays is often my problem i think!!!
popped by from the linky party at The Accidental Housewife…with my children I used disposable…no point regretting it now, its done…but managed to toilet train early so it didnt go on for tooooo long….Just didnt have the info on it or the encouragement to try, and not sure if there will be any more bubbies around here now…….. ๐
Looking forward to reading more posts from you…Suzanne
Thanks for dropping by…i don’t think there is any need to regret…have to use what works for you at the time i think! A little knowledge does go a long way though to making the process a little easier…although i think many get overwhelmed with what to use! Sorry you don’t think you will get another try…although i wouldn’t miss the pooey ones!!
So lovely to hear you will be back x
Hi! I’ve dropped by from Mrs A’s party and smiled with nostalgia – I too used the lovely toweling nappies. We used men’s handkerchiefs as liners (they are HUGE – honestly some men must have ENORMOUS noses!). I can no longer use them on my second as we’ve moved somewhere completely arid on tank water so I’ve had to cut down on wash loads any old way I can. I did find a wonderful green disposable nappies….hilariously they are constructed entirely out of corn…so my boy likes to get them and throw them to the guinea pigs who devour them with gusto (rather annoying as they aren’t cheap!!). Love your blog and very pleased to meet you ๐
Thanks so much for dropping in…i never thought about men’s hankerchiefs…great idea! Shame you can’t use them anymore…i have wondered what the green disposables are like, our council just starting selling them here in their recycle shop.
Hilarious that your little one loves to throw to to the guinea pigs!!!So glad you stopped by and i have now found your blog too !
I didn’t come from Mrs A party originally cos your post was about nappies and we’re past nappies. But then I saw it was twin cloth nappies and had to come for a look! ๐ We used cloth nappies for all but a few months with my twins too. I loved them. Had a system very much like and you especially love that even now I can be proud that we used cloth. I’ve just recently handed over all of my lovely MCN to my expecting SIL as we won’t be having more babies. I still have all my flats though – they make excellent “mopper nappies” and rags for many years! ๐
So glad you dropped by anyway Tracey…i enjoyed a visit to your blog recently!I still have some flats from my teens days…they are good for everything!
Hey Jode just found your blog:) always thrilled to find another Aussie mum blogger. I have been dry pailing (and my child is getting a rash:( )also like you I have older children (oldest is 19) and it seems very odd not to soak, so I’m going back to that. ah yes, and I far prefer the nappy covers now, you can’t buy the old pilchers anymore btw, tried that this time.
Thanks for dropping by Erin! I really do prefer soaking and i think the nappies are cleaner with no lingering smell which is a plus!
I have seen the old nappy pilchers in Big W here occasionally but i do love my PUL covers!
i use terry towling and i love how much i’ve saved although i myself use flushable nappy liners but it’s only $12 every couple of weeks and knowing they can be used again for following children.. i was told i’d never last but have since proved them all wrong ๐ i too love the padded bum but like mum says clothes aren’t made for cloth nappies anymore, they’re made for disposables or MCN’s which ive never tried as we found them to be pricey, we’ve recently found out though that pilchers are no longer being made but they dont last long anyway.. do PUL covers come in different sizes and are they pricey.. wouldnt have a clue on where to look for them
I love PUL pilchers and the cute designs too. They are more expensive than the old plastic pilchers but so much better value! I got most of mine from Baby Beehinds and also Ebay!