We are asked this question a lot. The answer isn't straight forward.
Truth is, no other article of clothing is saturated with urine/pooed in and then washed, dried and placed back on the change table for another round, day in and day out.
Imagine wearing and washing the same t-shirt every other day for 2.5+ years. It would be pretty awesome if it was still in good enough condition to pass on to someone else!
...
Sure, I have nappies that have lasted for 3 children. Some only did the 1 child. I've also had a lot of nappies in rotation and none of my kids have highly acidic urine. How long your nappies last depends on a number of factors, and we’re going to tell it like it is.
Here are our top tips for getting the most out of your cloth investment.
- Do you tumble dry your boosters? While highly convenient, especially
during the winter months, tumble drying can lead to the deterioration of your
fabrics. Not only can tumble drying kill your elastic and waterproofing over time, it also accelerates the thinning of your absorbent fabrics. To lessen the time required to tumble dry during the colder months, consider investing in a set
of wool dryer balls. Or better yet, dry them on a rack by the heater.
... - Do you live in an area that has hard water? Hard water has lots of
mineral deposits and can make it hard to get your laundry clean. This can lead
to a build-up of detergent and urine, which will increase the need for robust strip
washing. Click Here to find out what you can do if you think hard water
is affecting your wash routine.
... - It is important to ensure that your washing machine is using enough
water to thoroughly rinse the urine and detergent from your nappies. Front load washing
machines are an environmentally friendly alternative to the water guzzling top
loaders, but sometimes they don't put out enough water to thoroughly rinse. To
avoid this problem, set your water level to the highest setting and put a few
less nappies in the load.
... - How many nappies do you have in rotation? This is a huge
consideration. If you cloth full time and have less than 20 on the go, don’t
expect them to last for a second child. Sure, they might last another child, but the chances are pretty high you’ll need to replace at least some. The fewer
nappies you have, the harder these few are going to have to work.
... - Acidic urine can be very damaging to nappies (particularly natural fibres, such as bamboo) and it is highly
recommended that nappies that are subjected to strong urine be hand-rinsed prior to dry pailing to avoid fabric
deterioration. For best results, hand rinse all nappies before dry pailing and
wash every day. If it's really bad, you might need to consider adding a few synthetic fibre nappies (such as the minkee Pop-In) to your stash. Synthetic materials are not affected as significantly as natural fibres.
... - An All in Two style nappy (such as the Pop-In) is great if you want
to stretch them to more than one child, as you can replace components as
necessary.
... - Don’t purchase nappies from a seller who doesn’t have their warranty/returns policy clearly outlined and easily accessible on their website. The best way to ensure your nappies won’t last the distance is to buy from a business that doesn’t repair or replace faulty parts under warranty. If they don’t have a returns policy in plain view, chances are they don’t have one. For further information about our returns policy, please Click Here.
Remember: Reusable doesn’t mean indestructible.
Your nappy will be washed 450 times at least!* If you get more than one baby out of the nappy, that’s completely awesome. Even if you do have to purchase a whole new stash for a subsequent child, you will still be saving money after just 20 weeks of use. And even if cloth did cost just as much as disposables (you’d have to buy a brand new stash every 6 months for that to happen…), you’d still be giving your baby and the planet the better option.
*Washing every second day, over two and a half years.
© Oz Baby Trends 2012
Excellent post Eva!
ReplyDeletefantastic, just what is needed in the addictive world of MCN.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear, especially in these cold, wet days!! Our littlest, who is currently in cloth, has the most acidic wee I've ever experienced!! Now I know, I rinse all nappies before I dry pail, and try not to leave them too long, but it's generally still every second day that I wash them, and we have severe deterioration happening on several brands of our nappies, holes in bamboo, pile falling out of plush bamboo. Pretty awful! Most nappies are less than a year old, but, hey, better Han disposables, even if I can't use them again/sell them!
ReplyDeleteSo refreshing to read your positive comment, Laura, despite the trials of acidic wee! Have you tried cotton inserts? From what I've heard, cotton holds up as well as synthetic fibres, but is a bit more absorbent.
DeleteAs a lab tech familiar with bacterial growth I can assure you that rinsing before dry pailing may not reduce growth and therefore smell and fabric degradation due to the moist condition. Either way the bacteria can damage fabric at a concentration achieved by the third day of sitting. So the solution is to wash no later than the 3rd day after the first nappy was pailed, the sooner the better. Also in hot climate sun can also damage. By all means sun if you can for its antibacterial benefit but bring them in as soon as they are dry so as not to get sunburnt. Don't feel guilty about using the dryer when you need to, but use low heat.
ReplyDelete