A quick guide to using real nappies

So your interested in using Real Nappies? Well you have come to the right place! When my daughter Maya was born in 1997 I wanted to save money by using washable nappies and after educating myself on the various types and also the financial and environmental benefits I set about spreading the news by setting up the Bristol Real Nappy Information Service. This grew into the Real Nappy Project which now offers Bristol parents £30 towards the cost of their nappies. If you don't life in Bristol, your council may offer a similar scheme. Nappies for London operates in many London suburbs, check their website for details. You can find out by just putting 'real nappy incentive scheme (and the name of your council)' into a search engine.

What are Real Nappies?

You have 3 basic parts to a real nappy

The absorbant part
the waterprooft part, and
a liner (optional but makes life easier)

How do I find the right nappy for my baby?

The tricky part is deciding which absorbant and waterproof part is going to suite you, your baby and your liefstyle. The best way to decide is to try it out. Try 3 or 4 different nappies and use them one after another. Using real nappies in between disposable nappies does not give you a good idea of what they are like. Have a go when you have the time and energy, use them at least 4 times before deciding which one you like. When you’re happy with your choice, order a full set. You can mix and match nappies and covers until you find a combination that suits your baby. If you are buying nappies such as Motherease or Pop-ins which pretty much fit every shape and size of baby we'd feel safe for you to buy a birth to potty pack without trying anything else.

I also say to people to consider who else might be changing your baby's nappy; you may be perfectly happy with a pile of terry squares but if your baby eventually goes to nursery consider the nappies you will need to send your baby along with. The shaped Velcro fastening nappies are easier to explain to a childminder or nursery than terries that need to be folded. You can have different nappies for different situations. Some people use thicker towelling nappies for nights and neater shaped nappies for days. We can advise on what you might need.

In our shops you will get the chance to be shown in great detail how all of the nappies we stock work so that you can make an informed choice.

How many nappies do I need to get started?

For full time use (including nights) we suggest an ideal of between 18 to 24 nappies and 4 to 6 covers (if you are using shaped or pre-fold nappies). It is possible to only need 12 nappies and fewer covers but you will be washing more often – so it helps if you have a tumble dryer. The nappies are likely to wear out quicker with spinning over 1200rpm and tumble drying. Babies that are breast-fed are likely to soil their nappies less frequently than bottle-fed babies as breast milk is designed to meet your babies needs exactly, therefore there is much less waste.

If you choose a style of nappy that has more than one size you only have to pay for the size that your baby needs, then get the next size up when appropriate. Remember, when your baby is out of nappies you can save them for your next baby or sell them to another parent.

Storing nappies for the wash

After use, take out the nappy liner, if it is soiled flush it away or if it is just wet throw it in the bin. All our disposable nappy liners are flushable, please check the label though just in case they cannot be flushed. Place the parts of the nappy into a nappy bucket. A laundry net in the nappy bucket ensures a quick transfer of nappies into the washing machine; leave the net undone so the nappies can come out of the net and circulate well in the wash.

No soaking is necessary… A few drops of Tea Tree essential oil in the bucket will make it smell nice (but because you have flushed any pooh and you are not soaking in chemicals then the container does not usually get smelly.)

Washing Nappies

When you have a couple of days’ worth of dirty nappies tip them from the bucket into the washing machine and put them on a short rinse and spin cycle then add the rest of your whites and non bio detergent on a 40 or 60 degree cycle.

Always check washing instructions first, as different nappies have different maximum washing temperatures. You can wash nappies separately if you prefer by using a pre-wash cycle in order to rinse them with fresh water first.

Some nappies can be washed at 95 degrees. Boil washing is not necessary. Do not use bleach or biological detergents as they can ruin the elastic and don’t use fabric softeners as they coat the cotton in chemicals. To make your nappies soft, use a tablespoon of vinegar in the final rinse.

Drying Nappies

Air drying is the most economical way to dry your nappies. Most can also be tumble dried or placed on a radiator. Do not tumble fdry or radiator dry wraps as these can reduce their water proofing ability. Polyester nappies such as the Pop-in Dream dri and the Bumgenius are the quickest drying nappies whilst nappies containing Bamboo take the longest to dry.

Need More information? Download the Real Nappy Guide

Click on the picture to go to my detailed Real Nappy Guide. (opens in a new browser, you will need a PDF reader to view the document). Of course if youneed one to one help or advice just call one of the shops or come in.