Every. Single. Disposable nappy that has EVER been used is still in landfill.
It is for our children that we all need to do what we can, when we can, when it comes to the environment. When using anywhere from 4 – 8 nappies a day for at least 2.5 years that’s 3,640 – over 7000 nappies per child we contribute. Motivating right?
Not only is moving to part-time or full-time cloth a saving for the planet but also for your wallet!
While I am a huge fan of cloth now…..I kind of want to say “DO NOT GOOGLE THIS SUBJECT!” It can be bloody confusing and overwhelming and *that* my friends might just put you off.
What I did was used a “cloth library service”. Google one for your area.
I loved it because:
· They literally post you a bunch of different brand Nappies to try.
· They tell you how to use and wash them and then you send them back.
· It’s common that they also have discount offers for purchases of your fav brand.
· It’s low cost and low risk.
There is no doubt that becoming a mum is a steep learning curve and you are doing MANY things for the first time. It's for this reason that I waited until our little ones were 4-6 mths. It felt easier for me to take a little pressure off and not to introduce something ELSE that was new until I had a little more of a handle on things. In saying this I have several friends who successfully used cloth since the beginning and swear by it. Give it a go, see how you feel and if it's not quite right don’t be afraid to pause and come back to it again in a few months. After using the library service we chose two brands we liked and purchased about 20 nappies for roughly $500. These are the only nappies we have brought and use them for 2 children. I told you there were great budget savers in this post!
Common misconceptions about cloth Nappies.
They leak. Nope, fewer leaks than disposables in my experience.
Lots of washing. Nope, I do one extra load every other day. Yip the poo ones are a bit more of a pain for clean up, but I use disposable bamboo liners which mean I can flush most of it and then pop the liner in the bin.
In addition to this, I also cut up strips of microfibre fabric as an extra barrier from staining and boosting absorbency.
I pre-fold all my your Nappies for ease and speed. Being organised takes away stress. It goes the nappy, the microfiber liner, then the bamboo liner. When you change: The top layer goes in the bin (don’t flush any bamboo even if they say they are flushable!) The nappy and microfibre go in a dry nappy bucket with a lid.
If there are poo stains then I rinse and soak if needed.
I have two buckets in the laundry with lids one “dry pail” and one soak pail. In the beginning, I totally recommend joining a supportive resource such as @clothnappies_downunder to help troubleshoot any problems you have with washing or fit. If you are looking to make an extra cost and environmental upgrades at home, then the next time you need to upgrade your washing machine consider a water-efficient option.
We ALL have the opportunity to you our game when it comes to the environment.
I believe that most of us don’t because we have convinced ourselves that it is too hard.
Well, I tell you, what is harder.... not having a planet to live on.
Sometimes we are using cloth nappies 100% of the time... and others it's 85% due to daycare or travel. Yip not perfect but perfectly perfect. Every nappy not used is one less in landfill and that is a win.
If you have questions or other sustainable tips as you navigate parenting then I would love to hear from you!
Tania x
tania@taniamorgan.com.au
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