by SarryB » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:39 pm
How many children do you have in nappies and how long have you been using cloth?
I have one 9.5 month old boy in nappies, and have been using them since he was 2.5 months old.
What is your main reason for wanting to use cloth nappies?
I hate landfill. I really hate the idea that nappies I used as a baby will still be sitting there, trying to degrade, when my great-great-great-great grand-childen are having babies.
What is your preferred type of nappy (SIO, AIO, BTP etc) and why?
I like two-parters. After trying a few different types, I settled on the 'Flip' system by Bumgenius. I use the Flip microfibre inserts along with their covers, but am looking at some different covers to add a bit of variety to my stash! Basically, it's a long thin piece of suede-topped microfibre that sits inside a PUL wrap. I have found them to be best at containing poo explosions. I also love that they are Birth-To-Potty, so not only should they fit my baby until he's potty-trained, but if I have another baby in the near future, I won't have to buy more nappies in different sizes.
How many cloth nappies/wraps/wipes etc do you have?
I have 12 wraps (8 popper, 4 aplix), 26 microfibre inserts, 8 microfibre boosters and 4 pre-fold cotton nappies. I have 25 terry cloths for wipes.
What do you use at night time?
I use one Flip wrap, one Flip microfibre insert, with one microfibre booster underneath. This lasts 12 hours for us, and we've only had one or two leaks in the 7 months we've been using them.
Do you use cloth wipes, why and what kind?
I bought a Cheeky Wipe set, which includes 25 terry wipes, a box to keep them in and a couple of bags for using them when out and about. I decided to use cloth wipes as when you're changing a cloth nappy with disposable wipes, you have to bag the wipes and then bin them. Makes much more sense to just chuck them into the nappy bucket and wash!
Do you use liners, why and what kind?
Yes, I use flushable and bio-degradable/compostable liners. I use these rather than washable ones, as I find if Squid does a big horrible slimey poo (like when he is teething!) I can just flush and forget about it. Having recently discovered that you can wash disposable liners, means that where possible, they get washed. So if Squid has done a solid poo, I can just pop that down the toilet, and wash the liner. Some of my liners have been washed 10 times and are still going strong, so that pack of 100 should last me a while! I like Little Green Earthlets as they fit the Flip insert perfectly.
How do you store your clean nappies/wipes etc?
I have two large boxes that I store my nappies in. One holds the ready-made nappies, and another that holds the other clean inserts and wipes.
How do you store your dirty nappies/wipes?
I currently dry-pail - I use a mesh bag that fits inside a lidded bucket, and just stick the dirty nappies and wipes in there. Once the bucket is full (every 2-3 days), I do a wash. I will be switching to 2 or 3 wet-bags that I can hang up though, as my Squid is getting very mobile, and I've already found him with his hand in the dirty bucket twice!!
How do you wash and dry your nappies?
I use a front-loading washer/dryer. First I do a cold rinse, then wash everything (wraps, wipes, liners and inserts) at 40 degrees, with a tiny squirt of Fairy Non-Bio Washing Gel and a spoon full of Bambino-Mio powder, using the 'super-wash' fuction. For drying, sometimes I remove the wraps and hang them up to dry and just tumble-dry the inserts, liners and wipes for 1 hour (there is no high/low setting on my machine). Other times I hang everything up. I don't have a garden, so I use a clothes horse in front of a window and radiator to dry. Everything normally dries overnight.
How do you do a strip wash of your nappies?
I only do this with the inserts and wipes, not the wraps. First, I do a cold rinse. Then I put a big squirt of Fairy (dish) Washing Up Liquid in the drawer, along with a dose of Bambino-Mio powder. I put the machine to 90 degrees and on a 'super-wash'. Then I rinse and rinse and rinse until there are no more bubbles left! Sometimes it takes up to 4 rinses before all the bubbles are gone!
How do you use your cloth nappies when out and about?
In my nappy bag I have one wrap and two or three disposable inserts, along with disposable wipes. Both the wipes and the inserts I use are compostable. So when I'm out, Squid starts off in a cloth nappy, then when I change him, it's into a disposable insert. I pop any dirty wipes etc into a 'dog-poo' bag which is also compostable, then I can just add it all to the right bin when I get home. I use a wet-bag to hold any dirty nappies, wraps and clothes.
