Using Reusable Nappies Couldn’t Be Easier
February 14th, 2012 by Screaming Green“Using reusable nappies is easy. Honestly!” This phrase often receives sceptical looks when I announce how easy using cloth nappies are but really they are! Once upon a time cloth nappies weren’t easy to use. Our parents and grandparents had to soak, boil, fold and pin reusable nappies. This is the 21st Century and real nappies have come a long way. So have our washing machines!
Shaped Nappy - No Folding!!!
Using cloth nappies doesn’t mean you will scrapping poo off nappies. A flushable nappy liner takes the yuk out of using reusable nappies. The flushable paper liner sits between your baby’s bottom and the cloth nappy. Any solids or not so solids (explosive poo) is flushed down the toilet with the flushable nappy liner. You are then just left with a wet nappy.
No more soaking or boiling reusable nappies. Your wet, poo free nappy can be stored in a nappy pail with a lid to keep any whiffs in. Soaking washable nappies in nappy sanitiser is a thing of the past. You can still soak your nappies if you have stuborn stains but the flushable liner should prevent any problems with staining when using reusable nappies. Soaking nappies is smelly and messy and our washing machines are much better than our parents had. Soaking nappies was only necessary when washing machines didn’t exist. Soaking nappies is smelly. The smell is most often caused by the water stagnating.
No need to touch each washable nappy when loading the washing machine. When you have enough nappies to do a full load, nappies can either be transferred by hand or we like to have a mesh laundry bag in our bucket. The mesh back can then be lifted out of the bucket and thrown in the washing machine. You can even wash your reusable nappies with other clothes. A little bit of BioD nappy fresh will ensure everything is sanitised and give you peace of mind. My other half’s work shirts had been so white! Shhhh! 
When it comes to using reusable nappies folding and pins are a thing of the past. Terry squares are still available and popular but shaped nappies are much more popular. Shaped liked disposable nappies reusable nappies now fasten with either poppers or velcro. A funky waterproof cover over the top of the nappy keeps all the moisture and explosions in. All in one reusable nappies are even easier. As the name suggests and all in one nappy consists of both the waterproof wrap and shaped nappy – all in one! As easy to put on a baby as a disposable nappy.
Using reusable nappies doesn’t mean you will be drying nappies on your radiators for days on end. Lots of reusable nappies are now made from fast drying fabrics. Bum Genius and Flip Stay Dry nappies dry in just a couple of hours on a clothes horse.
Using cloth nappies out and about is surprisingly simple too. A Monkey Foot Wet Bag is perfect for storing all you dirty nappies and can be stored in your nappy changing bag or clipped to the basket of your pram. Most baby changing units have a toilet to flush away the paper liner and poo. If there is no loo, liners (and poo) can be disposed of in the normal nappy bin in a nappy sack or food bag. Flip disposable inserts are great for parents wanting to use a washable wrap but don’t want to carry wet nappies around with them.
If I haven’t convinced you that using reusable nappies is easy. Try one. Go on…I dare you. I promise you will be surprised. Real nappies don’t have to be the only nappies you use. A mix of reusable nappies and eco disposables work really well for lots of families. Parenting is all about compromise and surprises!
