Common cloth nappy questions are answered by our cloth nappy experts. Here we have a selection of answers from some of the businesses involved with Cloth Nappy Week 2021.
Tips for Travelling with cloth nappies
- Wet bags are your friend – store used nappies in wet bags until you can deal with them at a washing machine. Hannah – Bear and Moo
- Nothing really has to change, just research if you have access to a washing machine, laundrette. Take lots of wet bags and if it’s only a couple of days away, you can rinse the nappies and just bring them back for a 60-degree pre and main wash. Sheree – Fluffy ducks
A couple of suggestions
- Look at your destination and see if there is a nappy washing or hiring service. You can choose to take your own and have them professionally laundered or hire theirs. A) Hiring from these services (usually for a similar cost to disposables) means you’re continuing to use cloth but enjoying a break from washing, drying, stuffing etc. Plus no additional baby gear to pack…as we all know they don’t pack light! B) Laundering services are a great way to pack your own and still go home with perfectly clean nappies: Great if you’re in a hotel or somewhere without easy access to a laundry. These services also allow you to holiday on a budget i.e. camping, without having to worry about washing facilities at campgrounds or carrying/buying buckets, dry pails etc.
- If you choose to take your own, stuff these into the additional two items your baby gets i.e. car seat bag or buggy. These automatically go into oversize and are very rarely 23kg…if so what is your buggy made from?! Cloth takes up so much room in your bag. Until AirNZ allows us, cloth parents, to have additional luggage for our little people, I will use all available space for nappies! Alexis – Kekoā
Plan, plan, plan
Planning is the key with anything like this. How far are you going? How long are you going for? Are there washing and drying facilities? What’s the weather going to be like?
- I find cotton nappies tend to dry quicker, so if possible, flat cotton nappies or prefolds and cover are an ideal choice.
- Wet bags are ideal for storing dirty nappies in.
- If I’m going to be staying with family, find out if there are any options to buy cloth while you’re away.
- Remember that you’re on holiday and if that means that you do things differently than you normally would (changing wash routines, not being fully in cloth, using more basic nappies) then that’s fine too. Kelly – Nappyneedz
How can you make the switch to cloth as easy as possible?
- Start with one a day, usually a day nappy, and hand wash this once-off.
- Pop through your usual next load of wash and if possible, have this at 40 degrees.
- Expect leaks, expect the fit to look terrible, be gappy or too tight, expect the worst…anything better is a bonus!
- We all want to be insta-perfect from day one but in reality, we won’t be.
- Adjusting your expectations is the best mindset to have. It won’t take long until you’re hooked!! Alexis – Kekoā
- Have a look at trial packs, there are lots of great options around that give you the chance to try different styles and brands.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Cloth nappies from Newborn is great, but let yourself adjust to being a parent first if you need to.
- It doesn’t matter when you start, there is no wrong time. Don’t think that it’s too late if your little one is a toddler or even only using cloth at night.
- Check out the Cloth Nappy Week website to answer your common cloth nappy questions.
- Keep it simple, don’t worry about fancy folds or complicated wash routines. Trial and error will help you find what works for you. Kelly – Nappyneedz
- Get a days’ worth of nappies – 6-10. Whether it’s from one brand or a trial pack from multiple brands, a days’ worth is way easier to try.
- Realistically a baby can poop a couple of times in an hour and if you only have 2 then that’s it for the rest of the day.
- Join NZ mcn discussion page for fit tips or email the company for help.
- Jump in, its really fun and you’ll be surprised how bombproof they are – I personally have never had a leak up the back or out the legs in cloth, only disposables. Sheree – Fluffy ducks
- Start with 1 a day when you know you will be at home. Practice getting the fit right and then you’ll quickly realise just how easy it is and you can add more to your daily routine. Remember it’s not all or nothing, you don’t have to do it full time. Also, stop reading information and just do it. You can always fix mistakes (leaks, wash routines etc), but reading too much can make you overwhelmed and you won’t ever get started. Hannah – Bear and Moo
Number one reason for loving cloth
- There are so many great reasons to love cloth nappies. They look great, they’re better for the environment, they’re better for your baby. For me though, it was how much money I saved. With four children who all wore cloth nappies, I saved a fortune. Kelly – Nappyneedz
- There are so many, but if I have to choose just one, then it’s not to be throwing a tonnes worth of poop into the land. Such a feel-good factor. Sheree – Fluffy ducks
- Twofold – One they contain messes better than any disposable brand we have tried. Secondly, the environmental impact of disposables is huge! No amount of eco/greenwashing (think “biodegradable”) changes the fact that nothing breaks down in landfill. Alexis – Kekoā
- The cost saving. When we first had Regan 6 years ago, I realised I was spending 1/4 of our food budget on nappies every week. I’d rather buy food! Also for me, it took away some of the stress of toilet training because I didn’t care if it took longer because it wasn’t costing me nappies each week. Hannah – Bear and Moo
Your common cloth nappy questions
We hope that you’ve found these common cloth nappy questions and answers helpful. If you’ve got something you’d like answered, then make sure you fill in our form. Make sure you follow Cloth Nappy Week on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with our plans.
