10 Reasons Cloth Nappies Are Better All Round.
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of using Cloth Nappies. But sometimes when people ask me why I love them, other than reducing the waste I send to landfill I find it hard to express why exactly. Yet when I talk to other cloth nappy user we all say the same. “It’s addictive and we have all become super fans”.
I guess it because once you start, getting over the humps that can come with anything, it just becomes part of everyday life. Adding in the fact you feel your doing your bit and taking responsibility for your families waste.
Cloth nappies/diapers are better than disposables because they let babies skin breathe keeping them cooler, are more environmentally friendly, give you the chance to save a significant amount of money and look so much prettier.
There are of course some down sides, like the fact the costs are more up front, you will have a few more washes a week and they take some shopping around but overall I believe the pros out way the cons. Once you are set up with them and used to your new routine with cloth nappies the benefits are great.
HERE’S 10 REASON’S YOU SHOULD GIVE CLOTH NAPPIES A GO.
1. BUYING CLOTH NAPPIES IS SUPER FUN.
You may call me a geek. I am in many ways. But talk to any Cloth Bum Mum and they will tell you, getting fluffy mail is super exciting. Especially when you pregnant. Their all so super soft and pretty. Getting them all washed, folded and sorted is a satisfying job if there ever was one.
2. BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
More satisfying talk, because when you see your bin not filling up on a weekly basis you feel a sense of achievement. Over two years in to using cloth nappies and that still isn’t lost on me.
8 million single use nappies are thrown away in the UK EVERYDAY!!! That’s a number we need to tackle. It’s not for everyone and that’s okay but for those that are willing and able we can make a real difference.
Plus remember its not all about landfill especially as much of our rubbish is now set for incineration. Its about the resources taken to make a single use nappy used for a matter on hours. Or minutes in many cases, (if you know you know).
The fact is it takes one cup of crude oil to manufacture the plastic in ONE single use nappy. 7 million trees are cut down in the UK every year to produce the pulp also in disposable nappies. It’s facts we cannot deny weather you choose to use reusables or not for whatever reason its good to understand the decision we are making.
3. BETTER FOR BABY.
Cloth nappies are better for baby because they are more breathable, keeping baby slightly cooler in warmer months, could reduce the chance of nappy rash and provide a healthy hip position for babies developing hips joints.
When your a new Mum you worry about everything. I’m know I’m not the only one that has worried about the extra bulk that comes with using reusable cloth nappies.
I remember when Reeva was a tiny newborn wearing a fluffy fitted Little Lamb night nappy it seemed so huge on her. I worried the etc bulk was stopping her lying 100% flat and that this could some how effect her spine? I took to the lovely Cloth Nappy UK Facebook group for advice and was pointed in the direction of the right research to prove this was just my imagination. She of course now has a beautifully strong, straight back.
In fact during that research I found that the slight lift of the bottom and the bulk between their legs actually aids health hip development. Doctors and physios alike love a big bulky nappy to help this and they can even help treat “clicky hips”. The Nappy Lady explains this well.
It’s not that disposable with have ill effects on your babies hip development just that when in bulkier nappies babies are more inclined to lie with their legs spread meaning the hip joint sits in the correct position, much like the M sitting position advised when using a sling.
Read: “Do Cloth Nappies Affect Crawling and Walking.”
4. Save A TON OF MONEY.
Pun intended, they will save you a ton or 12.
Depending on how long you use them, how many children you use them for and which brand you go for, the average saving for each child using reusable nappies over the course of their nappy wearing life could be 600 to 1000 pounds. Not bad ey?
Of course it feels expensive at first because your buying them all at once rather than spreading cost over 2 plus years, but there’s no reason you still can’t spread that cost. I brought a few a month when I was pregnant to start us off and then brought more as I figured out what worked for us, plus my Mum brought some. Many new Grandparents like to help out with new baby cost. And don’t forgot to see if your local council has a scheme to help you too. You can find out here!
Read: “The Cost of Reusable vs Disposables Nappies.”
5. POTTY TRAIN EARLY.
Although there is no hard evidence to say children in cloth nappies will potty train earlier than their disposable peers, it is commonly agreed amongst parents that children learn the wet feeling sooner in cloth nappies and there for are out of nappies younger.
Read: “Cloth Nappies and Potty Training.”
6. YOU’LL USE LESS WATER… I PROMISE.
While cloth nappies of course do produce water waste it is comparable to the average person flushing the toilet 5-6 times a day. Compared to disposable nappies which take 230% more water to manufacture than cloth diapers.
Its one of those out of sight, out of mind things. Many people think they are using far more water because they are see it in the washing machine. However, modern washing machines are far more water efficient. Yes you’ll see your using more water when your washing it yourself but you don’t see the amount of water that goes into the production of single use products. It’s why I wrote the post ” Why we need to forget eco-friendly alternatives.” Even if Eco-friendly disposables like nappies and wipes did break down magically in landfill (which they don’t by the why) they still need to be made, out of cotton or wood, they still use water in production and they still need to be transported to be used for a matter of hours, minutes, even seconds in the case of wipes.
In fact if we went with the belief that disposing rather than washing used less water we should all be wearing disposable underwear too, right? Or all disposable clothes for that matter. Disposable plates and cutlery for dinner. It doesn’t make sense when you think about it like that does it?
7. JOIN A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.
Unfortunately when I started I didn’t know any other cloth nappy parents in the real world, but when I need advice or just a chat there’s a wonderful community online. Facebook groups like Cloth Nappies UK have many times been my savior and I now try to return the favor by being a shoulder to lean on or offer advice to new parents when questions are asked.
8. AVOID THE CHEMICALS.
There is much debate out there on the effects all the chemicals in plastics and artificial products we use. We can’t really be sure of their effects until, well until it all goes wrong, or nothing happens at all. All I know is nature’s managed just fine for years and the more we introduce to our planet and to our lives the more things go wrong. Not forgetting we’ve done a lot right too, in the case of medicine/vaccines/modern day luxuries. This one therefore is all down to you and your own feelings on the matter. My feelings are, if we don’t need it, do what you can to do without it. And if you do need them don’t feel bad about it.
9. Become THE QUEEN OF CLEAN.
Who knew there was so much more to washing. I’ve written a post to help you with Washing Your Washable Nappies making them the most sparkling white of whites and an added bonus that the rest of your washing and washing machine suddenly become the cleanest in town too. Who knew you should clean your washing machine? But once you think about it you’ll want a clean machine to make your nappies and the rest of your cloths clean too.
10. YOUR SETTING THEM UP FOR LIFE.
It may just be a nappy that they have no idea the difference between right now, but what your doing is planting a seed in their tiny brains, telling them that we are taking responsibility for our own waste, we care about our planet and our home, and maybe just maybe they will grow up to be the Eco-warriors of the next generation. Because let’s face it we’re going to need them.
I hope and pray that they will grow up in the world where this is normal, where a circular economy is standard. But if by awful chance my hopes aren’t realised and one day my daughter asks me what I was doing when we still had the time to fix this, I’ll be able to look her in the eye and tell her I tried and I did my best.…
Hannah xx
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