Reusable Nappies

EcoBrats

I am doing some research into the use of reusable (real, cloth) nappies in Ireland and thought this might be a good place to start getting some feedback.

I would love to hear from anyone that uses cloth nappies and thoughts from those that don't.

What are the barriers to using real nappies? Availability in Ireland, convenience, lack of laundry services, lack of information?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Quackles

EcoBrats wrote: »

I am doing some research into the use of reusable (real, cloth) nappies in Ireland and thought this might be a good place to start getting some feedback.

I would love to hear from anyone that uses cloth nappies and thoughts from those that don't.

What are the barriers to using real nappies? Availability in Ireland, convenience, lack of laundry services, lack of information?

Please let me know your thoughts.

In all honesty, the number one barrier against using cloth nappies, for me, is the effort involved. A new baby brings enough washing to the house without adding to it. Not just that, though.

There's the initial cost of arming yoursef with the nappies, the lack of availability for the liners, and the fact that, without a proper laundry service, I've read that the environmental and long term cost benefits aren't as great as you'd imagine. First of all, the materials and processing used in the production of disposable nappies have come on in years. You can't take away from the fact that they add to landfill. But with reusable nappies, and my baby being a January baby, picture the number of extra washes I'd be running in my washing machine, and indeed drier.

That said, it wasn't something i put a huge amount of thought into, because as i said, my primary reason for choosing disposable was one of convenience, rightly or wrongly.

Grawns

I wouldn't even consider it for a second. Too much work on top of working fulltime and looking after a baby.

I have a friend who is a total eco warrior and a bit of a nut too ( she's trying to make the dog a vegetarian ). Even she doesn't use them ( she uses an eco brand) as too much work. Also she showed me one and the weight of it was astonishing.

They mostly suffer from a lack of positive marketing as there is lots of money to be saved by using them. Good luck with your research.

taram

Not pregnant yet but was contemplating using resuable nappies, my mother used them for my sister and I, and I use things like resuable pads for my period already etc. I babysat for my cousin, and never figured how much work there'd be in it! Between scraping poo , rinising, re-rinising, soaking and bleaching before it went into the washing machine, I was sick of them. And you'd still have to dry them. On the upside, you'd save a fortune, but would pay for it in time and effort, if that suited you, go for it, suppose you'd figure a system out quickly to use them efficently. Beware, the smell of Milton might stay in your nostrils forever I still think of my little sister's nappies when I smell it!

EcoBrats

Thanks very much for the replies so far. It is great to get your feed back and as long as you and your baby are happy with the nappies you have chosen/are choosing that all that really matters.

Just wanted to respond to a couple of points raised if you are interested:

Quackles wrote: »

I've read that the environmental and long term cost benefits aren't as great as you'd imagine. First of all, the materials and processing used in the production of disposable nappies have come on in years.

The cost benefits of using real nappies varies significantly depending of what type of cloth nappies are used and the price of the disposables you are comparing them to, i.e. supermarket own brand, leading brand, eco nappy, etc. The major cost benefits are when you use the same nappies for more than 1 child.

Also, in terms of environmental impact, a life cycle analysis (from manufacture to disposal) of reusable and disposable nappies was conducted in the UK and the results of which (measured in amount of CO2 produced) put reusables and disposables on more or less an equal footing. However, the CO2 footprint of reusables can vary considerably depending on how they are laundered.

Quackles wrote: »

But with reusable nappies, and my baby being a January baby, picture the number of extra washes I'd be running in my washing machine, and indeed drier.

Just to let you know, I have used cloth nappies on my son since I moved to Ireland (when he was 6 weeks old) and I only do 2-3 more loads of washing a week than normal and we don't have a drier. For a newborn you will definately be doing 3 loads a week but no more.

The nappies get washed in the evening and then hung over airers on rads over night. Most of them are dry the next day.

taram wrote: »

Between scraping poo , rinising, re-rinising, soaking and bleaching before it went into the washing machine, I was sick of them. And you'd still have to dry them.

Taram, I would definately look again at cloth nappies if I were you. Modern cloth nappies come in all shapes, sizes and colours and don't need to be soaked or bleached in order to get them clean and leave them stain free.

Personally, I have two nappy buckets set up with laundry nets in them and I put a few drops of tea tree essential oil in them to keep smells at bay and to kill bacteria. Flushable liners are available to avoid scraping poo and once this has been dumped (no pun intended) the nappy just goes into the bucket - no soaking necessary.

When 2 buckets are full (usually 2 days worth) this makes up a load of washing and the laundry nets (with the tops open) can just be lifted into your machine. Cloth nappies should go on a cold rinse cycle first, which ensures no stains, followed by a 60 degree wash. Fabric softener should never be used as this decreases the absorbency of the nappy and can also lead to staining and smells being retained.

laughingtoaster

hi,

I am also interested in peoples experiences of reusable nappies. I am due this summer & am interested in using reusables - it will be my first baby so I have the naivity/optimism of ignorance

The disposable liners sound good, I don't think I could cope with the poo scraping and bleaching. Do they really work? or are they prone to tearing/leaking and failing to contain the poo? (like the paper kitchen towel ads where one brand falls to pieces)

From a quick web search there seems to be many different systems, its hard to judge whats the difference between them. The mothercare system seems to allow for a mixture of reusable and disposable pads, with a waterproof shell. I see a definite need for some use of disposables for when you are out and about for the day.

knuffles

Hi EcoBrats, I am very interested in what you have advised and will certainly be taking your tips and putting them to use this Summer when my bundle of joy arrives (fingers and toes crossed).
What type of nappy do you use? I have been looking online and there are several different types and I would like to here about your experience with the ones you use.
Thanks in advance.

EcoBrats

knuffles wrote: »

Hi EcoBrats, I am very interested in what you have advised and will certainly be taking your tips and putting them to use this Summer when my bundle of joy arrives (fingers and toes crossed).
What type of nappy do you use? I have been looking online and there are several different types and I would like to here about your experience with the ones you use.
Thanks in advance.

Hi Knuffles,

I'm glad that someone is interested in what I have to say!

I personally use loads of different bands/types of nappy with my little one as I have the benefit of retailing cloth nappies, so I get to test run all the products before I stock them.

You will find that everyone has their favorite nappies. You will be almost as overwhelmed by recommendations as you will be by the volume of info on different nappies on the internet.

There is an article on my website that discusses the various considerations when choosing cloth nappies.

Depending on where you are based I could always come and show you various cloth nappies or I can put you in contact with a nappy agent (who will do the same thing) in your area.

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any specific questions (phone number and email can be found on my website). If you read through the article and get back to me with your specific requirements I can always advise you.

Well done you for considering cloth for your baby! I know its the best decision I ever made!

kelle

I used terry nappies with plastic pants on my older 2 children, but completely rejected them for child no3. I was a SAHM then, but working when no.3 was born, so it was easier for me to use them then.
I didn't use liners, I folded up the cloth nappies into a kite-shape and pinned them together with safety pins, Admittedly, it would be frustrating when the safety pin would refuse to push through the layers of cloth!!!. Then I covered over with plastic pants.
When used, I would remove solid waste using the garden hose and place all nappies in a nappy bucket.
I never boilwashed the nappies, just washed them with Napisan along with any bed sheets at 60 degree wash - they washed adequately and none of us ever got infections (there's too much hysteria nowadays!). The weather of 2001-2004 was probably warmer as I never once used the tumble drier to dry any nappies, they all dried on the clothes line.
I washed the plastic pants using washing-up liquid. However, the edges would harden and become too rough on baby's skin so the pack needed to be replaced every few weeks.
It's something you get used to and it's lovely to see a clothes line full of cloth nappies, but I just had no desire to use them again when no.3 arrived after a 4 year gap!

CathyMoran

Ttc in 3 weeks hopefully but I would not use cloth nappies - I dont know how to use the washing machine (husband does that) and the idea of touching poop is horrible to me, plus I will have to go back to work soon after I give birth (if I do). Eco-friendly disposible nappies might be of interest though.

IsThatSo?

the idea of touching poop is horrible to me

:pac:

You will get used to it, honest My DS2 (16 months) has started giving me kisses in the last week or two and when he decides to home in, mouth open, I don't have time to wipe any dribble off him. (He has a mega snotty nose right now too so have to watch for that) Yeah, when its not your child it sounds disgusting, but when its your child it really just doesn't matter. The same will go for the poo

For anyone who is interested in the cloth nappies there are lots of threads on them over on the "Green Issues" forum of Rollercoaster

Saruman

My brother in law in the US used a diaper service. They send out the cloth diapers and pick up the old ones. My brother in law does not have to wash them etc.

The idea of it is that babies do not like the feel of the waste and learn to use a toilet quicker. I believe that if your kid is still not potty trained after 18 or 24 months then you get a refund.

Better for the environment, possibly even cheaper at $20 a month (i think) and a shorter length of time using them as opposed to modern disposables where kids barely notice and so have little inclination to learn.

edit: OP im assuming http://www.ecobrats.ie/ is your website? If so, perhaps look into a service like the one i mentioned and see how you get on. Since the biggest negative is the washing of the nappies for parents, if that is not something they need to worry about then it might make them think seriously about it.

edit2: oh and nice website by the way, hope it works out for you. I think i came across it before so i assume its been up for at least a year?

EcoBrats

Saruman wrote: »

edit: OP im assuming http://www.ecobrats.ie/ is your website? If so, perhaps look into a service like the one i mentioned and see how you get on. Since the biggest negative is the washing of the nappies for parents, if that is not something they need to worry about then it might make them think seriously about it.

Yes, EcoBrats.ie is my website. I have briefly looked into the idea of a laundry service and its something that I'm considering for the future. I think there are already a couple in existence in Ireland but its very hard to find any information about.

Saruman wrote: »

edit2: oh and nice website by the way, hope it works out for you. I think i came across it before so i assume its been up for at least a year?

Thanks for the compliment. Actually, the website only went up at the beginning of December 2008 so we are very new. Its tough being an internet company selling stuff that not many people know about. After all, people only generally find us if they are searching for the products we sell.

Saruman

Then i must have been to a similar site. Well advertising is the key. Cheapest form is obviously word of mouth so some boards.ie users will know about you now at least

Google ads are also pretty cheap. Golden pages might be a good idea but im not sure how many people look up nappies...

Would it be possible to do a deal with some supermarkets? Maybe have some sort of product you can put on a shelf. A starter kit say with your first weeks/months supply. You sell to the supermarket so they make a profit and then the customer has the choice to either do it themselves or take up the service?

It can not be too hard to have a recycled box made up and sell that to supermarkets. Start with your local and see how you get on.

EcoBrats

Thanks for the tips Saruman. Have loads of ideas for advertising, its just a case of putting them into action. Or should I say finding the time to put them into action!

Amimad

Ecobrats,
I cant wait until my LO is born & can join your nappy trial scheme, not long to go now, just till May:D.
Do you have one of those nappy agents in Galway?
By the way great piece on Ireland am, i looked at the web clip when my SiL told me i missed it