Cloth Nappy FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why and How Many?

What are the benefits of cloth?

Money saving – Over the full nappy wearing period of your child’s life, you will save more money by using cloth. That saving gets bigger if you use them on subsequent children.

Fewer leaks – Most cloth users find they don’t have leaks which they did have when they used disposables. This is mainly because there is more elastication in cloth nappies, and they are more adjustable to get a better fit around the legs/back. If you are using a two part system then you have the extra protection of a wrap – two layers to stop leaks rather than just one!

Environmental – Cloth nappies lead to far less landfill.

Appearance – It may sound silly, but the look of a cloth bum with colourful wraps and fluffy nappies is a big benefit! There is a strange pleasure in seeing a sof t, fluffy nappy rather than a papery plasticky one.

How Many Nappies Do I Need?

I tend to find that 18-24 nappies, and 5-6 wraps are about right for use on a newborn, allowing for you to wash every 2-3 days. This amount can vary though depending on the type of nappy you choose, and how you intend to dry (using all bamboo nappies and only drying indoors on an airer will mean you need more to allow for drying time, whereas all microfibre being tumble dried you could have less as they will be dry as soon as you need them).

Older children need fewer changes in a day, so you could easily manage with 15 or so nappies.

Its a lot of money – will I really be saving?

It depends on which nappies you buy, but yes, you will be saving. The average pack of disposables costs slightly less than a shaped nappy (eco-disposables like Moltex cost more). If you were to get 24 birth to potty nappies, it would be the same as approximately 30 packs of disposables. With 12 months in a year, and most children potty training from 2yrs old, you will definately be needing more than 30 packs of disposables! That doesn’t even include being able to reuse your nappies on later children, and selling them on when you are finished with them.