A Guide to Reusable Nappy Essentials by Peanut and Poppet
Whether you're an eco warrior or just looking to save a bit of money, cloth nappies are the way to go for your baby's bum. You need to have a few things for cloth nappies to be successful. Katrina of Peanut & Poppet will cover the basics here so you can get off to the very best start.
First and foremost, you need nappies, obviously...
How many you need depends on how often you want to do laundry. The more nappies you have, the less often you need to wash them and vice versa.
For newborns who go through a lot of nappies (8-12 in 24 hours), you’ll want 25-30 nappies to use cloth full time.
Older babies will use less than that so if you're starting a little later then aiming for around 20 one-size nappies is a good starting point. One-size nappies fit from around 10lbs+ - or roughly 2 months.
The next thing you need is cloth wipes.
They do a much better job than disposable wipes and if you're washing nappies it just makes sense to wash wipes too. 20 - 25 reusable wipes will see you through a 2 day wash routine. If you’re using them from birth you will want a few extra for the newborn stage.
Now we come on to nappy storage.
You'll need a couple of waterproof bags to store your dirty nappies when you're out and about with your baby - 2 or 3 medium wet bags will fit in to your stash perfectly. At home you will need 2 XL wet bags to use as nappy pails. You’ll rotate through them so there's one in the wash and one in use. This is the EASIEST way to store used nappies - no stinky, bulky buckets here!
This set up is based on one baby and washing every 2 days. As your baby gets older and has less nappy changes per day it will stretch to 3 days. Of course if you prefer to wash every 3 days then you can, you'll just need a little more of everything to see you through. If you have multiples then you'll need to multiply by the number of children you have.
It may seem like a lot but you are essentially buying a lifetime supply of nappies, wipes and bags! Compared to the cost of disposable nappies and wipes you will save a small fortune. To put it in to perspective a baby will go through around 4500 disposable nappies before toilet training.
Note that many local authorities offer some form of subsidy for purchasing cloth nappies so it's best to check if yours does before starting.
Quick shopping list:
- 25-30 newborn nappies or a hire kit.
- 20 one-size cloth nappies.
- 20-25 reusable wipes.
- 2-3 medium wet bags.
- 2 XL wet bags (nappy pail).
That’s it! To get started all you really need is one nappy, just try one, get the experience and build up your entire stash from there.
A quick note to add that you will likely need some increased absorbency when your child starts sleeping through the night / isn’t having a nappy change at night anymore. Keep an eye out for upcoming content specifically on night nappies over at Peanut & Poppet.
Make sure you check out the Peanut & Poppet YouTube videos and social media channels for guides and advice on all things cloth nappies.
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