lots of questions re: fitted cloths

[jembelina]

Ok, I know there are a gazillion threads out there asking all sorts of questions, but it is too much for me to sort through so I thought I would post my own questions here.
When ds was born I had a lovely stack of 3 dozen fluffy white nappies freshly washed, ready to go. I ended up using nappy wash for a month and ds has been in disposables ever since. I had no idea about fitted cloth nappies at all. Anyway #2 is due in October and I think I want to use cloth this time. Not sure if I will convert with ds, will see how it goes at the time. Anyway, here is what I want to know.......
How exactly do they work?????

Do they come in different sizes?? If so, is it best to buy everything you will need straight way or just buy the sizes as you need them??

How many will I need?? for a newborn to begin with.......

How are they cleaned? Is it the same as the 'old fashioned' type??

Can I use the nappies I already have with them or is there something else better? I am happy to sell what I already have and start afresh if there is a better option.

Do they fit like a diposable or are tehy still bulky like an old style nappy?

Can you only get them online or are there places i can go to buy them in person?

Cost???? Just a ballpark figure of what I might be up for

What brand do you recommend and whay??

Tahnk you so, so much for your time!! I just don't know where to start!!

[the_queen]

I'm exactly like you!! I tried using terry flats with Vallerie but to me there wasn't much motivation to keep using them. Difficult to fold, leaked everywhere, plastic pants digging into bubs legs, stinky napisan water, etc etc etc. But I have been well and truly converted!!!



Do they come in different sizes?? If so, is it best to buy everything you will need straight way or just buy the sizes as you need them??

You can get one-size nappies, that adjust to fit from newborn to toddler, but apparently these are quite bulky on newborns. Most nappies do come in various sizes, newborn/small/medium/large or something like that.

How many will I need?? for a newborn to begin with.......
This depends on how often you're going to wash!! I'm aiming to have about 20, but I'll be washing every day. I think it also depends on the type of nappy - to be honest this question I can't answer that well, as I haven't had practical experience just yet!!

How are they cleaned? Is it the same as the 'old fashioned' type??
oh no, no more napisan!!:smiliedance: Dry-pailing is the best option. There's a couple of threads around here on the topic, including one that converted a very skeptical me!! Basically you dump the poo in the toilet, you can rinse the nappy out if preferred, but then just put it into a nappy bucket. When you have a load-full, put them through a rinse cycle, then put them through on a normal wash cycle, using about half the normal amount of washing powder. Then hang on the line! Or tumble dry. As long as you have 2 of either hot water, detergent, and sunlight, then you will have no germs on them once they're clean. But again, I haven't had practical experience with this aspect yet... Someone on here will correct my mistakes/ommission!!

Can I use the nappies I already have with them or is there something else better? I am happy to sell what I already have and start afresh if there is a better option.
So you have some terry flats? You can use them for stuffing into pocket nappies, or you can cut them up and use for bum wipes, or you could cut them up and sew them into multi-layered boosters.

Do they fit like a diposable or are tehy still bulky like an old style nappy?
They fit like a disposable.

Can you only get them online or are there places i can go to buy them in person?
http://www.cherubskiss.com/
http://www.cleverpants.com.au/
http://www.nurturenappies.com.au/

There's just a few, there's heaps more around!!


Cost???? Just a ballpark figure of what I might be up for
Well, me personally, so far I've been looking on eBay. There are plenty of WAHM's who sell their brand new cloth nappies on there, plus you can pick up 2nd hand brand-name nappies and covers for a fraction of the cost. But I will be getting a bulk pack (I'm leaning heavily towards Tots Bots) and for a pack which will include 22 napies, and 10 covers, is going to cost me a bit less than $700. Considering that to use disposables costs around $1000 a year I think I'm getting a good deal. These nappies will last until bubs is out of nappies, and if I look after them properly they could also do for the next one!

What brand do you recommend and whay??
When I asked this question of the multitudes of very wise cloth experts on here :D I was convinced to go with Tots Bots. But it does kinda depend on your bub, depends on how heavy a wetter s/he is, and whether you'll be using them fulltime.


http://www.ozclothnappies.org/
http://www.allaboutnappies.com/
http://www.modernclothnappies.org/


Please note, I am still a clothie-in-waiting, I'm eagerly waiting for this baby to make his entrance so that I can wrap that widdle bum in some cute cute cute clothies!! There are sooooo many experienced and wise cloth enthusiasts on bubhub, so if someone else says something different to me, I'd take their word over mine. :thumbsup:

[OM]

Do they come in different sizes?? If so, is it best to buy everything you will need straight way or just buy the sizes as you need them??


Yes their are all different types on the market some you can also use from newborn to toilet training others you buy in Small Medium Large etc!


How many will I need?? for a newborn to begin with.......

lol as many as you can get! nah about 2 dozen should be more than enough!


How are they cleaned? Is it the same as the 'old fashioned' type??


Nope no need for soaking etc any more try dry pailing!


Drypailing
This alternative allows the washing machine to do the work for you. Once you have disposed of the poo (if any) you simply place the nappy in an empty bucket. (You might choose to rinse a poo-ey nappy first.) You could even use a rubbish bin with a flip-top lid or a tough bag. When the bin is full, you up-end it into the washing machine and then wash. No filling, emptying or lugging of buckets.

Now you would naturally think that drypailing would be a pretty stinky alternative however the opposite is true. Drypailing does not stink out the house! When curious friends ask where the nappies are they are frequently amazed that the nappy bin is sitting right there in the bathroom. There is no denying that the bin can get a bit smelly on the inside, but with the lid closed no odour escapes at all. (Elizabeth reckons that it really passes the test if it can cope with her two stink-monsters producing 6 poos a day between them!)

Positives

» No draining and refilling a bucket, you only need treat it like any other laundry basket.
» It doesn't smell like soaking can.
» You can keep the bucket where you want to and even use a strong bag if need be.
Negatives

» Marks take a little more effort to shift so a hot wash is advisable or at least a warm wash and an occasional prewash.
» If you leave several days between washes then the nappies take a bit more cleaning and will certainly need a rinse or prewash before the main wash.
Many people compromise by dry pailing in the bucket/bag and soaking in the machine. They load the machine at night and turn it off once it is full. The nappies are then left to soak overnight before the machine is switched on the next day to continue where it left off. Warm water can be used successfully this way without the need for a prewash (although an initial rinse is still a good idea).

Washing Methods
The first step is to remove any poo. With very runny newborn poo (especially breastfed) this is almost a lost cause. Thankfully it is so liquid that it just washes out anyway. Hard to believe but true. For the truly squeamish (usually the husbands, I'm afraid!), you could use a Little Squirt spraygun very effectively to get rid of most of it into the toilet first (see below).

Once on formula or solids, a baby's poo will usually become much easier to deal with. Typically it will simply roll off the nappy into the toilet. If not, giving the fleece liners a good stretch will usually get it off. You can also "sluice" the nappy - hold one end of it firmly inside the toilet bowl and then flush, allowing the water to wash the poo off the nappy. If you have used paper liners, then you only need to dump the liner and all into the toilet.

However, if you have any trouble at all with poo removal then we absolutely swear by The Little Squirt. This is a spraygun that you attach to your toilet cistern and it produces a high pressure water jet which is fantastic to get anything off the nappy.




Can I use the nappies I already have with them or is there something else better? I am happy to sell what I already have and start afresh if there is a better option.

In my personal opinion I would keep what you have ie: the flats as they are always handy to have on back up if you run out of fitted!


Do they fit like a diposable or are tehy still bulky like an old style nappy?


The modern cloth sure do!:D


Can you only get them online or are there places i can go to buy them in person?


They are mostly available online.


Cost???? Just a ballpark figure of what I might be up for

It really depends on if you are keen to buy 2nd hand (which is much much cheaper) but as an example a Baby Bee Hinds nappy which fits from newborn to toilet training costs around $27 per nappy.


What brand do you recommend and whay??


I personally like the Eenee nappies if you have the fitted nappies already. All you do is fold a flat nappy into a pad shape and then place into the centre of the Eenee and voila there is your nappy! lol

Hope that helps.:thumbsup:

[OM]

There are sooooo many experienced and wise cloth enthusiasts on bubhub, so if someone else says something different to me, I'd take their word over mine. :thumbsup:

You said exactly what I said!

[the_queen]

LOL see how well I've been educated on the topic by wise mumma's like you, Oscar's Mum!!!! :thumbsup: :D :D :D

[OM]

LOL see how well I've been educated on the topic by wise mumma's like you, Oscar's Mum!!!!


lol what a crack up! :laughing:

Don't you hate though when you type out this huge big long post and then post it to see that someone before you just pipped you at the post! At least though we are both backing what the other says not contradicting!


Agghhh I am rambling now! :banghead:

[cosmic]

I am so excited about how many people are asking about clothies lately. :D
Girls, methinks we are in the midst of a cloth nappy revolution!!! :thumbsup:

[OM]

I am so excited about how many people are asking about clothies lately. :D
Girls, methinks we are in the midst of a cloth nappy revolution!!! :thumbsup:


I know I am really suprised it is great isn't it!:thumbsup:

[OM]

It's funny though how you never hear people saying ooooh I got a box of Huggies nappies today and they look soooo cute on! LOL

[reAllytee]

You have been given pretty much all the answers i would have said by these great ladies & im sure you will get more still heh.

Id just like to add :

http://www.theweewuns.au.com/store/

This is a good place to start as they show a few different types & have lots of info plus they are really helpful etc.

http://www.greenkids.com.au/

The Greens are the ones i use religiously & love love love them :thumbsup:

I also use eenees thanks to Oscar's mum putting me onto them. I got them off ebay for a bargain & the lady sold them with the disposable pads as well as a bucket load of cut up terry sewn into pads with fleece attached. This means i can just throw these in & take them out when bubs needs a change without changing the nappy shell itself really handy for when your out somewhere ( unless there has been an accident & the shell itself is soiled. So maybe even getting a few of these to try you can then fold up the terry's you already have & use inside like Oscar's mum said :thumbsup:
This is their website :

http://www.eenee.com.au/

Have fun its addictive !!!!!! :D

[Tea Lady]

Just a couple of extra comments from me........

If it's all too hard in the early days, don't give up! I used disposables for about 6 weeks before I was up to even thinking about cloth (you do need to be more organised!)

If you do want to soak the nappies, you can do it in the machine which avoids the drowning risks of buckets, and saves your back. And you can use the cheapo Home Brand nappy soaker.

I'd definitely recommend getting a Little Squirt for the breastfed poo stage (I don't even have one myself :laughing: ) because it's just so gross trying to get that muck off :thumbsdown: I nearly made myself :barf: a couple of times!

I find the fitteds in between disposables and cloth for bulkiness, but most clothes would cope fine with them (with the exception maybe of target and Pumpkin Patch pants on a chubby bub - they are sooooo tiny!).

I use mostly terry flats but I prefer fitteds for going out or if I don't want to change DD as often. I'll probably use more fitteds when she's walking properly as she currently destroys them with her bumshuffling :)

Hope that's some use.

[Funkychicken]

How are they cleaned? Is it the same as the 'old fashioned' type??


!!
As has been suggested here the dry pailing works a treat. To make it easier and not very time consuming, at the end of the day I put the days worth of nappies that have collected in the tub (I bought a low sided one that fits under the change table-no lid needed yet as still exclusively breastfeeding)in the machine on a hot soak cycle with detergent and in the morning VOILA- fresh clean nappies ready to be hung out in the sun. Or in our case in Melbourne today, in the dryer. I chuck all the fitteds, terry, pockets, liners etc... in the washer together.:D

[H&B'sMum]

Here's just a few more sites:

Tinkle tots (http://www.tinkletots.net/cart/index.php)

Erica nappies (http://www.ericanappies.com.au/store/)

Bubblebubs (http://www.bubblebubs.com.au/shop/)

Kidzincloth (http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/kidzincloth/)

Itty Bitty (http://www.ittibitti.net/)

Baby beehinds (http://www.babybeehinds.com.au/)

Bits for bots (http://bitsforbots.com/store/)

Naturally mum (http://www.naturallymum.com/store/)

I think that might do for now.

Have fun shopping.

[jembelina]

Thank you so much for all your replies!! This i ssuch confusing business!

I have decided that I will probably go with pocket nappies, rather than having fitted nappied and covers and stuffers! I think I will buy one at a time slowly for ds and see how they go and what I think of them. Then by the time it is time to buy for #2 I should have a good idea of what I like - hopefully!! So far, these are the ones that I like the look/sound of............... Fuzzi Buns, Swaddlebees, Pea Pods(from memory these are new and not yet available), Happy Heinys and Bits for Bots. If anyone has any comments on any of these companies/nappies I would greatly appreciate any input!!

Just another little question - during winter, when the sun isn't shining and I'm mostly drying inside, do I need to do a hot water wash everytime? (I don't have a tumble dryer so wont be using that!)
Also, what are the best type of inserts to use - that is really confusing me. I know I can use the terry flats I already have, but surely they wont be as absorbent as the other types available?
Thata al - for now!! Thanks again ladies:)

[OM]

Just another little question - during winter, when the sun isn't shining and I'm mostly drying inside, do I need to do a hot water wash everytime? (I don't have a tumble dryer so wont be using that!)
Also, what are the best type of inserts to use - that is really confusing me. I know I can use the terry flats I already have, but surely they wont be as absorbent as the other types available?



No you can use a cold wash also! Hot wash though can help fight any bacteria though! So I guess the choice is yours.

Hemp is the definately more absorbant than terry but then again you would be suprised how much terry can absorb!;)