Cloth or disposable nappies?

[sweetangel2811]

Hey - I just wanted to come on here to see what everyone else was thinking on this one.

I want to try and give cloth nappies a go simply because they are much better for the environment, not to mention they have great nappy services out there now which means not so much cleaning and hanging out dirty nappies.

But I just don't know if I am fooling myself with thinking they will be as good an option as disposable? Ie convenient etc.

I have been thinking each time I do a shop that I should start stocking up on disposable nappies etc, but stop myself as I am not sure if I want to.

What does everyone else think?

[cosmic]

Hi Kiersten,

I'm glad you started this thread because I have been so busy with uni that I haven't had time to. Final paper due TODAY!! :o

I have been exploring this too and at the moment am definitely aiming to use cloth, but I'm not sure about buying them from the shops.. I think the best modern cloth nappies are available over the net? Lots of them are made by SAHM's. Have you seen some of the links posted in the nappy section here on bubhub? The ones I remember are www.theweewuns.au.com (check out the pocket nappies) and www.totsbots.com (I think that is right). I will post a couple of others that I remember or have been PM'd to me when I get some time later. Or some other kind person who knows them all might post them in the meantime. :)

A bit expensive, but much much much cheaper than disposables in the long run (especially if you have another bub and can use them again!) and as you say, better for the environment.. and maybe even better for baby's bum! No chemicals and gels etc. I know other mums have said their bub's get irritation particularly from cheaper brands of disposables.

Apparently they are very little work - a load of washing every couple of days.. no folding, no soaking. I found it's a bit confusing when you first start to look into it but after reading for a while, I am beginning to understand all the different variations and options. All I can say is that they have come a loooooong way since the old flat squares and pins!

oh.. and I think I would still use disposables if going out etc.. but then again, maybe I will find no need for them at all. :rolleyes:

ok.. back to work for me!!

C.

[samuelboy]

Hi

When I was pregnant I told anyone who would listen there was no way I would use cloth it was disposable all the way, but a few months down the track after paying for nappies every week I decided to look into cloth and was really surprised about what's out there now.

If it had been the old squares I don't think I would have got very far but there are so many choices now it's great. Personally I love the pocket nappies and have found them just as easy to use as disposables, no soaking only a hot wash every couple of days. It might cost a bit to set up a good system but when you consider the cost of disposables and the fact you can use them for more than one baby it is definitely cheaper.

A few more links to have a look at are www.greennappies.com (who also sell on ebay), www.ozclothnappies.org, and if you think you'd like a go at making a few yourself www.bubbaearth.com.au. A search on google will also find lots of discussion boards etc where you can find everyone's opinons on what they think are best.

[tickle]

Hi,
I use disposibles but I did recently looked into cloth but found them no good for my situation. The disposibles actually work out cheaper for us as we are on tank water and as there seems to be a bit of a drought we a CONSTANTLY buying water. It depends on your machine though, as front loaders use half the water that top loaders use. Once I factored in all the other costs it was better for us to use dispo.

If you are concerned about the environment, cloth nappies are the go. I wouldn't know about their convenience as I have never used them.

I wondered whether it would be just as good for the envir to use a nappy recycling service for disp as it is to use cloth nappies. As we have a huge water shortage is this environmental impact just as bad as using disposibles (and recycling them)? Does anyone have any information about this??

Maybe we will have to wait for the bio nappies to come out that were on the new inventors!!

Ellen

[cosmic]

Hey Ellen,

I was reading a cloth vs disposable thread in another section here on bubhub and apparently there are lots of other environmental issues with disposables that aren't solved by nappy recycling.. I'm no expert so can't answer you personally but found it an interesting read. And in terms of water usage in general, lots of water and other resources go into the manufacture of disposables so the water used while washing as an argument to use disposables apparently doesn't have much weight either (like I said I got all this 2nd hand so don't quote me).

Of course if you are having to buy water, that's a whole different issue though! I can understand how you don't have the same cost savings and wouldn't have the same motivation to use cloth.

I have to admit, I never thought I would even consider cloth. It's only since seeing the new modern cloth nappies that I am thinking about it, and for me it is much more about $$$ than it is about the environment! :o Not to mention that some of them are SO cute! The environmental benefits are secondary for me.. but I will certainly focus on them to make me feel like I'm a good person and doing my bit for the planet. :p

C. :)

[tickle]

I definately agree, the new cloth nappies are very cute, quite fashionable if I say so myself!!
I was really wondering about the bio nappies that I saw on the New Inventors as the lady was saying that the process used to make the nappies was very enviro friendly. But I guess it probably wouldn't be comparable to cloth.
I was actually really surprised by the amount of water we use when washing. Everyone should get front loaders!!
For me I think there are environmental impacts in almost everything we do and there is a lot of things I do for the environment that others don't which makes me feel slightly less bad about using disp :o .

Ellen

[H&B'sMum]

I lvoe using cloth nappies and am very glad to see a thread that is praising them not just bagging them. I have been using cloth nappies for a while now and can't believe how much money we use to spend on dispsies.

Here are some links if you are interested in cloth nappies. All these mum who make them are WAHM (Work at Home Mums) and just love what they do:

http://www.bubblebubs.com/

http://www.greennappies.com/

http://www.bitsforbots.com/store/

http://www.bubbanature.mywahmweb.com/

http://bubbaearth.com.au/

http://www.sandrasstuffables.com.au/index.php

http://www.ericanappies.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index

http://www.cherubskiss.com/


http://www.cutetooshies.com.au/

http://www.peenuts.net/

http://www.brightbubba.com.au/

http://www.bubbaj.com.au/


http://www.fruitsaladnappies.com/store/

http://www.babybeehinds.com.au/

There are many more but these are a few here in Aust.

There are forums about cloth nappies but I don't feel it's appropriate to put the link up here but if you want it just pm me.

Cloths are also available on ebay but make sure you know what you want and how much they are new. Sometimes you can get caught in a bidding war and find out you could have bought one new for the same price.

Good luck and happy collecting.

[tickle]

Hi Karena,
You seem to know what your talking about, I have a question. I went to the "choice" website and on there they have a calculator to work out whether the brand of disp you are using will work out cheaper or more expensive than cloth. Without even taking into account our huge water costs, they say that the disp would be cheaper??!!
This has to be incorrect? I can't see how they would come to this number? What do you think?

[H&B'sMum]

From the look of my bank account cloth are certainly cheaper.

I got this from a nappycino party I went to a few weeks ago.

This is based on the Baby beehinds Cloth nappy system (baby beehinds are a little more expensive than others, so keep that in mind), the disposable nappy cost is middle of the range costings, so some cost more, some cost less.

Full time disposable nappy system.

* Newborn to 3 month
Avergae of 10 nappies per day @ 40c each = $4.00/day x 7 = $28.00/week
=$364.00 (for 3 months)

* 3 months to 2 years
Average of 6 nappies per day @ 40c each = $2.40/day x 7 = $16.80/week
= $1528.80 (for 21 months)

* Older toddler, up to 3.5 years (nappy cost 70c each)
Average of 2 nappies per day (nap and night) @ 70c each = $1.40/day =$9.80/week
= $42.47/month
= $764.40 (18 motnhs)

TOTAL COST = $2657.20 + WIPES

This is the amount it will cost you for EACH baby you have in dispos


Full time Baby Beehinds cloth nappy system

* Full time nappy package
22 Plush comforts + 3 Hemp Honeys + # pkats microfleec liners.
Package cost $518.20

* Covers package
6 x small, 4 x Med, 3 x large PUL covers plus 2 samll, 2 med, 2 large wool covers
Package cost = $315

TOTAL COST = $833.20

TOTAL SAVING USING CLOTH INSTEAD OF DISPOABLES = $1824.

This doesn't include water usage, but if you only wash every 2nd or 3rd day it would really cost you the difference of using cloth.

Hope this just helps to see how much cloth really does save you.

[H&B'sMum]

Oliver's mum, I haven't tried the Choice calac you are talking about. May be they are not calac the overall costs of disposies over a long period of time. Remember some children can take as long as 3-4 years to be toilet trained so lots a lot of nappies.

Could you post the link and I will try it out.
Thanks

[tickle]

I think they were calculating on a per year basis for my size child (10kg toddler) in cheap disp.
Very interesting topic. :rolleyes:

[H&B'sMum]

'tis rather. I love talking about cloth. It can become very addicative too, especially with all the wonderful prints out there now.
Happy shopping everyone.

[cosmic]

Karena,

Thanks so much for all those links.. and that info re: cost savings. Great to see actual numbers!

oh by the way.. just finished my uni paper. WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

One more exam and then it's all over red-rover and I can absorb myself totally in researching breastfeeding, co-sleeping, cloth nappies etc etc... aaaahhhhh what bliss!! :p

C.

[H&B'sMum]

Congrats C. I have just finished my uni studies and it such a relief. Good luck with the exam.

[ellymayone]

I will use disposable bc I tried cloth with dd and I DID NOT like it one bit. We don't
have a service here that picks them up and cleans them for you so I was doing
it myself and YUCK it just didn't work for me but they are alot cheaper in the long
run that's for sure. I think with dd and ds I spent a good 20 dollars a week on
diapers bc they couldn't wear the off brand without getting a horrible rash so I
had to get the expensive ones.

[jaydensmum]

Im not pg but i thought that i would put my input into this topic. I use disposable nappies on my DS. I do have cloth nappies on standby if money is tight. I chose to use disposables because of convience. I know i shouldnt be lazy and i should slave over the laundry sink cleaning nappies, but i just dont want to! :o I believe that both disposable and cloth nappies have advantages and disadvantages. I personally just dont like the cloth nappies.

jaydensmum.

[H&B'sMum]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I think this thread was started for people to ask questions and find out more info about cloth nappies. For some people they actually enjoy using cloth nappies and don't mind the extra 5 mins work a day. Please lets not turn this into a huge debate over the adv or disadv of cloth or disposies. Lets keep this thread open for people to ask questions and find out info before deciding if cloth nappies is for them.

Personally though I don't stand over a laundry sink and clean my nappies, they go straight into a nappy bucket (dry pail) and then into the washing machine every 2nd or 3rd day. No scrubbing done here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cosmic]

I know i shouldnt be lazy and i should slave over the laundry sink cleaning nappies, but i just dont want to! :o I believe that both disposable and cloth nappies have advantages and disadvantages. I personally just dont like the cloth nappies.


Hey jaydensmum, what kind of cloth nappies do you have?

I was just wondering because I was like you.. well actually I wasn't even thinking of having cloth nappies on hand because I actually did not even think you could buy them anymore! You just never see them these days?! Or is it just that I don't know where to look? Never seem to have any trouble finding disposables!

Anyway, I'm always interested to know if people have seen the new cloth ones you can get that have the fitted legs, velcro, pockets etc.. because I was blown away by them and have totally changed my tune about cloth. Mind you they still need to be washed of course - but my hubby actually does a lot of our washing (he works from home) and he doesn't mind it one bit. It's the only housework thing he actually will do voluntarily. He is constantly saying to me "All the washing's done! Not one dirty piece of clothing in the house!" :) So I think he might help out. Of course, it means I have never-ending piles of clothes to fold/iron and put away.... his washing duties don't extend that far. :o

P.S. I'm not trying to convert you to cloth!! If you're happy with disposables, that's all that matters. Just asking if you'd seen them, that's all.