Why Should I Use Cloth Nappies?

The thought of using ‘Cloth Nappies’ can seem very daunting to some, though once the process is understood it becomes very simple.

 People may think that it will take too long to wash nappies & believe it's just easier to throw a disposable in the bin, but take a minute to think....
How much money are you spending on disposables?
How long would it take to run an extra cycle every 2-3 days?
How many nappies would you be putting into landfill?
& What chemicals are you putting next to your babies delicate skin?

Advantages of Using Cloth Nappies:

PRICE:

 There are several advantages to using cloth nappies, first one as already mentioned ‘PRICE’.

I have included a rough calculation to show you the costs involved with using a disposable nappy...

Cost of a single nappy .45cents

 Newborn changed every 2-3 hrs = 10 nappies a day, Over a week =70 nappies using for 12 weeks =840 nappies used

 3-6mths changed every 3 hours = 8 nappies a day, Over a week = 56 nappies using for 12 weeks= 672 nappies used

6mths +changed every 4hours (well give or take- sleep at night) = 6 nappies a day, Over a week = 42 nappies using for 104 weeks (2 years) = 4368 nappies used

 So a total of 5880 nappies used from the time bubs is born up until toilet trained (of course they aren’t all toilet trained at same ages so this in on average)

 The total figure comes to an astounding  $2646 then you have the Wipes and the plastic bags you use &  if you were to use a higher end nappy you could be paying double that price. So by the time you’ve added wipes and bags into this equation you could be anywhere up to or above $4000. Oh and this is only for one child so if you have 2 or 3 multiply again. Scary isn’t it, how much money you can or could have saved….

HEALTH:

 ‘HEALTH’ is another reason why you would start using Cloth Nappies.

 Your baby’s skin is sensitive at any age, Wetness (urine),  chemicals (found in disposables) & heat build up, are nasties that can, when one or more interact with your babies delicate skin, cause nasty nappy rash.

 This can be avoided by using Cloth Nappies as the wetness (urine) is drawn away from baby’s skin by using ‘stay dry’ fabrics such as soft microfleece, then absorbed into natural chemical free microfibre or Bamboo ( no crystals) and is waterproofed using ‘breathable’ PUL which allows the urine to escape through evaporation.

 The ‘crystals’ found in disposables are known as Sodium Polyacrylate, this is what disposable nappies use for absorbency and to draw moisture away from your baby’s skin. If you ever find these crystals on your baby’s bottom remove them immediately. This Sodium Polyacrylate was once used in Tampons but was banned due to its link with Toxic Shock Syndrome.  Research is obviously still continuing but wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry?

ENVIRONMENT:

 Another reason for using Cloth Nappies, is the ‘ENVIRONMENT’.  Despite the extra washing to use cloth nappies, they have still come up on top being better for the environment.  You can find some reports stating that disposables are better for environment though these reports and studies were paid for by the disposable nappy companies themselves so can you really pull an accurate conclusion from this?

 So when you think about disposing a nappy into landfill yes this harms our environment but this isn’t the only way disposables harm our environment. The making of the nappies also contributes, as all the machinery to make them, the power to run these machines, the making of the plastics and the trees grown only for the use of wood pulp. Creating a disposable takes a lot more energy and water than it does to make a Cloth Nappy.

 How many people wrap the dirty nappy in plastic or place in plastic nappy bag? well next time you do think about the extra time it takes for this to break down in our environment. It is estimated that it takes up to 500 years for a disposable nappy to biodegrade, with a plastic wrap or bag it adds to that time.

 It is also estimated that 800 million Australians alone use and dispose of disposable nappies everyday.

 Think about our kids, surely us doing our bit to help the environment will make a better & healthier place for them to grow up in.