Which is the best washable nappy for my baby? boo coo in Bristol are on hand to help

 

Washable nappies have come a very long way since the large Terry squares of yore. There are now different types of wraps, covers, makes and some brilliant funky designs. But if you are slightly bamboozled by the growing range of washables available to buy, then Claire Addams from online store and washable nappy advisory service boo coo, has plenty of  advice to help you out.

Claire advises:

There are many really good reasons why you should consider using washable nappies. Each baby has approximately 4700 changes of nappy, if using disposables this has a great cost both financially (£1000+) and to the environment.

The initial start up cost of using washables can be anywhere between £200- £400 (depending on the nappy chosen), so in the long term big savings can be made even after washing costs have been factored in. Disposables are increasingly causing a problem to the environment. Each year millions of trees, oil, chemicals and many other precious raw materials are used to make disposables. There are eco nappies on the market but these still don’t get around the problem of landfill. As sites become harder to find costs to local councils go up and rubbish is transported further causing more pollution.

One thing that discourages people from trying washables is the thought of having smelly dirty nappies hanging about in soak but no soaking is necessary. The reality of modern life is that any non bio powder on a normal wash cycle is adequate. If you use a disposable liner within the nappy this can be flushed away with the worst of the soiling then pop the nappy into a waterproof laundry bag (better than a bucket as it avoids build up of odours).Then simply empty the bag into the machine and wash with the nappies.

The right washable nappy can give you reliability and peace of mind knowing exactly what you have put on your baby. A well fitted washable will contain runny newborn soiling far better than a disposable.

The hard part can be finding the right nappy as there are now hundreds of different types on the market. Buying on line can get you a great deal but it’s always a good idea to see and try a nappy before committing to a large purchase, getting the wrong nappy can be a costly mistake. Hire kits are a great way to try out your options.

Nappies can be broken down into two groups – one step nappies where the whole nappy is changed every time (much like a disposable) and the two step option where a separate wrap is put over an absorbent inner (at its most basic a terry square and waterproof wrap).

The one step nappies tend to be less fiddly to use and often offer a neater less bulky fit but will only last for one child.

With a two part system waterproof wraps can be replaced and the inners can be used again for more than one baby so can work out much cheaper if used for more than one baby. A two part system can be more flexible and is often more absorbent making it an excellent choice for night time use.

Washables are made from many different materials. Natural materials such as cotton, bamboo and hemp give excellent absorbency but can be slow to dry which is a problem if you don’t have plenty of drying space or a tumble dryer. The synthetic materials are much quicker drying and wear incredibly well.

Some people worry that using washables can lead to nappy rash intensive studies have shown this is not the case. If your baby has sensitive skin a fleece liner can help prevent nappy rash as it keeps skin dry.

Birth to potty nappies make good economic sense as you need only buy one set(about 20 nappies) rather than buying different sizes as the baby grows.

Many of the other considerations are a matter of personal preference poppers or Velcro, pattern or plain and you can mix and match to build your own perfect set.

I’ve used washables on all three of my children and cannot recommend them highly enough.

For more information on washables nappies contact me on Claire@boocoo.co.uk  or look on www.boocoo.co.uk