why cloth nappies?
Cloth nappies are not only an environmentally sound choice but are also easy to use. They are simple to clean, cheaper than disposables and come in fun colours and patterns.
Green
There is an estimated 600,000 disposable nappies used everyday in this country and around 94% of these (including their contents) end up in landfill. These nappies will not break down for another 500 years. By choosing real nappies you will be keeping 2.5 tonnes of nappy waste, per child, from landfill.
Easy
Cloth nappies range from the terry cloths and plastic pants that many of us wore as babies, to the modern cloth nappies that come shaped like disposables with easy fastening Velcro tabs or poppers.
Gone are the days of soaking. The solids can be flushed away on disposable liners and the nappies kept in a bucket with a sealed lid until there is enough for a washing machine load. For washing, bunging them in the washing machine with a bit of tea tree oil or a tiny bit of powder does the trick.
Even a childminder should have no problem using cloth. The only extra job is to hold the nappy over the loo and let the liner drop in, then instead of binning the nappy, bag it up to go home with the child.
see 'what to do with the poo' video
Cheap
Cost comparisons between cloth and disposable nappies, including the cost of washing, work out a potential saving of about €1000 from birth to potty when buying cloth.
Like anything, it pays to shop around. There is an initial outlay involved but that’s the case with baby stuff in general and there are cloth nappies to suit every budget. There is also a thriving second hand market and if you’re handy with a sewing machine there are patterns for making your own nappies available online.
So where can you buy these nappies?
Cloth nappies, unfortunately are not mainstream, yet. They can be found in many shops specialising in eco products. Some of the bigger chemists and maternity stores are beginning to stock their own ranges but the largest choice is online.