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Welcome to this FAQ (Frequently asked questions), providing information on cloth nappies from modern cloth nappies to traditional flats. This information has been distilled from decades of experience by parents like you, and is constantly being revised and updated. We hope it answers all of your questions about reusable nappies - if not, drop us a line! For ease of use the FAQ has been broken into three sections:
There are a number of different types of modern nappies. Think outside the square! These shaped nappies have elastic in the legs and waist, usually with a closure such as snaps or hook & loop (trademark names include Velcro, Aplix and Touchtape). They can be divided into those that need a cover and ones that don'.t
Fitted nappies: These shaped nappies require a cover. They are made of fabric which absorbs liquid, usually cotton (terry, flannelette, etc), hemp, or a blend. New on the nappy fabric scene is bamboo, which is environmentally friendly and extremely absorbent and soft. Some fitted nappies are "pocket fitteds", with a stuffable area for extra absorbency. Most fitted nappies have a built in closure, which may be snaps or hook-and-loop (Velcro(tm), Aplix(tm), Touchtape(tm)). A few modern fitted nappies are closed with a Snappi or with ties.
All in Ones (AIOs): Nappies that do not need a separate cover have some sort of waterproof layer as the outside or second to outside layer. This is usually PUL or premium quality polar fleece. All-in-one nappies fasten with snaps or hook-and-loop, and may have a booster flap or extra booster for easier washing and faster drying.
There are also Almost-in-one nappies, also called All-in-twos or AI2 nappies. These have an absorbent booster that the user snaps or otherwise attaches to an outer shell (PUL, wool, or fleece). While more fiddly, these can sometimes be faster drying than true AIOs.
Pocket nappies: Consisting of an outer fitted shell sewn to a liner along three sides, pocket nappies allow for customisation of the absorbency level by changing how much absorbent material is stuffed into the nappy. The water-resistant shell might be PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric), high quality fleece, a combination of fleece with a thin extra water-resistant layer such as taslon or rip-stop nylon. Pocket nappies can be stuffed with anything absorbent! Stuffers might be specially made stuff-ins, cotton or hemp flats or prefolds, washcloths, bathmats, microfibre cloths, or a combination of these things.
Covers: Nappy covers need to be made of a water-resistant or waterproof material. Waterproof plastic covers such as the PVC covers found in supermarkets (and the plastic layers in all single-use nappies) tend to be occlusive and may contribute to nappy rash and higher skin temperature. Most users of modern cloth are moving towards water resistant covers for this reason - breathable fabrics combine adequate containment with air movement, for greater comfort and healthier skin.
Modern nappy covers are usually made of fleece, PUL, or wool. Fleece needs to be of high quality or a double layer for maximal water resistance. PUL fabrics may be laminated cotton or laminated synthetic fabrics such as polyester. Cotton PUL comes in great prints, but may tend to wick moisture if the nappy underneath becomes saturated. Wool covers may be woven or knitted, and when properly lanolised, are low care, extremely effective, and 100% natural. There are several other synthetic fabrics sometimes used in nappy covers: for example, coated nylon and minky. Minky (minkee) is a polyester fabric with a shaggy, fur-link texture.
Nappy covers may fasten with snaps or hook-and-loop (also called "wraps), or be pull-on. In cooler weather, many people like to use fleece tracksuit pants or long lanolised knitted wool pants ("longies") directly over the nappy, rather than a nappy wrap plus pants.
Not all modern cloth and fitted nappies are the same! In many cases, you "get what you pay for" - cheap supermarket fitted nappies and AIOs (and a few expensive ones! Caveat emptor) are usually stuffed with synthetic polyester cushion wadding rather than cotton or hemp, and these absorb poorly and wick dramatically. Covers of cheap nappies are usually cheap PVC or similar, which lasts poorly and possible has risks of toxicity (outgassing). Of other nappies, some are sewn better, some WAHPs have better customer service than others, some will simply suit one baby's size, shape and wetting pattern better than others. Also, as in all industries, the "bad apples" may be few and far between, but they do exist. Read reviews on ozcloth and other forums to get a sense of what might work for your baby, and try out one or two of a particular nappy brand before committing to a system.
The commonest type of flat nappy sold in stores in Australia is the terry flat. In New Zealand, flannelette flats are more common; these are thinner and trimmer, but less absorbent, and a Snappi does not work on them. Soft, thin muslin squares are sometimes used on newborns.
Increasingly popular Down Under are prefold nappies. These are rectangular, comes in different sizes, and have a thicker central panel. They are usually made of a soft twill-weave cotton or hemp, though some may have flannelette, bamboo, or other fabrics. They are a little quicker to put on than a square flat, fast to dry, and a bit trimmer than a terry.
Unbleached Cotton Prefolds:
Flats will fit from a newborn through to a large toddler or small preschooler - the fit depends on the fold chosen rather than on different sizes of nappy.
CanningVale "Happies" Terry Flats: appr 56 cm squared (after shrinkage)
Flannelette Flats (blue stripe): appr 65 cm squared (after shrinkage)
Muslin Flats: These vary in size; they are typically 70-90 cm squared. Muslin flats are very light, and typically only suitable for a newborn (sometimes doubled or tripled for more absorbency).
There are many different possible folds for flat nappies, depending on your baby's size, wetting pattern, and your preference. The Ozclothnappies Links page has links to sites with directions and pictures of the different folds.
The basic numbers work this way:-
Newborns will most likely need changing between 10 - 12 times a day, older babies and toddlers 6 - 8 times a day. Then depending on how often you want to do your washing you need to multiply by that many days to work out how many nappies you need. I would tend to also add an extra or so to cover for wet wash days, burp rags, change mats etc
This would mean if you are looking at for a newborn you need at least 24 nappies to go for two days. For an older baby or toddler 24 nappies could do you 3 or 4 days.
As for covers - it depends on what sort of cover you want. Mostly I would suggest at least 4 for each day, so if washing ever other day 8 covers, if every 3 days 12 covers. Wool is a bit more forgiving in this case but can take longer to dry if needing a wash.
How much would you like to spend?
You can spend seven hundred dollars or more on a premium stash of one-size organic modern cloth nappies or hand-embroidered nappy art. (This is, of course, still far cheaper than buying single-use nappies for even just one child.) But if you'd like to create a more frugal stash, you can - very easily.
The basics of a frugal nappy stash are usually a pile of flats or prefolds, either bought new or passed down from friends and family members (or ask on your local Freecycle group!) For inexpensive covers, sew your own polar fleece or PUL wraps - or even run up some pocket nappies. Grab yourself some old woollen jumpers from the cupboard or an op shop to sew your own bum jumpers or recycled longies. Fitted nappies can also be sewn from free patterns, using recycled fabrics - old towels, T-shirts, anything made of absorbent material. There's nothing more frugal or more eco-friendly than giving your old clothes a new lease of life as born-again nappies.
Most people using reusable nappies also use cloth wipes. The advantages are - avoiding the chemicals and rashes associated with commercial wipes; cheaper; more effective in cleaning baby's bum; no need to separate the nappy from the wipe for washing/disposal. You can just buy terry baby flannels/washcloths, if you choose. Some WAHM's make wipes from flanellette, terry towelling, fleece, hemp or a combination of these fabrics. Other mothers make their wipes, overlocking scraps of terry or other fabrics. One popular type of wipe has a terry layer on one side for "grabbability", then a soft flannelette or fleece layer on the other for gentle wiping. These can be washed with your nappies.
On wipe solution - plain water works just fine! The simplest methods is to keep a spray or sports bottle of water next to your pile of dry wipes, or wet one or two under the tap on the way to the change table. If you keep the wipes wet, you need to change them very regularly to prevent fungal and bacterial growth. Some people choose to add oils (most prefer natural vegetable based oils over mineral), dashes of baby soap, essential oils (be VERY careful that you consult with a professional on safe EOs and dilutions for babies, and store them safely), chamomile tea, and other substances. All of these can be irritating or allergenic, so if you're having rash issues, suspect and eliminate additives first. For older babies especially, keep solutions well out of reach.
When you're ordering nappies, you'll need to check the sizing against the size charts for that particular nappy. In general you'll need at least a waist and rise measurement; sometime a leg circumference measurement; and, for longies, a leg length measurement as well. This page explains how to measure waist, hips, rise, inseam and thigh for a soaker or longies. This page explains how to take waist, rise, and leg measurements for a nappy cover. Don't pull the measuring tape too tight - let it lie the way you'd like the item to fit.
When measuring rise, it should be done naked for a fitted nappy, and over a nappy for a nappy cover. You may need to add a little to the rise if you're planning to boost the nappy for night-times - check with the nappy maker if you think this might be the case.
There are maintained lists of nappy stockist links here:
The Nappy Network (New Zealand)
Though they remain few and far between, there are a few stores that are starting to stock modern cloth nappies! In many areas, you can also have a good look at modern cloth before buying, through demonstrators, party plans, and markets. There are also a group of Oz Cloth Nappies volunteers who are willing to show off their personal stash and/or their State Real Nappy Week advocacy kit, and chat about cloth. Most cities and regional areas also have casual get-togethers where you can have a good look at cloth nappies and ask all your questions in a no-sales environment.
Recycling nappies saves you heaps of money and is great for the environment. As the major environmental impact of cloth nappy use is in the fibre growth and textile manufacturer, increasing the number of uses from 100 to 200 or 300 (or more) decreases your footprint dramatically.
There are plenty of places where you can re-sell your nappies. Participating members in the Oz Cloth Nappies discussion group are more than welcome to list their nappies for sale or swap in our weekly Ad digest. Most other parenting and nappy forums also have a Trading section for established members. Join in the cloth nappy community, make friends, and keep your nappies circulating.
Thanks to Ruth for this information.
Synthetic fleece is hydrophobic (water hating) so it never "wants" to be near water. If you leave the corner of a terry, flannelette or hemp nappy soaking in the trough, and leave the rest of the nappy dry, hanging over the edge of the trough, and then come back a few hours later, you will probably find that the whole nappy is wet! This is because the water has been wicked up the fabric, like a lamp wick drawing up fuel. Polyester fleece doesn't do this.
Many people talk about synthetic fleece "wicking the urine away from the baby's bottom" but in fact it is forced through the synthetic fleece when the baby wees right up against it, and it is the absorbent material in the core of the nappy (cotton, hemp etc) that does the wicking, keeping the moisture away from the baby's skin. It just so happens that if the inner core of a nappy that is surrounded by synthetic fleece, is absolutely saturated, the water has to go somewhere, and because fleece has tunnels through it (hence the breathablility) some water is able to be forced through the hydrophobic synthetic fleece and into the cotton clothes that baby is wearing. This is why their clothes can feel dampish if they have been sitting in a carseat as well, because some of the water has been forced out where the belt or bottom of the car seat is pressing onto the nappy firmly for a long time (compression wicking).
Fleece covered nappies work really well - so long as you either change often enough or put more stuffing inside your pocket, and so long as you have the correct grade of fleece. A fleece cover, or fleece pocket nappy can easily last all night with your baby's clothes staying dry, so long as you boost well and have enough material in the nappy to absorb anything your baby can produce in the ten or so hours that they are in the nappy overnight. Many people personally prefer synthetic fleece (or wool!) covers or pocket nappies over waterproof fabrics (especially at night time), because if the nappy does occasionally get sopping wet, at least the baby's skin stays dry as opposed to being steamy and saturated behind a waterproof barrier.
If your fleece cover starts to wick or leak after a while - the commonest problem is detergent buildup. Follow the instructions under "How do I strip fleece?" to fix this. One other possibility is that the baby has grown (or you're putting more boosting in the nappy) and the fleece is overstretched and therefore wicking. Unstretched fleece works best.
courtesy of Lesley Fletcher, thankyou
Malden Mills is the manufacturer of quality fleece, that is the most technically advanced in the world. The link for information on their different types of fleece, of which they have quite a few, can be found here. Even within the categories, there are lots of variations.
What is the difference between 100, 200 and 300 series? - The higher the number the heavier and warmer the fabric is. In ounces the difference is:-
Microfleece and 100wt fleece is used inside nappies because it wicks moisture away from baby's skin to keep it dry - used for liners mainly, but maybe used to line a complete nappy - ie in the case of pockets
200wt works well as a cover, and for DAYTIME AIO's, the key to using 200wt in nappies is the absorbency of the nappy must be adequate or it WILL compression wick - you could use them around the house or yard, but wouldn't work very well when bub's is sitting/lying for long periods, ie car seat, pram etc. It makes great winter pyjamas.
300wt Windpro/WindBloc are different types of heavy weight fleece. DWR is NOT necessary for these fleeces to work as a cover or an AIO outer. It is the density of the fleece that makes these fabrics water RESISTANT. Fleece is NOT waterproof. It is breathable and the synthetic equivalent of wool. The reason there is more wicking issues with fleece than wool is that wool can absorb moisture, while fleece will not. Again if you have sufficient absorbency in your nappy, wicking won't be an issue.
If you are using the 300wt Windpro/Windbloc and you are still having leaking/wicking issues, the following maybe of help:-
If you are using fleece with DWR - the DWR may wear away after time in your nappy if you do not always following the manufacturers directions for cleaning (IE do not wash on hot or use fabric softener/vinegar) AND a nappy gets washed much more often than outerwear. If you think about it, a jacket or jumper may get washed once a month (most likely less, maybe more) and a nappy in that same time period in an average rotation would be washed 12 times. Fleece with DWR, in my opinion, is just extra protection.
If detergent or nappy paste residue builds up on a fleece liner or pocket nappy inner, the fleece may repel liquid, causing leaking. You can tell if this is happening by running water onto the fleece and seeing whether it penetrates or beads on the surface. If your fleece is repelling, it needs to be strip washed. Do a very hot wash in dishwashing liquid (like Dawn) and rinse until no more subs appear. If this does not work, you may need to scrub the fleece surface under detergent and hot water. Re-evaluate your washing routine - are you using natural soap, fabric softener, or too much detergent?
With thanks to Alexia Broome.
Wool covers are fantastic over a double
terry for night-use (fold one terry kite fold and pad fold another into the
centre) or over a very well boosted hemp fitted. Both solutions are great on
toddlers, as I've found pockets to leak on occasion with older babies as
they're apt to sleep in weird and wonderful positions which means gaps can
form around waist in particular (especially when they sleep in that bottom
in the air, face down pose *lol*).
Wool works best by being super-absorbent (weird huh?), so you put on a very well boosted nappy overnight & any dampness that makes it through to the outer layers of your nappy is absorbed and evaporated by the loose knit of the wool. Sounds a bit gross, but by lanolising your covers you can not only improve their water resistance (the stop/block effect), but it means that any urine absorbed by the wool is neutralised. On rare occasion were they have peed a waterfall overnight, you may have a feeling of slight 'rising damp' to the wool cover & very, very rarely to their pants/sheet if they've pushed against it. But have a sniff (preferably when no-ones watching, they'll think you're nuts!) of the clothes and you'll find any light moisture that has come through smells completely neutral. If perchance it does smell a little urine-y (or if the wool cover smells urine-y after you've hung it to dry for a bit) then that's a sure sign that it's past it's best-by-date and needs a *good wash* and re-lanolising to be back in tip-top shape.
The *huge* benefit of wool is that it catches and evaporates most anything you throw at it overnight, and then you just hang it out to air during the day and can use it again the next night. They also *stretch* quite large so will cover the aforementioned double nappy with ease and you won't have bits poking out that could cause leaks.
[re: an extra strip of knitted wool in the wettest area of the soaker]
I shouldn't think that you'd need a 'doubled' area with your knitting, but
if it puts your mind a little more at ease - go for it! It will certainly
make it even more leak-proof! *lol*
I'd also point out that night-nappies are traditionally huge *lol* - as they'll be worn for such a long time they need that absorbency - but as long as you take them of first thing when they wake, they'll very quickly find it quite comfortable to sleep in. You may have to consider PJ pants in a size larger, but personally I'd recommend a pair of 100% polyester fleece track pants as an *excellent* alternative to PJ's as you won't get any 'wicking' effect which can sometimes happen with cotton PJ's if you can well imagine.
Plus, cut a microfleece liner to almost the size of the entire inside of your nappy your little-y will not only not leak - but she'll feel at least as dry as a disposable nappy. all night too. This is because wicking means the wee will probably be dispersed *all* through your nappy by morning, so they can feel damp around the thighs/tummy if you only use a strip of liner & that can upset them. So full liner means no crying! Nappies shouldn't make us sad! :)
Lots of people swear by wool covers - they are breathable, absorbent, cool in summer and warm in winter, and great for night-time use. Some people think wool is difficult to deal with, but it's easier than it looks. Once lanolised, the lanolin in the wool fibres increases water resistance, and also combines with a substance in urine to form a type of natural soap - reducing smell and meaning that air drying between uses and a quick rinse every few days or so (with heavy use) keeps them fresh.
They do need to be lanolinised every once in a while (normally when they stop repelling water or start to retain smell. This is usually every 4 - 8 weeks depending on usage). Otherwise they just need a wool wash when they start to get smelly or are dirty.
To lanolise a wool cover with plain anhydrous lanolin (eg Lansinoh):
If you're using a liquid lanolin or spray lanolin product, follow the manufacturer's directions. There is information on using liquid and spray lanolin here. There is also a dry lanolising method described here, at the bottom of the page - just rub solid pure lanolin all over your hands and work it into the inside of your nappy cover!
Lansinoh(tm) can be found in chemists, in the breastfeeding section, and is 100% pure lanolin. Another good alternative is Purelan (check the label to make sure it's the newer version without the preservative BHT). Some cheaper "100% lanolin" labelled brands may contain pesticide residues or allergenic wool alcohols. Most so-called "wool allergy" is allergy to wool alcohol residues, not to the wool fibres themselves. Cheap lanolin may also make your wool covers stink of a horrible wet-dog-like sheepy stink.
Alternative lanolising products: Some people prefer liquid lanolin, found online (search our Links!), or a lanolin spray wool care product. Be aware that many sprays contain synthetic fragrance oils, if you are avoiding these. There are also dissolvable Wool Buddies tablets or lanolin-heavy wool soaps available.
Try the hair conditioner trick! Thoroughly mix a good amount (maybe a half cup) of cheap hair conditioner into a basin of cool water. Immerse the shrunken wool soaker and soak it well, squeezing and massaging the mix into the fibres. Gently, carefully, stretch to re-shape the cover. Re-lanolise, dry flat in shade, and you're done.
Other untried methods include those using vinegar, borax, or Epsom salts solutions. If you've decided to be a pioneer and try one of these, do report back!
Just wash 'em. Really.
One common recommendation is to simply drypail and do an ordinary wash in warm water with half or less of the recommended amount of detergent. Reducing your detergent quantities enhances rinsing and reduces residue (which can cause compromised nappy absorbency and increase rash), and is better for the environment. Larger amounts of detergent may be useful for clothes heavily soiled with fats and oils. Nappy contents are not greasy, so only just enough detergent to break the water surface tension for adequate penetration of water through the fibres is needed. Many people prefer a fragrance-free, enzyme free detergent to reduce the risk of skin reactions.
Detergents
Popular brands among ozcloth group members include Amolin, Purity, Earth's Choice, Aware/Planet Ark, Eco Store, Tri Nature, and Omo Sensitive.
For one ethical assessment of companies marketing laundry products, check out this page at ethical.org.au after referring to their particular criteria here (please note that they do not evaluate performance, value for money or suitability for nappies.)
Pre-rinsing
Soiled nappies should have the poo removed, by dumping into the toilet and/or rinsing off with water (many use a Little Squirt nappy sprayer). With a full load of nappies, particularly in a very water-efficient machine, it may be useful to do a cold pre-rinse cycle of all the nappies before the full wash cycle.
If you're planning to drypail your nappies for more than a couple or three days, it is wise to briefly rinse the nappies before putting them in the bucket. Leaving strong urine (particularly overnight toddler urine) on the nappies for days on end may sometimes affect the nappy fabric.
Wash temperature, "nappy soaking" chemicals, soap, and fabric softener
Antibacterial products
Some people will choose to occasionally use a commercial antibacterial product on their nappies. These are not necessary, because detergent, heat and sunlight are all effectively antibacterial and antifungal, alone or in combination. The routine unnecessary domestic use of antibacterial chemicals is in many ways actively harmful, contributing to the environmental disaster of antibacterial product buildup in our waterways and the proliferation of resistant bacteria ("superbugs"). Resistant bacteria attack the most vulnerable people in our society, the ill, newborn, and hospitalised, and community use of antibacterial products contributes to the problem.
Sunlight
Many areas in Australia have an abundance of sunlight for drying nappies. Even if there is cloud cover, ultraviolet light is poorly filtered by cloud (that's why we still get skin damage), and will bleach and sanitise your nappies, albeit more slowly. We're looking for more published research data on sunlight and bacteria, so if you have a contribution, please send it in.
It's well known that ultraviolet light kills bacteria. It was noted as early as 1969 that sunlight exposure killed staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria on agar growth plates. Ultraviolet irradiation is used as a sterilisation method for some medical instruments, and sunlight photo-oxidation (sometimes with additional chemicals) is used as a wastewater treatment strategy. Some examples of research into the wonders of sunlight/UV in bacteria-killing include:
We've just spotted this study, "Effect of sun-drying and chemical disinfection on contaminated cleaning cloth", which speaks directly to the use of sunlight as an abtibacterial agent on fabrics. The authors used a towel to wipe college eating tables for three days, loading them with bacteria including E. coli (a common fecal bacterium), Staph. areus (golden staph), Proteus, Bacillus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas. Some of these bacteria have a tendency to be resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants, thanks to overuse of these substances.
They then washed the towels in detergent and sun-dried them. Tests of the towels after sun drying showed that the bacterial numbers and types were reduced to acceptable levels. They then compared this to disinfectant use - and disinfectant came off second best.
Essential oils
Other people ask about using tea tree oil or similar essential oils in their wash. If you choose to try this, it is important to bear in mind these precautions:
Immunisation
Some people believe that special washing routines are required after live virus vaccines such as MMR. (Routine polio immunisation in Australia ceased to be a live virus vaccine as of November 2005.) In actual fact, no special treatment is needed for healthy households. Always wash your hands after changing any nappy, as a general routine. If there is a seriously immunocompromised person in your immediate household (cancer treatment, AIDS, post-transplant, etc), please discuss this with your doctor before immunisation. Similarly, during gastroenteritis illnesses in an otherwise healthy household, the detergent, heat and sunlight of a normal laundry routine will sanitise the nappies adequately; no special treatment is required.
Residue and Strip Washing
A caution if you use your normal detergent is to watch for residue build up which can cause nappies to smell or repel liquid, or cause an irritant nappy rash. To fix this you can just rinse until the nappies do not produce suds - keep on checking the washing machine outlet. If you're in an area with severe water restrictions and are using flats or prefolds, you might consider boiling the nappies instead. I've even heard of people who have put them in their dishwasher, but watch that you don't use dishwasher detergent, you rinse well, and that they can't fall onto the outlet filter or element.
Strip Wash: If you get a particularly bad buildup of wash product residue, you can "strip" your nappies with very very hot water and a little bit of plain (non-moisturising) dishwashing liquid. Don't use dishwashing liquid in a front loader, and check care instructions before using extremely hot water on modern cloth nappies. Watch for over-foaming, and rinse nappies very thoroughly afterwards until absolutely no suds remain.
Another way to strip wash is to add bicarbonate of soda to the wash, and vinegar to the rinse. Warning: Some nappies cannot be washed using these products, so please check with your nappy manufacturers carefully before trying this.
Some people rotate through two or three different kinds of washing detergent to keep residue issues down. In general, using well under the recommended amount of detergent helps stop residue from bulding up in the first place!
Another possible cause of buildup on a nappy is the use of thick barrier creams. These are generally unnecessary if the nappy is changed often enough. If you do experience this problem, you may need to scrub the nappy inner with a nailbrush and a little washing-up liquid before continuing with the strip wash procedure above.
It can also be a case of working out what is right for your baby. If your routine is working, stick with it!
You will discover that most people these days use dry pailing. This simply means placing used nappies (once solid matter is removed into the toilet) into a nappy bucket until wash time. Nappy soaking bleaches are not necessary with modern nappies and modern washing machines, and drypailing also reduces the drowning risk associated with soaking buckets. It's also much easier and quicker!
Many find that a drypail either well sealed or open to the air has minimal smell. If your drypail does have a smell, there are several ways of dealing with it. One easy and inexpensive way is to tape a piece of absorbent material to the inside of the lid - a coffee filter, square of fabric, or similar - and put a couple of drops of the essential oil of your choice onto this. This reduces smells while avoiding the essential oil contacting your nappies. There are commercial fragrance-impregnated products you can buy if you prefer not to DIY. Some people sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into their drypail. Please check with your nappy manufacturer before using this.
The process for removing solid matter into the toilet varies depending on the age and diet of the baby. For a younger breastfed baby, you can generally just drypail the nappies without bothering - the yoghurty texture will rinse out just fine and clear in a modern machine. For older babies, many prefer a liner - either flushable (not all disposable liners are flushable!) or microfleece or microsuede. These liners will help the poo "roll off" into the toilet. For the awkward in-between stage, some dunk, some scrape (with toilet paper or a dedicated plastic implement), some use a squirt-hose toilet attachment called a "Little Squirt".
Occasionally, nappies suddenly start developing mysterious discolourations from urine. Urine discolours the nappies a black or grey colour. The common factor seemed at first to be teething. Substantial anecdotal evidence is mounting that it's not teething itself that causes the stains, but Panadol (paracetamol) syrup medication. It is not clear at this time whether the causative substance is colouring, a sweetener, or something else: sorbitol is suspected by some.
Possible options include using alternatives (suppositories, chewable tabs, alternative painkillers) or looking for sorbitol- and colour-free brands, in consultation with your healthcare provider. If this type of staining occurs for you, consider rinsing nappies immediately after changing and before dry-pailing. If you choose to soak at these times, do avoid chemical nappy soaking chemicals - a little plain detergent or just water alone is fine. The stains will eventually wear out with repeated washing and sunning, and do not damage the fibres of the nappy.
Other causes of urine staining to consider include beets, blackberries, rhubarb, vitamins, certain medications, urinary tract infections, and (very rarely) more severe medical conditions. Newborns may show orange-red urate crystals in their nappy if they are dehydrated. If your baby is very young or you have medical concerns, please see your healthcare practitioner.
If you've tried the instructions in the laundry section to get rid of residue, but you can still smell a little smell after laundering, try this procedure. Bear in mind that hemp does have its own natural scent; you only need to fiddle with your nappies if they show a mildewy or ammonia smell.
(This information is courtesy of Davina at Baby Beehinds.)
Because Hemp is very absorbent, it sucks all it can right down into the core of the fibre. So, while it is fantastic for absorbency, Hemp can sometimes become smelly. To get rid of smells, you need to do a hot wash with NO detergent, but half a cup of bicarb soda; and then a quarter of a cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle. Then you need to keep rinsing until the water is no longer sudsy. Generally, I dont recommend using vinegar as part of your normal wash routine, but it can be helpful during this smell-ridding process, depending on the alkilinity of the water in your area. Some makers of nappies and nappy covers recommend not using bicarbonate of soda or vinegar on their products; therefore don't use these chemicals in a mixed load or in routine laundering unless you have double checked with each manufacturer.
You should line dry in the sun - driers seem to make nappies hang onto smells - and not just hemp nappies. (Using driers is definitely okay, however it is best to frequently line dry or at least alternate between the clothes line and the drier). If by following this wash routine you still find you have smelly nappies, you might need to use MORE detergent than you were originally using because the brand you are using may not be as strong as other brands available.
What is it?
Available to help you care for your reusable nappies are nappy sprayers. The most well known of these is the Little Squirt. A Little Squirt is a high pressure hose and trigger that attaches to your toilet so that you can spray the nappy mess straight in to the toilet.
Where can I buy one?
They are available from many cloth nappy sites (e.g. Cleverpants, Nature's Child), general baby needs sites (Mothers Direct), online auction sites, from Bunnings, and from plumbing stores like Reece.
Some people have had trouble actually finding them at hardware stores. Look near the toilet supplies, not just in the baby supplies. If your local store is out of stock you can ask for one to be ordered in for you.
Another option is to buy from a co op group in the US. There are often groups running co ops of squirts other than the Little Squirt. The Little Squirt is Australian designed and produced and does not seem to have a large market share in the US. This may explain why I have not come across a US co op for Little Squirts, only other brands.
How do I install a Little Squirt?
Installing your Little Squirt yourself isn't difficult once you figure it out!
You may also like to attach the trigger hook to the wall. You can install a Little Squirt in a rental home. When it comes time to remove the Little Squirt just do a similar thing and replace the pipe you removed to install the Squirt. Make sure you have some plumbers tape on hand in case it is needed.
The Little Squirt is designed to fit most toilets, but in rare cases you may need to look at getting a hose of a different length. I do remember hearing of someone who contacted the company who makes the Little Squirt and this was sent out free of charge.
How do I use a Little Squirt?
Using your Little Squirt can take a little bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it you are sure to love it!
Many people find that when they first use their Little Squirt the water splashes all over them and the walls, sometimes spraying poo with it!
The first thing to test out is the water pressure. To do this, turn the silver knob near the black handle on the trigger of the Little Squirt. This silver knob is also the 'child lock' on the Little Squirt. If your child isn't interested in trying to play with the Little Squirt it can be handy to not use this and to just keep the knob in the same 'on' position all the time. Then you know what pressure you can expect the water to be, rather than having to adjust it every time you use the Squirt.
If you use a combination or liners, boosters, fitteds and covers in your nappy separate them before you start squirting. You may not need to Squirt all layers. Also separate the inner from a pocket nappy. This will make it easier when it comes time to squeeze out the excess water and wash the nappy.
Lay the nappy (or liner, etc) against the side of the bowl, down in the toilet. Gently start squeezing the trigger, aiming the flow of the water on to the nappy but down in to the toilet. If you are getting splash back try using less pressure, angle the sprayer at a slightly different angle, or get in closer to the nappy with the trigger.
Move the nappy about and keep spraying until all the poo is off the nappy. You may need to stretch out the fabric around the legs and back of some nappies to get poo out of the elasticised folds. It is up to you how particular you are about this. Then squeeze the excess water out of the nappy and put in the nappy bucket to dry pail. Squeezing out this excess water will help keep your bucket from getting quite so smelly!
Some other uses for the Little Squirt are:
Couldn't I just make my own?
Some people have made their own version of the Little Squirt. It is important to get advice on the correct hose to buy. You will need one that is well reinforced to cope with the water pressure coming through the hose.
The Little Squirt also has a water limiting disk in it that slows the flow of the water coming out of the trigger. Something to consider.
(Thanks to Caroline for this costing)
I worked out that during 2005 it cost me just under $50 to wash my
son's nappies. The following calculations are based on washing 2-3
times per week and using a 5.5kg top-loading machine, cold wash, no
soaking, no pre-rinsing, line drying.
Usage - cloth nappies full time for 12 months - baby age 3-15 months. I changed 3575 nappies over the 12 months, and did 120 loads of nappies.
Grand Total $48.59...
... and that's for a YEAR. So based on this scenario, the cost of washing cloth nappies is 93 cents per week. Choice magazine, how are you managing to calculate that cloth users spend EIGHT TIMES this amount on nappy laundry? Gold-plated detergent? A maid, perhaps?
Chemicals and residue on new fabrics coats the fibres and reduces absorbency. All new nappies require 3-6 hot washes before they will approach full absorbency (shorter for cotton, longer for hemp - ask your manufacturer/WAHP).
If you've sewn some nappies from a type of flannelette that tends to pill, you can strip off the pilling easily this way. Apply a wide strip of adhesive hook (from hook & loop - Velcro(tm) brand works fine) to the back of an old hairbrush. Brush the pilling flannelette with this hook - it will pick it up from the fabric.
To clean the hook piece, you can use the teeth of a fine comb, or the hooks of a Snappi. This works great on the accumulated lint in the hook parts of a hook & loop nappy or cover, too!
Definitely! Some fitteds and AIOs are styled to reduce drying time, but in general a flat nappy, or a pocket nappy with foldable insert will dry fastest.
If you use a liner of any kind (including a pocket nappy), the stiffer layer isn't next to the baby's skin. Hanging up flat nappies partly folded and/or in part shade helps by slowing drying, as does giving them a quick shake and scrunch as you take them off the line. Some people prefer to soften the nappies for five minutes in a dryer after taking them off the line.
Hanging a garment to dry will lengthen its lifespan. Anyone who has emptied the lint filter of a dryer can see that fibres come out of the garments during drying, gradually thinning the fabric. Routine tumble drying is also somewhat expensive and not particularly environmentally friendly, particularly using an electric dryer - however analyses have shown that even tumble drying your nappies every time wouldn't so much as approach the environmental damage and expense caused by single-use nappies.
The heat of tumble drying also speeds the deterioration of elastic, which will eventually make the elastic ineffective, so care and low settings are generally recommended for fitted, pocket and AIO nappies. Check with your manufacturer. You'll also miss out on the amazing, free benefits of sunlight - free stain removal and sanitisation.
That said, all hemp and cotton (flats and prefolds) can go in the dryer. Polar fleece and microfleece dry VERY quickly so they do not need to be in the dryer for very long at all. Fleece covers hung up will probably dry in the same amount of time it takes for your nappies to dry in the dryer. Wool covers will shrink and felt when placed in the dryer. PUL can go through a machine dryer - in fact the occasional run through a dryer can restore a PUL cover that is losing its waterproofing qualities!
They work well on anything which the hooks can grab. Terry towelling
and cotton prefolds are the nappies most commonly used with snappis.
They also work on modern fitted nappies made out of terry (eg totsbots),
fitted/prefold/flat nappies made out of hemp terry or hemp stretch
terry. They do not work with flannel(ette).
It looks like some of the colours are made from slightly different plastics, which affects how stretchy they are and how well they grab on. In the old range, the mint green and white snappis work best. The bright red and bright blue cause people dramas. The new range apparently seem to be all as good as each other - feedback on this will come in time!
(With thanks to Caroline)
Snappis are wonderful but a lot of people find they don't seem to work really well to start with. The key to good snappi use is pre-stretching. There are instructions on the packet but as we all know, not all of us read the packet ;) When a snappi is stretched properly you WILL feel a big difference when compared to an unstretched new one (like the different between cardboard and paper, or a well-used hair elastic compared to a new one). It's got to be a good 10-15 minutes of stretching and releasing (handy if you are sitting in front of the television). Start with small stretches, arount 1-2cm, pull out the arm, hold for half a second then release. If you do this maybe 15-20 times, then make the stretch bigger, say 2-3cm, and keep going. You need to stretch each of the two arms until they can EASILY stretch to twice the unstretched width. Don't forget to stretch the short bottom arm too, though this one is the trickiest. It's easiest to stretch each arm separately, holding the middle of the snappi with one hand and stretching with the other
There are two types of Snappis out there. Around late 2005 a new design was released. The difference is that the old ones had a hole in the tabs at the end of each arm, they look like a ring-pull. The new ones are oval tabs rather than round, and there is no hole, so they are a solid tab. When you are used to using the old ones, the new ones can be a struggle to get used to (because you are grabbing a tab rather than a ring), but they seem to work just as well.
Putting on a snappi: If in doubt practice first on a nappy with no baby in it :) Basically you need to hook one of the long arms on to the nappy (for a righthanded person doing the left arm first is easiest), then pull the snappi along and hook the right arm on the nappy. Then pull the little arm down and hook in on to the nappy. The snappi when on should be around 1.5 times it's unstretched length (end to end). If the bottom arm is coming undone all the time, sit down and pre-stretch it again. If it's not pre-stretched properly it will pop off.
But where do all the snappis go? This is a mystery! They like to hide in nappy bags, clothes baskets, toyboxes, etc.... Ask any snappi-using household and chances are they don't know where all of their snappis are :)
Yes! Some childcare centres embrace cloth nappies enthusiastically, even to the point of providing a flat nappy service included in the fee. With many centres, however, you may receive a lukewarm response, or resistance. These responses tend to be rooted in outdated ideas about cloth nappies.
The Australian Nappy Network has prepared a fact sheet and resources if you need to educate your childcare centre about cloth nappies.
Most important, please remember: childcare centres are bound by their accreditation requirements to have the facilities to deal with cloth nappies, and to respect your parental decisions. Cloth nappies are not banned in childcare centres, nor are they unhygienic; and many Ozclothnappies members are using them successfully.
Yes, though many cloth users find that they get fewer or no rashes in modern cloth compared to single-use nappies. Some nappy creams containing oils (such as zinc and castor oil cream) may stick to the nappy and make it repel liquid. You can either wash these according to the instructions under "How do I strip fleece?" or use a liner between the baby's bottom and the nappy.
Please note: none of the following is medical advice. Please consult your health care provider. While you're consulting, do also feel free to educate your HCP on modern cloth nappies...
No - it is only too late if your children are toilet trained (or you are successfully using elimination communication). And of course the larger sized nappies you buy or sew can always be used for later children, sold on auction sites such as Buyena, or donated.
Yes it is possible - and not all that hard. It may take a bit more planning at first but then it is very easy. If you are only going out to the local shops, playgroup, church or friends for the day then you just pack however many nappies you would normally use plus one or two extra in your baby bag. You will also need something to bring the wet/dirty nappies home in - any waterproof bag is fine, people use anything from plastic shopping bags through to bummis and similar brand tote bags. It is also possible to make them yourself with any cover material.
For a longer trip you may need to work out a washing/drying method as well as storage. We have people who have travelled overseas and camped using cloth all along. In very low water desert areas this might become difficult - there are compostable bleach and perfume free single-use nappies available for times like these.
Kidsafe WA (2006) say:
"The advice regarding cloth nappies and infants in rear facing car seats applies primarily to double nappies and ones with double / triple thickness folds.
"Traditionally, these are exceptionally thick and alter the line of the infant's spine in relation to the support offered by the infant car seat, potentially posing a risk for spinal injury.
"There has never, to my knowledge, been blanket advice to not use cloth nappies at all when using a rear facing child car restraints. The advice should be to not use double nappies or nappies with very thick folds."
(This information courtesy of Alison Derrick - mum2henry - wooly mumma of BumNRound)
There are a few things that you can do to help cloth to work at night
for a heavy wetter. You need to assess the nappy for absorbency, and the
cover for breathability.
Hemp and Bamboo are fantastic for big wetters, as are wool covers and soakers. But just packing more and more layers inside a nappy can impact on the nappies performance with leaks, as the legs can gape. It is also important to assess how much material you actually need in your nappy. I like to have enough absorbent material so that only the front half of the nappy is wet in the morning. I wouldn't like to be totally wet right around the nappy and I wouldn't like my baby to be either. If you nappy is totally wet (right around the back and all) you need to add more boosting to be able to make either of the following systems work well.
One solution is to have a night nappy system consisting of two nappies. The first nappy is a smaller, trimmer fitting nappy. I like to use an all hemp nappy with either a stay dry booster (fleece topped) or an entire layer of fleece on the inside of the nappy to keep the big wee-er's bottom dry all night. The second and outer nappy is a larger, looser-fitting nappy. This way you can boost as much as required in between the two nappies, without the issue of leaking out of the legs. The inner nappy keeps the wee in, and the second nappy and the boosting soaks the wee up and holds it all night long.
The second solution is a double wool cover system. Wool is fantastically breathable and itself can hold 30-40% of its own weight in moisture without running the risk of leakages. In this system, you use two wool soakers (or a wool soaker and a wool wrap on the outside). The inner soaker does not need to be lanolised, as it will be acting as both an absorbent layer and as a breathable layer. Put on a boosted nappy initially, and then the unlanolised soaker. You can then also add extra boosting in between the two wool layers. The outer wool layer will need to be lanolised. It still gives you the breathability of a wool soaker with the two layers, and bubs bottom isn't as drenched as if you had a fleece or PUL cover on.
I have found that both systems work wonderfully on my tummy sleeping heavy wetting boy. To date, I have not had a single set of wet Pjs or sheets while using these systems. I also use commercially available night nappies as day sleep nappies, as normal nappies are not enough for my boy. Alternatively, boosting out your day nappies and using a wool cover will help.
Wing droop can occur when a front-fastening nappy is too large for a child or poorly fitting in other ways (rise too small, baby with very chubby legs), and/or the nappy is put on hastily without correctly placing the wings. As you can see from the picture, sometimes if a nappy is done up on the smallest setting at the front on an active toddler, the side wings at the front can droop down through the leg holes. This is not a fault in the nappy, it is a fit issue.
Solutions to wing droop can include using a well-fitting nappy, taking care to tug the wings snugly into place when putting the nappy on, choosing a side fastening nappy, or adding an extra snap to the nappy in the correct spot.
Many thanks to Princess Ruby for the photo
A booster is an extra absorbent pad laid into a nappy. It can be folding or non-folding, made of cotton, hemp, even sometimes microfibre. (Do not use microfibre directly against the baby's skin; a liner layer of fleece or cotton is needed). Boosters are also called doublers.
A liner is a thin layer of non-absorbent but wicking fabric (microfleece, suedecloth, raw silk, or single-use) placed closest to the baby's skin. This keeps the baby dry, helps the poo come off more easily, and reduces rashes. Raw silk is particularly helpful to heal rashes or irritation.
A soaker can be another name for a booster, but the term is usually used for a knitted wool cover. Wool is quite absorbent and helps soak up and evaporate fluid rather than leaking when a nappy becomes saturated (eg overnight). When treated with pure lanolin, wool resists leaks and does not smell.
Microfibre is a synthetic fabric often found in cleaning cloths. It is made of a combination of polyester and polyamide, produced in such a way that it absorbs moisture readily. Microfibre is not the same as microfleece! Microfleece is 100% polyester and is very similar to polar fleece. Microfleece is not absorbent - it is used as a wicking layer (a nappy liner or the inner of a pocket nappy), or, if doubled or in combination with another water resistant layer, it can be used for nappy covers.
Microfibre cleaning cloths can be found in the cleaning or car care areas of shops. You need the shaggy terry-weave cloths - the flat or waffle-weave ones do not work! Brands that members have found useful are "Living Essentials" from Big W, Black and Gold, IGA, the pack at Woolworths with pink/blue/white cloths, or House & Home (found in a 3 pack, one white, one green, one yellow (32 x 32cm)). They typically cost just under two dollars per cloth.
Microfibre cloths are used as a booster inside other nappies. Many people choose not to use it directly next to baby's skin - the texture is highly unpleasant. So a liner can be used, or the microfibre cloth tucked inside the nappy. For example, when folding a flat nappy, put the cloth in while folding instead of laying it in at the end.
While absorbent, microfibre can be prone to compression wicking - it soaks up moisture rapidly, but like a sponge, when you squeeze the booster the liquid runs back out. Some people use microfibre as the "core" of a pocket nappy, with hemp or cotton next to the outer water resistant layer to reduce this issue. Some use microfibre as a hidden layer in fitted or all-in-one nappies, or even as a hidden central strip in prefolds.
No, the liner is built in as the other side of the pocket.
No. It is unsanitary, and in some areas, illegal. (For an example, see the City of Perth Health Act, section 41 (a) (xi), on page 34. If you've decided to use single-use liners, flushable liners are recommended. This keeps the waste where it belongs in the sewage stream where it will be safely treated.
Thanks go to Marnie Holmes for this section of the FAQ.
When your child begins toilet learning, he/she needs something that can quickly and easily be removed or pulled down for pottying. Some people find that regular nappies without a cover are suitable; some people switch straight to cotton undies and bear with any spills; most people find that cloth training pants are more convenient because:
Cloth training pants can be either waterproof or non-waterproof.
Cloth training pants can be snap-sided or with sewn sides.
Supermarkets stock poly/cotton towelling pants which are generally filled with some polyester wadding or thin foam sponge which is not absorbent, so they provide little benefit beyond containing a mess, much like a standard pair of undies.
Some department stores carry BrightBots training pants. They contain a waterproof layer of PVC with a foam soaker for some absorbency. They reduce leaks but do not completely eliminate them. Not bad for an inexpensive solution.
Some of the well-known brands of nappy makers produce training pants and you can find them at several online stores. There are also local WAHP (work-at-home-parents) makers and importers of training pants: look through the Ozclothnappies Links for details of those. These tend to be pricier, but of superior quality, with better leakproofing, quality fabrics, and better durability. Brands include OneWet Pants, Green Bums, Bummis, Happy Heinys, and Nix-Trainerz. There are also training pants available from time to time from WAHMs on Ozebaby.
People with more rapidly growing babies or older children sometimes have trouble finding XL and larger nappies. Some nappies available in larger sizes include Honeyboys, Happy Heinys, Very Baby, Pea pods, Fuzzibunz, Pookey Pockets, Bits for Bots, Keester Kovers, Bubblebubs, Baby Bloomers, Motherease bedwetter pants, Yoyo pocket trainers, and Naturally Mum hemp sleepers. All can be found in our Links section. In addition, many WAHPs who do custom nappy sewing will sew a larger size on request.
A great starter summary of the environmental issues can be found at the Melbourne Royal Women's Hospital website, and also at Nappy Times UK.
At the Royal Women's Hospital information page you will also see that disposable nappies have 2.3 times the water impact of cloth nappies. Recommending disposable nappies as a solution to Australia's water shortage is ignorant NIMBYism.
You may have read media soundbites about the Environment Agency life cycle analysis published in the UK. A poorly thought-out, statistically inadequate, and already obsolete study of the environmental impact of nappies was performed in the UK recently. Unfortunately the results were accepted uncritically by the mainstream press.
To read more about this study:
The Environment Agency report has been thoroughly criticised in many ways, yet a lot of the critiques miss one very key assumption creating a massive bias - that a family will own 47 nappies, yet only ever launder 12 at a time. With the study focusing on energy consumption, particularly by washing machines (and the study looking at machines much less energy efficient than current machines), small changes in this faulty assumption will be expected to have large effects on the outcome.
The authors made assumptions that many users were using throwaway liners (dumping faeces into the rubbish, an unsanitary act illegal in many areas), chemical nappy soaks, near-boiling water, very large amounts of detergent, fabric softeners, tumble drying, and even ironing. None of these are necessary.
The adverse health effects of single-use nappies were completely ignored. Especially when the baby is changed an average of only four times in 24 hours, as this study assumed.
Nor were any modern cloth nappies considered in the analysis. There has been a strong move in the past three years towards fabric crops far more sustainable than ordinary cotton - organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo are farmed in more earth-friendly ways including the minimisation of use of water, chemicals and pesticides. This LCA was asking yesterday's questions.
The only conclusion that can firmly be drawn from this study is that if you care for your cloth nappies in the most ignorant, wasteful, and damaging way imaginable, they are STILL no worse for the planet than changing just four single-use nappies a day.
As modern cloth nappy grows and matures Down Under, and forges links with environmental groups, in the next few years we hope to participate in an up-to-date Life Cycle Analysis of modern cloth nappies using lower-impact techniques.
For more data on the damaging effects of single-use nappies, and on how to take simple actions to minimise your environmental footprint, check out Zerowaste NZ and the Women's Environment Network.
On water usage: on average, washing cloth nappies for one baby is about equivalent to flushing the toilet four to six times a day. Are you wearing disposable nappies right now?
A close reading of life cycle analyses shows that at least half of the "water use" figures for cloth nappies are attributed to the production phase of conventionally grown cotton crops. This can be readily decreased by choosing more earth-friendly fabrics like hemp and bamboo. Another way to dramatically reduce this impact it to use nappies until they are worn out. Studies like the EA study assume that nappies are discarded after 50-150 uses; in practice, and with sensible laundry techniques, nappies should last for 200-800 uses, depending on type. Changing these basic assumptions can make a big difference to your impact.
There are other issues with the water figures in the EA study and those like it: assumption of a low-water-efficiency washing techniques (75 litres for only 12 nappies); unnecessary soaking practices; ignoring flush water necessary with single-nappy use (for flushing faeces before placing the nappy in domestic rubbish) are just a few.
Consider your entire household's use of water. The money you save using cloth nappies could go a long way toward installing a rainwater tank, a greywater system, a more water efficient washing machine and showerheads.
Lastly, consider the root cause of global climate change. Reusable nappies have a lower energy, fossil fuel and emissions impact compared to throwaway nappies. By teaching your children to reduce, reuse, and recycle - you're setting the stage for their environmental education. Here's hoping the next generation will make the Earth a better place.
See also these links on some of the politics of nappies:
Be very sceptical of biodegradability claims. Many disposable nappies are now claiming to be 70% or even 100% "biodegradable".
Firstly, biodegradation claims are made after testing in ideal composting conditions with access to air, conditions which do not occur in our landfills. A typical household compost heap cannot cope with the output of even one baby, and soiled nappies should not go into household compost at all.
Secondly, biodegradability claims can be spurious. For one example, as of August 2008, SeNevens is under ACCC investigation for alleging that their Safeties Nature Nappies are 100% biodegradable. THe ACCC alleges false, misleading and deceptive conduct in their marketing of these nappies, in breach of the Trade Practices Act.
Link: "ACCC institutes proceedings against SeNevens International ltd"
Lastly, landfill is not the most important environmental impact that nappies have. You need to look at the entire life cycle, the carbon costs, the packaging, the transportation costs, the energy consumed in manufacture, the pollution, the raw materials including non-renewable resources. Focussing on biodegradability is very convenient for nappy manufacturers who would like to greenwash their products, but it is not the whole story.
If you would like to distribute an introduction to cloth nappies to your local mother's group, playground, maternity hospital, or child health centre, the Modern Cloth Nappies Brochure is available in PDF form for download, printing, and distribution (in unchanged format). Please note that while you can provide your personal telephone number in the rear box for information on non-business nappy gatherings, no business details or advertising of any kind may be added to this brochure under any circumstances.
There are two main groups involved in cloth nappy advocacy work Down Under. Have a look at The Australian Nappy Network which runs Reusable Nappy Week and other events in Australia, and the New Zealand Nappy Network.
Ozclothnappies FAQ copyright Di Kidman and Lara Hopkins 2005-2007. Images remain the copyright of the original photographers.
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