Making the change to reusable cloth nappies benefits your baby, the earth, and your bank account, but it can be hard to figure out where to start. We’re here to make the transition easy for you with this complete guide to cloth nappies. Whether you’re trying reusables for the first time or you’re just after some extra tips, we outline everything you want to know. Learn more about cloth nappies below, from how many to purchase, washing storage, and more—then when they’re a bit older, you’ll feel confident moving on to our cloth training pants!
What Are Cloth Nappies
Cloth nappies are a reusable alternative to traditional, disposable nappies; they save money, reduce waste, and are super comfy for your baby. Over the decades, the design has been developed from finicky pins and cloth sheets into an easy-to-use option for parents. Cloth nappies are easier to use, resembling disposable nappies more than ever, making them become a popular choice among Kiwi parents in recent years.
Using disposable nappies for your child will result in between 5000-6000 nappies in the landfill. Over the nappy-wearing stage in your little one’s life, disposables can equate to well over $3000—only to be thrown away after just hours of wear. Cloth nappies rarely ever add up to more than $1000 in the long run, easing the financial stress for families. Put your money into the places that count—and help the Earth heal at the same time!
Brolly Sheets’ range of
Snazzipants cloth nappies are soft and colourful – your baby will love absolutely love them! The range features a handy snap and Velcro system for a fully adjustable one-size-fits-most nappy. The
All-in-One Snazzipants Nappy is the ultimate unit—easy to use, wash, with no pins, folds, or stuffing—just a stay-dry suede inner, microfibre core liner, and waterproof outer material. We suggest using flushable liners with our Snazzipants reusable nappies to make those extra messy poos a bit easier to deal with!
How Many Cloth Nappies Should I Start With?
The number you’ll need comes down to two main factors: age and frequency of use. If you’re starting on cloth nappies for a newborn – you’ll want to invest in 20-30 nappies – as we all know how messy newborns can get. If they’re a bit older, with more control, you can reduce this number however you feel necessary. These are an investment, so it’s understandable that it can take time to build your collection. Starting with what you can afford for part-time wearing, alongside disposables, until you’re able to slowly transition and get more funky nappies.
How often you use them will be the main thing that determines how many you purchase. Many parents start with a few for part-time use, beginning with daytime use at home is perfect for both you and your baby to ease into the change and get used to the products. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you how many to purchase, but we can do our best to help. If you need some extra advice on how many to buy, just
get in touch and one of our lovely team will be happy to help you.
Washing Cloth Nappies
Before first use, it’s important to give your cloth nappies an initial wash to aid absorbency and make sure they’re nice and clean for your baby.
To wash the dirties, start by folding back the hook and loop system onto the laundry tabs. Take out the liner and shake anything solid into the toilet. We don’t recommend soaking the dirties. Instead, store them in an airy laundry basket or a hanging nappy pail to minimise odour and keep everything hygienic until they’re ready to wash. Our reusable nappies can be washed with both warm and cold water, up to 40 degrees. Using higher water levels for extra rinsing will help in avoiding the build-up of detergent and bacteria so your snuggle-bug can stay clean and comfy.
To keep your baby’s skin soft and rash-free, make sure that you’re avoiding bleach, brighteners, and fabric softeners when washing their nappies. These nasty chemicals can leave a residue on the nappies that irritates their skin, making for one unhappy baby! Natural and oil-based soaps can leave a residue that causes leaks and retains those yucky odours. To ensure properly clean, cloud-like, and comfy nappies for your baby, we recommend using regular or zero-residue detergent.
The washing method may change depending on the product. If you need a clean nappy ASAP – Snazzipants can be tumble dried at low heat. Otherwise, a line-dry is perfect.
When you break it down, reusables aren’t too scary! We’re already used to cleaning up after our messy bundles of joy and this is no different.
Extra Tips
Reusable cloth nappies are fabulous for daytime use; you can even use flushable liners to make things easier on yourself when dealing with your pooey newborns! To assist with nighttime accidents, check out our bedwetting pads and our namesake product – Brolly Sheets. When it’s time to give potty training a go, our undie liners can turn any pair of kids undies into training pants to catch any accidents, holding less pee than nappies to help them understand when they’ve got to go.
Brolly Sheets is Here to Help!
Newborns, babies, toddlers – they’re messy, but we love them! Whether you’re looking to become more sustainable, save some money, or just need some advice from another parent, that’s what we’re here for. If you want some more advice and information on using cloth nappies or toilet training, check out the Brolly Sheets online resources! Reusable nappies should be accessible for everybody, so that’s what we’ve set out to do. Brolly Sheets provides a range of comfy and eco-friendly baby products to make a sustainable lifestyle easier to achieve for Kiwi families.
