Cloth nappies have come a long way in recent years – these days they work just as well as disposables, are easy to put on and wash and come in a myriad of colours and prints.
So just what are Modern Cloth Nappies? They come in various styles but essentially, they are the modern version of the cloth nappies of old. MCN’s have elastic in the legs and waist for a comfy fit and a closure system such as snaps or velcro.
There are a few types of MCN’s, each with their own advantages and uses. They can basically be divided into those that need a cover and those that don’t. Fitted nappies are those that require a waterproof cover. The nappy is made of fabric that absorbs liquid and usually has a built in closure. A cover is made of waterproof fabric which fits over the top of the fitted nappy.
The other type of cloth nappy are the ‘all-in-ones’, which are arguably the most popular type of MCN. These nappies don’t require a separate cover as they have a waterproof layer built in. The absorbent material is built into the nappy which has a closure system as described above. There are a lot of all-in-one nappies on the market that have a ‘snap’ down system to allow for size increases, which means that one nappy will last from birth until toilet training. Pocket nappies are similar in that they consist of a ‘shell’ of waterproof outing with a pocket opening in which absorbent material is stuffed inside the nappy. The advantage here is that you can customise that absorbency of the nappy using a variety of materials.
So why choose cloth? Apart from the obvious environmental concerns with using disposable nappies, cloth nappies save you money! There are many websites that have information on how much money you can save. Even calculating water and electricity for washing, cloth nappies work out much cheaper than using disposables, especially if you use them for more than one child! Don’t like ‘getting your hands dirty’? Cloth nappies can be stored in a sealed bucket until washing day (no soaking required), then just put the lot in the washing machine and when done, out on the line to dry in the sun.
Just think, every disposable nappy ever used is still in existence, sitting in a landfill somewhere. That’s where you can make the difference, every time you use a cloth nappy, that’s one less disposable that ends up in landfill. Where do you start I hear you ask? Just Google cloth nappies and you will find an abundance of options in brands, types, colours, costs and materials. Even one cloth nappy will make a difference.
We’d love to hear your feedback about whether you use cloth nappies or not, and what your experiences have been. Please leave a comment at the bottom of this article.
With another year almost upon us, the Sustainable Penrith Blog has hit a significant milestone – we’ve had over 7,000 visitors! That’s 7,000 individual computers that have visited the blog, not total hits by the way.
