Start with an absorbent washable cotton nappy. A liner must be used inside to keep your baby dry. Two types of liner are available: washable or flushable biodegradable type. To prevent leaks most nappies are covered with a breathable waterproof cover also known as a "wrap".
Some tips
- Try washable fleece liners. The poo doesn’t stick and they dry very quickly
- Try before you buy
- Always use a liner
- There's lots of lively advice online from other users on the real nappies forums
- Use an A rated energy efficient washing machine and line dry as much as possible
- Find out more by calling the Real Nappy Helpline on 0845 850 0606
Don’t
- Buy birth packs unless you are sure the nappy system works for your child
- Wash nappies and covers at the same temperature unless it is all-in-one type system
- No soaking or boiling – modern day washing machines wash so well that real nappies do not need to be pre-soaked or boiled
Guide to home laundering
Wash nappies 2 or 3 times before using them as this improves absorbency, at 60 degrees C or lower depending on how soiled they are. There's no need to boil wash. Wraps can be washed at 40 degrees or lower. Choose quick drying fleece liners and booster nappies, as well as environmentally friendly detergents. A good tip is that Eco balls with a small amount of Borax can make your nappies softer.
What are my real nappy options?
- There is a growing range of products available, making real nappies the coolest choice. There are 4 main types of real nappies:
- 'flat nappies', such as the traditional Terry square, need to be folded to make a pad, then secured with a plastic fastening and covered with a wrap.
- there are also prefolds which are flat squares of cotton. These are used by most laundry services (External link)
- the shaped nappy is designed to fit your baby snugly and some sizes go from birth to potty. They require an outer wrap.
- 'all-in-ones' include a cotton liner and a waterproof cover with fastenings.
Where do I get real nappies from?
Initially for good advice and variety try your local real nappy agent as speaking to a parent with first hand experience is really helpful and you can call the Real Nappy Helpline on 0845 850 0606.
The council operates a free months trial with Cottontails (External Link) , or voucher scheme with Fill Your Pants (External Link), towards the purchase of real nappies and wipes. You can call the council's waste management team on 01942 404392 to find out about Wigan Council ‘free month trial and voucher scheme:
Well known supermarkets and retailers now stock various real nappy brands
Shops in Wigan Borough that sell real nappies:
- Mothercare
- Little Rainbow Nappies
- Babykind Advisor
- Winstanleys Pram World
- Boots
- Lollipop
- Snugglebum Nappies
- Bum Deal Plus
- (Let us know if you find any more!)
What do I need to get started?
All you'll need are nappies, liners and wraps.
The nappy itself is the absorbent part and you will need around 25-30 of these.
The inner liner catches solids and helps keep moisture away from your baby’s skin; these can be made from paper so that they can be flushed down the toilet if soiled or washed and reused if just wet; alternatively a reusable, flat cotton washable pad is available.
The outer wrap or cover is the fun part with a funky range of cool styles and bright colours; these are made in a range of materials for example wool, fleece or waterproof PVC. The wrap sizes alter as your baby grows. Initially you will need at least 3 wraps that can be washed at home.
What is the cost?
An initial outlay to equip you with a number of nappies is necessary; but this is a one-off payment and means you are not constantly paying for single use disposables on a weekly basis. From birth to potty each baby typically gets through between 4,000 and 6,000 disposable nappies. They cost on average 12.2p each (including in-store offers). Basic real nappies cost less than £2 each. And you can achieve further savings by using the same real nappies for your second child. The cost of home washing is about £1 a week.
What is the environmental impact?
The key is to reduce the rubbish in your bin, significantly reducing rubbish going to landfill by simply making the real nappy choice.
Disposable nappies make up about 2.6% of the average household rubbish in a year. (Enviros Consulting Ltd). This is equivalent to the weight of nearly 70,000 double-decker buses. If lined up from front to end, the buses would stretch from London to Edinburgh (source: Waste Watch) .
Won't my baby get nappy rash?
Your baby is no more or less likely to get nappy rash from real nappies than from disposables. Frequency of nappy changing is the important factor to avoid nappy rash.
Do they leak?
It's important to select the right size for your baby's shape to avoid leakages and there is a wide choice of products available. You can also use booster pads to increase absorbency if needed.
