Nappies on a Budget

It’s generally accepted that using cloth nappies works out cheaper in the long run than disposable nappies.  However there is a fairly significant upfront cost, which can be a problem for some people, or put people off.  However there are also ways that you can reduce the cost of that initial outlay as well as getting the best value for money.

1. My top tip would be to start thinking about your nappies as soon as you can.  Buying before your baby arrives means that you can spread the cost and buy bits and pieces as you can afford them.  If you’re working, it also means that the money will come out of your salary rather than your maternity pay!  Some suppliers will allow you to spread payments over a few months, whilst still taking advantage of bulk buy deals.
2. One-size nappies can be a cheaper option overall, since you only have one size to buy.  However, they generally cost more per nappy than a sized nappy so you may have a bigger initial outlay.  Conversely, if the nappy you choose comes in different sizes then you can just get the first size to start with and so spread the overall cost.  This also means that you can see how the nappy suits you over the first few months, and possibly make changes before you get the second size.
3. You don’t need to get a huge amount of kit.  There are lots of accessories that do make life easier, such as disposable liners and laundry mesh bags, but they are not essential.  You may prefer to get the absolute essentials to start with and then add accessories as you need them.  Similarly, resist the urge to buy a load of funky nappies or patterned covers – plain white works just as well and is often cheaper. 
4. Be wary of very cheap nappies –   You need a good quality waterproof layer to ensure a leak-free nappy, and to ensure that your nappy lasts.  In other words, don’t scrimp on the waterproofing. Its better to go for a cheap nappy (absorbent layer) and get a good quality waterproof cover.
5. Don’t be put off by flat nappies – they are a great way to economise.  Personally, I like the bamboo terry squares as they are so much softer and more absorbent than cotton.  They are also slimmer fitting, which means you can usually get away with just one size of terry to last from birth to toddler.  OK, you’ll need to learn to do a few folds, but it’s not too difficult once you’ve done it a couple of times.  Paired with a good quality cover, this system makes for a cheap option, whilst still performing and lasting well.
6. If you’re unsure, try a few brands/styles out before committing to a full set.  Cloth nappies are a personal choice and you want to make sure you get what’s right for you, before forking out hundreds of pounds.
7. Washable liners and wipes are a great alternative to their disposable counterparts, and will certainly save you a lot of money in the long term for a fairly small initial cost.  Just wash with your nappies as normal.
8. Consider using second hand nappies.  There are plenty of places to get good quality, well looked-after second hand nappies – such as www.usednappies.co.uk or on parenting forums.  Look out for nappies that have been well used, as this usually means that they did the job well.  If a nappy that looks immaculate and barely used, it may be because it didn’t work properly and just sat in a cupboard!
9. Look after your nappies to make them last as long as possible, especially if you want to use the same nappies again for another baby.  Don’t use too much detergent (and never use fabric softener), and avoid avoiding soaking any nappies or covers.  Try to avoid tumble drying as much as possible, and wash on as low a heat as it takes to get your nappies clean (40 degrees is usually fine – although I recommend adding an anti-bacterial nappy sanitiser to your wash if you’re washing below 60 degrees).

If you would like any advice or information, please feel free to contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk.

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan at Real Choice Nappies

Tags: budget nappies, cloth nappies, Recycle for Greater Manchester, washable nappies

Top Tips When Buying Real Nappies

There is a huge array of real nappies available today, and the level of choice is amazing.  There really is a cloth nappy to suit every family!  If you are confused by the choices out there, then here are my top tips for starting out with real nappies:

• As a first step, check out your local council to see if they offer any incentives to real nappy users. At the very least, they may have information about real nappies and about where you can get advice locally.  This is a great starting point!
• Next, have a quick think about what you’re after and what your priorities might be.  What drying facilities do you have?  Are natural fabrics a priority for you?  Do you plan to use the nappies for more than one child?  If you think about these things first, it will make your research much easier and help you to narrow down your choices.
• Do some research before you go shopping, and resist the urge to buy the first thing you see on the high street, or to be swayed by a very cheap brand.  You may end up getting a load of nappies that you never use as they don’t work well for you, wasting you money and time.
• Speak to a local nappy expert for advice.  I spoke to a nappy advisor when I was first looking for real nappies (9 years ago!) and it really helped, although I had to do it via e-mail as there wasn’t anyone local.  I found their advice to be much more valuable than advice on parenting forums, for instance, as nappy experts will have a much broader experience and can offer impartial advice.  Many offer face-to-face advice, or may run information events (“nappuccinos”) that you can drop into.  Go Real also has information on nappy retailers and advisors in your area.  If you prefer not to travel or if there is no-one close to you, many online retailers can offer advice via phone or email.  But go to see them if you can – it’s so much easier if you can see the nappies in the flesh
• Accept that real nappies are an investment.  Real nappies will work out far cheaper in the long run than disposables, but there is a fairly significant upfront cost.  Think about getting the best value for money over the time you will be using your nappies – very cheap nappies tend to be false economy if they don’t last the course.
• If possible, have your nappies ready to go as soon as your baby arrives.  In my experience, the earlier you start with real nappies the more likely you are to continue to use them.  It also means you get the best value for money out of your nappies.  Also, you may not feel like doing nappy research when you have a newborn baby to deal with!
• Having said that, it is never too late to start using cloth.  Many people switch to cloth after a few weeks or months of disposables, or sometimes for a second child.  You will still save a lot of money and waste, and sometimes real nappies seem less scary when you have a bit of parenting experience under your belt (not that they are scary really, honest!)
• Consider using washable wipes, whether you are using real nappies or not.  Washable wipes are a no-brainer in my opinion – cheaper and less wasteful than the alternative, and just as easy to use.  If you’re using washable nappies, then you may as well wash some wipes too.  And if not, then the wipes can be washed with your normal laundry.  Also, with washable wipes, you are in complete control of what goes on to your baby’s bottom or face.
• Last but not least, have fun!  Real nappies are cute and gorgeous – why shouldn’t you get excited about a funky new pattern?!  We know that real nappies are better for the environment, cheaper, easy to use etc – no reason why they can’t be fun and look great too!

If you would like any advice on choosing your nappies, please feel free to contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan from Real Choice Nappies.

Tags: nappy choice, nappy providers, real nappies, Recycle for Greater Manchester

Two Part Nappies vs All-In-Ones

Another major decision when choosing your real nappies is whether to go for a nappy that requires a separate waterproof cover, or one where the waterproofing is built in.  Again, there are pros and cons with each type.

“Two-part” nappies, as their name suggests, are made up of two parts – the absorbent nappy part, and a separate waterproof cover.  Two part nappies can also be referred to as “nappy separates”, because there are two separate components. 

Two-part nappies are generally considered to be the best choice for containment, since there are two lines of defence!  A good fitting nappy, with a good fitting cover over the top, is pretty bomb proof and so this system may be the best option when containment is a priority (especially for pre-weaned, breastfed babies).

An “all-in-one” nappy here is meant to refer to any nappy that has a waterproof outer and an absorbent inner.  With this sort of nappy, the waterproofing is built into the nappy so there is no need for a separate waterproof cover. 

A true “all-in-one” nappy is one where the absorbency is sewn into the outer and is not removable.  However, with some nappies, it is possible to separate out the absorbent material from the waterproofing, usually to aid drying, and there are different terms used to distinguish these variations.  For instance, “all-in-two” would describe a nappy where the absorbent material is removable, and either lies on top of or pops into the outer waterproofing.  And “pocket” would describe a waterproof outer with a pocket, in which absorbent pads are placed.  All these names can be very confusing though, and for ease I tend to call all such nappies “all-in-one” – after all, these nappy types are all one piece when you put them on the baby.

The main advantage of all-in-ones is their ease of use – there is only one bit of nappy to deal with and they are certainly the closest to disposable nappies in terms of their use.  This sort of nappy may therefore be the best choice where ease is the priority, perhaps for childcare or for out and about.

It’s a personal choice and what style you choose will depend on what is most important for you.  If your priority is containment, then maybe a two-part would suit you best.  And if your priority is ease of use, then you may want to go for an all-in-one style.  Or you could choose a combination of the two – two-parts for home and all-in-ones for out, for instance.

If you would like any advice on choosing two-part or all-in-one nappies, please feel free to contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk. 

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan from real Choice Nappies.

Tags: all in ones, nappy types, real nappies, Recycle for Greater Manchester, two part nappies

Choosing one size versus sized nappies!

One of the decisions to make when choosing your real nappies is whether to go for a nappy that comes in different sizes, or one that is adjustable to fit from birth to toddler.  Ultimately, most of it is down to personal preference, as each type has its pros and cons.

A sized nappy will give a more customised fit than a one-size nappy, and so may suit very small babies (or very large toddlers) better.  This better fit may also mean better containment.  In contrast, a one-size nappy is likely to be a bit bulkier on a newborn baby, since that excess fabric (that allows it to fit a toddler) has to go somewhere.  This is not usually too much of a problem, but if a nappy is too big, especially around the legs and waist, then you may have problems with containment.

A major plus of one-size nappies is that you only have to buy one-size, and so they work out cheaper overall.  However, it is also worth considering the longevity of the nappies, especially if you plan to have more children and re-use the same nappies.  A one-size nappy will be in constant use for 2-3 years (for one baby) and so may not last as well for any subsequent children, compared with a sized nappy that has been used for roughly half of that time. 

Personally, we decided to go for one-size nappies as our “main” nappy, although we did find them to be rather bulky when the boys were first born.  We chose to use folded muslins for the first few weeks, inside an extra-small nappy cover.  Muslins are very thin and so can be folded to fit smaller babies without adding too much bulk, and we found plenty of uses for them once we’d stopped using them as nappies!

It’s a personal thing, as your choice will depend on whether you prioritise cost or fit, whether you are likely to have a very small baby (or a very large one), and whether you plan to have any more children. Like with everything to do with real nappies, the choice is yours. 

If you would like any advice on choosing one-size or sized nappies, please feel free to contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk. 

Blog provided by Vick Jordan from Real Choice Nappies.

Tags: one size nappy, real nappies, Recycle for Greater Manchester, sized nappy

How Ethical Are Your Nappies?

We all know that real nappies are less harmful to the environment than disposable nappies, create less waste and saving you a lot of money in the long run.  But what about the ethics of the nappies we choose?

With the current economic climate, most of us are searching for the cheapest alternative and we all like a bargain.  But should this be at the expense of others?  For instance, nappies made in a sweatshop in China are likely to be a lot cheaper than nappies made in a UK factory by staff who are paid a fair wage.  In my experience, if something is very cheap it usually means that someone is getting a rough deal. 

There certainly seems to be a lot of very cheap nappies appearing on places such as ebay recently.  But some of them really are suspiciously cheap – with prices as low as £3 or £4 per nappy, can you really be sure of the integrity of the nappy?  Crucially, can you be sure that the nappy will last to be used again and again?  A nappy needs to be made of good quality components, especially the outer waterproofing, in order to withstand constant washing and wearing for around 2 years plus.  What about the materials used and how they were produced?  And what about the people making the nappies?  If a nappy made in Hong Kong is selling in the UK for £3, then how much are the factory staff receiving after you’ve taken off the ebay fees, transport to the UK and  company overheads?  In my eyes, it just doesn’t add up.

Which is why I think it is important to look not just at the nappy, but who it is made by.  Personally I like to work with companies who have good ethical credentials, as I think this is as important as the nappy itself.  Companies such as Nature Babies have a great range of reliable, well-performing nappies which are all made right here in the UK.  Similarly, Lollipop is a great UK-based company.  The company is based in Cornwall with their nappies being made in an ethically-run factory in Turkey.  The nappies are then road freighted to the UK, rather than air freighted.

A further point is that both of these companies have excellent customer service, and do everything they can to help on the rare occasions that something goes wrong.  If you buy from a respectable, ethical company then you can have more confidence in their products and their service.  On the other hand, what sort of customer service do you think you’d get if your cheap online purchase leaks after a few uses? 

I like a bargain as much as everyone else, but I’ve seen too many people disappointed by ultra-cheap nappies that just don’t work or don’t last.  And I do think it is important that we don’t ditch our ethics just to save a few pounds.  Real nappies will save you a small fortune anyway, and a reliable nappy that lasts well will work out cheaper in the long term than one that needs replacing after a few months.

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan at Real Choice Nappies

For more information or personal nappy advice, please contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk.

Tags: cheap nappies, cloth nappies, ethical nappies, real nappies, Recycle for Greater Manchester

Saved by the Nappy List

To start the New Year, I thought I would discuss a few dos and don’ts relating to real nappies.  It can be a bit confusing when you’re new to real nappies, and I know that I could have done with some of these hints and tips when I first started out with real nappies! 

Do’s

1. Do check out what’s available on the market and do your research before you buy your real nappies.  Advice from a nappy expert is invaluable here, and it can save you a lot of time and headaches!  After a lot of trawling the internet and high street when I was buying my first nappies, I decided to speak to a nappy expert – and I was so glad I did!  She made it so much clearer and helped me work out what would be right for me.
2. Do wash your new nappies a few times before first use, to get the absorbency up.  I suggest washing a couple of times first, and bear in mind that it may take 6-8 washes before the nappies reach their full absorbency.  It’s not uncommon for people to worry that their nappies aren’t absorbent enough when they first use them, and usually it’s just that they need a few more washes.
3. Do wash your nappies using no more than 60ºC wash cycle (you may find that 40ºC is fine for the majority of the time).  There is no need to soak your nappies or to wash any hotter than 60ºC. 
4. Do dry your nappies outside or inside in a warm place when you can.  The sun acts as a natural bleach so get them outside whenever you can!  It never ceases to amaze me how effective the sun is at getting out those stubborn stains.  Most nappies can be tumble dried if needed, but use the lowest heat setting to keep them in good condition and protect the waterproofing.
5. Do have your nappies stored ready to use – snapped down into the desired position for one-size nappies, for example, or ready-stuffed with an insert for pocket nappies.  This saves you loads of time, and is also helpful if other people are going to be changing your baby.  Once, my mum had changed my son into a new pocket nappy without putting an absorbent insert in first – needless to say, it lasted about 2 minutes!  After this, I decided it was safer to have all the nappies set up ready to go!
6. Do make sure that the nappy is fitted properly to avoid any leaks.  Ideally, you want a snug, but not tight, fit around both the legs and waist.

 Don’ts

1. Don’t use a greasy barrier cream as it can leave a residue on the inner lining which is very difficult to remove, especially on fleece lined nappies.  If you do use a cream then use a flushable nappy liner to protect the inside of the nappy.
2. Don’t use fabric softener or 2-in-1 detergents as these will coat the fabrics, making them water repellent – which will cause leaks!
3. Don’t dry nappies directly on a heat source such as a radiator, as this can damage waterproofing and elastic.  Use a radiator rack or airer instead.  I lost a couple of my best waterproof covers after my other half put them on the radiator – grrr!
4. Don’t forget to take your nappies home when out & about.  Make sure you take your nappies home with you after picking up from nursery /childcare, especially if you’re not going to be back again for a few days!  Similarly, don’t leave a bag of used nappies on the train / in the changing room / at the toddler group ….. And yes, I do speak from experience here too!  I spent ages one time looking for some missing nappies, only to find that I’d left them in the back of the car after a day out.  They’d been there for two days, in the sun – it wasn’t nice!

We all make mistakes but hopefully this list will help.  If you can add any suggestions, or have any funny stories, do let me know!

For more information or tips on using your real nappies, please contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk. 

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan at Real Choice Nappies

Tags: cloth nappies, re-using, real nappies, real nappy dos and donts, Recycle for Greater Manchester

The Great Bin Debate

The frequency of bin collection can be a highly emotive topic, which many people feel very strongly about it.  Actually I do too, as I believe that spending taxpayers’ money on weekly collections is a backwards step. 

I’ve heard and read many interviews of people either complaining about fortnightly collections or expressing delight at the reintroduction of weekly collections.  A typical objection seem to be that food waste left for two weeks will encourage rats, flies and other vermin but I’ve seen no actual proof of this, and personally we’ve never had any of these issues.  Of course, parents may complain about nappies smelling in their bin after two weeks, in which case  I would suggest washable nappies?  Far less waste and no smells – win, win!

Even last Christmas, when heavy snowfall meant that the bin lorries couldn’t collect, our bin still wasn’t full.  Yet some people were fuming about it, and when the lorries did get through to collect (after about 4 weeks), many households had overflowing wheelie bins with several black bags piled on top. Personally, I wasn’t bothered in the slightest when our local authority switched to fortnightly collections, and despite having two young children our bin is rarely any more than half full. 

So why is this the case?  Well, for a start we recycle everything we can.  All the obvious things – paper, card, glass, tins etc – go in the recycling bin, and any food waste goes in the compost bin.  Things we no longer need are sold, sent to the charity shop or Freegled.  We try not to buy single-use items or overly packaged products, and of course we used washable nappies.  After all this, there really isn’t too much left to go in the “normal” bin.  Admittedly, not all areas have the same recycling facilities – but with landfill space running out and with money tight for many councils, surely providing other community services would be a better use of resources than weekly bin collection?

The bottom line is that, as a nation, we throw away huge amounts of landfill waste – for example, over 8 million tonnes of food and over 3 billion disposable nappies every year. We need to be encouraging people to reduce their waste, and if we can do this with less frequent bin collections, then surely that is the way to go?

For helpful tips on how you can reduce your waste and even save some money in the process, visit the website to see what you can do.

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan from Real Choice Nappies 

For more information on real nappies, please contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk.

Tags: charity shops, composting, kerbside recycling, real nappies, recycle

Eco – disposable nappies

“Eco” disposables have become more popular in recent years, with many people viewing them as a kind of half-way house between real cloth nappies and conventional disposables. Unfortunately, these eco-disposables are often not as “eco” as they are believed to be.  Certainly, from a landfill point of view there is very little advantage to eco-disposables, as you still throw them away. 

Firstly, most eco-disposables are so called because they use more environmentally-friendly manufacturing methods and use less chemical gels. Some eco-disposables use degradable packaging, but still there is nothing particularly degradable about the nappies themselves.

Secondly, even if the nappies are slightly more degradable than their conventional counterparts, they still won’t do much if they are sent to landfill.  Landfill waste takes a LONG time to rot down.  This is why councils encourage us to compost our kitchen waste at home rather than send it to landfill

So, even if your eco-disposable nappy was completely biodegradable, you would have to compost it at home in order for it to actually degrade quickly.  In theory, this is fine and there are a few eco-disposables on the market that can be home-composted.  But the reality is a bit different, because we’re not talking about composting one or two nappies.  A child in nappies full-time is likely to get through anywhere between 30 and 60 nappies per week, and it would have to be a pretty impressive compost bin to deal with that many nappies!

So, if you are concerned about landfill and chemical gels, then washable nappies are likely to be a far better option for you.  If there is the odd occasion when you choose to use a disposable, then you may want to go for an eco-disposable from an environmental point of view, since they have usually used less energy in their manufacture. 

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan from Real Choice Nappies.

For more information or personal nappy advice, please contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk.

Tags: eco disposable nappines, real nappies, washable nappies

Ending the week in STYLE!

Who said upcycled fashion can’t compete with the high street, take a look at the photos from our Watch Your Waste weeks fantastically fashion forward finale! 

The fashion show was a FREE event for all Greater Manchester residents and was held on the 26th November at Salford University.

The upcycled range is all made from recycled textiles and there were lots of original vintage finds too. Local designers including Tracey Cliffe @lovemeagain and a fantastic charity called TRAID who fundraises by collecting the UK’s unwanted textiles, were responsible for all the fashion on the night. How great do all the girls look ? The vintage collection was inspired by the 1940s as you can see below and there were some really quirky props too!

 On the night there were over 70 items of clothing on display on the catwalk some of which you can buy direct from the designer who has an online shop and the prices are really reasonable for one-off unique pieces.

There was lot’s people could get involved in, alongside the show,  one fashion savvy mum from Manchester said of the event “I took my two daughters to the fashion show, we were shown how to make a beaded bracelet from strips and we bought hair adornments made out of scrap fabric. My teenage daughter was so inspired she could not wait to get home to find one of her dad’s old t-shirts that she can make into a dress!”

There were also interactive displays on reducing food waste, a virtual pre-loved living room, to showcase the quality of second-hand furniture collected by furniture re-use organisations and one lucky individual Catherine Dunne, a teacher at Salford University won a vintage shopping spree with designer and stylist Tracey in the free prize draw on the night.

The fashion show was the ultimate ending to a great week of FREE activities all aimed at practical ways people can reduce their waste at home.

9 Sew Good Workshops allowed those who attended the opportunity to learn key sewing skills whilst updating their wardrobe.  Old pre-loved items of clothing were transformed into something new.  I personally rescued a dress that had come into contact with bleach and will be wearing it with pride at my office christmas do’, whilst others in my class turned trousers and tops into skirts, whilst other items were customised by adding a new twist, a material bottom and bow on a child’s denim skirt and ‘pouffy’ sleeves being removed and turned into a tie to give shape to an unworn blouse.

Nutrionist, Elizabeth Wells taught 9 classes  helping the people of Greater Manchester to make the most of their leftovers at the Love Food Hate Waste Cookery Classes. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the class as food was made and enjoyed on the night, the chicken carcass was slow cooked and turned into a tasty broth whilst fridge leftovers whipped up into a tasty frittata. Did you know you can swap the potato for grated courgette!

Did you miss out on the events this year don’t worry there is still plenty you can do at home to waste less, check out our reduce and re-use pages for more information. Also don’t fret Watch Your Waste Week will be back next year, so watch this space.

Tags: environment, food waste, Re-Use, Recycle for Greater Manchester, reduce

What’s so hard about real nappies?

In my opinion, nothing. Honestly.

Having used both real nappies and disposables, I maintain that using real nappies is no more difficult than using disposables. It is a different routine, yes, but it’s no harder.

The main difference between real nappies and disposables is that you put a real nappy in the washing machine and you put a disposable in your wheelie bin. That’s it. And let’s face it, it’s not as if we’re all scrubbing nappies at the sink – we press a button on the machine and that’s job done.

The only hard thing abour real nappies, is choosing which style of nappy you want to go for. Disposable nappies are really much of a muchness (despite what the manufacturers might tell you!) – they are all essentially the same design. Real nappies, in contrast, have changed hugely over the years. From the traditional cotton terry squares that our parents and grandparents probably used, to a huge range of shaped nappies, all-in-one nappies, pocket nappies….. the list goes on.

The thing is, most people know what a disposable nappy looks like and therefore aren’t worried about using them – it’s familiar ground. When you’re looking at real nappies there are so many more options that it can be daunting and can seem a bit alien. It’s understandable that people feel that real nappies are the more complicated option.

It wasn’t always like this, of course. In the pre-disposable days, real nappies were obviously the norm. Everybody that you knew would have been using much the same nappies, and so you could ask for advice and tips from friends and neighbours. Now that fewer people use real nappies (and even those who do are probably not using the same nappy, given the choices available), it can be harder to get that support.

Which is why advice from a nappy expert can be so helpful. It may be advice over the internet these days, rather than over the garden fence or over a cuppa, but it does the same job. This is where I come in. I raised 2 boys on real nappies and survived. So if you have any questions or would like some help and advice on choosing the nappy that is right for you and your baby, get in touch.

For more information or personal nappy advice, please contact me at vicki@realchoicenappies.co.uk.

Blog provided by Vicki Jordan from Real Choice Nappies

Tags: cloth nappies, real nappies, recycle