The Run Down on Cloth

Sophia
Apr 17, 2016
4 min read

In the UK each baby uses on average 6000 nappies! That is 6000 nappies going to landfill per baby and about 8,000,000 to landfill EACH DAY!

Disposable nappies take hundreds of years to degrade and during this time they give off a harmful gas called methane, adding to the effect on climate change. They also contain chemicals which more and more babies are becoming sensitive to.

Reusable nappies are not only beneficial for the environment but also for our purses!

The average cost of a disposable nappy is approx. 10p each. Based on this it costs around £600 per baby to use disposables. I full set of reusable nappies costs between £150 - £300 that is a saving of between £450 - £300 per child and they can be used on subsequent children! A household that uses cloth nappies on 3 subsequent children will make a saving of £1650!

Benefits of using Real Nappies

Converting to cloth is easier than you may think and there are many benefits for both you and your baby, as well as for the environment too!

For babies:

Evidence suggests that children who use cloth nappies become potty trained much quicker than those using disposables as they are more aware that they have been to the toilet.
Cloth nappies are made from natural materials, which help your child’s skin to breathe naturally as they do not contain any chemicals or gels.

For parents:

Real nappies could save you up to £500 per child and this price will rise if the nappies are reused for subsequent children. An initial payment is required for the nappies at the start of use, but this is one-off and you won’t need to pay out for disposable nappies as part of the weekly shop. Although the one of cost for real nappies will be between £300-400; parents will end up spending four times this amount over a two and a half year period.
Great fun prints!

For the environment:

It is predicted that a child will use between 4,000 and 6,000 nappies. These will unfortunately end up in landfill sites and as they decompose give out a harmful greenhouse gas called methane, which contributes to climate change.
WRAP (the Government's Waste & Resources Action Programme) have calculated that households which use cloth nappies reduce their household waste by up to half compared to those continuing to use disposables.
Disposable nappies use up to three and a half times more energy to make compared to cloth nappies.

Types of reusable nappies

All in One (AIO)

A waterproof shell with sewn in absorbent core and stay dry lining. Available in velcro or popper closings and sized or birth to potty (BTP)

Pro's - Easy to use, Medium Absorbency, come in great prints

Con's - Cannot adjust absorbency, no good for night time use, only one barrier against leaks

All in Two's

A waterproof shell with separate boosters that can be secured into the shell.

Pro's - Value for money, once soiled can simply wipe shell down and add new booster, fun prints, usually have a leg gusset to help prevent leaks, adjustable absorbency

Con's - Can be fiddly to use

Pocket

A waterproof shell with a stay dry lining and a pocket to allow inserts to be added

Pro's - Easy to adjust absorbency, quick drying, fun prints

Con's - Can get leaks , especially with newborns, can be bulky

Fitted

An absorbent fitted nappy with a separate waterproof shell

Pro's - Excellent absorbency, great containment, excellent night time nappy option

Con's - Bulky, can be slow drying, need to purchase more as your child grows

The Tickle Tots nappy incorporates some of the best features found on the various types of nappy with some unique ones of its own! Find out the benefit below:

Easy to use
Can be used as an AIO – It has a sewn in booster so for newborns and younger babies the nappy can simply be used as it is on its smallest size setting
Pocket – The nappy features a pocket so as your child grows and their output increase you can adjust the absorbency of the nappy by adding additional boosters. The pocket also allows the nappy to be turned inside out to speed drying time
BTP – there are rise snaps on the front of the nappy so it can be used from approx. 9-35lbs
Double layered leg gusset – Provides a great barrier to help prevent against leaks. The double layer also prevents wicking through any seams
SUPER SLIM – we use bamboo fleece as our absorbent core and additional boosters, it is not only a sustainable product but super absorbent and super slim so no need to worry about your child looking bulky in their clothes!
FUN PRINTS – unique prints. Look out for our newest print from ‘The Adventures of Little Fox’. Each of the print in this series will be released with a story to compliment the prints