Cloth nappy FAQ #3

I thought I'd start the year off with an FAQ series. I'll answer some of the questions we get asked all the time here at Bubblebubs and the most frequent offenders on Facebook groups. These will be short answers to give you a little info and an overview of the subject and most will link to more in-depth articles if you want to learn more. 

How do I use prefold cloth nappies? And why are they called prefolds when you have to fold them?

You can use prefolds in so many ways! You can fold them up around bub or just trifold them and lay them in a nappy. Prefolds have great versatility and are a great way to bulk out your stash if your budget is tight. If you’re putting them around bub you can use a Snappi to hold it in place. And either way, you need a cover for waterproofing. Prefolds are called “prefolds” because they’re already folded with extra absorbency in the middle. So they are “prefolded” compared to flats.

Am I really saving money using modern cloth nappies?

In a word, yes!  See the graphic below to see the breakdown. The other thing to remember with graphics like this is that this breakdown is for ONE CHILD. So if you have 2 or more you’ll save way more money. And if you only use your nappies for one child you can recoup some of your outlay by selling them and helping someone else who might not have as much money enter the cloth nappy world at a lower price point! We love seeing our nappies sold or gifted to a new family and knowing they are going to get used again and again.

How do I wash my cloth nappies?

With a washing machine!! Haha, I’m funny I know. But seriously, the machine does most of the work for you. The amazing volunteers who run Clean Cloth Nappies have done enormous amounts of work for you too! Check out theirwebsite it’s a great resource. Also, check out our wash recommendations here.

The basics are two washes, good agitation, good detergent, warm or hot water. So you want to do a pre-wash with some detergent, this will help remove the bulk of the “ick” so that your main wash is done in clean water. For your main wash, you want to use a long warm/hot wash, usually called Heavy Duty or Cottons on your machine with the correct amount of detergent (check out the detergent index here). Store your nappies in a dry pail with lots of airflow to prevent ammonia build up and give night nappies a good rinse. This is just a quick outline of the basic concepts check out this link for more info.