Mythbusting

“...cloth nappies are just as bad for the environment as disposables”

Real nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposables.  This was the finding from the 2008 update to the Environment Agency’s Life Cycle Analysis Report on nappies.  Unlike disposables where we have no control over the environmental costs, Real Nappies put parents in control of the impact they have on the environment, with the carbon savings directly related to how you choose to wash your Real Nappies. 

“...cloth nappies are a lot of hard work”

If you can wash a tea towel, you can wash a nappy. What’s the difference?  Modern cloth nappies do up with velcro, poppers or nifty little grips (nappi nippas), and they are shaped just like disposables.  Yes, you may need to put on a separate waterproof wrap, but is it any harder dressing a child in both a t shirt and a vest than it is to dress a child wearing just a t shirt on top? So why should a separate waterproof wrap be a problem? It’s up to you whether you just put the nappies in the nappy bucket, or whether you rinse them out first, or soak them in the bucket. Nappies and many wraps just go in the wash at 40, so there's no need to soak or to boil wash. 

“...wetness causes nappy rash”

If this were true, all children in cloth nappies would have nappy rash and no children in disposables would do. Even Kimberley-Clark, makers of Huggies nappies, admit that over 50% of children (presumably mostly in disposables) have nappy rash at any one time (source: European attitudes survey by Kimberley-Clark, used in advertising material in 2000). Parents using cloth nappies are usually evangelical about their benefits - why would they do this if using them gave their children nappy rash? Independent university research found that the stay dry layer of disposable nappies offered “little or no protective effect” against severe nappy rash, which is effectively an admission that the wetness myth is exactly that. 

“...they make children bandy legged”

Are you and all your friends bandy legged? The chances are, you were all raised in old-fashioned terries.  Some paediatricians argue that the extra support of cloth provides better conditions for proper hip development, as well as spinal cushioning while the child learns to walk.

“...nappy buckets stink your house out”

All nappy buckets are lidded, and any poo in the nappies is flushed into the sewage system before they go in the bucket, so there is absolutely no reason for there to be any smell outside the bucket.  There is no need to soak nappies nowadays as modern washing machines are so efficient, no need for sanitising.  The nappy bucket will normally be emptied every 2nd or maybe 3rd day - unlike a binful of faeces-filled disposables sitting there for up to 2 weeks.

“...nurseries or childminders won’t use them”

Anyone officially caring for your child is obliged to meet any reasonable request by the parents, and cloth nappies fall into this category.  If a nursery seems unwilling, or claims that they are not allowed to use cloth nappies, their Equal Opportunities policies will normally prove otherwise. 

"...they leak" 

  A cloth nappy fits so much better than one made of plastic and paper.  Whereas a disposable sits flat on the back, a cloth nappy is fitted and elasticated, so if fitted correctly can be almost 100% leakproof.

"...Cloth nappies create extra loads of washing" 

Cloth nappies can be washed with the rest of your families washing. Heavily soiled nappies can be easily pre-washed or soaked. On average, families that use real nappies carry out a wash every 2-3 days. 

Yes, it's all true they really are great and as I've said before if they weren't really easy then I wouldn't be using them!  Contact me is you have any cloth nappy question or if you would like to book a demo.