There is a lot of misinformation about modern cloth nappies in circulation amongst the general public. Although false, these rumors can put new mums off the idea of cloth nappies altogether. In an attempt to help you better understand reusable nappies, here are seven of the most common myths:

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #1: Cloth nappies smell funny

Some people assume that, because they are reused, modern cloth diapers constantly smell like baby poo. I think these people imagine that by the child’s first birthday, they are wearing a nappy that smells as bad as a whole year’s worth of poo. Obviously, this isn’t the case. They smell like your laundry detergent! Like clothes, the nappies go into the wash dirty, and come out clean and smelling fresh.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #2: Cloth nappies are never really clean

Probably the same people who think the nappies smell also imagine the nappies stay dirty. I think they probably imagine a hippy mum scraping some dirt off a nappy before whacking it straight back on Junior’s bottom. In fact, that’s far from the reality. After washing, the nappies come out clean, soft, and white (assuming you bought white ones; you might not have). They don’t stain and they don’t look grubby. Modern cloth diapers come in a variety of colors and patterns that will look great after every wash.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #3: Washing cloth nappies is such a hassle

When faced with the daunting prospect of life as a first-time parent, many people decide cloth diapers are a step too far. They’ll already be changing 3,000 nappies during that first year; do they really want to wash them as well? In reality, washing the nappies is easy. It’s just an extra load of washing every few days.

If you just read that and thought, ‘But I don’t do washing that frequently’, then just wait until the baby is born.

As cloth nappy users, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to buy nappies at the supermarket. You won’t need to worry about spending half of your wage on nappies, either, because you’ll already have all the nappies you need. All you need to do is remember to wash them.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #4: They’re not as eco as they seem

You probably know people who always want to undermine everything you do. Those people will probably say using cloth nappies isn’t all that good for the environment. They’re wrong; lifecycle analysis has shown it to be one of many cloth diaper myths. Even taking into account manufacture and washing, using cloth nappies is much better for the environment than using disposables.

Disposable diapers require lots of chemicals in the manufacturing process, whereas you can now buy totally organic cloth nappies. Disposable nappies end up as landfill, rotting and releasing methane gas. Cloth nappies are likely to be recycled for years because they will last for quite a few babies.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #5: You can’t use them when out and about

This is another of the common cloth nappy myths among the general public. Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that even if this were the case, you’d still be saving money – and the planet – if you use cloth nappies part-time.

Most importantly though, cloth nappies are great for using when you’re out and about. All you need is a ‘wet nappy bag’ (these are usually supplied in the nappy kits) and you’re good to go. The nappy bag contains any smells while you’re out, and you simply wash it with the rest of the nappies when you do your next load.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #6: Reusable nappies leak

You might have heard people saying that modern cloth nappies leak, or that you can’t use them at night because they leak. This is simply more misinformation. Modern cloth nappies don’t usually leak. And, if they do, all you need to do is add in a bumper pad to make it more absorbent. Problem solved!

Lots of the nappy brands provide night time pads which are thicker and more absorbent, to enable your baby to sleep longer. Don’t worry about them leaking; it’s rarely a problem and if it happens, it’s easily solved.

Modern Cloth Nappy Myth #7: One baby won’t make a difference to the planet

When you hear statistics, such as 900 million Australian nappies a year end up in landfill, it’s easy to feel that, as one person, you can’t make much of a difference. In fact, your baby will use 0ver 2,000 nappies in the first year alone: that’s a lot of landfill.

Don’t let the big problem stop you from making a little change. Your baby might just be one person, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t teach him to respect the planet from a young age. Every little change adds up, after all.

Even if we add cloth nappies just part-time to our routine, it will make a difference to the amount of human waste we produce.

Cloth nappy statistics

We’ve been looking at the myths surrounding cloth diapers.

Now let’s look at some numbers about the use of cloth diapering around the world.

A child’s nappy is changed about 6 times a day. That means 42 nappies per week and 168 per month. That’s 2,184 disposable nappies per year! It’s a huge number of disposable nappies per year, per child. These disposable diapers will either be incinerated or end up in landfill. Just starting to use reusable nappies on occasions will help greatly in the reduction of human waste.

The baby cloth diaper market was valued at USD 53 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at 5% (Compound Annual Growth Rate) every year for the next 10 years.

Reusable nappies are also much kinder to a baby’s skin. They prevent nappy rash and are the best option for babies, especially those with sensitive skin.

Research has shown that cloth diapered babies are less likely to suffer infections, even in neonatal intensive care units. Nappy rash will be a thing of the past in a few years when reusable nappies will be the norm rather than the exception in western countries.

Why are disposable nappies said to be better than cloth?

Around 2005, another myth about cloth nappies appeared. It said that the environmental effect of reusable nappies was, in the end, greater than that of disposable nappies.

The main points highlighted were about the amount of cotton used and that the environmental effect of cotton production is quite significant. However, the manufacture of cloth diapers has changed a lot over the last decade or two. It often involves bamboo, which grows easily and fast and its environmental impact is much kinder than that of cotton.

This and other cloth diaper myths are often spread by the companies that benefit from the world using disposables. Remember when a few decades ago the formula milk companies tried to convince the world that using formula was better than breastfeeding? Spreading these false myths about cloth diapers follows the same line.

The truth is that disposable is just more comfortable for adults and caregivers in the short run. That’s the only real benefit of disposables, as opposed to reusable nappies.

Reusable nappy facts

Some facts to consider:

Reusable nappies are much cheaper. Although the first investment will be more expensive you’ll soon see the big savings they produce compared with disposable nappies
You can take your baby out wearing reusables. Sure, nappy buckets weren’t designed to be carried around but you can just take a wet bag with you and place the dirty nappies in it. Then it’s straight into the washing machine with them when you get home
They don’t leak. If a cloth nappy leaks it just means that bum needs a bit more cloth. As the baby grows, so does the quantity of his voids. You just need to add more filling to the diaper.
Reusables can reduce nappy rash. They have fewer chemicals that are harmful to your baby’s sensitive skin
They make it easier to do elimination communication. Also, the transition to using the potty or toilet will also be easier.
They’re an environmentally friendly option – even if you don’t use cloth nappies all the time. If just one out of 3 nappies you use is a cloth one, you’ll reduce your environmental impact by one-third and that’s just awesome
They might be more comfortable. It’s always going to be nicer to have natural fibers in close contact with baby’s skin than artificial plasticky ones.

You can read more about cloth nappies in the following articles:

Modern Cloth Nappies – What Are The Benefits?

10 Things I Love About Cloth Nappies

Modern Cloth Nappies Vs Disposable Nappies – Which Nappies Are Better?