Am I doing something wrong?

Hi Ladies

We've been using our cloth nappies for a little over a year now . . . we were expecting them to last at least the 2 years that Kai needs them, and hopefully for Bub no 2 (still in the making!) as well. But they have worn out pretty fast - some have holes in them and there's very little 'fluff' on the fabric IYKWIM? Don't know if maybe they just weren't the best quality naps to start with (Baby Greens) or if it's because we have a top-loader (not my choice, but it was given to us).

We dry-pail, using the Little Squirt to get poo off, wash in 1/2 dose of detergent and dry on the line. We do pop them in the dryer for 10 mins, just to soften them up, but will give the vinegar a try now (just read that on another thread!).

We recently bought a couple of BBH for nighttime naps and they have lost that beautiful softness they had when they were new - don't want to ruin them too - any ideas?

Thanks!

How many nappies do you own? If you've been using them non-stop for over a year, 20 nappies will be looking a bit worn out by now.

Hi Ryn. Yes we do have 20 nappies, plus 5 night nappies. Hmmm, so it's just normal! I had an idea - from pro-cloth info sites - that they would last till he was toilet-trained and that I would be able to use some of them for no 2!! Ah well, at least we haven't added to landfill, even if we haven't saved as much money as they said on those same sites!!

Thanks for your response.

All fabrics wear with age. I've got a few pairs of flanny pj's that have done both older boys that I've dug out for Caleb and they are noticeably thinner than new ones.

The BBH won't be as soft as brand new but as they loose that fluffy softness they get more absorbant and they dry quicker. I noticed that when I got a couple more after having used some for 6 months.

Just be sure that you don't use the vinegar too often as it's no good for elastic.

Thanks ladies . . .good to know that it is just normal wear and tear. And thanks for the tip about vinegar Sammi-j.

Regards