Some questions about cloth nappy use..

I am using MCN's as well as terry flats. I have done it on the cheap and bought e bay nappies, 2nd hand nappies as well as some new one's and of course inserts and wetbags..

I am now about to buy some rockin green and a nappy sprayer similar to a little squirt which is about to set me back ANOTHER $75!!!!

By the time you add all this, plus the extra water, hot water for strip washes etc, do you really save money??

I know people use cloth nappies for the environment, but I was doing it to save money! TBH I feel I have just spent spent spent!!

Also - How often do you wash in hot water? I am in a place where electricity and water is included so I am conservative with the washing machine use. I don't like to use the hot water.

Are strip washes necessary and how often?

How do you care for your MCN's generally?

TIA :)

Have you spent $3000 because I was told it's close to that from birth to TT. MCN save you heaps hun :)

It does seem really expensive to start but I really think you save money in the long run, especially if you can use some OSFA so you're not constantly having to update your stash.

I used the "everyday 40 degree" wash on my machine so its not too bad for electricity. You'll find if you use hot washes the pul covers will deteriorate more quickly. I used to take a dirty/wet one off a bottom, give it a quick cold rinse and then chuck it in a bucket. I had both girls in cloth so was doing a wash every second day. TBH I never had to do a strip wash - don't know if I was just lucky with lighter wetters, choice of nappy or what

HTH

Hey lovely :D

I've never used rocking green. Couldn't see the attraction. My nappies are onto child #2 and still going strong just with being washed with Omo.

I also rarely do hot washes - 99% of the time it would be cold. That is by choice but also the hot tap in our house that we moved into 12mths ago isn't working in the laundry so we went :dunno: and just always wash in cold.

I've also never used a little squirt. I use liners but if they are really bad, I flush them in the loo - sort of hold the top of the nappy and let the loo flush over the soiled part. Works a treat.

But with little man just being on BM, I don't see that you'd need a LS or liners yet.

Trust me - once you get yourself set up, you will see the financial rewards.

Oh and I've strip washed maybe half a dozen times in my nappying life and DD is 3!

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Have you spent $3000 because I was told it's close to that from birth to TT. MCN save you heaps hun :)

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What the :o

Don't think I spent that much!!! Or maybe I have... :redface:

My nappy stash is pretty big.. i have pretty ones and special NB ones, but they have done both of my girls and only one or two have ever 'died' there is no way i have got anywhere near the 5-7k might have cost (i would only have bought degradable ones and they are exxy) and the stash is in the cupboard for babe 3. Just think with sposies every.single.change is 25-50c in the bin...and landfill.
I know the set up cost is frustrating, but once you are set.. its all done, except the Rockin green maybe but its awesome stuff.. and the sprayer holds some value, you can sell it on when you are done.

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Hey lovely :D

I've never used rocking green. Couldn't see the attraction. My nappies are onto child #2 and still going strong just with being washed with Omo.

I also rarely do hot washes - 99% of the time it would be cold. That is by choice but also the hot tap in our house that we moved into 12mths ago isn't working in the laundry so we went :dunno: and just always wash in cold.

I've also never used a little squirt. I use liners but if they are really bad, I flush them in the loo - sort of hold the top of the nappy and let the loo flush over the soiled part. Works a treat.

But with little man just being on BM, I don't see that you'd need a LS or liners yet.

Trust me - once you get yourself set up, you will see the financial rewards.

Oh and I've strip washed maybe half a dozen times in my nappying life and DD is 3!

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Pretty much the same here - generally wash in cold, haven't done that many strip washes, don't have a little squirt (we have a poo spoon), have not used liners.

ditto - especially with breastmilk poos. cold washes, normal wash powder, rarely strip wash, no liners.

My MCNs have lost their waterproofing so we use PVC covers (long story).
We also wash in warm water, but that's our choice. Probably will switch to cold once we move to our own place.

I've never strip washed, I just use Omo.

Also, we've always used liners (just the homebrand ones) because it makes DD feel a bit dryer. We don't throw them out everytime if she just has a pee, we wash them with the nappies. They last a few washes. If they are poopy, they go down the toilet.
It saves alot of stains and trying to rinse poop off the nappy.

I only ever washed in cold water, unless doing a strip wash. I did a strip wash when the nappies weren't as absorbent as usual, or got a bit stinky. Maybe every 4-6months.
I used either 1/2 amount of normal washing liquid/powder each wash, or soap nuts were really good, and bicarb did a great job too. Can't recommend enough sun, sun and a bit more sun :D I had a little squirt, well the DP home made Bunnings version ($45) ;) loved it, couldn't have done with out it!

Once the initial outlay is done, not forking out every week or fortnight for disposables will save you heaps. And those fluffy bum are soooo cute :D

Ok good.. You have stopped me from making my purchase lol.. I am currently using some sort of eco detergent so i think that will do and a little squirt can wait til later...

I just got caught up in all the info on the MCN sites.. They make you think if you don't do all this stuff the nappies wont last..

OP - I thought of just rinsing nappies in the loo but I use bloo loo so not sure if it would stain..

Does everyone here dry pail?? Also do you wash inserts and MCN's together? I have some nice MCN's and I washed them with terry flats and liners and now there's fluff all over them Grrr... I have decided I will wash the terry flats separate but what about the microfibre inserts? Do they leave fluff?

Errr yeah maybe not with the bloo loo :lol: That'd make your nappies all nice and pretty and blue!

Yep, dry pail. Cheap as, get one from Bunnings.

I generally wash all mine at once, but my terry flats are so flat now they don't leave fluff on anything. I don't think microfibre would leave fluff... not sure sorry!

Yeah there is a lot of hype on the MCN websites, just take it one step at a time and you'll figure out what to do!

ETA: definitely agree - only use half or less the amount of powder recommended... I use maybe a quarter or less of a scoop.

Dry pail here

I didn't have any trouble with inserts or flats being washed with fluffy outers - had trouble the time I washed with a bath mat which accidentally got pooed. Also had issues when I tried washing reusable liners.
I used flats as an extra layer/cover in the change table (and they're the pretty coloured ones); still use them on DS's bed as a change area (he refused to use the change table soon after he turned one so we swapped to a flat on the bed - hates being up high at childcare to get a clean bum there too)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so sorry if I'm confusing you ;)

Dry pail here too. No hot washes except for a strip wash which happens once every few months. What size is your little man fitting?

Yep I dry pail, picked up a cheapie bucket from kmart. If I use washing powder I use a quarter scoop of Eco store in a cold wash and then I hang them in the sun, I love the sun! I don't use Terry flats but I do know that Terry towelling causes microfleece to pill, learnt that the hard way.


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone

I dry pailed and washed everything together except terry flats. I don't think I'd risk bloo loo on the mcns. You could alwways go the trusty poo spoon :D I had a poo spoon with DS1&2 way back in the day. Didn't know of such wonder as a little squirt then :p But the spoon stayed in the laundry and was different to the normal desert spoons etc in the kitchen, strictly a poo spoon :D

It appears I have an addiction. I should be in bed but no.... I am buying nappies. Can't resist a bargain!!!! ;)

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It appears I have an addiction. I should be in bed but no.... I am buying nappies. Can't resist a bargain!!!! ;)

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Hahaha it happens :p fluffy mail is so exciting!!!

I know!!!! The OSFM nappies I have are still too big. These nappies I have purchased are NB ones so I figure I can re sell them when he grows out of them.. That's how I justify it anyway Lol

Until dd was about 6 months old I thought I definitely wasn't saving anything! But dd is almost 1, and I haven't bought anything nappy related for months. Loving it!

I only use the chinese cheapie mcns, which were about $6 each.
each wash costs us 7c in power/water/detergent (use wool wash occasionally, and our usual front loader powder)
If I used disposables it would have been around 5 per day (on special 30c each, so $1.50/day, $45 a month)
My DD is 22 months = $990 for disposables
for cloth I have 30 in rotation at $6 each ( $180) and $462 for washing so Im still at half price, and the MCNs will definitely last at least another year for bellyfruit (maybe to toilet training as well)

dry pail here too! Also breastmilk poos don't need a little squirt as you can put them straight into the washing machine and just do a rinse cycle before the wash and a cold wash is fine.

I got totally addicted too but then after a while, the nappies fit for ages and you sort of have to wean yourself off buying them or keep selling and rotating. The best thing is that nappies hold their value really well in my opinion :)

Yep to drypail. I wash on 40 degree wash with no detergent at all. Every few washes I'll add 1/2 a scoop of regular aldi laundry powder. I do a strip wash every 3 -4 months when the nappies start getting a bit smelly. I wash all mine together. After a while, they do stop losing fluff.

I must say I love my little squirt. While it's not absolutely essential, it does make life a LOT easier!

The smaller nappies will be able to be resold & you would probably get what you paid for them if you got them 2nd hand. Unless you have a very petite baby, he'll outgrow them very quickly! My medium magicalls are a different story - they've been worn to death! I had DS in them for over a year & DD has been using them for about 6 months now. I don't think I'll be able to sell them. I do have some OSFM ones that I think will last the distance though. I must admit, I spent a bit much to start with as I bought a lot of nappies new, sized nappies, different brands that I didn't end up liking. Even buying them on special, it added up. I could have saved a fortune had I stuck to one brand OSFM with a few small ones for NB stage. Even with that extra expense though, I think I would have saved money compared to using disposables full time. I certainly could have spent a lot more too - there are some gorgeous WAHM nappies that are so beautiful but I couldn't justify the cost, even 2nd hand.

Yep good luck with trying to stop now....

I've been doing cloth near on 6 years now. I've only ever washed in cold. I've had to do very infrequent strip washes using hot. I've never had a little squirt, but like one of the PPs I do have an allocated, laundry based poo spoon. Got that idea of ~Raven~ years ago. I have seriously never encountered a problem. I also dry pail without rinsing. I don't use a lid on my bucket though as the ammonia builds up and destroys both PUL and elastic over time.

My Dh attached a LS attachment to our loo, there are lots of instructions on how to do it out there, and they are really handy. Parts cost around $30 and even though we don't have kids in nappies it's still attached and I use it to clean the bath :rofl: It's hard not to go crazy with nappies but I think I built up to around 15-18 nappies in rotation and washed every 2 days. Worked well for me - I used GKs mainly and was able to rotate the inserts as the pockets dried a lot faster. I also didn't start using them full time until he was around 3 mths old but then used them until he was 2. It doesn't feel like a saving for a while because of the outlay initially but for us we noticed it as we were used to buying nappies for DD as well and realised that every time we bought hers we weren't buying his it was a big saving. I only ever strip washed a few times and really didn't find a big difference, I washed in hot water occasionally with some eucalyptus oil or a tiny bit of regular powder like ecochoice that I used anyway. I don't think you need specific powders etc but thats just MO!

Good luck!

Dry pail. Cold wash. No strip wash. Only prob was elastic needed replacing in pocket nappies after 2 years.
Love cloth.

If you want to do cloth on the cheap, I recommend getting some OSFM pocket shells, and buy double the number of inserts. The shells dry in record time, the inserts take a whole day for me. I would spend the money on decent bamboo boosters and use cheap pockets. IMHO.