Orkney Nappy Library

02/05/2024

🧼🚿WASHING CLOTH NAPPIES🚿🧼

Cloth nappies are extremely dirty laundry. They need to be properly washed to keep you and your baby safe and comfortable. Luckily, modern washing machines make this very easy.

Surprisingly, correct laundering of cloth nappies can cause heated debate - especially in online forums.

I have done an enormous amount of research and experimentation since taking over the Orkney Nappy Library in March 2023, and then having my own baby in July 2023. Consequently, I cannot recommend the wash routines recommended by most UK cloth nappy retailers and support groups because they won’t achieve reliably clean nappies.

The Orkney Nappy Library now recommends following the laundry guidelines laid out by Clean Cloth Nappies. Their advice is supported by science and has been repeatedly shown to be effective and safe by thousands of families and scientists. It also aligns with current NHS advice.

You can find their website at www.cleanclothnappies.com - it is full of helpful advice grounded in science to help you achieve an excellent nappy clean. They also have a wonderful Facebook support group in which you can seek personalised help and guidance. I highly recommend reading their washing page in full to help you to set up a bulletproof wash routine. I have attached some of their laundry guides to this post.

This isn't intended to criticise anyone whose laundry routine doesn't align with CCN guidelines - everyone is, of course, free to launder their nappies as they wish, and other methods may still achieve a good clean. However, as custodian of the Orkney Nappy Library, I must provide our users with the advice that I truly believe to be the safest and most effective. As the CCN admins always say: when we know better, we do better 😊❤️

02/05/2024

If you’re using flat nappies, or certain styles of fitted nappies, you will need a way of fastening them. You can still buy traditional nappy pins, but Nappy Nippas (also called Snappis or nappy fasteners) are a safer modern alternative. They are 3-pronged rubber devices with plastic prongs that grip onto the nappy fabric without poking baby.

Vest extenders help make your baby’s vests and bodysuits fit for longer. They popper on to the existing poppers and add length. Cloth nappies do add bulk in the bum area - although often not as much as parents think - and extenders mean that vests fit better for longer over cloth nappies.

02/05/2024

If you’re already using cloth nappies, it’s no more work to use cloth wipes. If you’re not using cloth nappies, then cloth wipes can be the perfect way to test the waters and see how you like reusables.

Cloth wipes are usually made from cotton or bamboo towelling. You can pre-wet them and keep them in an airtight container, or you can wet them as you go. They often outperform disposable wipes when cleaning because they hold more water.

You can buy products to lightly fragrance or add cleaning power to your wipes. Some brands recommend essential oils for fragrance but I must advise against this as they are often not safe for baby’s skin. Plain water is absolutely fine and will clean just like, if not better than, a disposable wipe.

02/05/2024

Nappy storage is important. Many people worry about smells at home or leaks when out and about, and that can put them off trying cloth nappies. Cloth nappy care advice has also changed a lot since that days our our parents and grandparents, and science has helped us to improve our storage and washing methods.

DRY PAILING

Dirty nappies should be dry pailed - this means kept in a dry container. Soaking is unnecessary because it damages the nappies, and poses a seriously unhygienic drowning risk. It does not help reduce stains or smells, and can even worsen them.

At home, you may choose to use a lidded bucket lined with a mesh laundry bag, a wet bag, or an airy basket - opinions on this differ. I will discuss this more the next post on best laundry practices.

WET BAGS

Out and about, a wet bag is the best option. Wet bags are zipped bags made from PUL - the same material as nappy wraps. They keep dirty nappies from leaking onto anything else in your bag.

You can get single or double zipped bags - some people keep clean nappies in one compartment and dirty in the other.

Some people keep clean nappies in a nappy pod, which is simply a structured wet bag, and can also be used for dirty nappies.

Whatever system you come up with, a wet bag is usually essential kit.

01/05/2024

Cloth nappies have come a long way since the days of universal flat terry nappy use - modern cloth nappies (MCNs) are much more like disposables in terms of fit and convenience. I personally still love flat nappies (absorbent, cheap, easy to care for!) but I also really enjoy having some MCNs in the mix to make life easier. There are 3 main types:

🌼 Pocket nappies
🌼 All-in-twos (AI2s)
🌼 All-in-ones (AIOs)

We have a good selection of these styles for you to trial :)

SIZING

Flat nappies are folded to the correct size, or put into a wrap of the correct size in a pad fold, and fitted nappies usually come in sizes 1, 2 and 3. However most MCNs come in a 'birth-to-potty' (BTP) size - this means they should fit your baby from newborn all the way until they are ready to potty train.

In reality, most BTP nappies are too big for newborns, even on their smallest setting - this is where a specific newborn MCN or a flat nappy is so useful - but they will fit from about 6-8 weeks old. They use poppers to adjust the rise, which dictates how long they are and how big the leg holes are.

29/04/2024

So far, I've only discussed two-part nappies.

Two-part nappies all require waterproof wraps over the top of the absorbent nappy. Two-part nappies include:
Flat nappies (terries, muslins, prefolds, preflats)
FItted / shaped nappies

PUL WRAPS

Modern nappy wraps are usually made of PUL fabric. This is a synthetic fabric with a heat-fused very thin layer of plastic. This means that wraps are breathable yet waterproof.

Wraps are washed along with nappies in the machine, and you only need to change them 3-4 times a day, or when soiled.

WOOL WRAPS

Wool wraps are also available - these are the traditional option. They need to be lanolised to keep them waterproof, and this is generally done once a month.

Wool wraps need to be hand washed, but they don’t need to be washed nearly as often as PUL wraps. They just need to be aired after a few uses to let moisture evaporate.

Wool is extremely good at keeping moisture in as it is so absorbent, and it is also a good temperature regulator. Many families swear by wool wraps even though they require a little extra maintenance.

29/04/2024

In terms of convenience, fitted nappies are the next step up from flats like terries/muslins, prefolds and preflats. They don't require any folding and come with a variety of fastening options depending on the brand (nappy nippa, poppers, or velcro).

Fitted nappies are usually super absorbent and come with attached boosters or pockets to slip them into, which makes them great for night time or heavy wetters. They are generally made from towelling fabrics like cotton or bamboo terry.

Fitted (or shaped) nappies are sewn into a shape that looks very much like a disposable when laid flat - they don’t require any folding at all. You simply put them on your baby as you would a disposable, and then fasten them.

They can be fastened with a nippa (like flat nappies), with poppers, or with velcro. All fastening styles are adjustable so that you can get the best fit for your baby as they change and grow.

They are very absorbent but, like flat nappies, still need a wrap over the top to keep things dry.

24/04/2024

Seeing as we are celebrating the flat nappy in particular today, it seems appropriate to share this wonderfully generous giveaway from Littlepants Nappies and Wool Nappy Covers :)

24/04/2024

📣 The BIG RNW Giveaway is here!
With a prize worth over £500, will you be lucky enough to win?

Enter via the Reusable Nappy Week website by answering our simple question and be in with a chance of winning this incredible bundle from some of our beloved nappy brands.

Visit reusablenappyweek.org.uk to enter

Please be aware of scam accounts - Reusable Nappy Week Official will contact the winner via email once the giveaway has closed.
We will never ask for your personal details via DM 💚

* Terms and conditions apply; please see website for full details
* You must be over 18 to enter the prize draw
* Open to UK only (sorry to all of our international followers!)
* Not affiliated with Meta or any related brands

24/04/2024

Some excellent information from our pals at Orkney Waste and Recycling 🌿♻️👶

As adults enter the adventure of parenthood with our new arrivals, it is extremely easy to go straight for disposable nappies, there is a lot going on and lots to learn, so they have their place. However, there is a bigger draw to being prepared for the newborn’s future, not just now but beyond nappy time.
There is a lot of talk about a circular economy, and disposable nappies are a fitting example of what that does not look like.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation almost forty million tons of waste is produced each year by nappies. It takes 248.5 million barrels of crude oil to make 167 billion disposable nappies which creates 34.8 million tons of solid waste for landfill or incineration. An absolute linear economy Take, Make, Waste.
Here in Orkney one of the biggest contributors, to additional capacity requests from households is nappies, using reusable will reduce this and your general waste. Have a chat with the Orkney Nappy Library and see if it would suit you better.
https://www.facebook.com/orkneynappylibrary

24/04/2024

Flat nappies reimagined: Prefold Nappies and Preflat Nappies. These are flat nappies that are more absorbent or easier to fold/put on the baby than a traditional flat nappy. They can represent a great balance between affordability and ease of use.

Great news - we have LOADS of prefolds in the Orkney Nappy Library. Why not hire them along with some MCNs? (Modern Cloth Nappies - more on these soon!) Just £5 per month at the moment.

Prefold nappies:

https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/folding-prefold-nappies.html

https://aboderie.co.uk/blog/cloth-nappies-on-a-budget-using-prefolds-and-muslins

Like flat nappies, prefold nappies are also flat squares of fabric, but they have a thicker pad in the centre containing more layers of fabric - this makes them very absorbent on their own. They can be used like a normal flat nappy.

They are also often folded into a pad and slipped inside a modern wrap - a bit like a sanitary pad inside underwear. This makes them a very easy to use option whilst still being more economical and quicker drying than modern styles of cloth nappies.

They are secured with a nappy nippa and a waterproof wrap is put on top.

Preflat nappies:

https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/preflat-nappies.html

https://clothbums.com.au/blogs/news/preflats-what-are-they-and-how-to-use-them

Preflats are similar, but are shaped like a ‘T’ - this makes them easier to put on than traditional flat nappies as they’re always already partially folded.

They are usually used with boosters (thicker pads of absorbent fabric) slipped inside them to increased absorbency. The great thing about this method is that you can add different boosters to suit your baby.

Like flats and prefolds, they’re secured with a nappy nippa and a PUL or woollen wrap is put on top to keep baby dry.

24/04/2024

The first style of nappy that I'm going to discuss are the oldest, most traditional style: flat nappies. These nappies are folded before being put onto baby.

Although the world of cloth nappies has come a long way since these were used for every baby until the advent of the disposable in 1949, they are still an extremely reliable option. They also happen to my personal favourite because they are cheap to buy, easy to wash, quick to dry, easy to customise to the baby, and super absorbent.

Helpful links on how to use and fold these are:
https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/how-to-use-a-terry-nappy.html

https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/terry-nappy-square-folds-advice/ultimate-terry-nappies-folding-guide.html

https://clothnappygeek.co.uk/index.php/terry-squares/

You can read what I have to say in the post images, but I'll also post it below for convenience:

Flat nappies are the simplest and most traditional style.

They are flat squares of fabric, usually cotton terry towelling, that are folded to fit a baby.

They are secured using a ‘nappy nippa’ - a stretchy rubber device with plastic prongs that grip onto the fabric (seen in the image). They are very secure and are much safer than using nappy pins.

A waterproof PUL wrap is placed over the top to keep baby dry. Some people use lanolised wool wraps instead.

Cotton muslin flats are also used, especially for newborns because they are very slim and soft.

9 months old and I can now fold a nappy one-handed in about 15 seconds! Popular folds include; Jo fold, bat fold, and kite fold.

Different folds suit different babies - some are better for boys, some for girls, or slim babies or chunky babies. You can experiment to find the best one for you, and this may change over time too.

The Nappy Lady website has a great section on folding nappies - I have linked it in the main post. There are also videos on YouTube.