For one thing.. they're so damn cute!!
They're also...
Better for the Environment
This is the main reason why I choose to use Modern Cloth Nappies (MCNs). It makes me feel a little less guilty as I know that around 5 million tons of disposables are deposited into landfills each year. I also don't have to worry about smelly nappies filling up our bin.
Cheaper
It cost me about $250-$300 for the initial set-up, but I'd be spending a lot more than that (up to $1500) on disposables in the long run. I can also reuse them for the next bub/s or lend them to family/friends who want to try them out on their little ones. I could even sell them if I wanted to!
Gentle on their skin
Because the nappies are made of natural cotton fibers, their skin can breathe easier which results in less nappy rash (78% of babies in disposables get nappy rash, as opposed to 7% of cloth nappy babies). It also feels nice and soft against their delicate skin and doesn't have any harsh chemicals that can cause allergic reactions.
Better for Toilet Training
Apparently toddlers can't feel wetness as much in disposables as they can with cloth so it's harder to toilet train them. Obviously this doesn't affect me now, but it's good to know that it's beneficial later on.
At first, I was a bit skeptical and worried about the...
Laundry
I was anticipating it to be messy and time-consuming, when in reality it's no different than washing their clothes that have spit-up, wee and poop on them (poonami!). I wash them every 2 or 3 days depending how quickly he goes through them. I use the flushable liners (which I either flush or put in the bin along with dirty baby wipes) so there's no need to soak them. Just tip the wet bags upside down into the washing machine, put on 90 degrees with napisan and sensitive detergent and you're done. They come out super clean, I haven't had one stain yet!
Leakage
I was worried that the MCNs would leak all the time, but they don't. Don't get me wrong, they do leak sometimes but that's inevitable.. just like disposables leak.
The only downside of using MCNs for me is..
Travelling
If I can go somewhere that I can wash them, then i'll continue to use them. But sometimes that's not an option so disposables are much more practical.
Carrying them in my Nappy Bag
I only ever leave the house with disposables in my nappy bag because MCNs take up too much space in my bag and I could be using those MCN's as opposed to having them packed away.
Using MCN's 90% of the time and disposables for the other 10% works for me. After trying out a number of different types, I've decided that the
Cutie Bum Nappies (above) are my favourite. They're cute, super soft and easy to use (and no this isn't a sponsored post.. I just love these nappies!).
The choice to use disposables or cloth is entirely up to you, but if you're curious about cloth nappies, I say give them a try, they're not as scary as you think!
xx
