10 Reasons To Use Cloth Nappies

Today, more and more parents are turning to cloth nappies for their children, each with their own set of unique reasons. While many people think that using cloth is too much work or too expensive, these rumours simply aren’t true and there are many reasons why you should consider making the switch. Here at The Friendly Eco we have 10 top reasons to convince you...

1. Reusable nappies are better for the environment – using disposables means sending a lot of waste to landfill - think at least 5,000 nappies per child! Using cloth even part time reduces this considerably, as well as reducing your use of plastics and the packaging used in producing disposable nappies.
2. They’re easy! Once you’re established, cloth nappies are just as easy to use as disposables. No soaking or scrubbing, just store in a nappy pail until wash day then throw in the washing machine, exactly like your clothes!
3. They save you money – although there is an initial investment in buying the right types of nappy for your child, after this you will make massive savings on disposable nappies. These savings become even more obvious with future children too as you already have the kit!
4. No changing sizes - The most common size, ‘Birth to Potty’ nappies can last through any stage that your baby or toddler goes through until potty training! You also never need to worry about running out again.
5. Less nappy rash! Thanks to breathable materials & proper fit - babies who wear cloth nappies have a much lower chance of developing skin rashes due to their excellent air circulation which prevents moisture from trapped against the skin all day long.
6. Reusable nappies are cuter! You can get fun prints, styles and colours that you never could with disposables.
7. Less stinky - that classic ‘dirty nappy’ smell is the result of baby’s wee and poo reacting with the chemical gel inside of a disposable nappy. Take the gel away and the natural materials of modern cloth nappies mean they don’t stink like disposable nappies. There is no denying that cloth does have a nice fresh scent in comparison to chemicals involved in making disposables.
8. They’re comfortable - cloth nappies are designed to fit snugly around the waist and legs, with a fleecy lining creating a nappy good enough for a prince or princess.
9. No worry about materials! Disposable nappies contain chemicals that could be absorbed by your child's skin which can cause irritation or even illness if exposed for too. Many babies are allergic to the gels inside of modern disposables which is shown through persistent nappy rash. It is highly unlikely for your baby to have an allergy to a material used in cloth nappies, but if they do then you can simply use a different material!
10. No midnight trips to go buy more - just wash them with your baby’s clothes and you’ll never run out! I can’t count the number of times I’ve smugly walked past the nappy aisle in the supermarket.