Cotton Nappies: The Pros and Cons
November 11, 2008
Image by Dazed81 via Flickr
Are you thinking of using cotton nappies (baby cloth diapers)? Here are some thoughts on the disposable versus cloth debate.
Real Nappies (Cotton Nappies) or Disposables – The Debate
I’m sure you have heard some of the debate surrounding real nappies, whether you should use them, the environmental impact of disposables and so on. Well, this short summary provides, what I believe to be, a balanced view of the pros and cons of real nappies.
This is not designed to be a complete dissertation on real nappies v disposables, it is an overview – succinct and to the point.
Advantages of Real Nappies
* Can reduce waste – up to 50% of a “one-baby” households waste is made up of disposable nappies. In the UK alone over 8 million nappies are disposed of daily and traditional disposable nappies take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
* Estimates show that the cost of using real nappies are half that of using disposable nappies – so if counting the pennies is a priority then this could be a worthwhile option.
* You can re-use real nappies for a second or third child and it is not uncommon to see real nappies being sold on the likes of ebay.
* There are lots of different styles, colours and sizes of nappies available therefore from an aesthetic point of view you have more choice with real nappies.
* Modern real nappies are just as quick to change as disposables, with no safety pins in sight as they come pre-shaped, with either poppers or Velcro.
Cons of Real Nappies
* Added washing – which does take time (unless you use a nappy washing service).
* Space requirement for drying nappies – either you use the tumble drier, hang them outside when the weather is good or pop them on a drying frame or radiator. Do remember that some nappies will dry quicker than others so do bear this in mind when making your buying decision.
* Upfront cost – you are likely to have to make a slightly larger up from investment to buy real nappies – although in the medium to long term they are the more economical option.
Do remember that it is not an all or nothing – a lot of people choose to mix real nappies with eco-friendly biodegradable nappies, which can be a more convenient or effective option at night time or while travelling. Most importantly you need to be comfortable with your choice of nappy.
There are plenty of sites on the internet where you can buy real nappies, as well as eco-friendly biodegradable disposable nappies. Have a look at www.smileybaby.co.uk
Real nappies are also extremely comfy for your little one while taking part in their daily activities. To find out more about parent and baby activities in the UK have a look at www.busylittleones.
Graham Nicoll is a father of one, Toby, a keen entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast.
He enjoys writing and working with people to help them achieve greater success in their life. Whether this be overcoming mental roadblocks or helping them improve their health and wellbeing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Looking for baby cloth diapers? Try Ebay:
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=84db98a9-314b-477e-95f8-1a476bd58b03)
My husband and I are starting to plan for our first born. As we have been reading about the diapering options, we have become sad to experience so much difficulty finding something that is both good for the planet, and good for our baby. Because this will be our first, we wanted to start off with something a little easier and have been considering the gdiapers. However, the more i read the more i grow concerned about the chemical leaking onto my baby’s skin.
Is there really ANYTHING out there that is good for first time parents?
@Heather: You’ll be surprised how easy cloth diapering can be! Consider using a cloth diaper service – they take care of washing and drying the nappies. All-in-one diapers are as convenient as disposable but can be washed and reused. As for diaper covers, I find wool diaper covers to be the easiest to use. They don’t need to be washed unless soiled or no longer absorbent because of wool’s natural antibacterial properties. And wool lets baby’s skin breathe, unlike plastic covers. HTH!