Beginners guide to reusable cloth nappies

Everything you need to know to get started with reusable cloth nappies

New to cloth and unsure where to start?

We’ve all been there! If you’ve got some burning questions, our FAQs section has you covered.

If you’d like to dive in for some further reading, here’s our handy beginner’s guide to:

Why use reusable cloth nappies? What are the benefits, pros and cons?
Are reusable nappies really better for the environment?
What is the cost of reusable vs disposable nappies?
Which type of cloth nappy is right for my baby?
Where can I buy cloth nappies? Can I buy second hand or use a nappy hire service?
How do I wash and care for my cloth nappies?
Glossary of terms

… and much more!

Your cloth nappy FAQs answered

What do I need to get started with cloth nappies?

You really don’t need a whole lot to get started with cloth, and you can always add to your kit if you find you need more as you go along.

Here is a handy list of the basics:

Your cloth nappies. See below for a guide to how many.

Baby wipes. If you are going cloth, around 25 – 30 is a good number

An airy basket or two to dry pail your dirty and pre-washed nappies. Kmart often has suitable plastic baskets which are easy to wash

Wet bags to store your clean and used nappies when you are out and about. In reality, you probably only need two or three, but I find they are handy for soiled clothes, wet swimwear, and a million other things! I like to have a couple of larger wet bags with two zips – one for 3-4 clean nappies, and one for soiled. Or if you prefer to keep your soiled nappies separate, one of the smaller wet bags that fits 1-2 nappies (particularly once bubs is a bit older and changing less frequently) works perfectly.

A change mat or two. Some people like a thicker change mattress/table set up at home, but the thin fold-up change mats are essential for the nappy bag when out and about and are also handy for around the house if you can’t be bothered going to the nursery to change a nappy every time.

A nappy bag to fit it all in! This is definitely a personal choice, but just offering a free tip from my own experience: As a first-time mum I chose some trendy-patterned over-the-shoulder tote that ended up being a pain in the butt to carry or finding anything when I was doing the juggle. Once bubs was on the move especially, I transitioned to a backpack with multiple compartments and never looked back!

Wash detergent. Most usual store-bought detergents will work fine, but it’s worth checking out Clean Cloth Nappies’ detergent index if you’d like specific recommendations.

Some other items you may like, but aren’t necessary (particularly in the beginning) include:

Stay-dry disposable bamboo liners (lay inside the nappy to catch solids)

Your preferred contraption to help remove poo (yep – that’s a thing!). Can be as simple as a silicone brush poop remover, or a nappy spray gun such as the Little Squirt.

How many cloth nappies do I need?

The number of nappies you need will depend on a few factors such as:

whether you are using cloth full-time or part-time,
the age of your baby (as your child grows they will require fewer nappy changes)
how often you intend to wash your nappies (i.e. daily, or every 2-3 days)
how long it takes to dry them depending on your climate and whether or not you intend to use a dryer.

Newborns need changing more frequently – generally every couple of hours, including overnight when they wake for feeds. Therefore you will probably go through around 10 – 12 reusable nappies per day. If you are washing every second day, you will probably need around 24-36 cloth nappies for full-time use for a newborn.

Older babies and toddlers will not need changing as often. Although there is no hard and fast rule, most people find themselves changing nappies closer to 3 – 4 hours during the day (obviously earlier if there is a poo). They also may not need to change at all overnight if they have a suitable night nappy. In these cases, around 20 – 25 cloth nappies would be a suitable stash for full-time cloth if you are washing every second day, as this should give you enough nappies to cycle through while you are washing and drying one load.

Of course, the above can vary based on the factors listed earlier. I have a mix of microfibre (pocket nappies) and thicker bamboo inserts (All-in-Ones and -Twos). On a sunny Queensland day, the microfibre inserts will easily dry within a couple of hours, whereas the bamboo might take around 6-8 to fully dry.

In colder climates or during the wet season when air-drying inside (I don’t own a dryer) the thicker bamboo inserts can take a couple of days to completely dry. Therefore you may find you need more nappies, and some people consider around 36 nappies to be a good stash. However, there is no harm in building up your stash slowly and keeping some disposables on hand as a backup until you work out your routine.

If you will have more than one child in cloth at a time then you may wish to read this article for other considerations.

Ultimately, it is up to your family and your routine. Wash routines will be more economical when washing a full load of nappies, however, it can be wise to get started slowly with just a few nappies and work your way up to a full stash to give yourself time to work out your routine and your preferred style of nappies. Just a warning though – the cute styles and prints can be a little addictive, so many people find themselves with a sizeable stash over the years!

Can I use cloth nappies part-time?

Absolutely! Many committed cloth users successfully use cloth nappies full time, and it can be easier than you think once you have your full stash and wash routine established. However, it is perfectly fine to use them on a part-time basis.

Families may choose to use cloth nappies on a part-time basis for several reasons, e.g.

Using reusables at home, and disposables when out and about or away on holidays
Using reusables during the day and disposables at night
Using reusables only on certain days depending on work and daycare routines, which may impact how often you can wash your nappies.

Ultimately, work out whatever is manageable for you and your family situation. It certainly doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, unwell, or have a change in routine then please don’t beat yourself up, you can always use disposables for a short period and revert to cloth again when you’re ready. It is infinitely better to switch to disposable nappies in the short term if you’re needing a break, rather than pushing yourself and ending up abandoning reusable nappies altogether.

Although full-time cloth use might be the ideal, the goal is to reduce the number of disposable nappies going to landfill and so every single reusable nappy you use will support that aim!

Which type of cloth nappy is best?

When I was new to cloth, this was one of my biggest questions. Choosing between all the options when I didn’t understand the differences, pros, and cons between each style was very overwhelming: pocket nappies, All-in-Ones, All-in-Twos, flats, prefolds, hybrids – agh! That’s why we’ve developed this article to give you a simple overview of features, pros, and cons to help you decide for yourself.

What is the best age to start using cloth nappies?

Many people wonder if they can start using reusable nappies right from birth or if there is an optimal time to start.

The great news is you can start using cloth nappies whenever you like! It really is up to you, and what works best for you and your family. Some people use them from day one, and others start after a few months, or even older.

Many families find themselves using reusable nappies for subsequent children, even if they used disposables for their first child.

Personally, my partner and I were very enthusiastic and committed to giving cloth a good go. We were also a little hesitant as so many people scoffed at us when we mentioned we intended to use cloth and told us we’d never stick to it. As we had no idea what to expect, I decided to buy one pack of disposables and give myself a chance to get used to having a newborn before I tackled the cloth nappies. Within a week of my son’s birth, I found myself keen to jump in after all of my research and having prepped my nappy and laundry setup.

We worked our way up from using them at home, to then using them while out, and even on holidays where feasible. Almost four years and two children later, I’m happy to report that we proved our doubters wrong and we’re dedicated cloth converts. It certainly doesn’t need to be as difficult as people make out, and read on for some tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way.

A note on using cloth nappies from birth: You don’t necessarily need specific nappies for a newborn as they are in them for such a short time, however, the one-size-fits-most (OSFM) can be a little trickier to get a good fit, even with the newborn fit hacks that many brands offer. See this article on using cloth nappies for newborns for tips and recommendations.

But what about all the extra washing?

I get it – this is probably one of the biggest hesitations I hear about reusables versus disposables. You’re already concerned by all the well-meaning warnings about sleepless nights, not showering until the afternoon (if at all) and the million-and-one items you’ll need every time you leave the house – why make it even harder for yourself?!

Many people also imagine a heap of stinking nappies soaking in buckets about the place, although happily, that is no longer the recommended way to wash. Head over to this page for a rundown of wash basics.

However, it’s really not that hard – it’s about getting a system set up that works. I found that I could add the rest of the baby clothes to the main wash, so it was actually only an extra pre-wash that I was doing every 1-2 days, which only takes a couple of minutes to throw on first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

I won’t lie, there is a bit of extra hanging and folding with the nappies, but again I found ways to work this in with my routine like bringing bubs out in the bouncer for a bit of sunshine while I hung them out on the line. There was also a huge sense of satisfaction seeing all those cute prints hanging out on the line, and knowing I was minimising some of the impacts on the environment, and saving money at the same time!

Plus, living in an upstairs apartment complex with no lift, a huge bonus was not having bins full of stinking waste that I would have to run down two flights of stairs with a newborn to empty. I’m sure our neighbours thanked us too! This brings us to the next question…

What do you do with poo in reusable nappies?

Ok, let’s cut to the case and discuss poo since I know it’s a frequent ‘sticking point’ (pun intended) for people when thinking about cloth!

When changing a dirty nappy, you simply:

roll or scrap off any solid poo and flush it down the toilet.
The nappy itself goes into a bucket or basket to wait for the pre-wash (this is called ‘dry pailing’ – see our wash guide for further info).
If there is any soiling on the nappy itself you can rinse it off before adding it to your dry pail to avoid staining. This doesn’t have to be done immediately if you are out or busy and doesn’t have to be a big process, as the prewash is designed to get rid of any remaining poo or urine.

Let’s face it – while the thought might be icky now, whether you use reusables or disposables you will be dealing with poo and will be a pro before you know it!

What many people don’t realise is that technically, you should also flush solids from disposable nappies. Unfortunately most parents dispose of the poo in the waste together with the nappies which only serves to compound the landfill issue.