How to use reusable nappies

By using washable nappies you’ll be helping save the planet and saving yourself money. Every day in the UK around 8 million disposable nappies go into landfill and can take hundreds of years to decompose. So although you’ll use some energy washing and drying the nappies (unless you can hang them outside to dry) they’re still much kinder to the planet. 

Plus you can save up to £750 compared to the cost of disposable, because once you’ve bought them they’ll last until your baby’s in pants! You can even try them for free using the voucher in your Baby Box. Many councils have schemes to support the use of reusable nappies so it’s worth checking your council’s website to see what’s available in your area.

Of course you can always mix and match using some disposable and some reusable nappies – even using one reusable nappy regularly will save a lot of rubbish going into landfill and could save you money too.

There are lots of different styles of reusable nappy. Some come ‘all-in-one’, similar to a disposable nappy, whereas others come in two parts – an outer, waterproof layer and an absorbent inner layer. 

When your baby needs the nappy changed, simply remove the all-in-one nappy or inner layer, flush any solids down the loo and then put it in a laundry basket ready to be washed. The outer layer only needs changed twice a day, unless it gets mucky. You can then wash the inner layers every two or three days.

If you’re using washable nappies all the time, you’ll probably need around 15-20. But if you’re mixing with disposables you won’t need that many.

Many nurseries and childminders are happy for children in their care to use washable nappies. Just make sure you provide a bag for them to put the liners in once they’ve been used, then you can take them home and wash them.

You can read more about disposable nappies on NHS Inform’s Ready Steady Baby and the Which? website.