Cloth nappies // How to choose the right cloth nappies?

So you’ve decided you want to give them a try but how do you choose the right cloth nappies? This is by far the hardest part. There is so much choice out there that it really is difficult to know where to start! There are a few different options when it comes to cloth nappies; firstly, two part or all-in-one.

Two part nappy

Choosing the right cloth nappy - two part nappy

A two part nappy has the absorbent inner nappy separate from a waterproof outer wrap. The absorbent nappy can either be shaped (more like a disposable) or you can use terry squares (like my mum used on me!) or pre-folds (which fold into a pad which then sits inside the wrap). Read more

Cloth nappies // Why choose cloth nappies?

We’ve been using cloth nappies full time since Toby was seven weeks old. He wore them until potty training at three and a bit. With Gabe we started with cloth nappies at three days old and we’re still going strong 20 months later. But why choose cloth nappies? Starting out can be a bit of a minefield though so I thought I’d share a bit about our experience.

Cloth nappies on washing line - why choose cloth nappies

There are loads of reasons to choose cloth nappies over disposables.

Saving money

There were two main reasons we chose cloth; firstly the cost. Estimates can vary but if your baby wears nappies until they are two and a half years old (and Toby did another whole year after that!) they will probably use between five and six thousand nappies! Read more

Review: Tots Bots Joules EasyFit Star

When Tots Bots launched their redesigned all in one nappy back in March we were lucky enough to try out the new EasyFit Star. We loved the nappy then and it is still working brilliantly for us – especially on Toby. It still copes admirably with his massive toddler wees and we haven’t had any leaks, even after four or five hours of wear.

Tots Bots EasyFit Star in collaboration with Joules

When the EasyFit Star was launched it was available in block colours and three prints (Twinkle, Tweet and Treasure). Shortly after the new Rhyme Time prints were added to the range.

And this week Tots Bots are bringing you a fantastic new collaboration with top British brand Joules! There are two new prints available and we were sent the ‘Farmer Joules‘ to try. I’m really looking forward to seeing the other print ‘Annabella Floral‘ too – I reckon my boys could rock a bit of flower print too!

Two squishy bums in Tots Bots Joules EasyFit

The new Joules prints don’t change the amazing performance of the EasyFit Star – seriously I cannot tell you how much I rate this nappy (and I promise I’m not being paid to say that!) –  but they do add to the cuteness factor.

EasyFit Star from birth to potty

The Farmer Joules print features tractors, hay trailers, cows, ducks, sheep and chickens – Toby loved pointing out all the things you would see on the farm. The velcro, poppers and stitching are red and really complement the design.

Joules EasyFit Star

Toby and Gabe both seemed very comfortable in their EasyFit Stars – I think they look super cute with their matching bums!

Ten months and three years old in Tots Bots EasyFit Star with Joules

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured products in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

We're going on an adventure

Review: Tots Bots Happy Mat

You might have seen that we recently got chance to try out the new Tots Bots EasyFit Star, well for Real Nappy Week (which is this week if you didn’t know) Tots Bots have another new release – the Tots Bots Happy Mat.

Tots Bots Happy Mat all designs

This changing mat is made from waterproof PUL on one side and super soft absorbent minky on the other. The mat is called the Happy Mat because it takes the tears out of changing time – no more lying on cold, sticky PVC! It also has ties so it can be easily rolled and stored or popped in your changing bag.

Tots Bots Happy Mat

We were sent a Happy Mat in the new Red Riding Hood print which is backed with brown minky. The mat is also available in the other newly released Rhyme Time prints and has an RRP of £14.99. The mat is a great size – Gabe can lie on it completely and it’s still big enough to change Toby too.

Gabe on the Tots Bots Happy Mat

We have only really been using the Happy Mat at home. We have a standard changing mat upstairs but for the moment most of our nappy changes happen on the living room floor, because otherwise I would be constantly up and down the stairs! It’s great to have a changing mat that can just be rolled or folded and popped out of the way when we’re not using it. Before we got our new Tots Bots mat we were just using a thin plastic mat, which I think came in the Bounty pack when Toby was born so we were definitely due a replacement!

Tots Bots Happy Mat Red Riding Hood

Although I think the mat is designed to be used with the minky side up so it absorbs any wee incidents we’ve actually been using it with the PUL side on top. Neither of my boys tends to wee when they have their nappy off any more (Toby was terrible for it when he was a baby and on one memorable occasion managed to wee in his own eye!) and so it’s more useful to be able to wipe off anything untoward which if it got onto the minky side would probably necessitate a full wash. On that note though, the Happy Mat is machine washable and it’s super easy for me because I can just chuck it in with our nappy wash.

Toby on the Tots Bots Happy Mat

I love our new changing mat and I’m sure the boys appreciate having somewhere nice and soft and warm to lie when they have having their nappies changed!

 

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured product in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

We're going on an adventure

Review: Tots Bots EasyFit Star

Tots Bots are probably one of the most well known brands in the cloth nappy world. They are based in Glasgow and all their nappies are made in their factory there too. Today Tots Bots are launching their newest nappy; the EasyFit Star, and we were lucky enough to be sent some to try on Toby and Gabe before the launch.

EasyFit Star logo

We’ve been big fans of Tots Bots ever since Toby started wearing cloth nappies at seven weeks old. Both boys have always worn Tots Bots Bamboozles overnight and we really liked PeeNut when we tested them before their launch last year.

Tots Bots have had an all-in-one birth-to-potty nappy called the EasyFit for a long time. It has had several incarnations from the V1 through to the V4. We have had a couple of EasyFits – a V3 in one of their Frugi prints which was very cute but we found the minky fabric wasn’t very absorbent causing leaks after a few hours. We also had a V4 and I loved the dinosaur print. The V4 is made of ‘binky’ a mixture of minky and bamboo – it is more absorbent than the V3 but very bulky especially with the additional booster and was still prone to leaks around the legs.

When Tots Bots got in touch to say they were bringing out a new EasyFit I was super-keen to give it a thorough testing! And here it is….the new EasyFit Star!

Tots Bots EasyFit Star

For those of you familiar with previous versions of the EasyFit there have been quite a few changes this time, not just the material of the absorbent core.

So what has changed then? Here are some of the new features according to Tots Bots:

    • ‘No Escape’ Bamboo Buffer Zone – great performance, fewer changes
    • Clever stitch-free seams for maximum performance and no leaks

Bamboo buffer zone and stitch free seams

    • Slim-fitting

Slim fitting on a toddler

    • Ultra-soft bamboo core – the same fabric used in the Bamboozle Stretch

Same basic EasyFit design but with a bamboo core

  • Waterproof tummy zone – keeps wetness in the core of the nappy

The design of the EasyFit Star is essentially the same as previous EasyFits though – the nappy is all in one piece, you simply tuck the tail of the core into the pocket of the nappy. It also uses the same hook and loop fastening as all Tots Bots nappies and is a one size fits most nappy (from around 8-35lb).

EasyFit Star - Birth to potty nappy

Having used EasyFits before I was really hoping that Tots Bots had managed to fix some of the leaking and absorbency issues of previous versions. And do you know what? They have!

I am so impressed with these nappies. Tots Bots have obviously realised that the fabric they already use in their Bamboozles and the PeeNut pads is fantastic for absorbency so using it in the EasyFit Star makes total sense. The new design around the legs seems to really work to stop leaks too.

EasyFit Star on a 33lb toddler

We have been using the EasyFit Star on both Toby and Gabe for a few weeks now. Toby is now around 33lb so towards the upper end of the weight range but he’s super skinny so they still fit him well. At two and a half Toby is capable of doing some massive toddler wees and a nappy can go from being dry one minute to totally saturated, and often leaking, the next but we had no trouble with the EasyFit Star. One day I left it on him for about four and a half hours as a bit of an experiment. When I took it off the nappy was incredibly full but with a fleece liner Toby’s bottom was dry and we didn’t have any leaks! I told you I was impressed.

The super absorbent bamboo core does mean a slightly longer drying time than you might get from say a microfibre all-in-one – the EasyFit Star dried in about 18 hours on an airer in the kitchen. It takes longer to dry in the tumble drier than our microfibre nappies too, but not as long as the fully bamboo Bamboozle. I would be happy to sacrifice a fast drying time though, in return for the brilliant results we have had from this new EasyFit.

Gabe is happy in his EasyFit Star

The EasyFit Star has performed just as well on Gabe as it did on his brother. He currently weighs nearly 18lb but is also quite long and skinny. I tend to change Gabe more often than Toby anyway because he tends to poo more but again on one occasion I left the EasyFit Star on for over four hours and although the nappy was saturated Gabe had a dry bottom and there were no leaks. I don’t know if this is perhaps a bit too much information but both my boys do pretty solid poos most of the time so I can’t really comment on how the EasyFit Star would cope with a poo-splosion!

Slim fitting on a seven month old

The only downside I have found with this new offering from Tots Bots is something that I actually find affects all their nappies to some extent; the Velcro fastenings are quite wide and sit close to the top of the nappy. It is great Velcro and even after lots of washing (over two years worth on some of our Tots Bots) it holds its shape and stays sticky. However, I’ve found there is a window of a couple of months when babies are in that stage where they can sit unsupported but tend to lean forward quite a lot, where the Velcro can dig in or rub their tummies, as you can see in this picture of Gabe.

Tots Bots velcro issue on a just sitting baby

This isn’t a massive problem – it doesn’t affect little babies who are still lying down all the time, and it goes away once they can sit a bit better and have stronger core muscles so they can sit up straighter, but unfortunately Gabe is right at the stage where it’s a bit of a issue. Having said that, you can minimise the problem in the way you fit the nappy – pulling it higher at the front seems to help. And it totally wouldn’t put me off buying the EasyFit Star.

Overall I think this new Tots Bots nappy is fantastic. After four previous versions I think they have finally nailed it with the EasyFit Star – a super-absorbent, leak-free all-in-one nappy!

Tots Bots

The Tots Bots EasyFit Star is available now from Tots Bots direct and from their usual stockists.

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured products in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

**This post contains affiliate links

Review: Tickle Tots nappy

I haven’t really mentioned it for a while but I use cloth nappies full time with both Toby and Gabe. Toby started wearing cloth when he was about 7 weeks old and Gabe has been in them since he was just 3 days old. Having used cloth nappies for over two and a half years now we’ve worked out which ones work for us and of course we have our favourites. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like to try out a new nappy every now and again, especially when it’s new to the market. So when the people at Tickle Tots got in touch and asked if we’d like to try one of their nappies I was delighted to say yes.

Tickle tots

The Tickle Tots is an all in one nappy, meaning you can put it on as it is without the need for any extra covers or boosters. It has an absorbent core made from four layers of bamboo fleece terry which is part of the nappy. What is quite nifty about this nappy though is that it also has a pocket at the back meaning you can also add a booster if your little one needs extra absorbency, and I like the fact that a booster is included with the nappy. You can also use the pocket to turn the nappy inside out to help it dry more quickly.

Tickle tots features

This is a birth to potty nappy so it has poppers on the front to adjust the rise, and the velcro closure allows the tabs to be crossed for tiny babies. There are laundry tabs to stop the velcro sticking to other things in the wash and after a few weeks of use on both my boys the velcro seems to be holding up well so far.

Another great feature of the Tickle Tots nappy is its double gusset on the legs – which basically gives extra protection to avoid any leaks. It is especially helpful on smaller babies or those with skinny legs. The nappy also has a stay dry lining (although as we always use fleece liners I haven’t really tested that out).

Tickle tots Toby

I’ve been using the Tickle Tots nappy on both Toby and Gabe. Toby, at two and a half and 32lb wears the nappy on the largest rise but because he’s so skinny the velcro is still closed fairly tight. With the booster the nappy lasted about 3 hours on Toby which is about what I would expect. He did manage to leak out of it after a couple of hours on one occasion but then he does tend to do massive toddler wees these days and we can get leaks out of all his nappies sometimes!

Tickle tots toddler bum

Gabe, at six months and about 17lb wears the Tickle Tots nappy on the middle rise. Again, with the booster the nappy lasts about 3 hours which is what I would expect. I haven’t tried the nappy overnight with either boy as we tend to stick to two parters at night time but I think it would need quite a lot of extra boosting if it was going to last all night.

Tickle tots Gabe

Overall I really like the Tickle Tots nappy. It is very slim fitting, even with the booster which is great. It fits well on both my boys, although I will say it’s not as long as some other nappies and so I’m not sure how much longer Toby would comfortably fit in it. It has lots of great features as I’ve already mentioned.

Tickle tots baby bum

The only slight negatives for me are to do with the material of the absorbent core and booster. This bamboo terry seems quite dense, which I guess is how it can be so absorbent whilst still being slim fitting, but this means that when it is wet it gets quite rigid and stiff. It also makes adjusting the poppers on the front of the nappy a bit tricky. The nappy is also quite slow to dry – it took almost a day and a half on the airer in our kitchen. It can be tumble dried though and in the dryer takes about the same amount of time as our other bamboo nappies.

These are only minor niggles though and generally I think this is a great nappy, especially perhaps for those who are new to cloth nappies as it is so easy to use. The Tickle Tots nappy has an RRP of £16.99 which is fairly standard for an all in one nappy. They are available direct from Tickle Tots or from a variety of other nappy retailers.

 

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured product in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

We're going on an adventure

Review: Tots Bots PeeNut

Regular readers among you will know I am a massive fan of cloth nappies. Toby has been wearing cloth since he was about seven weeks old and Gabe was just three days old when he wore his first reusable nappy! We have a few brands of nappies that we use regularly – after a bit of trial and error in the early days we found what worked for us and have pretty much stuck to it ever since. Tots Bots Bamboozles have been our go to night nappies since we started with cloth so when we were given the opportunity to try a brand new nappy system from Tots Bots (and before it was even available to the public!) I was eager to give it a try.

PeeNut packaging

So what exactly have we been trying out? The new PeeNut from Tots Bots is a birth-to-potty, day-to-night nappy system. It is made up of a waterproof cover with pop-in inserts. The wraps and inserts will be available to buy separately or as a set (I will include some pricing info at the end of this post).  The wraps come in two sizes; size 1 fits from 6-18lb and size 2 from 9-35lb. Both sizes have Velcro fastening and poppers on the front which allow you to adjust the rise to fit smaller babies.

PeeNut size 1 and 2

The day-to-night inserts are a set of two bamboo boosters with poppers at one end. One insert is bigger than the other and this clever system allows you to use either of the inserts on their own or popper them together and use both, depending on the age of your baby and how heavy a wetter they are. The wraps have flaps at each end to keep the inserts in place and a wipe clean inside, so if the nappy is only wet you can change the inserts and reuse the cover – meaning less washing to be done!

PeeNut inserts

With two boys in cloth nappies we were sent two size 1 covers, four size 2 covers and eight day-to-night insert sets to try, along with a pack of fleece liners and a roll of disposable liners. Although the size 1 cover is suitable from 6lb it is still too big for my very skinny-legged boy so we haven’t been able to try the PeeNut out with Gabe just yet.

PeeNut on the bum

We have been using the PeeNut nappy system with Toby for a couple of weeks now though and so far I’m very impressed. Toby weighs 30lb at the moment so is towards the top end of the range for the size 2 covers but they are a great fit and probably will be for a good while yet. For daytime we have been using both inserts together and they have easily lasted three or four hours with no leaks. The real test for us though was night time. Toby usually sleeps for about 13 hours so his nappy really needs to be able to cope with that. As I mentioned before our usual night time nappy is a Tots Bots Bamboozle using the included bamboo booster and a hemp booster, covered with a Tots Bots Stretchy Wrap or a Blueberry Coverall. By morning the nappy and boosters are usually soaked and we quite often have small leaks from around the legs. I was slightly skeptical then that the PeeNut would be able to cope overnight with Toby’s toddler wees. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I used both inserts, with the top one folded in half towards the front and our usual hemp booster underneath and we haven’t had any leaks at all! All the inserts have been soaked by morning but we haven’t even had a slight damp patch. Toby seems very comfortable too – the PeeNut is very slim fitting, even with an extra booster, so I would imagine it is more comfortable for Toby to sleep with than his normal bulky night time nappy.

Showing off PeeNut

Although the PeeNut system is designed so you can just change the inserts and reuse the cover, I have to admit I have changed the whole nappy every time. However, this is just personal preference and because we have plenty of nappies so I don’t really need to reuse the cover. If you are planning on doing so though I would recommend you have a new cover with the inserts already popped in ready to go and then give your used cover a wipe and leave it to air a bit before using it at the next nappy change. The PeeNut wraps and inserts have washed well with the rest of our nappies – the inserts can be tumble dried on low (and I have to admit most of our nappies have been going in the drier lately, a combination of Scottish summer weather and a newborn means there hasn’t been much chance to get them on the line!). I did dry some inserts on the airer inside to see how long they would take and they were dry in under 24 hours which is what I would expect from bamboo – it’s super absorbent but that does mean it takes a while to dry.

PeeNut bum

Overall I have been really impressed with the Tots Bots PeeNut nappy system. Most importantly we have been able to use it both day and night without any leaks, but it is also a great slim fit. Because you don’t need as many covers as you do inserts the PeeNut is also a really cost effective way of using cloth nappies.

The PeeNut nappy system has an RRP of £15.99 (plain) or £17.99 (print) for a wrap and day-to-night insert set. Wraps are available separately with and RRP of £10.99 (plain) or £12.99 (print). Extra inserts are £6.99. There is also a mini pack which includes 2 wraps and 4 sets of inserts (RRP £42.99) and a complete birth-to-potty kit which includes 8 wraps, 16 insert sets, a laundry bucket and mesh liner, a wet bag, Tots Bots Potion detergent and a roll of disposable liners (RRP £195.99)

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured products in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The Gift of Giving with Frugi

Xmas-Family-Logo

I love Frugi clothes. They are absolutely fantastic for Toby as they are ‘cut for cloth’ meaning there is plenty of room for his big fluffy bum without having to go up a size. Not only do Frugi clothes fit Toby brilliantly they are also made of lovely soft organic cotton. And on top of that it’s also great to buy clothes from a company that aims to be ethical in everything they do, each year donating 1% of their turnover to three great environmental charities as a member of the 1% For The Planet scheme, as well as supporting an orphanage in India.

This Christmas (all right, I know it’s still only November but Starbucks have got the red cups out so we can officially talk about Christmas!) Frugi decided they wanted to share their ethos of giving back and wanted to give the Gift of Giving. So they asked each of the bloggers in the Frugi Family to choose a blogging friend to send a Frugi gift to.

Frugi

I was so touched when my lovely blogging buddy Donna over at What the Redhead Said chose us to receive her Frugi gift. And when I saw the top Donna had chosen for Toby I was delighted! I love this stripy reindeer long sleeve t-shirt – perfect for the festive season. The top is made of thick, soft organic cotton and it washes really well. And I think Toby looks super-cute wearing it too!

Frugi top and trousers

In these pictures Toby is also wearing his Frugi corduroy trousers that I bought in the January sales. They are 12-18 months (when in all his other clothes we’ve had to go up to 18-24 months) and there is still plenty of room in them. I love that they have an adjustable elastic waist so I can get a great fit on long, skinny Toby. They’re fully lined too so lovely and cosy and perfect for winter.

Thanks so much to Frugi and to Donna for choosing us to receive this gift!

 

**Disclosure: We were sent this Frugi top as part of the Gift of Giving project. All opinions are my own.

 

Review: Bambino Mio miosolo nappy

Miosolo bundle

We all know by now (or you will if you’re a regular reader of Toby Goes Bananas at least) that I love cloth nappies. We’ve got our favourites but I always welcome the chance to try out something new so I was very pleased when Bambino Mio got in touch a few weeks ago and offered us the chance to try their miosolo all-in-one nappy. Bambino Mio was founded in 1997 by husband and wife Guy and Jo Schanschieff. Bambino Mio nappies are sold in 70 countries and are stocked in Tesco and Sainsbury’s as well as thousands of other retailers both on and off line. In addition to the all-in-one miosolo that we tried, Bambino Mio also have a two-part nappy, swim nappies, training pants and several cloth nappy accessories such as liners, baby wipes, nappy buckets and detergents.

The Details

Bamino Mio miosolo

The miosolo nappies come in a variety of plain colours and prints (including four fabulous new ones) and retail at £14.99 for plain or £15.99 for prints. We were sent two miosolo all-in-one nappies to try – one plain ‘Flying Saucer’ (blue) and one ‘woodland fox’ print. The lovely people at Bambino Mio also included a roll of their disposable mioliners and some samples of miowipes flushable baby wipes and miofresh nappy/laundry cleanser to try.

The Pros

  • miosolo all-in-one nappies are super-easy to use. It is a birth-to-potty nappy so you just need to adjust the poppers on the front to get the right length for your baby and then fasten with the velcro tabs. This is getting more important for us as Toby will be going to nursery quite soon and I need nappies that are really simple for the nursery staff to use.
  • There are 3 different ‘rise’ adjustments using the poppers on the front and Toby is only on the middle one. This is great as he already wears a lot of his nappies on the biggest setting as he is so long and I’m a bit worried that he is going to grow out of them altogether.
  • The velcro tabs cross over in the middle – again this is great for Toby as he is so skinny!
  • There are laundry tabs inside the nappy to stick the velcro to while being washed – an essential feature in my opinion.
  • The absorbent part of the nappy is attached, you simply tuck it in the pocket then pull it out for washing. This is where the miosolo design really is a step above the competition – there is a little pocket across the end of the insert which you put your fingers in to push it down into the nappy, meaning it goes in straight and un-rumpled every time. There are also a couple of loops on the back of the insert which make it really easy to pull out without getting damp fingers.
  • The stay-dry layer which is next to your baby’s bum is super-soft and stays that way even after repeated washing.
  • The nappy dried really quickly. It was dry overnight in our airing cupboard. It can also be tumble dried on low which is a positive for me.
  • Lastly, and most importantly, performance; Toby wore the miosolo for five hours with no leaks and it did very well in the poo-containment test too. Bambino Mio are so confident in the abilities of their nappies that they even suggest the miosolo (with added mioboost booster if needed) can be used overnight. I have to confess we didn’t try it overnight but five hours during the day is still very impressive!

miosolo bum

The Cons

  • The miosolo is a little bit bulky compared to the bumGenius Freetime that we mostly use, but I’m sure Toby will appreciate this when he starts learning to walk and is falling on his bum all the time!
  • The only other thing I can think to say is that the miosolo doesn’t come in quite as many colours and prints as some other nappies. Although, they have brought out six new prints recently. One was the ‘woodland fox’ which we now have but I also love the ‘elephant parade’ print.

The Verdict

I am always happy to try a new nappy with Toby but unfortunately we have been a bit disappointed with some in the past…not this time though! I thought the Bambino Mio miosolo was a great nappy. I was really impressed with the little details like the pocket to help you put the insert back in. I also found it easy to get a good fit on Toby first time and performance was excellent. The miosolo is also competitively priced and I like that it is stocked by some major high street retailers too. I would definitely recommend this nappy whether you are new to cloth nappies or a seasoned user.

Just a quick note on the miowipes and miofresh too. (We always use fleece liners so didn’t try the mioliners but they seemed soft and a good size if you prefer a disposable liner). miowipes are natural, biodegradable and flushable. They are free from alcohol and parabens too so gentle on your baby’s skin. We usually use washable wipes but I am definitely going to be buying a pack or two of miowipes to take on holiday and to keep in the changing bag at home too. miofresh is a laundry sanitiser that again is all natural. It is designed to kill bacteria even at low temperatures so you can safely do your nappy wash at 30° – helping your pocket and the environment. We actually already use miofresh – I like that you only need to add one scoop along with your normal detergent to so a tub lasts ages and it keeps our nappies nice and fresh.

All in all I have been very impressed with the Bambino Mio products we have tried and I’m sure I’ll be using more in the future.

miosolo frontal

**Disclosure: I was sent two Bambino Mio miosolo nappies and accessories in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

** This post contains affiliate links.

Using cloth nappies on holiday

I know one of the things that often puts people off using cloth nappies is the thought of having to deal with them when you are out and about. Maybe you could be convinced to use cloth nappies in the house when you knew you weren’t going anywhere but don’t fancy the idea of having to bring your dirty nappies home with you when you’ve been out. Or even worse – what about using cloth nappies on holiday? Doesn’t that mean a lot of work when you should be relaxing?

Well, I thought I’d share our experiences of using cloth nappies on holiday and when we’re out for the day at home, because it really isn’t that difficult! I wrote last week about how we were coming away to the Lake District for the best part of a week and that I wasn’t sure whether to use our cloth nappies while we were there. We’re back home now and I’m happy to report we did use cloth nappies all week and it was really no more effort than it would be at home. It certainly didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t on holiday.

I made sure I did a nappy wash the day before we were going away so that most of our nappies would be clean and ready to use. As well as the clean nappies though, I also took our nappy bucket with the remaining few dirty nappies with us. There were a couple of reasons for this; firstly it meant we had all our nappies with us. We have enough nappies to wash every three days but if I left some at home then I would need to wash more often while we were away. Secondly, it meant I wasn’t leaving dirty nappies sitting at home for the whole week.

We then just used our nappies exactly as we would at home and I did two nappy washes while we were away. I probably could have managed just with one but the second wash meant I was bringing mostly clean, rather than mostly dirty, nappies home with us. The only tricky part was figuring out the right programme to use on a different washing machine to the one I’m used to. The first wash I used the machine to dry the nappies but it didn’t seem to have a low setting so I was a bit worried about damaging them. They were fine but the second time I just hung our all-in-one nappies on the clothes airer and only dried the night time bamboo nappies in the drier. I also took our washable wipes with us – it’s not much extra to take or wash and if we’re using the nappies we might as well use our wipes too.

Drying cloth nappies on holiday

The only thing that was a bit more difficult than at home was going for days out while we were away. We use cloth nappies all the time at home but even if I do take Toby out somewhere we’re only likely to need one nappy change at the most while we’re out. Cloth nappies definitely do take up more room in my changing bag than disposables would, but when I’m only carrying one it doesn’t matter too much. I have a couple of disposables in my changing bag too in case of emergencies but I have never had to use one yet! I have a small wet bag that I take few of our washable wipes in and then another zip up wet bag to put any dirty nappies and wipes in to bring home again. If we’re out all day then it does mean carrying more nappies so the changing bag can get a bit full, but other than that it really isn’t too much of a problem.

The only other small problem I have come across when using cloth nappies away from the house is when we have a dirty nappy and the baby changing facilities we are using don’t have a toilet. With our cloth nappies we always flush any poo down the toilet before putting the used nappy in the bucket to wait for washing. But if there is no toilet in the same place as the baby changing then there are only a couple of options; either put the dirty nappy, poo and all, in the wet bag and bring it home, wrap the poo in something and put it in the bin with the disposable nappies, or take the dirty nappy into the toilet afterwards and deal with it there. To be honest we have never actually had this situation but it is something I do worry about when it’s time for a nappy change out and about.

So, having said all that, if you use cloth nappies at home (or you are thinking about doing) then there really isn’t any reason why you can’t use them away from home too (as long as you can wash them – I’m not sure what you’d do if you were staying in a hotel with no washing facilities). Having this week in the Lake District has pretty much convinced me to take all our cloth nappies to France for our holiday at the beginning of next month. I know we have access to a washing machine and hopefully the weather will be nice enough that the nappies will dry quickly outside. I have taken advantage of some Real Nappy Week discounts to buy an extra night time nappy (we use the Tots Bots Bamboozle) and a few extra day time nappies too so I should be able to stretch the nappy wash to every four days rather than every three. And when it comes down to it, I love our cloth nappies, I know they work for us and I just don’t think I could bring myself to put Toby in a disposable now!

Have you ever used cloth nappies on holiday? I’d love to hear if you have any experience of using cloth away from home.