Reusable Nappies: Have you used them?

Former_MSE_Andrea · 16 June 2015 at 1:17PM

Update September 2017

We started this poll a couple of years ago but it's as relevant as ever

If you're interested in more ways to save money with re-usable products read our Recycle Week Hub.

Join in!

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7-13 September is #ZeroWasteWeek. We're working with several organisations to highlight how much you could save by re-using and recycling. See the full Zero Waste Week info.

We'd love to know how much you spend on household items and whether you'd save by using re-usable versions. This discussion's all about reusable nappies. Have you used them and how much did they save you over disposables?

What to do:

Step 1: Use our Demotivator to work out how much you saved by using re-usable nappies instead of disposables PER YEAR!
Step 2: Vote in the poll to tell us how much you saved.
Step 3: Post in the discussion below to tell us which types of re-usable you went for, how much they cost you, whether it's a hassle and is it worth it?

Rummer · 16 June 2015 at 8:17PM

I used reusables during the day for the first 6 months and I really liked them initially. However after 6 months they leaked a lot and even with a strip wash and the trial of different brands the leaking continued so I swapped to disposables.

Night reusables were not for me as although they did not leak the smell and the level of saturation in the morning was dreadful.

On reflection I would not use them again as the outlay costs were probably higher than the costs of disposables would have been over the time and the level of washing was high.

Gillyx · 16 June 2015 at 8:39PM

I used them and off for the 2 years my son was in nappies, for us they were cost effective however it wasn't the reason we used them, it was for environmental reasons that I preferred them, we did use disposables at night time but I still feel that every time we used our reusable it was keeping one disposable out of land fill.

I have kept all of our nappies in the case of ever having another child.

bylromarha · 16 June 2015 at 9:48PM

Bought a set of reuseables for my first - cost £150 new and were MotherEase birth to potty. Bought a few more covers as baby grew, which added £100 over the next 2 years.

Topped up the set with a few nearly new nappies and covers when baby 2 came along, as they were both littlies were wearing them. £50 for a massive set as seller did collection only.

Sold them all on ebay (in the days when you could) when we were done for £300. Seriously - I remember being shocked that I got all my money back.

Calculated we saved a good £500 over both babies. However, we also used disposables at night as I hated the smell in the morning if they were in a reuseable. So I think the poll should be one or another - either how much money did you save OR how are you using reuseables as many of us use them on baby 2,3,4...

Louk · 17 June 2015 at 9:50AM

I used them on my Son for around 2 years. I really didn't spend a lot on them as I found some on eBay for £2-£3 each which became the main bulk of my stash along with some more expensive pretty ones. I cut up fleece blankets for liners and used some baby face cloths from the pound shop as wipes at home and only used baby wipes while out so there was a big cost saving there too. Once he was out of them I sold the vast majority on so made some money back too.

For me it was a real nix of cost, environmental benefits and cuteness that made me use them.

jackyann · 17 June 2015 at 11:41AM

Well, I didn't really have a choice, back in the day disposables were horrid - leaky and not good on skin.
4 kids - 2 dozen nappies for first, supplemented by another 6 for #4. Still have them lurking as emergency cloths.
Big bucket with "napisan" sat in the bath - nappies held by one corner in the loo to flush anything off them, then straight in the bucket, then chucked in the washing machine overnight.
We changed them more often than is done now with modern disposables, and I used soap & water with flannels (like Louk) and chucked the flannels in the bucket to wash with the nappies.
I am an expert on the folding of traditional terry squares and am *deeply disappointed* that it is a skill no-one wants me to demonstrate (sigh!)

mr_knight · 17 June 2015 at 8:46PM

I used them on baby one, I really like them at night time and don't find they smell in the morning. I'm now using them with baby number two and have been given some more by a friend to top them up.

Maybe you should ask about reusable wipes too...now they are a real money saver and great for allergy prone skin.

chanie · 17 June 2015 at 9:17PM

My local authority gave me a £30 voucher for reusable nappies, so I bought 3 nappies.

I wanted to use them mainly for environmental reasons and the money saving was an additional benefit.

I used them for about 6 months, until I went back to work. I only used them when I was at home, so not during the night or when I was going out. They are handy, but when you take the cost of buying them and the washing into account, I can't see how they save you money.

GwylimT · 17 June 2015 at 10:15PM

We bought a set for just over £160 which were used on our son and daughter from birth to toilet training. We had enough nappies that you only needed to wash them once a week as well. There is no way we could have afforded disposable nappies and when we did use them in emergencies we madr sure they were biodegradable.

penguin83 · 17 June 2015 at 11:04PM

I use them full time on my youngest who is now just over 2 years old. I initially did not use them to save money as such but purely because I could not find a disposable that didn't leak or give him awful nappy rash. I love them and would use them for any future children. I am not sure that I have saved money as I became a little obsessed and now own hundreds but they hold their value well in the most part so I should recoup some of my money if I can bear to part with them! xx

Naf · 17 June 2015 at 11:21PM

Rummer wrote: »

I used reusables during the day for the first 6 months and I really liked them initially. However after 6 months they leaked a lot and even with a strip wash and the trial of different brands the leaking continued so I swapped to disposables.

Night reusables were not for me as although they did not leak the smell and the level of saturation in the morning was dreadful.

On reflection I would not use them again as the outlay costs were probably higher than the costs of disposables would have been over the time and the level of washing was high.

This is pretty much exactly our experience also; leaky, didn't last very long, bulky, inconvenient. Used for less than 6 months with baby number one, and not at all since. They're now useful for mopping up spills etc lol.

Reusable Nappies: Have you used them?

Reusable Nappies: How much have they saved you? 36 votes

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