Real Nappies
If you have children or take care of babies and small children, why not think about using real nappies as an alternative to disposables?
What are real nappies?
Real nappies are reusable nappies made from breathable materials, which are absorbent and kind to delicate skin as they don’t contain the chemicals or gels that can be found in disposable nappies. They’re available in lots of modern and funky designs, and fasten with poppers and velcro, or nappy nippa’s so there’s not a safety pin in sight.
How do they work?
Real nappies come in a variety of types, made from different materials such as cotton, hemp, bamboo and fleece. They are either one or two layer systems, but all have a waterproof outer to protect clothing. Disposable biodegradable liners can be used to dispose of solids.
Types of nappy
There are four main types of nappies available. Most of these are available in a variety of colours and materials. Nappies are available in one size, using poppers or Velcro to increase the nappy size as they grow, or in two or three sizes, depending on the babies weight.
| FLAT NAPPIES | |
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Flat nappies are sheets of material that need to be folded before they can be put on your baby. They also need a separate waterproof cover, similar to those used with shaped nappies. |
| SHAPED NAPPIES | |
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These nappies come ready for baby to wear and are usually fastened with velcro or poppers. They have a separate waterproof cover that fastens in the same way. |
| STUFFABLE NAPPIES | |
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As the name suggests, a flat absorbent material pad is "stuffed" into a waterproof cover and then put onto baby as one item. Again, these generally fasten with velcro or poppers. |
| ALL-IN-ONE NAPPIES | |
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These are similar to shaped nappies but have a waterproof cover attached to the nappy so you only have to put one item on baby. |
Benefits of real nappies
- A baby goes through about 4,000 to 6,000 nappies in its life. By using reusable nappies, families could save up to £300 compared to buying the same amount of disposables.
- Using real nappies helps reduce the amount of waste we create. Currently in the UK over 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away, which go to landfill where they can take hundreds of years to rot away.
- Real nappies are soft, breathable, naturally absorbent and contain no chemicals or gels like disposables and are therefore kind to baby's skin.
Washing
Contrary to what most people think, real nappies don't require any boiling or soaking. A 60oC wash in a normal machine is all that is needed to get nappies clean and keep them hygienic.
Nappy sellers
There are a number of nappy sellers available in and around York and North Yorkshire. To find your nearest seller please click on the table below showing local sellers. There are also a number of websites available stocking a wide variety of nappy systems.