The traditional cotton terry nappie is the most economical reusable cloth diaper. Let’s look at the cost of terry’s nappies to put it in perspective.
One cotton terry napkin costs around PS2.25.
To add to the terry, you’ll need a nap nipple. A pack of three is a good idea since those pesky devils can sneak away! These will cost you around PS5.95.
To cover the terry nappie, you can add a PUL wrap. The Bombacio Wrap is a mid-priced option at PS10.99.
This setup appears expensive at first, but it’s worth reading.
You will need 25 terry nappies and 10 PUL Wraps to use cloth nappies full-time. At the time of writing, the total cost is PS172.10. These assumptions assume that washing will occur every other day.
How many times can each napkin be used?
It can be alarming to read that babies use between 4000-5 000 nappies before they learn to potty train. However, these numbers are instrumental in calculating the cost of disposable nappies.
Each terry nappie will be used approximately 180 times in a collection of terry diapers. If we assume that PS172.10 is used an average of 4500 times, each wear will cost 3-4p.
Even though disposable nappies can be as low as 3-4p for smaller sizes, the price per nappy increases with the increase in size. The cost per nappy can quickly rise to 6p-10p or even 13p at Aldi for larger sizes (correct at the time of writing). Branded or so-called ‘eco’ nappies will cost you more per nappy. At the time of writing, diapers in size four are priced at a minimum of 17p per nappy at Morrisons. Prices will go up for larger packs or different styles like pull-ups.
Reusable nappies: Washing
Washing disposable nappies are expensive and time-consuming. You can wash your nappies with baby clothes, depending on your washer size. First, run a quick wash cycle to remove all the waste products. Next, fill the machine with small baby clothes and other muslins. Then go on to a longer wash cycle. You would do most of the washing anyway, so nappies might only require you to wash up to what you already would.
You can try out different detergents to find the suitable detergent for you. You don’t have to choose a detergent explicitly marketed for babies.
Washing during the night is cheaper if you’re on an economy 7-10 tariff.
You can find the energy consumption for the majority of the cycles in the manual if you want to calculate the cost of washing your machine. Use your electricity tariff to find out how much you pay per unit of electric power.
People mistakenly believe that disposable nappies will require less washing. However, there are essential factors to be aware of. The elasticated backs of disposable nappies are included with reusable nappies. These nappies are impervious to Poonam. Disposable nappies, however, are not. These situations can lead to more washing or clothing being thrown away. We are sorry, Pampers, but we don’t think your poonami pocket flaps can hold a properly elasticated collar.
Reusable nappies are great because you can use them for many years. You will have your nappies even if you have less money than a month. This is a safety net for many people.
This blog post will give insight into how affordable cloth nappies can be. This is particularly important now, given the utterly terrible cost of living.
