Keeper of our Home

Apr. 22, 2008

Cloth nappies.

I thought I'd add a brief post about using cloth nappies. We have used cloth nappies with all of our children and it has been great.I started using cloth with our first daughter 18 years ago now! I haven't really changed the way I 'do" cloth- it's still the same - folding my own flat rectangular nappies , using pins and plastic pants ( covers). I still have some of the nappies I used with our first daughter! Over the years I have been given many cloth nappies from friends and family, so all in all I have only bought 3 dozen flat nappies and plastic pants!

If we had used disposable nappies for all our 6 children @ the average cost of $15 per week ( counting on the fact they use more when they are little) it would have cost us $750 per year per child. Each child would need nappies for 2.5 years ( our girls trained quicker, but I'll use 2.5 years as an average). So for each child this would be a cost of $1875 x 6 children = $11,250.

Saving $11,250 is great, but what about the cost of washing and drying ALL those cloth nappies? Generally whether we have 1 or 2 children using cloth I would wash 3 loads per week costing about 5c per load ( this is powder and water).We have always had a good stash of a nappies so 3 loads per week was and is enough. I just use 1- 2 level tablespoons of my regular washing powder( which I always buy on special), and wash on warm and rinse on cold. I'm not sure of the electricity costs though for the washing of the nappies, but it would be minor. I always line dry the nappies. In the summer outside on the clothes line, and in the winter on drying racks or my indoor lines. So no drier costs here at all. So maybe a cost of 20c per week, so $10 per year for washing. A cost of $150 to wash all those nappies from 6 children- still brings us in at a saving of $11,050.

There is time involved with hanging the nappies out to dry, and folding them ready to use again- maybe a couple of hours out of my week each week.

I have been washing, drying and folding nappies for many, many years now. I will miss it when it all ends!!

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May. 23, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Just wondering how to get baby clothes softer when line drying? Do you add anything to the wash to soften? Our water is very hard here, and things can feel rather crunchy when they are dry! Any ideas?

Rebecca ~Mom to 8, 5 boys, 3 girls

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I love being a stay at home mum with our six beautiful children from the Lord. Each day we strive to live faithfully for Him in thankfulness for His gift of full and free salvation.