As a manufacturer, we see how long nappies can last when well taken care of. We also sometimes see parents coming back within a short amount of time with issues. What we know is, when products are faulty many people will have the same issue. Our cloth nappies are made with the absolute best materials. We do not skimp on how we manufacture, because we know this is where problems happen and it costs a lot more in the long run. We've been making cloth nappies for over 12 years and in that time we've seen so much and learnt so much that we know our products are the absolute best. We also know what can help keep our nappies going strong for multiple children.
Here are the top 4 things I'd like to tell new parents:
1. Use a good detergent
This is so important. I often get parents tell me they use a certain gentle detergent and how great it is on their clothes. Quite frankly, your clothes are not full of bodily fluids that require certain enzymes to break them down. Also, most adult clothing isn't held to the same amount of mess that children and babies create.
2. Have at least 25-30 cloth nappies for full time use
I understand cloth nappies are expensive, but they do have a lifetime. Washing a nappy every 3 days will equate to about 300 uses by the time the average child toilet trains. Even the absolute best quality is going to start to show wear - imagine washing a t-shirt 300 times and that isn't held to the same treatment as a nappy. Hospital grade PUL is only designed to withstand around 200-250 washes. However, even when nappies start to show wear they can still have plenty of life left in them. Your inserts will often outlive your covers and you can always re-use them in other covers.
3. PUL shouldn't bake in the sun
I've seen many covers peel due to over exposure to UV. Whilst hanging covers out to dry is ok, be aware that they will dry very quickly and spending days hanging on the line over summer will shorten their lifespan. Think about anything plastic or timber sitting in the sun over summer. That same damage is slowly happening to your covers, and they are not particularly resistant to it. PUL will often yellow/brown from UV exposure and this is the start of the damage.
4. Don't give up
This one is not so much about care but about trouble shooting. The number of parents I've seen buying ten different brands of nappies because they get leaks is astounding. I have always told parents to work with what they have, even where I could have sold them a whole new set of my nappies. Most nappies with some tweaking will work. This may require a change to how you fit the nappies, the inserts you use or how you fold or place the inserts. Reach out for help and explore options before feeling you need to abandon a nappy all together.