Cloth nappy resources

How do you use cloth nappies?

Click on the menu items below to expand resources.

Elana from Cloth Nappy Workshops Melbourne shows us how to fold a terry square

Here’s another example of folding terry squares

Fitting cloth nappies

Fitting cloth nappies instructions

Elana shows us four popular folds you can try using traditional cloth nappy squares

Storing dirty nappies

Out and about:

Take a wetbag or store in a plastic bag until you are home, then follow the "at home" procedure.

At home:

Scrape or rinse any solids off into the toilet
Pop them in a dry bucket or laundry hamper until you are ready to do a load

Washing and drying cloth nappies

Put your nappies through a rinse or pre-wash cycle before washing them as normal.

It is best not to soak the nappies as it wears out the elastic.

Cloth nappy buying guide

It can be quite overwhelming trying to navigate all the different types, styles, sizes and fabrics to choose your cloth nappy of preference.

If you can borrow a few different styles or get a couple secondhand to try, you'll have a better idea of the style that works for you.

Click on the headings below to expand the the resources.

Buying secondhand nappies with Elana

Not sure which fasteners are best for you? The guides below will give you a good overview of the main types of fasteners.

Front or side snaps?

Snaps or velcro?

Different fabrics have different absorbency, and different sustainability features, though all reusable nappies are more sustainable than disposable. Some things to consider:

Hemp – hard to find, more expensive up front, but amazing absorbency and the best environmental footprint

Cotton – natural, absorbent and long lasting, though a water intensive crop.

Bamboo – super soft and absorbent. Some bamboo fabrics require a chemically intensive process to turn bamboo into fabric, so it’s not top of the sustainable options, but good for nappies.

Microfibre – super soft, but keep in mind the microplastics ending up in our waterways from microfibre and other synthetics. Avoid microfibre if you can find a natural alternative.

Then of course there are the shell fabrics. You will generally have a waterproof layer to stop leaks and this will often be synthetic. Known as PUL, this material doesn’t shed micro plastics like microfibres do, and are fine to use.

Watch the video below from Elana at Cloth Nappy Workshops Melbourne to learn more about the different absorbent fabric options for cloth nappies and how much wear time you'll get out of each one.