Our little ones grow so quickly! While we may not be ready to admit it, sooner or later, they will be ready to move out of their cloth nappies. It can be a very bittersweet time. Excitement for the next stage. Joy of no more washing nappies, but also sadness that your little one is no longer a baby.
So What do you do with your cloth nappies when it’s toilet training time?
Store them!
If you are planning on more babies, storing your nappies means you don’t need to buy again. This significantly reduces expenses during your next pregnancy. Here at Nest we recommend giving your nappies are really good wash while also ensuring they are super dry before you pack them away. How you store them will depend on how much space you have. Ensuring they are packed in a cool, dry environment, away from heat and direct sunlight is best. You can add some silica gel packets (you know those little packets that soak up moisture when you buy new shoes or handbags?) or layer tissue paper in-between your nappies if you like. These will help draw out any moisture that builds up over time.
If you live in a very humid environment, it may be a good idea to pull your nappies out every couple of months and check that no mould is forming.
Donate them!
If you have decided that you aren’t having more babies or just don’t have the space to store them, donating your nappies is an amazing gift of sustainability. Check out your local Buy Nothing groups on Facebook, pass them on to friends or family who are starting on their journey or check out your local Cloth Nappy Pay It Forward Group.
Things to remember if you are donating. It’s always a good idea to ensure that the nappies are still in good, useable condition. Generally, families that rely on donations, do not have the ability or finances to be able to repair nappies they are given. This means if the elastics have seen better days, get them fixed first or be transparent about it. If your shell has a hole or the inserts are threadbare, it may be a better option to dispose of them.
Sell them!
Let’s face it, cloth nappies are an investment and if you can get a little bit back when you are finished using them, how awesome is that? As an added bonus, it reduces the carbon footprint of the manufacture process even more. This makes cloth nappies an even better environmental choice! Facebook has lots of Buy, Sell, Swap Groups available and Gumtree is another option.
Things to remember if you are selling. Always be really open and honest about the state of your nappies when advertising them. Try and include lots of current photos. Drive your nappies realistically so they sell quickly. Following these tips will generally result in seamless sales with less chance of disputes.
Dispose of them!
Sometimes, there is no other choice but to send your nappies to the bin. It’s definitely a sad moment but delaminated PUL can not be saved and sometimes it’s just not worth replacing the inserts and elastics either. There are plenty of sustainable options to dispose of your nappies rather than sending them to landfill though. Look for local textile recycling for your synthetic fabrics (PUL and Minky shells, stay dry layers, microfibre inserts etc). With your natural fabrics from your absorbent section (cotton, bamboo, hemp etc) consider using these as cleaning cloths around the house, cut them up and add them to your worm farm or compost, you can even use them as weed mat in new garden beds.
Have another option we haven’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments!