• A real nappy is a washable nappy that can be reused time and time again, reducing your financial costs and halving the amount of rubbish you produce.
• Real nappies are also known as cloth nappies, washable nappies or reusable nappies. They should not be confused with “biodegradable” nappies, which are disposable and end up in landfill where they create greenhouse gases.
• Most real nappies consist of a soft absorbent nappy, a flushable or washable liner and a breathable waterproof wrap.
• The nappy liner goes inside the nappy to catch the solid waste and helps to keep moisture away from the baby’s skin. Biodegradable flushable paper liners can be put down the toilet rather than in the bin.
• The waterproof outer cover, called a wrap, is the fun part with lots of cute designs and bright colours. These are made from a range of materials for example breathable PVC, wool or fleece

• Modern designs fit snugly and use quick, safe easy fastenings such as Velcro, poppers or plastic nappy grips.
• Made of natural materials, usually cotton, real nappies wash and dry easily.
• If you don’t want to wash your nappies at home, a laundry service can do it for you.

There are a wide range of modern, fashionable real nappies available to suit every size and shape of baby. There are four main types of real nappy:

• Pre-folds are flat nappies that need to be folded first and put inside a breathable waterproof wrap. Pre-folds range from modern flat nappies to the traditional terry square and are by far the cheapest option available to parents.
• Shaped nappies have a shaped cotton pad with separate breathable pants. The shaped pad is washed each time it is used, while the outer pants will not need to be washed so frequently as they may remain clean between changes. Some shaped designs can be adjusted as the baby grows, fitting the baby from birth to potty.
• All in ones have cotton insides with a built in waterproof cover. The whole nappy is put into your washing machine making them convenient to wash, but take longer to dry.
• Stuffable/Pockets consist of a waterproof wrap with a built in pocket which is then stuffed with absorbent material as required. The stuffing can be a terry nappy, pre-fold in slim line insert. The stuffing is removed for washing so you can have a flat nappy and a wrap to dry separately.

• You will need 15-25 nappies (25 for newborn, less for older babies)
• At least 3-4 wraps that can be washed at home at 40°c
• Biodegradable or reusable liners
• A container with a lid to store used nappies
• A wet nappy bag for when you are out and about (swimming bags are ideal).

• Basic real nappies cost less than £2 each, with more sophisticated products costing around £3-£10 each.
• Home washing can cost as little as £1 per week (this includes the cost of the electricity, washing powder and wear and tear on your washing machine).
• You could save over £700 by using real nappies rather than disposables.
• An initial outlay to buy your real nappies is necessary. However this is a one off payment and means you are not constantly paying out for disposables on a weekly basis.
• You can achieve further savings by using the same real nappies on other children you have.
• Second hand nappies can be found on e-Bay, UK Parenting Forum, Women’s Environmental Network websites and at NCT nearly new sales.

• Real nappies don’t need to be soaked, boiled, scrubbed or machined at 95°c. They can simply be placed in a separate laundry container and washed at 60°c or 40°c.
• Biodegradable nappy liners can be flushed down the toilet with any solid waste. Washable liners can go in the wash with your nappies.
• Modern washing machines wash so well that real nappies do not have to be sterilised.
  Real nappies can be line dried or simply placed on an airer in a warm room to dry.
• “Collect and Wash” laundry services are available.

• Many people believe real nappies are less likely to cause nappy rash as all products are breathable.
• How often you change your baby will determine whether they get nappy rash, not the type of nappy they are in.
• Your baby is no more likely to get nappy rash from wearing real nappies than from disposables.

• It is important to select the right size for your baby’s shape to avoid leakages. There is a wide choice of products available so choosing the right one won’t be difficult.
• You can use booster pads to make the nappy more absorbent if needed. They are especially useful at night.

• Each child has in the region of 4000 to 6000 nappy changes from birth to potty (averaged at 2.5 years).
• This equates to 4.5 trees in wood pulp and over one tonne of disposable nappies being placed in landfill.
• Each disposable nappy takes on average 500 years to biodegrade in a landfill site.
• Nappies make up 50% of the waste from a family with just one baby, so families can cut their waste in half by using real nappies.
• The paper from disposable nappies degrades in landfill sites to produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.