Modern Cloth Nappies in Australia & NZ from Mother-ease™

What our customer's are saying

I just wanted to congratulate you on your great website and incredibly efficient and fast service!
The nappy and cover are brilliant. I wish I'd known about them sooner. I've been using terry towelling squares and poorly fitting leaky covers on my baby for the last 10 months because it never occurred to me that there might be anything else available. I'll certainly be ordering a few more things from you.
Many thanks,
Cristie

I did get the nappies and I am *very* happy with them. I posted my questions to the US ME site and got some good answers there. I'm quite amazed that these nappies are so good. They really don't leak and they have fit both my baby from 2 months as well as my 2 year old. Fantastic. I've recommended them to two of my friends who are considering buying some as well.
Jennifer

Tips

Sizing
Does it really fit birth to toddler? Yes it does! With the front folded down it fits a newborn baby and works brilliantly.
Is it big on a new baby? Yes, somewhat. There are trimmer options but they would be newborn sized nappies - not one-size. There is no need to use the booster on a small baby. You will only need the booster when your baby gets bigger and starts to sleep longer at night. Most children can go easily 2-3 hours in the day with the nappy alone even when they get older.

One Size or Sandy's Nappy?
Both are great nappies, here are some things to consider:

One Size Nappy: * no need to buy larger sizes as baby grows * most economical for one baby * smaller initial investment * good resale value * bulkier than the Sandy's nappy on a newborn * not quite as absorbent as a Sandy's nappy on a toddler

Sandy's Nappy: * trimmer fit on a newborn * slightly more absorbent than the One Size for a toddler * need three sizes for birth to toddler - XS is the size for newborns - small is from 4-8kg or from around 4-8 weeks for an average baby * economical over 2 children (you probably won't wear the nappies out with one child) * good resale value

Fabric
There is no difference in the absorbency, shape or bulk of the white, unbleached or stay-dry nappies. The white and unbleached cotton fabrics contain a small amount of polyester to help the nappy maintain its shape and some softness over its lifetime. The unbleached nappies use less chemicals during manufacture and are hence a better environmental choice. Stains are not as noticable on the unbleached fabric. Both the white and unbleached fabrics wash to off-white after a few months of use.
The organic fabric is 100% pure organic cotton. This is a great choice for the environment and your baby. The fabric is slightly heavier (bulkier) and hence slightly more absorbent than the regular fabric.

Wash and Care
Can be machine washed to 60°C. Can be tumble dried on low. We do not recommend the use of bleach (including Napisan) on a regular basis as this will significantly reduce the life of the nappies.

It is important to pre-wash your nappies at least twice before use to remove the fabric softener used in manufacture that greatly reduces their absorbency. The best wash for this is using hot water, high water level and a regular amount of regular detergent. There is no need to dry the nappies between washes - just wash-rinse-wash-rinse-dry. The nappies should be fine to use after two washes but will take around 5-8 washes to reach their full absorbency. We do not recommend using them overnight or for extended periods of time until they have reached their full absorbency.

There are many different ways to wash nappies. We have a recommended routine, but there are many variations and washing is usually a case of working out what gives you the desired results and fits into your routine.

Cold water:
If you don't have hot water to your machine, that's not problem - many people wash in cold water. If you find your nappies are becoming smelly or not cleaning properly, add a prewash or soak to the cycle.

"Environmentally Friendly" or "Sensitive" detergents:
Many people like to use an "environmentally friendly" or "sensitive" detergent to wash nappies. We recommend you use these with caution on your nappies. Some of these detergents may not have sufficient cleaning power to properly wash your nappies. Some symptoms of insufficient cleaning are smelly nappies, persistent nappy rash and/or premature wear on your nappies. If you suspect your nappies are not being thorougly cleaned we recommend you switch to using the full recommended amount of regular washing detergent and/or add a prewash or soak cycle to your wash.

Reduced amount of detergent:
Some people recommend using half the recommended amount of detergent to wash nappies. The theory is that it is the urine reacting with detergent residue that causes the ammonia smell in cloth nappies. I have personally found that using less detergent greatly increased the smelliness of our nappies. If you find your nappies are becoming smelly or not cleaning properly we recommend using the recommended amount of detergent for your machine and load size.

Vinegar in the rinse:
Some people recommend using vinegar in the rinse to neutralise detergent residue that can cause nappies to smell. Personally I have found that all this does is make our nappies smell unpleasently of vinegar. I don't think it does any harm. If it works for you - go for it!

Anti-bacterial rinses:
Some people recommend using "Dettol" type anti-bacterial products in the rinse cycle for nappies. We feel this is totally unnecessary as nappies are generally plently clean enough for a healthy family to use simply by washing. It is thought that the over-use of "anti-bacterial" products strengthens bacterial resistence to such products and weakens our natural resistence to bacteria - so it can be quite detrimental in the long run.

Bleaching Agents:
We DO NOT recommend the regular use of bleaching products (such as Napisan) as they will significantly reduce the life of your nappies. It's fine to use Napisan every now and then to "freshen" up your nappies.

Expected life
With love and care most people will find a set of 24 one-size nappies will last one child from birth to toddler. The life of the set will be reduced by regular use of bleaches, tumble drying or having a smaller set of nappies (meaning each nappy is washed more often). Always rotate your stash of nappies to ensure even wear of your set.