Confused? Don’t be!
Cloth nappies can come in all shapes, sizes and even “systems” but all of them should have the following features:
- Liner
- Absorbent layers
- Water-proof layer
Liners are closest to baby’s skin, followed by the absorbent layers and covered by the water-proof layer.
Note that the absorbent layer is the most important and can exist as a nappy of its own right.
Liners
Liners are used to draw moisture away from baby’s bottom and/or make getting poo off the nappy easier.
They can be laid in separately, or sewn in as part of the nappy.
Examples of laid in liners include flushable liners, or cut up pieces of microfleece.
Many cloth nappy users use microfleece or microsuede as a liner. Microfleece or microsuede do not like moisture and will force any moisture to go through it and towards any absorbent fabric. This has the effect of keeping baby’s bum dry.
This type of liner also has the added effect making solid(ish) poos (ie those with the consistency of peanut butter) slide right off it. Note that if baby’s poos are more the consistency of mustard, then it would still be difficult for it to slide off the liner.
Some mothers swear by raw silk liners to cure nappy rash. These natural liners have a sericin coating on them that is purported to be effective in curing mild nappy rash. It is a handwash only item and may not be totally stay dry, btu it still works on some babies.
Other liner options are velour (bamboo or cotton), especially for babies who do not tolerate polyester touching their skin directly. Even though there is a small amount of polyester in these materials, they usually do not make contact with baby’s skin but make up the backing of the velour. The velour side may feel damper than a polyester lining, but drier than having absorbent material touching baby’s skin.
Absorbent layers
This makes up the bulk of the nappy. In fact, take away the absorbant part of a nappy and it cannot be called a nappy, but a cover, or liner, or nappy shell. Conversely, it is still called a nappy even if there is no liner or waterproof layer.
The most common fabrics used for cloth nappies are: Flannelette, Flannel, Cotton, Hemp or Microfibre. In 2006-2007, bamboo was introduced to the nappy world as a super absorbant natural fibre.
Flannelette is the least absorbent out of the fabrics mentioned above. It is made of thin cotton that is woven to have a “woolly” feel. Flannelette however is quite cheap and also makes for a very trim nappy.
Flannel is slightly more absorbent than flannelette. It is usually made up of a cotton and wool blend. Flannel also makes for a very trim nappy.
Cotton is a lot more absorbent than Flannel or Flannelette. Many cotton nappies use terry cotton, which has the added advantage of having that extra “poo grabability” for those breastfed poos! Terry cotton however can be quite bulky.
Hemp is the most absorbent out of all the natural fabrics. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Hemp is also quite strong and won’t go out of shape for several years of use. Hemp is also trimmer than terry cotton but not as trim as flannelette or flannel.
Microfibre is as absorbent as hemp but is a synthetic fabric. It also dries a lot faster than hemp. However, it is not advisable for any part of the fabric to touch babies skin because it will dry it out too much. As a result microfibre is only recommended if it is fully encased in some other fabric.
Bamboo is the newest material to have hit the modern cloth nappy scene. It is probably a bit more absorbent than hemp, but it does not last as long as hemp or cotton. Most bamboo fabrics are blended with cotton and polyester to make it more durable and less likely to shrink as it ages. It is a fantastic fabric for day or night nappying.
Water-proof layer
The last and most outer layer is usually a water-proof cover. The most common types of covers are: PVC, PUL, Fleece or Wool.
PVC is the cheapest type of cover and available at large supermarkets. PVC is not a breathable fabric and almost all PVC covers on the market are very poorly made.
PUL is basically a fabric that has been laminated to form a water-proof barrier. Unlike PVC, PUL is breathable and most PUL covers are excellent quality.
There are 2 types of PUL – 100% polyester PUL and PUL with cotton or cotton blend. The main difference between the two types of PUL is that 100% polyester PUL are only available in solid colours. PUL with cotton or cotton blend is available in gorgeous prints. Cotton PULs however may leak as a result of their cotton content.
Wool works by trapping the moisture in its fibres and evaporating it. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Wool is most effective as part of the night system as it helps keep the nappy dryer for longer. Wool covers will need lanolising to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Note that fleece and wool covers may also leak if compressed against an absorbent layer (ie clothes). This may happen if baby is in a carseat or a pram with the belt/restraint compressing against the cover. In these cases, a PUL cover/outer layer works better.
Copyright Eilleen Eugenio 2005, with updates added Rebecca Tham 2010
