Results from Washable Nappy Users

Why do people use washable nappies for their children, and how do they wash and dry them?

Do they reuse them or are they thrown away like the staggering 8 million disposable nappies that are discarded every day in the UK?

With nearly 14,000 registered customers, Sarah Bennett of The Used Nappy Company was in a great position to find out the answers to these questions and there were some very interesting results!

Nearly 1500 respondents told Sarah their main reason for using washable nappies were environmental factors (40%), 37% cited to save money, whilst 23% say they were recommended to them.

  • How? 99% washed nappies in a washing machine (with the remaining 1% using a nappy service or hand washing)
  • With what? 85% wash using a non-biological washing powder or eco-friendly washing powder, 15% use biological washing powder
  • How hot? 43% wash at 40 degrees or less, 52% wash between 41-60 degree, 5% wash at over 60 degrees
  • Full?  Mostly, nappies are washed as a full load (85%), only 15% wash them in a part-load
  • Separately?  72% wash nappies separately, with 28% washing them alongside other items
  • Drying?  54% never use a tumble dryer, 42% sometimes use a tumble dryer, only 4% always use a tumble dryer

The figures above, and the fact that an amazing 98% have reused nappies from a previous child/have bought or sold used nappies/plan to use them on a future child, demonstrate that without a doubt, real nappies are better for the environment (although many parents just love the funky designs, the comfort factor for their babies, and that fact they can save money compared to the cost of buying disposables!).

Full results of the survey can be seen here.

Real Nappy Week** is fast approaching (15th to 21st April 2013) and is an ideal time for parents who are new to washables to give them a try.  We are also encouraging all parents who already use real nappies to help promote the benefits and encourage others to ‘get real!’  Washable cloth nappies offer parents a real alternative to disposables, providing the opportunity to reduce their total household waste and the impact on the environment.

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