Minky Cloth Wipes - Why use them?

You may have seen a lot of the cloth nappy brands sell cloth wipes. There are many versions of what is basically a small soft washer to use on your child. They can be made from Minky, Cotton, Bamboo, Velour, Fleece, etc.

I often get asked, if a parent wants to use cloth wipes full time instead of disposable wet ones, how many will they need. I generally say you will need 1-2 per change (2 for a messier change). If you change a nappy 8 times a day, then multiply that by how many days between washing. Probably about 20-25. Our minky wipes dry relatively fast as they are one layer of minky and one layer of bamboo french terry.

Minky wipes are great for nappy changes as they actually 'scrub' your child's bottom, while still being very soft and gentle on a child's skin. A disposable wipe has no texture with which to grab and drag away sticky mess. All you need with your wipes is water. Water is the cleanest and most natural, yet very effective solution for your child.

You will often hear doctors, nurses or other parents tell you to ditch wet disposable wipes in favour of cotton wool/tissues when your child has nappy rash. This is because the chemicals and solutions in the disposable wipes can be quite irritating and even sting when bub has a rash. Cloth wipes will work much better then cotton wool which will stick to your child bottom and give you very little ability to do a good thorough clean! So even if you plan to use disposable wipes, get 5 or so cloth wipes to keep spare for times when your child has nappy rash.

But what else can these little cloth wipes be used for - the answer is basically anything!

• Keep a pile in your kitchen to clean hands and faces after meals.
• Keep one in your handbag in case of a dirty face, a bit of dribble, or a sicky bub. You always need a spare cloth to avoid being caught short with vomit or dribble everywhere!
• Tuck one under babies chin to replace a bib when you find yourself without one.
• Use them in the bath rather then a face washer.
• Isolate one for things like cleaning up paint or scrubbing hands after craft activities. 
• Use them for a head to toe wash with a new baby when you don't want to put them in the bath.
• Dribbly chins need wiping. Keep a wipe with you to keep your child dribble free and avoid the awful dribble rash.
• When they are done being used on your kids, they make great cleaning cloths. They will outlast your kids and stay looking great for a very long time!

Starting out with cloth - why choose Baby Bare Nappies

When I started in cloth I was very confused about all the options. Brand's I had never heard of, acronym's I couldn't decipher  Many brands only exist in the world of cloth nappies. Most terms only relevant if you've ever used cloth nappies.

What I was most confused about was what do I get for my hard earned dollar. There were nappies that were $40 and nappies that were $3. On a computer screen and to a cloth novice, they all looked about the same.

I ordered some of each and I was on my way.

If you are new to cloth nappies you may be experimenting with what cloth users term 'China Cheapies'. These are your ultimate cheap nappy. A stock standard, made in china, PUL or not very fluffy minky, pocket, One Size Fits Most Nappy. Some parents have success with them. Most don't. You will find this nappy not only on ebay but in many online stores. They can usually be recognised by their shape and the colours and patterns in the fabrics which are not unique to any one store.

These nappies are cheap because they are made if inexpensive fabrics like a microfibre. The minky is the lowest grade one can get and because of economies of scale, these nappies can be made cheaply to be sold all over the world. They are thin, not fabulously engineered and rely on a simple pocket design.

Higher grade nappies generally feel quality. When I ordered my $3 and my $40 nappy, I could tell the difference. The quality of the fabric, the shapes and trimness of the inserts and the fit of the nappy on my child. I also experienced better success and longer time between changes.

So where does Baby Bare fit in? When I bought my $40 nappy, I could see the quality of the product but I questioned why it had to be $40. Surely a nappy that worked and was a high quality product could be sold for much less - and suddenly the initial stage of Baby Bare had started.

At Baby Bare we ensure we only use the best fabrics. Our Minky is plush and soft (for fabric lovers its a 2.5mm plush with weight of about 240gsm). Our nappies use bamboo fabrics and hold a lot of wee. They hold onto poo explosions and keep them contained. They are also ultra trim.

How and why are our nappies so much less expensive? Firstly, our whole business aim was to provide a less expensive product for parents to encourage cloth use and save other's money. So quite simply, it is part of our philosophy not to charge a fortune.

We manage to keep our products affordable because we are not spending a fortune on overheads. Many other companies spend a fortune doing magazine ad's, internet advertising, subscribing to be listed on other web sites, large giveaways, elaborate photo shoots etc. We have a very minimal advertising budget. We have for a large part grown on word of mouth - a testament to our great product.

We also run the business from our home. All the nappies are stored in our office/store room. So we are not paying storage costs. I am the Owner, CEO, storeroom manager, book keeper, customer service officer, designer and importer.  My husband Dave works in our IT department as chief (and only) webmaster, marketing advisor, sounding board and sub-editor of our blog.

I enjoy what I do and I am most interested in seeing other parents use cloth and do so affordably. I don't believe that because parents can save thousands between cloth and disposables, that a cloth nappy can be justified to cost more. Many companies will justify their products because of the saving you are making, we don't.

Of course there is a difference between nappies and their features that can contribute to their cost. Where they are made (being made in Australia will bump up the price), being hand made, the detail in the nappy, the fabrics used, the overall design etc. In considering all these things, I encourage you to try our nappies. You will find that they are a fantastic nappy that fits most babies well, doesn't leak, is very absorbent and is soft, plush and luxurious to the touch.

Nappies don't need funky packaging, fancy patterns or frills and a pile of other features to be a good nappy. You need a good fit and great absorbency.

So, have you tried Baby Bare and what did you think?

Buying cloth nappies online - finding a reputable seller

I recently stumbled across a cloth nappy site selling nappies and not delivering the goods. This shocked me. Not only was I surprised another business would do such a thing, it worried me as a consumer myself. What would happen if I bought $1000 worth of product and it didn't arrive?

Online stores are governed by the same government bodies that regulate bricks and mortar stores. The same laws apply and the store can be prosecuted if they fail to comply.

It made me consider what security we can offer our own customers for their peace of mind. We use PayPal as our payment method and I know (having used the same process on a seller myself) that PayPal will always put the burden on the seller to proove they have supplied the goods and they are as described. PayPal give you a reasonable period in which to make a report if you are not happy. So, if you were to order from anyone using PayPal, you can retrieve your money through their complaints system.

Furthermore, credit card companies will also reverse a payment if you don't receive goods. This was what parents were reporting in this instance - that they had contacted their credit card company to get their money back.

So what can we do to try and avoid these problems in the first place? How do we identify online stores with excellent customer service?

My first stop is always social media. Check out their Facebook page. If they were ripping off their customers you'd expect to be seeing comments popping up on their wall. An absence of people posting about their  good experience may also indicate a problem (they can delete posts on their wall too).

Secondly type their store name into Google. See if there are online reviews of the store or its products. Generally, someone with a bad experience will speak out ten times louder then ten people with a good experience. Be fair to the store, one or two complaining customers may have themselves to blame (be simply complaining because they are unhappy yet the store has done nothing wrong), but a barrage of bad reviews will indicate a systemic issue.

If you are still unsure try emailing the store. See how fast they respond to you. Do they have what you want in stock, when will it be able to be sent. A store that doesnt ever respond or takes days to do so might not be the best place for you to shop. It may indicate an overall approach to their customer service. They may not be attentive when you have questions or problems in the future.

If you don't receive your goods within a week or so, email the store. NEVER, allow a seller to tell you that it will take longer then your window with which to retrieve your money from someone like PayPal. This happened to me once and I insisted they cancel my sale and I would order again once the goods were ready to ship. PayPal in the end gave me my money back (I went elsewhere as the service had been so terrible). If I'd waited I would have had no recourse if they'd never arrived.

Essentially, we should be confident to shop online. The companies handling our payments will usually be on our side and protect us. But we should do our leg work before spending our money - Afterall, its easier to avoid an issue by taking a few minutes to check up on who you are shopping with!

Don't forget, when you have a good experience, post a review online, leave a mesage on a facebook page or let the store know via email. You are helping others make good shopping choices and rewarding a business for their good service. After all, most businesses like to feel going the extra mile is appreciated.

Modern Cloth Nappies - What am I paying for?

So you've searched the internet, found fifty different nappies varying from $3 to $50. What do you buy? Will the $3 nappy work? What benefit will the $50 nappy bring over a $20 nappy.

The world of cloth nappies can be confusing. Often the pricing means very little, a $40 nappy will most likely work as a $20 nappy does. You may be paying more for a number of things - a pretty pattern, a large advertising budget or just because the nappy company decided that's what they want to charge you. You may be paying for a few extra features (some are gimmicks) - consider if these are necessary for you!

Price will vary between nappies made of Minky, PUL or Cotton outer. Microfibre, cotton or bamboo absorbency. Made in China, New Zealand or Australia will create a big difference too. In addition to this the design of the nappy - how many inserts? Is it sized or OSFM? Does it have gussets etc? Is it handmade with applique, ruffles, embroidery etc?

Here at Baby Bare, our nappies are currently $20 a nappy. Don't be fooled by the great price, we purposefully retail our nappies at this price point to offer parents excellent value and a wonderful product. We are able to do this by limiting our overheads and attempting to sell more nappies for less.

So what does our nappy offer? We have a highly absorbent bamboo insert that should see your nappies last 3-4 hours. The outer of the nappy is made with 2.5mm Minky hair which is a heavier weight minky (it's what makes our nappies so soft and fluffy!) - many others use a much thinner minky and you will feel the difference when you hold one of our nappies. An extremely soft microsuede inner, soft leg elastics and quality snaps top it off. We have our minky laminated rather then an extra layer of fabric in the nappies in order to avoid that crunchy sound some brands have. We offer a 6 month guarantee on your nappies and a lifetime of support for any issues you experience with fit, care or use.

All the feedback we get tells us parents love our nappies, that they outlast their more expensive branded nappies and that they love the price! After all, Baby Bare was started to offer Aussie parents an affordable nappy that was just as great as anything else on the market! Check out some of the reviews our lovely customers have left on the internet.

So don't think you have to pay a fortune to get a great nappy! There are many great nappies on the Australian market and it can be difficult to choose between them. The more expensive brands will tell you you have to spend $35+ to get a usable nappy, this isn't true. If you want to make some great savings while still keeping your kids in a great looking, soft, and easy to use nappy, try out Baby Bare!

Cheap China Nappies - are these a good indication of what a modern cloth nappy should be?

A lot of parents start out a little bit surprised at the cost of modern cloth nappies. After all $20, $30 or even $40 seems a lot for a nappy when a terry square is so cheap.

This leads many parents to shop around for cheap alternatives. This  is when many stumble across what is known as a china cheapy. These nappies are often found on ebay for a few dollars each or in online stores for around $10 a piece. Some of these nappies are even sold for $20+ in online stores, so beware. They are identifiable by the simple pocket design, rectangular microfibre inserts and the same patterns you will see on many different stockists - they may carry a different brand name but are the same product with a different label sewn on. The factories in China make them up and then sew whatever label the buyer wants on them.

So whats wrong with these nappies? Essentially there is nothing 'wrong' with the nappies. In my opinion, you get what you pay for. However, many parents buy these nappies, use them, find them to be awful and give up on using cloth. They don't last too long before leaking, tend to be an awkward fit, and they tend to delaminate and the elastics give after short periods. Many parents complain that the snaps start falling off, there is no warranty and then they are back to square one.

The fabrics are not as thick or durable. For example, the minky isn't as fluffy, it's a light weight material with less 'fluff' and softness. The absorbency is generally micro fibre rather then bamboo. The nappy design isn't as engineered to avoid leaks, fit well and be long lasting.

You will probably find you need to invest in some good quality boosters from another brand, probably something made of bamboo suitable for a pocket nappy.

So when considering buying a 'cheaper' nappy, consider if it is a china cheapy (have a look on ebay at the really cheap nappies being shipped from China or Hong Kong and you'll recognise the same fabric patterns on other online stores stocking an identical product for ten times the price) if that is the nappy you want. You may find like many parents you get 10 nappies for $40 that are useless - you could have bought a Baby Bare trial pack with two nappies a night booster and a wipe with $4 change for the same price and had something useable for your child.

The same concept that applies almost universally, also applies to cloth nappies 'you get what you pay for'. Paying $20+ for a nappy can be justified. It's like buying a $3 t-shirt, after a few washes it will have shrunk, lost its shape and the fabric will be thin and probably see through. Cloth nappies are the same.

In our next blog we will talk about what a few extra dollars can buy you...

What's so great about bamboo nappies?

When I was first introduced to cloth nappies, my friend told me they now used bamboo. I was taken aback, What was a bamboo nappy? I had images of babies sitting in a nappy made of bamboo twiggs. It looked terribly uncomfortable. I was quickly informed that bamboo was a newish type of fabric now being used to make cloth nappies.

So why is it that cloth nappies are being made from bamboo fabrics?

Bamboo is great for a number of reasons. In very simple terms:

1. Environmentally, bamboo is a renewable resource. It is fast growing and requires little resources to grow. For this reason it is more friendly to our planet then cotton which requires more water, space and other resources to grow.

2. Bamboo has natural antibacterial properties. This is great for nappies where there are lots of germs that can cause your nappies to smell. These properties will help repel germs and keep your nappies smelling squeaky clean.

3. It is super absorbent.  Bamboo absorbs a lot more liquid then cotton. That is the same weight of bamboo fabric will hold onto a lot more wee then cotton.

4. Babies skin loves it. A lot of babies with sensitive skin find bamboo is a fresh relief from other fabrics. Babies who have had terrible rashes often find they clear up when using bamboo nappies.

5. Its super soft. Bamboo fabrics stay soft and feel great.

So when shopping around for your cloth nappies think of the benefits when comparing a nappy with bamboo rather then microfibre or cotton. Bamboo may offer just that it more, even if slightly more expensive.

Baby Bare has used bamboo as the main absorbent material in our nappies. We still strive to have great quality nappies nappies more affordable then others offering nappies with cotton or microfibre absorbency.