Rule #5 - Take advice from the right people

Our Bare Cub nappy - a great fit from birth until toilet training

This is a really important point. There is so much contradicting advice in the world of cloth nappies and I often feel it confuses people and leads to many aborting cloth or even ruining their nappies.

Here's a really common scenario. A mum posts on a facebook page about washing her nappies. She gets about 30 different responses. There are people linking her to homemade detergents, telling her its OK to put her nappies in her dryer, to hang them in the Australia sun until they melt of the clothes line and that vinegar and some napisan never hurt their stash. This poor mum is suddenly bombarded with options.

It's really important to note here that this mum doesn't know any of these people. None of these people have any credentials. They all mean well and want to help. But sometimes it's best not to even ask in the first place.

So who should you ask for advice? Well I recommend you search out advice from the right people. If you had a question about Baby Bare Cloth Nappies, I'd recommend you email me. I can give you the right information about fit and care for my nappies. I can tell you that if you wash them in napisan or put them in your washer on hot, you will be voiding you warranty. No nappy is bullet proof. Manufacturers give you the best advice they can to help you prolong the life of an article of clothing that will be subjected to the harshest conditions - urine, washing several times a week, being worn constantly and then whatever else a parent may do to them - bleach, heat, vinegar etc.

If you take the advice of someone who tells you they have always washed their nappies in home made Rocking Green detergent and it's great, you will be the one facing the possibility of ruined nappies. I've seen it. Most mum's are not chemists and mixing up a concoction to wash in is not something just anyone should be doing. A well meaning parent may not even know the damage they have done to their own nappies whilst recommending a certain action to others.

My second source of advice is around general nappy use, fit and problems. I recommend you seek out someone who is independent of a particular brand. While I try to be honest with parents about whether my products will suit your child, it is not always the case with every manufacturer. After all, a nappy brand wants you in their nappies so the advice may not always lead you to the best solution for you.

I recommend contacting someone who supplies a range of cloth nappy brands. Tennille at Apikali can help you if you are looking for a nappy that is most suitable for you or any other questions regarding general nappy use. She runs a library (in which our gorgeous Bare Cub features) which you can borrow to try a range of nappies on your child. Linda from Inarchie & Babe is also a retailer of our nappies and a great source of nappy help and information. You can talk to Linda in person, together with Elissa at Little Green Footprints in Elsternwich Victoria at the weekly nappy lab. This lab is designed to allow parents to see a demonstration of cloth nappies and ask any questions they may have (you also get to touch and feel the products in person!).

So, next time you want some information about your nappies, try going straight to the right sources. There are lots of well meaning and helpful parents out there, but we are constantly seeing parents being given poor advice.