Cloth Nappies & Microfibre

Today's little post is about microfibre. Microfibre is often avoided by many parents. There are a lot of 'facts' bouncing around about it and I'd like to have a little chat about this fabric that is so often used in nappies.

Microfibre can be awesome in your nappies. Its just neccessary to know when to use it. It also has a few draw backs - but these can be worked with.

So whats so great about microfibre?

Microfibre is very thirsty. As absorbent as bamboo in some instances (depending on the weight and quality of each). Its drawback compared to bamboo is it doesn't hold onto liquid as well. Microfibre can get compression leaks. So for example, a toddler sits down in their soaking nappy and the liquid in the microfibre is forced out of the insert. This issue is why microfibre should be mixed with bamboo inserts. Bamboo has the ability to soak up some of that extra liquid being compressed out of the microfibre.

Microfibre is very quick to absorb. This means if you have a child that wets a lot at once, microfibre works really well because it can keep absorbing when its being saturated with a lot of liquid that keeps coming. Bamboo is not as quick to soak up, so you might find the liquid travels across the insert and out the legs, top or bottom. I find as children approach toilet training, some microfibre inserts can be really useful.

Microfibre drys really quickly. As its synthetic, it dries much faster than natural fabrics like cotton and bamboo. This is a great thing, especially in winter or for parents with less nappies, as they can get them back into rotation faster. You may want to even use microfibre more through the winter and bamboo in the summer. A lot of nappy suppliers offer both options.

Of course, this all sounds wonderful - but what are some of the drawbacks that parents do not like about microfibre? We already talked about compression leaks. Microfibre can also be quite bulky - which is why we recommend always teaming it with a trimmer bamboo insert. Then you can get the best of both.

Mircofibre is synthetic, and many parents like natural fabrics. This is a valid concern - if you are passionate about only using natural fabrics then thats fine (natural fabrics are wonderful). If this concern is based on not putting the synthetic in contact with your baby - you should never put microfibre in contact with your child's skin. It is so good at absorbing it can soak out the natural oils in the skin and give a nasty irritation. Only use microfibre that is sewn in and hidden or in a pocket.