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So how much
money can you save?
Further Information & Calculations
1) How many nappies?
A newborn baby will wet frequently
but in small amounts. This will mean probably 10-12 nappies per
day for the first few months. Some babies (mine included!) will
need more than this, particularly if they are sensitive to dampness.
As babies get older, bladder capacity increases and they urinate
less frequently but in large volume, perhaps using 6-8 nappies
per day. This advice on frequency of changes is given in the
Health Education Authority's publication 'Birth To Five' given
to all new mothers.
Some babies, particularly those in cloth nappies, will recognise
a damp nappy earlier than others and learn bladder control sooner,
perhaps even before the age of two. Others will take considerably
longer, and may still need a nappy at night well beyond the age
of three. The use of super-absorbent gels in disposables means
that it does take longer for a baby to recognise a damp nappy,
resulting in prolonged use of nappies, more trade for the manufacturer
and greater cost to the consumer. Certainly the average number
of nappy changes required for a baby will probably be around
7,000 for a 2½ year period.
My estimate agrees with that of Dr Christopher Green in his book
'Babies! A Parent's Guide to Surviving (and enjoying!) Baby's
First Year', published by Simon & Schuster Ltd. For these
calculations and for comparative reasons I have taken the average
time a baby is in nappies as 2½ years. Naturally this
will vary from baby to baby and individual circumstances must
be taken into account.
2) Cost of Disposable Nappies
Currently (as per a large supermarket web site) own brand
basic nappies are around 10.5p each, the average premium nappies
are around 17.3p each.
For 2½ years
Cost of Own Brand Nappy @ 10.5p x 7000 per baby: £
735.00
Premium Nappy @ 17.3p x 7000 per baby
£1211.00
3) Washing Machine Purchase + Running Costs
The extra cost of machine washing for additional nappy washes
over 2½ years varies from £103 for washing
every other day to £211 for a daily wash. This was calculated
using Which Online's Best Buy, a Bosch machine costing £500
- however there are many much cheaper machines from around £200.
This includes additional wear and tear, breakdown, powder and
running costs:
4) Extra Drying Costs
Line drying is free, tumble drying (based on Which Online's
Best Buy including wear and tear and all running costs) can add
between £77 (every other day) and £164 (daily)
for drying over a 2½ year period.
5) Cost of Nappy System
Examples of Nappy Prices
There are many different combinations and permutations of nappy
to choose from. I have priced here three different options of
the many available, with suggested quantities of each.
Obviously, some mothers prefer to purchase additional nappies
and wash less frequently and some babies simply require more
or fewer nappies. Some nappy systems have more expensive options,
such as wool wraps for night use, which will increase the costs
a little more.
A) Two-part System - Prefold and Wrap
A popular nappy system, and the type used by many Nappy Laundering
services is the prefold nappy, of which a minimum of two dozen
is recommended, with a minimum of 4 wraps for each size. There
are different qualities of both nappy and wrap, and some brands
have more than one size of nappy plus several sizes of the purposes
of this exercise, I have chosen one of the lower priced prefold
systems. I have included the cost of a pack of booster liners
which are useful especially at night for extra capacity, however
to reduce costs further two prefolds could be used instead. Terry
nappies will be just very slightly more expensive. To ease the
burden of washing and drying, you may find that additional prefolds
and wraps may be required in the first few months. Below is listed
the absolute minimum you will need.
2 x 12 Kooshies prefolds
£
39.90
4 x Kooshies waterproof wraps Infant £
20.00
4 x Kooshies waterproof wraps Toddler £
20.00
1 x pack 10 Booster liners
£
9.00
1 ½ x pack 100 disposable flushable liners per month
(45 x £1.95)
£ 87.85
Total £176.75
B) Two-part System - Shaped Nappy (self-fastening) and Wrap
Mother-Ease is perhaps one of my best selling nappies; it
is a one size nappy that adjusts with poppers so that it fits
from birth to potty. It requires an outer wrap, and to fit baby
for this length of time, three sizes will normally be required.
Four wraps per size are recommended to allow for washing. Booster
pads are not usually required as it comes complete with its own
detachable inner pad for use as necessary.
20 x Mother-ease one-size nappy £175.00
4 x each of 3 sizes Rikki wrap £
90.00
1 ½ x pack 100 disposable flushable liners per month (45x
£1.95)
£ 87.85
Total £352.85
C) One-part All-In-One System
One of the most popular but more expensive nappy systems
we sell is the Kooshies Ultra, an All-In-One system. The recommended
quantities for 2½ years are as follows:
4 x pack 5 infant size Kooshies Ultra nappies £150.00
4 x pack 5 toddler size Kooshies Ultra nappies £180.00
1 x pack 10 Booster liners
£ 9.00
1 ½ x pack 100 disposable flushable liners per month
(45x £1.95)
£ 87.85
Total
£426.75
6) Re-use of Nappies for Subsequent Children
Some of the waterproofing of wraps and All-In-Ones will not
generally last sufficiently well to completely nappy subsequent
children, so additional purchases may be required.
Provided good care is taken of both nappies and wraps (see Washing FAQ) a substantial further saving can be made for re-use.
So looking at the above calculations,
depending on the frequency of wash and the type of nappy system
used, you could save several hundred pounds to treat you and
your baby, whilst saving the environment at the same time. There
are not many circumstances where you can save money and be greener!
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