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Using reusable nappies is an investment that can save you up to £500 in the long run - and more if you use the nappies on subsequent children. It is, however, an investment and buying cloth nappies can end up costing quite a lot - a starter kit from Baba + Boo, for example, with 20 nappies, costs £335 at the moment. So if you don't have £200-400 to drop on reusables all in one go, how can you get going with cloth?
The first step is to hire one of our kits! Obviously that's a shameless plug, but seriously - finding out which nappies work best for you and your family will save you spending any money on nappies that aren't the right fit, or that you don't have the space to dry. Our kits are very reasonably priced - check out our kit hire page for more information.
When you get round to buying your own nappies, remember that you don't have to go in hard and fast. If you can only afford one or two nappies at a time, over a long period, that's better than none. Remember that one reusable nappy a day is 365 disposable nappies kept out of landfill!
Look out for big sales from nappy brands. Most of them do Black Friday and January sales. Baba + Boo recently did a huge sale as they were moving warehouses and needed to get rid of their back catalogue.
For even bigger savings, buying nappies secondhand is a great option. Nappies can last for years if looked after properly, so once they've been used by one family they can be passed on, either to friends and family, or by selling them.
Here are our top tips for buying reusable nappies secondhand:
Use reputable Facebook selling groups like the Nappy Lady Buying and Selling page, Nappy Gurus Pre-Loved Place and other brand specific groups. If you're on Instagram, look for people you follow and trust doing destashes - you can pick up some bargains.
Always buy through something like PayPal and use their business protection so that if there’s an issue they will support you to contest and get your money back.
EBay and Vinted can also be good options - both have buyer protection.
Ask your local nappy library! Or look out for them having preloved nappy clear outs. We often have nappies that are still in great condition but aren’t recent enough to use in regular kits. We’re usually happy to sell bundles off to you to help fund more current options for our kits
Know the brands you are buying in advance - ask for pictures from every angle (most people will post that anyway).
If the price seems too good to be true it probably is.
Just because everyone else swears by one brand, it doesn’t mean you will too.
Strip wash any second hand nappies using the Nappy Lady method - though the best way to get out any stains is sunlight.
You may want to do a mixture of new and secondhand, for example buying your outer parts secondhand but your inner parts new. The world is your oyster!
Has this helped? Let us know any questions you have in the comments!