Two not one. Can you do cloth. Yes you can!
When you opt for reusable nappies for two babies, the choice is still the same. You don't want to throw single use plastics in a bin. You don't want to waste a heap of a money on throwaways. The benefits of reusing is really felt when you have two babies in nappies.
When you opt for reusable nappies for two babies, the choice is still the same. You don't want to throw single use plastics in a bin. You don't want to waste a heap of a money on throwaways. The benefits of reusing is really felt when you have two babies in nappies.
If you are on a budget, I often suggest using flats on twins for a few reasons - flats dry fast and when you have two, it is very convenient to have fast drying nappies (especially in Winter). Because a flat can be manipulated, it can fit a smaller baby beautifully. Twins are often born slightly smaller. There is more of a learning curve when starting out. Saying that, its not hard and you will figure it out. But if you dont want any initial hiccups regarding fit then read on...
If you can get the Dawn patrol fitted style (pictured below) this is definitely the fastest and the easiest if you have two babies. Dads and carers can manage a fitted initially, a lot faster.
We recommend starting out with forty eight nappies. See below for examples of full time, ideal twin stashes. We have not included things like laundry or Wipey reusable wipes into the costings below. Note, we plan to add these sets to our website soon but in the meantime just contact us and we will make them/or any set up for you.
Option A - recommended
Dawn patrol fitted only stash: Around R10 000
48 Dawn patrol fitteds
48 boosters
14 Superwrap covers
20 fleece liners
Consider adding : 2 wetbags, 1 Washbuddy, 2 Nursing pads.
Option B
An all flats stash: Around R9000
48 flats - small
58 newborn boosters (always have a few extra boosters on hand)
16 Superwrap covers
20 Snappies (these get lost with the socks)
20 fleece liners
Consider adding :2 wetbags, 1 Washbuddy, 2 Nursing pads.
Option C
Mixed stash: Around R10 000
24 small flats
24 Dawn patrol day fitteds
58 newborn boosters
16 Superwrap covers
10 Snappies
20 fleece liners
Consider adding :2 wetbags, 1 Washbuddy, 2 Nursing pads.
If wanting to start part time, you could take the above sets and simply halve them. Honestly though my best advice is to just go full time, from the beginning. You will probably end up using the odd disposable here and there, but if you just start using cloth nappies you will get into the swing of it and never look back. After having to carry a weeks worth of black bags of poopy single use plastics out to the trash, the waste is phenomenal and jaw dropping (170 nappies per week. How many bags is this??).Do it once and then use cloth nappies - you will see what I mean.
Washing
With twins you ideally wash every day. It just makes it easier. Pop the nappies in, rinse them .Then a main wash. Hang to dry. Having 48 nappies, you end up washing around 16 nappies a day for the first four months. It changes after that as babies start to use less nappies. Washing is easily done with load shedding- simply time the load between the off periods. Washing at night is very doable. We must adapt.
Cost analysis
Disposables cost around R2000/ month for two babies. Working on 10 - 12 nappies a day (this is what babies use initially).
Four months= R8000 of waste.
Washing
With twins you ideally wash every day. It just makes it easier. Pop the nappies in, rinse them .Then a main wash. Hang to dry. Having 48 nappies, you end up washing around 16 nappies a day for the first four months. It changes after that as babies start to use less nappies. Washing is easily done with load shedding- simply time the load between the off periods. Washing at night is very doable. We must adapt.
Cost analysis
Disposables cost around R2000/ month for two babies. Working on 10 - 12 nappies a day (this is what babies use initially).
Four months= R8000 of waste.
Cloth nappies based on the above sets = R8 600 - R10 500
Nothing in the bin.
When ready, you can resell the whole set for more than half of what you paid, generate the cash for some bigger nappies for the last leg of the journey. No brainer.
In total disposables can/ will cost around 40 - 50k for two. What has not been worked into this is the tons of waste generated by single use or store bought wet wipes and bum creams needed for rashes caused by disposables.Cloth nappies and reusable Wipey cloth wipes will cost less than half. You will experience little to no rashes and pure joy. The reusable journey is ultimately more satisfying and rewarding.
"It`s not more difficult because it`s twins. Whether it`s one baby or two, using cloth is the same " says Danica who has been using our flats exclusively on her two for over two months now, full time. "Yes it takes a bit of effort but everything is a challenge with twins. It`s not a challenge because it`s cloth nappies. Getting out the door is tricky with our third child, on time. My advice is to have a good washing machine and to wash every day. Our machine is a 5kg and works perfectly for two. Cloth just becomes part of your routine- it`s not a big deal. Be prepared to have your nappies hanging around the house- it`s our new decor. We love it. "
To chat about how to get going and stash options, get hold of us. We will not only help you with what to get, but also be ready to help at any point once the babies arrive and you get going.