Twins and reusable nappies
In total disposables can/ will cost around 50 - 60K for two and over 2 tons of plastic waste. What has not been worked into this, is the 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. The reusable journey is ultimately more satisfying and rewarding and not nearly as much "work" as you're thinking. Modern machines and fabrics have come A long way and todays cloth nappies are easy to use and wash.
Cost analysis @ the Newborn stage Birth - 4 months (updated November 2025)
Disposables = R11 500 in the bin. Working on 12 nappies a day (this is what babies use initially).
Disposables = R11 500 in the bin. Working on 12 nappies a day (this is what babies use initially).
Cloth nappies = under R11 600. Nothing in the bin. And when ready, you can resell the whole set on our preloved market and generate the cash for some bigger nappies for the last leg of the journey.
We recommend starting out with forty eight nappies. See below for our suggested full time twin nappy set.
Full time cloth nappy set
48 Dawn patrol fitteds
48 boosters
14 Superwrap covers
20 fleece liners
Consider adding : 3 pairs Nursing pads, 30 - 50 Wipey reusable cloth wipes.
If wanting to start part time, you could take the above set and simply half it. Honestly though our 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).
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 4 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
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 4 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.
"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. "
Danica
To chat about how to get going 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.
