The world of cloth nappies can seem daunting to a beginner and the world of pre loved cloth nappies can be a mine field to even a seasoned cloth bummer but it is a fantastic was to try different types of nappies. Here are my tips for navigating your way around the pre loved community.
You should get to know the terms used in the pre loved selling groups, Excellent used condition (EUC) you'd expect nappies described as EUC to be nearly new and lightly used. Good used condition (GUC) you'd expect them to be used and show some signs of wear, slight bobbling or laundry tabs folded that sort of thing. You may find some well loved nappies for sale, these might require some love to get back up to a good used condition nappies in a well loved condition should be reflected in the price.
There are several place your can buy pre loved cloth now, most popular is Facebook selling pages, these are easy to find just search 'pre loved cloth nappies' in the search bar and you will get several options to choose from. There is also the option of eBay, Gumtree or your favourite brands Facebook buy sell trade (B/S/T), for example my favourite place to shop is Babipur and if you search Babipur B/S/T you will find their Facebook page.
When buying through Facebook pages always use paypal goods and services, never pay friends as you will lose your protection should something not be right or your don't receive your items. If using gumtree it could be cash/ local ebay cash on collection, so bare this in mind if you are uncomfortable checking the nappies while the seller is present this option might not be for you. When using a postage option it is often best to pay for signed for delivery to give yourself the extra protection it works out at about an extra £1 for signed for delivery, you will know exactly when they're posted and the seller will know you have received them.
Before buying do a little price research, you want to know how much the nappy your about to purchase was worth new so you can judge if the price the seller is asking for is worth it. Look at how much the nappy has been used, ask for pictures of the leg elastics if they look flat or loose chances are they aren't going to last you unless you have the sewing skills to replace them. Also ask for pictures of the inside of the nappy to look for staining, lots of staining might mean the nappies haven't been washed in the most optimum way.
Ask the seller if the nappies come from a smoke free home, cigarette smoke is very difficult to get out of nappies I personally had some nappies from a smokers home and the smell was unbelievably strong even upon opening the package, 3 full washes and several days on the line and I could still smell it a little, needless to say we never used those nappies.
Once you get your nappies it is important to give them a good strip wash, there is lots of conflicting advise online but it is vital you get the best deep down clean you can with pre loved nappies. Lots of people advise putting nappies on the washing line in the rain will strip wash, while this might help soften the fibre of a nappy but will not be a sufficient clean for pre loved nappies. If the nappies are stained sunning may be good for getting out the surface stains but it will not help to get deep into the fibres to make sure every layer of your nappies are sparkling clean ready for a new bottom.
I recommend using the Clean cloth nappies down under (CCNDU) stripping guide, they offer lots of helpful and scientific advice on cleaning and keeping nappies clean which in turn keeps your babies bottom free of rashes. Here is their fantastic stripping routine that I and friends have followed with brilliant results.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog.
Zoie
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