kushies kooshies nappies and bambino mio

i am completely addictive to cloth. i started out on bambino mio and thought they were fab for my newborn. the problems came once dylan started wriggling and just generally moving more. i found that they leaked quite a bit (he was breastfed so leaks were more common than formula fed) but the worse was that the large velcro strip would not lie flat across his tummy once the nappy had been washed a few times. i washed as per instructions but found that the velcro strip would go 'crunchy' and cause little red marks on his tummy. i am of the opinion that the makers of bambino mio did not think this through and should have made the large velcro pad on the front of the nappy the 'eye' part and not the 'hook' part thus making it softer.

anyways i then moved on to cotton bottoms wraps (still using the bambino mio nappies) and loved them. i thought the designs were cute but the only thing i didn't like was that they were too big in my opinion and looked so bulky. i had to buy bigger clothes for my little one because of this.

i then tried kooshies, i had read nothing good about them to be honest, they leaked, were plasticky etc but when i got them i have never looked back. i just love the convinience of putting the nappy on and then just throwing it in the nappy bucket ready for washing! no folding! no stuffing! and the designs are well cute! i have had the odd leak but i think this was just me not putting them on properly or in a rush.

and now the reason i wrote this:

A WORD OF WARNING ON BUYING USED KOOSHIES ON EBAY

A lot of people buy used nappies on ebay ( i am one of these) and i think this is fab... doubly kind to the enviroment and cheaper too! i would say go ahead.. except for when it comes to kushies. i have seen people describe thier used kooshies as 'great condition my daughter was in these until one year old' but the problem is that kooshies only last 120 washes (about a year) before becoming useless. they then 'tighten' and start to leak through the lining etc. so it is a false economy.

WAYS TO MAKE YOUR KOOSHIES LAST LONGER

1) don't use a tumble dryer. dry on a line or a rack. NEVER place on a radiator as this causes them to age quicker, as does using the dryer. it makes them tighten around the leg area causing leaks.

2) if you can afford to buy more so that you only have to wash your nappies once a week. or pad your nappies out with liners (you can make your own with blankets/towels etc) so your baby can go longer between changes (always a problem with re-usables as you need to change more frequently) always use a barrier cream (vaseline will do!)

3) look out for brand new nappies or nappies that have been used for only a short period of time on ebay.

4) keep them soaking in a nappy bucket with some tea tree oil and then wash.

many thanks for reading!