Reusable Cloth Nappy Starter Checklist.

Starting with cloth nappies can be a slow and steady start. Just buying one nappy and a wet bag to try it out is a more than fine was to get going. Slowly figuring out what you need and building up.

However, you might be like I once was, pregnant, absolutely sure you want to give cloth nappies ago and keen to have everything you’ll need in order to cloth nappy from day one.

For those of you wanting to do this, this is your shopping list. Everything you’ll need to get going with cloth nappies in a simple and easy way.

The main items you’ll need to get started with cloth nappies are a nappy bucket, mesh bags and or a wet bag for storing dirty nappies, 2-3 styles of reusable nappies to try, some fleece liners and of course a washing machine.

After that this is what you’ll be to go full time with cloth nappies.

Your Cloth Nappy starter checklist.

1. 15-20 day time day time nappies.

2. 5 Night nappies with wraps.

3. 20 Fleece liners.

4. Boosters.

5. A Nappy Bucket.

6. 2 x mesh liners.

7. 2 x out and a about wet bags.

8. 40 Cloth Wipes.

9. A small wet bag for wipes.

10. decent powder DETERGENT and how to wash.

Baby in a beach hut, wearing a t-shirt and a cloth nappy. Cloth nappy shopping list.

1. 15-20 day time day time nappies.

15-20 days time nappies of your choice (20-25 for a new born) will see you through washing every 2-3 days and will allow extra time for drying in winter or on rainy days.

I recommend trying before buying all your nappies. Remembering that you do not need to start with a full stash of nappies. Building up to having a full time stash of nappies that works for you is what’s important. If you need help with this see my post on “How to Build a Versatile Stash. Top 5 Cloth Nappy Brands”, or “Starting with Cloth Nappies. A Beginners Guide.”

2. 5 Night nappies with wraps.

My preferred choice and most loyal is the Tot’s Bot’s Bamboozle. I have 5 of these. Their great because unlike many fitted nappies they are Birth to Potty sizing. Meaning they will fit your baby from around 2/3 months until potty training. They are also a nice slim fitting nappy which is good if you end up boosting your night nappies a lot like we do.

You will need a wrap/cover to go over this. We love the Motherease Airflow in this house or a Petit Lulu Pull Up.

If your ensure what’s best for using cloth nappies at night head over to my Night Time Cloth Nappy Solutions post for more insight.

3. 20 Fleece liners.

You may not use them all the time pre-weaning but you will need liners on nappy shopping list. Use them in nappies that do not have a fleece lining, especially in your night nappies, and to help get rid of the poo once your baby is weaned.

My favorite are the little lamb fleece liners because they are the softest and easiest to shake number twos off. Head to “what to do with the poo” if you worried about this.

They also make the best wipers of runny noses as are they are so soft. Parenting hack right there.

4. Boosters.

You probably won’t need these for young babies but once your baby is older and doing bigger wees you may need to boost your nappies. My favorite for this are the Little Lamb Bamboo Boosters because they absorb a lot but are super slim.

Once you stop changing your newborn at night feeds you’ll probably need to boost your night nappies too. We use a mix of the Little Lamb Bamboo and the Ella’s House Hemp Booster. Hemp is a super doper absorber and therefore great for night time. They are also very slim but hemp does tend to be quiet stiff which is why I don’t use them for day nappies,

5. A Nappy Bucket.

Or you could also opt for a large wet bag. Either a wet bag or a nappy bucket will hold 2-3 days worth of nappies and will hold in any nasty smells. I really rate my Tots Bots bucket because it has a locking lid to keep little fingers out. No one wants a tipped over bucket full of dirty nappies.

6. 2 x mesh liners.

These go inside you nappy bucket so when it comes to wash day you can easily lift all nappies out at once and straight into the washing machine. No touching required. Tots Bots sell one to fit their bucket here.

7. 2 x out and a about wet bags.

For using when your on the go. These are actually great for everything! From wet swimming costumes to muddy clothes, a wet bag for dirty things is a must whether your using cloth nappies or not. Simple unzip and put straight in the wash/nappy bucket when you get home. They’re also great for keeping in any nasty smells if your unlucky and get a number 2 when out.

Baba and Boo and my personal choice when it goes to great wet bags.

8. 40 Cloth Wipes.

If your using cloth nappies it really is a no brainier to go with cloth wipes too. It actually makes life easier because you can throw them straight in the nappy bucket or wet bag with your nappies rather than putting them separately in a bag and in the bin.

“A Complete Guide to Reusable Cloth Baby Wipes” will tell you everything you need to know to get started.

I have roughly 40-50 wipes Cheeky Wipes which is more than enough to see us through 3-4 days and plenty for an older baby, even when using for handed and face too.

When she was a newborn I only had 25 and struggled to get by with this many and all the newborn poo. Air on the side caution and have some extra. Plus, like with socks I think there’s a wipe fairy that steals them in the night…

I recommend if your using cloth nappies to just buy the wipes on their own and wet as you go but you may want the whole set with boxes too. Find Cheeky Wipes Packs here.

9. A small wet bag for wipes.

If you do buy a set of Cheeky Wipes with boxes and bags you’ll have a wet bag included. I found I haven’t used the boxes since she was a newborn so recommend just buying a small wet bag to wet enough wipes for the day with water when going out. I do however really like the Cheeky Wipes small bags here but also want to get myself a Planet Wise one as they have great reviews.

10. decent powder DETERGENT and how to wash.

A good idea of how to wash your nappies and decent detergent are a must in my opinion. See “How To Wash You Reusable Cloth Nappies.”

I know many bloggers and influences don’t want to worry you about washing routines and want to make it sound simple, which in theory it is, and perhaps they have never hit problems along the way. I did and it was a real struggle to sort out once we had a problem.

I therefore recommend having a read through My Wash Routine or heading over to Clean Cloth Nappies Down Under (CCNDU) who I based my wash routine on, for a more in depth read, they are the guru’s of all things clean. If you do hit any problems head to them for the best Strip and Sanitize although I would only recommend doing this if you have ammonia problems or your buying preloved and want to make sure their super clean.

For more information the Nappy Science Gang are also a brilliant resource to geek out on. Or is it just me that geeks out on this stuff?

I wish you all the luck in building a nappy stash and everything you need to go with it. I hope this is as much as an enjoyable journey for you as it was for me.

Much Love

Hannah x x