How to Get a Reluctant Dad on Board with Cloth Nappies

Intent on using cloth nappies? The biggest obstacle you might face is convincing your husband to get on board. It’s tough to sell the idea to reluctant dads. Cloth nappies seem messy, unsanitary, and all around more work than disposables. This can be very intimidating to someone who is already feeling overwhelmed about caring for a baby.

So, how do you convince your partner to switch to cloth nappies? The first thing you can do is help him overcome some common misconceptions. We dedicated a whole post to addressing cloth nappy myths, so make sure you give it a read! For example, cloth nappies are sanitary, they’re less work that they seem, and they aren’t any messier than disposables.

Hopefully, we can help you get dad on board!

Show Them How Much Money Your Family Will Save

Everyone loves to hear how they can save money. With a new kid around, you quickly realize how much money they cost. From furnishing the baby room to buying bigger and bigger clothes as your child rapidly grows, babies are expensive. Any way you can save a bit of cash is welcome. And, cloth nappies will save you quite a lot of cash!

Here’s a breakdown of nappy costs in Australia for one child over 2.5 years.

That’s just for one child. You can expect that number to double with two children and triple with three! One of the best things about reusable nappies is that you can use them on all of your future children, saving you even more money. See how much cheaper cloth nappies are:

Of course, the upfront cost of cloth nappies is more than with disposables. If dad is wary of the initial investment, start early. Begin purchasing cloth nappies while you’re still pregnant. That way, you can build up a stash over a couple of months rather than shelling out the cash for a whole set all at once.

Settle His Concerns About Poop Getting Everywhere

If you two are first-time parents, it’s more likely than not that your husband has never changed a nappy. They have no idea what baby poop is like and how non-threatening it really is.

First of all, newborn poop is 100% water soluble and washes away easily and completely. Newborn nappies can be thrown right into the wash without rinsing!

Use Liners to Make Cleanup Easy

Once the baby begins consuming solids, poop needs to be disposed of before washing. Nappies can be rinsed. But, liners make the task even more simple. Flushable liners can be thrown in the toilet while reusable liners just need to be dumped out and thrown in the laundry. Get microfleece liners and poop will roll right off. Then, whatever small amount of poop is left on the actual cloth nappy is easily handled by the washing process.

No, Your Washing Machine Won’t Be Disgusting

Many dads object to washing dirty nappies in the same machine that regular laundry goes in. We don’t blame them! But after the water-soluble newborn poops are over, hardly any poop actually makes it into the washing machine. Plus, washing machines are designed to handle unsanitary, dirty messes like soiled nappies.

Washing nappies involves two cycles in the laundry. The first cold or warm cycle rinses any bodily fluids left on the nappies. The second is a hot cycle with detergent, sanitizing the nappies and cleaning them completely. After this cycle your washing machine will be clean and sanitary, ready for your regular laundry!

Make the Process as Easy as Possible for Him

The best way to convince your husband to try cloth nappies is to tell them you’ll take care of the extra work they create. This mainly refers to the laundering required. Many cloth nappying dads have stated that they would never have switched to cloth nappies if they had to do the laundry. If you’re fine taking care of the washing, this can help a lot in trying to convince him to get on board.

You can also make it easy for him by getting dad-friendly nappies. Though flats and pre-folds may be cheaper, fitted nappies, pocket nappies, and all-in-ones are easier to put on and take off. Dads prefer the simplicity of Velcro over pins and snappies. If you have the time, you can even stuff inserts into pocket nappies for him so they’re ready to go.

There are a few godsend products that make cloth nappying much more pain-free. We discussed these in our last post so make sure you check it out!

Try a Few Cloth Nappies and Ease Him into it

Instead of going 100% cloth, get a few nappies and try them while you’re still using disposables. You don’t want to push dad into it if he doesn’t feel comfortable.

We recommend starting with Little Piglet’s all-in-one nappy. It’s a favorite of dads everywhere thanks to its simple Velcro closure. It’s also the perfect cloth nappy for your baby in terms of materials. This nappy has four layers of bamboo viscose, 3 layers of super-absorbent microfiber, a luxuriously soft minky shell with a hidden waterproof PUL layer, and moisture-wicking suedecloth inner lining. We even offer a nappy trial pack of three nappies for a heavy discount.

Don’t feel defeated if your husband really isn’t into the idea and there’s no changing his mind. This doesn’t mean you can’t still use cloth! You can use cloth nappies when you change the baby and dad can use disposables when he does it. Once he sees how easy it is to use cloth, he might come around too!