The Trust behind Modern Cloth Nappies: A Love Letter From a Tired Single Mum

by Linda Wood on Nov 27, 2025 0 comments

Modern Cloth Nappies: A Love Letter From a Very Tired Single Mum

Let me introduce myself properly:

I’m Linda! I’m a single mum of four kids (including 2-year-old twins).
I also have three dogs, a mortgage, an amazing job in legal and my beautiful business Hush Little Babe.

So when I say I don’t have time for anything too precious, complicated or “just add 4 extra loads of washing to your week!”, I really mean it.

And yet… my twins wear modern cloth nappies.
On purpose.
And I actually love them.
(Yes, I am as surprised as you are.)

If you’re here because you’ve been googling:

“are modern cloth nappies worth it?”
“modern cloth nappies vs disposable”
“will cloth nappies destroy my sanity?”

…you’re in the right place. I’m not going to sugar-coat it or eco-guilt you. You get real talk from a mum who has zero spare bandwidth for bullshit and still thinks cloth nappies are awesome.

👉 You can peek at the cloth nappies I use on my twins here:
https://www.hushlittlebabe.com.au/collections/cloth-nappies

First Things First: I’m Not That Perfect Pinterest Eco Mum!

Let’s be clear:
I am not growing my own organic kale and handwashing nappies in a stream.

I am:

Drinking cold coffee
Stepping on toys
Negotiating with toddlers who are emotionally attached to the blue cup
Trying to answer emails while someone yells “Muuuuum” from the bathroom

I use modern cloth nappies because they genuinely make sense in real life, not because I’ve unlocked some magical Extra Time Level in motherhood.

I still use disposables sometimes.
I use cloth a lot – especially on the twins – because:

They’re better for my wallet
They’re better for the planet
And honestly? They’re bloody cute

This is not an all-or-nothing religion. It’s just another tool in your survival kit.

What Even Are Modern Cloth Nappies?

Forget the old-school terry squares and giant pins your nan used.

Modern cloth nappies look like:

A soft, padded, reusable nappy
With a waterproof outer layer
And absorbent layers and inserts inside
Fastened with snap buttons

You use them like a disposable (on, off, done), but instead of going in the bin, they go in the wash.

There are a few types (all-in-one, pocket, all-in-two), but the goal is the same:
catch wee and poo without leaking all over your life.

👉 If you want to see what ours look like, check them out here:
https://www.hushlittlebabe.com.au/collections/cloth-nappies

Why I Switched My Twins to Cloth (Even With Everything Else Going On)

People always assume you need tons of time and zen energy to use cloth nappies.

I am living proof that is not true.

I have:

Two-year-old twins in cloth nappies
Two older kids
Three dogs
A job
A business
Very little spare time

If cloth nappies were a massive drama, I would have ditched them very quickly.

Here’s why they stayed:

1. The Rubbish Bin Situation Was Getting Ridiculous

With twins in disposables, my bin was:

Full
Heavy
Smelly
All. The. Time.

Switching the twins mostly to cloth nappies:

Cut way down the rubbish
Cut out that constant nappy smell
Made me feel a little less like I was throwing my money straight in the bin

I still use disposables when I need to (night, crazy days, sickness – whatever).
But just moving to cloth most days made a huge difference.

2. The Money Side (It Honestly Adds Up)

Nappies are not cheap.
Now double it for twins. Fun.

Yes, modern cloth nappies cost more up front.
But once you’ve got your stash, you’re:

Not buying boxes and boxes of nappies every week
Just washing what you already own
Able to reuse them for future babies or resell them

Even using them part-time saves money.

👉 If you don’t want to go in too deep yet, we stock small sets:
https://www.hushlittlebabe.com.au/collections/cloth-nappies

3. They Don’t Make My Life Harder

This is a big one.

If something makes my life harder, it goes. I don’t care how eco-friendly, trendy or highly recommended it is.

Cloth nappies have to pass the “single-mum-of-four” test:

Easy to put on while someone else is yelling about a lost toy? ✅
Can survive toddler-level wees? ✅
Don’t require a 25-step washing ritual? ✅

My routine looks like:

Change nappy, chuck the used one in a basket (dry pail).
Once I have enough, do:

Quick rinse/short cycle
Proper longer wash

Hang them to dry. Done.

No soaking in gross buckets. No scrubbing like a Victorian washerwoman. Just… laundry. And let’s be real, we’re already doing a mountain of that anyway.

4. My Twins’ Skin Is Happier

Every baby is different, but I noticed:

Less nappy rash
Less redness
Their skin just seemed happier in cloth

I still use a barrier cream if needed, but their bums definitely appreciate the softer, breathable fabrics.

5. They’re Just Bloody Cute

I know looks aren’t everything, but when you’re up to your eyeballs in chaos, a cute cloth nappy on a tiny bum is a small joy.

Fun prints, soft fabrics, no crinkly plastic.
It makes those many, many nappy changes a tiny bit nicer.

👉 We’ve chosen prints that make me smile even on the “everything is going wrong” days:
https://www.hushlittlebabe.com.au/collections/cloth-nappies

But Let’s Be Honest: What About the Poo?

Because I know you’re thinking it.

“Do I have to touch more poo?”

Not really.

You’re already dealing with poo in disposables – wiping, bagging, binning, praying.

With cloth nappies:

Younger babies / breastfed poop: can go straight into the wash – it’s water soluble.
Older babies / toddlers: I use a liner (reusable or disposable). Most of the poo goes in the toilet, then the nappy goes in the wash.

Is it glamorous? No.
Is it manageable? Yes.
Is it any worse than a blown-out disposable up their back? Absolutely not.

You Don’t Have to Be “All In” to Count

This part is important:

You don’t have to be a 100% cloth, 100% of the time saint.

You are allowed to: