Welcome to Farnborough Cloth Nappy Library
Whether you are new to reusable nappies, or have tried them before and need some support - we are here to help you.
Part of the UK Nappy Network and supported by Hampshire County Council, Farnborough Cloth Nappy Library is a not-for-profit venture run by parents for parents in Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham and the surrounding areas.
What is a Nappy Library?
In short, it's like a book library but for reusable nappies.
We support families who are either using or considering cloth nappies. We offer a comprehensive advice and troubleshooting service for any reusable nappies you are currently using, or, we can loan you a kit of different nappies to trial.
The library is part of the UK Nappy Network and supported by Hampshire County Council. We run as a not-for-profit venture with all of the people involved volunteering their time and resources. All of our volunteers are parents of cloth bum babies who have experience in a number of different styles and brand of modern cloth nappies.
How do I hire a kit?
As a first step we recommend checking the UKNN map to confirm that we are your closest nappy library.
If we are, we have two types of kit available - Birth to Potty (BTP) which is suitable for children around 10-30lbs, or Newborn which is suitable from birth until around 12lbs.
- Birth to Potty Kits can be hired for a 4-week period for the price of £10, plus a £50 refundable deposit.
- Newborn kits can be hired for an 8-week period for the price of £20, plus a £50 refundable deposit.
To hire a kit, simply follow these steps:
- Select ‘Create an Account’ via the link at the top of the page
- Verify your email address
- Go to the inventory page and select the kit required and your preferred dates. (If you're hiring a newborn kit prior to the birth of your child, we recommend selecting a date no earlier than 2 weeks before your due/induction date, this will allow you to have plenty of time with the nappies once your baby has arrived, even if they keep you waiting.)
- Wait for us to approve your reservation and send you the invoice
- One of the team will be in touch near the start date to arrange the collection of your kit
A £50 deposit is taken to secure the safe return of the kits and will be refunded upon return of the full kit in an agreeable condition, please see our Hire Agreement for further details.
Why choose cloth nappies?
For many the decision to choose reusable nappies is environmental and there is no denying this is a big feature, but there are so many more benefits as well:
1. Better containment than disposables - if you've had a newborn in disposable nappies before you'll likely be familiar with the 'up the back' explosions. We won't lie and say that you will never get a leak in cloth, however, at most you may get a small amount seep out of an overfull nappy or if baby is at an awkward position, but never anything that would reach the hairline.
2. Better for your wallet - yes the upfront cost of real nappies may seem daunting, however there is a huge pre-loved market for grabbing bargains and nothing says it needs to be all or nothing from the start, many people buy one or two at a time and build up their stash slowly. In the long run it will be cheaper, most families will spend around £1,800 per child on disposable nappies, a cloth system can be set up from as little as £150 and it can be used for multiple children.
4. Better for your wardrobe - there is a print for everything and that is part of the fun! Most cloth bum parents choose to store their nappies on display rather than hide them away in a drawer.
5. Better for baby - most families experience less nappy rash in real nappies because there are no chemicals to be found and they are more breathable. Plus studies show cloth nappies help keep hips wider which is the optimal position for newborn babies.
FAQs
(click the question for a link to the answer)
What are the different types of cloth nappy?
What do I do with the dirty nappies?
Can I use nappy rash cream with cloth nappies?
Getting started
When you are starting out with cloth nappies, if you have never used them before and are buying new we recommend starting with 1-2 of the brands and styles you are interested in to get you started rather than going “all-in” on one brand. This will allow you to see which brands and styles work best for your baby and your family.
Don't worry about buying nappies which don't work for you, there is an active pre-loved market on Facebook where they can be sold on, this is also a great way to get started or build your stash in a cost-effective way.
If you are interested in buying nappies pre-loved we have some tips on what to look for and what you should be asking here.
If you're looking to buy your nappies new then these are available from the brands directly or there are a huge number of retailers to choose from, a few of our recommended retailers can be found below:
If you have hired a kit from us then we also have access to discount codes for a selected number of retailers and brands, get in touch with your volunteer for the details.
Making a donation
If you have finished with your cloth journey and are looking to re-home your nappies, all donations are gratefully received. Please see below our policy on how we manage donations:
- Nappies which are still widely available are put into our library stock for loans, or given to/swapped with other nappy libraries. Occasionally these will be put into our packs gifted to those in financial need
- Nappies which are very old versions, hard to get hold of, or are greyed/stained will be put into our packs for those in need
- Nappies which are bald, badly stained or damaged are repurposed by us, sent to the cloth bank, or sent to a charity that pays for bulk fabric
If you have any that are in good condition, we assume you give us permission to sell them on in order to fund-raise. If this is not acceptable, then that's fine, however please let us know in writing in advance of making the donation
We adhere to the UK Nappy Network donations management flowchart as detailed below:
Contact us
https://farnboroughnappylibrary.myturn.com/library/