Bamboo - the MUST have nappy fabric! Here's why...

Bamboo Nappies are one of the most popular natural diapering options available right now. Why are bamboo nappies so popular? Bamboo has a lot going for it. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial, soft, absorbent, easy to care for and better for the environment than synthetics or conventionally grown cotton.

What is so cool about bamboo?

Bamboo grows very, very quickly. Up to one foot a day! It does not require pesticides or chemical fertilizers, making it much more environmentally friendly than conventionally grown crops such as cotton. Because it grows so quickly, bamboo is a sustainable resource. Bamboo also helps prevent soil erosion and can absorb up to 40 percent more carbon dioxide than a similar growth of trees.

Bamboo is naturally antibacterial. Studies in Japan show that even after 50 washes, bamboo fabric retains it's antibacterial properties. When scientists attempted to grow bacteria on bamboo fabric, they found that 70 percent of the bacteria did not grow.

Bamboo is highly absorbent - about 60 percent more than cotton. Bamboo is able to absorb about 3 times it's own weight in water.

Bamboo is very breathable, making it a good choice for use against sensitive skin.

Does processing bamboo hurt the environment?

All fabrics impact the environment in some way. The only way to completely avoid environmental impact is to go naked. We feel that the impact of bamboo is worth the benefits it provides, although we are supportive of efforts to reduce the impact of all fabrics on the environment.

Because bamboo is grown so sustainably, it starts out as a much "greener" crop than most textiles. Processing the bamboo into fabric does require the use of chemicals. One of these chemicals is sodium hydroxide (lye). Sodium hydroxide is also used in making real soap. It is created naturally when water is run through wood ash, as our great, great grandparents did to create homemade soap. While you don't want sodium hydroxide on your skin in it's pure form, it is less dangerous than many other chemicals used to create textiles. Further, the factory that turns bamboo into usable fiber uses a closed loop system that retains the sodium hydroxide for reuse.

While creating bamboo fabric is not perfectly environmentally friendly, we feel that it is still a sustainable fabric that is better for the environment than synthetics made from petroleum or conventionally grown cotton. Until a perfect textile is found, we are very happy with the benefits and sustainability of bamboo.

Tell me more about bamboo nappies!

Bamboo nappies are now available from several top nappy makers. In addition to our own luxurious bamboo velour Wipes, we carry bamboo nappies in the form of our Couture and Basix range!

***Info copied and modified to suit Australian terms from http://www.littlefornow.com/pages/bamboo.php***

The Benefits and Advantages of using wool

Sounds too hot next to the skin? Think washing and caring for wool is too complicated?

Wool is very comfortable and is the only fiber that can absorb up to 1/3 of its weight in moisture without feeling wet or clammy as the moisture immediately starts to evaporate into the air.

Wool is an amazing insulator - when the weather is hot, wool can keep the body cool and the heat out, yet when the weather is cold, wool will keep the body warm and the cold out!

Other benefits of wool include resilience, as well as easy care. Wool maintains its shape virtually forever, and it’s very easy to clean -as long as you know the basic rules for cleaning wool.

Advantages to wool: It’s a natural fiber so it’s very breathable, it has good leak control (especially good at night time!).

Disadvantages: Needs little bit extra care, can be bulky under clothing, some people are allergic to wool.

If you want to have a go at trying wool nappy covers there are few rules to follow:

- Get a cover with high wool content - it’ll perform better. Cushie Tushies Woolen Soakers are made with 8py 100% Australian wool. Anything under 8ply will not be suitable for night time use.

- The nappy underneath has to be absorbent enough otherwise the wool will let moisture through if the nappy becomes saturated. A Cushie Tushies Couture with an extra Bamboo Night booster is perfect for nights where as I would advise leaving your Basix for day time use.

- The wool nappy cover may smell a bit after use but you can just air it and the smell will go.

Remember: wool is NOT waterproof, rather it is water-repellent when treated with lanolin.

Lanolin? That surely sounds complicated…

Initially I too was put off by the treating with lanolin thing, but it is not at all complicated, and actually quite quick.

Before you first use your wool nappy cover, it needs treating with lanolin few times before it becomes properly water-repellent. (Lanolin is the wax produced by sheep to keep their fleece in good weatherproof condition).

Treating - You can buy pure lanolin or lanolin treatment (wool cure) -both work the same way. If you use wool cure, the instructions are on the bottle - just add enough hot water to cover the cover, wait for it to cool down and put the soaker in overnight, then squeeze out excess water very carefully (you can wrap the wool wrap in a towel to do this), lay out to dry -it’s done!

If you use pure lanolin (cheaper in the long run), it needs to be emulsified in the water as it has a thick wax consistency. You need to add a small amount of wool wash to very hot water and add a teaspoon of lanolin. The lanolin will melt and the soap emulsifies it into the water. When the water has cooled down, treat it the same way as with the wool cure.

I have also come across Spray on Lanolin on the www which sounds like an even easier process so something to look into.

Washing: Wool nappy covers only need washing about every 2-4 weeks (unless it’s soiled) as long as it’s aired after use as wool cleans itself with oxygen. If it smells after airing, it needs a wash. Natural soap such as wool shampoo or washing detergent for delicate items are good.

It’s advisable to hand-wash wool nappy covers, especially the ones that are 100% wool as hot water and agitation in the washing machine can cause felting (wool fibers shrinking -you’ll end up having a wrap half it’s original size!). Most washing machines do have a wool or hand wash cycle so you could try it out if you’re brave enough! Felted wraps can be washed in the washing machine. You will need a very small amount of soap -just enough to clean the wrap without stripping too much of the lanolin out of the wool. Lanolin treatment needs to be done every 2 to 3 washes.

Drying - Knitted Nappy Soakers (that are non-felted) should be dried flat to prevent them losing their shape. You can roll them up loosely in a towel to soak up drips and put them on the airier.

***Source - http://www.babiesnappies.co.uk/2009/05/31/the-benefits-and-advantages-of-using-wool/**

Mums of London put the Secretary of State in his place!

Poor Ed Miliband. He should have known better than to air his nappy knowledge with the Mumsnet matriarchs last week.

What they don't know about compostable baby wipes you could write on the back of a Jaffa Cake (his favourite biscuit).

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change got into deep doo-doo by admitting to using disposable nappies to swaddle the bottom of his six-month-old son Daniel, saying: "An Environment Agency report from 2005 said that when you take into account the use of energy in washing and drying nappies, it evens out."

Well, four years is a long time in the evolution of the diaper, Ed.

Real nappies are now not only markedly greener but a whole lot more desirable than in 2005.

In fact, mothers are now buying washables as a fashion statement - earning eco-points comes a poor second to the style status of baby's bottom.

There's a whole menu of nappies to choose from, with melt-in-the-mouth names like Cushie Tushies, which is launching a bumblebee-striped one in January, Swaddlebees, Lollipop Pop'*'gro and Bumgenius.

How do they measure up, convenience-wise, to their disposable counterparts? Forget all notions of scratchy towelling and big pins.

Today's real nappy is a cuddly, quick drying, all-in-one with popper fastening that you can sling in the washing machine without even soaking.

"They are as close as you can get to a disposable nappy while still being reusable," says Tom Scrambler of the Itti Bitti, which doesn't require outer plastic pants.

"They are slimmer than ordinary washable nappies and easier to fit under normal clothing. The pull-apart design makes them quick drying, but they're easy to reassemble, even for dads, as the poppers are colour-coded." Mr Miliband take note.

Find out about real nappy grants, laundry services, nappy demos and suppliers at www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/fashion/article-23780656-mums-cant-get-enough-of-coloured-eco-diapers.do

It’s Christmas Gift Time at Cushie Tushies!

The year is fast approaching its end and the festive season is almost upon is! It’s incredible how fast this year has flown by – what an amazing, huge year it has been here at Cushie Tushies. We have enjoyed every moment of it and want thank all our wonderful customers with a Christmas Gift offer that gives and receives at the same time!

Buy a Dude, Help a Dude, receive a free 50ml foaming wipes wash!

Our Dude Couture, with its cute little Dude faces in orange and bright blue stars, holds a very dear place in our heart. Cushie Tushies is proud to donate 50% of the profits from each Dude to the Working Wonders Foundation to help research into childhood illnesses and to brighten the lives of sick kids and their families.

For one month, buy a Dude Couture, $35, and receive a free 50ml foaming wipes wash, worth $9, as our gift to you*, PLUS your purchase will also give the gift of hope to those Aussie families involved with the Working Wonders Foundation!

Order through your nearest Cushie Tushies Consultant and receive free delivery!

Simply enter the code XMASDUDE into the comments field in our checkout to redeem this offer.

*One bottle of wipes wash per order, with the purchase of a Dude Working Wonders Couture. Offer does not apply to any other print. Offer available from 25th November to 24th December, or while stocks last. Offer is non-refundable.

Cheers,
Shell & Cath

CUSHIE TUSHIES DRUMMING UP SUPPORT FOR QUEENSLAND’S ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

CUSHIE TUSHIES is proud to provide ongoing support to the WORKING WONDERS FOUNDATION with 50% of profits from their Dude range of couture nappies and wetbags donated to charity. The WORKING WONDERS FOUNDATION helps Queensland’s Royal Children’s Hospital conduct life saving research into childhood illnesses while brightening the lives of sick kids and their families.

Owned and operated by Aussie mums Michelle Fowler and Cath Langman, CUSHIE TUSHIES popular one-size, all-in-one modern cloth nappies are simple to use, highly absorbent and come in a range of divine and beautiful designer fabrics.

Debunking all the myths and misconceptions surrounding cloth nappies, CUSHIE TUSHIES are a premium product, while still providing incredible value for money. Customers love CUSHIE TUSHIES because they are an investment – their super absorbency – lasting anywhere between 6-12 hours between changes – saves time and money, plus is kind to the environment. Not to mention how fashionable and funky they are – the range of colours and prints is huge, so there is a style to suit all tastes!

CUSHIE TUSHIES are designed to be easily adjustable and fit various sizes and shapes of baby from newborn to toddlers. The superior designer fabrics are comfortable and gentle on baby’s sensitive skin and the clever design includes strong but comfy elastic to contain any leaks and explosions, a waterproof cover and absorbent inner that are easy to wash, use and store.

Modern cloth nappies have become a huge hit with mums and even Hollywood celebrities have taken on the trend too. The celebrity babies of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tori Spelling, Matthew McConaughey, Jaime Pressly, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields and Marcia Cross have all used cloth nappies.

CUSHIE TUSHIES’ modern cloth nappies, matching wetbags, wipes wallets and bulk packs are available in a number of designs from www.cushietushies.com.au For further information about WORKING WONDERS please log on to www.workingwonders.com.au

Cushie Tushies at the PBC Expo in Melbourne!

The PBC Expo, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank, 16th – 18th October

It’s now October – time to squeeze in one more exhibition before we get stuck into the silly season for another year... The PBC Expo is on at Southbank next Friday 16th to Sunday 18th October. The show starts at 10am each day and runs till 4pm on Friday and 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

Our 20% off Show Special will be available across our entire range, and if you buy the Full Time pack of 24 nappies, you will also get all your accessories for FREE!

Please note that this discount is exclusive to the show only.

Click here to download your free ticket.

Want free nappies instead? Calling all Melbourne-based Cushie Tushies fans – if you’re free during the day on Friday 16th or Saturday 17th and would like to help us demonstrate our products at the PBC, please let us know! We are looking for some helping hands between 11am-3pm both days. Payment will be in nappies! If you’re interested, please email me at shell@cushietushies.com.au.

New stock available on our website now!
For those of you who don’t live in Melbourne – all our lovely new stock, both Coutures and Basix, are now available on our website and via our Consultants and stockists.

New retailers
We also have two new retailers stocking the Cushie Tushies range. Nest Nappies in Brisbane and Balaklava Chemplus Chemist in Balaklava, South Australia. Both these retailers have an introductory offer of a free wet bag as a gift with every purchase of $100 of Cushie Tushies.

If your local baby shop, nappy specialist or pharmacy does not yet stock Cushie Tushies and you really think they should, why not ask them to? Let’s make Cushie Tushies as widely available as disposables!

Cheers,
Shell

Its time to hit the Local Baby Shops!

Well it has been a busy week here at Cushie Tushies HQ. Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of visiting our newest Retailer in Paddington Brisbane. Lovely Elizabeth welcomed me into her shop with opened arms and I must say it is one of the nicest little shops I have ever visited... helped by the fact that it is purely for Cloth Nappies! How cool is that! It is called Nest Nappies and is officially opened on the 14th of October with some great deals and goody Bags so if you are a local to Bris please do Visit!

On the subject of Retail Shops we are now in the process of getting Cushie Tushies into as many of them as possible! Our Production is on a continual roll through now so we shouldn't sell out of prints too quickly like we did before.

Modern Cloth Nappies are so talked about in the Media at the moment that approaching Retail stores with our fantastic One Size Fits All is quite easy, especially the smaller boutique stores.

We need your help though... it makes our job so much easier if the store (big ones especially like Babies Galore!) has been asked by its Customers to stock our brand (like at Nest Nappies) so please, if you love Cloth and want to see it as main stream as possible help some Mummies out and ask your Local Baby store to stock Cushie Tushies! We will even be visiting them on a 4 weekly basis to make sure they have only the best stock and prints so its worth everyone's while.

Cheers,
Shell