SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY 2009

We had a fantastic day last Sunday! Sarah and Haruko came and helped us out... and we were VERY glad that they could come because we had about 100 people come!!! This was my official tour guide... I think I pretty much covered every point on the tour. Very exhausting but also very rewarding!

Warnervale – SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY 2009
Sunday 13th September 10am~4pm MASTER COPY
Welcome to our sustainable home! This leaflet is provided to help you as we take you on a tour and guide you through the various features of our house and our lifestyle.

FRONTYARD
1) SOLAR POWER SYSTEM - 3kW (50 panels) Kaneko solar panels with 24x 48V battery bank controlled by Sunny Boy Inverter. Backed up by a generator. Generator usage (as a percentage of power production) for the whole time that we have been set up is less than 1%. Wind turbine is quite complimentary - often more wind when there is less sun. Also, a wind turbine can work 24 hours a day if conditions suit and will hopefully further reduce the use of the generator. I wanted a diesel generator but ended up with a petrol one due to a mistake by the suppliers – I didn't get it changed because I thought it was very wasteful... I may live to regret it.
2) Stables/Machinery shed - Used old shed panels and tin for partitions and rooms. The old shed was here in stacks when we came and it was going to be put up by the previous owners but due to the duration of exposure to the elements, much of the shed was rotted. The hardwood and tin was salvaged for building chook/goose house and lab/tack rooms and other garden projects and for firewood. Used old laundry cupboards for laboratory. Aircell insulation for the whole roof and Pink Batt 2.5R insulation in the lab walls. Built stables, yards, crush and mare phantom. Used some new steel but also some scrap metal and recycled (old) conveyor belt rubber. Attached to a 55000L water tank which makes this property just about drought proof.
3) Carport - The land contour and the prior council approval dictated the position of the shed and carport. Therefore, in order to be able to hold up the 50 solar panels, we made the carport strong and high enough not to get shade form the shed. The pitch of the roof is at 30 degrees. Summer sun is at 0 degrees and the lowest winter sun is 60degrees so this 30 degrees is a compromise. Mezzanine floor for the batteries and inverters (out of flood level). Closed off below the mezzanine with sections and roller doors from an old shed. In the 'garage' I keep the left over building material and the firewood.
4) Toyota Prius – we bought ours second hand almost 3 years ago and love it to bits.
5) Growing Your Own - Winter Veggie patch – north side (looking to source an old water tank to make round raised beds in the future). Strawberry wheel barrow; blue berries; lilly pillies (edible berries).
6) Sprinkler system – monsoon sprinklers surround the buildings and is connected to a 22000L tank which collects from the carport. A petrol water pump is used for the sprinklers but we mainly use this irrigation system for the gravity fed taps in the garden.
7) Queenslander style verandah - Wrap around verandah great for keeping hot summer sun out of the house. Open plan design of house also good for ventilation and keeping the house cool in summer. Quite comfortable all summer without ever needing an air conditioner. Large area for water collection into 2 x 22ooo L capacity tanks. All the gutters (even the chook house!) has steel mesh gutter guards. Exterior Hardiplank cladding and aluminium windows was already on the house when we purchased.
8) Catmax enclosure - Cats stay inside 100% of the time to protect wildlife (and themselves!).
9) Clothes line on verandah. Great ventilation and fast drying... all undercover. Dryer never used. In winter, when the dryer may have been required, we often had the wood heater on and we dried clothes around it.

INSIDE
10) Front door – self raising weather strips on external doors to reduce draft. . Crim-safe security screens on the house for security but also required for fire-rating.
11) Relocated OLD house - Most importantly, the actual house is recycled - a 50+ year old hardwood frame house was relocated onto the site. Any walls and timber removed when the house was redesigned has been reused (lots of nails removed) and whole wall sections were moved using pine logs... rolling them along then using block and tackle to raise them... just like the Egyptians!
12) Solar aspect and house design. House faces north. The main living/open area is on the north side. Originally there was a bedroom on this northern wall which made the whole area very dark and enclosed. Made the location of laundry, kitchen and ensuite to be all in the one section of the house, on the southern side.
13) Compressed Bamboo floor boards - it was a toss up between choosing this very sustainable product which was 'shipped' a long way or a more locally sourced recycled timber floor boards. We went the bamboo because of looks, durability (harder than most hardwoods), ease of installation (the base floor is very 'wonky' so it suited the short bamboo sections) and it came pre-finished so in the end Bamboo worked out cheaper for us. See sample boards.14) Timber posts - from site clearing and finished with plant-based Organoil.
15) Camphor laurel slabs - used for bench tops and bench seat/shoe.
Camphor laurel is an introduced tree species and grows as a weed in many parts of Australia – the slabs were obtained locally. The timber is finished with Organoil, a timber oil made of plant oils and liquid beeswax (no petrochemicals). Organoil is made in Byron Bay and is available at Bunnings. Local wood slabs for bench tops.
16) Second hand Furniture - mostly all second hand or home-made furniture. The Central Coast Tender Centre (Berkeley Vale), Recycling yards, ebay and some antique shops in Newcastle are great sources. 17) HEMP Curtains - full length to floor so that it doesn't set up a convection current. Need to cover the top of the curtain rail in the future. Hemp is very sustainable. In production it has low water requirements and no pesticides (unlike regular cotton). Durable and heavy fabric with good insulating properties. Full floor length curtains are the most insulating window treatment (ideally with pelmets). Hemp was purchased from the Hemp Gallery, Sydney (http://www.hempgallery.com/.au) and the curtains made by a local seamstress. The Hemp Gallery is an excellent on-line source of a large range of hemp products and fabrics, including bedlinen.18) Floor rugs - We have chosen floor coverings (rugs) made of natural, sustainable fibres (seagrass – nursery; jute – living room; sisal – main bedroom and study). N.B. Although wool and cotton are natural fibres they are not sustainable in their regular forms due to farming methods used to produce them; organic cotton and organic wool are sustainable, however, as they are produced using sustainable farming practices and without harsh chemicals.
19) Polished floor boards - old floor sanded and polished in the nursery and guest rooms as these floors were not excessively damaged like the other areas of the house.
20) Bathroom – as it was usable we have not renovated it. As the tapware was destroyed by vandals, I just patched up the walls and installed new water saving tapware and changed the 'accessories' of the bathroom. Take a look at our 'little squirt' a fantastic DIY installed device for washing off the babies poo down the toilet. The cats' poo also goes down the toilet and they access the outside cat enclosure through here. 21) Paint - Dulux Envir02 was used on the walls and ceilings – this is a low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint which is 100% greenhouse gas abated through the AGO Greenhouse Friendly Programme. Dulux Aquanamel was used on the architraves and skirting boards. Aquanamel is a water-based enamel (most enamels are oil-based). Biopaint, a plant-based paint, was used in the main bathroom. This is a lovely paint to use and is very environmentally-friendly.22) Wall and Roof insulation - 'eco' pink batts 2.5R. 'Draft-stoppa' vent covers on bathroom and ensuite fans. As this was an old relocated house, there were lots of cracks and gaps filled up with No More Gaps and expanding foam to minimise draft.
23) Powerscape wall boards - 95% recycled gypsum. It is a US-made product but I decided to buy these as they were the end of line stock and the distributors were not replacing this particular model (Ultramesh) by shipping in more. Ultramesh is the commercial grade product so is far more durable than normal gyprock and is more sound proof than actual 'sound-proof' gyprock, is fire-retardant because there is no paper covering, has much greater thermal mass and you can hang objects up to 40kg per hook screwed directly into the wall! Great product!
24) LIGHTS - The downlights are a combination of CFLs and LEDs. GU10 downlights run on 240V, so they don’t need a transformer, unlike normal downlight systems which run on 12V and need a transformer (which usually adds about 10-15W to the power usage). The CFLs use more power (9 – 11W each) than the LEDs (3W each) but they produce a brighter, more dispersed light. They also take a few minutes to ‘warm up’ (achieve maximum brightness), whereas the LEDs are immediately bright once switched on. We have used the CFLs in most areas; the LEDs have been used where a more focal light is desirable and where we want the light quickly. Regular (not a down light) CFLs have been used in the bathrooms, laundry and bedrooms – these are the most energy-efficient, using between 8 – 11 W per room (depending on brightness).
25) Kitchen - revamped but kept all the old cupboards and just fixed up new doors and installed a caesar stone bench top - obviously ceasar stone is not renewable like wood, but it will last just about forever and won't require any treatments (sanding, oils, varnishes etc). 26) Kitchen Appliances - Gas stove top all year round. The 'Early Kooka' 1930s (from Springwood but originally Balmain) Gas oven and stove top for winter-time oven and grill cooking inside if the batteries are low. In summer we will use the electric oven but if it's too hot we will the have Early Kooka outside on the veranda so that it doesn't heat up the house... or we could use the wood fire oven.27) Fridge - Most energy saving model we could find but added a vent (with insect mesh) going through to the sub-floor at the back. Could have used a closeable vent (for winter) but I did not want to be moving the fridge in and out and scratching up the floor. Ask me about a Deep-freezer option. 28) Solatube Skylight - Highly effective (kitchen was very dark before) and uses a reflective tube to maximise light. It is well insulated –and there is no transfer of heat, unlike many conventional skylights.
29) Enjo Microfibre Cloths - We use Enjo microfibre cloths for all our cleaning. These eliminate the need for cleaning products (only water is needed), which is great news for our Biolytix waste water treatment system and also reduces the impact from chemical cleaners, manufacture and transport of cleaning products and packaging. The Enjo microfibre cloths are high quality, durable (they last several years) and work amazingly well. At the end of their life, they can be returned to Enjo for recycling. Although there are many natural cleaners available (home-made or commercially prepared), I have found Enjo cloths to perform much better than these and cleaning is much easier. Since cloths of some description are required regardless of the cleaning method used, I would much prefer to use Enjo cloths, than have to regularly purchase some form of cleaning product (even if just good old fashioned bicarb and vinegar) which comes in packaging and must be manufactured and transported. The only downside with Enjo is that the products are currently manufactured in Austria, however the company plans to start manufacturing in Australia soon.
30) Hemp Roman Blind – back window and also in the nursery.31) Laundry - Slab and recycled wood bench made of local silky oak timber slab (finished with plant-based Organoil).Bench top supported by an old fence post from the property. Miele front loading washing machine - is very water-wise. There is no need to set load size - the washing machine determines how much water to use for each load. The hot water tank was put in here even though there is limited space as this would add to the tank's longevity (and proximity to areas of use – see below).
32) Apricus Solar hot water system with Rheem Instant Gas as Booster– we can't use electric backup... a mistake by our original plumbers, we have instant gas as backup which we can turn on if the winter sun doesn't heat up the water enough. An evacuated tube solar hot water system – this type of system is much more efficient (around 40% more heat output) than the traditional flat plate system. The gas booster can be switched on or off when needed. We only require the booster in the winter months. The solar collector is on the northern side of the house roof; the tank is located indoors in close proximity to its main areas of use (ensuite, kitchen and laundry) to reduce heat loss during transit. The laundry has been getting quite a work out with the baby.
33) Reusable Nappies - We use only cloth nappies (and wipes) for our baby, and have used a range of fitted cloth nappies since she was born. These include organic cotton fitted nappies (Nature’s Child), Bamboo/Organic cotton nappies (Baby Beehinds fitted nappy; Itti Bitti D’Lish) and the Eenee Designs Pouch Pants nappy. We also have some traditional organic cotton terry cloth squares (Nature’s Child) as a back-up.
Little Squirt – a high pressure hose fitted to the toilet cistern (located in main bathroom) for hosing soiled nappies directly into toilet; a cloth-nappy user’s best friend!
See our article on the Shmeco webpage for more cloth nappy information.
34) Slow Combustion Wood fired heater. We obtain all our timber from our property, thereby maximising the energy-efficiency. Local (on-site) wood from deadwood and bush fire hazard reduction is a very renewable and sustainable product. It is important to use a good quality heater with low emissions! Slow combustion heaters are a very efficient means of heating. Ours is a radiant type of slow-combustion heater with a large cook top. When the fire is going, we use the stove top to boil water and also for some cooking. Ceiling fans are used to circulate the warm air, much like a convection type of slow-combustion heater with an electric fan. Convection heaters, however, do not have a cooking surface.
35) TV and TV Accessories recess - a design feature but also done to avoid having to purchase TV furniture.
36) Avoid 'standby mode' power usage by careful power point placements and numbers. You can buy power boards with similar features... they have a 'mother' appliance plug and some 'slave' appliance plugs. When the 'mother' appliance is turned off, all the power to the other appliances are turned off as well.
37) Ensuite - Water saving tapware. Homemade vanity and shelf. The basin stand is made out of an old blackwood table; the rectangular piece of timber which was removed to fit the basin was used to make the bathroom shelf. Caroma Profile Toilet Suite - toilet incorporating a basin on top of the cistern. When the toilet is flushed, water comes out of the tap into the basin for washing hands, then this water fills the cistern to later flush the toilet.

BACKYARD
38) Pond, garden bathtub - many edible plants here as well. Yam, Taro, Ginger, Yacon, Water chestnut, Arrowroot
39) Goats – future dairy products, weeding, manure, 'whipper snipper' replacement, companion (pets)
40) Water tanks - We are not connected to town water and have a total water tank capacity of approximately 120 000L. There are two 22 000L tanks collecting water from the house roof, one 22 000L tank collecting from the carport roof and one 55 000L tank collecting from the shed roof. The chook house also has its own water tank (an old, second-hand one) – this supplies water for the chooks and geese and is a very convenient set-up.
41) Gardens, Veggie beds, Herb garden, Compost bays, Espaliered stone fruits, Green manure crops and Orchard using Permaculture Principles. 41) Chooks – eggs; orchard fertilising; veggie bed maintenance in 'chook tractor'. And alarm clock! 42) Geese - eggs, meat, orchard fertilising and lawn mowing. 43) Bird nesting boxes. 44) Outdoor kitchen - wood fire oven under construction.45) Plumbing - Grey water and Black water all separated during construction. Have a simple home-made system to use to irrigate garden beds around the verandah, but ideally saving up to install a commercial 'approved' grey water system such as Nubian or Perpetual Water. $$$. This is at the moment not priority as ALL our waste water is reused already anyway (see below).46) Biolytix Septic system. Last but most certainly not least: An award winning system, this waste water treatment system is excellent. Will not 'overload' like other septic systems. Does not smell!!! Even with the lid off for servicing, you can stick your head in and its not bad! It incorporates a WORM farm. The worms love small scraps from the kitchen sink and of course the number two's. The cats' faeces go down the toilet too because you can, but shouldn't put dog/cat manure in the compost. The reclaimed water is pumped periodically via the underground irrigation lines all throughout the orchard (700 square metre area). The fruit trees love it and it is completely safe for us. The energy usage for this system is also very low compared to Envirocycle and other aeration type septic systems.

Some Sustainable Lifestyle Tips

Reduce, re-use, recycle. See Planet Ark’s website for information about what is recycled in your area (Recycling Near You). Curb-side recycling; corks – Body Shop; old eyeglasses – take to OPSM for distribution to third world countries; used printer cartridges - Planet Ark collection box at Post Office; Mobile Phones and accessories – Telstra shop (Mobile Phone Muster); e-waste – council services (Wyong council had recent drop-off service); e-cycling online.
Grow your own eg, fruit and vegies, eggs, honey, milk, meat and buy local organic produce (check out Food Integrity Group (FIG).
Obtain second-hand items wherever possible (clothing – including baby clothes; furniture; toys; vehicle; books, etc).
If new products purchased, ensure they’re made from sustainable materials where possible (eg, bamboo, hemp, organic cotton/wool, recycled materials).
Minimise car use (walk, bike, public transport); use fuel-efficient vehicle.
Live close to work – if you can!!! We would have loved to go further 'bush' but this area is very close to our work as well as being close to town, thereby limiting fuel usage.
Minimise waste going to landfill – compost; avoid buying items with packaging (and if packaging present ensure it’s recyclable in your area); re-use – many items can be given a new life as something different (eg, used for potting plants, art and craft, etc; fabric from old clothing can be salvaged and made into something new – eg, baby clothes, toys, patchwork, cushion covers); and recycle.
Minimise paper usage – use both sides of paper; keep paper that’s printed on one side only and re-use (eg, in printer, fax machine, for scrap paper); use paperless methods where possible (email, phone, online banking, etc).
Convert to Green Power – you don’t need your own solar panels to still ensure that the portion of energy you’re using is made using sustainable methods by switching to an accredited Green Power.
Harvest rainwater and be water-wise.
Say ‘no’ to plastic bags – use re-usable bags or old cardboard boxes to carry your goods and make sure you take them with you whenever you enter a place of trade! Also, if you happen to be without your reusable carry bag, hands and handbags can be used for carrying things too!
Use environmentally-friendly beauty and body-care products – organic, biodegradable, minimal packaging, home-made, locally-made, etc.
Read – there are currently lots of different 'sustainability-focused' magazines to suite different tastes where you can pick up lots of great tips.

Cloth Nappies - Cleaning!

The need for cleaning is probably the main reason most parents opt against cloth nappies. However, if you have a system in place for sorting and cleaning, you will find that using cloth nappies is not that hard at all. Following are a few ideas to make your cloth nappy cleaning as trouble-free as possible.

Little Squirt
I have listed this first for a good reason: it is fantastic and will make life much easier for you. There is a mention of this in my first cloth nappy blog, but basically it is a small high pressure hose that is fitted to the toilet cistern tap (DIY installation). It is used to hose pooey nappies directly into the toilet - most of the poo can be removed prior to soaking/washing. The Little Squirt is available from many of the cloth nappy websites and also some general online eco stores.

Nappy Bucket

A nappy bucket with a secure lid is a must, especially when your baby becomes a toddler. A 20L bucket is ideal. I purchased two, thinking I would have one for soiled and one for wet nappies, but this is not at all practical - I just use one (and use the other for soaking clothes!).

A handy place for the nappy bucket is right next to the toilet, as pooey nappies can be hosed off then transferred directly to the bucket. Alternatively, keep the bucket next to the change table and take it to the toilet after you change a pooey nappy.

Pre-wash Soaker
There are a few environmentally-friendly, biodegradable pre-wash soaking solutions available. One I have used which works well is made by TriNature (http://www.trinature.com/; also available from www.natureschild.com.au). Bicarb and vinegar also work well (about 1/2 cup bicarb and 1/2 cup vinegar to around 5L water in the bucket). Cold water in the bucket is fine (it will become cold anyway). Also, with modern cloth nappies it is not essential to soak (especially if water is scarce) and you can instead sprinkle some bicarb in the bucket to absorb odours. I have tried both but tend to prefer to soak, though it is more of a pain to carry the water-filled bucket to the laundry and put the soaking-wet (and dripping) nappies in the machine!

Out-and-about Nappy Bag
I didn't have one of these initially and used to put the used nappies into biodegradable plastic bags until I arrived home! These nappy bags allow you to store used nappies while you are out, as they are water-proof and smell-proof. I purchased the Baby Beehinds one, which does up easily with a zip and is easy to clean (just throw in the machine with the nappies). It can be kept in the nappy change bag.

General Cleaning
Most of the cloth nappy manufacturers/websites have useful information on how to clean the particular nappies. In general, the nappies are best washed in warm (rather than hot water) - 40 degrees or less - and are best line-dried in the sun. Apart from being environmentally-friendly and causing less wear and tear on the nappy, line-drying has the benefit of helping to sterilise and clean the nappy via the sun's rays. Whether you wash daily or every second day depends on how many nappies you have - I tend to wash every second day. If you left it any longer than two days you would need to change the water in the nappy bucket; leaving more than two days with a dry system would be too long (even two days is pushing it a bit).

Cloth Nappies in Summary

My experience using cloth nappies has so far been very positive. It is very difficult to say which nappy is my favourite, since the suitability of each nappy has been dependent on Lucy's size and shape, which is always changing. If you were to ask me now, I would have to say I like the Nature's Child organic cotton fitted nappy the best, as it fits well, hardly ever leaks, is very absorbant (with 2 booster pads) and is easy to put on. However, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, this nappy didn't fit Lucy until she was around 4 months old! On the other hand, I have been able to use the Eenee Designs Pouch Pants nappy since Lucy was a newborn (initially she wore the small size; now she wears medium) and it has always fit quite well, with minimal leakage. So, overall, these two nappies would probably draw at being my favourite. All the nappies have their pro's and con's, which I will list below.

Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy

PRO'S
Made of sustainable fibre - very environmentally friendly choice.
Doesn't require a cover.
Very absorbant - can be customised by using 1 or 2 booster pads.
Easy to put on; velcro easier to do up than snap buttons; velcro does up at back so toddlers can't pull undone easily.
Relatively adjustable for size (only 2 different sizes needed as baby grows).
Often only the boosters need changing and can buy these separately (therefore don't need quite as many nappies).

CON'S
Quite bulky so doesn't fit tiny newborn (size 1 fits from around 4kg and would be bulky initially).
Booster pads take long time to dry.
Can be a bit firm against baby's body when done up properly (has never seemed to worry Lucy).

Eenee Designs Pouch Pants

PRO'S
Soft and gentle against baby's skin/body.
Easy to put on and do up - velcro tabs quick and easy to use.
Cost-effective - don't need to purchase as many pouch pants as you would other types of fitted nappies, as the outer pouch pants tend not to need changing so frequently (just the pads/pouches).
Easy to clean - pouches and microfibre cloth inserts are quick drying; the outer pouch pants are relatively quick drying.
Doesn't require a cover.
Versatile - can use with the biodegradable disposable pads or cloth inserts; adjust well to baby's changing size and shape.
The same cloth inserts can be used from newborn to toddler size - only the outer pants and pouch sizes change.
An Australian made version is available.


CON'S
Not made of sustainable fibres.
The microfibre cloth inserts must be folded before being placed in the pouch - not too hard to do but just an extra step (and harder for dad).
Three different sizes of the outer pouch pants are required as baby grows (though they fit very well and are not very bulky for a newborn). There are also 3 different pouch sizes.
Not as absorbant as the other three nappies (fine for younger baby but won't last as long between changes when older).

Baby Beehinds Bamboo Fitted Nappy

PRO'S
Made of sustainable fibres - bamboo and organic cotton.
Very absorbant - great night-time nappy.
One size fits all (though wouldn't have fit Lucy as newborn).
Relatively leak proof (need cover).
Fairly simple to put together and put on.

CON'S
Requires a cover.
Doing up the snap buttons can be fiddly and they make it harder to fit the nappy than velcro.
Takes longer to put on than others (due to snap buttons and the need for a cover).
Very bulky for small baby.
Require quite a few nappies as the whole nappy needs changing each time.
Takes a long time to dry.

Itti Bitti D'Lish

PRO'S
Mostly made of sustainable fibres - the pad inserts are made of bamboo (the outer is synthetic).
Nice, compact nappy for small baby.
Easy to put together and put on.
The outer nappy doesn't need changing every time - additional pad inserts can be purchased.
Very absorbant. Absorbancy can be customised by adding additional booster pads.
Available as an all-in-one (with pads sown in), which is very easy to put on and ideal if baby is in daycare.
Doesn't require a cover.

CON'S
Has tendency to leak, more than the other nappies.
Can be hard to adjust to fit when putting on, due to the snap buttons (velcro easier).
Pad inserts need long drying time.
Quite a few different sizes are required.

The number of nappies you require really depends on which ones you are using, on your baby (how heavy a wetter he/she is, etc) and also how frequently you intend to wash (usually daily or every second day). The websites which sell the nappies (whether they be for a specific brand, or sell a range of brands) generally have advice on how many nappies you will need.

I want to emphasize that the descriptions I've given of each nappy are based on my own experience, with my baby, so I would expect others to have different points of view. However, I hope my points might be helpful, especially when you consider your own baby and your own needs and preferences. Also, the nappies I have tried are only a few amongst the huge range of cloth nappies that are now available on the market (mostly via the internet). If you are going to be a full-time cloth nappy user, it's not a bad idea to have a few terry cloth squares (the Nature's Child organic cotton ones are great) on hand just incase you run out others. My final advice to any prospective cloth nappy user would be to try a few different types on your baby - that way you can see for yourself what they're like, can try them out for fit and also can have a few different types on hand for different situations (eg, the Baby Beehinds fitted bamboo is great at night-time, whereas, the Itti Bitti D'Lish is a more convenient nappy for outings). Please don't do what I did and purchase 9 of the one nappy type before your baby's even born, only to discover they don't fit for several months! Most of these nappies can be delivered to your door very quickly (the quickest delivery I had was the next morning!), so you don't necessarily need to have all your nappies stocked up before baby arrives.

Baby Beehinds

Baby Beehinds make a range of cloth nappies including, all-in-ones and the one-size fits all fitted nappy made of either hemp or bamboo. Below is the Baby Behinds bamboo fitted nappy. It is cleverly designed to fit from birth to toddlerhood (fits approximately 4-15kg), though it would be quite bulky for a newborn, and would not have fit Lucy as a newborn.

The bamboo fitted nappy is made of 60% bamboo, 30% organic cotton and 10% polyester - together with the Nature's Child organic cotton fitted nappy it's one of the greenest nappy choices I've come across. The outer part of the nappy fastens at the front with snap buttons, and can be adjusted to fit due to a variety of button positions, though I do find velcro much easier and quicker to fasten than snap buttons. It is elasticized around the legs to create a snug fit and help prevent leakage. There are two booster pads that snap in place on the inner side of the nappy outer - you can also get extra boosters. Since the nappy comprises 60% bamboo it is highly absorbant, making this an excellent overnight nappy - this is my favourite nappy to use at night and I've never had any leakage problems. The biggest downside is that it requires a cover, adding to the bulk of the nappy and the time required to change it. Baby Beehinds makes both wool (100% Australian grown) and PUL polyester covers, which come in 3 different sizes. I use the Disana organic wool cover or the Eenee pull-on PUL cover with the Baby Beehinds nappy, as I already had these and I only have one of the Baby Beehinds nappies at this stage. Another negative is the long drying time, though it doesn't take any longer than the Nature's Child nappy boosters or the Itti Bitti bamboo boosters.

The Eenne Nappy

Below is the Eenee Designs Weenee Pouch Pants nappy (www.eenee.com). It's the most versatile cloth nappy I've used. The Weenee Pouch Pants consist of a soft cotton/elastane outer, which fastens with velcro at the back and a snap in waterproof pouch (polyurethane coated polyester - breathable). A biodegradable disposable pad (it's completely compostable and can also be flushed down the toilet - see website for more details) or a microfibre cloth are placed inside the pouch, to hold the urine/poo. I purchased some of the disposable pads to try initially, when Lucy was a newborn, and used them in the first few weeks when on outings - they work well, are easy to use and also break up very easily when put into the toilet (they need to be torn in half first). Initially I didn't have the Eenees microfibre cloth inserts (I didn't know about them) so Mum bought some small flannelette nappies which she cut in half and hemmed (I needed them quite small for Lucy) and these made great cloth inserts once folded into rectangles. The microfibre cloth inserts are very absorbant, easy to fold and dry very quickly.

The main benefit of this nappy, apart from being able to use the disposable pads if desired, is the waterproof pouches mean that most of the time only the pad/cloth needs to be changed; the pouch needs changing less frequently and the cotton/elastane nappy outer less often again. For example, the nappy outer may last Lucy an entire day, with the pouch being changed two or three times (if it happens to get soiled or smells of urine). Not only does this make this system very cost effective (extra pouches can be purchased separately and the pads/cloth inserts are purchased separately), it also means less washing and drying. Of all the nappies I have, all the Weenee Pouch Pants components are the fastest drying - the pouches and cloths dry very quickly and the outers moderately quickly. Unfortunately none of the materials used to make these nappies are sustainable, unless you use say an organic cotton nappy as the booster (the regular organic cotton terry squares which I have are too big, though they may fit if Lucy gets past 12kg and needs the large size); with the medium size, which Lucy wears now, the Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy booster pad will fit, which is great. However, at least you need less of them, and the nappies also don't require the addition of a cover. Also, the nappies are available as either China-made ($24.95) or Australian-made ($29.95), so you can reduce the transport impact by buying the Australian-made product (most other fitted cloth nappies are made in China or India, generally in apparently ethically-managed set-ups).

The picture below shows the nappy outer (left - inner side showing), folded microfibre cloth (centre) and the polyester pouch (right). The nappy is very easy to put together (even easier if using the disposable pad) and take apart, though not quite as easy as the Itti Bitti D'Lish. It is very easy to put on (it's secured with velcro at the back), adjusts to fit very well, allowing for changes in baby's shape as she grows, and is soft and comfortable against baby's body. I have encountered the least number of leakages with this nappy - and usually then, only if the nappy's been left on for quite a while (eg, overnight).

The Weenee Pouch Pants come in 3 sizes (small: 3-6kg; medium:6-12kg; large: 12-16kg) and I was able to start using them when Lucy was still very tiny (just under 3kg). The pouches that fit the Pouch Pants come in 2 sizes - the small can be used for the small and medium Pouch Pants and the medium for the medium and large Pouch Pants, therefore extending the duration of their use for one baby. Eenee Designs also makes a product for newborns (2-4kg), called a Weenees Pouch Snibb, which works very well. It basically consists of a PUL polyester pouch with ties attached - it holds a pad or cloth and is secured with the ties at the front. It is very simple but great for tiny babies, and is also inexpensive and uses minimal extra materials (the cloth inserts can continue to be used as baby grows and the actual Pouch Snibbs are very small). I had 3 of these for Lucy when she was a newborn and I continued to use them for a while once I started using the Pouch Pants - all I used for the first four months or so was the 3 Pouch Snibbs (until Lucy was a bit over 4kg) and 3 of the Weenees Pouch Pants (+ 3 extra pouches), washing only every 2nd day.

Another excellent Eenee Designs product is the Little Eenee Swimmers. Lucy has been wearing hers (only one pair needed) since she started swimming classes at 6 months old, and they have been wonderful. No insert is required and the swimmers are cleverly designed to adjust to fit snuggly (no leaks wanted please!) as babies grow (small size is 6-12kg; large fits 12-18kg). No need for those disposable swimming nappies! I will endeavour to post a photo of the swimmers! In addition, Eenee Designs also makes waterproof training pants and waterproof overnight pants, for toddlers, and PUL polyester nappy covers.

The Itty Bitty Nappy

The nappy below is an Itti Bitti D'Lish (http://www.ittibitti.com.au/) nappy. I wish I'd discovered this when Lucy was a newborn! The Itti Bitti range was created by an Aussie mum who had a tiny baby and found there was a need for cloth nappies which fit small babies. The D'Lish type is particularly designed for little babies like Lucy who are lean and small as it is not bulky and is shaped around the groin area. Lucy was only 2.5kg when she was born, and even the ordinary towelling squares didn't fit! This nappy fits a baby from 3.5 to 7.5 kg and there is also a medium and large size (so you would need to purchase quite a few over your baby's nappy-wearing life if just using this system).




The nappy consists of a synthetic minkee (it's very soft) outer cover (left, below) and bamboo booster pads (middle and right, below) which snap in place, allowing them to be removed after washing, to hasten drying. Bamboo is highly absorbant and a very sustainable material. There are also mini-boosters, which snap onto the smaller booster pad to increase absorbency. The snap-on buttons are colour-coded so you can't mistake where they are supposed to attach (especially useful for husbands - Sooj would agree). All of the booster pads can be purchased separately, since the nappy outer doesn't need to be changed after every nappy change, reducing the number of complete nappies needed. The Itti Bitti D'Lish is also available as an all-in-one (mine is technically an all-in-two), with the boosters being sewn into the nappy so there's no need for any removal or replacement - handy if your baby's being left in day-care as it's very easy to put on.


I quite like this nappy for its convenience (it's very easy to put on so I tend to use it a lot when I'm out) and also its fit and lack of bulk, especially when Lucy was smaller. I have had some issues with leakage if Lucy is in certain positions (especially on her tummy or side) as sometimes it slips down slightly, creating gaps for urine to leak. This may be partly because of Lucy's shape - she is quite long for her weight so the nappy may not sit up as high on her waist area as it's intended to - so it will be interesting to see how the medium size goes. If Lucy goes to day care ever (perhaps next year) I will probably buy some of the all-in-one's just to take for that day.

Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy

This is the Nature's Child (www.natureschild.com.au) organic cotton fitted nappy. It consists of the outer nappy, with polyester elasticised sides to contain leaks, and inner pads, also made of organic cotton (see bottom photo). The nappy can be used with just the one pad, but I have always used it with the two (both provided with the nappy) as it fits Lucy better and is more absorbant that way. This nappy fastens with velcro at the back, which is apparently useful for inquisitive toddlers (I'm yet to find this out). Often only the booster pads need to be changed; the outer only needs changing if wet or soiled. The booster pads can be purchased separately so you can have extras (without purchasing an entire nappy) making the system relatively cost effective.

Unfortunately, Lucy did not fit into this nappy until she was around 4 months old (and I bought 9 plus 6 extra boosters before Lucy arrived!), though it's supposed to fit babies from newborn (around 4kg size) to 12months. There is a larger size (size 2) for toddlers. The nappy is quite cleverly designed to fit baby as she grows. It now fits Lucy well and I quite like it. No cover is needed, though I usually put one on for overnight use, just incase (either wool or PUL polyester). The organic cotton pads are thick and quite absorbant, though they do take a long time to dry. I rarely have leakage problems with this one - as with all nappies, if it's fitted well there's less chance of a leak. Other than the Baby Beehinds hemp or bamboo fitted nappy, this is one of the greenest nappies (for an Aussie to buy) I've come across.

Nature's Child also sells a cloth nappy liner (called a dri-liner) which helps to draw moisture away from baby's skin. It's made of light-weight polyester and is particularly useful for overnight. There are also various brands of flushable biodegradable liners. I have mainly used these when away from home for more than a day, as I don't then have my Little Squirt to hose off poo. They were very useful when we went away on holidays to Queensland recently!

The Good Old-fashioned Nappy

Below is a folded Nature's Child organic cotton terry square nappy. I've used these several times and they are useful to have as a back-up. The nappy is fastened using a Snappi which works a little like a bandage fastener to grap the fabric and hold itself in place - much simpler and safer than pins. Snappi's are widely available in shops (eg, chemists) and on the internet. There are many different nappy folds - which one you use depends on size, gender and shape of your baby. The Nature's Child website (www.natureschild.com.au) has some excellent nappy folding instructions (with diagrams).

One disadvantage of terry squares is the need to use a nappy cover. This could also be an advantage as I have found the chance of leakage is minimal with nappy covers (compared to fitted nappies that don't need a cover). The cover below is a lovely pure organic wool cover made by Disana. It's a beautiful, soft, comfortable cover. Unfortunately I managed to shrink one of them by accidentally popping it in with the ordinary wash! Although wool covers need to be hand washed, washing can be done less frequently (eg, once a week) - apparently when the lanolin in wool comes in contact with urine an anti-bacterial product is created.

Below is a PUL (polyurethane laminated) polyester cover, by Eenee Designs (www.eenee.com). Its similar to the old-fashioned pilchers however the PUL polyester is breathable. Although not as luxurious as the wool cover, it works well, is easy to wash, quick-drying and still has the bonus of breathability.

There are many other covers available, including both wool and PUL covers from Baby Beehinds (www.babybeehinds.com.au). I would steer clear of the old-fashioned PVC covers as they do not breathe so they create ideal nappy rash conditions.

Wiping bottoms

We have been very happily using cloth nappies since Lucy was born. Sooj has been begging me for weeks to write some notes on the blog about cloth nappies, ready for Sustainable House Day!

Firstly, I would like to point out that despite what some people will tell you, cloth nappies are a greener option than disposables, even biodegradable disposables . There was a study performed by the UK Environmental Protection Agency several years ago, which compared the environmental impact of cloth vs disposable nappies. In this study, cloth and disposables came out fairly even (though it seemed to disregard the environmental impact of thousands of nappies per baby entering landfill destined to survive for thousands of years). An updated version of the study was peformed and the results released in 2008. This study considered the methods of washing and drying cloth nappies, and found that cloth nappy use consumed less energy in the production and cleaning of the nappies compared to the energy used to manufacture the number of disposable nappies used in the same time frame, when nappies were washed in warm rather than hot water, and line-dried rather than tumble drying (the original study had involved hot water washes and tumble drying). However, the cloth nappy option is even greener if you are using renewable energy (eg, solar power or purchasing accredited Green power from your energy supplier) to power your washing machine, collecting some or all of your own water and using cloth nappies made of sustainable materials (rather than, for example, ordinary cotton which uses vast amounts of water and pesticides to grow). In our case, living in a sustainable home powered by the sun, collecting all it's own water which is recycled for use in the orchard, there was no question that cloth nappies (of any type) would have far less environmental impact than disposables.

Cloth nappy use has changed considerably since I was a baby thirty something years ago. Gone are the days of soaking in bleach, washing in hot water, folding and nappy pins! There is a fabulous and extensive selection of fitted cloth nappies available that make life much easier. Not only are they easier to put on your baby, they also tend to be far more absorbant than terry squares so they don't need to be changed quite as often. Having said that, I have half a dozen organic cotton terry squares (from Nature's Child) to use as a back-up, and they have still been no problem to use.

In addition to using cloth nappies, we use cloth wipes rather than disposable wipes (this includes for bottoms, faces and any other wiping of the body that's needed)! Below are 2 organic cotton wipes from Nature's Child - the larger one on the left is for bottoms; the right one is more of a face wipe as it is ultra soft. I also have some old face washers which I use, and they work fine as well. (The small, white round object in the photo is a biodegradable disposable wipe that is about the size of a coin; it opens out into a cloth with the addition of water. I used them mainly in the first week, at the hospital, then for the first few weeks on outings, but I've hardly used them since. They are an excellent disposable wipe option though.) Of course the other ingredient is plain old water! A much gentler option for baby's skin. I simply keep a dish of clean, fresh water near the change table. There are numerous natural or organic nappy ointments and creams available too. The bottom wipes get washed with the nappies so it's really no extra effort to use them; the face wipes are washed with Lucy's clothes (again, no extra effort).

Below is a cloth nappy user's best friend! It's called a Little Squirt and it's basically a small, high pressure hose that easily attaches to the toilet cistern tap (DIY installation) and is used to hose off poo, directly into the toilet. An Australian product I couldn't live without!

In the following posts I will talk about the different types of cloth nappies I have used, and provide more information about cleaning and general use of cloth nappies.

We went away to the Sunshine Coast (2000km drive in total!) for a conference for 9 days. All the animals were OK. Yoda got a transient cystitis (from stress) and Bo and Bernadette keep escaping their yards but all in all everyone was well looked after by our friends Fiona and Tam. I promise to not put up too many baby photos... but I can't resist. This is Lucy, happy to be having a posh lunch at Noosa!

We have lots of excuses for not keeping this blog updated (like how annoying the process of uploading photos on this is etc), but probably our best excuse is the arrival of little Lucy. I say little cos she was born at only 2.5kg but she is strong, healthy and quite big now. She's about to turn 8 months old and we're waiting with abated breath for her first words and first crawls! Today she gave a wave! Here she is wearing a beanie that was sent to her by her God-parents-to-be Rhys and Nina when they were cycling through Peru! Lucy has solids now... all prepared by Annette and she's enjoyed everything so far... home grown organic potatoes and pumpkin, loves banana, carrots and avocado. Enjoys her lentils as well! As for nappies, she uses a verious selection of organic cotton or bamboo nappies which are working really well. I will get Annette to post some information on how we're using it.
Rather than try to go through everything over the last 12 months, I'll just start with some photos. In the background on the right is the goose house and on the right is the chook house. They are situated in the orchard where approximately 25 fruiting trees are planted. You can see Rodney our rooster perched up on the compost bays. In the foreground is a chook tractor which I built to fit exactly a raised veggie bed. The little pullets inside are Jay Lee and Elizabeth. They were hatched and reared by Chloe my niece in Sydney and they are very very tame and easy to catch and handle so they make ideal chooks to put in the tractor during the day. At night they go into their own predator proof aviary.
Our newest arrivals are Little Bo (the brown Boer goat girl) and Bernadette (the purebred white Saanen Dairy goat girl). They are very cute and follow us around like dogs, but we have them either in a stable at night, yard by day or tethered near their favourite weeds! Bernadette will hopefully give us lots and lots of milk next year! Bo is just for company (she is a meat breed but I don't know if I'd be allowed to eat any of her babies!!!). Lucy loves all the animals.

Emy and Denny (the pair of Embden Geese) being ushered back into their house for the night.

I've said this before, but we promise to keep this blog updated!!!!

***STOP PRESS****

We are going to open our house up for the 2009 SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY. We had planned to enter last year but we were just too busy and not really ready.... we're not finished yet, but the property is presentable. Its on Sunday 13th September. I will prepare my tour of the property and list our various 'green' strategies and features of the house. I'll use this blog as a notebook and post the tour items.

Bye

OMG 6 months!!

I can't believe its been 6 months!!!
When I have a bit more time,I will update this very outdated blog!!!