If you need help and can't find the
answer to your query please contact
the Onelife UK customer help line on 0845 601 7308.
Some of the most recent customer faq's:
Q. How many
nappies will I need?
The Onelife Altogether
Hamper
will provide you with all the nappies and covers you will need to use
our products full-time. It is recommended that a
newborn baby is changed on average every 3 hours to begin with, so 20
nappies is enough for 3 days, meaning you can wash every second or
third day. As your baby gets older you will find you need less frequent
changing so you can wash every third or fourth day. Our Onelife
Rucksack is designed for new babies containing 15 nappies
and four of the XS size covers. The Onelife nappy adjusts to fit your
baby so you will not need to buy different sizes of nappy as your baby
grows.
Q.
If I buy the Onelife nappies individually, what else do I need?
If you choose not to invest in the Onelife Altogether Hamper and prefer
to buy your nappies in stages - the Onelife
nappy set is an ideal way to start. You can then purchase
more nappies and the larger size covers either individually or by
buying the next size nappy set. Overall you will need 15 - 20 nappies,
depending on the age of your baby. The younger the baby, the more
nappies
you will need. For a newborn 20 is ideal whilst for an older baby, 15
may be enough. You will also need three of four nappy
covers in each size as your baby grows.
Q. How
much money can I save?
A report in the Guardian newspaper in February 2006
calculated that disposable nappies and all the extras such as sacs and
wipes costs parents on average £14.50 per week. Over 2 ½ years this
comes to a staggering £1884! By purchasing the Onelife
Altogether at £295 you would save over £1500!. Of course,
providing they are well cared for, our washable
nappies should also last for a second baby, giving you even
greater savings!
Q. Can
I use the nappy overnight?
Onelife is designed to be used all the time! A newborn baby
is usually changed during the night, but once baby is no longer being
changed at night-time you may wish to use the booster nappy liner to
provide extra absorbency. Even if your baby is still small and you are
folding the front of the nappy down, you can still place the booster
inside the nappy un-poppered. Once baby is taller and you are no longer
folding the nappy, you can popper the booster liner inside. Should you
have a very heavy wetting baby or older toddler you can always use a
second booster pad if necessary at night-time.
Q. My
friend started off with cotton nappies but she gave up because ....
Like everything in life, there may be times when we need a
little support. Whilst most of our customers experience no
difficulties, we are here for you if you do or have questions of any
kind. The Onelife customer
careline (0845 601 7308) is staffed exclusively by
Mums who use Onelife nappy
products on their own babies so they know just what you are talking
about and can help you with any little queries you may have.
Q. I've
heard that birth to toddler nappies can be very bulky on a newborn
baby. Is this true?
Any cotton nappy will be bulkier
than a disposable as it uses natural cotton to absorb the wetness
rather than chemical gels. Disposable nappies, are, however,
surprisingly bulky when they are swollen up after use! Onelife can be
used effectively on a newborn baby from 6lbs upwards - it may seem a
little bit bulky at first with the extra fold of fabric around the
waist at the front on a baby this small, but the XS nappy cover pulls
everything
in snugly for a good, secure fit. Compared to nappies which come in
lots of different sizes, Onelife will still fit most 2 ½ to 3 year olds
so represents excellent value for money and gives unbeatable
flexibility for size and fit.
Q. Will my
baby get nappy rash?
Nappy rash is caused by poo and urine coming together and forming an
acid which attacks baby's skin. As long as your baby is changed
following a dirty nappy, there is no risk of nappy rash. A baby does
not get nappy rash from a wet nappy only. Onelife cotton nappies are
soft and
stretchy with beautiful quality leg bindings on both the nappy and the
cover to care gently for baby's delicate skin.
Q. Will it
leak?
Onelife
has soft and secure elastic binding at both the leg and the waist and
it is this good level of elastication which gives the excellent level
of containment for which Onelife is renowned. Not only this, but you
get a second elasticated barrier on the Onelife waterproof cover
meaning a virtually impenetrable barrier for even the runniest poo!
This is an excellent feature of the Onelife nappy system compared to
cloth nappies which do not have elastic on both the nappy and the
cover. Please ensure that you wash your Onelife nappies before using
them as this
fluffs the fibres up ready to absorb moisture. Onelife nappies will
increase in absorbency every time you wash them for at least six
washes, so please bear this in mind if you are using the nappies for
the first time and after only one wash on an older baby! If you
experience leaking in this scenario, please wash the nappies through
more frequently to reach the required absorbency level.
Q. What
do I do when I am out and about?
Onelife cotton nappies are easy to use when you are traveling or out
for the day. Simply flush the poo away as you would at home and then
pop the wet nappy into a waterproof bag to bring home and launder with
the rest of your nappies. The Onelife
nappy day set provides you with a perfect bag for taking out
and about during the day and will easily carry enough nappies and
accessories for a day's use.
Q.
Isn't the nappy washing awfully hard work?
The modern way to launder your nappies is to have a bucket mesh lining
your nappy bucket into which you simply place the nappies when wet or
soiled. You can then transfer the nappies to the washing machine in the
mesh without having to re-handle them. You can use your regular
detergent (but not fabric conditioner) and 1 tablespoonful of Onelife
Pure to sanitise your nappies the quick and easy way during
the wash cycle. There is no need to soak your nappies, although if you
wish to you can also use Onelife Pure for this purpose.
Q. Can
you explain how to fold the nappy down for a newborn baby as it seems a
bit big?
Place the nappy in front of you without the side poppers done up. Fold
the front (waist band) part of the nappy up, over and down towards you
so you fold it down by about 2 inches. Then lift this section up so
that it is level with the waist at the back. Now take the left hand tab
as you look at the nappy and bring it over to the furthest popper on
the right and fasten. Then bring the right hand tab over so that it
fastens by overlapping the left hand tab. Please also refer to the
diagrams on the Onelife
nappy user guide page and call our careline if you have any
difficulty.
Q. Does the
bucket smell?
No! With reusable nappies the poo
goes down the toilet meaning only the nappy is placed in the bucket.
This is emptied for washing every 2 - 4 days on average and of course
the bucket has a lid to keep any odours in during that time. Rinsing
your bucket out once a month will also prevent any smells from
accumulating. Disposable nappies tend to have the poo wrapped up in the
nappy (which is against World Health Organisation guidelines) before
being placed in a plastic bag, a nappy disposal unit and then later a
dustbin. With the increasing move towards fortnightly waste
collections, it isn't hard to imagine which option smells the most!
Q.
What about the environmental impact of washing the nappies?
Like many things in life, it's not what you do, it's how you
do it! To reduce the environmental
impact of your baby's nappy years even further, you can wash
as low as 40 degrees when using Onelife
Pure due to its gentle antibactieral action. There is no need
to wash on a "hot" wash and we recommend 60 degrees as a maximum. Line
drying your nappies is an ecological alternative to a tumble drier and
you can also add your nappies to other washing to make up a load when
using Onelife Pure. There really is no comparison though between 20
cotton washable nappies and the 4,500 - 5000 disposables needed by one
baby!
Q. Do I
have to use a waterproof cover?
If your baby is just kicking on their play or changing mat or a toddler
is in the garden with just a t-shirt on, you may like to leave the
waterproof
nappy cover off, but most of the time you will want to use
it. Remember that the nappy will get wet when baby wees and after a
while this would make his clothes damp unless you use the waterproof
outer cover. As our nappy covers are specially
designed to allow air movement around the nappy as well as through the
fabric, you get the best of both worlds - a snug waterproof barrier
which keeps baby cool and fresh.
Q. Is it
bad for my baby to have a wet nappy next to her skin?
Not at all. The paper
liner has a one-way action to draw the moisture away from
your baby's skin and even before these were available, babies wore
cloth nappies for generations. Should your baby have unusually
sensitive skin or develop a teething rash, it may help to use fleece
liners for a short period of time which help to wick moisture away from
baby's skin even more effectively than the paper liner.
Q.
Will my nappies become stained and if so what can I do?
Although rare, nappies may occasionally become stained. Rest assured
that as long as you have used Onelife
Pure then your nappies have been adequately sanitised and
they are safe to use. You could try washing at a higher temperature or
applying a stain remover if you wish, following the manufacturer's
instructions. Sunlight is a powerful natural bleach - so line drying in
the Summer is a highly effective option that is also very ecological!
Q.
Will I have to change the nappy more often than disposables?
It is probably fair to say that you will have to change a Onelife nappy
more often than you *could* change a disposable alternative, but
certainly not more frequently than you *should* change a disposable. It
is both good practice and good hygiene to change a newborn baby's nappy
every 3 hours or so regardless of the type of nappy selected. An older
baby should be changed every 4 hours on average. A Onelife nappy will
easily last this length of time between changes and will also
accommodate 12 hours or more overnight with extra boosting as needed.
Q. Is
it really OK not to soak the nappies? How does Pure sanitizer work?
Traditionally, cloth nappy users had to soak the nappies in a
sanitizing solution prior to laundering. The modern way to wash is to
simply add the Pure
sanitizing powder to your washing machine and let the antibacterial
action sterilize your nappies during the wash cycle. Pure can also be
used as a traditional soak if you prefer.
