Really Pants

Meet Your Guru, Zoe from Canterbury!

This week meet Zoe, our Nappy Guru from Canterbury and Thanet. Zoe is a stay at home Mum and Nappy Guru who loves to meet new Mums and Dads to spread the fluffy love!

Name: Zoe Williams
Occupation: I used to be a basic skills tutor but now I am a full time mum and nappy guru!
Children: Kayleigh, aged 14 months
Area: Canterbury and Thanet

About Me:

I live near Canterbury with my husband Chris, daughter Kayleigh and two cats.  Becoming a parent has been the hardest but most amazing experience of my life and I feel really lucky that I can stay at home with Kayleigh while she is little.  She changes so quickly and really does learn something new every day and I would hate to miss out of any of it!  I am a bit of a geek and love my iPhone, I don’t think I could live without it now!  In my spare time I like doing things with my hands like cooking, gardening and knitting.

So What made you want to use cloth nappies?

The thought of disposable nappies taking 500 years to break down in landfill horrifies me!  Like most people I try to do my bit for the environment so I was keen to give real nappies a go.  I bought them while I was pregnant and had them all pre-washed and ready to go before my little girl was born, but it was only when we got snowed in and our wheely bin was full to the brim that I decided to give them a go.  I was really pleased with how easy they are to use and we’ve never looked back!

What is your favourite nappy and why?

This varies but at the moment it is the Tots Bots Easyfit because it is so easy to use and it’s more absorbent than the other all-in-ones and pocket nappies I have tried.  My daughter has eczema and as the top layer of this nappy is made of bamboo, it doesn’t irritate her sensitive skin.

What is your washing routine?

Nowadays I tend to do a wash every 3 days.  I use the longest cycle on my machine, which includes a prewash cycle, and do an extra rinse as well to make sure all the detergent is rinsed away.  I use Tots Bots Potion which is great because it is antibacterial and means I can wash my nappies at 30 degrees.  I like to line dry my nappies whenever I can but in winter I tumble dry them for 40 minutes (the shortest setting on my washer/dryer) to speed up the drying process).

If you could have your dream nappy made, what would it be like?

It would be as slim fitting as a Smartipants but with Aplix fastening, as absorbent as an Easyfit, have adjustable legs like the FuzziBunz, and as quick to dry as a  BumGenius V4!

What made you decide to become a Guru?

I wanted a small business that I could run from home and fit in around my little girl without needing to use childcare, and being a Guru fits in perfectly.  I also wanted to help other mums who are interested in cloth nappies as there is so much choice available nowadays that it can be difficult to know where to start.

What is your favourite part of being a Guru?

Meeting other mums and dads at nappy demos and knowing that I am helping to spread the word about cloth nappies, and keeping even more disposables out of landfill!

What was your most successful events?

I am concentrating on individual/couple demos at the moment but I am hoping to do some events soon.

What is available ‘cloth nappy wise’ in your area?

There used to be a council scheme but they stopped it because most people said they would have used cloth nappies anyway!

Where can we come and meet you?

You can find out more about me on my website and blog and you can also find me on twitter @cantrealnappies and facebook.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a nappy advisor in your local area, click here