How long should a cloth nappy last?

Hello, We bought a set of nappies when my first daughter was born and used them for just under 2 years. I have got them out now for my second daughter and she has been using them for 4 months (she is now 8 months). Problem is they seem to have sprung a leak and they are just not as absorbant as they once were. The elastic around the legs seems to be fine but we always end up with big puddles at the tops of her legs as the nappy leaks. Yesterday I had to change her every 1 1/2 hours. I have heard that detergent can build up over time and cause them to become less absorbent and you can 'strip them' how do I do this or is this just the life span of nappies and I need to invest in a new set (which I don't want to do!). Thank you!

Definitely strip wash them and see how they fare after that.

Depending on what nappies I have on my daughter depends on how long they last. I generally change her every 3hrs though, just to be safe. Sometimes she is soaked after this period, other times not, but i'd rather the nappy be dryer than having leaked and needing a full change of clothes (pants and bodysuit).

I love fuzzibunz, they should still be fine!

Where do you live babybelly? I have a trial pack of RG that I could send you (it does 2-4 washes, so would be all you need for a strip).

Thanks! Such wonderful help. Elise is a fairly regular sized 8 month old. She is tracking up her plunket chart at much the same rate as her older sister. She has gorgeous chubby thighs that the nappy fits nice and snug on. I can't remember the size that I bought now (and they are all in her room where she is fast asleep - but I know that they started fitting her when she was about 4 months and they were still fitting her big sister when she decided she wanted to toilet train just after two (from memory they were up to 13kg).

Lostamber - that is so so kind. I live in Wellington. I would be happy to pay you for the sample. I have just read all the descriptions and reviews on line and it sounds fantastic!