Traveling with Cloth

I mentioned in a post last week that Sweet E was in disposables on our recent trip to California. It's not because traveling with cloth is difficult...I've done it many times (including two in cloth at Disney World!). Sadly, the new airline baggage restrictions have made it tough to fly with my diapers. They take up a lot of space...I usually pack a small duffle just for dipes. I didn't want to spend $50 to take my diapers, so disposables it was. BUT, if you have room in your suitcase or are taking a road trip, cloth diapering is a snap.

* Like I said, I like my diapers all together in one place, like a duffle bag. If you're road tripping, a laundry basket is perfect for the job. Diapers can be organized and right where you can see them.

*A nice, big wet bag is a must. This replaces your diaper pail. I love my extra large from Leslie's Boutique so much that I ordered one for dirty clothes too. When MJ has stayed at Giggy's house, my mom is amazed that the cute zippered bag does not smell in the least.

*Take a smaller wet bag or two for the diaper bag for outings, just like you would at home.

Now, if you're gone more than a couple of days, you'll have to wash your diapers at some point. I bring a tiny jar of detergent with me. If you're staying with family, hopefully you can use their washer and dryer. If not, bring a roll of quarters for hotel laundry or laundr-o-mat.

[NOTE: It has been said that public machines contain residue of heavy detergents and dryer sheets. I believe this is very true, however, one wash won't hurt your diapers, especially if they are natural fibers. Microfiber can be a bit more finicky...You know I can't stand the stuff.]

If you're lucky, you'll find a new HE machine with more options, like a pre-rinse and additional rinse. This is AWESOME, because it will save you a couple of bucks from not having to run those cycles alone. For the sake of this post, let's say you aren't so lucky. How you wash your diapers is kind of a judgment call. If they aren't super-soiled, you can skip the cold wash. You'll have more stains, but they'll be just as clean, and you can sun out those stains at home. You can also also rinse the diapers first to save a buck on that first wash. Again, it's totally up to you.

1. Cold wash, no detergent (use pre-rinse instead if available, or rinse by hand, or skip)
2. Hot wash with detergent
3. Cold wash, no detergent (use additional rinse if available or skip entirely.)
4. Dry on high. In my experience, public dryers do not run as hot as mine at home. If I don't dry on hot, I need like 4 cycles...and that's ridiculous.

Using cloth diapers on the road isn't much different from doing it at home. Do it once, and you'll never go back!

Disposable Diapers Suck.

When I first wrote about cloth diapering, I mentioned these benefits:

5. Better for snugglin': They're soft, comfy, and super cute
4. Better for the wallet: $250 for multiple kids v. over $1500 for one kid in 'sposies
3. Better for the Earth: fewer diapers in landfills, eco-friendly production
2. Better for the bum: No Leaks, No Rash
1. Better for her health: No harmful chemicals against my baby's tush!

I feel like I might not have emphasized that "no leaks" part enough. Most parents of tiny ones will tell you that newborn poop has a way of escaping the diaper. This is simply not the case with cloth. I have had to change Sweet E's clothes due to a diaper leak four times in her whole five months. Guess what? Three times were in the last six days, when she was in disposables while we were out of town. The other was when she was in a 'sposie in the hospital with flu.

Not a coincidence, folks. Any cloth-diapering mama will tell you the same thing.

I'm so glad to be home to my diapers!

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

Check out the awesome cloth diaper giveaway on Baby Rabies.

Help...I'm Addicted to Cloth!

Okay, so my addiction isn't so bad as some people's, but MAN, I LOVE me some cloth diapers. We used disposables the week we were in Canada, and Michael and I both kept commenting on how much we missed MJ's cloth. I never realized how scratchy and stinky 'sposies are! In addition, cloth diapers are so damn cute! The last time I posted on this subject, we were using exclusively BumGenius pocket diapers. After a few months, my luck with these turned bad. I had terrible repelling issues with the microfiber and had to perform voodoo to keep them build-up free (disclaimer: most people never have this problem...must be my water). Since then, I've switched to natural fiber (cotton, hemp, bamboo) prefolds and fitteds and covers. My favorites are GreenSprouts. Come on...these are cute, right?


Fortunately, there's a site called Diaper Swappers where you can buy/sell used diapers. I sold all my BGs for enough money to pay for my entire stash of GreenSprouts! I'm slowly selling off all but my favorites because I went a bit overboard trying new things. ;0

I love cloth diapers so much that one of the things I look forward to most with a new baby (no, this is NOT an announcement!) is a cute little newborn fluffy butt. Yes, I have a problem.

If you have been considering trying cloth...do it! You won't regret it for a moment.

Cloth Diapering

I know what you're thinking, but don't scoff until you've done some research. Today's cute dipes aren't your mama's cloth diapers! When Michael first mentioned the idea after reading it in a magazine, I told him he was nuts. I thought he was kidding. I realized he meant it, so I did a little digging. There are lots of options out there, and we settled on BumGenius One Size. I love that they'll grow with Marlee until she's potty trained, and we can even use them if we ever have two kids in diapers.

They're really no more work than disposables. Just 3 extra loads of laundry per week (don't even try the water argument...I'll win ;)).

Changing a Disposable vs Changing a Cloth

1. Open old diaper Open old diaper
2. Clean the tush Clean the tush
3. Wrap wipe in old diaper Wrap (cloth) wipe in old diaper
4. Put on new diaper Put on new diaper
5. Thow old one in diaper pail Throw old on in diaper pail (flush solids if needed)
6. When full, take out to trash When full, wash and reuse!

My top five reasons for loving cloth diapers:

5. Better for snugglin': They're soft, comfy, and super cute
4. Better for the wallet: $250 for multiple kids v. over $1500 for one kid in 'sposies
3. Better for the Earth: fewer diapers in landfills, eco-friendly production
2. Better for the bum: No Leaks, No Rash
1. Better for her health: No harmful chemicals against my baby's tush!

MJ is Cute and Comfy in Cloth