Traveling with Cloth Diapers

The Incident: Lesson learned, stick with the cloth you love!

When my daughter was just a few months old, she joined us on her first airplane ride. We were first time parents and cloth newbies, and the thought of traveling with cloth just seemed scary. Where would we put the dirty diapers,  how many would we need, what about our cloth wipes? It was just all too much for me.

We decided to go the disposable route, bought a pack from the overwhelming aisle at the store, and didn't think about it again. Until, the incident. I can laugh about it now, I really can. However, flying for the first time with a new baby, long delays, and a lack of sleep insured that I did not laugh about it when it happened.

Our first flight went fine and our baby was a magical sleeper, we didn't think traveling with a baby was so bad. Then our second flight got delayed, and delayed, and delayed. The baby got crankier as time went on and at one point I casually mentioned to my husband that I didn't think she'd pooped yet that day. He shot me a death glare and insisted I not bring it up again, didn't want to jinx things.

We finally took off and our daughter fell asleep snuggled into my arms, enjoying the vibrations of the plane. About half way through she opened her eyes, looked up smiled at me, and let the explosion happen. The result was something that had never before (and has never since) happened when we had her in cloth. Her clothes, my shirt, and my jeans were covered in a putrid brown mess. Everyone around us had their faces scrunched inside their shirts while shooting us death glares. While I had planned ahead and packed her an extra outfit in the diaper bag, I didn't have anything for myself. A flight attendant actually offered to give me a t shirt out of her own luggage, that's how bad the incident was.

We have taken several flights since then, and have never considered anything but cloth. Simply put, we have so much faith in cloth that we aren't going to tempt the blowout gods again. We've learned a few lessons along the way that have made traveling with cloth easier to plan for.

Laundry: What type of laundry facilities will you have access to?

If you're visiting family or friends that have a washer, chat with them ahead of time to make sure they are comfortable with you using it to wash your cloth (and educate them on cloth if they are new to the idea!). One important item to remember is either bring or purchase cloth diaper safe detergent on your trip.

If you won't have regular access to washing facilities, you have a few other options. Some parents prefer to wash in the sink and hang diapers to dry in the bathroom. Flats work well for this since they are easy to pack and easy to wash.

If hand washing isn't something you're interested in, you could consider disposable inserts with covers. They are a much more eco and chemical friendly option than disposables. One option are Grovia BioSoaker Pads, which are fragrance, dye, plastic, and chlorine free. They are also biodegradable and compostable. Flip Disposable Inserts are another option for laying inside covers and they fold down to adjust for size.

Diaper Storage: How do you plan on storing your soiled diapers and for how long?

Depending on how long you will be traveling for and how long you will go between washes, you will want a quality wet bag to store soiled diapers in. A large wet bag easily holds more than a day's worth of diapers for our daughter and we choose to wash more often while traveling. The wet bag can be washed right in the washer with the diapers.

How many diapers to take?  How are you traveling and how often will you wash?

If you are traveling by airplane, calculate how many diapers you'd normally use during that time period and double it to account for delays. If things get real crazy and you're stuck for significantly longer, the ticket counters often have diapers they will provide you with.

Determine how often you will wash your diapers while traveling to determine how to pack. If you are low on space, consider washing every day or every other to save space when packing.

Wipes: Cloth or disposable?

Cloth wipes are easy to travel with as well! Wet them ahead of time with your favorite cloth wipe solution or water and store them in a Planet Wise wipe pouch in your diaper bag. Throw them in a wet bag with your diapers and wash like normal.

If you'd prefer disposable wipes, here's another pro tip for your in case a trash can isn't handy. You can throw those in your wet bag as well and just wash them with your diapers. They don't fall apart in the washer or dryer and you can just throw them away after you're done.

Who else has traveled with a baby in cloth? Any other tips you'd share with others to help make their trip easier?

Diaper Rash Dilemma

If your baby is anything like mine, diaper changes are an adventure. Between the squirming, occasional screaming, and the sneaky poop filled diaper grabbing, you have to be on your A game for a diaper change. Add diaper rash to that and you have a sore red bum to deal with as well. 

Some babies are simply more prone to diaper rash than others. My husband refers to our baby's skin as "delicate like a snowflake", but he doesn't mean it in the sweet way it sounds. He means "how does she have diaper rash again!?". While using cloth diapers can often reduce problems with rashes, a good rash prevention routine is important as well. 

To keep diaper rash at bay, there are many proactive steps you can take. Keeping up on these steps can help prevent diaper rash before it starts and avoid the angry red welts that make both you and baby tear up. 

One simple step you can take is eliminating regular disposable wipes from your routine. Most disposable wipes contain chemicals that can cause baby's delicate skin to dry out and become irritated. Instead, cloth wipes are soft and gentle and come in a variety of natural and synthetic fibers. Just like your cloth diapers they are washable and reusable and can be stored a variety of ways. Try storing your cloth wipes in an old disposable wipe container with water or a wipe solution. Another favorite is to store the cloth wipes dry and use a spray bottle to wet them as needed. While water alone will work, many wipe solutions contain moisturizers and essential oils to soothe babies skin. 

                             

After you've cleaned that bottom off, give it time to dry before snapping that new diaper on. A dry bum is important so that extra moisture isn't trapped on baby's skin. If baby already has diaper rash, then some good ole naked time is good for the bottom and soul. When our baby was less mobile, letting her play on a towel for a bit kept us both happy and now that she's on the move we entertain her on the kitchen tile in case there are any surprise messes. 

Finding a favorite diaper cream is also an important part of diaper rash prevention and treatment. Diaper creams create a barrier on baby's bottom to protect from moisture or solids. When choosing a diaper cream to use with your cloth diapers, it's important to make sure it is cloth diaper safe. Since manufacturers have different definitions of what that is, using a reusable or disposable liner will help keep the cream off your diapers so that they don't repel. Some creams are better at prevention while others treat rash well. Try a few options to figure out what works best for your baby. 

                                              

Once you have your diaper changing plan down, make sure you're doing it often enough. Excess moisture or solids sitting on your baby's skin for too long can be one of the main culprits of diaper rash. 

Of course, no perfect routine will always keep rashes away and none of this advice replaces the recommendation of a doctor. Always consult your pediatrician if you suspect its a yeast rash, food reaction, or just a persistent rash that you need a little extra help treating. 

Nicki's Diapers carries all of the cloth diaper accessories you may need to help prevent and treat diaper rash, not to mention all of the amazing scents of diapers creams you can try. Do you have a favorite diaper cream that you've fallen in love with? Tell us about it!

The Ins and Outs of Cloth Wipes

Before we invested in cloth diapers, we asked around for the best advice our cloth diapering friends could give. One piece of wisdom that kept cropping up over and over was to use cloth wipes along with our diapers. If you think about it, cloth wipes make a lot of sense. Why throw a cloth diaper into your pail or wet bag and then have to find a separate trash can for a disposable wipes? It made sense logically, but logistically it seemed to pose some problems. Should we keep the wipes wet all the time? What about a wipes warmer? How do you take reusable wipes out of the house with you? Do you really need premade wipes solution?

In the end, we decided to keep it simple. I made my own wipes out of 7” by 7” flannel squares that I zig-zag stitched on my sewing machine. Then, I bought 1 spray bottle (the type used by hair stylists to hold water) and 1 travel size spritz bottle. I made my own wipes solution by mixing 1 cup of water with ½ tsp lavender Dr.Bonner’s soap and ½ tsp baby oil. I put the homemade solution into the spray bottle to use at home and into the spritz bottle to put in the diaper bag. To use the wipes, just simply spray the wipe before right before wiping baby then put the used wipe into the wet bag or pail with the diaper. 

Not the crafty type? There are plenty of readymade wipes and wipe solution out there to try. In general, fleece wipes are going to be softer and flannel wipes are going to be thinner to get in all the nooks and crannies. There are also cotton and hemp options out there for families looking for natural fibers. Some families also choose to soak their wipes in solution or water so they’re always ready to be used. Wet wipes can be stored in a wipes pouch, like the ones made by Planet Wise, or can be kept warm in a warmer. 

Just like with diapers, every family is going to have their own preferences.  Whatever you choose, cloth wipes are worth the investment. They’re also great for sticky fingers, snotty noses, and little spills, so they’ll be useful for years to come.

Guest blogger, Heather, is a work-at-home violin and piano teacher, but she considers her full-time job chasing around her two sons, ages 3-1/2 and 4 months. She lives in Great Falls, Montana and loves getting outside and enjoying her incredible surroundings.

Imagine Wipes Giveaway WINNER!

Congratulations to.... Stephanie Klemm!

You've won the new Imagine Wipes Owl and Citrus Pinwheels Prints!

Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Let's Talk Cloth Wipes!

If there was one thing that I wish someone, anyone, had told me about when I first started cloth diapering it would be to use cloth wipes! In fact, I wish that someone had insisted that I try them. I had no problem flushing and scrubbing solid messes out of diapers but I didn’t want to deal with wipes. I think my mind finally changed when I found about three or four disposable wipes in the washer with all my velcro diapers. It took me a while to get all of the disposable wipes out of the tabs.

There are many benefits to using cloth wipes. They are an eco-friendly, gentle on baby, wallet friendly alternative to disposable wipes. Plus, when cloth diapering, you can just throw the dirty diaper and wipe/s into the diaper pail then directly into the wash. No sorting out the wipes to go in the garbage anymore. It always nagged at me that I was throwing away human fecal matter as well, knowing it was, and is, illegal.

Let’s talk about cost
Many of us in the cloth diapering world are doing so because it is more cost effective. We can definitely see that with cloth wipes as well.

That’s $382.50 for only the first year of using disposable wipes! Now how many of us use  or used disposable wipes ONLY for diaper changes? I do have to admit that they are handy for cleaning little hands and faces. Cloth wipes, on the other hand, cost literally a fraction of disposable wipes. Kissaluv’s Awesome Terry Knit Cloth Wipes cost $15.00 for a 12 pack. Assuming you buy 3 packs to make it through to laundry day and then some, thats $45.00. That’s a savings of $337.50 just for the first year.

Storage Choices
There are many storage choices available for cloth wipes. Each method has it’s own benefits and disadvantages. Different people prefer different methods. One storage method just might lend itself more useful to you and your situation. I think the best advice is to try each type of storage until you find one that works for you.

• Wet Storage: A storage container such as a wipes tub, is used to hold the wipes. A wipes solution is usually poured over the wipes to keep them pre-moistened and ready to use. This does take a minimal amount of time to prepare (putting your wipes into the container and adding your wipe solution literally takes a minute). 
• Dry Storage: Wipes are kept close to the changing area as well as a spray or squirt bottle full of wipes solution. When changing time comes, take a wipe and either spray baby directly or spray the wipe. You don’t have to spray the whole wipe, just the area you are going to use. The only problem I have run into with this method is deciding where to store my wipes. 
• Wipes Warmer: This method is very similar to the wet storage method. Wipes are put into the warmer with the solution of your choosing. The warmer should be cleaned from time to time. I’ve never personally used this method but know people who swear by it.  (Nicki's Diapers doesn't carry nor recommend these for safety reasons.)

Wipes Solution
Wipes solution are a great way to customize what you put into your wipes. Most solutions contain three main ingredients.

• Water: Cleanses; dilutes other ingredients. Also, the main ingredient in wipes solutions.
• Soap: Cleans urine and feces off baby. Most solutions contain a castile soap such as Dr. Bonner’s.
• Essential Oil: Added for the antibacterial properties of the oil. Smells nice too. This ingredient is optional.  

Wipes solution is really easy to prepare. You can buy concentrate and just add water when needed, or you can make your own.  There are a bunch of different recipes that are available on the internet. Simply do a search for “cloth wipes solution” and you should have an afternoon’s worth of reading to do! The great thing about making your own is you can  improvise and adjust the recipe depending on you and your baby’s needs. This link has a great wipe recipe.

Alternative Uses
Cloth wipes will stay around long after you are done diapering your child. I’ve been known to grab a wipe from the pile and use it to wipe my little one’s nose.  Washing up the kiddos is an excellent way to reuse wipes. Keep a pile near the sink for wiping up after meals. They are also the perfect size to dry little ones hands off. My daughter loves the independence of being able to wash and dry her hands herself. Reusable wipes make wonderful dolly blankets and pretend dishrags in a kitchen. They most likely will last for multiple children as well, increasing your savings!

By Guest Blogger Sarah