Our household is a very busy one, even though our children are still young (5 years and 8 months). We are out of the house three evenings a week for our son's hockey practice, and one weekend morning for basketball practice. Not to mention, going shopping, family outings, etc....you get the picture. A lot of people think that it's a hassle to use cloth diapers when you're "on the go". Here's some of the questions people have asked me, and my answers.
Q: Don't they take up too much space in the diaper bag?
---There are different shell & liner systems out there that come with disposable liners/inserts. I have only tried the Flip Disposable Liners so far, and been quite pleased! They are super soft, and quite absorbant. We've even used them for 3 hour car rides without having any leaks. I can toss an extra cover in the bag with a few disposable liners, and they don't take up any more space than if I had put disposable diapers (Huggies or Pampers, etc.) in the bag...in fact, I think they take up less! I also like the GroVia hybrid system for being out and about. I can take extra soakers in the bag and change them out as long as the shell is clean. These take up very little space and can be put in the wet bag for washing when we get home. Even when we take pocket diapers or AIOs with us on an outing, it doesn't take us that much space in the diaper bag.
Q: Do the diapers smell in your bag?
---A wet bag contains the smell of dirty diapers when zipped. My Planet Wise medium bag will hold 4-5 dirty or wet diapers while we are away from home without leaking smells or anything else into my diaper bag.
Q: Isn't it easier to just throw away a dirty diaper?
---I can change my baby anywhere, without having to have a trash can there to throw a disposable in, or without having to let a dirty diaper sit in my car to be forgotten and found weeks later. You don't forget where you put your cloth diapers when you notice one's missing from the laundry!
Q: What if your baby poops when you are out?
---I use flushable liners 98% of the time, so usually I can just flush the mess and have no worries. Even if I'm not using a disposable liner at the time, I can put the diaper in the wet bag, and take care of it when we get home. The wet bag contains the smell and no one knows we are carrying around a dirty diaper with us!
Using cloth while out and about doesn't have to be a burden. We can use our cloth diapers on the go without any problems. This summer, I'm even planning to use cloth while we visit Florida for a week!
Do you cloth outside the home? What are your tips for others who are on the go?
What kind of flushable liners do you use? I want to use them but I'm so afraid of it clogging up the toilets. We already had an issue with "flushable" wipes.
ReplyDeleteI have used both the EcoSprout and GroVia brands. So far, we haven't had a problem with them clogging our drains (our home is 60+ years old). The EcoSprout seem a little more flushable to me than the GroVia. The GroVia are a little more sturdy in my opinion. Sometimes I will "plop" the poop into the toilet, if I can, then throw away the liner like I do my wipes.
Delete---Becky, Midwest Cornfed Mom