My Frugal Baby Tips: 2008-03-23

Photo by Pauke

washing diapers in a bucket while travelling

Thanks to Marie for this Frugal Baby Tip!

Well, we're back from our 12 day trek to Toronto and I just wanted to report our experience with cloth diapering on the trip. I decided at the last minute that I was going to use only cloth, and packed up all my prefolds and flats that I normally use. My normal routine at home actually has me only washing once a week because I have so many diapers that it just works out that way.

We took 2 days to drive there and 2 days to drive back, and I just kept the dirty diapers in a plastic bag during that time. We stayed in 3 different bed & breakfasts in Toronto (because we didn't make reservations ahead of time, we had trouble finding a place that had a room the whole time). All I did was rinse out all the wet/dirty diapers twice a day, morning and night and hang them up to dry in the bathroom or over hangers in the closet.

They were almost all dry by evening or the next morning, when I'd fold them up and put them in a plastic bag. This was a time that I was really glad that I use the cheapo prefolds (2x3x2) and flats for doublers, because they all dried in no time hanging over a shower bar.

We used JennyOh fleece & wool covers exclusively. I had 3 wool covers that I rotated at night. The 6 fleece ones I rotated as they got damp, and then washed the ones that got pooped on.

I took a dozen Tushies along just in case, but never used them.

Halfway through our stay there, we went to the neighborhood laundromat and washed them in a regular cycle. Since I'd already rinsed them, or scrubbed the poopy ones, I didn't feel the need to do more than a regular wash.

In hindsight, I probably could have packed fewer diapers and just washed them in the sink with soap. Since they dried so quickly, it wouldn't have been much more of a hassle to just wash them by hand. That way, I could probably have gotten by with a dozen diapers, instead of hauling my entire diaper stash with me.

Anyway, that was our experience and I'm really glad I did it. It really wasn't as big of a hassle as I expected and my husband even agreed. At one point during the trip, my daughter started giving us grief when we changed her diaper, and he said to her "If you don't cooperate, we're going to put a yucky disposable diaper on you!" It was pretty funny to hear him say it!

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Photo by www.borntolove.com

Thanks to Amy for this Frugal Baby Tip!

My kids have got SUPER sensitive skin, and I use 100% cotton washcloths I got at WalMart - $4.99 for 24 cloths. As for wipe solution, I use plain old water.

If they have a rash, I might put a drop of Tea Tree oil in it, but most of the time, I just grab a cloth and wet it under the tap before I start the diaper change. Or, if I forget (or discover belatedly that we've got a poopy mess!), I have one of my other kids get the wipe for me.

Save money, and I can be sure there is absolutely NOTHING to irritate their skin!

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Thanks to Elke for this Frugal Baby Tip!

I too had a problem with stains --- and what made me suspect that it was Desitin was that when I would stick my diapers in the sink to rinse the pee out the area turned like a whitish color...

Plus it was on some other materials that I had gotten Desitin on.

Anyhow... what I did do was put dishwashing detergent (like Joy) on it... just a dribble. And some pretty warm water and hand scrub the area... and it came out.

Now I mostly line dry them on a rack inside then fluff in the dryer for about 10 min....

So I don't know what would have happened to that same stain if I had been drying on high. I haven't tried to get it out of the other material that I had Destitin on, and that item gets dried in the drier. It appears to be more of a yellowish kind of stain instead of a whitish one.

I would imagine that the heat of the drier would have "burned" the oils in the Desitin into the fabric (much like wax underarm deodorant/antiperspirant does in the arm pits)... I kinda doubt that would be salvagable.

Now if I feel a need to use a barrier cream that heavy I use a diaper liner to protect the diaper... But mostly I use a beeswax/vege glycerine cream and it doesn't seem to have trouble coming out in a hot wash like normal.

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