My week with disposables.

I just got home last night from a 5 day trip to visit family.  We enjoyed family time, fishing, swimming, and riding in our golf cart (it's the best way to get around!).

My boys enjoying the sunset.

Last week I started the 2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge, hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  The first 4 days were fine (you can read about them HERE).  But on Day 5, the day we left for our 6 hour road trip, I cheated because I thought it would be easier.  I wish I had just bought more flats.

I got some Flip disposable inserts to go inside Flip covers to use on our trip. I normally take 100% reusable diapers with us (because I've found it's much easier than I originally thought it would be).  However, the water up at the lake isn't the best, and I wasn't sure about washing diapers in it and dealing with the aftermath.  I mean, I use bottled water when brushing my teeth because the well water tastes horrible (note: we stayed at a different house this time that had co-op water, which wasn't so bad; wish I had known that before the trip). 

I started using the Flip system the day we left, so I didn't have to leave any dirty diapers at home.  I admit it, we also bought disposable diapers.  E was having some funky diapers (still not sure why), and I wasn't able to keep up handwashing the 4 Flip covers in time for them to dry before he needed another diaper.  Plus, the thought of washing out the covers in gas station bathrooms was not appealing.  So we did a mix of the Flip system and regular disposables.  The Flip system is awesome, except the messy poo always got all over the cover.  The disposables ended up being easier because of this reason (of the 2 options we had with us).

I MISSED MY CLOTH. 

We used disposables for 2.5 years (Riley was 2.5 and E was 2 months when we made the switch to cloth).  I remembered this weekend why I always dreaded diaper changes.  Disposables do not contain messy poop very well.  They have chemicals that bothered his already sensitive skin.  They STINK.  And then you have to deal with throwing them away (no garbage man to come curbside -- the dumpster was 10 minutes away).   When you run out, it can be a pain to run to the store (especially if the store isn't close).  They're not cheap.  They got nasty from rubbing on his shorts (the outer part of the diaper).  And let's face it, they're just not even half as cute as cloth.

We used disposable wipes, too.  I was reminded why I despise disposable wipes.  It takes so many to get him clean.  And the chemicals hurt his sensitive skin.  We almost ran out, so I was going to buy more at the nearest place I could (about 10 minutes away, a gas station/convenience store/restaurant; the next closest place was 25 minutes away).  The box of cheap wipes was $4.49 + tax.  I decided to try to make do with what we had (we came home with literally 3 wipes left).

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I have always told people that it is easy to travel with cloth.  Yet many people say they just use disposables, or a hybrid system (such as the Flip system we used) because it is easier.  I gave it a try this time around to make it "easier" on me so I didn't have to worry about washing the diapers while on vacation, then stripping them when returning home (which I was sure I'd have to do with the different water up there).

I will never travel without cloth diapers again.

We are returning to the lake in July for a full week.  We are also taking a weekend trip to Houston in 2 weeks.  I will take the remaining Flip disposable inserts with us, but I will also take our cloth.  I would rather wash diapers than deal with disposables.  It may have been easier in the sense I didn't have to do diaper laundry.  However, it was not easier in so many other areas.  Especially when his bottom was bright red. I wished we had his soft, chemical free cloth diapers with us so many times.

For me, I'd rather "deal with" diaper laundry on vacation than disposables.  Things may have been different if E didn't have nasty diapers the entire time, but it just confirmed to me that disposables aren't always the easier diaper (including the hybrid sytems).  I think they do have their place, and if they work for you, I think that's awesome!  I also understand that if staying somewhere without laundry facilities that 100% reusable diapers aren't always practical (but I would likely use flats and handwash vs using disposables).  I'll just stick with cloth. 

I was so happy to be able to put a real diaper on his bottom last night as soon as we got home!  I am also looking forward to tomorrow when I do diaper laundry (strange as it seems, I don't mind diaper laundry).  After handwashing for the last 11 days (covers and/or flats), and using disposables/hybrids the last 6 days, it sure is a nice change!  I appreciate my washing machine more than ever.  And I am so thankful we made the switch to cloth nearly 2.5 years ago! 

Just for fun, here are a couple of pics of my boys enjoying their weekend at the lake!

Eli "driving" our golf cart. 

Eli throwing rocks, while Riley fished with his Uncle Wes.

This post was written by Brenda.