How to Travel with Cloth Diapers
Traveling with cloth diapers is almost as simple as cloth diapering at home. For quick weekend trips, pack the dirty diapers and bring them home to wash. For longer trips, plan to do laundry while on vacation. If you don't have access to an electric washer and dryer, wash the diapers in a hotel room sink. Use the following instructions to travel with cloth diapers.
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Things You'll Need
- Diapers, inserts and covers (see Steps 3 and 4)
- Large trash bag or pail liner
- Pail deodorizer or tea tree oil (optional)
- Laundry supplies
- Travel wet-bags or resealable bags
- Wipes (cloth and disposable) and wipe supplies
- Diaper fasteners (if necessary)
Instructions
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1
Do laundry at the last minute before departing for the trip or use disposables until you leave.
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2
Determine access to a washer and dryer at a vacation or travel destination. See Step 3 for traveling without access to a washer and dryer.
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3
Pack flats for travel without an electric clothes dryer. When unfolded, flats are thin and hang to dry quickly after hand washing in the sink.
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4
Count how many diapers, inserts, covers and wipes will be needed for the trip. Factor in number of diapers the baby uses each day and night, length of trip, and how many times you can do laundry.
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5
Take a large trash bag or specialty diaper pail bag to store the dirties. Use tea tree oil or specialty diaper pail odor powder to avoid smells in the hotel room.
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6
Bring all supplies: travel containers filled with detergent and other laundry add-ins, resealable bags for diaper-bag dirty diaper storage, wipe solution, emergency disposable wipes and any diaper fasteners.
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7
Do a load of laundry on the last night of travel (or earlier in the day if you don't have access to a clothes dryer, to allow everything to air dry before you pack). Pack diapers used after this load of laundry in a resealable bags. Place bag in the suitcase, and launder when at home.
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Tips & Warnings
Bring an emergency disposable diaper, or flushable insert diaper such as G Diapers (see Resources).
Pack the bare minimum number of diapers and covers to reduce the luggage burden.
For trips shorter than three days, forgo laundry on the road and pack your dirties to wash at home. Don't leave dirty diapers at home for extended periods.
