Hybrids To the Rescue!

While pregnant I wanted to do cloth diapers, while my husband was all for disposables. Our families' opinions of cloth diapering was very much reflected in these biases as well. I wondered, is there a way to do both?

To help placate everyone I researched and registered for the gDiapers system -- a system that would do both depending on the circumstance. The gDiapers are technically considered all-in-twos, but have a very easy to use disposable insert available if necessary which classifies them as a hybrid system. There is a cover, a liner, and then the insert. Each liner is re-usable after you wipe it out and put in a fresh insert. The covers are as well, and when necessary they can go in the wash with clothes. The soiled insert is the only thing that is changed every time. They are sized (S, M, L, XL) which gives them a trimness that isn't seen anywhere else, except maybe the new fuzzibunz elite.

I figured, we travel a lot so having the option of a disposable is a great thing, but mostly we can use the cloth inserts. We also could use a disposable if out during the day and not wanting to cart around a wet-bag of diapers. The disposables were a few dollars more per package than a package of comparable number disposables, so not really a huge deal in the long run. Ultimately, this is something that has only been an issue if we didn't know where our next washing machine was.

After I approached my husband with my find, we did the math as only two people with three Chemistry degrees between them can. We figured that even though they were sized, since we only had to buy a few covers with many more inserts, it would really equal out to about the same price as a stash full of one sized diapers. Each "size" costs roughly $200, for those of you curious. This is for a stash of 8 covers and 24 cloth inserts. This is part of my current sized M stash, the ones ready to go on the left, unfolded so you can see the liner in the middle, and the inserts to be put in on the far right.

Now the real selling point for his family, (Remember, they didn't want us to use cloth. We've lasted much longer than the week they gave us.) the ability to flush the soiled disposables down the toilet! This means there is no "diaper" smell around the house anywhere. The waste goes down the proper receptacle.

The selling point for my family is the lack of space they take up. At 6 diapers to an inch in height when stacked on top of each other, a lot of inserts can take up very little space. They also simply stack on top of each other, no folding or stuffing when you pull them out of the dryer.

As I said, we travel a lot, and having the hybrid system saved our daughter's tush (she's actually allergic to every disposable that we've tried, except the gDiaper insert) when the airline lost our bag -- naturally it was the bag of my clothes and my entire stash of cloth diapers. We had 3 covers, 5 liners, and 6 disposable inserts and 6 cloth inserts in our diaper bag. After the initial, "What do you mean you lost my bag? Don't you realize that's a lot of time and money invested there?" we were able to run to the store to get disposable inserts to last until we received the bag.

A stash of one brand of diapers isn't really complete, and hybrid diapers round a stash out nicely for many different reasons.

Bio: Carolyn is a work at home mom to one 10 month old daughter. She regularly enlightens everyone to the ease and versatility of hybrids.

Hybrids To the Rescue!

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Hybrid - WHY???

Hybrid diapers. If you are all about using cloth for either the environment or financial reasons, why would you ever use them? The answer is convenience!

We cloth diaper for financial reasons – buying disposables for two is expensive! Unfortunately, hybrid diapers are just as expensive (if not more) most of the time. But, if you can get them on sale, sometimes it is worth using them.

So, when would you want to use disposable inserts instead of cloth? For us there are two times we have used them – traveling and rashes. The rashes have been very few. But, once my son got a terrible rash because he dirtied his diaper in the middle of the night and I didn’t realize it until hours late. His poor rear was very red and painful. We did a lot of air time, but at nap and bedtime I put him in a hybrid diaper and slathered him with the “dreaded” Desitin.

Traveling we also use hybrids. I don’t want to deal with trying to dunk and swish at someone else’s house or at a hotel. I could use disposable liners, but there are “horror” stories of those not staying put. So, since I was able to get some disposable inserts on sale, we use those for our toddler when we travel. I pair a Flip or Econobum cover with a flat and then a disposable insert on top of that. He is a heavy wetter, and that combination is bulletproof for us. The flat may get wet, but those are so easy to wash. I don’t worry about residue for laundry machines or even the detergent really when we use flats while traveling. As for what inserts we use, we have both GroBaby (old GroVia that we got when they changed the name) and Flips. I prefer the GroBaby because they contain everything better. So, I use the Flip when I am fairly certain we will just have a wet diaper, and then I use the GroBaby the rest of the time.

If you are only cloth diapering for financial reasons, why not just use disposables? Well, there is one big advantage – size! Our diaper supply for a trip is more compact when we use disposable inserts. Also, with two in diapers, I can use the same “stash” for both kids. I definitely couldn’t do that with standard disposable diapers!

Another idea of hybrids – they are great as an emergency item in the car. In a pinch, you can use them for “that time of the month” as well as a diaper for your child. The GroVia ones have adhesive on the back, so you could just stick them to clothes if you had to (I wouldn’t use the adhesive on the inserts with your diapers though as it doesn’t come off of PUL easily).

So, if you can find a good deal on the disposable inserts, buy a box. They are great for those “special” times when using straight cloth just doesn’t seem like the best idea!

Bio: Stephanie is a mom to three kids – 4, 2, and 7 months old. She is a WAHM who started using cloth apprehensively when her oldest was 2.5 years old and now is an advocate for cloth.

Hybrid - WHY???

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Flipping Out – Traveling with a Hybrid System

Before my daughter was born I ran into an ad for gdiapers. Intrigued by the idea, I did some research and decided that I definitely wanted a hybrid system. (Which turned out to be a gateway drug into the addictive world of cloth diapers, but that is a topic for another day) After a couple months of research and lurking on numerous cloth diapers boards, I decided to invest in the Flip System by Cotton Babies. By the time my baby girl was born I had 6 covers, 6 newborn stay dry inserts, almost 20 one size stay dry inserts (the kind you fold down to size), and 2 packages of disposable inserts. We can generally go about 2 days or so on the cloth Flips before we have to do laundry.

Recently, when she was just about 9 weeks old, my mum and I took my little one on her first road trip. It was only about a 3 hour drive each way, but I packed my whole Flip system to get us through the 2 days. My mum packed some sposies as a back up, but the Flips were spectacular. We used the disposable inserts when we were out and about, they pack easily in the diaper bag and work just like the reusable inserts except you don’t need to lug them around, just toss out once they are wet or dirty. At night and for the driving portion I preferred to use the stay dry inserts. A one size stay dry insert folded so that the extra is in the back has been a fantastic overnight solution for my baby girl and it was easy to stick with it at the hotel.


What I love about the Flip system, especially for traveling:

Flexibility. I love that I can use the disposables while out shopping or at dinner but throw a nice absorbent cloth insert in for bed time.

Packability. Ok, so that’s not really word, but it is important anyway. Flips pack smaller than an equal amount of pocket diapers or AIOs. This is great for travel, but also for the every day diaper bag. Flips are definitely my go to for the diaper bag. I also keep a tiny tote in the trunk at all times with one extra cover, a small wet bag, 2 disposable inserts, and 3 stay dry inserts.

Fit. My little girl was a teeny thing when she was born, but the Flips started to fit well between 4 and 6 weeks and I can tell there will be a lot of room for them to grow with her as well. The fit is good enough to contain all those crazy newborn poos. You know what I am talking about. I am very grateful for only having to change the diaper and not her clothes as well. In the few weeks we were in sposies at the beginning we had way more leaks and explosions. She has just started sleeping through the night and when I change her in the morning the insert is dripping but her clothes are dry.

Trimness – The Flips fit trimmer under clothes than a lot of the pockets and AIOs we have. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fluffy bum, but sometimes you really just want the focus to be on the outfit, so I appreciate a good trim fit. The newborn inserts make for an especially trim fit and we love those for day time.

Colors – I love the color selection. I fully admit that I love to coordinate her diapers to her outfits. That’s one of those things that sposie users will just never get to do.

Whether you are on the fence about cloth diapering in general or you just need a good travel solution, I encourage you to look in to hybrid systems like Flips.

Bio: Somer Johnson is an accountant in Tulsa, OK who is lucky enough to get to work from home so she can spend time with her new baby girl. She blogs about life, knitting, and her precious little one at Knit-O-Matic.

Flipping Out – Traveling with a Hybrid System

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We May Not Drive A Hybrid, but We Travel With One

With anything in life, a family’s choice in cloth diapers is completely subjective. When I started to cloth diaper full time I bought every type of diaper. I had the pocket, AI2, AI1, prefolds, hybrids and fitteds. I gave every type a chance and fell in love with pockets. However, I did see a place for hybrids in my stash.

I live outside of Houston, TX about 50 miles away from either airport. My husband is originally from the Panhandle of Texas where the closest Wal-Mart is in Liberal, KS…yes 2 states away. The drive to good old Perryton, TX is 12 hours and we never leave the state. I am sure people are thinking…well why don’t you fly? The closest airport to Perryton is in Amarillo, TX…2 hours away and there are limited direct flights. So once you do the math it would take us 12 hours to fly or 12 hours to drive. Regardless of whether we drive or fly you are still limited to the amount of fluff you can bring. A suitcase can only carry so much. This is why hybrids can be a wonderful thing!

Now my experience has only been with GroVia, but I am sure they all are very similar. The GroVia hybrid has a wonderful shell that one can use biodegradable inserts, reusable soaker snap inserts or prefolds/flats. The snap inserts are about as big as socks, the biodegradable inserts would be like packing disposables and prefolds/flats are like folding up a t-shirt. The shells can be used more than once, so one wouldn’t have to use an entire suitcase to pack a dozen or so diapers. The shells can be hand washed very easily and dry time is nothing. The hybrid also works wonderfully if a family is traveling and won’t have access to a washer and dryer. This diaper makes traveling a synch!

I have read that some people have an issue with throwing away biodegradable inserts and I completely understand and respect that. The great thing about the hybrid is one doesn’t have to use the “throw away” liner it is just an option. The snap in soakers work just as well and still don’t take up a lot of space.

One may be wondering why I don’t use hybrids all the time. My little girl is a mover and shaker. She is constantly moving and the soaker bunches up in the front of the diaper. It doesn’t seem to bother her, but if I go to long between diaper changes we may have a leakage problem. We do use the GroVia’s when we are at home, but not running around town. The snap in soakers also take a long time to dry, but they do clean up nicely.

Finally, I would be remiss without mentioning a brand that isn’t classified as a hybrid, but works very similarly. The Hiney Liney diaper is a great addition to cloth diapering. They also have a great outer shell that can be used multiple times with their own snap in soaker or a prefold/flat. They have a stay dry liney that wicks away the moisture from your little one. One great feature of the stay dry liney is it is brown and I haven’t had a stain yet.

What may work for me may not work for another family. That is the beauty of choice! Unfortunately we do not own a hybrid car, but we do own hybrid diapers.

Bio: Liz McGarraugh is a 35 year old SAHM of an 18 month old little girl Morgan and is currently pregnant with a second little girl due in July. She has been married to her loving husband for almost 3 years and currently resides in Katy, TX with her cat Otto and dog Buddy The Elf.

We May Not Drive A Hybrid, but We Travel With One

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Cloth Diapering After Adoption: It's Never Too Late to Start!

Conventional wisdom says you start a family by getting pregnant. You then have nine months to get your life in order…nine months to research cloth diapering, baby furniture, daycare, and pediatricians. You going into newborn-hood knowing you've made good decisions for your baby and family.

My husband and I are anything but conventional. After six years of trying to conceive, we decided that our path to parenting would be though domestic adoption. Five weeks after we were homestudy approved, we got The Call. We then had six weeks to get our lives, home, and work ready for a baby. While cloth diapering had always interested me, I did not have any time to even think though all the possibilities or do any research. I also knew that we'd be living in another state with our newborn for an undetermined amount of time, so disposable diapering was the only option we felt would work for us.

We brought out baby home to Minnesota two weeks after his birth in January. True to Minnesota-style, his arrival home was marked with a blizzard. We spent the next four months with our little guy in disposable diapers, thinking it was too late to start cloth diapering.

But the waste was getting to me. The fact that my kid was sitting in chemicals was getting me. When a Twitter friend started cloth diapering her baby who was older than mine, I decided that it was time for us to make a change to cloth! The only problem was that we had gotten used to the convenience of disposable. After hanging out on various cloth diaper forums, I learned about Hybrid systems, like GroVia and Flip. What a great option…how come no one told me about this sooner! I immediately got us started, and it has been a huge success. I use the disposable inserts when we are out and about, and use the cloth inserts at home. I also found a combination of cover, insert, and booster insert that FINALLY stopped overnight leaks! Kiddo had been leaking his disposables like crazy, and it took cloth to put a stop to that.

The only hitch to our giddy up is that our daycare center does not allow cloth diapering. However, they are looking into whether the hybrid systems with disposable inserts would be allowable by the licensing board. We are eagerly awaiting their reply (cross your fingers for us!).

Diapering with hybrid systems has been such a success, that I'm branching out to cloth all-in-two systems with Best Bottoms and Soft Bums. Heck, I may end up with a little of everything, since cloth diapering is so addictive! And I was worried about the laundry piling up…it's not a problem! I LIKE washing our cloth diapers (shhh, don't tell my husband that)! Every time I put a cloth diaper on my babe, I know I'm saving money, the environment, and his butt.

With another two years of diapering ahead of me, I am glad I made the decision that it's never too late to start cloth diapering.

Photos: Baby CJ in GroVia Shell Snap Closure "Owls"

Bio: Caryn Lantz lives in suburban Minneapolis with her awesome husband of 11 years, and their pride and joy, baby CJ who joined the family though domestic interstate adoption. When not obsessing about cloth diapering, poop, spit-up, rolling over, and other baby-related things, she also knits and designs knitwear, spins her own yarn, and dyes fiber (but that stuff really hasn't been happening much since CJ moved in!). blog: www.fuzzynoodleknits.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/fuzzynoodle

Cloth Diapering After Adoption: It's Never Too Late to Start!

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Some REAL Cloth Diapering Basics

Everyone does their research – and everyone talks about how overwhelming all the information out there about cloth diapers can be.

It drives me crazy though, how many times (it seems like a million!) I have read the same “basics” over again. That modern cloth diapers aren’t anything like the old-fashioned kind and that there are basically four types (all-in-ones, hybrids, pockets and diaper-cover combos).  Some throw in there the pros and cons of snaps and aplix/hook-and-loop (and by that they mean Velcro). Yes, we get it.  That part was easy to figure out.  But having used cloth diapers almost exclusively for about 5 months now, there are plenty of OTHER things I wish someone had spelled out so simply.  Buying the diapers was the fun part, but using and caring for them is another experience.

So here are my recommendations for the must-knows about cloth diapering (a verb) as opposed to cloth diapers (noun):

• When prepping your diapers to use for the first time, natural fabrics need washed several times. You don’t have to wash microfiber repetitively to get them to full absorbency. That is something that doesn’t seem to be widely understood.
•  Even when you’ve read a thousand articles to help you choose the best system for you, you might be surprised by what you end up liking. I’d recommend trying a few different types of diapers before throwing all your money into one kind.
• As for keeping them clean, well, let’s just say this can take some practice and LOTS of water. Expect your water bill to go up some. Expect to sniff diapers on a regular basis. Expect to be paranoid about if they’re actually clean. And then just when you think you have it all figured out, expect something to throw you off track again. I still struggle with all this, but the basics? Be very careful about what you put on your diapers. The only truly safe thing in my humble opinion? Strive to make skin, pee, poo and a cloth-diaper safe detergent the only things to ever touch them, ever.
• I’ve read about adding everything from vinegar, baking soda or bleach to the wash but before you do anything to risk harm to your diapers (They are an investment, people!), try a few things first: rinse each diaper as it’s dirtied; soak them with your cloth-diaper safe detergent for awhile; do some extra rinses, and then some more extra rinses.
• Also, the less time the waterproof fabrics spend in the dryer, the better: My routine is to hang up all the shells while the inserts go in the dryer.
• Despite many articles you might read about how wonderful cloth is for baby’s skin, it’s unrealistic to expect that you won’t ever have a rash again. Acidic foods, bacteria, a too-wet diaper, the switch to solids, are all among the things that can still make rashes happen. When they do, take care to protect those costly cloth diapers from making any contact with butt cream. This has probably been my biggest battle.
• When you experience leaking or other issues, don’t give up. I have been lucky in this department, but after all the reading I’ve done I know there’s a solution for everything, so seek help from someone who knows what they are doing (the wonderful people at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer’s Facebook page are always willing to give advice!) and don’t give up.
• Even when you have it all figured out, don't assume other people do. When you let someone else (dad, day care, grandma) put a diaper on your baby, make sure they have it down too or else you might end up with the dreaded butt cream, an upside down insert or too-loose snaps, to name a few.
• And finally, expect to become an obsessed advocate. Even when there are times the things drive you crazy, you’ll fall in love with how much less trash you and your baby are creating, how much better your house smells (Have you ever emptied a full Diaper Genie?), and not having to throw diapers in the shopping cart week after week.

 Jessica is a working mom of one toddler and recently started blogging about her juggle with going green at tangledupingreen.blogspot.com.

Some REAL Cloth Diapering Basics

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Disposables versus Hybrids – is there really a difference?

We live in a disposable world.  Americans regularly dispose of over 4 pounds of trash per person per day.  Many parents choose cloth diapers over disposables so that they can personally reduce their impact on our disposable society.  While cloth diapering parents want to avoid using disposable diapers there are still occasions where using disposables seems like the only viable option. 

Some common reasons that cloth diapering parents use disposable diapers include:

• Traveling
• Sickness – diarrhea, yeast infection, or severe diaper rash
• Childcare provider not willing to use or accept cloth diapers
• Relatives or friends not willing to use or accept cloth diapers

ENVIRONMENT:  Are hybrid systems any better for the environment compared to disposables?

• Both the Flip and GroVia disposable inserts are much smaller in size than disposables creating less waste by volume than disposable diapers. 
• Both Flip and GroVia disposable inserts contain only 3 grams of SAP compared to 10-20 in traditional disposable diapers which makes them a healthier option for your baby compared to disposable diapers.
• Since the Flip and GroVia are meant to be used inside a diaper cover or shell they don’t need any ink to decorate the outside of the diapers like with disposables.
• They also don’t need Velcro on each disposable insert since they are placed inside a reusable shell or cover.  
• Flip inserts are made using a bamboo viscose, wood pulp filler, and starch-based glues (all better than plastic based products used in other disposable diapers)
• GroVia are both biodegradable and compostable (see notes below).
• GroVia are fragrance free, dye free, plastic free and chlorine free.
• Both are made by cloth diaper companies whose primary mission is to get more babies in cloth diapers.

COST:  Are hybrids more expensive than disposables?  It all depends on which disposable you are comparing them to.  For our cruise I selected the Huggies Pure & Natural diaper which cost me $19.99 for 56 size 4’s at the local big box retailer.  This equates to a cost of $0.3569 per diaper.  Compared to the per diaper price of Flip at $0.275 each and the GroVia Biosoakers at $0.3995.  Flip disposable inserts clearly win over disposables if price alone is a factor.

SPACE:  If you are traveling and space is limited the hybrid systems are hands down the best option.  You can see here the difference between the sizes of each insert.   The GroVia Biosoakers are actually the smallest of them all. 

FIT:  Using disposable diapers for a week made me realize how badly they fit a baby.  Disposables fit poorly around the legs and waists and are more likely to leak than a cloth diaper.  The GroVia BioSoakers are a much better fitting insert and include an inner leg gusset and protective layer unlike the Flip.  However, both the Flip and GroVia liners are used with an outer shell or cover which will actually add an extra layer of protection from leaks.  Since they both use an outer shell they are truly a better fit than disposable diapers. 

COMPOSTING AND BIODEGRADABILITY:  GroVia markets their disposable inserts to be compostable and biodegradable (under certain conditions).  Be sure to educate yourself on the conditions that would be required to compost and degrade naturally.

My final thoughts on hybrids and disposables:  I think that parents (especially mothers) have enough stresses in their lives that if they choose to use a disposable diaper or disposable insert they shouldn’t feel like a bad parent.  With that being said I also think that if a parent feels strongly about using cloth diapers 100% of the time that there is a way to use cloth diapers in every situation.  Only you know your boundaries and limits. 

If you are faced with deciding between a hybrid system (like the Flip and GroVia) and a disposable diaper the hybrid systems are better for the environment, better for your babies health, and better for your wallet.  The differences may not be as significant as when you use cloth diapers but every little bit helps.  I also think that hybrid systems are a great option for those parents who are unsure if they are ready to make the commitment to cloth diapers.

What are your thoughts on hybrids?  Have you used them?  Do you like them better than disposable diapers?

By Calley Pate – owner and editor of The Eco Chic blog and Eco Chic Parties.      

Disposables versus Hybrids – is there really a difference?

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Doing the Hybrid Thing

So Hybrid cars have been all the rage, well now I'm here to tell everyone about Hybrid Diapers! I am pretty sure that I have used each kind of Hybrid diaper I have stumbled upon. I love versatility and the thought of doing smaller loads of laundry hooked me! My first experience with Hybrid Diapers was the GroVia shell/snap in soaker set, I then tried Flip, BestBottom and most recently the Softbums Omni.

GroVia
Pros: soaker snaps in, so it stays place, the soaker has it's own PUL layer so no pee gets on the shell, it comes in PRINTS, It is an OneSize so you only have to buy one diaper birth to potty learning, true to size, come in either Aplix or Snaps.

Cons: it seems like every time he poops it gets on the shell so it has to be washed, not able to wipe out, the poop is hard to remove from the soaker because of its two separate layers, one size insert, pricey option.

Flip
Pros: The cover is PUL so it can be wiped out if poo gets on the cover, OneSize, large soaker pads that hold alot of pee, perfect for naps, easy to clean poo off, they stay in place for my son who crawls and cruises, reasonably priced.

Cons: My husband won't use them because they are a bit tricky to fold and get under the flaps, when I bought them they only came in snaps which are difficult to manage with a wiggly baby (but they are starting to come out with aplix) and they have kinda boring colors, one size insert.

BestBottom
Pros: A nice mix between Flip and Grovia-soaker snaps into place and the cover is made of PUL and easy to wipe, comes in some prints and cool colors, comes in different soaker sizes (including hemp/organic and even an overnight!), OneSize diaper, trim, reasonably priced.

Cons: the front is a little stiff but has never bothered DS, I have had these for a while but I don't know how well the cover is going to hold up.. it seems less sturdy than the others, but we have had no problems with pilling or anything! The insert shrinked in the wash.

SoftBums Omni
Pros: Able to use as a pocket, all in two or just as a cover, VERY soft, OneSize, the adjustable leg gussets are amazing!!!!, I use the super absorbent pods and they are great for naps or road trips, different pods available.

Cons: Only come in a few colors, when used as AI2 the lining still gets wet because the pods are not backed with PUL and you cannot wipe the inside because it is fleece so I would only use this for maybe 2-3 changes.

Overall, most of my stash is made up of Hybrid diapers and I love them. I know I save money from using just pockets because I can re-use the covers. I have never been a prefold gal and my husband refuses to use them so this has been the cheapest way for us to cloth diaper. I would recommend them to anyone who is considering using cloth diapers for financial reasons but may be put off to using prefolds or flats.

By Erica T.

Doing the Hybrid Thing

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Cloth Diapers in an Emergency

The renewal of hurricane season and active storms has made me reevaluate my emergency plans and preparations. I have given thought to water supply, food, batteries, important documents, and more...but with my decision to use cloth diapers exclusively, and the disappearance of the very last disposable diaper, I have new plans to make. Part of my preparation will no longer include picking up an extra pack of disposable diapers. It is important to me to find an environmentally safe emergency plan.

How will I wash my stash if we were to lose power and water? What happens when I run out of clean cloth diapers? Do I really plan on washing everything by hand with a limited water supply? Many questions began spinning through my head, and I realized I hadn't planned for conditions without a washing machine.

In formulating my plan, I slowed down and asked myself the following questions:

• How many diapers does my child use in a day?
• How often will I wash diapers? (As a load, or individually?)
• Do I have enough diapers to rotate clean/dirty diapers in time for them to be dry and ready?
• Where will I wash the diapers? (In a bucket? The sink?)
• Do I have extra needed accessories (diaper rash cream, laundry detergent, wipes, liners)?
• Where will the waste water be disposed?
• How will the process maintain sanitary conditions? (Hand-washing/disinfecting?)
• How long will I be prepared to be without power/water?
  

My stash of cloth diapers includes mostly One Size Fuzzi Bunz and BumGenius, with a few Rumparooz, and Thirsties. I also have 3 Bummis Whisper Wrap Covers which I use with a Kissaluvs Hybrid One Size Contour (I really need to get more inserts!). I have enough diapers to last 3 or 4 days, but from experience realize that it is necessary to plan for a week or more in an emergency situation. My planning decision revolved mainly around the question of hand-washing diapers that I already have (counting on enough extra water to the supply to enable this), and/or finding an alternative solution. Standard disposables for me will be an absolute last resort, and I won't stock them.

Kelly's Closet offered me a very appealing solution: GroVia Bio-Soakers! With this option, I can reuse a cover multiple times and replace the insert as needed...without a significant water resource impact (I'll only need to clean covers). I will always have my other cloth diapers and inserts, as additional options available in my emergency kit. Even if I ran out of Bio-Soakers (my first choice for avoiding a heavier wash load), I will still have a wonderful supply of fluff to wash and reuse. GroVia also makes Bio-Diapers, an alternative to disposable diapers that may be another option.

Cloth diapers are actually a perfect solution for emergency situations. Long before washing machines, cloth was THE only option, and mothers (and fathers) made it work. Granted, emergencies can be slightly different without a known unlimited source of water, but the same principles apply. Reliance on modern convenience is not necessary to making cloth diapers effective. The biggest added bonus is not having the worry of a panicked sell-out of all disposables at the grocery store...my cloth will always be right there.

I'll be ordering some GroVia shells and Bio-Soakers to test drive this solution. In the meantime, I may come up with other ideas, but at least I'm on the right track for being prepared in an emergency with cloth diapers. Are you?

By Julie G.

Cloth Diapers in an Emergency

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Ready for Anything!

Oh a recent fifteen day trip, I packed every kind of diaper we had – cloth, hybrids, disposables, and swim. And I used each and every kind! Our trip included 18 hours of driving, five days at the in-laws, twelve hours of driving, two days at friends, seven hours of driving, five days in a hotel for a mission trip, and finally about a two and a half hour drive home.

Disposables:
My daughter is a heavy wetter. Since we were traveling on roads with few good places to stop, I had to have something that would last 4-5 hours (since of course both kids would have just fallen asleep when we reached a good place to stop 2-3 hours in). I did try hybrids the first, day, but they leaked on her. I also ended up using disposables on my son at night the last few days. He was waking every 2 hours or so at night to nurse due to teething, and again a hybrid diaper was leaking before morning.
Hybrids:
These were my go-to diaper. The last five days we were very busy and staying in a hotel. So, doing diaper laundry just wasn’t an option. I found both kids could go almost four hours in a hybrid diaper, assuming my daughter wasn’t chugging her drinks of course.

We also used hybrids at our friends. Although I could wash, there just wasn’t a good place to store the dirty diapers. But using hybrids gave them a glimpse of cloth diapering, allowing me to talk them more about it (hopefully I convinced them to switch!).
Cloth:
I used these at the in-laws. I had very easy access to laundry and room to dry my covers (and pre-folds), so it was a no-brainer. I also used a cloth diaper as an extra soaker layer under my daughter in the car to prevent a wet car seat when she decided to chug her drinks in the car.

Overall, it worked great! I used just over 50 GroBaby bio-soakers and less than 20 disposables the whole trip. The bio-soakers are a lot smaller than a traditional disposable, and since I can use them for both kids, it makes packing a lot easier. Next time we travel, my daughter might be potty trained. If so, I might be brave enough to only pack a few bio-soakers and do almost all cloth since we don’t have plans for an extended hotel stay until next summer!

Ready for Anything!

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Kelly's Closet Recognized by Gro Baby as Platinum Retailer

The Natural Baby Company, makers of Gro Baby are recognizing their retailers through the Gro Four Program. Kelly's Closet has been a retailer of The Natural Baby Company since 2006 and is a leading retailer of the Gro Baby One-Size Cloth Diapering System. The Natural Baby Company recognizes Kelly's Closet with the highest standing, Platinum Status. KC is one of only six retailers world-wide to accomplish this status. Here in the US, KC is one of only three retailers to achieve this level of success.

Gro Baby is a hybrid cloth diapering system - it consists of an outer shell (or diaper cover) and for absorption an organic cotton soaker pad or eco-friendly single use BioSoaker. The Gro Baby System offers convenience, ease of use, and affordability. A Parent Tested Parent Approved award winner, Gro Baby is the diaper for every family! Additionally, BioSoakers are now Oeko-Tex 100 Certified - free of harmful substances.

Shopping at Kelly's Closet not only means that you are buying a great product, but with Platinum Status, you can be confident that you are buying from the best!
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Sarah G. / COO
The Natural Baby Company

Kelly's Closet Recognized by Gro Baby as Platinum Retailer

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