This April, with our Great Cloth Diaper Change Event and our EPIC Earth Day sale, we are all about cloth diapers (though Lil Helper is so much more than diapers these days!). Making the switch from disposables can seem overwhelming at first but we believe with the right support, cloth diapers are an awesome choice for modern families! This week, Lil Helper cloth diaper mom, Amanda, shares how she cloth diapers while sailing around the world! Proving, you really can cloth diaper anywhere!
Life on A Boat with Cloth Diapers:
People often asked me what I wanted as a baby gift before Jayden was born. My reply was a link to Lil Helper cloth diapers. There is no room for STUFF on a sailboat and our ability to purchase diapers is limited. My husband and I have sailed together for years, and we had no plans of that lifestyle changing when our bundle of joy came along.
Waist and odor are two things that must be kept to a minimum not just for the sake of the environment but for the sake of keeping a happy home.
I spent hours researching and reviewing all types of cloth diapers and brands before I settled on Lil Helper cloth diapers. They seemed so practical/easy to maintain and the fact that people were selling them second hand online after years of use meant they must be durable. Bonus: My little guy’s bum with those cute patterns is the talk of the dock. As Canadians travelling around the world on our boat discovering Lil helpers was a Canadian company sealed the bum deal for me.
I had no plans of using cloth diapers until we got back to the boat in the Caribbean, and then my trial package arrived in the mail. The very next diaper change with that cute 2-week-old bum staring me in the face I just had to see what they would look like. One snap and I was sold.
To be honest the thing that sold me the most was how quickly my husband got “on board” with the idea. Accessorizing the patterns is what sold him. My babies bum no longer had rash concerns and my husband was having fun picking out the diaper pattern to go with his outfits. It was a win win. Lil Helper diapers become his swimsuit, his shorts and his evening attire when visiting fellow boaters for dinner as my husband says, why cover up brilliance.
Hand Washing Cloth Diapers:
My idea of using cloth would “sink” if hand washing was not a success. The right system would not only ensure a healthy bum it would keep my husband from “jumping ship”. We only had paid laundry facilities in our condo so handwashing was my only option. I was excited as this would prepare us for life with cloth on a boat.
The Process:
HOSE THE PLANK: The same in the condo as on the boat. Have a good hose with a strong nozzle makes rinsing off those heavily soiled diapers a “breeze”.
SOAK THE PLANK: Rinsing and soaking is a lifeline. Don’t go cloth without a bucket. Lucky for us a bucket is a mandatory item for boat owners. After the rinse cycle they get tossed in the bucket of water for the SOAKING step. I let my diapers soak for a good 20min or more. Especially heavy soiled ones. Or ones that don’t make the hose the plank cycle right away.
WASH THE PLANK: At the condo I used the bucket with a plunger and made my own hand washing machine. Once my husband was sailing with the cloth diaper idea he researched and bought me a proper little hand washing machine. Only a drop of soap and a turn of the handle for a few of minutes and my diapers are CLEAN and ready for the Rinse cycle.
RINSE THE PLANK: If you don’t rinse those liners that touch your babies bum proper the soap left in the cloth may cause a rash. All I can say is rinse rinse rinse.
WALK THE PLANK: This has become my favorite part of the day. Hang those babies to dry! I love the look of those bright patterns hanging from the lifelines of our boat.
SUCCESS! Happy Bum Happy Boat!
I can’t say thank you enough to Lil Helper for making a product that is durable, fun, and safe for my little guy’s bum. He wears them proudly as we do our part to save the environment. They fly in the wind next to our Canadian Flag as we sail around the world taking cloth diapers to the ends of the earth has become our mission.
ONCE YOU GO CLOTH…
