Thinking about bringing your cloth diapers with you on your next vacation or weekend getaway? We’re here to help! With a bit of preparation and the right tips, it can be an easy (and even enjoyable!) part of your next adventure. 😎✈️🚘🙌
In this blog post, we’ll be answering all your burning questions from what to pack to how to launder your cloth diapers in a new space – with trusted and tested tips and tricks to keep things hassle-free. (And rest assured, all tips come straight from real experiences from several of the mamas on our own team + our extended community!) Let’s go!
What to Bring When Traveling with Cloth Diapers
Diapers
If you don’t already have a good idea of how many cloth diapers your little one goes through in a given day, it’s likely a good idea to start keeping track leading up to your trip so you can pack accordingly. If you plan to cloth diaper full-time while you’re away, we recommend bringing the average number of diapers your baby goes through in a day x2 (or x3 is also okay if you have more room and are able to wash every 3 days instead of every other day)
Pro Tip: Our Inners (aka cotton fitted diapers) need to be laundered each time they’re soiled, but the Outers (aka the diaper covers) can be alternated and reused before washing. So the rule of thumb is to pack 1 Outer for every 3-4 Inners.
Bonus! If you’re going somewhere near water, your Outers double as adorable and reusable swim diapers!! Check out this blog post for everything you need to know about reusable swim diapers and packing your summer diaper bag!
Storage
You’ll also want to make sure you have something to store your diapers on the go. Our Pail Pouch makes a great travel diaper pail since you can just hang it right on a doorknob, but you could also use something smaller like our Ditty Bag or Day Bag (or comparable wet bag). Just be sure to never store your diapers in anything all plastic (like a garbage bag or plastic grocery sack) as this will not allow for the diapers to breathe – which creates prime conditions for mold, mildew, and other laundering issues!
Laundry Essentials
While it's ideal if you can also bring along some Washing Powder (our 12 oz trial size is great for traveling!), rest assured it's perfectly fine to use another detergent in a pinch. We just encourage you to find a formula that is free of fragrance and fabric softeners and is powerful enough to clean heavily soiled fabric. (Something like Tide Free & Gentle would be fine.)
And if you still have room in your luggage, don't forget to bring some Agitators!
Pro Tip: you can order Washing Powder from us and have it shipped right to your destination in advance of your trip so it is waiting there for you when you arrive. This way you can keep up your perfect cloth diaper wash routine while traveling.
How Frequent to Wash Cloth Diapers when Traveling
One thing that remains true for cloth diapering whether you’re at home or on the go: your diapers need to be laundered every 2 - 3 days MAX. Leaving them sitting longer than this can cause some pretty gnarly ammonia build-up, or other issues like mold or mildew. Certainly not ideal!
For a 3+ day trip without laundry access, we would suggest switching to disposables. Or, you could do a mix: disposables for the beginning, but also bring enough cloth diapers to last you 2-3 days and only use them at the end of your trip - so you can then wash them as soon as you get back home.
Pro Tip: If you switch to disposables when traveling, bring along some Outers (diaper covers) and throw them over the disposable diaper to contain the inevitable blowout!
Bonus: Check out this blog post for all the ways you can use your Esembly Outers!
How to Wash Cloth Diapers When Traveling
In our experience, most hotels or private home rentals provide self-laundering services or can assist with finding a laundromat nearby. And rest assured, washing diapers in a communal space is a-ok with a solid routine and powerful detergent! (many of the mamas on our team used communal machines when diapering their little ones in NYC!)
So, if you’ve got access to a machine, you can simply follow our recommended cloth diaper wash method as detailed below (Hopefully similar to what you’re doing at home! You can also find these instructions here on our How it Works page, or for a deeper dive, here in this blog post!)
Cycle 1
Run a “normal” cycle with warm water and 1 scoop of Washing Powder (or measure for a “normal” load if using another detergent – just be sure to check out this blog post to ensure whatever you’re using is suitable for cloth diapers)
Cycle 2
Run a “Heavy Duty” cycle with hot water and 2 scoops of Washing Powder (or measure for a “heavy duty” load if you’re using another suitable detergent)
*Avoid any settings like Extra Hot, Sanitize, Allergiene, or Steam as these are too intense for your diapers
Camping with Cloth Diapers
I know camping with cloth diapers may sound crazy, but it’s totally doable if you are up for it! If your camping trip is 3-4 days or less we recommend using your cloth diapers as you normally would, storing your dirties in your Pail Pouch or Day Bag/wet bag and then bringing your dirties home with you for a proper washing.
If your trip is longer but you will have access to a washer and dryer, follow the instructions above.
If your trip is longer than 3-4 days and you will have no access to a washer/dryer, you could consider hand washing. It will certainly add to the adventure!
Some things to note:
- Washing diapers in cold water is not ideal. If hand washing, you’ll need to warm up some water over a fire.
- You’ll still need to do 2 “cycles” – one to remove the obvious soil from the diapers with warm water + Washing Powder detergent, then another to give them as deep a clean as you can with hot water and lots of scrubbing, squishing and squeezing
- Be sure to rinse thoroughly to get all detergent out
- Hang diapers to dry somewhere with lots of sun and be sure that they are fully dry before putting them away to prevent mold/mildew
Additional Notes: again, hand washing really is not ideal as dirty diapers are some of the dirtiest laundry you’ll ever wash! But if you’re feeling brave and have the time to commit to the endeavor, these tips will help. We do recommend running all of your hand washed diapers through an Optional Refresh wash when you return home to reset them.
Making Travel with Cloth Diapers a Breeze
With these tips in your back pocket, traveling with cloth diapers can be a smooth and enjoyable experience. From knowing what to pack to handling laundry on the go, you’re all set to hit the road with confidence, knowing you’re keeping your little one comfy and eco-friendly wherever you go. Happy travels! 😎✈️🚘
Want to learn more?
Our co-founders host a free, virtual, Cloth Diapering 101 class every month to help cloth-curious parents get all the tools and information they need! You’ll learn:
- How to use the Esembly diapers and accessories
- How to easily and effectively launder your Esembly diapers
- The impact that your choice has on the planet, your wallet, and your day-to-day.
You'll leave with the confidence to Live Less Disposably and a 20% discount code to use on your first order. 🥳 We hope to see you there!
