My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://conservamome.com
and update your bookmarks.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Diapering During Disaster




 Living in KS for 9 years and having gone through a few ice storms that knocked off power for weeks, I always worried about the how to's of taking care of my family's needs when disaster struck.  Now that I moved to FL and hurricane season is around the corner, I can't help but start thinking about a plan b if we were to loose power during a storm.  There are many things to think about like having flashlights, extra batteries, nonperishable goods and what not, but something I need to consider is how to wash my little guy's diapers.

Many people say I could have an extra supply of disposables or get disposables but sadly with his growing size that may not be an option. Plus when electricity is gone it can be weeks before you get it back making it a bit difficult to count on disposables. Not to sound negative but disaster and chaos can strike at a moments notice so one has to always have a plan that will help them get through something chaotic like the loss of power.

So I decided to come up with ideas to help in a situation where I would have the loss of power and needed to think outside the box. Here's what I came up with.

What you would need:
 Recently I had a reader suggest a breathing hand washer for camping and if I'm on vacation. I decided to look into this further and realized it was a great idea to use in case we lost power not only for my diapers but for all our clothes washing. Because,well if there's now power, no ones clothes will be getting washed. of course you could do it the old fashioned way by hand or ease life a little bit by getting a breathing hand washer. A breathing hand washer almost looks like a plunger but with little rubber grates on the front.You can purchase one of these at Lehmans.
Galvanized Tub
Many people use these as coolers at parties for drinks and beer. So this little guy could be a multi use item. 
or a 10 gallon bucket
10 gallon buckets are also great for storing items one would buy in bulk. We store rice, flour and sugar in ours but having a few extra for an emergency is a must.

Either one would work fine for you to wash in.
 Detergent would be the final item.

The How to's 
Fill bucket or tub with water and detergent. Then use the breathable hand washer just like you would a plunger lifting up and down to help clean the diapers. If you have soiled diapers rinsing them off individually might be your best bet before washing them all together.  Once you've finished  cleaning them put them in another bucket with clean water and rinse again. You may have to do this a couple of times before you stop seeing suds. Many say that the breathable hand washer cleans better than a washing machine so  your clothes and diapers might end up even cleaner than before :)
 
 At the end hang and dry. We don't have a clothesline but I've gotten creative with sunning my diapers :)
 


Either way when disaster strikes one should always have a plan B. Especially when you live in an area where things can change at a moments notice. Thinking outside of the box is always an easy way to find alternative ways to do everyday work.


21 comments:

Mer said...

Good idea! A little preparation makes dealing iwth the unexpected so much easier.

Anne Sweden said...

As a Kansas girl myself, this some great information to have! Before cloth diapering, we went through an ice storm with 5 days of no power. I'll be ready for this type of thing next time it happens.

flyberd said...

Interesting. I've never thought of that before, but due to a major flood situation in my home city this past weekend I will definitely be taking more precautions in the future.

Macayla S. said...

Oh Wow! I can now Tell my Aunt about this. This Is Amazing because a few weeks ago she had twins but her neighborhood had a real bad Storm and her water and power shut off. So Now I Can help, Thank you!

faty said...

I will not have washer and dryer anymore (I'm moving into an apartment) can I use this system on my pockets and AIO diapers? Thank you

ConservamomE said...

That is so great to hear (about the washer, not about loosing power) isn't it amazing what we take for granted?

ConservamomE said...

Thank you so much!

Vanessa V. said...

This is very humbling to read. I don't live in an area where natural disasters happen or we lose power often but I feel for those that do. I can't imagine losing power for days and having to cope with cloth diapering while all of that is going on! Great tips!

Carissa Whaatt said...

Actually I have the breathable hand washer & I wash them in a 5 gallon bucket. My friends mom bought it for me in hopes it would help me with washing my diapers as i don't have a washer and dryer! Mine is blue, and I LOVE it!

Also, I live in Maine-so we loose power quite often as well, mostly during the winter-for longer periods of time due to ice storms.

Danielle D said...

This is such amazing information! I have wondered how I would be able to do this, we lose power relatively often, so this will help.

BellaVida said...

Great info. I've never thought of this situation before.

Jessica Hughes said...

Thanks im down on the coast! Good to know.

Leela R. said...

That's something I never thought about. In California we have to worry about earthquakes, which could potentially leave us without power or water for quite a while. I guess if we had no water either we'd have no choice but to go with disposables.

Rachel N said...

That hand washer would come in handy for camping too! We camp far from any facilities, before kids that wasn't an issue but now kids can go through LOTS of clothes in a short amount of time.

Suzi said...

That's a fantastic way of dealing with disaster. If you live on the Atlantic coast of Florida, especially, you're far more likely to need these things! (I lived on the Gulf side for 23 years and on the Atlantic side for one.)

ConservamomE said...

Thanks!!

ConservamomE said...

I was inspired after we kept loosing power yesterday during a bad rainstorm and I was in the middle of diaper laundry.lol Thanks!

Virginia @thatbaldchick said...

Great tips, I hadn't thought about what we'd do in the event of a disaster!

Heather Johnson said...

I am not sure how I would cope with diapering during disaster. Your tips are really great!

emily said...

I've looked into these kind of things for camping only it wouldn't work to haul around things on say a backpacking trip. But it is good to know for emergencies.

Maria Iemma said...

I love that there are ways that one can go around the loss of electricity for doing necessary chores like washing clothes and cooking. Fantastic ideas/information.

Take $5 off your first order with coupon REF10

Take $5 off your first order with coupon  REF10
"Never has the devil found such fertile territory upon which to work as in this era when his very existence is denied by so many" - St. Padre Pio