Cloth diapering in Disney?

[Magpie]

Regarding the dog poop in Canada, does that include when you're out and about? Like, if I took my dog for a run, would I have to carry the goods back home to flush? Sounds like fun!

I'm going to assume you're not the kind of person who lets their dog go anywhere they please and then leaves it so other people can step in it. So with that in mind...

In theory, yes. I know one dog owner who uses a scoop and carries it back to her house to flush. She disapproves of me using regular old doggie bags. I also know someone else who's trained her dog to go in one particular spot at the same time every day, which I suppose makes disposing of the poo very easy.

Me, I just scoop and poop. Carry it to the nearest garbage receptacle (which might be right there, or it might be five blocks away), quick check to make sure there isn't a bylaw officer standing behind me, and toss it in. If I'm close to home it goes into a bin that sits outside and is emptied into the general trash once a week. Because I'm just that kind of irresponsible, non-civic minded, rebel.

In practice, very few people flush their dog poo. However, most everyone I know flushes their baby poo, since the toilet's usually right close by when you're changing baby anyway. It's not like it's much of a hassle, so why not do the right thing?

That will be the day I flush my dogs poop lol

I figure I'll do it when they start making affordable flushable doggie bags that I can buy in my grocery store and which won't clog up my toilet!

(I'm all about making things easier when it comes to child rearing/pet owning, which is why I happily cloth diapered at home and then used disposables on long trips.)

 

[mom2rtk]

What I really want to know is how many of you use cloth diapers on your dogs.

I've never been so glad to have cats.

 

[hgeisler]

One thing I am not getting about this thread is the OP asked for ideas for cloth diapering at Disney. I use disposables when I travel as well, but the OP asked specifically for cloth diapering options.
I completely understand the convenience of using disposables while traveling, however this thread has turned into "I don't use them when I travel, so neither should you," and "Washing dirty diapers in a washing machine or sink is disgusting." This thread is ten pages long, and has turned into an argument about washing poopy diapers:/

Sorry, had to get that out!

 

[Magpie]

One thing I am not getting about this thread is the OP asked for ideas for cloth diapering at Disney. I use disposables when I travel as well, but the OP asked specifically for cloth diapering options.
I completely understand the convenience of using disposables while traveling, however this thread has turned into "I don't use them when I travel, so neither should you," and "Washing dirty diapers in a washing machine or sink is disgusting." This thread is ten pages long, and has turned into an argument about washing poopy diapers:/

Sorry, had to get that out!

I think it's because the OP isn't actually looking for suggestions for herself. She's a doula, looking to advise new mothers on the best approach to cloth diapering while travelling at Disney.

And to that, many folks are responding, "Don't. Just use disposables!"

The fact that some crunchy granola cloth diapering types will choose to use disposables while travelling is actually relevant to her question. It's an alternative her clients can consider. And if they choose to cloth diaper in a theme park, they'll be able to go in knowing some of the potential pitfalls (like broken washing machines, running out of quarters, potential theme park touring time lost to laundry, storage of wet/dirty diapers, etc...) and hopefully can figure out ways to circumvent them.

Not to mention, there's been some useful info on hybrid diapers on here, which is a third option.

 

[hgeisler]

I think it's because the OP isn't actually looking for suggestions for herself. She's a doula, looking to advise new mothers on the best approach to cloth diapering while travelling at Disney.

And to that, many folks are responding, "Don't. Just use disposables!"

The fact that some crunchy granola cloth diapering types will choose to use disposables while travelling is actually relevant to her question. It's an alternative her clients can consider. And if they choose to cloth diaper in a theme park, they'll be able to go in knowing some of the potential pitfalls (like broken washing machines, running out of quarters, potential theme park touring time lost to laundry, storage of wet/dirty diapers, etc...) and hopefully can figure out ways to circumvent them.

Not to mention, there's been some useful info on hybrid diapers on here, which is a third option.

I get that she's a doula, but I guess the way I read it was she was looking for just cloth ideas, and the positives and negatives for different types of cloth diapering while traveling.
Some people did have interesting suggestions. I just feel as if the thread has gone a totally different direction...

 

[kevschickee]

One thing I am not getting about this thread is the OP asked for ideas for cloth diapering at Disney. I use disposables when I travel as well, but the OP asked specifically for cloth diapering options.
I completely understand the convenience of using disposables while traveling, however this thread has turned into "I don't use them when I travel, so neither should you," and "Washing dirty diapers in a washing machine or sink is disgusting." This thread is ten pages long, and has turned into an argument about washing poopy diapers:/

Sorry, had to get that out!

I think this thread is pretty tame. Yes some people don't like the idea if washing them in the sink and washer but that's the great thing about the disboards lots of different point of views.

 

[MomofDisneyLoversx3]

I found using lines when traveling was very helpful. Then I could just stick the fairly clean diaper into my wet bag.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

....

I'm also still not buying the 'washers need to be cleaned' theory. Our washer is probably going on ten years old. We have never taken any steps to clean it (outside of it's normal duties). Even with this lack of care on our part, the washer doesn't smell or have any recognizable 'growth'.

It should be noted that my wife had informed me that some HE washers need extra care to keep mold from growing in them. The tiniest bit of internet research leads me to the conclusion that this mold is caused by the fact that their doors close too tightly. The issue can be managed in a few ways such as 1) leave the door ajar (This would not work in my house as one of my kids would lock the other in the washer and probably turn it on.), 2) occasionally wipe down the door's seal with a bleachy product (it's the door seal that gets funky because it isn't washed every single time that the washer is used), 3) use the washer frequently. (We had six kids in my family. There was not a day that went by that a load of clothes wasn't being washed. There would be no mold in our washer, if HE washers had been the norm way back then.) That being said, the public washers at the resorts get tons of use. I seriously doubt that they have much time for their to be mold growth in them.

It should be noted that this mold growth on the door seals of some HE washers does not mean that these washers do not adequately rinse away whatever funkiness was washed off the clothes. I'll not stress one moment over the possibility that some minute particle of some previous wash remains in the washer. The only logical conclusion to such worry is to NEVER use a public clothes washer since you will never be sure of what was washed by previous users.

This isn't technically on topic, but I wanted to respond as someone may read and think all of your post is accurate. I own an HE washer, and your ideas, while likely well meaning, are not factual.

HE washers often end up with a musty smell in them that CAN be helped by leaving the door open at least part of the time. The rubber gasket around the door seals so tightly it traps water and fungi can grow. But not all the fungi is relegated to the gasket area - there is a trap under the drum that has to be cleaned out periodically, and believe me, this thing is pretty nasty!

It has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of water being flushed through the system, in fact it seems the more the washer is used the quicker the build up. I use my washer many times per day, and we have to clean the trap regularly or our towels start to smell funky.

You posited the idea that a funky smell does not mean the washer is not rinsing properly, when actually it can mean exactly that! With front load washers, the clothes end up simply tumbling, rather than dashing in the water and if the trap is clogged, the water can back up.

Just thought I would clarify this a little bit for anyone reading along. I don't mean to belittle you in any way, and agree with some of what you've posted.

When my children were little, I used a combination of disposable and cloth diapers, and it was far enough in the past for me to have been considered "kinda weird" by my friends and relatives. I sometimes dumped the solids *from disposables and sometimes not, depending on when and where, but I was the only one I knew who did. However, I always used disposable whenever traveling, I can't imagine trying to deal with cloth in that situation.

And I have to agree with those a little skeeved out by the idea of dirty diapers washed in the sinks. Just as I was when I heard the tip given by an airline attendant to wash out your undies in the coffee pot. I will still use the sink, as I believe it is washed well enough by constant use - but I'll never use another in-room coffee maker!

*oops, left out a critical descriptor!

 

[dadddio]

Take a look at the "directions" (ha! they still crack my up after 6+ years!) on the diaper box next time you buy a new one. At least on the Pampers boxes, the third (I think?) step shows a diaper being held over a toilet with a little present falling in!

Also, just so you don't think I'm off my rocker . . .
16.
Dump any poop into the toilet, if possible. Fold up the dirty diaper and fasten it closed with its tabs, then put it in the trash or diaper pail. If it's flushable or compostable, dispose of it according to the manufacturer's guidelines.

Taken from http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-change-a-disposable-diaper_3838.bc

**edited to fix a spelling mistake

We are building a now house and have been slowly packing some of our stuff up and tossing it storage temporarily. To this end, we've been saving boxes. This gave me the opportunity to check pampers, buggies, and target diaper boxes. Not surprisingly, there were no instructions. I figure that's because by the time you worked your way through the first box of newborn-sized diapers, you pretty much have the process down.

It should be noted that I have never, ever dumped poop out of a diaper into the toilet. Further, that isn't going to somehow magically make our landfills clean since a good percentage of poopy baby diapers don't contain a nice solid chunk of poop that is going to just fall not the toilet. Finally, the idea that a diaper not decomposing is going to keep the poop inside from decomposing doesn't make sense to me. It seems that it might even decompose faster this way since it would be a warmer, damper environment, but I'm no poop scientist.

 

[dadddio]

When it's easy and the poop was hard enough that it would fall off of the disposable, I dumped it into the nearest toilet and flushed. If there was a line, or if the poop was not hard, I didn't bother, but really that is a rare occurance.

Keeps the diaper trash from smelling nasty, too. I rarely threw a poop diaper in the trash at home either, if we were using disposables for some reason. The poop is so gross smelling. Entire house smells better if the poop goes in the toilet!

That's why we have a diaper genie.

 

[dadddio]

While I'm right there with you regarding human poo from diapers in the landfill vs other human waste that goes there...

I'm pretty sure that the concept of doggy pooper scoopers and doggie poo bags are not unique to Canada. Don't most cities in the US require pet owners to clean up after their animals and dispose of solid wastes? Please tell me that you don't allow your dog to poop on public property or someone else's lawn and just leave it there.

Those laws don't require you to flush the doggie poop. They merely require you to pick it up. The disposal of same is generally accomplished by tossing it in the nearest trash can.

 

[dadddio]

What I really want to know is how many of you use cloth diapers on your dogs.

I've never been so glad to have cats.

That brings up an entirely new problem. Do you flush your cat's poop? If so, do you scrape off any non-septic friendly litter that gets stuck to it?

 

[mom2rtk]

That brings up an entirely new problem. Do you flush your cat's poop? If so, do you scrape off any non-septic friendly litter that gets stuck to it?

No. My cats flush for themselves.

Told you cats were better.

They're the ones who pointed me to this thread. The calico found it quite amusing.

 

[hgeisler]

no. My cats flush for themselves.

told you cats were better.

they're the ones who pointed me to this thread. The calico found it quite amusing.

lmao!!!

 

[angelmom27]

We use cloth diapers. I use the hybrids (grovia shells and grovia biosoaker liners) when we are on vacation or doing a day at SW. I wouldn't use the resort washers that you have use coins for. Too many steps to washing and would cost too much money. Covers or shells are very easy to wash by hand and dry fast. Now if I was staying at a rental, timeshare, or villa that had a washer I would take advantage of it. I also like keeping a good stock of them just incase of a hurricane. I live in FL so never know. Going for weeks without power would not be good.

 

[robinb]

Finally, the idea that a diaper not decomposing is going to keep the poop inside from decomposing doesn't make sense to me. It seems that it might even decompose faster this way since it would be a warmer, damper environment, but I'm no poop scientist.

According to the EPA, it takes 450 years for a disposable diaper to decompose (http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/edresources/debris_t.html) so frankly the poop is not going to make a difference.

 

[writersblock42]

This thread is cracking me up and so many opinions. I just have to respond to a few things.
1. Poop stinks. It is not the chemicals in the diaper or the gel that makes it stink. Poop just stinks.
2. Public washers are not clean-they are dirty. Even at home every once in a while I have to let bleach water soak by itself in the washer to get rid of the mold/funk build up. I can actually smell when it needs to be done.
3. For those that have never peed or pooped in their underwear or sheets. Good for you. I on the other hand have had two kids and sometimes when I laugh really hard pee does leak. I also do other things in a hotel room and sometimes when I am not careful it ends up on the sheets. These sheets do go through the hotel washer.
4. Somebody asks what happens to the human waste that goes in the sewer system. Well...if the cloth diapering thing grossed you out boy will you be happy next time you are eating some veggies and fruits. Ever here of fertilizer? Probably thought it came from just cows right? Nope a lot of it is human waste. http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/wastewater/treatment/biosolids/
5. Technically yes dog poop should be flushed but I think we are just happy around where we live if people actually pick it up and throw it away. However, dog poop has a lot of nitrogen in it. Great for plant growth-bad for water ways and kills the poor fishies. Additionally, dog poop has E. Coli and lots of other bad things in it and really needs to be disposed of properly. You can buy flush doggy bags so you don't need to dump it out. Then you can just flush it down a public toilet as well.

 

[Lynne M]

The OP has gotten plenty of good suggestions, and the thread has gone ridiculously off topic, so we're done here.