I have four kids that are all 18-20 months apart. That means that we’ve been in a swamp of diapers for 5 years straight now. We are lucky to have never had more than two in diapers at the same time.
I hate the waste of diapers. Sometimes I will cloth diaper for a while, but that is hard to keep up with. The amount of laundry we do is already on par with Everest. Adding daily cloth diapers just pushes mama to new heights. But, I’ve always used reusable diapers in water.
Not only do reusable diapers cut waste, but they are thinner, cheaper and cuter than the disposable ones. They are easier to keep clean than regular cloth diapers too, since they are only used in the water. Here are my five tips for using reusable swim diapers.
Get Adjustable Ones
Start by getting reusable swim diapers that will grow with your kid. Not only did mine last until each kid was potty trained, but I could also use my diapers on every kid. The adjustable ones, like these, are able to snap smaller or open up to be bigger. They always fit great and it makes them more cost effective. The diapers I have in the original size (0-3 years) has fit my newborns at the same time it can fit my large toddler. It’s great not to have diapers that are outgrown and serve no purpose. These are made to last.
Don’t Travel in Them
Swim diapers aren’t made for land use. If the diapers were completely waterproof, they would be terrible to swim in. If your kid goes potty in a swim diaper, it is going to leak out. We just wore regular clothes and diapers to the pool and brought our change of clothing. Once we were at the pool, it’s easy to make the switch in the locker room or even behind a towel poolside.
Take a Spare
We’ve had a few nasty diapers while at the pool. If you bring a spare, then your fun
doesn’t have to end with a dirty diaper. You aren’t going to have a pool embarrassment with a Code Brown while wearing a reusable diaper, but swim time is over if you only brought the one. Just like if you were using disposable diapers, take a backup diaper and a plastic bag in case you need to do a little damage control. A quick change and your kid is good to go. If you want to be even more prepared, have a small bottle of soap so you can start the soaking process before you get home…
Use Dawn
For some reason, Dawn dish soap (the blue original one) is AMAZING for getting out food-related potential stains. Because bowel movements are food-related, Dawn does a great job. Usually dumping them into the toilet will get rid of most of the mess, but you may need to let them soak a little to remove the residue. Keep your diapers fresh and white by adding Dawn right to the “stains,” letting them soak a bit before washing and drying. All of our BB Littles diapers still look white and new after years of use.
Feel Free to Keep Using Them…
My oldest boy is a bean pole kid. Even after he was done potty training, he kept wearing the reusable diapers as swim underwear under his trunks. I knew he wouldn’t have a pool accident, but I didn’t trust his swim shorts to stay up. Rather than have him embarrassed by losing his pants at the pool, I used the diapers to help keep the shorts up and make sure he wouldn’t be exposed if they did get pulled down. He even asks to wear them because it makes him feel better too. I just call them swim underwear when he is using them.
I love our BB Littles diapers! If you’ve thought about grabbing reusable swim diaper for your little one, do it!