Off Grid Wool Suggestions

[simply_amazing]

Hello everyone I’m a FTM expecting in October. My husband and I live off grid, we get all our water through rain catchment and try to produce no/little waste, mostly because we’re out in the country without a garbage service.

I’d love to do a mix of cloth diapering and EC with my first. I’m trying to:

• use natural materials (wool, cotton, etc)
• have a lower maintenance system (no fancy folding)
• not need a ton of water… we can really only spare 1-5 gallons/day for clothes/diaper washing and I wash by hand… no machine!
• not spend a fortune

I’ve been looking at wool covers (the shorts kind) and inners that look like diapers but with snaps (not sure what they are called).

Am I crazy to have these expectations? I know it won’t be perfect but is this realistic?

What would you all recommend as far as types of cloth diapers, amount of covers and inners and sizes to get before birth, good prices brands (I’ve just been looking at some on Etsy) and realistic expectations? I’m also not adverse to using some compostable, disposable diapers for newborn stage and traveling if anyone has suggestions.

Would especially love to hear from anyone else off grid, first time diapering, or using CD with EC!

 

[kyleeak]

@simply_amazing What about something like those G diapers at least until you get more water? They’re like a reusable cover with compostable inner. I haven’t used them but my friend liked them fine

 

[simply_amazing]

@kyleeak Oh fascinating! I didn’t even know those existed… I just looked them up and they definitely seem like a good backup and I feel like they would be really good for traveling too!

 

[kyleeak]

@simply_amazing Yeah I didn’t know about them either! Love all the options that exist

 

[rehem]

@simply_amazing I’m going to be honest, I think this is going to be really, really difficult to achieve. Maybe not possible under these parameters. It sounds like water is the main limiting factor.

I hand washed (diaper) laundry for a while with my first, and it is DIFFICULT. And I had unlimited water. I don’t know your current setup, but I used a bucket and plunger system. You do diapers twice, always. So you’d need multiple gallons of clean hot soapy water for first wash, wring out. Dump the water (what do you do now with your waste? I would be avoid dumping untreated diaper wash water onto plants), add clean rinse water. Rinse. Wring out. Another round of hot soapy water and another rinse.

It just seems impossible to me to stay under your water limits. You have to be looking at bare minimum 3x4=12 gallons per load. And I never skimped on water when hand washing diapers, because to be honest I don’t think you get the same clean you get in a machine. So I would use more like 4-5 gallons per wash or rinse cycle. With clothes I would double up on the rinse water to save water, but for diaper laundry I think you really have to treat it pretty seriously to stay sanitary.

If you had more water, you could do it for sure! I would only do flats, and I know you want natural covers, but newborn poop goes everywhere. I would just get a few PUL covers, much much easier to wash!

The only way I can imagine this working with your water limits is if ECing really works for you and you catch most of the poops, then you could probably cheat a bit and maybe alternate a “real” diaper wash (two full cycles) with just one cycle for the next laundry day if you were only washing pee diapers.

Alternatively, if you can find a copy of that Carla Emery book Encyclopedia of Country Living, I believe she has a section about old school diaper laundry where you boil them. I don’t know if that saves you water, though?

I’m sorry to be a downer! I think you can totally do it if you can find some extra water.

 

[simply_amazing]

@rehem Thanks for your comment! I don’t mind a reality check… Doing a 12 gallon load every day would definitely be difficult for us since that is kind of our “max” water usage each day including water for dishes and drinking, etc. I wonder if I got a little manual pump washer if that would clean them as well without using as much water Good point about the PULs being easier to wash… I didn’t think of that. We do have the possibility of getting city water but I don’t think it will be before the baby is born. Definitely lots to think about, I appreciate your insight!