Storing Dirty Cloth Diapers until Laundry Day

It may seem like it would be a simple answer to a simple question, but there are actually a few different options for storing dirty cloth diapers until laundry day. Depending on which method you choose, could determine what type of cloth diapers are best for your stash!

Wet vs Dry Diaper Pail

Although wet pails aren't recommended much anymore, there are some cloth diaper users that swear by wet pails. A wet pail is simply a bucket/pail/bin filled with water where you leave cloth diapers until laundry day. The diapers soak in water, which some say helps keep away ammonia smells. In a dry pail, you simply put your dirty diapers into a container just as they are - no water is included in the pail.

You can put them straight into the container and just wash it out every so often, or use a pail liner {or pillowcase if you're on a budget!} - simply toss it in when you wash your cloth diapers. Most cloth manufacturers actually recommend dry pails because sitting in water for long periods of time can actually lead to breakdown and delamination of your PUL diapers. If you're using a stash made up of mainly prefolds and diapers that aren't made of PUL, then a wet pail might be an option for you. Each pail method has pros and cons and it's important to evaluate how often you'll wash and what type of diapers you use to determine which is best for you.

Hanging Wet Bag

A hanging wet bag is an excellent choice for cloth diaper users that are limited on space. A hanging wet bag can be hung on the wall, door knob, hook... anywhere! Most have a zipper closure that keeps smells and dampness inside the bag. When Laundry Day comes, you simply empty out your diapers in the washer and toss in the wet bag at the same time!

No matter what method you use to store your dirty cloth diapers until laundry day, you want them to be contained well so there's no escaping smells, but also still breathing... so mold and mildew can't grow. Don't shut them up in a pail and leave them for days without opening. You also want to make sure to have a laundry routine where you're washing, ideally, every 2-3 days.

What method do you use to Store Dirty Cloth Diapers until Laundry Day?

Lindsey is the author behind the So Easy Being Green blog. Once she decided to use cloth diapers on her children, she started making green-er choices in all areas of her life. SEBG is a resource for parents who want to make small changes that will make a big impact on their path to a green-er life.

Contributed by: Lindsey

Sunning Diapers in less than Ideal Weather

Many cloth diaper parents love sunning their diapers not only for stain removal but for killing bacteria. The Sun’s UV rays are magic in my opinion! But what do you do when the weather is less than ideal for sunning, or what about during the winter- especially if you live in areas where it snows heavily?

I've come up with a list of things that I do and what I've found others do, during times like these, to ensure their diapers stay clean.

Personally, I do not take my diapers outside during freezing temps. We live in an area where it snows A LOT and the temperatures drop into the negatives. I’d be afraid of the wear and tear on my PUL that would happen after freezing and defrosting them so much. Instead, I like to sun dry next to a window that has full on sunshine coming in. It’s not the full effect of the Sun’s UV rays, studies show windows let in about 50% of the UV rays, but in my opinion half is better than none during those cold winter months! If you choose to do this it’s helpful to have a drying rack, but even just laying diapers in a window sill or on a table next to a window will work.

Racks like these can be found in the laundry section of many retail stores.

Call me crazy, I’ve even made use of our car when needing to sun diapers. Our car’s dash gets a lot of sun shine during those winter months- better than the windows of our house. We've used that lovely warm dashboard for sunning diapers!

In my time as a cloth diaper parents, I’ve come across many other options that people choose when it comes to sunning diapers. Some are completely ok with sunning their diapers outside in any time of weather- sunshine, rain, freezing snow. They swear by it! They say during freezing temps, sun your diapers on a rack and when they are done, move the rack back inside to defrost before moving any of the diapers off the rack. Like I said before, I’d be afraid of the wear on the PUL from freezing and defrosting but maybe it wouldn’t be any worse than it is on PUL washing them in hot water or drying them in the dryer. Myclothdiaperstash.com has some creative ideas for how to hang out diapers and inserts up inside the home to attain the best sun exposure. Another mother said she lays her diapers on her tanning bed to sun during the winter! I would assume you could purchase a UV light bulb to sun your diapers with, but I’m not sure how long that would take to sun a whole stash with one light bulb ;)

How do you sun your diapers during the cold, winter months?

Miranda's Cloth Stash!

i know i have a ton of diapers. it doesnt help one of my friends runs a diaper making shop. she kills me with cuteness and i cannot say no. i started with a reasonable stash and it mushroomed...BUY ALLL THE DIAPERS! or review them, like i was fortunate enough to do. now that i have an actual count, it may seem excessive, but im telling myself its ok, since i will soon have two in cloth! plus theres the resale value once im done having babies. so whats in my stash?

first shot we have is (12) "other" diapers. i didnt know what to call this selection. these are the ones which didnt fit into any of the categories to come. my three awesome score goodmamas are on the left, which i found for $5 each. probably my proudest buy. included in here are my two go-to nighttime diapers, and my "dream diaper" the albert, which i wanted sooo bad and finally sound on a seconds sale.

photo two is my (9) covers/swim diapers. the covers are the top picture and include a cute batman fleece cover i completely forgot i even had until i did this post. last cloth diaper meeting i borrowed a fleece and a wool cover to try out for nighttime, unknowing i had this one in the drawer the whole time. i really dont ever use covers, i dont know why im hoarding them...i say im waiting for a yeast rash or something so i can protect my regular diapers, but 17 months later it hasnt happened. the (3) on the bottom are our swim diapers, with one that was a diaper wars contender i won the bid to buy and a ninja turtle one i made from a ruined alva.

photo three is supposed to be my (17) work at home mom diapers but i see its actually 14 wahm and 3 glowbugs. either way, most of these i was fortunate enough to review while blogging, and some of them are from my friend's shop timbutt2oos which were not free, but are some of my favorites because they are so fluffy. these are the ones which i use most, and contain some of my favorite patterns

photo four is the newborn stash for belly3.0. up top are (13) AiO newborn diapers, five of which were homemade for a friend and passed down. the bottom contains (15) tiny gpants i won at mommycon. i won 17 but donated 2 to my cloth diaper group's lending library. not honestly a fan of gdiapers because they always ended up leaking when i tried them on toddler2.0 but i have friends who swear by them so im going to guess it was user error. plus they were free and belly3.0 will only be in them until he/she can fit in the OS stash i have for toddler2.0. these are all so cute and tiny!

finally, rounding up the stash are our (24) china cheapies. when i switched from gdipes to pockets, these are how i built an instant stash cheap. there were more which have been given away/tossed along the way, but my spongebob and spiderman are still two favorites.

yikes. that brings me to 62 dipes, if you dont count the 28 newborns...what in YOUR stash?

Contributed by: Miranda

Incorporating Cloth Diapers into Your Halloween Costume

Can you believe that Halloween is less than 4 weeks away? Have you thought about what your little one’s dress up as, or if you will be dressing them up for your own photo shoot? If your baby is still in cloth diapers, Halloween/Harvest Parties are the perfect time to show off those cute fluffy bums, and maybe even convert a few mom’s or dad’s to cloth diapers as well.

Here are a few simple ideas on incorporating cloth diapers into your Halloween costume.

• Pick a fall colored cloth diaper. Smartipants makes a vibrant line of colored cloth diapers ranging from Hot Chocolate Brown to Fire Engine Red. These are perfect to celebrate fall.

• Match your cloth diaper to your costume. Whatever your child may be this Halloween, there is certain to be a diaper to match. Here are some examples:

1. Cookie Monster – True Blue
2. Elmo – Fire Engine Red
3. Dog – Hot Chocolate, Jet Black or White
4. Thomas the Train – Fire Engine Red,
5. Princess – Think Pink, Lovely Lavender, or Bubble Gum Pink

• Add in some babylegs or a matching wet bag. Babylegs are essentially leg warmers for babies that look super cute with cloth diapers. Babylegs come in all different styles, colors, and prints. There are many different manufacturers that make these “cloth diaper accessories.” You can even coordinate with the outfit ideas listed above. For instance, try a red and white stripped pair for Elmo or a blue and red argyle pattern for Thomas the Train. Be creative!

No matter what costume or fall outfit you pick for your little one’s you will be sure to find the cutest cloth diapers from Smartipants. Since your diaper will be the talk of the party, this is also a great and non-invasive way to share about your love of cloth diapers with other families! You never know!

What are your ideas for incorporating cloth diapers into your baby’s costume?

Contributed by: Julie