How to Waterproof Diaper Covers
Modern cloth diapers are an economical and environmentally friendly way to diaper your baby. Cloth diapers require either a waterproof cover or some kind of waterproof layer. Waterproofing a diaper cover ensures that your baby’s urine won’t leak onto his clothes. Purchasing or making a waterproof diaper cover is an essential part of your cloth diapering system.
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Things You'll Need
- Polyurethane laminate
- Dryer
- Wool soaker
- 200 grams of worsted-weight wool to hand knit a woal soaker
- Wool wash
- Lanolin
- Water
Instructions
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Waterproofing Your Diaper Covers
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Use diaper covers that are made from polyurethane laminate (PUL), which is a soft polyester knit fabric laminated with one or two milliliters of polyurethane. Parents prefer PUL to other materials with a plastic feel because it’s softer and feels nicer next to baby’s skin. Most modern diapers and covers are made with one layer of PUL. One layer of a 2-ml PUL fabric will easily hold in wetness. PUL is readily available for purchase at many online fabric stores, particularly those that specialize in cloth diaper fabric.
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Or you can cover cloth diapers with wool, a more natural fabric than PUL. You can purchase wool soakers, which are wool diaper covers, or easily make them if you have basic knitting skills. The wool will soak in the moisture without soaking in the smell, as it has natural anti-bacterial properties. Don’t wash the wool in the washing machine or put it in the dryer, which will felt the wool and ruin it. Instead, after several uses, wash it by hand in tepid water with a wool wash or castile soap. After washing, allow the diaper to air dry.
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Lanolize wool diaper covers to help keep them waterproof. To do this, purchase lanolin. You can find this in the breastfeeding section of you local store, as many moms use lanolin for sore nipples. You can also find it online. Wet your wool diaper cover and remove any feces that might have leaked out of your baby's diaper. Fill your sink with tepid water, a wool wash and about a teaspoon of melted lanolin. Add the wool diaper cover, and swish it around. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. After soaking, squeeze out excess water and line dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Though some people prefer to line dry their cloth diapers and covers, it’s important to run PUL through the dryer every once in a while. The high heat recharges the polyurethane and also can melt any cracks in the laminate. This will increase your PUL cover’s ability to track moisture.
Line dry your wool in the sun to help it dry more quickly. In a room temperature or cooler environment, wool can take several days to dry completely. Again, never put your wool soakers in the washer or dryer.
Use your microwave to melt lanolin.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit balls of wool image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
